Let them offer their loyalty!

And so, on the same early morning of the next day...

The Messenger and the Black Shadow seemed notably more excited.

With a smile on his face, the Messenger said, "That city definitely has a problem."

"I sent a second team, and they too never returned."

"There must be powerful individuals patrolling there!"

Hearing the Messenger's words, the Black Shadow cautiously inquired, "What about the other cities? Any irregularities?"

The Messenger replied, "In the newly arrived cities, no abnormalities have been found. Only a few cities remain undetected."

"After all, with Dongye State under martial law, moving between cities is no simple matter."

The Black Shadow said, "If that's the case, then..."

"Should we directly send in experts to investigate that city?"

"Maybe we'll get immediate results?"

Hearing the Black Shadow's suggestion, the Messenger hesitated for a moment and then said, "Before confirming the situation, summoning experts for a frontal attack is too high-profile."

"The cities we've already taken under control have been seized by Huang Shangzong and Tang Feifei."

"They are far from benevolent or trustworthy. If we really rushed in, they'd most likely retaliate in kind."

At this, the Messenger paused briefly and then continued, "So… I believe it's better to proceed with caution."

He said, "Tonight, I'll send a small squad of Third Order operatives to investigate."

"If it's still not enough, then we'll deploy Fourth Order, or even Peak Fourth Rank experts to complete the mission."

Hearing the Messenger's plan, the Black Shadow slightly nodded in agreement.

The night passed uneventfully.

This was the fourth day since the Sixth Sanctuary Envoy Team had arrived in Dongye State, and only two days remained until the "earth vein flower" matured.

Due to Princess Xi's declining health, the Envoy Team temporarily ended their expedition to Xinjie City and returned to Eastern City to recuperate.

Out of both hospitality and his role as the Deputy Leader of the reception team, Qiu Tu made a deliberate visit to Princess Xi and Kou Yu.

Kou Yu, as always, carried himself with an air of superiority. But for some reason, when his eyes met Qiu Tu's, a faint cold glimmer seemed to flicker within them.

Furthermore, just before Qiu Tu left, Kou Yu suddenly uttered an inexplicable remark, "Speaker Qiu… before you undertake certain actions, you must measure your strength carefully."

"Misjudging your own strength could lead to life-threatening consequences."

As for Princess Xi… her attitude was considerably more pleasant compared to Kou Yu.

When Qiu Tu arrived, she even went so far as to brew him a pot of tea.

Yet, during the tea-drinking session, Princess Xi gazed at Qiu Tu with an ethereal air, her sapphire eyes brimming with an unfathomable sorrow.

Qiu Tu pretended not to notice, quietly sipping his tea and nibbling on sweets.

As for Ai Li, Yanyan, and Xue'er, they resembled meek little quails, silently standing by Princess Xi's side without uttering a word.

The only difference was… when Qiu Tu's gaze shifted to Ai Li, her face would turn slightly red, and she'd unnaturally tilt her head to the side.

Yanyan, on the other hand, continued to look at Qiu Tu with her bright, innocent eyes, occasionally blinking playfully.

And so, the day quietly passed.

After a long day, Qiu Tu returned to the villa.

After washing away his fatigue in the bath, Qiu Tu sat on the sofa and, with a focused thought, summoned Zhu Huoyan once again.

Upon seeing Zhu Huoyan, Qiu Tu asked, "Have any Catastrophe beings approached the city in the past few days?"

Upon hearing the question, Zhu Huoyan promptly reported, "Master, yes, they have."

"And not just one wave—there have been three waves in total."

"Last night, they even sent three Third Order experts to probe, but all of them were wiped out by Scarface alone."

Hearing Zhu Huoyan's words, Qiu Tu's expression darkened slightly...

....

Meanwhile, in the Trading Market of the New Region—

While Qiu Tu absorbed the intelligence—

The Black Shadow and the Messenger were also deep in conversation.

Wearing a somber expression, the Messenger said, "Last night, a team of three Third Order Cataclysmics disappeared as well."

Hearing this, the Black Shadow froze for a moment before asking, "They all disappeared in that city?"

The Messenger nodded and said, "Yes. That city now feels like an informational black hole."

"Any scout that goes there is swallowed whole."

The Black Shadow said, "In a way, that's actually good news. It only further confirms that there's something unusual in that area."

"So, we could just assemble a team of experts and force our way in to uncover the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures hidden inside."

Hearing the Black Shadow's suggestion, the Messenger nodded slightly, "I agree it's worth a try."

"I'll send a message to the Bishop shortly, asking him to gather Lord Muye's trained Fourth Order experts, preemptively use the Spirit Communication Potion, and then storm that city."

Hearing this, the Black Shadow chuckled and joked, "Not going to wait for feedback from the other cities?"

The Messenger replied, "No need. That city can even consume Third Order Cataclysmics—it's far too suspicious."

"Fortune favors the swift; in the time wasted waiting, someone might already claim that Heavenly Material or Earthly Treasure."

Seeing the Messenger's decisive resolve, the Black Shadow slightly bowed his head in assent...

.....

Late at night, all was silent. The sky spread out like an endless expanse of ink, dotted with a sparse but brilliant scattering of stars, resembling the watchful eyes of the world calmly gazing upon the sleeping land below.

Beneath that starlit canopy, several figures darted swiftly through the shadows.

"Hurry, this way, over here. Keep up!"

"We're almost there."

"We've arrived, here it is."

"Stay alert. Use the Spirit Summoning Potion."

Under the lead operative's instructions, four Fourth Order Cataclysmics promptly used the Spirit Summoning Potion.