Meanwhile, at the Dead Black Sea.
One after another, warships of the Via Empire broke through the mist at high speed, swiftly sailing across the black sea. Fully armed soldiers, holding magical-tech weapons, stood on the decks, always alert to their surroundings.
“Have we located the Fish Human Race?” A general in black magical armor frowned and asked.
The deputy commander beside him respectfully responded, “The Exploration ship ahead has found a city at sea. If our previous intel is correct, that should be the lair of the Mutated Mermen—Sea City.”
Among the commanders leading this expedition, only Solomon Tek, second in rank to Rod, had a slight expression of joy appear on his tense face upon hearing the news.
He immediately issued an order, “Have the fleet accelerate! General Rod and the others can’t delay the Clinton Empire forces for long. We must find the Celestial Pearl during this window!”
The strength of the Clinton Empire far surpassed their expectations, especially that queen who was rumored to be the reincarnation of the Goddess of Dawn.
Her power was even greater than that of their own Rod, who had already reached the peak level of Transcendence.
No one had anticipated such a variable. Now, the situation outside was in a deadlock, and time was running out. They had to find the Celestial Pearl before the Clinton forces arrived, or the consequences would be unimaginable.
Once the order was given, the fleet’s speed increased again, heading quickly toward Sea City.
But after only a short time of sailing…
The leading warship suddenly exploded without warning, the blast shattering it into pieces. The explosion took everyone by surprise.
Solomon, whose mind was always on high alert, immediately drew his long sword with a flick of his hand and asked in a low voice, “What happened? Are the Clinton Empire forces lying in ambush ahead?”
The deputy commander hastily used a communication crystal to inquire, but found that the crystal was being jammed and could not transmit a message.
“Everyone, be on alert!” Solomon quickly ordered as he sensed something was wrong. However, in just the span of a few breaths, several more deafening explosions followed. One warship after another burst open like fireworks, with no warning at all.
Soldiers aboard the ships were blown to pieces, severed limbs and flying body parts scattering everywhere. The blood dyed the sea red, and over a thousand soldiers didn’t even have time to scream before they were instantly killed.
What shocked everyone even more was that throughout the entire attack, they never saw what exactly had struck them.
“Monsters! There are monsters under the sea!” A soldier suddenly shouted, pointing at the depths below. But in the next moment, his body exploded into a mist of blood. Still, many soldiers instinctively looked toward the direction he had pointed.
Solomon’s head turned halfway, when suddenly something clicked in his mind. His pupils contracted sharply, and he shouted, “Don’t look!”
But it was too late.
A massive eye, embedded in the sea, appeared before them. Its sharp vertical pupil radiated a brilliant golden light.
In that instant, it seemed as though everything in their vision vanished, leaving only the golden eye.
Under Solomon’s desperate, tear-filled gaze, thousands of soldiers stood frozen in place, their faces blank. Then, with a sudden, horrifying explosion, they were obliterated.
…
Elsewhere, at Lanster City.
The sun shone brightly.
The city was bustling with life, featuring an assortment of shops—apothecaries, armories, and tailor stores, all giving off an air of prosperity.
Yet, it was precisely this apparent normalcy that made everyone feel a chill run down their spines.
The most normal-looking things often turned out to be the most abnormal.
Luca led the way.
His steady and powerful footsteps grounding everyone’s nerves, bringing a sense of calm.
The group moved cautiously, ever-watchful of their surroundings, fearing that a monstrous creature might suddenly leap from the alleys.
To their surprise, when they finally reached the magnificent palace, there was no sound at all.
Looking up the white jade stairs, they could already see the golden palace hall, gleaming in the sunlight.
The corridors were adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, the ground paved with white jade, and the columns made of solid gold. Exquisite sculptures and murals decorated every wall.
Everything appeared so unreal.
“You stay here. I’ll go inside and take a look,” Luca instructed the others as he prepared to enter.
Sophia stepped forward, “I’ll go with you.”
Luca nodded, and the two of them ascended the white jade stairs together, heading into the palace hall, while the others remained behind, ready for any unforeseen events.
As they passed the stairs and entered the hall, they were met with an overwhelming sight—inside, the palace was resplendent, with finely sculpted walls and ceilings. At the highest point of the hall stood an empty, luxurious throne.
Luca’s gaze fell on the murals and carvings on the walls, which depicted the history of Farlenben.
From the near-extermination of the original tribes by monster hordes, to the gradual expansion and conquest of lands, the rise of the empire, and ultimately becoming the first human overlord in the history of the Eternal Continent—Farlenben’s major events and rulers over the last 30,000 years were all recorded here.
Among all the figures and stories, the image that most captured Luca’s attention wasn’t that of the greatest founding emperor, but rather a mural showing a glowing orb hanging high in the sky. It shone with a light as bright as the sun, casting its radiant beams over all of Farlenben.
“It’s the Celestial Pearl,” Sophia said, looking up at the dazzling orb. “I can feel its aura; it must be here. But I can’t pinpoint its exact location. It’s a bit strange.”
“I’ll take a look,” Luca said, closing his eyes. His mental energy spread out, scanning the entire palace, inside and out.
To his surprise, he found nothing.
“How could this be?” he wondered to himself. To make sure he hadn’t missed anything, he carefully scanned the entire palace again, step by step, but still, no abnormalities showed up.
After a moment of thought, Luca turned to Isaac and the others outside and said, “You can come in now.”
Since he hadn’t found anything with his mental detection, the most likely explanation was that the Celestial Pearl itself had the ability to block perception.
But with more people, their combined efforts could surely uncover something. As long as the Celestial Pearl was still here, they could turn the whole palace upside down and he was certain they would find it.
Isaac and the others quickly entered the hall, and over a thousand people immediately began searching.
Time passed slowly. Soon, they had scoured the entire palace. Read latest chapters on empire
Although they found many gems and pearls, Luca was astonished to find no trace of the Celestial Pearl.
“This doesn’t make sense… could a mere pearl really vanish into thin air?” Luca muttered, placing the glow-in-the-dark pearl in his hand down, utterly confused.
The others exchanged puzzled glances.
Gavin scratched his head. “Could it be that it’s not here at all? If it were, we should have found something by now.”
Could it really not be here? Luca fell into deep thought.
After a moment, Sophia spoke up. “Actually, I sensed the Celestial Pearl’s presence when I was in the city. The aura here in the palace is the strongest, but that doesn’t mean it’s only in this place.”
The aura could be sensed in the city… Luca’s mind shifted, realizing he might have been thinking in the wrong direction.
After a brief moment of contemplation, something clicked in his mind. His eyes lit up as he exclaimed, “We need to leave… No, we need to leave Lanster City!”
Leave the city? Everyone looked at him in surprise, wondering if they had heard him wrong.
“Did you figure something out?” Ellie asked, her voice filled with confusion.
“Just follow me,” Luca replied, without offering further explanation, as he quickly stepped out of the palace.
Though still unsure, the others followed him.
The group exited the palace and crossed the streets. Soon, they came upon the towering city walls of Lanster City.
Passing through the city gates without obstruction, they found themselves outside, in an endless expanse of grassland, the bright green grass swaying gently in the wind.
They walked for another thousand meters before Luca finally stopped.
He turned to Sophia, asking, “Can you still perceive the Celestial Pearl’s aura?”
Sophia closed her eyes for a moment before shaking her head. “I can’t perceive it anymore.”
At her words, a smile appeared on Luca’s face.
The others were puzzled, and Ellie asked in surprise, “Did you figure it out?”
Luca smiled and said, “No need to look anymore. Just turn around and see for yourselves.”
The group turned around in confusion, and their mouths immediately dropped open in shock.
The bustling capital of Farlenben had completely disappeared from sight.
In its place was only an expanse of vibrant green grassland.
“What’s going on?” Isaac and the others looked around in bewilderment.
Gavin, his face pale with shock, asked, “Where’s the city? How could such a huge city just vanish like that?”
The others were equally stunned.
A vast city, suddenly and silently disappearing without a trace, and they hadn’t noticed anything at all!
“Could it be…?” Only Sophia seemed to have an inkling of what was happening. She hesitated and glanced at Luca, hoping to confirm her suspicions.
Luca nodded slightly, a smile playing on his lips. “Let’s go check that palace again.”
Without another word, he turned and began walking back toward the spot where Lanster City had once stood.
The others quickly sensed that something was wrong and hurried to follow him.
The group retraced their steps along the familiar path.
There were no longer any buildings in sight—only tall, wild grass.
When they reached the location where the palace had been, they all stared in astonishment.
Even Luca and Sophia were shocked.
The once magnificent, golden palace had completely vanished, leaving only a patch of overgrown weeds.
Yet, standing alone in the midst of the grassy wasteland, the throne that had once occupied the grand hall remained in place. However, compared to its former splendor, it now appeared decayed, as though it had just been dug out of the earth.
But more remarkably, on the throne, where nothing had been before, there was now a crystal coffin.
Through the translucent crystal, they could faintly make out the figure of a person lying inside.
Although they couldn’t clearly see his face, they could still make out the luxurious royal robes and the gold crown encrusted with jewels.
For a long moment, everyone stood there, staring at the crystal coffin in stunned silence.
After what seemed like an eternity.
Gavin finally gulped hard, his voice trembling as he spoke. “This… could it be the king of Farlenben?”