Inside the main building, second floor of Da Chen Star-picking Tower.
State Preceptor Cheng Yuxiao was dealing with snowflake-like starlight transmissions, issuing commands that flew out via starlight transmission, while simultaneously recording them on another Jade.
It was only because his Divine Soul Cultivation was powerful that he could keep up with the pace—if it were anyone else, they would be overwhelmed.
The Nine-star Tide had entered its second day, and the number of Star Domain Gates being opened was fewer and fewer.
But for Da Chen at the moment, every gate that opened was a burden.
In the entire second-floor hall, only the State Preceptor and Elder Peng remained.
One commanded while the other sat firmly in the National Taoist Institute, and there wasn’t much mobile force left.
Fortunately, thanks to Xu Jin, the addition of two Seventh Tier and several Sixth Tier experts was already making a difference at this time.
Dong Zhao, a former disciple of the State Preceptor who had broken through to the Sixth Tier and had extraordinary combat power, had already completed the task of sealing the first Star Gate without returning, and was directly ordered by State Preceptor Cheng Yuxiao to move on to support another location.
Similarly, Meng Yanhui and Kou Jing, who had broken through to the Seventh Tier, had already moved on to support the second location.
Cheng Yuxiao still remembered the last Nine-star Tide when he, as the State Preceptor, didn’t even have the time to sit back and relax, and had to personally take action.
On the journey, he continuously fought and took every opportunity to command and dispatch.
After several days, he was so distraught that he slept for a day after the battle to recover.
This Nine-star Tide, however, was completely different.
By the next Nine-star Tide, things should be even more under control.
After all, the various benefits brought by Xu Jin, the super genius, had only begun to show, and in two to three years, once fully absorbed, Da Chen in nine years would be a brand-new nation.
Thinking about it, State Preceptor Cheng Yuxiao’s face revealed a sincere smile.
Suddenly, Cheng Yuxiao looked up at the timepiece, his brows wrinkled instantly—why hadn’t Xu Jin returned?
It had been over 15 minutes since Xu Jin sent a starlight transmission and left Gu’an County.
In theory, 15 minutes should have been enough.
Could something have gone wrong?
"Elder Peng, ask Xu Jin where he is and why he hasn’t arrived yet?"
Cheng Yuxiao casually gave the order and then immersed his mind in the Star-picking Order, continuing to handle the snowflake-like official duties that came flying in.
Elder Peng immediately put down his work, and after receiving the command, sent a starlight transmission to Xu Jin.
But his brow furrowed at once.
He tried again, but the transmission failed, and his expression became serious.
"Palace Master, I can’t contact him."
"What do you mean you can’t contact him?" Cheng Yuxiao looked up in astonishment.
"Palace Master, the transmission of the starlight failed!" said Elder Peng.
Cheng Yuxiao was taken aback, and in an instant, he put aside his work, directly tried to send Xu Jin a starlight transmission, and saw the transmission fail.
The State Preceptor’s expression became extremely ugly in an instant.
This situation, only he understood, even Elder Peng did not.
Failure of the starlight transmission meant that Xu Jin’s Second-tier Star-picking Order was no longer within the coverage range of the Star-picking Tower.
But given Xu Jin’s previous location, it was basically impossible.
Unless there was a top-level expert who made a surprise attack on Xu Jin, then instantly killed Xu Jin and threw Xu Jin’s Star-picking Order into the Sumeru Space, such a situation would occur.
However, Xu Jin had several Sixth-tier Emblems and a powerful Divine Soul, plus the early warning of the Mingji Star Pattern from the Lingji Star Hall; theoretically, even a Seventh Tier expert couldn’t ambush Xu Jin.
Unless it was... an existence at the level of the Tianyang Star Lord or the Cangming Star Lord, who made the surprise attack!
Only then could Xu Jin be killed without even managing to send a distress message through the Star-picking Order!
Normally, he would be aware if the Tianyang Star Lord and the Cangming Star Lord entered the country without teleportation.
But if they were to hide their tracks completely, suppressing their auras, and fly at low speeds, they could infiltrate Da Chen without any notice.
Someone like the Tianyang Star Lord really might do something like that...
But even so, even if it were the Tianyang Star Lord, there wouldn’t be enough time; but now, against all odds...
In an instant, the blood drained from State Preceptor Cheng Yuxiao’s face.
He suddenly stood up, and as he did, a wave of dizziness hit him, and it took a moment before he could stand steady again.
"Elder Peng, take charge, I’m going to look for Xu Jin."
In a flash, State Preceptor Cheng Yuxiao used the Star-picking Order, selected Pill State Yangjiang County in Da Chen, a Star Gate appeared, and he stepped into the teleport!
Like crashing into a stone wall, State Preceptor Cheng Yuxiao was bounced back!
The teleportation failed.
Cheng Yuxiao was stunned.
In his panic, he didn’t react for a moment.
Elder Peng, however, stepped forward to support Cheng Yuxiao and asked in surprise, "Palace Master, you can’t teleport? Could it be that something happened to the Star-picking Tower?"
It was Elder Peng’s words that brought Cheng Yuxiao back to his senses, and hope rose in his heart.
If something had happened to the Star-picking Tower, then Xu Jin’s situation wasn’t necessarily fatal.
But the problem was, how could the Star-picking Tower have an accident?
The Star-picking Tower had existed for thousands of years and had never had an accident—unless it was... someone’s doing!
That thought caused the color to drain from State Preceptor Cheng Yuxiao’s face again.
If it was someone’s doing, then within the whole of Da Chen, the only ones capable of this were himself, Cheng Yuxiao, and the one in the Imperial Palace.
In the next instant, Cheng Yuxiao’s mind sank into the Star-picking Order, directly invoking his authority as the Master of the Star-picking Tower Main Building, to inspect the status of the Da Chen Pill State Yangjiang County Star Tower branch.
Upon inspection, his face turned ashen.
Forcefully shutdown by someone, entered into a locked state.
Only His Majesty could circumvent him to close down a Star Tower branch and lock it.
With thoughts racing, Cheng Yuxiao could not yet understand what the Qian’an Emperor was planning to do?