Douluo Jueshi: Picking up Firefly at the Beginning

After all, Xu Guozhong had been in the upper echelons of the Sun and Moon Empire for a long time and had experienced countless storms. After a brief moment of losing control of his emotions, he quickly forced himself to calm down.

He knew very well how terrifying the power of the defensive soul guides placed in this corridor was.

Even for a ninth-level soul engineer with profound cultivation like him, it would be very uncomfortable if he were to come under the concentrated attack of these defensive soul guides.

If it were a seventh-level soul engineer, he would most likely be killed on the spot.

Moreover, the control systems of these defense systems are installed inside the warehouse and cannot be controlled from the outside.

Xu Guozhong took a few deep breaths, suppressing the rage that threatened to burst forth from his chest. His face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip out of it. He lowered his voice and roared, "First, gradually destroy the defensive soul guides, and then find a way to break through the door. Hurry up!"

"boom--"

A deafening explosion sounded, like a heavy bomb detonating in an underground warehouse.

In an instant, countless metal fragments flew around like wild horses, leaving messy tracks in the darkness.

However, this meticulously constructed and extremely solid underground palace demonstrates an astonishing level of stability.

Despite such a violent impact, it only trembled slightly, as if it were an unshakable giant, firmly bearing this powerful force.

However, the aftermath of the explosion triggered a series of chain reactions.

The pile of rare metals closest to the first floor door of the warehouse collapsed instantly due to the violent vibration, and the metal blocks were scattered on the ground.

This change immediately triggered the extremely sensitive defense mechanism in the warehouse. For a moment, dense soul-guided rays shot out like raindrops.

These soul-guiding rays flashed with a cold light, whistling through the air, like a group of hungry beasts, ready to pounce on any suspicious target at any time.

Xu Guozhong stood there, his face so gloomy that it looked like water could drip out of it.

His brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with anger and unwillingness, his hands danced rapidly, the radiance of his soul power gushed out, and he tried his best to disperse the smoke that was spreading like a thick cloud in front of him.

Once those rapidly shooting soul-guided rays approached one meter in front of him, it was as if they hit an invisible high wall.

A vague barrier suddenly appeared, ruthlessly blocking them out.

The soul-guided ray hit the barrier, making a series of "sizzling" sounds, splashing out dazzling sparks, and then turned into wisps of green smoke and dissipated in the air.

I have to say that the defense system of this underground warehouse is too perfect.

From the exquisite layout to the complex mechanism settings, every detail demonstrates the designer's wisdom and care.

Xu Guozhong and his men struggled to explore this dangerous area and spent a considerable amount of time before they finally succeeded in destroying the various trigger-type soul guide traps outside.

After a lot of arduous efforts, they were able to complete the blasting of the gate and the subsequent destruction work. The process was full of difficulties and dangers.

Being in the territory he had worked so hard to build, but being forced into such a situation, Xu Guozhong felt aggrieved and angry as if the tide was surging.

The property loss caused by this incident is undoubtedly a staggering astronomical figure, and just thinking about it makes him feel heartbroken.

However, compared to the loss of property, what frightened him even more was that this matter must not be leaked at all. Once Prince Xu Tianran knew about it, his end would be extremely miserable. Maybe even his existing power and status would be ruthlessly taken away, and he would become a prisoner from then on.

Thinking of this, Xu Guozhong's eyes became more sinister. He waved his hand suddenly, and powerful soul-guided rays shot out from behind him.

The high-level soul guides under his command also used their methods to try their best to destroy the triggered soul guides in the first-floor warehouse.

At this moment, an eighth-level soul engineer stepped forward and said respectfully, "It seems that the mechanism inside is not a big problem and can still be triggered. Your Highness, I will go in and explore the way first."

Hearing his subordinate's loyal words, Xu Guozhong's gloomy expression finally eased a little. He nodded gently, with a hint of concern in his tone: "Be careful."

"Yes." The eighth-level soul engineer responded and stepped into the warehouse with ease. With brisk steps and sharp eyes, he quickly began to check the situation on the first floor. Not long after, his clear voice came from afar.

"Your Highness, nothing was stolen on the first floor, but the gate to the second floor has been damaged. All the soul guide traps are normal and there are no signs of them being triggered. It seems that someone who is very familiar with us did this."

Upon hearing this, Xu Guozhong immediately led the others to carefully avoid the traps and quickly walked towards the gate leading to the second floor.

Arriving at the door, he frowned at the scattered debris on the ground, then slowly squatted down, reaching out and picking up a bit to examine it carefully. As an experienced and skilled ninth-level soul master, Xu Guozhong's familiarity with various metals was self-evident.

In just a moment, his expression changed drastically, filled with disbelief. "How is this possible? The gate is made of more than ten kinds of alloys and has a defensive soul shield. Normally, it would have sounded an alarm if it was damaged. How on earth did this intruder do it? Li Chong is a traitor."

That’s right, Li Chong, was his trusted subordinate who suddenly disappeared.

At this moment, Xu Guozhong had already made a firm judgment in his mind. In his opinion, without the guidance of an acquaintance who was familiar with the internal structure and defense mechanism of the warehouse, it would be impossible for outsiders to break into this heavily guarded warehouse so easily, not to mention cleverly changing the defense mechanism and plotting against them.

In an instant, a hint of ruthlessness flashed across Xu Guozhong's eyes like lightning, and then disappeared.

He gritted his teeth, suppressing his inner anger and anxiety. His voice was low and cold as he said solemnly, "Go to the second floor."

In his mind, the rare metals stored in the second layer are truly priceless treasures. They are the symbol of his wealth and power. As long as the loss of these rare metals is not too great, there may be room for recovery.

At this moment, Xu Guozhong felt a little lucky. After all, most rare metals have the characteristics of extremely high density and amazing weight.

He thought that even if the thief used a storage soul guide to transport the items, it would be impossible for him to take away too much at one time due to the limitations of capacity and weight.

For this large warehouse with a profound history, a slight loss should be within the acceptable range.

As long as the losses were controlled to a certain extent, with his status and connections in the empire, he was confident that he could conceal the matter and avoid causing a sensation.

However, the moment Xu Guozhong stepped into the second-floor warehouse, all his fantasies were instantly shattered.

The scene before him was like a heavy hammer, hitting his heart hard.

The piles of rare metals that were originally neatly and orderly displayed had now disappeared in large numbers, leaving only empty shelves and dust on the ground.

He looked dazed and mechanically walked forward less than ten meters. In just this short distance, the amount of damage he witnessed was already shocking.

"Assholes! They must have planned this all along, taking away the most precious things!"

Xu Guozhong finally couldn't help it and roared angrily. His face was gloomy and dark, almost dripping with water, and every pore exuded the breath of anger and despair.

As he went deeper into the warehouse, Xu Guozhong's face became uglier and uglier, as if shrouded in a thick haze.

The losses suffered this time far exceeded his most pessimistic estimates and could no longer be measured in monetary terms.

Most of the rare metals that he regarded as treasures in his daily life have now disappeared, especially those extremely rare metals, which have been completely looted, without even a trace of residue left.

Take the scarce reserves of diamond and refined gold for example. The original reserves in the entire warehouse were less than one ton.

This precious metal is an indispensable key material for making ninth-level soul guides. Its stock is extremely limited in the entire Sun-Moon Empire, making it a rare treasure.

Now, it has disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed.

"Your Highness, it's bad! The third-floor door has also been opened!" A subordinate's panicked shout came from a distance, his voice full of fear and panic.

Xu Guozhong, who was anxiously checking the losses in the second-floor warehouse, felt his head explode with a buzzing sound when he heard these words that were like a bolt from the blue.

In an instant, he felt his eyes go dark and the whole world seemed to be spinning. His legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground and fainted.

"The door to the third floor was also opened?"

This sentence kept echoing in Xu Guozhong's mind, and a strong sense of foreboding spread rapidly in his heart like a surging tide.

The items stored on the third floor are far more important and precious than those on the first two floors. If something unexpected happens there, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Thinking of this, his heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible big hand, and his breathing became rapid and heavy.

Xu Guozhong was extremely anxious and hurriedly ran towards the gate leading to the third floor with his subordinates.

Soon, they arrived at their destination. The scene before them made Xu Guozhong's pupils shrink suddenly.

The once sturdy door was now in the same state as the second floor, reduced to a pile of lifeless ashes, quietly scattered on the ground, silently telling of the disaster that had befallen this place. (End of this chapter)