Douluo Continent: I got the Sharingan at the start!

He paused, his tone becoming even more serious, "That's all I have to say. Take care of yourself."

Ye Yulin remained silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

Finally, he couldn't help but speak up. The Starry Sky Douluo's gaze fell on Han Yu's humanoid soul tool. "I am very interested in the structure of your humanoid soul tool," he said, his tone filled with a hint of longing. "If you are willing, you can sell me its blueprints."

He paused, then added, "We can discuss the price."

As he spoke, he took out an exquisite card from his pocket and handed it to Han Yu. "This is my contact information. I hope you will seriously consider it."

Han Yu took the card and replied briefly, "Okay." He put the card away without saying anything more.

The burly man in yellow walked up to Han Yu and gently touched her arm.

Han Yu turned to look at him, a faint smile on her face.

At this moment, the five evil soul masters had blocked all possible escape routes around them.

Except for the vice-leader whose face was hidden in the shadows, all the other evil spirit masters wore satisfied smiles.

Han Yu smiled too, but his smile was hidden beneath the humanoid soul tool, unnoticed by anyone. He silently thought to himself: The time is almost up.

……

Inside the underground warehouse, a deafening explosion occurred.

Countless metal fragments scattered like petals falling from the sky, but the solid underground palace only trembled slightly.

In the area closest to the warehouse's first-floor entrance, some rare metals were scattered on the ground, triggering the surrounding soul-guided ray defense system. Beams of light intertwined and shot out in all directions.

Xu Guozhong's face was gloomy as he waved his hand to disperse the smoke in front of him.

The soul-guided rays were blocked by an invisible barrier a meter in front of him, unable to get any closer.

The underground warehouse's defense system was too sophisticated. It took them a great deal of time to destroy the various trigger-type soul tool traps on the perimeter before they were finally able to blow up the main gate.

The losses during this period are incalculable, and repairing them would require not only huge sums of money but also a long time.

But Xu Guozhong had no choice; he had to get into the underground warehouse as soon as possible to take stock of the losses.

Moreover, this matter must be kept strictly confidential and must never be publicized.

Otherwise, if the news leaks, Crown Prince Xu Tianran will seize the opportunity to impeach him.

At that time, he will be in big trouble.

Behind Xu Guozhong, a soul-guided ray suddenly burst forth, its dazzling light tearing through the darkness in front of the warehouse, as if day had arrived.

These powerful energy rays were not fired randomly, but were precisely aimed at the soul tool trap that had been triggered on the first floor of the warehouse.

His high-ranking soul masters displayed their unique abilities, skillfully manipulating their respective soul tools to unleash wave after wave of attacks.

Explosions rang out one after another, deafeningly loud, and the trap devices inside the first floor of the warehouse were destroyed one by one.

Amidst the smoke and fire, Xu Guozhong's gaze was sharp as an eagle's as he scrutinized the warehouse entrance.

An eighth-level Soul Master stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, judging from the current situation, the traps and mechanisms in the warehouse seem to be functioning normally, and there are no signs of large-scale failure."

My subordinate requests permission to enter the warehouse for reconnaissance and to ensure security.

Xu Guozhong nodded slightly, a hint of approval appearing on his tense face: "Granted. Be sure to be careful and pay attention to safety."

"Yes, sir!" After receiving the order, the level eight Soul Master flashed and quickly entered the first floor of the warehouse.

He moved with agility and lightness, navigating the intricate traps with ease, as nimble as a fish.

Before long, his voice came from deep within the warehouse: "Your Highness, no signs of theft have been found in the first-floor warehouse, and all items are intact."

However, the metal door leading to the second floor was severely damaged and completely destroyed.

In addition, all the soul tool traps on the first floor were in normal condition and showed no signs of being triggered.

This demonstrates that the intruders were extremely familiar with our warehouse layout and defense system, making it highly likely that the attack was carried out by an insider.

Upon hearing this, Xu Guozhong's expression darkened slightly. He led the other Soul Masters carefully to avoid the remaining traps on the first floor of the warehouse and arrived at the metal door leading to the second floor.

The once sturdy and heavy gate was now broken into pieces, with metal fragments scattered all over the ground as fine as dust, having lost their metallic luster and texture.

Xu Guozhong squatted down, picked up a small handful of metal shavings, and examined them carefully.

As a level nine soul master, he has a thorough understanding of the properties of various metals.

However, the fragments in his hand at that moment left him utterly bewildered.

"This... how is this possible?" Xu Guozhong's expression gradually became solemn. "These metal fragments have lost all their metallic properties and are as fragile as dust."

This gate is forged from more than ten rare alloys and is equipped with a powerful defensive soul-guided shield. Attempting to destroy it will inevitably trigger the alarm system.

How exactly did the intruders manage to destroy it so silently?

He stood up, his eyes sharp, scanning the surroundings.

A name came to mind—Li Chong.

Li Chong was supposed to be on duty guarding the warehouse today, but now he's nowhere to be found. Based on the various clues found inside the warehouse, Xu Guozhong had already made a clear judgment.

"Li Chong...it really is him!" A ruthless glint flashed in Xu Guozhong's eyes as he said in an icy tone, "Go to the second floor!" He knew that the second-floor warehouse contained even more precious rare metals, which was his real target.

Xu Guozhong took a deep breath, trying to calm his unease. He paced back and forth, his leather boots making a dull thud as they struck the ground.

He comforted himself, thinking that those rare metals were extremely dense and incredibly heavy, and even with the help of a storage soul tool, it would be impossible for thieves to take away too much.

With such a vast warehouse containing wealth accumulated over millennia, this loss is merely a drop in the ocean and not worth worrying about at all.

He even planned that as long as the losses were kept within a certain range, he was fully confident that he could suppress the matter, prevent outsiders from knowing about it, and save face.

However, when he stepped into the second-floor warehouse, the scene before him struck him like a thunderbolt. The rare metals that had been neatly stacked were now gone in large swaths, revealing an empty floor.

He had only walked less than ten meters when the damage he saw made his heart pound.

He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, taking heavy steps forward as if each step were on a knife's edge.

The warehouse floor, once piled high with metal ingots, is now reduced to scattered fragments, as if devoured by a giant beast. The air is thick with the distinctive scent of metal, yet tinged with an unsettling emptiness.

"Damn it! This was definitely premeditated!" Xu Guozhong growled through gritted teeth, his face ashen, like the dark clouds before a storm.

"He must have carefully chosen the most valuable metals to steal!"

He strode quickly into the depths of the warehouse, his heart sinking with each step. The losses were far greater than he had anticipated, far beyond what could be measured in monetary terms.

Some extremely rare metals, such as diamond gold with reserves of less than one ton, were completely looted, leaving not even a trace.

He could almost see the thieves' greedy eyes and their smug smiles as they swept away the treasures.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The door to the third floor has also been opened!" A panicked shout came from afar, jolting Xu Guozhong out of his shock.

His vision went black, and he nearly fainted. The door to the third floor was open too? How could this be? An extremely ominous premonition coiled around his heart like a venomous snake, almost suffocating him.

He staggered forward, his heart pounding in his chest as if it were about to burst from its cage. He led his men, running wildly until they reached the gate leading to the third floor.

The damage to the main door was identical to that on the second floor; the sturdy door had been reduced to ashes, as if symbolizing his inner collapse.

He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, and his gaze swept over the vast storage space on the third floor.

Fortunately, the soul tools stored on the third floor did not seem to show any obvious signs of being missing, which relieved him slightly.

But thinking of the shocking losses on the second floor, his anger flared up again.

"Move it! You bastard! I'll let you move it!" he roared hysterically, his voice echoing in the empty warehouse.

"If you're so capable, why don't you move everything out of here!" He angrily waved his fist, as if he wanted to tear the air in front of him apart.

He knew that the storage soul tool had a limited capacity, and the thief couldn't possibly take everything. But the stolen rare metals were like a sharp knife, piercing his heart and causing him unbearable pain.

"Go! Investigate immediately! Find out what exactly was lost on the third floor!" He suppressed his anger and gave the order to his subordinates, his voice hoarse and low.

A subordinate's voice trembled, like a withered leaf swaying in the wind, weak and fleeting, carrying a trace of uncontrollable fear, coming from outside the door.

"Your Highness..." He paused, as if using all his strength to continue, "Your Highness, something has happened..." The voice was like a thunderclap, exploding in Xu Guozhong's ears and bringing him to an abrupt halt as he leisurely sipped his tea.

The teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the ground with a crisp sound, splashing tea everywhere, just like his current mood—a complete mess.

He suddenly stood up, his face changed drastically, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making him shiver involuntarily.

"What is it?" he asked sharply, his voice hoarse with tension.

The subordinate knelt on the ground trembling, his body shaking even more violently. He didn't dare to raise his head and stammered, "Your Highness, the storeroom... something happened in the storeroom..." "The storeroom?" Xu Guozhong's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition surged into his mind.

He strode up to his subordinate, grabbed him by the collar, and roared, "Speak! What exactly happened?"

The subordinate, pale with fright, stammered, "Your Highness, all the sealed baby bottles... and... and the level-five and above fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells... have all... been stolen..."

"What?!" Xu Guozhong was struck dumb, completely stunned.

He felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and his legs went weak, making it almost impossible for him to stand.

He shoved his subordinate aside, staggered back a few steps, and slumped into a chair, muttering, "Impossible...this can't be..."

He abruptly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at his kneeling subordinate, and roared, "What did you say? Say it again!"

The subordinate trembled with fear and hurriedly repeated, "Your Highness, all the sealed milk bottles and level-five or higher fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells... they're really all gone..."

"Wow!" A mouthful of blood spurted from Xu Guozhong's mouth, splattering onto the clean ground like blooming blood-red plum blossoms.

His face instantly turned deathly pale, devoid of any color, like a walking corpse.

"That's too cruel... Li Zhong, that bastard, is too cruel..." he said through gritted teeth, his voice filled with anger and despair.

He never imagined that Li Zhong would be so ruthless, daring to steal such important strategic materials. He clutched his chest, the intense pain making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He knew that the seriousness of the matter far exceeded his imagination.

These stolen supplies are not only priceless, but also the lifeblood of the Sun Moon Empire.

If it falls into enemy hands, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"No, we must report this to the Regent immediately. I can no longer cover this up."

He struggled to his feet, his steps unsteady, as if he might collapse at any moment.

He knew that if this matter were exposed, he would be held accountable and it might even implicate his entire family.

But he couldn't worry about that anymore. The most important thing now was to report the matter as soon as possible and minimize the losses.

He staggered out, each step feeling incredibly heavy, as if he were carrying a tremendous burden.

A large number of soul tools were stolen. He originally wanted to hide them, but this time it involved too many things and had far exceeded the scope of his control.

He knew that if he continued to hide it, the consequences would be unimaginable once he was found out. Not only him, but his whole family would also suffer.

Moreover, he understood that this kind of thing could not be hidden at all.

This has already damaged the vitality of the Sun Moon Empire. As a member of the royal family, no matter how greedy he is, he is still a member of the Sun Moon Empire in essence.

"Let's go to the palace..." he whispered with his last bit of strength, and then, supported by the guards, he stumbled and walked toward the palace.

……

"Han, thank you for your contributions to our alliance."

The Alliance Leader's voice was gentle yet magnetic, carrying a hint of admiration. "This is what you deserve."

Including the level nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon shell, all the rewards from the Xi Shui Alliance were laid out in front of Han Yu, dazzling and radiating an alluring light.

Han Yu neatly packed away the items, his movements practiced and natural. This was one of his main objectives in participating in the competition.

"Thank you, Alliance Leader Nangong." (End of Chapter)