National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

It was a beautiful day in the Royal City. The sun was bright, and the sky was as clear as jade. The forecast predicted a high of 25 degrees Celsius and a low of 11, with a gentle southwesterly breeze. It was truly a fine, clear day, with wonderfully refreshing weather.

A scene of peace and harmony filled the streets and alleys of the Royal City.

People strolled leisurely through the streets,

or haggled busily in the marketplaces.

Laughter and cheerful chatter rose and fell, painting a picture of a tranquil and beautiful life slowly unfolding before one’s eyes.

Then, without any warning,

the calm sky suddenly began to roil,

as if stirred wantonly by an invisible, giant hand.

In an instant,

the clouds—once white as snow and soft as cotton—

were torn to shreds by bolts of lightning of varying thickness.

The lightning bolts, like furious silver serpents,

darted madly through the sky. Wherever they passed, the clouds were ripped apart as easily as fragile paper,

letting out a chilling SIZZLE.

Immediately after, a deafening thunderclap boomed.

The sound was like ten thousand war drums being beaten at once,

as terrifying as if the sky were falling and the earth splitting apart, threatening to shatter one’s eardrums.

The entire Royal Palace trembled slightly from the intense vibrations.

The glazed roof tiles of the palace clattered crisply in the thunder,

as if wailing in terror.

Even in broad daylight, the light of the thunderbolts flashing within the clouds above the Royal Palace

was so intense that one could barely open their eyes.

The blinding light was like brilliant stars falling into the Mortal World,

illuminating the entire Royal City. Light and fear intertwined, inspiring a sense of awe.

A situation this abnormal was clearly no ordinary occurrence.

Inside the Royal Palace, alarm bells suddenly rang out, their shrill cry tearing through the sky and shattering the previous tranquility.

The well-trained guards sprang into action.

Like bees from a disturbed hive,

they swarmed out from every corner of the Royal Palace.

They were clad in fine armor, holding gleaming weapons,

their eyes showing vigilance and determination,

their steps hurried but orderly,

as they quickly assembled at the Royal Palace’s various thoroughfares and key positions.

Even so,

they could still clearly feel the surging,

terrifying riot of energy in the sky above, like a raging tide.

That power was like an invisible mountain,

weighing heavily on every guard’s heart,

making their breathing grow ragged and beads of sweat break out on their foreheads.

"Everyone, do not panic.

Mr. Chu is inside the Royal Palace; he just finished a meeting."

At that moment, a figure shot over from the distance like a black bolt of lightning.

It was a middle-aged man wearing a cloak.

His speed was extreme, almost phantom-like, leaving a series of blurry afterimages in the air.

After a few leaps and bounds through the air, he landed steadily on the ground, his posture agile and firm.

He had only opened his mouth slightly,

but an invisible energy instantly enveloped his voice.

Like a powerful sound wave, it had radiated out from him in all directions,

instantly carrying his words clearly to every corner of the Royal Palace.

His steady, powerful voice rang in every guard’s ears.

The voice seemed to possess a magical quality,

causing the guards’ minds, once taut as a bowstring,

and the mountain-like pressure upon them, to relax slightly in an instant.

Hope and courage rekindled in their eyes, and they tightened their grip on their weapons.

This middle-aged man in the cloak

was a Half-Step Emperor Realm expert,

and also one of the deputy captains of the Guard on duty today.

He held high prestige within the Guard and possessed outstanding strength.

His name was renowned throughout the Royal Palace, and everyone knew him as one of the steadfast guardians of its safety.

"Who’s Mr. Chu?"

However, in the tense atmosphere,

some of the guards still hadn’t processed the sudden turn of events.

Using the earpieces they wore,

they exchanged confused messages, their voices tinged with bewilderment and unease.

"Who else could it be, for our Deputy Captain to call him Mr. Chu?"

A more experienced guard responded over the comms, his tone a mixture of self-evidence and reverence.

"You don’t mean... *the* Mr. Chu, the strongest person on Blue Star, do you?"

Another guard seemed to have guessed, his voice filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Their conversation spread quickly through the Guard via their comm signals,

and the Deputy Captain, naturally, heard it all clearly.

He frowned slightly, thinking to himself,

’These rookies don’t even know who Mr. Chu is. It looks like their future training needs to be intensified.’

"Who else could it be?

No matter what tricks the enemy is trying to pull, as long as Mr. Chu is here, there won’t be any problems."

The Deputy Captain’s voice sounded over the comms again,

firm and confident. His voice seemed to have an invisible, infectious quality,

causing the worries in the hearts of the doubtful guards to gradually dissipate.

Once those guards finally confirmed his identity, they relaxed completely.

However, they still didn’t dare to let their guard down in the slightest.

They remained on high alert, ready for battle at a moment’s notice.

They knew full well that in such a perilous moment, even the slightest negligence could lead to catastrophic consequences.

Just as everyone stood on high alert,

an incredibly arrogant voice, loud as a great bell, rang out.