One by one, the Royal Academy students were summoned back.
Although it was their first time visiting Yunkai City, some of them were curious, yet not everyone shared the same degree of interest.
Altogether, only about a dozen of the academy members had gone out.
Upon receiving the summons, these individuals naturally hurried back without hesitationâexcept for those who could no longer return!
"Whatâs going on? Why is His Highness calling us back?"
"I donât know. Could it be that the gates opened earlier than expected?"
"Impossible. If the gates were open, we wouldnât be the only ones to receive the news."
"Stop speculating. His Highness is already here, isnât he? Heâll naturally explain the reason to us!"
As they spoke, Ye Luo emerged.
However, Ye Luoâs unease made him hesitant to speak, so Yun Liancheng stood in for him to explain the situation to the group.
When they heard that their comrades had been killed and kidnapped, the entire Royal Academy erupted in shock!
"What?! Who dares to be so bold, targeting the Royal Academy? Do they have a death wish?"
"Your Highness, just give the order! We will find the culprits behind this and execute them all. Only then can we avenge our comrades!"
"Yes, Your Highness, please command us! Weâll follow your orders without question!"
The members of the Royal Academy, faces grim and furious, were seething with rage.
However, if Ye Luo actually intended to have them investigate the matter, he wouldnât have gathered them all here.
Ye Luo raised his hand, and everyone instantly fell silent.
"Alright. Iâve already dispatched the Imperial Guards to investigate. Moreover, the troops stationed around Yunkai City are involved as well. I called you all here not to fight, but to ensure you stay within this estate. Understand that those responsibleâbold enough to act so brazenlyâmust have something backing them!"
"Rest assured, the moment thereâs news, Iâll lead you personally to exact revenge for our comrades!"
Ye Luo didnât feel like elaborating further. He simply wanted them to follow his orders, nothing more.
At this moment, Ye Luoâs mind was in turmoil. He couldnât wrap his head around who could commit such an act.
Although Yunkai City was adjacent to the Sacred Temple, this proximity made it devoid of powerful factions.
Neither the Imperial Family nor other forces dared to station personnel within Yunkai City due to its unique nature.
Thus, Yunkai City existed in a state of self-governance.
Indeed, even the Imperial Family was unable to directly intervene here.
This was one of the rules of the Martial Realm, which was unlike anywhere else.
In the Martial Realm, strength was the ultimate lawâso much so that even the Imperial Family often had to abide by its rules!
The arrangement was originally intended to prevent anyone from harboring ill designs toward the Sacred Temple.
But now, this setup had become a flaw!
Currently, aside from the students and disciples participating in the Sacred Temple exploration, even the guards were stationed outside the city. If something happened, there wasnât enough manpower to act immediately, much less react promptly.
This might very well be why the enemy dared to strike so boldly.
Restricting the Royal Academy disciples from venturing out, Ye Luo remained within the estate himself, awaiting the results of the investigation.
Everyoneâs hearts were heavy; their comrades had been kidnapped, leaving no one in a good mood.
About half an hour later, news finally arrived.
Even though there were no long-term guards stationed here, investigating matters wasnât impossible. After all, this was still Great Tang territory.
"Your Highness, our unit has confirmed that the culprits are hiding in this area. Weâve already ordered the perimeter sealed off, but despite conducting a thorough search, weâve found no clues!"
The speaker was a Colonelâthe officer in charge of the investigation.
Kneeling before Ye Luo, he held a map in his hand.
According to their investigation, the kidnapped individuals had disappeared in this region, though their whereabouts remained undiscovered.
"Alright, I understand. Stand up!"
Ye Luo addressed the officer before rising to his feet.
The guards might not have succeeded, but this didnât mean Ye Luo couldnât handle it.
Ye Luo had promised to lead everyone along when there were updates. After all, they were comrades, and everyone had a right to the information.
Soon, all the Royal Academy disciples had gathered.
One after another, they departed from the Royal Academy, each radiating fury.
Streaks of light flashed across the skyâthe flight trails of the Royal Academy students!
"Who are these people? How can they be so overbearing!"
Someone, gazing at the Royal Academy students, couldnât resist asking his companion.
His companion replied, "Those are Royal Academy members. Donât mess with them!"
"Hmph. What does the Royal Academy matter? Theyâre too domineering! This is Yunkai City, where flying has long been restricted, yet theyâve blatantly ignored that order and disabled the flying prohibition over the city!"
Indeed, for swift action, Ye Luo had ordered the lifting of Yunkai Cityâs flight restriction.
Meanwhile, countless soldiers were stationed at the outskirts. Now, anyone attempting to fly out of the cityâregardless of their intentionsâwould be immediately apprehended!
Ye Luo wasnât bothered about being reasonable; he wasnât following rules. If anyone had an issue, they could confront Ye Luo directly.
Anyone bold enough to fly out during this time would automatically be considered a suspect and detained without question.
Of course, Ye Luoâs decision also served the purpose of expediting his journey.
In no time, Ye Luo arrived at the designated area.
It was a residential district, clearly one of Yunkai Cityâs less developed areas.
The place was sparsely populated and dilapidated.
The environment alone made it evident that whoever was hiding here harbored no good intentions.
These individuals had come to Yunkai City for Sacred Temple trainingâthey were elite representatives of various factions.
No matter how impoverished, they wouldnât have ended up living in such dire conditions.
The only plausible explanation for hiding here was that they were evading something.
But among such a vast area, how could they locate anyone?
"Your Highness, what should we do?"
Many turned to Ye Luo, awaiting his command.
Perhaps others might lack solutions, but for Ye Luo, this was hardly a problem!
It was finally time to activate the Clairvoyant Eye.
Ye Luo had not fully utilized the Clairvoyant Eye in ages, but now he had no choice.
Did they really think Ye Luo disabled the flight restriction without cause?
If so, they were gravely mistaken.
"Wait here. Iâll survey the area first!"
Ye Luo didnât bother to explain, ascending skyward as he finished speaking.