372: Kyoto

The residents hiding in various places, seeing the Deputy City Lord so easily choose to surrender, immediately started discussing, with many voices of sarcasm and ridicule.

"No, they just surrendered like that? Why didn't they even try to negotiate any terms?"

A young man, full of indignation and confusion, couldn't help but shout loudly.

"How could this Deputy City Lord be so cowardly? Usually, she acts so high and mighty, but at the critical moment, she has no backbone! And where is the City Lord? Where did he run off to?"

An old man, fuming with anger, was extremely contemptuous of the Deputy City Lord's actions.

"Cowardly? Didn't you see Commander Fang get instantly killed? If you think you're capable, go out and resist them yourself. Don't stand here talking without consequence..."

A burly man, unable to listen any longer, couldn't help but retort.

"What are you barking about? Do you believe I'll..."

The old man was so provoked that he became enraged, waving his cane as if he was about to rush forward and fight.

"I'll also..."

The burly man was not to be outdone, retorting in kind, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Xiao Ran, on the starship, witnessed this scene below, and his previously taut nerves finally slowly relaxed, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Previously, he had learned from the data provided by the intelligent AI that for civilizations that were stubborn and refused to surrender, the Xili Empire's methods were extremely ruthless; massacres were common, and it was not rare for them to leave no one alive.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ran looked at the Deputy City Lord who had already surrendered below, secretly feeling fortunate.

In any case, Jiangcheng was his birthplace; even if it hadn't given him much warmth in the past, it was still where he grew up and held his memories.

How could he bear to see this city suffer the tragic fate of a massacre, with countless innocent people perishing?

Therefore, when he saw the Deputy City Lord make the decision to surrender, Xiao Ran's hanging heart finally settled, filled with a sense of relief as if having survived a great calamity...At this moment, in Zone 1, above the capital city — the most central and largest city of this civilization — the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Three galaxy-class starships, like silent and majestic behemoths, hung quietly in the air.

Their immensely colossal hulls blotted out the sky, completely blocking the sunlight that originally shone upon the capital, and in an instant, the city below plunged into darkness, as if night had fallen prematurely.

"What the hell is that, daring to be so brazen in the capital!"

Not long after the starships appeared, accompanied by an angry shout, a group of figures shot up from various parts of the city, like a flock of fearless birds, gazing fearlessly at the giant starships above their heads.

Their eyes burned with flames of anger and defiance; facing this sudden and powerful threat, there was no hint of retreat.

"High-grade spirit beasts? But I don't feel any aura fluctuations!"

Someone in the crowd frowned, speaking with a confused expression.

According to their understanding, such a massive object capable of floating in the air might be a powerful high-grade spirit beast.

However, after careful perception, they did not detect any familiar aura fluctuations.

"Could it be Ancient Beasts?"

Another person offered a new conjecture, with a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

In their legends, Ancient Beasts possessed mysterious and powerful forces, with diverse forms; perhaps this was the appearance of an unseen Ancient Beasts.

"Who cares if it's a spirit beast or Ancient Beasts, anyone who dares to trespass and cause trouble in our capital will only find death!"

A shout full of heroic spirit rang out from the crowd, instantly garnering a response from everyone.

They gripped their weapons tightly, exuding a resolute aura; even when facing these three massive structures, like steel fortresses, they remained fearless, demonstrating their determination to defend their homeland.

The capital, as the most powerful city of this civilization, gathered countless top-tier experts.

The weakest of the group appearing in the sky at this moment possessed Huwu Realm (Martial Combination Realm) strength, and the leading few had even reached the Dujie Realm (Tribulation Crossing Realm), possessing powerful, world-shattering abilities.

In this civilization's power system, Celestial Realm Experts were like legendary existences; they would not easily appear unless absolutely necessary, because every action they took could drastically alter the entire world's landscape.

Just as everyone stood ready, the hatches of the three starships slowly opened like the gaping mouths of giant beasts.

Immediately after, a large number of Imperial Soldiers, dressed in uniform, surged out like a tide, quickly gathering in the air. They were tightly packed, and from a distance, they appeared as a dense mass, forming a suffocating "black cloud" in the sky, bringing a strong visual impact and psychological pressure to the people of the capital below.

Not only that, but as the hatches opened, a large number of fighter jets roared out, circling flexibly in the air, emitting a low hum, demonstrating their powerful maneuverability.

At the same time, various types of ground combat vehicles were also dropped, landing heavily on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. These steel behemoths gleamed with cold metallic luster, their muzzles pointed directly at the people of the capital, exuding immense deterrence.

"We are forces from the Xili Empire. Your planet has been incorporated into the Empire's territory. Immediately cease resistance!"

Standing before the neat formation of Soldier, a tall Imperial Military Officer shouted in a loud and unquestionable voice.

His voice, like a great bell, echoed through the sky, reverberating above the capital, proclaiming the Empire's sovereignty and majesty.

"Xili Empire? What's that?"

Someone in the crowd muttered with a confused expression; they had never heard of this suddenly appearing name, and their eyes were filled with bewilderment and incomprehension.

"Who cares what it is, these guys clearly mean trouble; why waste words with them!"

A hot-tempered Huwu Realm (Martial Combination Realm) expert roared loudly, his eyes burning with furious flames.

Before his words finished, he was the first to charge towards the Imperial Soldiers' formation, followed closely by several other Huwu Realm (Martial Combination Realm) experts, who unhesitatingly followed behind him. Their movements were agile, their momentum fierce, like several sharp blades, thrusting directly into the enemy's ranks.

Seeing this, the Imperial Military Officer's expression hardened, and he swiftly ordered an attack without hesitation.

In an instant, countless beams of laser energy spewed from the weapons in the Soldier' hands, like strings of deadly shooting stars, rapidly striking towards the charging experts.

For a moment, the sky flashed with light, and lasers crisscrossed, creating a spectacular scene.