NOVEL WEB Chapter 25: Soul Master and Soul Engineer
The defeated Sun and Moon Empire, under the coercion of Shrek Academy, not only changed the name of the Sun and Moon Continent, which had been used since ancient times, but also signed a series of unequal treaties.
Since then, Shrek Academy's reputation has soared to new heights. Originally a dominant power on the Douluo Continent, it now exudes the same commanding presence as the Martial Soul Hall did 10,000 years ago.
Liuxing is well aware that the three major forces, Shrek Academy, the Tang Sect, and the Clear Sky Sect, are all deeply connected to Tang San, the former protagonist of this world.
Having ascended to godhood, Tang San's influence ensures that Shrek Academy thrives. Although the Clear Sky Sect has chosen to remain reclusive, anyone of significance knows better than to underestimate it.
The only enigma is the Tang Sect. Among the three forces, it seems as though the Tang Sect is treated like a stepchild, faring the worst of all.
However, this is not Liuxing's primary concern. He gathered this information merely to find something familiar, as he is uncertain whether this is truly the world of the novel he read 10,000 years later or a plausible parallel universe.
Through Luan Yu's introduction, Liuxing and Liuying gradually came to understand the Sun and Moon Empire.
Although the current Sun and Moon Empire remains hostile to the three other empires, its Emperor continues to honor the treaty signed by the royal family after their defeat 4,000 years ago.
He shows no intention of reigniting war and restricts domestic soul masters from developing war-related soul tools.
Instead, he promotes the research and development of civilian soul tools, significantly improving the living standards of the Sun and Moon Empire's citizens, far surpassing those of the original Douluo Three Empires.
The current Emperor suppresses the pro-war faction, limits the development of mass-destruction soul tools, and restricts the military's use of such technology.
By focusing on civilian applications, he has earned the love and admiration of the Sun and Moon Empire's people, enjoying a stellar reputation among them.
Even Luan Yu holds a favorable impression of the current royal family of the Sun and Moon Empire.
After all, she dislikes war and does not reject the original Douluo Three Empires.
Otherwise, she would not have formed such a close bond with Nan Shuishui, whom she calls her sister.
Her dream is to conduct research in peace, earn a modest living, and, if given the opportunity, ascend to the legendary realm of a tenth-level soul master.
The relatively peaceful environment on the Douluo Continent is something she is pleased to witness.
However, now that she has two young companions under her care, she must also consider their future. She cannot let them wander the world aimlessly as she once did.
To survive on the Douluo Continent, strength, connections, and relationships are indispensable.
The reason Luan Yu has been able to live so freely is because she is a ninth-level soul Engineer and has the support of a high-ranking sister.
Therefore, she plans to take the two youngsters back to the Mingdu, ensuring they have a solid foundation for their future.
While strength is highly respected on the Douluo Continent, those who gain support thrive, while those who lack it struggle.
Building alliances is crucial, as demonstrated by Shrek Academy. When Shrek Academy stood up and answered the call, it rallied hundreds of Titled Douluo to fight for its cause in a short period.
This display of power not only shocked the Sun and Moon Empire but also deeply impressed the original Douluo Three Empires.
That holy war revealed Shrek Academy's astonishing influence, leaving the three empires highly vigilant of the academy to this day.
Despite Shrek Academy's immense appeal, formidable strength, and 10,000-year legacy, the three empires dare not openly confront it. Instead, they resort to indirect methods to suppress and weaken the academy's influence.
Shrek Academy's inspection team is renowned across the continent. Even the nobles of the three major empires are subject to its private judgment. As long as there is conclusive evidence that a noble has violated the law, the Shrek inspection team has the authority to act first and report later. This demonstrates the immense power and influence of Shrek Academy.
It's no wonder that the three empires are so wary of Shrek Academy. In truth, no emperor would willingly allow such an entity to exist.
However, circumstances often outweigh personal desires. Although Shrek Academy is ostensibly just an educational institution, its influence and strength far surpass those of the three Douluo Empires. If a full-scale conflict were to break out, the three empires might find themselves utterly overwhelmed.
Moreover, Shrek Academy plays a critical role in guarding the Star Dou Great Forest.
It has repeatedly repelled beast tides launched by the fierce soul beasts of the forest, making indelible contributions to the safety and stability of the continent.
This makes it difficult for the three empires to take direct action against the academy. As a result, Shrek Academy has been able to develop smoothly for tens of thousands of years, effectively functioning as a "state within a state."
This is particularly evident in the Heavenly Soul Empire, where Shrek Academy is located. The academy operates in a region that the imperial family cannot govern, further solidifying its unique status.
In Luan Yu's view, the future of the Douluo Continent belongs to the Soul Engineers.
Even if Liuxing and Liuying lack the innate talent to become soul masters, they can still learn to use soul tools effectively. This will ensure they do not fall behind like the traditional soul masters of the original Douluo Three Empires, who often underestimate the importance of soul tools.
While the people of the original Douluo Three Empires may still look down on soul engineers and undervalue soul tools, Luan Yu, as a ninth-level soul engineer, is certain that soul masters will dominate the future.
This conviction is one of the reasons she wants to bring Liuxing and Liuying to the Sun and Moon Empire rather than leaving them at the Earth Dragon Gate.
Although ninth-level soul engineers are often at a disadvantage against traditional Titled Douluo in direct combat, they can turn the tide if given enough preparation time and distance.
A well-prepared ninth-level soul master can defeat any Titled Douluo without sustaining significant damage, thanks to their strategic use of soul tools.
Below the Titled Douluo level, soul engineers beneath the Soul Sage level often rely on the versatility and abundance of soul tools to gain an advantage over traditional soul masters.
However, once a traditional soul master reaches the Soul Sage level and unlocks their Martial Soul True Body, they can once again suppress soul engineers of the same level, maintaining this dominance all the way up to the Titled Douluo rank.
This dynamic is one of the reasons traditional soul masters have historically looked down on soul tool users.
While soul tool users may excel in the early stages, their effectiveness diminishes once traditional soul masters break through to the Soul Sage level and beyond.
The main disadvantage of soul engineers lies in the cultivation of soul power. Since most of their energy is devoted to studying soul guides, the time available for cultivation inevitably decreases.
As a result, many soul engineers resort to using drugs to enhance their cultivation, which leads to a weaker foundation compared to traditional soul masters.
In the future, with the reliance on soul tools, the soul rings absorbed by soul masters often provide soul skills that primarily increase soul power or are related to the soul guide itself.
These skills do not significantly enhance their combat effectiveness. Consequently, if a soul engineer loses their soul tool, they become virtually defenseless, like lambs to the slaughter.
Furthermore, among soul engineers, there are no Super Douluo-level powerhouses on the surface. They can only rely on powerful ninth-level soul guides to compete with Super Douluo, let alone Extreme Douluo.
This is one of the reasons why most traditional soul masters look down on soul masters and disregard soul guides. In their eyes, the soul engineers system cannot produce top-tier powerhouses and is ultimately a dead end.