NOVEL WEB Chapter 26: Mingdu City
Although the soul masters of the Sun and Moon Empire are very resistant to the prejudice of traditional soul masters, it is also a fact that the soul masters have not produced a single Limit Douluo in the past thousands of years.
The legendary tenth-level soul engineer remains only a theory. In contrast, the original Douluo Three Empires have never been without a Limit Douluo; every Seagod Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy has been an Limit Douluo, and other sects have occasionally produced Limit Douluo over these thousands of years, each leaving a brilliant legacy.
It is not without reason that traditional soul masters look down upon those who rely on soul guides and often ignore them.
Of course, Liuxing does not look down on soul guides, nor does he ignore them. He understands well how formidable the development of a technological product like the soul guide can be. Once utilized in war, the consequences are unimaginable.
However, in Liuxing's view, the Douluo Continent is a world where strength is revered, and what they pursue is their own power. The soul guide is indeed an external force, and in such a world, the soul master does seem to be straying from the path.
Yet, Liuxing does not reject the use of external tools and artifacts.
After understanding the cultivation system of this world, Liuxing thought that it would be ideal if the traditional soul master and the soul guide user were combined, much like the dual cultivation of magic and martial arts in fantasy novels.
Such a combination would undoubtedly be stronger than a simple soul engineer or a traditional soul master alone.
The fusion of the two not only retains the formidable combat power of the traditional soul master but also incorporates the versatile fighting style of the soul guide user, effective at both close and long range—a perfect hexagonal warrior. Isn't that appealing?
But Liuxing also knows that this is very challenging. Cultivating soul power, exercising the body, and refining spiritual power already consume most of a soul master's time, not to mention the time required to learn to make a soul guide.
A person's energy is limited, and it is impossible to excel in everything—unless one has an extraordinary advantage.
Liuxing has seen discussions on some forums about this second-generation protagonist of Douluo Continent. Although he is known as the most unfortunate protagonist in history, he is also the most extraordinary.
Not everyone is the protagonist, and without special advantages, one can only honestly choose a path that suits them, not all of which may be ideal.
From Dragon City to Mingdu, the shortest route is to cross the Heavenly Soul Empire, then traverse the Ice Sea, and finally enter the territory of the Sun and Moon Empire.
Luan Yu took Liuxing and Liuying through the Heavenly Soul Empire. When passing through the capital of the Heavenly Soul Empire,she deliberately took a detour, as it is impractical to fly directly over the capital of a country—it could easily cause trouble. Thus, a tour was a better option.
The three of them traveled through Heaven Dou City, Heavenly Spirit City, and Maple Leaf City, finally reaching the seaside after three days. Otherwise, at the speed of a ninth-level flying soul guide, it would not have taken three days at all.
The Ice Phoenix spread its wings, carrying Liuxing and Firefly across the sky, and finally arrived at the icy sea. Luan Yu landed on the beach with the two of them.
The oncoming sea breeze carried a salty taste, rolling up the waves, and the silver waves shimmered in the sun, as if millions of diamonds were dancing on the sea surface.
At sea level, seagulls occasionally passed by, stirring up strings of splashes. The seawater took on different shades of blue when illuminated by the sun, like a massive jewel set in the world.
The three of them didn't stay too long. After a short rest, they rose high into the air again. Liuxing detected the sea below through the blue soul guide shield, seeing only the sparkling waves, with some sea soul beasts occasionally surfacing before quickly diving back into the depths.
This time, Luan Yu flew higher. No one knows how many sea soul beasts inhabit the Ice Sea. Flying too low could result in attacks from sea soul beasts, and encountering a 100,000-year-old sea soul beast would be perilous.
100,000-year soul beasts are very rare on land, but in the sea, they are not so uncommon. The sea is boundless, and the number of sea soul beasts far exceeds that of land soul beasts, with the number of 100,000-year soul beasts being far greater than those on land.
Humans rarely venture into the ocean. Even the Sun and Moon Empire, which developed the soul guide warship, only dares to operate in coastal waters and does not venture too deep. The sea is the domain of the sea soul beasts and remains a forbidden area for humans.
The seaside cities of the Sun and Moon Empire, located near the ocean, are always guarded by a group of soul masters to defend against potential invasions by sea soul beasts.
Every year, sea soul beasts come ashore and invade human cities, necessitating the constant presence of a soul master group.
Sea soul beasts are also a valuable resource, as no one would turn down an abundance of soul beast meat. After all, soul masters who consume soul beast meat can improve their cultivation faster.
Sea soul beasts differ slightly from land soul beasts; most of them live in groups. Therefore, when they cause trouble, it can be very troublesome.
The Sun and Moon Empire can only suppress these sea soul beasts by deploying their soul master groups.
As time passed, the horizon where the sea met the sky grew hazy, signaling the approach of the Sun and Moon Empire's territory. Though it seemed distant, it was now close at hand.
Luan Yu manipulated the ice phoenix wings, increasing their speed as they flew rapidly toward the land, cutting through the sea breeze.
"It's finally coming!" Liuxing breathed a sigh of relief. Above the sea, there was nothing but water, which became monotonous and boring.
On land, they could enjoy the scenery or explore cities, but over the ocean, they dared not land at all. There was no safe place to rest, so they had to speed up and cross the ocean as quickly as possible.
As the distance closed, Liuxing and Liuying were already able to overlook the entirety of Mingdu from high in the sky.
Mingdu, the capital of the Sun and Moon Empire, is a unique city on the Douluo Continent.
Unlike other cities, it does not have protective walls but instead welcomes visitors from all over the world with an open attitude.
High-rise buildings rise like a forest of steel, shrouded in clouds and mist that come and go.
Sunlight reflects off the glass curtain walls, creating a dazzling light that gave Liuxing a sense of familiarity and warmth.
Whether it was Dragon City, the first city Liuxing encountered in this world, or Heavenly Dou City, the capital of the Heavenly Soul Empire, or even Heavenly Spirit City and Maple Leaf City, none could compare to Mingdu. They all felt outdated in comparison.
If the architectural style of the Heavenly Soul Empire resembled the ancient times of his world, then Mingdu of the Sun and Moon Empire was not far from the modern cities of his world, with its towering skyscrapers and steel structures.
The only difference was the touch of fantasy woven into Mingdu's modern style, making it even more captivating than the modern cities he was accustomed to.
"Here it is," Luan Yu said with a hint of pride in his voice. "This is Mingdu, the most prosperous and advanced city on the Douluo Continent."
Luan Yu guided them as they descended from high altitude. Having traveled across the continent for many years, Luan Yu had visited cities in other empires, including the so-called neutral Shrek City. Yet, none compared to the grandeur and innovation of Mingdu.