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Although the soul masters of the Sun and Moon Empire weren't happy about the prejudice against traditional soul masters, the facts were undeniable. In the past several thousand years, there hadn't been a single Limit Douluo among soul tutors. The legendary Level 10 Soul Tutor was still just theoretical. In contrast, the original Three Kingdoms of Douluo had continuous Limit Douluos.
Every head of the Sea God Pavilion at Shrek Academy was a Limit Douluo, and other sects occasionally produced them too. They all had their glorious moments.
Traditional soul masters looked down on soul tutors and scorned soul guidance devices—not without reason.
Of course, Liuxing (Meteor) didn't look down on soul tutors, nor did he underestimate soul guidance devices. He understood very well just how terrifying it was for such technological creations to develop. Once used in war, the consequences would be unimaginable.
But from Liuxing's perspective, Douluo Continent was a world where the strong ruled. The ultimate pursuit was one's own strength. Soul guidance devices were, after all, an external force. In that kind of world, soul tutors felt like they were walking down the wrong path.
Still, Liuxing wasn't opposed to using external tools and equipment.
After getting to know the modification system of this world, Liuxing thought it would be amazing if traditional soul masters and soul tutors could combine their strengths. Like the "magic and martial arts modification" dual paths you see in fantasy novels, it would definitely be more powerful than just being a soul tutor or a traditional soul master alone.
A perfect blend: having the raw power of a traditional soul master plus the versatile combat styles of a soul tutor—both near and far fighting, a perfect hexagonal warrior. How awesome would that be?
But Liuxing also knew this was really hard. Training soul power, strengthening the body, refining mental energy—these already took up most of a soul master's time. Not to mention learning how to make soul guidance devices on top of that. One's energy and attention were limited; no way to master it all, unless you're cheating somehow.
Liuxing had seen on some forums that the second-generation protagonist of Douluo Continent, though called the most tragic hero ever, was also ridiculously overpowered—probably because he modified as both soul master and soul tutor, cheating all the way to eventually suppressing an entire era.
But not everyone was the main character. Without hacks, you had to honestly choose a path that suited you, not try to do everything.
The shortest route from Longcheng to Mingdu was to cut straight through the Tianhun Empire, cross the Ice Sea, then finally enter the Sun and Moon Empire's border.
Luan Yu (Phoenix Feather) led Liuxing and Liuying as they crossed the Tianhun Empire. When passing by the empire's capital, Tiandou City, they deliberately took a detour. Flying over a foreign capital from high above was too risky and could cause trouble—better to go around.
The three traveled at a relaxed pace, passing through Tiandou City, Tianling City, and Maple Leaf City. It took them three days to reach the coast. Along the way, Luan Yu often took detours, sometimes swooping down from the sky to take them into cities for rest and to experience the local culture and customs of the Tianhun Empire.
Otherwise, with a Level 9 flying soul guidance device, the trip wouldn't have taken more than three days.
The Ice Phoenix spread its wings, carrying Liuxing and Liuying as they soared through the sky until they finally reached the icy sea. Luan Yu landed on the beach, where the salty sea breeze blew, stirring up white foam. The silver waves shimmered in the sunlight, like countless diamonds dancing on the water's surface.
Occasionally, seagulls skimmed the horizon, splashing water as they flew. The sea reflected different shades of blue under the sun, looking like a huge gem embedded in the world.
The three didn't linger long. After a short rest, they took to the sky again. Liuxing looked down through a blue soul guidance shield at the sparkling sea below. Occasionally, some sea soul beasts surfaced, then quickly dived back into the depths.
This time, Luan Yu flew even higher. No one knew how many sea soul beasts lurked in the Ice Sea. Flying too low risked attacks. If they were unlucky enough to run into a hundred-thousand-year-old sea soul beast, it would be dangerous.
Hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts were extremely rare on land but not so much in the ocean. The sea was vast and endless; sea soul beasts outnumbered land soul beasts by far, and the amount of ancient sea soul beasts dwarfed that of the land.
Humans rarely ventured into the ocean. Even the Sun and Moon Empire, which developed soul guidance warships, only dared to operate near the shore and never went too deep. The sea was the domain of sea soul beasts, a forbidden zone for humans.
The coastal cities of the Sun and Moon Empire were always guarded by teams of soul tutors, stationed to defend against sea soul beast invasions. Every year, sea soul beasts would come ashore, invading human cities. Hence, these soul tutor squads stayed permanently, and the beasts themselves were a resource. No one refused to eat soul beast meat, since it helped soul masters level up faster.
Sea soul beasts differed from land ones in that most lived in groups, so if they went rogue, it could cause huge trouble. Only by dispatching soul tutor squads could the Sun and Moon Empire suppress such chaos.
As time passed, where sea met sky became hazy—that was the Sun and Moon Empire's territory. Though far away, it was now close enough to see.
Luan Yu adjusted the Ice Phoenix's wings, speeding up, flying headlong into the wind, rushing toward the land.
"Finally almost there!" Liuxing breathed a sigh of relief. Out at sea, there was nothing but endless water—too boring. On land, at least they could enjoy the scenery or drop down into a city for some fun. Out here, they couldn't safely land or find a place to rest, so all they could do was speed up and cross the ocean as fast as possible.
As they got closer, Liuxing and Liuying could look down from high up and see the entire city of Mingdu.
Mingdu—the capital of the Sun and Moon Empire—was unique on Douluo Continent. It had no city walls but welcomed visitors with an open and inviting attitude. Skyscrapers rose like a steel forest, majestic and towering, shrouded in mist, sometimes disappearing and reappearing. Sunlight bounced off the glass curtain walls, casting dazzling reflections that somehow felt warm and familiar to Liuxing.
Compared to the first city he visited in this world, Longcheng, or the capitals and cities of the Tianhun Empire—Tiandou City, Tianling City, Maple Leaf City—Mingdu felt more advanced, like it was ahead of its time.
If the Tianhun Empire's architecture reminded him of ancient styles from his own world, Mingdu's modern vibe was no different from his world's own modern cities—just as many skyscrapers and steel structures.
What set Mingdu apart was a touch of fantasy mixed into its modern style. Compared to the usual modern cities he was used to, it was even more eye-catching and fresh.
"We're here—this is Mingdu, the most prosperous and advanced city on Douluo Continent," Luan Yu said as she brought them down from the sky, her voice carrying a barely noticeable pride.
After years of traveling the continent, Luan Yu had been to pretty much every empire city—even the permanently neutral Shrek City.
"....."