Chapter 196: Star Luo Visitors' Shock (Four Thousand)

The ship arrived at the harbor, and the Star Luo Federation's delegation disembarked.

A team of delegation members clad in dark blue uniforms stepped ashore in steady succession. The lead envoy held a diplomatic document bearing a gilded emblem, its silver buttons flashing in the morning sun.

The Douluo Federation's reception officials had already lined up waiting at the harbor. At their head was a man dressed in a white formal suit.

He stepped forward, right hand pressed to his chest in salute, and smiled: "Welcome, envoys of the Star Luo Federation, from afar."

The delegation leader returned the standard courtesy in kind, presenting the gilded document with both hands: "By order of the Star Luo Chairman, we have come specially to deliver this document."

The Federation official accepted the document and said with a smile: "You must be weary from the journey. Please come with us to the Guest House to rest first. Chief Executive Heavenly Sea has prepared a luncheon and looks forward to meeting with you all."

Thereafter, Federation officials naturally escorted these people to the Heavenly Sea Executive Center, preparing to host them well.

"There are nobles among them." Someone noticed that several members of this delegation carried themselves unusually, and secretly speculated.

While Heavenly Sea City's official personnel observed these Star Luo visitors, the visitors were also observing the Federation's situation along the way.

The Star Luo delegation's gazes swept slowly across the streets; Heavenly Sea City's prosperity made them inwardly marvel. Towering soul guidance buildings glittered in the sunlight, wide streets bustled with soul guidance vehicles in endless flow, pedestrians were smartly dressed and composed.

Such a scene was not absent in their Star Luo Federation, but that was the capital — yet Heavenly Sea City was merely a coastal city of the Federation.

However, some did not think much of it.

Among the delegation were several youths; one girl, young in years, looked about fifteen or sixteen, yet was stunningly beautiful, tall and graceful. Especially striking were her hands — palms white as jade, fingers long and slender.

But compared to her appearance, her eyes were exceptionally sharp.

In a voice only her companions could hear, she said softly: "So this is the Federation? Doesn't look like much. Though the technology is advanced, the soul masters don't feel strong."

Facing Lin Yuhan's remark, a companion beside her expressed agreement.

"Right, the strongest who came to receive us is just a Soul Emperor. Seems they've been focusing on soul guidance technology development all these years; the soul master side perhaps remains the same as ten thousand years ago, not valued like soul guidance technology."

Valuing soul guidance technology was the Sun Moon Empire's tradition; the Douluo Federation obviously continued this.

Another held a different view: "Can't say that. At least with Shrek Academy here, the Federation's soul master experts absolutely cannot be underestimated. Heard there are Four Great Powers here, with numerous experts inside."

"Right, Yuhan, don't underestimate them. This isn't the Federation's center, just a first-tier city."

Many youngsters from the Star Luo Federation chatted, sharing what information they knew, yet their words still carried arrogance.

Following Heavenly Sea City's official arrangements, they walked all the way, seeing only prosperity, not the Federation's might.

But such a prosperous city, still a first-tier city of the Federation, surely couldn't be unimportant?

If even here there are no decent experts and geniuses... perhaps the Federation isn't as strong as the elders think?

"Wait, those are thousand-year soul spirits? Those big families' pillars?"

A youth suddenly spotted a group of soul masters playing with their soul spirits on the street; his face first turned solemn, then he breathed a sigh of relief and laughed: "They should be Heavenly Sea City's soul master geniuses, right? Cultivation a bit lacking, but able to possess thousand-year soul spirits... not bad."

These youths thought no one heard their talk, but because of the cultivation gap, the Federation officials responsible for reception naturally heard it all.

Purple soul spirits are also very precious, but hardly qualify as big families' pillars, right?

Possessing hundred-thousand-year soul spirits marks true big families; ten-thousand-year soul spirits are the big families' pillars!

Can soul master families without hundred-thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul spirits still be called big families?

What is the Star Luo Federation thinking... oh right, they don't have Spirit Pagoda branches there. Having soul spirits at all is strange; if their soul spirit quantity even surpasses our Douluo Federation, that can only be called divine protection.

Stifling a laugh, an official who had long been displeased by these foreign guests' running commentary gave a light cough and said:

"Look at their school uniforms — they're just ordinary students of Heavenly Sea Soul Master Academy, not counted as geniuses in the whole Federation. And because the Spirit Pagoda exists, thousand-year soul spirits are certainly precious here, but also don't count as big families' pillars; only ten-thousand-year soul spirits deserve such honor."

"And hundred-thousand-year soul spirits are a symbol of those top-tier big families."

The youths who still wanted to say these geniuses weren't much instantly shut their mouths.

In their Star Luo Federation, soul spirits are very precious; soul masters from small families at most obtain ten-year or hundred-year soul spirits; thousand-year soul spirits are few in number; only geniuses like them who can enter Monster Academy can get them.

Ten-thousand-year soul spirits are even more a symbol of expert seeds.

As for hundred-thousand-year soul spirits? Does their Star Luo Federation even have hundred-thousand-year soul spirits?

He had never heard of any family possessing one!

But what is this Federation official saying? The Douluo Federation's big families have hundred-thousand-year soul spirits?

Are you sure you're not bragging?!

The youth wanted to challenge, but an elder leading the team at the side transmitted a voice to these juniors: "Don't forget, this place has the birthplace of soul spirits — the Spirit Pagoda. In soul spirits, we absolutely cannot be the Douluo Federation's match; don't humiliate yourselves."

Compare soul spirits with the Douluo Federation? Isn't that a joke?

Most of their soul spirits come from the Douluo Federation; how could they possibly surpass them in this?!

Hearing this, the youth couldn't help muttering: "Why doesn't the Spirit Pagoda establish a branch on our side?"

If the Spirit Pagoda helped, he felt the Star Luo Federation wouldn't lag too far behind the Douluo Federation.

No one answered, while the Federation officials inwardly rolled their eyes.

Establish a branch in another country? Still provide you soul spirits? Wouldn't that be treason?

The Spirit Pagoda stays perfectly well in the Federation; why would it do such thankless, unrewarding things?

However, compared to these Federation officials' dismissiveness, the Star Luo Federation's visitors were moved by the youth's words.

This trip to the Douluo Federation, their main purpose was observation — to understand the Douluo Federation's strength from economy, soul masters, technology and all aspects.

But besides that, they might also strive for more... for instance, having the Spirit Pagoda establish a branch in the Star Luo Empire?

This thought flashed through the minds of several high-ranking delegation members.

The lead envoy's expression didn't change; he merely tilted his head slightly and said in a low voice to his deputy: "Note it down. The Spirit Pagoda matter — we can probe their attitude later."

The deputy lightly nodded, gaze thoughtful as it swept over the soul master students on the street.

The opposition between the Star Luo Continent and the Douluo Continent is known to all. Were it not for the vast ocean lying between, the conflict between them would likely be even more intense. But that doesn't mean they cannot win over forces on this side.

The Star Luo Federation's ancestors' immigrants also came from the Douluo Continent; they were forced to a dead end by the Sun Moon Empire and had no choice but to immigrate to the Star Luo Continent.

In the view of some Douluo Federation residents, they were ultimately one family in the past; perhaps consensus can be reached peacefully, without fighting to the death. Even within the Douluo Federation, some forces worry the Federation might move against the Star Luo, and have given them some support.

This also shows some forces inside the Douluo Federation can be won over.

If the Spirit Pagoda is willing to establish a branch on the Star Luo Continent, the Star Luo Federation's Chairman will certainly show sincerity!

……

Having been shaken by the Spirit, the juniors of the Star Luo Continent quieted down for the time being, no longer making various comparisons.

Afterward, the group met the Federation Chief Executive, received some hospitality, and stayed in Heavenly Sea City for several days.

During these few days, they got a good look at the prosperity of the Douluo Federation.

Thousand-year Spirits that could sell for astronomical prices in Star Luo were not rare here; Soul Master families with decent family conditions could supply them.

And what Lin Yuhan and the others found most unbelievable was that Soul Masters of commoner origin could actually obtain Spirits!

Even, if they had no money to buy a Spirit, they could still "buy on installment," sign a contract with the Spirit Pagoda, and pay off this money in the future through their actions.

To them Star Luo people, this was simply unbelievable.

Commoner-origin Soul Masters... in their Star Luo, were at the very bottom tier of the Soul Master hierarchy, because the soul beasts and Spirit resources on the continent were monopolized by powerful Soul Master families, and since Martial Soul Awakening also required Soul Masters' help, they had to follow their arrangements to be promoted.

As for going to the ocean alone to hunt souls? Without a powerful Soul Master leading, do you dare?

The probability of surviving alone in the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt souls is already very low, let alone the ocean.

It was exactly such commoner Soul Masters who, in the Douluo Federation, actually enjoyed completely opposite treatment... If the commoner Soul Masters of their country saw this scene, they would probably be very envious.

In the Spirit Pagoda Heavenly Sea Branch, Lin Yuhan and the others looked at the Contract Room with people coming and going, couldn't help but take a deep breath, and asked the Federation Soul Master serving as their "Guide" beside them—Gu Qinghan: "Can we obtain Spirits here?"

"If you reach a bottleneck and gain a Spirit's recognition, naturally you can."

Gu Qinghan replied: "Of course, if you haven't reached a bottleneck, it's best not to disturb the Spirit Transmitters' work. The Spirit Pagoda is one of our Federation's Four Great Powers, with many strong individuals among them, including seven Limit Douluo. The Branch Tower Masters are all strong individuals above Super Douluo. Here, it's best to follow the Spirit Pagoda's rules."

"Seven Limit Douluo? Branch Tower Masters are all Super Douluo?"

Lin Yuhan and the others swallowed their saliva.

Their Star Luo Federation... had only one Limit.

And such a powerful Spirit Pagoda was still only one of the Four Great Powers... The number of top experts in the Federation was actually this terrifying?

Gu Qinghan glanced at these boys and girls' expressions of disbelief, and couldn't help but hook a smile at the corner of her mouth.

These days serving as a Guide for the Star Luo people, she had long felt unhappy.

She didn't know where these Star Luo people got their confidence; as one of the defeated sides from ten thousand years ago, they were very proud and thought they were not inferior to the Federation.

Did they think that after ten thousand years of development, they could surpass the Federation?

Delusional!

「……」

A Star Luo youth fell silent for a moment, looking at the Soul Masters coming and going, and discovered that one person's attire was the same as the Heavenly Sea Soul Master Academy students he had seen a few days ago, so he changed the subject.

"In recent days, Heavenly Sea Soul Master Academy is the strongest academy on the Heavenly Sea Alliance side; I wonder if we could have a chance to spar and exchange with its students?"

Observations over the past few days made him somewhat irritable; whether it was Soul Guide technology, Spirits, or the number of strong individuals, their country seemed unable to gain any advantage.

Since that was the case, let's compare the peerless talent of our younger generation; he didn't believe the Douluo Federation was stronger than their Star Luo in every aspect.

If they were stronger in every way, shouldn't their Star Luo have been destroyed long ago?

"Strongest?" Gu Qinghan thought for a moment, then refused: "In the Heavenly Sea Alliance, Heavenly Sea Soul Master Academy is naturally among the top, but in the entire Federation, it can only be considered average. You are all geniuses from Star Luo; if you really want to exchange and spar, it's best to go to those top academies."

The youth scratched his head somewhat disappointedly and said helplessly: "Then I'd like to ask, what are the Federation's top academies?"

Lin Yuhan: "Shrek Academy and Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy."

Hearing these two names, several Star Luo people furrowed their brows.

Shrek Academy? Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy?

They were very familiar with these.

The former was a place highly esteemed by the Star Luo Federation, with deep foundation and long history. The Star Luo Federation had a Monster Academy, which was modeled on some theories of Shrek Academy.

And an elder accompanying these juniors, Lin Yuhan's Forge Teacher—Zhang Gongyan—also knew.

In a certain corner of their Star Luo Continent, there was a branch of Shrek Academy; although that branch was called Tang Sect, those who knew the inside story understood that it belonged to Shrek Academy and was the channel for contact between Star Luo and Shrek Academy.

As for Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy... Star Luo people were naturally very familiar with it, but unlike Shrek Academy, they only felt disgust toward Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. After all, that was a place that cultivated talent for the Sun Moon Empire, one of the culprits that forced their seniors to leave their homes!

"However, some geniuses will not join the two great academies."

While Lin Yuhan and the others frowned in thought, Gu Qinghan added: "For example, the Douluo Federation's current strongest genius—Huo Yuhao!"

The Star Luo youth raised an eyebrow: "Is he very powerful? The Lin Yuhan beside me is a forging genius rare in a hundred years in Star Luo, and her strength as a Soul Master is not bad either; I don't know how much stronger this pride of heaven named Huo Yuhao is compared to her?"

"There is simply no comparison!"

Gu Qinghan glanced at Lin Yuhan, her voice suddenly becoming impassioned, startling several people.

"Huo Yuhao is now fourteen years old, has already been promoted to Soul Emperor, and is also a Two-Word Battle Armor Master, Seven-Level Mecha Maker, Seven-Level Mecha Designer, owner of a Black-Grade Mecha, recognized by the Spirit Pagoda as the next generation Spirit Transmitter Douluo, future Limit Douluo and Four-Word Battle Armor Master."

Her face showed admiration and pride, "Moreover, he is a Soul Master who walked out of our Heavenly Sea Alliance!"

Lin Yuhan and the others stared at her dumbfounded; after a while, that youth roared:

"This is impossible!!!"

There cannot be such a monster in the world!

(End of Chapter)