This journey had been quite the rollercoaster for Shuyan.
Yes, quite literally a rollercoaster.
Has anyone ever experienced freefalling from ten thousand meters in the sky without any protective measures?
Most people probably haven't. But after this experience, Shuyan could now count himself among the very few who had.
At the edge of the Extreme North, in a forest where the snow and ice had melted into babbling streams, flowers and grasses bloomed in abundance. Life flourished, and groups of small soul beasts ran freely across the land. This was a scene never before seen in the Extreme North.
Leaning against a tree about as thick as a bowl, Shuyan's face was pale as ash. His stomach churned violently, and the thrill of the fall had left his senses in a daze. For a while, he couldn't even speak.
Not far behind him, Snow Empress looked helplessly at Ice Empress, reached out, and tapped her on the forehead.
"You really… always causing trouble. He's only a Soul King. If his body weren't unnaturally resilient, he might not have survived your antics."
Ice Empress kicked at a pebble on the ground and pouted with a hint of grievance.
"How was I supposed to know he couldn't handle it? We just did a few ten-thousand-meter bungee jumps! I may have accidentally flung him a bit too far, but how could I know he'd… you know…"
Snow Empress let out a sigh, clearly exasperated. She had long known that Ice Empress liked to mess with Shuyan. Whenever these two were together, arguments were inevitable. But this level of chaos? That was a first. Now, she could only hope Shuyan wouldn't hold it against her. Otherwise, she'd be stuck in the middle—and the headache would be unbearable.
After resting for about half an hour, Shuyan finally began to feel somewhat normal again. Ice Empress seemed to realize her mistake and didn't insist on flying with him anymore. Instead, Snow Empress took over that role.
The three were now traveling within the territory of the Heavenly Soul Empire. The outskirts near the Extreme North had always been sparsely populated, with most people living in walled cities. Scattered villages or towns were rare. But once they crossed out of the Extreme North, the landscape changed dramatically. Ice Empress remained curious, taking in every detail of the surroundings. Snow Empress, though more reserved, also seemed captivated by the scenery.
Shuyan's thoughts gradually settled. As he looked down at the vast, seemingly endless land, a strange feeling rose in his heart.
After the Divine War ended ten thousand years ago, the lands once ruled by the Spirit Hall were divided between two major empires, and the continent gradually returned to peace.
But a century later, after the Seven Gods ascended to the Divine Realm, and with no divine force to keep order, chaos began to resurface. Those with dark ambitions crept back into the open.
In this regard, both empires faced the same dilemma.
Once the kingdoms within their borders grew stronger, internal unrest followed. Corruption once again spread like a plague through the aristocracy—worse even than in the days when gods still walked the land.
In truth, the decay within the Heaven Dou Empire's nobility wasn't sudden. It had been festering since the time of Tang San. Now, it had finally returned in full force something that had long been expected.
Under such conditions, commoners once again fell into suffering. Uprisings and revolts spread far and wide, affecting nearly all corners of both empires. The land was littered with corpses and soaked in blood. It was as if the continent had lost all its vitality.
The chaos lasted nearly a century before it slowly subsided. But by then, the two great empires had fractured into three. The Star Luo Empire remained intact, while the Heaven Dou Empire split into the Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires.
Unlike the Heaven Dou's grim fate, the Star Luo Empire managed to quell internal revolts, albeit at a great cost. At least it was within a bearable range. However, the royal White Tiger Dai bloodline was nearly wiped out during the war. Faced with grim reality, the emperor of that generation voluntarily abdicated, passing the throne to the Star Crown Sect, which had played a key role in suppressing the uprisings. From then on, the imperial Dai family existed no more. Only the title of Star Luo White Tiger Duke remained.
What followed was relatively straightforward. The Sun and Moon Continent collided with the Douluo Continent, doubling the landmass. For the first time, the soul tool system appeared before the eyes of the three Douluo empires. Tensions and conflicts between nations quickly reemerged. The continent, which had only just stabilized, was once again plunged into bloodshed.
The outcome, however, had long since been decided.
Under a brief moment of unity among the three nations of the original Douluo Continent, the Sun and Moon Empire was defeated. The new continent was named Douluo. The war ended, and the four great empires entered a stalemate that would last for nearly four thousand years—up to the present day...
Just as Shuyan was lost in thought, he heard Snow Empress's gentle voice:
"There's a human city up ahead. Shall we take a look?"
Shuyan looked up. Beyond the rolling, verdant hills, he could indeed see a small city nestled in the distant plains.
After a moment's thought, he replied,
"Let's go down and have a look. It's a good chance for you two to get familiar with the human world. Wouldn't want you causing trouble later when we get to Star Luo City, with its population of over ten million."
He didn't realize that his words carried a double meaning.
Snow Empress, however, only chuckled softly, seeming not to mind. She simply responded with a quiet "Mm."
Realizing how it sounded, Shuyan quickly offered an explanation. Snow Empress reassured him with a few gentle words and didn't pursue the matter further.
The three of them shot through the sky like streaks of light, landing about two kilometers from the city gate before continuing on foot.
Ice Empress was still in high spirits, skipping ahead playfully. Her dark green heels clicked crisply on the hard road. Her waist-length green hair had been tied into twin ponytails by someone, making her look like an innocent neighborhood girl.
Of course, this girl was in fact the ultimate narcissist and a walking natural disaster from the Extreme North. As the old saying goes: appearances can be deceiving. Anyone who took her at face value was asking for trouble...
Snow Empress had taken some effort to suppress the divine, otherworldly aura that made her seem like a goddess descended. Yet even so, she still radiated a faint chill that left anyone who glanced at her rooted to the spot, an image likely burned into memory for life.
As for Shuyan, he wasn't too bothered. Though he rarely left home in Star Luo City, he had lived through his previous life in various bustling metropolises. While their group attracted nearly every eye on the street in this small city, it still didn't compare to the attention he was used to in the big cities or back in Star Luo.
Shortly after they paid the entrance fee and entered the city, dusk began to fall. Lamps flickered to life across the streets. The moon, hidden behind drifting clouds, cast a dim light.
Night had arrived just as it always did, quietly and inevitably...