Dragon Domain Inspection!

Inside the Quiet Room, Heaven and Earth Energy seemed drawn by an invisible force, surging madly into Gu Long's seated body.

The aura around him rose and fell like the tides before finally breaking through an invisible barrier and stabilizing at an entirely new height.

Peak Dou Emperor!

Gu Long slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them.

Feeling the Dou Qi within him, far vaster and more powerful than before, as well as his more condensed and formidable Soul Power, he showed little joy, as though this breakthrough had simply come naturally.

He pushed open the door to the Quiet Room, and Xun Er, who had been waiting outside, immediately came up to him.

The girl's senses were keen. She immediately noticed the increasingly unfathomable aura around Gu Long and asked in delight, "Brother Gu Long, you broke through?"

"Mm." Gu Long nodded slightly. Looking into Xun Er's clear eyes, he was struck by a thought and said, "Get ready. I'll take you somewhere."

"Where?" Xun Er asked curiously.

"Dragon Domain."

Several days later, Gu Long brought Xun Er through a secret Space Wormhole established by the Dragon Domain, arriving directly at Dragon City, where the Dragon Domain Headquarters stood in the core region of the Northwest Continent.

The moment she stepped out of the wormhole hall, Xun Er was stunned by the sight before her.

This was not the secret base hidden deep in remote mountains and forests that she had imagined, but a majestic giant city!

Its towering walls were built from Obsidian, gleaming with a cold, hard luster beneath the sunlight.

The streets within the city were broad and clean, packed with carts and pedestrians. Shops lined the roads, creating a flourishing and prosperous scene.

Even more alarming was the faint yet ever-present killing intent permeating the air.

The patrol squads on the streets marched in perfect unison. Their gazes were sharp and their auras solid, clearly marking them as elites who had undergone rigorous training.

Most eye-catching of all was the towering black hall at the city's center.

The hall rose high into the sky like a slumbering beast, exuding a frightening majesty.

A huge flag flew from its roof, embroidered with a lifelike Golden Divine Dragon baring its fangs and claws. Its draconic eyes looked down upon all beneath it. It was the symbol of the Dragon Domain!

"This is the Dragon Domain?"

Xun Er's small mouth fell open, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

How could this possibly look like a force developing in secret?

In scale and grandeur, it had already surpassed the ancient Jia Ma Holy City!

"This is only one of the Dragon Domain's windows to the outside world. Its true core lies elsewhere." Gu Long spoke calmly as he took her hand. "Come on. I'll show you around."

The two of them did not alert many people. Gu Long directly brought Xun Er deep beneath Dragon City.

There was a whole other world down there: an Underground City of even greater scale, guarded with extreme vigilance.

The first thing that came into view was a Giant Training Ground large enough to hold tens of thousands of people.

At that moment, several thousand cultivators dressed in identical black uniforms were training.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, their shouts shook the heavens, and their surging Dou Qi connected into one mass, faintly forming the phantom of a dragon in the air!

The weakest among these cultivators were Da Dou Shi. There were many Dou Ling among them, and now and then, Dou Wang-level captains could be seen leading the formations from the front.

"This is the Dragon Domain War Department," Gu Long explained. "They cultivate the same Dragon Blood Battle Art. By coordinating with special battle formations, they can condense battle souls and unleash combat strength far beyond the sum of their individual power."

Xun Er could clearly sense the battle intent and killing aura soaring into the sky. This was absolutely an elite force tempered through countless battles!

They were no weaker than the ordinary troops she had seen on the outskirts of the Ancient Clan.

Next, Gu Long brought her to the Dragon Domain's Resource Vault.

It was an enormous warehouse carved into the mountainside, filled with massive quantities of neatly sorted resources.

Gold Coins piled into countless small mountains, magical cores radiating dense energy, rare medicinal herbs stored in jade boxes and brimming with spiritual energy, and heaps of rare ores and metals...

The sheer quantity and variety left even Xun Er, who came from the Ancient Clan, speechless.

"More than seventy percent of the Northwest Continent's resource output is gathered here."

Gu Long casually picked up a high-quality Fire Magical Core, his tone as calm as ever.

After that, they arrived at the Intelligence Center.

It resembled a gigantic beehive, with countless people bustling about inside.

Huge maps of the Northwest Continent and even parts of the Central Continent hung on the walls, marked with densely packed points of light and lines.

Intelligence personnel constantly came and went, compiling, analyzing, and transmitting the latest information.

"At present, the major movements of every kingdom and sect in the Northwest Continent, as well as the surrounding empires, are all monitored here." Gu Long pointed at several flashing red dots on the map. "These are signs of Soul Hall peripheral personnel activity discovered recently."

As Xun Er looked at the precise and efficient intelligence network, her admiration for Brother Gu Long deepened further.

This was not merely powerful military strength. He had built a complete and efficient system.

Finally, Gu Long brought Xun Er to that towering black hall—the Dragon Hall.

Inside, Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun, having received word in advance, were already waiting.

"Lord!"

The moment they saw Gu Long enter, both immediately bowed.

Zhou Yu wore a blue robe and gently waved a feather fan, a composed smile on his handsome, elegant face.

Zhao Yun stood solemnly in silver armor, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

When their gazes fell upon Gu Long, both were startled. They said in unison, "Congratulations, Lord, on your great advancement in cultivation!"

They could sense that Gu Long's aura had become even deeper and vaster than before. He had already reached Peak Dou Emperor, only a single step away from Dou Zong.

"No need for formalities." Gu Long waved a hand, signaling for them to rise, then looked at Xun Er beside him. "This is Xun Er."

Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun immediately saluted Xun Er. "Greetings, Miss."

Their attitudes were respectful. They clearly knew Xun Er's identity—she was also their future Mistress.

Xun Er hurriedly returned the gesture, curiously studying these two right-hand men of Brother Gu Long.

One was a strategist of profound wisdom, while the other was a fierce general with an overwhelming presence.

Gu Long walked over and took the main seat, directly listening to Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun's brief report on the Dragon Domain's latest situation.

Its contents were largely similar to Zhao Yun's earlier report, though they added further details.

For example, the progress of intelligence infiltration into the Central Continent, as well as a deeper analysis of the Soul Hall's movements.

Xun Er sat below Gu Long and listened quietly.

Though she was young, she had grown up in the Ancient Clan and had been influenced by what she saw and heard. She was not entirely ignorant of faction management or the situation across the continent.

The more she heard, the more shocked she became.

Not only had the Dragon Domain reached such a scale in military strength, resources, and intelligence, but more importantly, it possessed an efficient operational model and far-reaching strategic planning.

This was absolutely not something that could be accomplished overnight, nor could it be achieved through force alone.

She looked toward the black-clad youth seated at the head, whose face remained youthful but whose eyes were as deep as the starry sky. An indescribable sense of pride and reassurance rose in her heart.

This was her Brother Gu Long. Without making a sound, he had already grasped an enormous power capable of influencing the continent's entire balance!

When the report was over, Zhou Yu lightly waved his feather fan and smiled. "With your personal arrival, Lord, morale throughout the Dragon Domain has greatly risen."

Gu Long nodded. His gaze swept over Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun as he said solemnly,

"For the Dragon Domain to have reached this point, the two of you deserve immense credit. From here on, follow the established strategy: develop steadily and accumulate strength. The Central Continent will be our final stage."

"Yes, Lord!" the two answered solemnly.

After staying in the Dragon Domain for several days and allowing Xun Er to fully understand the workings of this enormous force, Gu Long quietly left with her and returned to Jia Nan Academy.

On the journey back, Xun Er remained immersed in shock.

Holding Gu Long's hand, she looked up and asked, "Brother Gu Long, did you establish the Dragon Domain to deal with the Soul Clan?"

Gu Long looked at her and did not hide the truth. He nodded. "Yes. The Ancient Clan may be powerful, but the Soul Clan is hidden more deeply. We need strength of our own."

Xun Er tightly gripped his hand, determination filling her eyes. "Xun Er will cultivate diligently. In the future, I'll definitely be able to help Brother Gu Long!"

Seeing the girl's earnest expression, warmth stirred in Gu Long's heart. He rubbed her hair. "All right."

The trip to the Dragon Domain had not only revealed a small corner of his hidden iceberg to Xun Er, but had also strengthened her resolve to become stronger.

As for Gu Long, after personally confirming the Dragon Domain's development, his plans for the future became clearer than ever.

With Peak Dou Emperor cultivation and the vast Dragon Domain as his backing, it was time to begin plotting for the Falling Heart Flame within Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy.