Leaving the deep and silent sea, wearing "grey hair and blue clothes, and a ferocious bone tail on his left arm, he quietly broke through the water, and for the first time truly set foot on the land of the Douluo Continent."
Where he was at the moment was a remote and uninhabited coastal reef area. Based on a rough comparison of the charts before leaving, and a simple scan of the land contours after landing, he speculated that he should be on the coast somewhere in the southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, not far from Fasinuo Province.
The dark blue outfit on his body was a common style worn by some humans Soul Master in Simulation's memory. He lowered his head and looked at his outfit, which still exuded a disturbing and dangerous aura.
"Need to cover up." He judged calmly. It was not out of fear, but to reduce unnecessary attention. After all, the primary purpose of his trip was to "gather fuel", not to provoke unnecessary disputes and alert possible high-level beings.
Dressed neatly, he looked like a lone Soul Master who was walking at night and did not want to show his true face to others, blending into the shadows of the sparse trees on the coast.
He was not in a hurry to go deep into the interior. The most urgent task was to understand the distribution of this land, its scope of activities and the ownership of its power.
The best source of information is naturally where humans gather. And not far from the coast, there should be fishing villages or small towns.
Sure enough, after sneaking along the coastline to the northeast for about half an hour, the outline of a small town with dotted lights appeared at the edge of perception. The air began to be mixed with the unique smells of human life: cooking smoke, food, low-quality drinks, and... a faint wave of Soul Power, all very weak.
Kraken is like a weightless shadow, quietly approaching the edge of the town. It captures the scattered conversations of residents in the town, the noise in the tavern, and the flow of information where the fluctuations of Soul Power are most concentrated.
"... I heard that Sunset Forest in the west is not peaceful recently, and there is a powerful Soul Beast movement..."
"Hagendas Kingdom's tax officer has increased taxes again. This day is impossible..."
"Heaven Dou City The new class of Soul Master Tournament is about to begin. I don't know which college will take the lead this year..."
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's business is really big now, but I heard that Titled Douluo doesn't seem to be in charge in their sect anymore?
"Isn't it? Since those two were in Jialing Pass... well, now everyone in Upper Three Sects is related to 'that' sect..."
Fragmented information was classified and analyzed. Kraken quickly captured several high-frequency words and the information about the power structure hidden in them. He needed a more concentrated and accurate source of intelligence. The largest tavern in the center of the town, where Soul Power wavers gathered, became his target.
After a moment, a figure wearing a black cloak and a hood covering most of his face opened the creaking wooden door of the tavern. The light inside the tavern was dim, the air was turbid, and filled with the smell of ale, sweat and seafood. Several tables of rough fishermen and merchants were drinking and fist-fighting. In the corner, there were several figures wearing Soul Master robes with obviously stronger breaths than ordinary people talking in low voices.
Kraken's presence was deliberately kept to a minimum. Like a ghost, he quietly walked to the most remote corner of the bar, ordered a glass of the most ordinary ale, and then sat in silence, like a sculpture wearing a cloak. But his perception, like the most sophisticated instrument, was locked on the conversation of those Soul Master.
Those Soul Masters looked to be in their thirties or forties, with Soul Power fluctuations ranging from Soul King to Soul Emperor levels, and they were already considered experts in remote towns. They seemed to have just returned from somewhere, and they still carried travel dust and a trace of unnoticeable nervousness.
"... The message is absolutely true. Although Clear Sky Sect's mountain gate is still hidden in the mountains, some disciples recently revealed when they went down the mountain to purchase supplies that the sect leader seems to have been in retreat, and his aura has become more and more unfathomable." A tall and thin Soul Master said in a low voice.
"Tang Xiao was originally the top powerhouse in the mainland. Now those... ahem, all of them have gone up. I'm afraid he is really the best in the world." Another person spoke with awe in his tone. When he said "went up", he subconsciously pointed at the ceiling.
"It's hard to say whether he's number one or not, but Clear Sky Sect's reputation is real. After all, it's... that person's family." The third person said with a complicated tone that was both envious and a little sour.
"It's not just Clear Sky Sect," the tall and thin Soul Master took a sip of wine, "Have you forgotten Tang Sect? Although it was founded the shortest time, it was created by that person himself! Poison Douluo sits under the crown, and works with the Heaven Dou Empire and Shrek Academy have a close relationship and are now developing rapidly. Hidden Weapon's business is spread all over the mainland. Not only is it rich and powerful, its power is also rising. I heard that there is still a cultivator Secret Art left behind among them."
"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is not bad at all!" Another person said, "Although he suffered a catastrophe back then, the Yu Tianheng leader is also young and promising. I heard that he has broken through to the Titled Douluo realm! And now that Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has been rebuilt, although the momentum is not as good as it was back then, it is still firmly in the position of Upper Three Sects. No one doubts it."
At this time, the tall and thin Soul Master who spoke first sneered, with a bit of emotion and playfulness in his tone. "Let me tell you, this Upper Three Sects now sounds like there are three sects. Count on your fingers, which one has nothing to do with the other one?"
He opened his hands and counted the numbers. "Clear Sky Sect, my family sect; Tang Sect, I created it myself; Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, my teacher sect... Hey, this Upper Three Sects, let's just change its name to 'Tang San sect'!"
Several people at the same table laughed knowingly, some shook their heads, some nodded, but no one refuted. The tall and thin Soul Master paused, then lowered his voice. "As for one of the original Upper Three Sects, the richest one in the world Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... Alas, both swords and bones have died. Luo, although Sect Master Ning has great talent and strategy, has business networks all over the mainland, and is as rich as any country, the gap in top combat power is a flaw. I heard that he has been squeezed into the ranks of 'Lower Four Sects'. Although he is still a powerful one, compared to those three... after all, he is less confident."
"Who says it's not..." Several people agreed, and the topic gradually turned to other places, such as which kingdom has discovered rare mineral deposits, which Soul Beast forest has mutant species, etc.
Kraken in the corner slowly drank the weak ale in the cup. In the shadow under the hood, his ice-blue eyes quickly analyzed.
The current top power structure in mainland China
Upper Three Sects:
Clear Sky Sect: Hidden state, leader Tang Xiao (estimated strength: high-level Titled Douluo)
Tang Sect: An emerging force, developing rapidly, with Poison Douluo in charge.
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan: Rebuilding the sect, the strength of the sect leader Yu Tianheng is estimated: the new Titled Douluo.
One of the original Upper Three Sects·Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect: Due to the loss of Sword and Bone Douluo, there is a vacancy in top level combat power. It is generally believed that Upper Three Sects has fallen out of Upper Three Sects, but it is still the leader of the financially strong "Lower Four Sects".
Other forces potentially possessing Titled Douluo: Heaven Dou Empire, Star Luo Empire, Shrek Academy.
Currently, the number of top powerhouses in the mainland is scarce, and they are highly concentrated in the three major sects that are closely related to Tang San.
"Tang San" Kraken silently chanted this name in his heart. This name appears very frequently. Although it has "ascended" now, its legacy influence still dominates the top structure of this continent.
He gently put down the empty wine glass, and a Silver Soul Coin fell silently on the greasy bar. The cloak moved slightly, and the figure disappeared into the dim night at the door of the pub like a Gui Mei, without attracting anyone's attention.
Next, he needs more precise coordinates. Those "fuels" will not come to his door by themselves. He needs to find a place with more concentrated information and a higher level of Soul Master, where he may have access to more core intelligence.