Holy Dragon Douluo

Several months earlier, overseas, in the Star Luo Empire.

A middle-aged man dressed in splendid robes and wearing a crown was seeing an old man off.

Anyone who saw this would have been astonished.

The middle-aged man was none other than Dai Tianling, the current emperor of the Star Luo Empire.

The old man appeared to be in his sixties or seventies. He was slightly hunched, but his eyes were bright and alert.

There wasn't the slightest trace of aura about him. He looked like an utterly ordinary old man.

But those who knew the truth understood that he was none other than the Star Luo Empire's foremost expert, Holy Dragon Douluo En Ci.

"Teacher, are you really going to the Douluo Federation?"

"Have I done something you're unhappy with?"

As he spoke, Dai Tianling was about to bow.

Seeing this, En Ci used gentle Soul Power to hold Dai Tianling back. His voice carried a hint of reluctance and emotion.

"As the empire's foremost expert, I must go to the Federation. I want to see that place for myself and report back to Your Majesty."

"Even if it weren't for myself, I would have to go for the sake of the empire."

"The Star Luo Empire has been lying low overseas for far too long."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Once I've seen it for myself, I'll return to Star Luo."

"Besides, I want to find a rare treasure for Long Yue that can help resolve his spiritual power problem."

En Ci gazed kindly at the tall boy standing behind Dai Tianling, who looked to be thirteen or fourteen.

Dai Tianling's eyes reddened slightly, but he still said, "Teacher, I've failed you. At your age, you still have to labor for the empire."

En Ci waved a hand and sighed. "Your Majesty, there's no need to say that. This is what I ought to do."

As if he had made up his mind, Dai Tianling looked at Dai Yueyan and Dai Yun'er, who were standing behind him.

"Yueyan, Yun'er, come here."

The two obediently walked over to their father.

"Bow to Teacher. From now on, he'll be your adoptive father."

The two obediently knelt and kowtowed.

At the time, Dai Yueyan was around twelve or thirteen, while Dai Yun'er was about eight or nine.

One was the empire's future heir, while the other was the most talented member of the imperial family.

"Your Majesty, this... How can I accept?"

En Ci tried to stop the two, but Dai Tianling spoke up. "Teacher, please accept these children. Otherwise, it would mean you don't accept me as your disciple."

En Ci met Dai Tianling's resolute gaze and finally sighed, accepting the two children.

"We pay our respects to our adoptive father."

The Star Luo Empire's delegation began its long voyage toward the Douluo Federation.

"..."

Time flew by. Before long, the fleet had reached Douluo Continent, which was part of the Douluo Federation.

"My lord, what should we do?"

An aide who had accompanied him asked.

After considering the matter, Holy Dragon Douluo said to the aide, "Follow the usual procedures. Pay the visits we need to pay, and hold the discussions we need to hold."

"Remember, don't cause trouble."

"Even if someone from the Douluo Federation gives us a hard time, as long as it isn't too much, put up with it if you can."

The aide nodded bitterly.

Holy Dragon Douluo noticed his expression but said nothing.

After all, a weak country had no diplomacy.

Holy Dragon Douluo En Ci sighed inwardly, then gradually concealed his presence.

His main purpose this time was to challenge the one within Shrek Academy's Golden Tree.

He had reached the Limit Douluo level fifty or sixty years ago, then spent another forty years tempering himself until he had attained Four-Word Battle Armor.

After attaining Four-Word Battle Armor, he had been able to sense that there was a God Rank beyond the Limit Douluo level.

The yearning to transcend, the yearning to advance further, tormented him constantly.

When he appeared again, Holy Dragon Douluo was already at the outskirts of Shrek Sea God Island.

His low, aged voice rang out. "En Ci, Holy Dragon Douluo of the Star Luo Empire, has come to pay his respects to Shrek Academy."

Less than five seconds after his voice carried across the island, a young man in white appeared before him, his bearing otherworldly.

Sweat had begun to trickle from En Ci's forehead. He could clearly sense that he was no match for this man.

The gulf between them stretched like an impassable chasm.

"Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion Master Yun Ming."

The newcomer was none other than Yun Ming, the current Sea God Pavilion Master.

With Yun Ming's spiritual power, he had noticed En Ci the moment he appeared.

However, because of the Federation's prior instructions, he hadn't made a move ahead of time.

"Holy Dragon Douluo En Ci requests a duel."

As he spoke, dazzling golden light burst from En Ci, and the phantom of his Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul appeared behind him.

Bulky, magnificent Battle Armor appeared over his body.

It was none other than his Four-Word Battle Armor: Peerless Sacred Dragon.

Yun Ming briefly sensed his aura, then summoned only his own Martial Soul, the Sky-Propping Spear.

The two clashed.

The longer they fought, the more alarmed En Ci became. Even though he wore Four-Word Battle Armor, the man before him still seemed completely at ease.

En Ci didn't dare let his guard down. He fought Yun Ming with all his might, while Yun Ming was like an abyss—every probe only made En Ci more afraid.

In the end, the Sky-Propping Spear pointed at En Ci's throat.

Both men stopped moving.

"I've lost."

En Ci gave a bitter smile, thinking, So this is the strength of the strongest person on the continent.

Yun Ming nodded to En Ci without saying anything, then turned and flew back to the Golden Tree.

"..."

En Ci flew distractedly through the skies above the Douluo Federation. Before he knew it, he had reached Ming City.

"How did I end up here?"

En Ci shook his head and prepared to return to the Star Luo delegation.

The most important task this time—challenging the continent's strongest, recognizing the gap between them, and determining the direction of his next steps—was complete.

What remained was to find a way to befriend the Douluo Federation and buy as much time as possible for Star Luo.

As a Limit Douluo, he would at least be shown some respect by the Douluo Federation.

Finally, he wanted to see if he could find a rare treasure that might resolve his disciple's spiritual power problem.

He knew the Tang Sect possessed a secret realm called the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, filled with rare treasures.

Along the way, he had also heard rumors that the Tang Sect and the War God Temple were promoting the Mysterious Heaven Skill to encourage cultivation across the continent.

He had already made a copy of the technique and planned to take it back to the Star Luo Empire.

There was no helping it: the gap between the Star Luo Empire and the Douluo Federation was immense.

In fact, the empire had once encouraged close-relative marriages to increase the population, resulting in a number of people born with congenital deficiencies.

As for the Tang Sect in the Star Luo Empire, it said it didn't want to be a driving force behind war, and only sold outdated weapons and civilian Soul Tools.

As for cultivation techniques, one had to pass layer after layer of tests before being allowed to obtain them.

Just as he was lost in thought, a man whose aura blazed like the sun suddenly appeared beside him and said politely, "You must be His Excellency Holy Dragon Douluo."

"Our War God Temple Master would like to invite you to stop by and have some tea."

The War God Temple?

Holy Dragon Douluo En Ci was a little puzzled. As far as he knew, the War God Temple was a faction supported by the Federation.

Its new leader was a young man who had taken over from Hanhai Douluo. Whether he even had the strength of a Limit Douluo was still unknown.

He hadn't planned to visit the War God Temple.

However, one didn't slap away a smiling hand. Since he had been invited, En Ci decided to pay a visit to the newly appointed War God Temple Master and see what he was really up to.