"Your Highness, I've already gathered a great deal of useful information." Once they had returned to the Tianyang, Gu Yuntong immediately began respectfully reporting what he had learned. Xu Mochen listened quietly, comparing the details against the circumstances described in the original Douluo Continent, and soon gained a much clearer picture of the continent as it was now.
First, there was Douluo Continent's size. According to the information Gu Yuntong had gathered, its area and population were considerably more staggering than in the original. Its landmass covered roughly twenty-six million square kilometers, and its population exceeded 1.6 billion!
Its territory was about three times the size of the Sun Moon Empire, and its population was an astonishing ten times greater! The entire Sun Moon Continent—the empire's territory—covered only a little over 8.6 million square kilometers, and its population had grown to just over 160 million.
There were nine countries on Douluo Continent. The two most powerful were the Heaven Dou Empire in the north and the Star Luo Empire in the south.
The other seven were kingdoms and duchies that had split off from the two empires: four kingdoms and three duchies, collectively known as the Four Kings and Three Dukes. Of these, four kingdoms and one duchy had broken away from the Heaven Dou Empire, while the other two duchies had split from the Star Luo Empire.
The Four Kings and Three Dukes were mostly spread across the central-western and central-eastern parts of the continent. Though they were not as powerful as the two empires, they were not to be underestimated. They were in an entirely different league from the kingdoms and duchies in the original, whose armies were so useless they were barely fit to serve as cannon fodder.
The Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires were likewise far more terrifying than their counterparts in the original novel. They were nothing like those bizarre states in the story, where the two royal houses together could barely scrape together a handful of Titled Douluo—not counting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—and had fewer than ten thousand Soul Masters directly under the royal families.
And right near the heart of Douluo Continent, there truly was a Spirit Hall with terrifying strength and deep foundations! It was not only a sacred place in the hearts of Soul Masters; in terms of the number of Soul Masters under its command, it could indeed outmatch either empire on its own. But if the two empires joined forces, their combined Soul Master forces would unquestionably surpass Spirit Hall's.
There was certainly no chance of Spirit Hall controlling more than half of all the Soul Masters on the continent, as it did in the original! That simply wasn't the case. In reality, Douluo Continent had far more Soul Masters than the original ever suggested. How could Spirit Hall possibly wield that kind of power?
Besides the two empires, the Four Kings and Three Dukes, and Spirit Hall, Douluo Continent naturally had the Seven Great Sects. The Upper Three Sects were the same as in the original: the Clear Sky Sect of the Tang Clan, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect of the Ning Family, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect of the Yu Clan. Of the Lower Four Sects, besides the Elephant Armor Sect of the Huyan Clan mentioned in the original, the other three were the Wind Sword Sect of the Feng Clan, the Black Tiger Sect of the Taishi Clan, and the Fire Leopard Sect of the Situ Clan.
Of course, this didn't mean that these seven were necessarily the most powerful Soul Master factions on the continent aside from Spirit Hall. Douluo Continent was full of hidden talents, and many unknown factions had no interest in competing for a place among the recognized powers. That was why the Seven Great Sects had gained such an advantage in the public eye.
Aside from that, Douluo Continent's technology and general conditions were indeed much like those in the original. It had none of the technological products seen in the comics and anime, which felt completely out of step with the continent's technological level and era. The old methods of crafting Soul Tools had all but disappeared, and the few that remained were mostly Storage Soul Tools. Other types were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns—perhaps even rarer than Soul Bones on Douluo Continent.
It wasn't hard to infer from the City Defense Army soldiers' weapons and equipment that the continent's military technology was still largely at the cold-steel stage. Its technological level lagged behind even that of the Sun Moon Empire six years ago, let alone the empire as it was now.
At present, Douluo Continent's technology was roughly at the early stage of the Sun Moon Empire's "Dark Era." The gap between the two sides was truly staggering.
Of course, when it came to the overall quality of their Martial Souls, the people of Douluo Continent clearly had the upper hand over those of Sun Moon Continent! Super-level and top-level Martial Souls were everywhere on Douluo Continent!
They weren't exactly a dime a dozen, but there were certainly plenty of them. Compared with Sun Moon Continent, their quality was on an entirely different level. Fortunately, Douluo Continent's technology lagged far behind the Sun Moon Empire's, and its many states and factions were divided, hostile, and constantly at odds. That was what gave the Sun Moon Empire an opening. Otherwise, if Douluo Continent became a unified whole and caught up with the Sun Moon Empire technologically, the empire's first concern wouldn't be how to profit—it would be how to protect itself.
The city they were currently in was Linghai City, the second-largest city in Fasinuo Province, in the southwest of Douluo Continent. It was second only to Fasino City, the province's administrative capital, and was certainly a major urban center by the continent's standards. Fasinuo Province bordered the Balak Kingdom to the south, the strongest country among the Four Kings and Three Dukes.
Farther south, the Balak Kingdom bordered the Aodelan Duchy, the second most powerful among the Four Kings and Three Dukes. The Aodelan Duchy, in turn, bordered the Star Luo Empire to the south and east. On top of that, Linghai City was the largest coastal city in the southwestern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, so maritime trade flourished there. Countless merchant ships from the four countries passed through every day.
This thriving commerce had brought Linghai City tremendous prosperity. In terms of economic strength and status, even Fasino City, the administrative capital, couldn't compare.
Gu Yuntong had also told Xu Mochen everything else he had learned, holding nothing back. Now that he had so much useful information, Xu Mochen began carefully drawing up his plans.
His opponents' strength had exceeded his expectations, but that didn't mean Xu Mochen was helpless against Douluo Continent's various factions. And so, as Xu Mochen and the others planned together, a rough course of action gradually took shape.
Another ten days passed in a flash. During that time, Xu Mochen worked on his plans, received food and water shipped in from outside, and trained alone. This time, he had made up his mind: if all went well, once he had settled down on Douluo Continent, he would devote much more time to cultivation!
In truth, during his time on Sun Moon Continent, he had had very little time to cultivate. Every day, he had spent most of his energy handling military and political affairs, and had devoted even more to research in various fields! So even though he possessed a god-level Martial Soul and had already passed the First Trial, his cultivation had only reached level twenty-three!
Compared with the Shrek Seven Devils at the same age, his progress was already far behind! Fortunately, Tang San should be six years younger than him. Otherwise, if Tang San really became a god before him, Xu Mochen wouldn't even have anywhere to cry about it!
In any case, he had already done about as much as he could for the Sun Moon Empire in other areas. The people he had placed there could handle the rest of those affairs. In other words, cultivation would now be his top priority!
Just as Xu Mochen finished training, a tremendous commotion suddenly arose at the distant harbor. A moment later, someone knocked on the door of his private quarters.
When Xu Mochen opened it, Gu Yuntong looked at him with a solemn expression. "Your Highness, just as we expected, people from the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family have arrived. And judging by the scale of things, they're no ordinary members of the royal family. They seem to have brought quite a few Royal Guards and powerful Soul Masters. Should we proceed according to plan?"
After hearing this, Xu Mochen immediately stood up. His expression grave, he nodded and began to move swiftly according to plan.
As the dust clouds billowing in the distance drew closer, a huge formation of Royal Knights came into view. They wore heavy plate armor etched with gold patterns and rode sturdy horses with sharp horns on their foreheads. The knights exuded a murderous air. They arrived first and swiftly took over from the City Defense Army, sealing off and securing the scene.
Close behind came a large force of heavily armored infantry, clad in gold-patterned plate armor and carrying all-steel spears and shields. Alongside them marched a group of Soul Masters in golden robes and specially made soft armor, their faces hidden behind golden masks and Soul Rings revolving around them. They quickly arranged themselves into neat ranks, clearing a broad avenue straight to the harbor.
"By order of His Majesty, the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire! We have been sent to welcome guests who have traveled here from the distant West! Please send your diplomatic representatives and accompanying personnel to discuss matters with us. His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, is holding a welcoming banquet at the City Lord's Mansion not far from here, and has invited our distinguished guests to join him for a drink! The soldiers aboard the other ships may disembark afterward as well. We have prepared a place for you to rest and be entertained at the docks."
The old man at the head of the group wore splendid robes. His eyes brimmed with killing intent, and his face was rugged and resolute. He called out to the Sun Moon Empire fleet in a deep, booming voice. He had clearly infused his words with Soul Power, for everyone aboard the Tianyang could hear him perfectly.
Soon afterward, several small boats from nearby vessels carried the Sun Moon Empire's guests ashore. Eighteen figures in black robes disembarked one after another. The three at the head were a twelve-year-old boy, a middle-aged man, and an old man.
Once they had stepped ashore, a long red carpet suddenly unfurled at their feet. Soldiers standing on either side raised their trumpets and began to play, their resounding notes echoing throughout the harbor!
"So this is what they call a welcoming ceremony? How amusing." The twelve-year-old boy in the middle couldn't help laughing inwardly.
The old man representing the Heaven Dou Empire had clearly noticed that there was a boy among the diplomatic delegation. Though surprised, he said nothing. Instead, he hurried forward and greeted them respectfully with a nod. "Distinguished guests from overseas, welcome to the Heaven Dou Empire on Douluo Continent. I am the official responsible for receiving you on behalf of the Heaven Dou Empire. Before we proceed, I would like you to tell me the cultivation level of each member of your party."
Xu Mochen understood that this was simply a precaution. After all, they were about to meet the other country's Crown Prince. If anyone in their group had excessively high cultivation, they might pose an incalculable threat to His Highness's personal safety.
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