"Hey! Old Dong, that's not right. Do you think I'd just stand by and let someone bully my disciple? Don't forget, I'm not only a God-Rank Mecha Master, but also a Four-Word Battle Armor Master."
Mu Ye shot Dong Zi'an a sideways glance, shouldered him out of the way, then turned to Jiang Xiu with a smiling face.
"Come on, my disciple. Your master's got everything arranged. We're heading straight to the Spirit Pagoda's headquarters."
The more Mu Ye looked at Jiang Xiu, the more he liked him.
The more he looked at Dong Zi'an, the more he annoyed him.
"All right, Master."
Jiang Xiu nodded slightly and carefully put away the two medals. His heart was pounding, too. Merging with his first Soul Spirit meant he'd truly taken the first step on his cultivation journey, entering the vast world of Soul Masters.
And as his own strength grew, they could move on to the next stage of their plan on the Abyss Plane, nibbling away at it bit by bit.
"Go on. Cultivate well."
Dong Zi'an smiled faintly. Following Mu Ye during his early years was a good choice for Jiang Xiu. He was still too young to go back to the military camp with Dong Zi'an.
"Goodbye, Grandmaster."
Jiang Xiu waved farewell, then followed Mu Ye out.
It was now dusk. The last brilliant streaks of sunset lingered in the western sky, while faint stars had already appeared in the east. The temperature had dropped a few degrees, too.
Before long, Jiang Xiu and Mu Ye arrived before a towering red God-Rank Mecha. Bathed in the sunset, it gleamed like a splendid work of art, its red light captivating. Mu Ye laid a hand on it, his expression softening slightly.
"Little Red."
"I'm here."
A gentle female voice answered, and the cockpit slowly opened, revealing its elegant interior.
"Get in. Today, your master's going to let you experience a God-Rank Mecha and feel its allure."
A proud smile touched Mu Ye's lips as he led Jiang Xiu inside. Across the entire Douluo Continent, not a single Mecha Master would dare claim to surpass him when it came to mechas.
He had also forged a whole new path for himself in the field of mechas.
Boom!
The dark-red wings spread, and the mecha shot into the sky. It seemed to teleport through space, appearing a thousand meters away in the blink of an eye before streaking into the distance at incredible speed.
"Commander, we've finished tallying the casualties. More than half the population of Snow City has been lost..."
Li Jie came up behind Dong Zi'an and delivered the results hesitantly, his eyes full of unspeakable grief.
"Report to the Federation. Tell them this is my request: they must make proper arrangements for the survivors and rebuild Snow City as quickly as possible. The Federation will cover all costs."
"And those major powers—make sure they contribute. Those who should pay must pay, and those who should lend a hand must do so."
Dong Zi'an's expression remained calm, but his eyes flashed as he issued his orders in a steady stream.
The aftermath would bring not only devastating casualties to Snow City, but a whole chain of consequences.
And they would have to face not only the Abyss Plane head-on, but also the Holy Spirit Cult, a poisonous snake lurking in the shadows. The Holy Spirit Cult's strength was not to be underestimated.
High above the ground.
Jiang Xiu watched the clouds flash past and turned over the situation with the major powers in his mind, steadily planning out his own path.
Thousands of years ago, the Sun Moon Federation had unified the Douluo Continent. The Dou Ling Empire and the Star Luo Empire, unable to beat the Sun Moon Empire, had turned their struggle for continental supremacy into a game of island conquest, fleeing overseas to establish new countries.
Shrek Academy still stood tall and had even made Shrek City its own autonomous region, with a separate defense force. After Huo Yuhao, the Tang Sect had flourished too, spreading its arms trade across the continent.
The Spirit Pagoda controlled the lifeblood of Soul Masters. Since Soul Spirits were so important to them, it held a lofty position. But the Spirit Pagoda was now home to a tangle of powerful families, with the Qiangu Family firmly at the top.
The Federation was divided into the Hawk and Dove factions, its forces tangled together, with every major power involved.
The Soul Beasts were nearly extinct. But after waiting and enduring for ten thousand years, prisoner Di Tian had finally welcomed what he considered a glimmer of hope.
"What a chaotic era. But it's also full of boundless opportunities. If I really want to control my own fate, I'll need more than strength—I'll have to plan carefully, too."
Jiang Xiu thought to himself. Though this era was full of rising geniuses, becoming a god was no easy feat. Other than Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena, the only one to ascend was the Demon Empress—and the various powers had made a fool of her.
"The way forward lies in the Abyss. I have to keep a firm hold on it."
Before long, Jiang Xiu had a clear plan for his future: to flourish on both the Douluo Continent and the Abyss.
"Disciple, what do you think of my mecha?"
Seeing Jiang Xiu's eyes flicker, Mu Ye assumed he'd taken an interest in mechas and asked with a smile.
"Master, this mecha is powerful. I've never seen one like it in Snow City."
Jiang Xiu looked at him with admiration. This was also an era in which Soul Guidance Technology was developing rapidly. Mechas and Battle Armor were flourishing everywhere, greatly narrowing the gap between Soul Masters.
Mechas had even ushered in the early age of intelligent control.
"If you're interested, I can teach you. But Battle Armor should be your first choice."
Mu Ye laughed heartily, but still made sure to remind him. He might not want to admit it, but the truth was that God-Rank Mechas couldn't match Four-Word Battle Armor.
The entire Soul Master World recognized this.
"All right, go to sleep. We'll reach Shrek City by tomorrow morning."
Mu Ye ruffled Jiang Xiu's hair and handed him a plush, crimson blanket.
The Spirit Pagoda's headquarters was in Shrek City, thanks to its founder. The Tang Sect's headquarters was there as well. One city, three mighty powers.
"Okay. You should get some sleep too, Master."
Jiang Xiu nodded, took the blanket, and draped it over himself. Then he slowly closed his eyes.
So much had happened that day. Before long, Jiang Xiu grew drowsy and drifted off to sleep.
Once he was sure Jiang Xiu had fallen asleep, Mu Ye casually set up a Soul Power Soundproof Shield and called softly,
"Little Red."
"Boss, I'm here."
The gentle female voice sounded again.
"I'm really happy today, Boss is. At last, I've seen hope for the revival of the Body Sect. The future's bright."
"Congratulations, Boss."
Joy filled Little Red's electronic synthesized voice. A tiny smiley face appeared on the screen, as if she were happy for Mu Ye.
"Hahaha, this is wonderful. And I've still got you with me, Little Red."
Mu Ye laughed and gazed at the night around him, utterly at ease.
"Little Red, will you stay with me forever?"
"Boss, I'm not human. I'm just something made from a Soul Spirit and rare metals, a bit like a piece of intelligent code. And without energy, I'd fall into slumber."
Little Red hesitated. The smiley face on the screen turned into a pout, two little hands touching.
"That's all right. I'm only made of flesh and blood, too. One swipe across my neck, and I'd be gone."
Mu Ye waved a hand, unconcerned.
To him, a soul built from metal and a Soul Spirit was closer to a person than some combinations of flesh and blood.
"There's nothing scary about falling in love with a piece of code. After all, I'm just a pile of cells, too."
"Don't worry, Boss. As long as you don't abandon me, I'll stay by your side, Little Red will, forever."
"Silly Little Red. How could your boss ever abandon you?"
Mu Ye shrugged, but his voice was utterly earnest.
Silvery moonlight spilled down as the red mecha cut through the night, racing toward the dawn that lay just ahead.
Shrek City.
A rift in space suddenly appeared, then vanished just as abruptly. A silver-haired, purple-eyed girl tumbled out with a "plop," her fair little face scrunched up as she stared around in a daze.
"Where am I? How did a rift in space bring me here?"
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