Founding Nibelungen

Soto City.

As one of the most prosperous cities in the Bala Kingdom, its streets bustled with people. Vendors' cries, the hammering from blacksmith shops, and the jingling of soul tools colliding at the waists of soul masters all mixed together in a lively clamor.

Li Yuan walked down the street, followed by ten Titled Douluo.

Their auras were restrained without the slightest leak, and they looked like ten ordinary attendants, at most a little steadier in bearing than the average person.

The housing broker was a wiry man with a handlebar mustache. The moment he saw Li Yuan's entourage, his eyes darted around twice, and he rubbed his hands as he came forward. "Young master, are you looking to buy a house? I have connections for all the best residences in our Soto City..."

"I want a big one," Li Yuan said flatly. "The kind that can house several hundred people."

The handlebar mustache froze, then probed, "Then... there is an old manor in the west of the city, covering three hundred mu. It used to be a marquis's villa, but later his family declined and it was abandoned. It only costs one hundred thousand gold soul coins."

One hundred thousand gold soul coins for a three-hundred-mu manor?

Li Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Lead the way."

The manor was located against the mountain in the west of the city. Half the surrounding wall had collapsed, the copper studs on the main gate were mottled with rust, the weeds in the courtyard were waist-deep, and even the roof of the main building had several large holes in it.

A few side rooms in the distance had outright caved in, their crossbeams slanting into the muddy ground.

No wonder it was cheap.

How was this a manor? It was clearly a ruin.

But after Li Yuan swept his gaze around, his eyes lit up instead.

Backed by mountains and bordered by water, with broad terrain and hardly any residents within several li.

Once repaired, it would be a small city.

"This is the one."

That very afternoon, the title deed was in his hands.

Li Yuan stood in the center of the courtyard, looking at the desolation all around, and was just about to speak.

"Ding! Detected that Master has established the foundation of a faction. Please name it. Upon successful naming, you may obtain an intermediate gift pack x1."

Li Yuan thought for a moment.

Nibelungen.

The place where the gods fell, the hidden land of treasure, the eternal foundation.

"It will be called Nibelungen."

"Ding! Naming successful! Congratulations, Master, you have obtained: Spirit-Gathering Formation x1 (covers the entire manor and a radius of ten li, increases soul power density threefold), Rare Spirit Field x1 (covers one mu, adapts to any planting conditions, shortens maturation cycle by seventy percent, comes with irrigation device), gold soul coins x2,000,000!"

Li Yuan's eyes brightened.

Spirit-Gathering Formation: the three-hundred-mu manor plus a radius of ten li, equal to a natural holy land for cultivation.

Rare Spirit Field... He had been worrying about how to grow those good things from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

"Ding! Side mission released: To increase Nibelungen's influence in the soul master world, Master, please recruit at least one Soul Douluo-level soul master within one month."

"Mission reward: God-Bestowed Soul Ring x1."

Li Yuan nearly laughed out loud.

One month?

No, he could get it done within the day.

As it happened, he was planning a trip to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. There was an old acquaintance waiting there.

But he was in no hurry to leave.

Now that he had the place, it had to be given some shape first.

"Yue Yao."

"Please give your orders, my lord." The woman in white stepped forward, her brows and eyes lowered, her posture respectful.

"Go to the mercenary guild and hire a batch of craftsmen to renovate the manor. Masons, carpenters, painters, gardeners—twenty of each. Food and lodging included. Wages... ten gold soul coins a day."

Yue Yao frowned slightly. "My lord, ten gold soul coins... is that not too much? According to Soto City's market rate, one gold soul coin is enough to hire a skilled craftsman for three days."

Li Yuan waved a hand. "Then handle it as you see fit. Just don't mistreat them."

"Yes." Yue Yao paused. "My lord, now that Nibelungen has just been founded, do we need to recruit other talents as well?"

"I was just about to mention that." Li Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the barren courtyard. "Spread the news. Say that Nibelungen is widely recruiting the capable and will awaken martial souls for commoners free of charge. If their aptitude qualifies and they are willing to join, all cultivation resources, food, lodging, and expenses will be fully covered."

His tone turned calm, carrying an uncompromising chill. "There are only three conditions: first, the martial soul cannot be a trash martial soul. Blue Silver Grass, sickles, hoes, that sort—we won't accept them.

Second, their background must be clean. No ties to Spirit Hall or the major sects.

Third, once they join, they may never leave for life. Traitors..."

He paused, a fierce glint showing on his face.

"Kill."

Yue Yao lowered her head.

"Understood."

After making the arrangements, Li Yuan took a deep breath.

"Di Jun, Long Yuan, Yue Yao, protect me. I'm going to awaken my martial soul."

The three answered in unison, "Yes, my lord."

Li Yuan found an open space and sat down cross-legged. He spread his palm, and the system interface appeared.

"Fuse with creation-grade martial soul: World-Destroying Black Dragon?"

"Fuse."

In an instant, heaven and earth changed color.

Above Soto City, black clouds churned and pressed down, blotting out the sky and sun.

Thunder rumbled deep within the clouds, and faint dragon roars seemed to come from above the ninth heaven, low and majestic, making the hearts of every soul master in the city tremble.

At Spirit Hall's Soto City branch, the red-robed bishop was reviewing documents when he suddenly looked up, his expression changing drastically.

"This aura of destruction..."

He strode to the window and looked toward the area outside the city shrouded in dark clouds, tightening his grip on the scepter in his hand.

"Who on earth is it?"

Every soul master in the city stopped what they were doing and looked in the same direction.

That dragon roar carried an aura of destruction, pressing down on everyone's chest until they could hardly breathe.

In the open space of the manor, Li Yuan felt as though his entire body was being torn apart.

Violent power surged into every limb and bone. His skeleton creaked, and his blood boiled as if it had been set alight.

A pitch-black phantom condensed behind him.

A pair of crimson vertical pupils opened. A ferocious dragon head lowered, looking down from above, and a body several zhang long coiled and rose into the air, every scale glimmering with a dim, dark light.

World-Destroying Black Dragon.

Martial soul awakening successful.

Along with it, a strange stream of information poured into his mind.

Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes, and a dark-gold gleam flashed through them.

He raised his hand, black arcs of electricity leaping at his fingertips.

"Spirit Speech: Di Jun... an innate origin talent?"

He murmured under his breath, his voice filled with keen interest.

All of Black King Nidhogg's Spirit Speech abilities could be used by him.

However, after glancing at the system prompt, he saw: Current soul power level too low. Forcibly casting large-scale destructive Spirit Speech will cause backlash.

"Good enough."

He felt the surging power within his body.

Innate full soul power, rank twenty.

The Di Jun and the other two stood three steps away and bowed together. "Congratulations, my lord, on awakening your martial soul and achieving innate full soul power."

Li Yuan was just about to say something when, suddenly—

It was as if something inside his body exploded.

A scorching, blazing evil fire shot up from his heart and instantly spread through every limb and bone.

His pupils contracted sharply. A muffled groan escaped his throat, and his whole body bent forward.

"Ugh—!"

"My lord!"

The Di Jun's expression changed abruptly.

The veins on Li Yuan's forehead bulged. His skin flushed an unnatural crimson, and wisps of black-red smoke seeped from his pores. A restless aura spread through the air.

"I'm so hot..."

Li Yuan gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse.