How Hard Is It to Establish a Power on Douluo Continent?

"Teacher, if I want to establish a power, there will definitely be advantages and disadvantages," Xiao Changge said.

After all, the powers Xiao Yan established in the original story all came with pros and cons. Many matters required his help, and sometimes he could not even enter seclusion in peace.

"That's right. If Changge establishes a power, there will definitely be advantages and disadvantages."

Electrolux had once been a noble, after all, so he naturally understood the benefits and drawbacks of establishing a power. Many things in this world could be divided into good and bad. Even nobles had their distinctions, such as the high standard of education they received and the strict demands placed upon them.

Moreover, if he were an unqualified noble without strength, he would be considered a failure in his noble family and would have no status. Even if he never lacked food or drink, his standing would still be low, and he would certainly suffer contempt. If he encountered danger, his family might not even be willing to help him.

Establishing a power was like being a noble; both had advantages and disadvantages. It was the same principle.

Everything had two sides, with both benefits and drawbacks, so one had to be prepared.

"Teacher, I want to establish a power. I want to become strong enough, but I feel that my current strength is still insufficient."

Xiao Changge was voicing his true thoughts. After all, Xiao Yan had only begun establishing powers after attaining a certain level of strength.

At most, he was not yet even a Soul King-level powerhouse. Was he qualified to establish a power? Xiao Changge knew clearly that he was actually just a Soul Grandmaster below level thirty. With his Innate Full Soul Power, talent capable of reaching level thirty, and a divine beast Martial Soul, he should have been able to reach the Soul Saint level easily.

And there was Electrolux as well. Though Electrolux had not appeared before him at that time, he had still been observing in secret.

If not for Shrek, he would soon have reached the level where he could establish a power. Of course, awakening his Martial Soul earlier would also have been a good thing.

But now, all of that had been destroyed. There was no helping it; he could only take things slowly.

He had not yet reached the point where he could establish a power. First, consider the timeline of the first part of Douluo Continent.

In the setting of Douluo Continent Part One, the Tang San era, "establishing a power/family" itself had no rigid system-mandated level requirement. But according to the continent's actual rules of survival, it could be divided into three tiers:

First, the minimum threshold for hanging up a "family/small sect" signboard: Soul Saint, levels 71–79.

Upon unlocking the Martial Soul Avatar, level 71 marked entry into the continent's powerhouse ranks and came with its own deterrent force.

In theory, one Soul Saint leading a group of relatives or disciples could set up a "such-and-such family" sign in the countryside, gather some assets, and protect a village.

But that only meant one could establish it, not survive. In the eyes of a Titled Douluo, a Soul Saint-level family was merely a bargaining chip. In an upheaval on the scale of Spirit Hall's Soul Hunting Operation, a purely Soul Saint family would be cleared out as cannon fodder.

Second, to count as an "official sect/family power" and avoid being casually swallowed up: Soul Douluo, levels 81–89.

With eight rings, one could temporarily control regional elemental power and become someone empires and major wars sought to recruit.

A single Soul Douluo plus several Soul Saints or Soul Emperors could be listed among the lower sects, similar to the weaker members of the original Lower Four Sects, and survive in the gap between the two great empires.

The drawback was that without a Titled Douluo to oversee them, they had almost no say when facing the Upper Three Sects, Spirit Hall branches, or imperial conscription. At any time, they might have to attach themselves to a major power as vassals.

Third, to reach the level of the "Upper Three Sects" and truly speak independently: at least one Titled Douluo, level 91 or above.

This was the hard dividing line between power tiers in Part One:

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had only Yu Yuanzhen, a level 95 Titled Douluo, and several Soul Douluo elders at its peak. Yet Spirit Hall's Soul Hunting Operation still tore through it directly.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had Sword Douluo at level 97-plus and Bone Douluo at level 95. Only with two Titled Douluos could it secure its position among the Upper Three Sects, and it still needed Ning Fengzhi's support and Tang Sect hidden weapons to stay alive.

The Clear Sky Sect had Tang Chen at level 99, Tang Xiao and Tang Hao at level 97-plus, and five great elders. With seven or eight Titled Douluos gathered together, it had the confidence to call itself the "number one sect on the continent."

Not to mention Spirit Hall, with a whole group of Titled Douluos, a Pope, and Qian Daoliu at level 99.

In Part One, when top-tier powerhouses were still so rare, establishing a power was already this difficult. In Part Two, it would be even harder. The Body Sect, for instance, had merely a level 98 Super Douluo guarding it, yet it could become the Heaven Dou Empire's protector sect and possess formidable strength.

Shrek had a level 99 Titled Douluo, making its power even more terrifying on the continent. It was currently the strongest soul master power on the entire continent and could basically fight the Sun Moon Empire to a draw.

Although the Sun Moon Empire lacked top-tier soul master powerhouses, its Soul Tools were incredibly powerful. And Kong Deming was the person closest to becoming a Level-Ten Soul Engineer, practically the stabilizing pillar of the Sun Moon Empire.

Though he was not qualified to challenge a Limit Douluo, he was at least qualified to exchange blows with one. His strength was probably about equal to Xuan Zi's.

Later in the timeline, once Kong Deming reached level 95 and became a Level-Ten Soul Engineer, he would be the most qualified person to challenge a Limit Douluo. After all, a Level-Ten Soul Engineer corresponded to the Limit Douluo level.

Therefore, if one wanted to establish a power, one had to possess formidable strength.

Now, onto the timeline of Part Two, which was the current one.

The timeline of The Unrivaled Tang Clan was ten thousand years after Part One, and Titled Douluos had become "devalued."

Even with the Soul Core cultivation method, Titled Douluos had still become devalued.

Coupled with the rise of Soul Tools, even Limit Douluos could be threatened by Fixed Soul Cannons. Thus, the survival threshold for "establishing a power" had risen significantly compared to Part One, and one could not simply apply the Part One formula of "one Titled Douluo equals one sect."

(1) Being able to hang up a "family/small sect" signboard: beginning at Soul Saint, levels 71–79, but extremely fragile.

A level 71 Martial Soul Avatar was still the threshold for the "powerhouse ranks." Leading several Soul King or Soul Emperor relatives, one could establish a local clan, guard villages, manage mines, or run a mercenary group without issue.

But during The Unrivaled Tang Clan era, Soul Saints were everywhere. Outstanding Outer Court students and military commanders of a thousand were all at this level. A pure Soul Saint family had an even lower survival rate than in Part One under the three-pronged assault of Sun Moon Empire expansion, Holy Spirit Cult predation, and beast tides.

For example, the sects participating in the tournament, such as the Snow Demon Sect, Earth Dragon Sect, and Proud Sword Sect, were generally led by Soul Douluo sect masters with Soul Saint elders. They could register for imperial competitions, but in the games between great powers, they could be crushed at any moment.

(2) To count as an "official sect/vassal-type family": at least one Titled Douluo, level 91 or above, plus supporting Soul Tools.

In The Unrivaled Tang Clan, a level 91 Titled Douluo was the hard starting line for an "independent power," but there were two new requirements that had not existed in Part One:

One had to possess Soul Tools—any pure soul master sect, even one with a Titled Douluo, would be kited to death against a Sun Moon Empire Soul Engineer legion equipped with Fixed Soul Cannons and linked defenses. A small sect needed at least one level-six Soul Engineer or externally purchased Soul Tool equipment below level seven.

One had to attach oneself to a great nation or Shrek—independent cultivators without support, or sects without a Titled Douluo, would be treated as training targets by the Sun Moon Empire or other powers. The fates of many small and medium sects in the Heavenly Soul Empire and Dou Ling served as examples.

Therefore, in The Unrivaled Tang Clan, strength below that of a Titled Douluo was probably not even worth mentioning, and Titled Douluos had become even more devalued.

"Changge, I think you still need to become stronger. At the very least, establish a small power once you reach the Soul King realm and develop it slowly. When you gradually become stronger and eventually become a Titled Douluo, you will be qualified to establish a major power. That way, you can obtain more assistance. For now, establish a small power, but first, you must cultivate to the Soul King level."

This was Electrolux's view. In fact, after learning about mercenary groups, he understood that Soul King-level strength was enough to establish one. At that point, Xiao Changge could also create a small power, gather resources, and slowly aid his own growth.

"I..."

"How did you let yourself end up like this? Go join the Sun Moon Empire. Attend the Sun Moon Empire's Royal Huandao Academy and learn how to become stronger. You still possess some pill-refining techniques, and being able to reach level 29 at your age means you should have some talent. Perhaps you can join a Sun Moon Empire academy.

"You need to become stronger now, and Shrek wasted so much of your time. It is fine if you join the Sun Moon Empire. Shrek wronged you first, anyway.

"And the key is that you never received even the slightest benefit from the Douluo Three Kingdoms. When you were young, you did not even have the qualification to awaken your Martial Soul. It was a Sun Moon Empire Soul Engineer who helped you awaken it, yet that nameless Soul Engineer never even told you his name.

"That Sun Moon Empire Soul Engineer who helped awaken your Martial Soul was then killed by Shrek's people. You do not need to agonize over this. Joining the Sun Moon Empire is fine as well."

"..."