A Vague Threat

Leaving the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Master Academy district, steeped in the youthful spirit they had once shared, Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena continued strolling through Mingdu's streets. The city still moved at its brisk, orderly pace, yet the memory of that challenge from ten thousand years ago left their hearts with a faint melancholy at the passage of time and the changes in all things.

"Now that we're in Mingdu, it would be a pity not to visit the current center of the Federation Parliament," Tang Wulin suggested after steadying his emotions. He wanted to see what form this vast political entity, which ruled Douluo Star and even its colonial star systems, had taken today.

Gu Yuena had no objection. She too wanted to see what the highest center of power in the human world had become after ten thousand years of evolution.

The two headed toward Mingdu's central district. The closer they came to the heart of the city, the more solemn and imposing the architecture became. There were also noticeably more Federation Guard patrols. Clad in standard-issue powered armor coursing with soul guidance energy, they might not have matched battle armor, but they were far from weak. Their steps were uniform, their gazes sharp as they vigilantly swept the surroundings.

At last, an immense open square paved in white jade appeared before them. At the far end of the square stood a magnificent complex of buildings that blended classical columns with modern soul guidance lines. It was the highest authority of the Douluo Federation—the Federation Parliament Building.

Yet what first drew Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena's attention was not the majestic structure, but a massive statue standing in the center of the plaza before its main entrance.

The statue depicted a woman. She wore a sharply tailored professional outfit, her figure straight and proud. Her features looked gentle and graceful, yet her brows and eyes carried an unquestionable resolve and gravity. With her head slightly raised, she gazed into the distance as though watching over the future of the entire Federation. A striking inscription was carved into the statue's pedestal—Peace Envoy, Foundation of the Federation: Speaker Mo Lan.

"Big Sister Mo Lan..." Tang Wulin halted. Looking at that familiar face, an immensely complicated mix of emotions surged into his dark eyes—longing, gratitude, and the wistful feeling of having lived through another lifetime.

Scenes from ten thousand years ago unfolded in his mind like the yellowed pages of an old book. He remembered the older sister who always wore a gentle smile, yet had been incomparably dependable at crucial moments. After the two of them had died for love, during the most delicate period in the relationship between humans and soul beasts, she had brushed aside all opposition and steadfastly pushed through the peaceful coexistence bill. Hailed as a bridge between the two races, she had been one of the few leaders in the parliament of that era to uphold dove-like ideals.

He remembered when the Abyss Plane invaded, shrouding the entire continent in despair and darkness. It was Mo Lan who had borne the banner of boosting morale and stabilizing the rear with her slender shoulders. Her resolute, hope-filled voice had traveled through soul guidance communication networks in every direction, bringing immense spiritual support to the soldiers fighting bloodily on the front lines and to the terrified populace alike.

He remembered even more clearly how, before the final battle, Gu Yuena had pretended she intended to destroy humanity. His heart had been filled with agony and struggle, and he had nearly broken down. It was Mo Lan who found him. She had not offered excessive comfort. She had merely looked at him with those unwavering eyes and told him, "Wulin, stand up. You are everyone's hope. You cannot fall. No matter how dark the future may be, someone must light the first ray of light." Those words had been like a spark thrown into a frozen dead end, reigniting his fighting spirit.

"She... deserves this honor."

Standing beside him, Gu Yuena spoke softly. A hint of respect also filled her violet eyes. Although they had stood on opposing sides ten thousand years ago, she recognized a politician like Mo Lan, someone who had truly worked for peace and the welfare of all living beings. Many of Mo Lan's ideals, in a sense, aligned with the harmonious world Gu Yuena now wished to see.

Ten thousand years had passed, and the world had changed beyond recognition. This righteous and kind speaker had long since become a monument in history, remembered and revered by later generations. Her spirit seemed to have become part of the very foundation of the Federation Parliament.

Tang Wulin pulled himself from his memories and looked toward the heavily guarded parliament building. Based on the information they had learned earlier, the current Federation Parliament possessed its own armed force—the Federation Guard, which had evolved from the War God Hall of ten thousand years ago. It was primarily responsible for the security of the parliament itself, the speaker, and other important figures. These guards were superbly equipped and carried condensed auras. They were clearly all exceptional Soul Masters, chosen from thousands.

"I want to go inside and take a look," Tang Wulin suddenly said in a low voice, a probing glint flashing through his dark eyes. "With our cultivation, it shouldn't be difficult to sneak in and quietly investigate the current political currents within the parliament. We can find out their attitude toward the major factions, especially toward the three great powers, including Shrek Academy."

He was deeply curious what role this institution, which represented the broadest will of humanity, now played alongside the three giants of the Tang Sect, Shrek Academy, and Spirit Pagoda.

At the request of our many readers, an ad-free VIP membership feature is now available.

Click to view

However, the moment his words fell, Gu Yuena frowned slightly and grabbed his wrist.

"Wait, Wulin." Her voice carried a rare gravity. "Don't act rashly."

"What is it?" Tang Wulin looked at her in confusion.

Gu Yuena narrowed her violet eyes. Her powerful divine consciousness silently swept over the parliament building ahead and the entire square like the most precise radar. Her expression gradually turned serious.

"I sense... a very vague but very real threat," she said slowly, her tone certain. "It's deep within the parliament building, or perhaps... connected to this entire defensive system. The feeling vanished in an instant and was extremely well concealed, but its level is very high. It could even... pose a certain threat to us."

"A threat to us?"

Tang Wulin's heart jolted, and disbelief appeared in his dark eyes. With the strength he and Gu Yuena had recovered so far, although they had not yet returned to their peaks, they had long surpassed the ordinary quasi-god level. On Douluo Star, aside from a handful of beings such as the mysterious master of the Sea God Pavilion, Elder Yi, and the unfathomable Di Tian, what else could make them instinctively feel threatened?

Was it some inherited godslayer-class soul guidance weapon of immense power? Or an ultimate force secretly cultivated by the parliament, unknown to the world? Or perhaps... something connected to hidden technology from ten thousand years ago that had never been recorded?

The two exchanged a glance and saw the gravity and doubt in each other's eyes. The Federation Parliament was far more inscrutable than it appeared on the surface.

They did not notice that, on the top floor of the towering parliament building, a gaze was quietly fixed upon them from behind a one-way transparent crystal window.

The owner of that gaze was hidden in the shadows, her features impossible to discern. Only a vague outline could barely be seen. Her body seemed to have merged with the environment around her, leaking not a trace of life aura. Only from time to time did an exceedingly faint fluctuation of soul guidance energy flicker around her—a fluctuation containing an unimaginably complex structure. It was utterly different from the mainstream soul guidance systems of the present day, more ancient and restrained, yet carrying a precision that surpassed its era and... a subtle, almost imperceptible rhythm that seemed to originate from something other than soul power.

The unique soul guidance fluctuations surrounding this observer hidden atop the parliament building bore a startling resemblance to those of a person from ten thousand years ago who had been obsessed with soul guidance technology and the mysteries of life. Yet in this room designed to prevent spiritual detection, Gu Yuena had not sensed her existence.

In the end, Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena did not risk infiltrating the building. Gu Yuena's senses had never been wrong, and that underlying sense of danger made them choose caution.

"Looks like this place runs deeper than we thought," Tang Wulin said quietly as he looked at the solemn parliament building.

"Yes." Gu Yuena nodded. "For the Federation Parliament to have balanced the three factions for ten thousand years, it naturally has its own foundation. We should observe for now. There's no need to rush."

They gave Mo Lan's statue one final look, burying both their longing for an old friend and their assessment of the current situation deep within their hearts. Then they turned and blended into the endless stream of people on Mingdu's streets.

The gaze from the top floor of the parliament building continued following their retreating figures until they vanished around the street corner, only then slowly withdrawing. From within the shadows came what seemed to be an almost inaudible sigh laden with complicated emotions. Then everything returned to silence, as though nothing had happened.

At the request of our many readers, an ad-free VIP membership feature is now available.

Click to view