[Third-person perspective: Shrek Academy student, Zhu Zhuqing (level 27)]
Eastern Wasteland, Clear Breeze Town.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds, spilling onto the street paved with bluestone slabs.
Zhu Zhuqing slowly emerged from a dark, damp alley, her catlike eyes surveying her surroundings with curiosity and wariness.
"So this is the Shrouding the Heavens World?" Zhu Zhuqing murmured.
"Apart from the clothing and architectural styles, it doesn't seem all that different from the Douluo Continent."
In fact, what disappointed Zhu Zhuqing was...
She couldn't sense even a trace of Soul Power fluctuations from the passersby walking along the street.
"It seems this world really is just a low-level world, as Grandmaster concluded. Martial Souls don't even exist here..."
Zhu Zhuqing sighed softly, a trace of gloom flashing through her eyes.
She had been hoping this unfamiliar world would offer an opportunity for her to grow stronger quickly.
After all, she had a reason she had no choice but to become stronger!
But now, it seemed this world, which didn't even have Soul Masters, lagged far, far behind the Douluo Continent.
"A low-level world like this definitely won't have many opportunities. Even if there are any, they probably won't be worth much, will they?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head helplessly.
"Makka Pakka..."
Just then, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly heard a commotion up ahead.
A crowd had gathered in front of a tall white jade stele, excitedly discussing it.
At first, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't understand their discussion at all.
But suddenly, some basic information about this world's language and writing inexplicably appeared in her mind.
"Is this... the Heavenly Screen's power?"
Zhu Zhuqing breathed a sigh of relief. "That solves a huge problem."
Now that she could understand the language of this world's people, Zhu Zhuqing quietly approached the crowd, hoping to gather some information.
On her journey from the Star Luo Empire to Shrek Academy, Zhu Zhuqing had long since grown accustomed to gathering detailed information whenever she arrived somewhere unfamiliar.
If not for this caution...
She felt she would have died at her elder sister's hands countless times along the way.
"Ah! I hope I can pass the selection and go up to the White Jade Capital to serve the Heavenly Emperor..."
A girl in a pink silk dress gazed at the stele ahead, her eyes filled with longing.
Another young woman in green looked equally expectant. "Ooh, I heard the Heavenly Emperor is one of the most handsome men in the world."
"If I could catch the Heavenly Emperor's eye... I want to become his empress too!"
"You? Forget it."
A somewhat mature female voice interrupted their fantasies. "Every ten years, Lady Guyue selects a group of women with the best providence from across the Eastern Wasteland to serve the Heavenly Emperor."
"But even among the favored daughters of heaven from the great sacred lands and noble families..."
"After all these years, only that imperial princess of the Ji Family has caught the Heavenly Emperor's discerning eye and been allowed to stay as an exception."
"Not a single other person has been an exception. All of them were sent back after ten years."
"Do you think you can compare to that stunning genius of the Ji Family, the likes of whom appears only once in a thousand years?"
The young woman in green looked a little dejected at that. "Ah! I know, but we should still have dreams, shouldn't we?"
"Besides, even if I can't become his empress, as long as I pass the selection, I can receive an immortal cultivation technique and become an immortal maiden..."
"No matter what, I can't miss this!"
The White Jade Capital, the Heavenly Emperor, his empress, immortal cultivation techniques...
What did all those terms mean?
The Heavenly Emperor? Could he be the sovereign of a dynasty?
Puzzled, Zhu Zhuqing slowly squeezed into the crowd. She wanted to see what they were all looking at.
Soon, Zhu Zhuqing reached the front of the crowd.
Her pupils instantly contracted.
She discovered that there was actually a golden screen of light on the stele ahead, somewhat similar to the Heavenly Screen above the Douluo Continent, though nowhere near as enormous.
Zhu Zhuqing was a little surprised. "It seems Martial Souls exist in this world too!"
After all, such a screen of light was definitely not something ordinary people could create.
Perhaps I should learn about this world's powers?
With that thought, Zhu Zhuqing lightly touched the arm of the girl in pink beside her and asked curiously:
"Excuse me, miss. Is this Heavenly Emperor you mentioned the ruler of this empire?"
The ruler?
At Zhu Zhuqing's words, stifled snickers immediately rose around her, while surprise flashed through their eyes.
After all, this was Heavenly Emperor Hao, the Heavenly Emperor who had ruled this realm for ten thousand years and was revered by all races.
Their Eastern Wasteland in particular received his special protection because it was his homeland.
Thus, even children only a few years old had heard of Heavenly Emperor Hao's supreme renown.
Could she be from another region?
That was possible. After all, not every region was as fortunate as their Eastern Wasteland, enjoying the Heavenly Emperor's favor.
With that thought, the girl in pink proudly explained to Zhu Zhuqing, "The Heavenly Emperor is the sovereign of the Heavenly Court, a supreme existence who suppressed an entire era. How could a mere ruler compare to him?"
On the Douluo Continent, inside Spirit Hall.
Watching Zhu Zhuqing's livestream perspective on the Heavenly Screen, Chrysanthemum Douluo was a little curious.
"The sovereign of the Heavenly Court?"
Bibi Dong frowned slightly and said thoughtfully, "It probably means the sovereign of the world, doesn't it?"
"For example, our Douluo Continent has two great empires, the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire. This person called the Heavenly Emperor should be the ruler of the empire that unified the continent."
"And the White Jade Capital should be his imperial palace."
Understanding dawned on Chrysanthemum Douluo. "Your Holiness is wise."
Bibi Dong wasn't the only one who thought this way...
At Shrek Academy, Yu Xiaogang, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others also felt that must be the case.
Just then, Ning Rongrong muttered, "That girl just said this Heavenly Emperor suppressed an entire era. He sounds really impressive..."
"Could 'Heavenly Emperor' be what this world calls a Titled Douluo?"
"Pfft!"
Yu Xiaogang immediately scoffed. "That world may have some heavenly treasures, but out of all those passersby, not a single one was a Soul Master."
"Could a world like that produce a Titled Douluo?"
"For all we know..."
"This so-called Heavenly Emperor is just a Soul Douluo, or perhaps even a Soul Saint or Soul Emperor."
Tang San nodded in agreement, wondering to himself, Could this so-called Heavenly Emperor withstand a single strike from my Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus?!
At that moment, however, surprise flashed through Dai Mubai's eyes. "Zhuqing, what is she going to do?"
"What is Zhu Zhuqing going to do?"
Hearing Dai Mubai's words, everyone curiously turned their attention back to the Heavenly Screen's livestream.
There on the livestream screen.
The middle-aged woman who had just lectured the two lovestruck girls looked at Zhu Zhuqing and nodded slightly.
She couldn't help praising her. "Young lady, you've got a good foundation!"
"Natural little beauties like you, who haven't used cultivation techniques to change their faces, generally have fairly good providence and are more likely to be chosen by the Heavenly Court."
"What do you say? Interested in signing up?"