NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 11: Three Giants
A ninth-level Soul Engineer from the Sun and Moon Empire entered the territory of the original Douluo Three Empires. If their presence were exposed, it would undoubtedly attract the attention of the royal families of the Three Empires, which would lead to unnecessary complications.
Luan Yu led the two children toward Dragon City.
Walking more than ten kilometers would take some time. Initially, Luan Yu considered carrying the two little ones to speed up the journey, but to her surprise, Liuxing and Liuying refused her offer. Despite being only four or five years old, the two children walked several kilometers without showing any signs of fatigue.
However, their short legs naturally slowed their pace.
Luan Yu's eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the unusual physical stamina of the two children. However, she didn't dwell on it too much. As long as they weren't soul beasts in human form, it wasn't uncommon for gifted human children to exhibit such traits.
Still, Luan Yu couldn't tolerate the slow pace of their short legs. Eventually, she picked up one child in each arm and quickened her steps toward Dragon City.
The dignified Iron Cavalry, Molten Knight, the mecha girl who could tear through insect swarms and shatter stars with her bare hands, was now carried like puppies.
Liuxing found the situation amusing, especially Liuying's adorable expression.
Luan Yu carried the two children for a while, and it didn't take long for them to reach the gates of Dragon City. She set them down and led them into the city.
Although there were guards stationed at the gates, the inspection wasn't strict since it wasn't wartime. They easily entered Dragon City without being checked. After all, what danger could a seemingly harmless older woman with two small children pose?
Once inside Dragon City, the temperature felt slightly warmer. The bustling crowds and the stoves placed at street corners helped mitigate the cold, making the icy city feel more comfortable. While snow blanketed the land outside the city, the streets of Dragon City remained relatively clear due to the stoves and the constant flow of people.
The streets were lively and crowded. Although the northern regions generally had a smaller population compared to the south, Dragon City was the largest city in the north, and its bustling atmosphere rivaled that of southern metropolises. Its proximity to the Extreme North and the Sunset Forest also attracted many soul masters.
While venturing deep into the Extreme North was perilous, its outskirts were rich in ice-attribute treasures and ores. Soul masters could gather valuable resources there without encountering overly powerful soul beasts. Similarly, the Sunset Forest, though its soul beast population had drastically declined and high-level soul beasts were nearly extinct, still housed some low-level soul beasts on its periphery.
The forest's core was shrouded in a poisonous mist that even Title Douluo dared not approach, but its outer regions were abundant with natural treasures, especially those of the poison attribute. This made the Sunset Forest a magnet for specialized groups.
Although Dragon City belonged to the Heavenly Soul Empire, the empire didn't station heavy troops there. Instead, the city's power dynamics were controlled by two major sects: the Heavenly Dragon Sect in the south and the Earth Dragon Sect in the north.
The Heavenly Dragon Sect was led by a Title Douluo, and its inherited martial soul was the Blue Electric Tyrannosaurus Rex. The sect's origins could be traced back to the Blue Electric Tyrannosaurus Rex Sect, one of the top three sects 10,000 years ago. Known as the world's first beast martial soul, it possessed the secret technique of partial dragonization.
Title Douluo were revered as the pinnacle of power on the continent, commanding respect even from the royal families of the three major empires.
The Heavenly Dragon Sect, led by a Title Douluo, is nearly a top-tier sect. The Earth Dragon Sect, which shares control of Dragon City with the Heavenly Dragon Sect, is no ordinary force either. Although its leader is only a Soul Douluo, the inherited martial soul of the Earth Dragon Sect—the Rouge Dragon—is exceptionally powerful. It possesses a unique annihilation ability, granting it the strength to contend with even ordinary Title Douluo.
While there is usually competition between the Heavenly Dragon Sect and the Earth Dragon Sect, their relationship is actually quite amicable. After all, both sects consist of soul masters with dragon-type martial souls, and their rivalry is more about healthy competition than life-and-death struggles.
That said, the Earth Dragon Sect is often overshadowed by the Heavenly Dragon Sect, losing more often than winning. Despite this, the Earth Dragon Sect still manages to barely rank among the top sects on the continent.
As a result, a small portion of Dragon City's resources is handed over to the Heavenly Soul Empire, while the majority is divided between the Heavenly Dragon Sect and the Earth Dragon Sect. Cultivating soul masters requires a significant amount of resources, and this arrangement reflects the tacit understanding between the royal family of the Heavenly Soul Empire and the major sects. In return, when the Heavenly Soul Empire goes to war with other empires, the sects contribute by sending their soul masters to fight for the empire.
The Heavenly Soul Empire has the authority to conscript soul masters from these sects into its army during wartime.
However, once the war ends, the conscripted soul masters are free to return to their respective sects.
"Even though they're called top-tier sects, they're still far behind the true giants of the continent," Luan Yu remarked as she led Liuxing and Liuying through the bustling streets, searching for a suitable restaurant to treat the two of them.
"True giants? What are those, Sister Luan Yu?"
Liuxing had already gathered a fair amount of information from Luan Yu. He knew that the events of the first storyline took place 10,000 years ago and that they were now in the timeline of the second part.
However, he still lacked specific details and needed to gather more information on his own.
Liuying, too, was deeply curious about this world. Although she knew from Liuxing's memories that her world had appeared in Liuxing's world as a game, she didn't mind. After all, Liuxing was standing right beside her, proving that everything was real.
Liuying also felt a deep curiosity about the novel world in Liuxing's memories.
Unfortunately, Liuxing hadn't read the second part of the story, so many details were vague or speculative in his memory. After all, 10,000 years had passed, and it was only natural for things to have changed significantly.
Luan Yu gently touched the silver hair of the two children and smiled as she explained, "The so-called giants refer to the three most powerful forces on the surface of the continent today: Shrek Academy, Illustrious Virtue Hall, and the Body Sect. Of course, this doesn't include hidden forces or the four major empires."
Liuxing and Liuying exchanged glances, recognizing the familiar name. Shrek Academy was the institution where the protagonist of the first part had studied.
They hadn't expected it to still exist after 10,000 years, let alone become one of the continent's top three powers.
"What? Do you want to go to the Academy?" Luan Yu pinched Liuying's cheek playfully, assuming that her mention of Shrek Academy had sparked the little girl's interest. After all, the name itself clearly suggested it was an educational institution.