"Brother." Na'er, held back by the sentries with an unhappy expression, immediately called out when she saw Jing Shaoyu return.
Several sentries saluted upon seeing Jing Shaoyu: "Good day, sir!"
"Thank you for your hard work," Jing Shaoyu said to the sentries. "Her identity checks out. You may return to your posts."
"Yes, sir!" The sentries performed the Blood God Legion's unique salute before turning to leave.
"Brother, how did it go?" Na'er rushed forward, naturally wrapping her arms around Jing Shaoyu's arm. Her gaze swept briefly over Long Yuxue and Jiang Qiyue behind him before dismissively looking away—average looks, not worth her attention.
Had Long Yuxue and Jiang Qiyue known what Na'er was thinking, they would have been indignant. Average looks? They were both considered beauties in their own right—such words were truly hurtful!
"I've already sent someone to notify the Legion Commander. He should be on his way now—it won't take long," Jing Shaoyu said with a smile. "Oh, let me introduce you. These two are Long Yuxue and Jiang Qiyue, both my direct subordinates. Long Yuxue, Jiang Qiyue, this is Na'er, my younger sister. Her title is [Golden Dragon]."
Upon hearing Jing Shaoyu's introduction, Long Yuxue and Jiang Qiyue felt as if they had suffered a critical hit of 10,000 damage. This girl, even younger than Jing Shaoyu, was already a Titled Douluo? Heavens, did the gap between people really need to be this vast?
"Greetings, Your Excellency Golden Dragon!" The two of them respectfully addressed Na'er.
Long Yuxue's thoughts were more complex. In her eyes, only someone like Na'er—with peerless beauty and talent—could be worthy of becoming Eternal Douluo's partner.
"Hello," Na'er responded, her tone neither warm nor cold.
While they were talking, Jiang Wuyue returned, accompanied by Blood Three.
"Shaoyu, is this young lady the one you brought? She's quite lovely!" Blood Three said with a kindly smile, her gaze resting on Na'er with a distinctly elder-like demeanor.
"Yes," Jing Shaoyu replied, his expression softening upon seeing Blood Three. "Auntie, this is Na'er, my younger sister and also Teacher's disciple. Na'er, this is the Third Blood God, codenamed Blood Three. She's Teacher's cousin—our aunt."
"Auntie, hello!" Na'er immediately flashed a sweet smile at Blood Three upon hearing the introduction.
"Good child, come here and let me take a look at you." Blood Three beamed, extending her hand toward Na'er. "Excellent, your cultivation is even higher than your brother's. Very good, very good."
"Auntie, here is my letter of recommendation for your verification." Na'er handed her recommendation letter to Blood Three.
Blood Three took the letter, gave it a brief glance, and returned it to Na'er. "No issues here. Come, follow me inside." With that, she took Na'er's hand and led her into the camp, heading straight for the Blood God Battalion.
Seeing this, Jing Shaoyu didn't rush to follow. Instead, he turned to Long Yuxue, Jiang Wuyue, and the others. "Thank you for your help. I'll treat you all to dinner tonight."
"Your Excellency is too kind, this is simply my duty." Jiang Wuyue scratched the back of his head with a simple, honest smile.
"Then it's settled." Jing Shaoyu patted Jiang Wuyue's shoulder before catching up to Na'er and Blood Three.
Jiang Wuyue was completely immersed in joy, his face filled with flattered disbelief. The Eternal Excellency actually wanted to treat him to a meal - this would give him bragging rights among his comrades for months! Hehehe.
Zhang Huanyun and Xue Yi quickly finalized Na'er's arrangements: she was granted the rank of Major General and given the choice between the Blood God Battalion or the Special Operations Division.
Jing Shaoyu had assumed Na'er would choose the Special Operations Division since he served there, but instead she selected the Blood God Battalion - and immediately challenged for a Blood God position. She successively defeated Blood Nine, Blood Eight, and Blood Seven, leaving Blood Six and Blood Five trembling in fear as she clearly still had strength to spare.
Both Blood Six and Blood Five were Super Douluo at the 95th rank - Blood Six having broken through less than five years ago, while Blood Five had been stuck at this level for nearly a decade. Neither could have stopped Na'er if she wished to continue.
However, Na'er chose to stop her challenges there, much to the relief of Zhang Huanyun, Xue Yi, and Blood Two. While the lower five positions among the Nine Blood Gods changed frequently, the top four seats remained stable unless absolutely necessary.
The Legion maintained careful balance among the top four Blood Gods: Xue Yi from Tang Sect, Blood Two from War God Hall, Blood Three from Shrek Academy, and Xue Si from Spirit Transfer Pagoda. Both the Federation and Legion Command wished to preserve this equilibrium, as disrupting it risked collapsing the carefully constructed framework of the Blood God Legion.
In short, Na'er's decision to halt her ascent benefited everyone.
Except Blood Nine, who finally fulfilled his father's wish by being demoted from the Ninth Blood God to Reserve Blood God. Jing Shaoyu didn't know how he felt about it, but Blood Two seemed quite pleased.
Na'er's arrival only caused ripples among the upper echelons, with minimal impact on the Legion as a whole. The Abyss had been unusually quiet recently, with fewer assaults on the sealed passages, leaving Na'er few opportunities to demonstrate her prowess and gain recognition among the rank-and-file soldiers.
During this period, Jing Shaoyu and Na'er focused on crafting her Battle Armor. The process went remarkably smoothly - completed in just twenty days, using only one of the three metal sets Jing Shaoyu had prepared.
Such speed and success rate were unprecedented in Battle Armor circles. Even veteran ninth-rank craftsmen couldn't guarantee such efficiency, yet Jing Shaoyu made it look effortless - the advantage of his Martial Soul.
Designing and forging Three-Word Battle Armor required comprehension of universal truths - the first and most crucial step. For Jing Shaoyu as the Planet Spirit, manipulating cosmic energies came as naturally as wielding his own Soul Power.
Na'er's Three-Word Battle Armor was named: Eternal Feather.
Although Na'er's Battle Armor was completed, it would have little use in the short term because the Federation's long-planned latest technology had finally been officially launched. Promotions and campaigns were underway across the entire Federation, with major forces like Shrek Academy, the Tang Sect, the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, and the War God Hall all pushing it forward—even the Blood God Legion had joined in.
The Star Dou Battle Network, a high-tech system connecting the virtual and real worlds, was somewhat similar in principle to the Spirit Transfer Pagoda's Spirit Ascension Platform, but its core was entirely different.
At its essence, the Star Dou Battle Network was exactly what its name suggested—an interconnected network that allowed Soul Masters from all corners of the world to enter a virtual world through login pods. In this virtual world, all Soul Masters would retain their real-world abilities, enabling unrestricted Soul Duels.
The Federation's purpose in developing this system was not pure. On the surface, it was meant to provide Soul Masters with a platform for sparring and combat experience. In reality, their true target was the Spirit Transfer Pagoda's Spirit Ascension Platform world. The ultimate goal was to use the Star Dou Battle Network to seize control of the Spirit Ascension Platform from the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, bringing this technology—which held sway over the fate of most Soul Masters—back under the Federation's authority.
This was a means of centralizing power.
According to the vision of the first researcher who proposed the Star Dou Battle Network plan, the fully realized network would become a virtual Douluo Continent, forming an absolute connection between reality and its shadow.
In this virtual Douluo Continent, all Soul Masters would experience complete realism. Here, killing Soul Beasts would truly yield Soul Rings, and capturing Soul Beasts would genuinely allow for contracting Soul Spirits!
It had to be said, this was an extremely bold concept. But if it succeeded, the Federation would become the true Federation.
The Spirit Transfer Pagoda was well aware of the Star Dou Battle Network plan. Far from opposing it, they actively participated. Everyone knew that if the plan succeeded, the Spirit Transfer Pagoda would immediately lose the foundation of its existence. Yet they still chose to support it—for a simple reason: the Federation might not be able to control the final outcome.
With the same mindset, Shrek Academy, the Tang Sect, and the War God Hall all contributed their reserves of Soul Spirits and virtual technology to the project. This was a battle for future dominance.
Jing Shaoyu understood all of this perfectly. Both Ya Li and Leng Yaozhu had spoken to him more than once about the Star Dou Battle Network. Even the exact time of its official launch was no secret to him, as it was the result of collective efforts by all parties involved.
The Federation needed such an uplifting piece of news to ease the increasingly fierce factional struggles within its ranks while also dragging Shrek Academy, the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, and the Tang Sect into the fray.
"Brother, is this the Star Dou Battle Network's login pod?" Na'er asked, eyeing the Star Dou Pod that resembled a reclining chair with curiosity. She poked it lightly and said, "Why does it look the same as the Spirit Ascension Platform's login pod?"
"Because they use the same technology, so the login pods are naturally identical," Jing Shaoyu replied with a smile. "You can think of it as the Federation's version of the Spirit Ascension Platform."
"I see," Na'er nodded in realization before lying down in the pod. Just before the hatch fully closed, she called out to Jing Shaoyu, "Brother, I'm going in first!"
Jing Shaoyu gave her a thumbs-up in response.
As the Star Dou Battle Network expanded across the entire Douluo Federation, the authorities seized the opportunity to launch the inaugural Star Dou Battle Net Tournament. All Soul Masters below the 94th rank were eligible to participate. However, considering the network's immaturity, participants were prohibited from using Three-Word Battle Armor or ninth Soul Skills, effectively limiting even 94th-ranked Titled Douluo to Soul Douluo-level combat capabilities.
Jing Shaoyu soon entered a Star Dou Pod to access the network. Though not participating, he intended to observe the matches closely, wanting to thoroughly understand the system's operational patterns. Truth be told, he held great optimism for this technology.
In the near future, this innovation would become one of the primary driving forces propelling Douluo Star into deep space exploration and interstellar expansion—indeed, a cornerstone of the Douluo Federation's interplanetary colonial governance.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Jing Shaoyu planned to incorporate this technology into the new order he envisioned for Douluo Star.
When Jing Shaoyu and Na'er logged into the Star Dou Battle Network, waves of excitement rippled across various regions of the Douluo Continent.
At Shrek Academy's God of Battle Pavilion...
"Have all the Star Dou Pods been installed?" asked Ya Li, acting as temporary pavilion master from the head seat.
"The first batch is fully operational, with the second batch currently being installed. Completion is expected next week," replied Cai Yue'er.
"Excellent. In that case, have Muzi, Yin Meng, and others log into the Star Dou Battle Network to participate in this inaugural tournament," Ya Li said with a smile. "How could a federation-wide competition lack representation from our Shrek Academy?"
"Precisely!" Long Yeyue exclaimed enthusiastically. "This Star Dou Tournament is clearly modeled after the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament! If not for the rank restrictions, I'd join myself! Our academy has always dominated previous tournaments—this one shall be no exception!"
Ahem "Elder Long, participants can only register individually for this event," Zhuo Shi reminded.
"What difference does that make? As long as the champion hails from Shrek Academy!" Long Yeyue waved off the concern as trivial. "Pity Shaoyu and the others aren't here—they'd have this competition in the bag!"
"From what I understand, all federal military legions have also connected to the network," Ya Li mused thoughtfully. "They'll likely participate through their respective units."
Meanwhile, at Spirit Transfer Pagoda headquarters...
"For this federal-sponsored tournament, our Pagoda must secure outstanding rankings," declared Qiangu Dongfeng solemnly. "Only through such achievements can we expand our influence and advance our development plans!"
"Well said!"
"The Tower Master speaks wisely!"
Supporters from the Qiangu family immediately voiced their agreement.
"Yaozhu, what about having Gu Yuena represent our Pagoda?" Qiangu Dongfeng proposed, turning to Leng Yaozhu seated at his immediate left.
"I'll need to consult Yue'er personally," Leng Yaozhu replied calmly. "Though there shouldn't be issues—she's shown considerable interest in the network."
Nodding in satisfaction, Qiangu Dongfeng concluded: "Excellent! This matter carries tremendous significance—no room for failure! All participating Pagoda members must give their utmost to secure top placements!"
Similar conversations were taking place all over the Federation, with various gatherings of Soul Masters discussing the matter.
"New Federation technology? Sounds intriguing!"
"I heard every major city has dedicated competition sites, and you can register at any Spirit Transfer Pagoda branch. It feels similar to the Pagoda's Spirit Ascension Platform, but different—it can cover the entire continent."
"The Federation wants all Soul Masters to participate. Every Soul Master entering the Star Dou Battle Network gets one free, comprehensive ability and physical examination. Even if you don't compete, it's good for a health checkup."
"Exactly! It's free anyway, so why not go? Only a fool would pass up free benefits!"
"And if you compete and achieve a certain ranking, there's prize money! The higher the rank, the better the rewards. Rumor has it the first-place winner gets a Red-level Mecha!"
"Red-level Mecha? I heard it was Four-Word Battle Armor!"
"Wow, whether it's a Red-level Mecha or Four-Word Battle Armor, it's clear the Federation is really going all out this time!"
"..."
Amid the heated discussions, the Star Dou Battle Net Tournament began. Jing Shaoyu, as a spectator, witnessed the entire event and spotted many familiar faces among the competitors—Gu Yue, Ye Xinglan, Wu Siduo, Mo Hentian, and Lan Fozi were all on the participant list. Many disciples from Shrek Academy's Inner Academy had also joined. In short, the tournament achieved exactly the effect the Federation had hoped for.
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