Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu.
Skyscrapers rose like bamboo shoots after rain, piercing the clouds. Glass curtain walls refracted dazzling sunlight, reflecting this wall-less super-megacity like a mirage.
On the crisscrossing rails, soul-guided trams roared past, their car bodies flowing with dim-blue soul energy halos, echoing the assorted floating soulcraft in the skies.
Between the towers, massive soul-guided screens flashed nonstop, looping promos for the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. Stirring music and commentary blared through soul-guided speakers into every corner, pushing the pre-tournament fervor to its limit.
Even compared to Haiyuan City, Mingdu's prosperity was in no way inferior; after all, Mingdu covered a larger area and had a larger population.
If not for Haiyuan City's deep foundations and era-transcending geniuses in residence, Mingdu would undoubtedly be the continent's unchallenged number-one city—whether by astonishing land area, tens of millions of residents, or its era-leading soul tool tech—all towering above any city of the former three kingdoms.
What's more, thanks to the advent of the Simulated Universe, Mingdu's development was accelerating at a visibly breakneck pace.
All kinds of civilian soul tools were springing up: from automatic cleaning units to thermal regulators—greatly easing people's lives and indirectly driving the Sun Moon Empire's rapid growth in national power.
Already a leader, its soul tool technology, empowered by the Simulated Universe's vast data and experiments, saw doubled R&D efficiency. The gap with the former three kingdoms kept widening.
Even if the former three kingdoms leveraged the Simulated Universe to chase hard, the gap remained. It could not be closed in a short time.
This is the logic of the strong getting stronger and the weak getting weaker.
The Hyperion hovered silently dozens of kilometers up, its stealth blending it into the clouds.
Lu Jingming led Gu Yue and the others down slowly from high altitude, concealing their auras, and walked toward Mingdu like ordinary travelers.
Though Mingdu had no walls, it had strict entry protocols.
Especially with the tournament imminent, everyone had to enter via designated official roads, complete registration, and receive entry permits. Otherwise, if discovered by patrolling soldiers, they would be arrested on the spot for illegal entry.
Naturally, Lu Jingming's group chose to go in openly.
Their stated purpose was to participate in the tournament. If they skulked at the gate, they would seem inferior and invite ridicule.
By coincidence, the Shrek Academy convoy in the distance had the same plan.
As a top academy faction on the continent, they always acted aboveboard. If caught sneaking in, that would be a disgrace.
Mingdu Avenue, the aorta of the whole city, was wide enough to accommodate ten soul-guided trams abreast and was the only way for outsiders to enter Mingdu.
In front of the entry registry, beyond armed soldiers and busy staff, Lu Jingming sensed a hidden life aura belonging to a rank-nine soul engineer.
With a portion of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's authority, few lifeforms could hide from him.
"They've spent heavily," he thought.
During the tournament, with mixed factions gathered, the Sun Moon Empire, to prevent accidents, had stationed a rank-nine soul engineer at the gate—evidence of how tautly they'd strung every nerve.
As Servants formed of negative emotion, figures like Raiden Mei were energy beings but not spirits. They had actual bodies, and thus had to follow registration rules.
This was exactly one of the Sun Moon Empire's aims—use entry registration to trace Servants.
After all, Servants were almost indistinguishable from regular people in daily life. If they didn't reveal their powers, they could easily pass as human.
Even the Empire's most advanced detection soul tools were inadequate against these powerful beings from other worlds.
Those detection features designed for local soul masters and soul beasts did little to Servants.
Registration was surprisingly simple.
Staff worked a special soul-guided camera, taking an image of each entrant, then noted their name and allowed them through.
The process was astonishingly fast. To put it bluntly: snap a photo, leave a name. As for the truth of the name, the Sun Moon officials didn't seem to care; what couldn't be faked was the clearly recorded visage.
Of course, even if faces were disguised, the Empire was prepared. They never expected to collect all intelligence this way; it was more posture—a subtle deterrent to potential threats.
Registration done, just as Lu Jingming was about to lead everyone into Mingdu, a faint gaze fell on him—curious, probing.
He frowned slightly and instinctively glanced back, then couldn't help a twitch at the corner of his mouth.
The owner of that gaze was a girl with long hair of blue and pink, beautiful beyond compare—Wang Dong'er.
But her expression and the aura she exuded were utterly unlike the Wang Dong'er in Lu Jingming's memory—whether Wang Dong in male attire or Wang Dong'er in female form. Though her face was unchanged, her inner spirit was entirely different.
"Tang Wutong?" Lu Jingming immediately understood.
Such a metamorphosis could only be explained by Tang Wutong's awakening.
Though earlier than in the original story, considering the turbulence he had stirred across Douluo lately, Tang San changing plans was to be expected. He wasn't too surprised.
What truly surprised him was the woman standing by Tang Wutong—a lavish peacock outfit with fine gold patterns on the hem, her every move carrying an indescribable allure and danger.
"Good grief—Venus Goddess Vita?"
Lu Jingming almost lost his composure.
Tang Wutong's Servant was her? With Vita here, Mingdu was about to get truly lively.
Given her nature, if she didn't stir up something earth-shaking, it would be unworthy of her bad woman reputation.
Looking further, beside Tang Wutong and Vita were two middle-aged men in gray robes.
Their auras were reined in as ordinary folk, but Lu Jingming could feel boundless life-force within them—clearly unfathomable in strength.
"Da Ming and Er Ming," he nodded to himself. Though deliberately concealed, their fundamental power couldn't escape his senses.
Aside from that was a group of youths under twenty. From their attire and martial soul fluctuations, they were clearly disciples of the Clear Sky Sect—likely the team representing the sect in the tournament.
After only a brief glance, Lu Jingming looked away and led his group into Mingdu as if nothing had happened.
Mingdu Avenue was stunningly wide, its smooth bluestone surface flat enough for dozens to walk abreast.
On both sides, shops crowded each other, shelves packed with soul-guided goods. Hawking and haggling rose and fell, a lively scene of prosperity.
"Interesting. Lots of familiar faces!"
Unlike Tang Wutong, who was focused on Lu Jingming, Vita tapped her lips with a finger. Thinking of the two familiar figures she had just seen—Durandal and Raiden Mei—she looked amused.
"Ah! Beautiful sister, you're here—seeing you makes your little sister so happy, hehe~."
A crisp girl's voice sounded with the jingle of bells. A black-haired twin-tail, clad in fiery red, free and blazing, appeared behind Tang Wutong's group.
"How delightful, little sister Sparkle. We truly are fated—this is so much fun!"
Vita froze briefly, then flashed a brilliant smile. Her half-squinted eyes brimmed with pleasure.
"Right, right. Little sister thinks so too. As the opening of this grand play, meeting sister like this is a golden start, isn't it!"
Sparkle clasped Vita's hand, leaning forward slightly, drawing close with a warm smile.
"Of course, little sister."
Vita was equally cordial, as if she and Sparkle were inseparable confidantes—closer than real sisters.
"Vita, is this your friend?"
Tang Wutong looked in surprise at Vita and Sparkle. Their intimacy showed a close relationship. She knew Vita was a memory-body from another world—a Servant. That they could meet an acquaintance meant the other was undoubtedly a Servant as well.
"Of course. This is little sister Sparkle—my kin and confidante."
Vita introduced her with a beaming smile.
"Ya, so you're sister's Master? As expected of someone who could summon sister—what a pretty little sister."
Sparkle' eyes lit up, and she instantly appeared before Tang Wutong, very friendly and curious.
Tang Wutong wasn't used to this upfront personality and subconsciously took a step back. Beside her, Niu Tian and Tai Tan frowned, locking their spiritual senses onto Sparkle.
"Hehe, don't be so wary, little monkey and little green snake. Lady Sparkle is very friendly—a good person."
Sparkle pouted, dissatisfied.
Niu Tian and Tai Tan's pupils contracted—she'd seen through their true forms at a glance. This lively, harmless-looking girl had truly startled them.
"Wutong, little sister Sparkle means no harm—just a bit too enthusiastic."
Vita smiled lightly, unconcerned that Sparkle approached her Master.
Under Holy Grail rules, if a Master dies, a Servant's power gradually drains until the negative energy dissipates and the Servant ceases to exist.
Thus, under this rule, Servants generally won't harm their own Masters. This was a safety Lu Jingming built into the Grail's design.
Given how many troublesome figures he remembered, the Master's existence was also a constraint on Servants.
"Hello, I'm Tang Wutong, Vita's Master—Sister Sparkle."
Tang Wutong hesitantly reached out. Though Sparkle looked her age, Tang Wutong instinctively used "sister."
"Hehe, little Wutong is obedient—sister's training has gone well!"
Sparkle' eyes darted, and she giggled.
"T-Training?"
Tang Wutong's mouth twitched. She didn't know how to respond.
"Heh, little sister Sparkle is teasing you, Wutong."
Vita chuckled, but at an angle Tang Wutong couldn't see, her face went cold for a split second.
This mischievous little sister was quietly tripping her up.
"Dear little sister Sparkle, before our stage arrives, we have plenty of time to make merry, don't you think?"
Vita meant: go find other fun and, before the stage is set, don't bother me.
"But of course, sister. Some are pigheaded, some are self-absorbed, some chase pure profit, some are frauds—and the Fool mocks all and delights in it, hehe~"
Sparkle was delighted. There was already plenty of fun, and Vita's appearance made her even more excited.
And the grand feast is usually saved for last. So she was willing to heed Vita's warning for now—go find other amusements to pass the time.
Tang Wutong couldn't follow their conversation, baffled. Instinctively, she felt these two, who called each other sisters, didn't seem quite as close as they claimed.
"Sister, to have fun, you have to nail your entrance timing, hehe~!"
Sparkle saw Ma Xiaotao and the Shrek group approaching from behind and knew it was time to end the reunion.
Vita had also noticed the Shrek group's arrival—many in number and not lacking in strength. Among them was even a presence that triggered her sense of danger, which only pleased her more.
The more strong ones, the better. Then the plot won't be trite; reversals will be all the more delightful.
If it were her true body, she'd consider survival. But as a memory-body, it didn't matter—she'd do whatever was most fun.
"Dong'er, it's really you!"
Among the Shrek team, Xiao Xiao spotted Tang Wutong at a glance and showed unbridled joy.
Wang Dong'er, who had kept in touch with them, had suddenly cut contact. Xiao Xiao feared something had happened and had been very worried.
If she knew the exact location of the Clear Sky Sect, she would have gone looking already. Seeing her safe now, she was naturally overjoyed.
Tang Wutong frowned slightly.
Though she had inherited Wang Dong'er's memories, she hadn't fully accepted them. Out of a vague avoidance, she'd stopped contacting Xiao Xiao and the others.
But now, clearly unable to avoid, she could only face them head-on.
"Xiao Xiao, long time no see."
Tang Wutong tried to recall Wang Dong'er's tone and demeanor and greeted Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao's steps halted, her smile stiffening. She looked at Tang Wutong in uncertainty.
Though the smile and tone matched the Wang Dong'er in her memory, an undercurrent of distance made her feel a stranger—like the person before her was not the Wang Dong'er she knew, but someone completely different.
Not only Xiao Xiao—Beibei, Jiang Nannan, and Xu Sanshi, who came closer, also sensed something amiss.
Outwardly, she was still Wang Dong'er, but inwardly, her aura and feel had changed drastically—becoming unfamiliar and hard to understand.
"Dong'er, what's happened to you?"
Xiao Xiao probed carefully, full of concern. She thought it was all because of Huo Yuhao that Wang Dong'er had changed.