However, this kind of nobility was no longer linked to land or special privileges, let alone being hereditary.
It represented only a form of honor, as well as limited benefits and conveniences one could enjoy within the Alliance.
The aristocratic class of the old era had been thoroughly eradicated, both physically and institutionally.
Taking its place was a brand-new elite stratum, judged by standards of contribution and ability.
The Alliance deployed unimaginable manpower and material resources to undergo an unprecedented transformation of the entire planet.
Every city of the old era was replanned and subjected to a comprehensive technological upgrade.
Clean and tidy streets, efficient and convenient public facilities, a safe and comfortable living environment... the quality of people's lives had undergone a qualitative leap.
A stable, prosperous, and fair social foundation had been firmly established.
However, Lu Jingming knew better than anyone that the fundamental contradiction of the Douluo Continent had never been merely a class contradiction.
It was a contradiction of power.
This was a world where the strong preyed on the weak.
From the moment a Soul Master awakened their Martial Soul, it was fated that they and ordinary people were no longer the same species.
As Soul Power increased, this gap would only widen.
A Soul Emperor could easily slaughter a city that lacked the protection of a powerful expert.
A Titled Douluo was even hailed as a walking nuclear weapon.
In the old era, this power was chaotic and disordered.
Vendettas between Soul Masters, internecine strife between sects, wars between nations... powerful individuals could impose their will upon the weak as they pleased.
How could this vast power, capable of easily destroying all order, be restrained?
The answer Lu Jingming gave was not a simple blockade, but rather guidance.
He knew well that power itself brought desire.
And when a powerful Soul Master felt bored, empty, or had desires that could not be satisfied, they would cause trouble.
Therefore, they had to be given "something to do."
Thus, driven by the supreme will of the Alliance, a brand-new and vast industry began to grow wildly across the globe like mushrooms after a spring rain.
That was—entertainment.
Under the guidance of the Alliance's "Ministry of Culture," various novel forms of entertainment were launched in succession.
Web novels adapted from the legends of heroes and overlords of the old era, with their ups and downs in plot, caused countless people to lose sleep and food, immersed within them.
Anime, which expressed magnificent Soul Skills and hot-blooded battles using even more exaggerated and artistic techniques, became the trend pursued by teenagers.
Live-action films and television dramas featuring movie-level special effects presented stories of love and hate, as well as national righteousness, to everyone in a more intuitive way.
And music became the most brilliant pearl among them.
All of this was merely the appetizer.
What was truly used to channel the Soul Masters' excess energy and destructive desires were two ultimate entertainment projects that served as the "Sea-Fixing Needles" of the social order.
First was the global, standardized Soul Master Competitive League.
From city-level Bronze Leagues to the Legendary Master Series of the Global Finals, a complete and mature professional competitive system was established.
Countless young Soul Masters, eager to prove themselves and yearning for fame and fortune, threw themselves into this fair, just, and open competitive craze.
Here, they could use their power to win honor, money, and the cheers of the masses without worrying about causing any real-world casualties.
And the second, as well as the most important, was—the Simulated Universe.
Created by Herta and using a celestial computer as a server, this vast, fully immersive virtual world had become the "Second World" for all of humanity.
Here, all physical laws of the real world could be rewritten.
Here, you could fabricate any identity you desired.
You could be a superhero saving the world, or a world-destroying Demon King leading a legion of the undead.
You could be a business tycoon with wealth rivaling nations, or a lonely swordsman wandering to the ends of the earth.
Here, you could vent all your negative emotions.
You could engage in a life-and-death bloody duel with your enemies in the virtual arena, slaughtering them a hundred times over.
You could also assemble an interstellar fleet to conquer a virtual galaxy.
Whatever you wanted to do, you could.
The Simulated Universe became a perfect, massive emotional pressure relief valve.
With the Simulated Universe and various endless entertainment projects, the Soul Masters found that they simply had no time or energy to cause trouble in the real world.
Fighting in reality?
What was the point?
Could it be as thrilling as piloting a hundred-meter-tall mecha for a planet-level battle in the Simulated Universe?
Vying for power and profit in reality? Too troublesome.
It was far less tangible than the honor and prize money brought by winning a championship in the Competitive League.
Thus, a strange yet incredibly harmonious sight appeared.
Even those Power Attack System Soul Masters, who were by nature hot-tempered and worshipped strength, became polite and law-abiding in the real world, turning into "good citizens" in the words of their neighbors.
Because everyone knew that once you broke the law in the real world, the consequences were no joke.
The law enforcement agency of the Astral Alliance—the Fatui. Their existence was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's head.
These elites, personally selected, trained, and armed by Lu Jingming, were present in every corner of the world.
They were the guardians of order and the nightmare of transgressors.
Once you violated the laws of the Alliance, no matter where you fled, you could not escape their pursuit.
The Alliance's punishments were also full of "New Era" characteristics.
For those serious criminals who committed heinous crimes, such as malicious murder, treason, or attempting to subvert the Alliance's rule, the punishment was simple and brutal—the abolition of the Martial Soul.
This punishment, which stripped a Soul Master of all their power from the root, was far more painful and a far greater deterrent than killing them directly.
For those whose crimes did not warrant such a measure, such as picking quarrels and provoking trouble or disrupting public order, the punishment was more of a "heart-breaker."
—Solitary confinement.
You would be locked in a special "Quiet Room" that was completely isolated from the outside world, both physically and digitally.
Here, you could not access any entertainment.
You couldn't read novels, watch anime, listen to music, and you certainly couldn't log into your max-level Simulated Universe account.
The only thing you could do was face four empty white walls and study the "Fundamental Law of the Astral Alliance" over and over again.
This kind of confinement, for a person who had just been exposed to this dazzling world and had grown accustomed to various novelties, was practically more painful than death.
There was once a Soul King sentenced to one month of confinement who, upon coming out, clung to the leg of a law enforcement officer, weeping bitterly as he repented:
"I was wrong, I was really wrong. I'll never do it again. Please, you can lock me up for a year, just don't cut my internet! I haven't even had a chance to use the limited-edition skin I got yesterday!"
Under such a mature and efficient management system of "the carrot and the stick," the entire Douluo Planet presented an unprecedented, almost Utopian harmony and stability.
And within this harmonious melody, one person's voice was the undisputed main theme.
She was the first Empress of the Starry Sea Empire, Lu Jingming's wife—Robin.
If it was said that Lu Jingming used an iron fist and wisdom to construct the skeleton of order for this world, then Robin used her singing to inject a harmonious soul into this world.
Her singing, which sounded like heavenly music, reached every corner of the continent with the help of global holographic projection technology.
Every one of her concerts was a global celebration.
Whether it was a human city, a forest where Soul Beasts gathered, or even beneath the deep sea, wherever there was a signal, countless fans would put down everything in their hands and listen quietly.
Her singing possessed a magic that transcended language and race.
It could soothe the agitation in people's hearts, heal the wounds left by war, and awaken the most beautiful emotions in life.
Under the combined effect of her power of Harmony and her own divinity, her singing could even subtly elevate the spiritual realm of the audience and dissolve the hostility in their hearts.
She became the undisputed and only national idol of this era.
Countless people, because of her songs, gave up hatred and chose forgiveness.
Countless Soul Beasts, because of her songs, truly understood the meaning of peaceful coexistence with humans.
It could be said that Robin's singing was a major contributor to the rapid stabilization of the Astral Alliance.
Of course, no matter the era, there would always be some self-righteous fools who could not see the situation clearly.
In a forest so large, there are all kinds of birds.
There were always some people who, out of jealousy or simply wanting to attract attention, would post comments online attacking or slandering Robin.
For example, someone posted anonymously:
"Robin's singing is nothing more than a spiritual drug used by the rulers to numb the masses."
Or for instance, someone ranted on a forum:
"A mere songstress, what right does she have to be Empress? If I were there, I could do it too."
Regarding these comments, ordinary fans would spontaneously refute them and defend the image of their idol.
But what they didn't know was that before they even saw these comments, another more efficient and ruthless system had already been activated.
Celestial Computer, Monitoring Center.
"Warning, warning. Detected malicious and offensive speech targeting 'Priority One Protected Target: Robin'."
"Retrieving information source... source locked. User ID: 'Long Aotian'. Real name: Wang Erma. Age: 22. Soul Power Rank: Level 35 Grand Soul Master. Residence: Room 401, Building 3, Xingfu Community, West District, Star Luo City."
"Arrest warrant automatically generated and sent to the Fatui, Star Luo City First Action Squadron."
"Total time elapsed: 0.017 seconds."
Lu Jingming, who was playing with his children in the Sea Abyss City, wouldn't even receive a warning of this level on his personal terminal.
Because for the system he had built with his own hands, such matters fell under the category of "fully automatic processing" daily chores.
However, Lu Jingming's attitude toward anyone who dared to slander his wife was clear and merciless.
He had long ago issued a highest-priority command to Miku.
Any instance involving malicious slander of Robin was to be handled strictly, severely, and swiftly.
Therefore, usually, just as that young man named Wang Erma finished his post with smug satisfaction, preparing to admire the uproar his masterpiece would cause—
"Knock, knock, knock."
His front door would be knocked on right on schedule.
When he opened the door grumbling, he would see several Fatui members in black uniforms, wearing cold masks, and radiating an aura that warned strangers not to approach.
The leading member would show him an electronic arrest warrant issued by the Supreme Court of the Alliance, and then say in an emotionless, formulaic tone:
"Mr. Wang Erma, you are suspected of violating Article 13 of the 'Astral Alliance Network Security and Information Management Law' and Article 2 of the 'Imperial Royal Family Member Reputation Protection Law' by openly spreading false and insulting remarks against the Empress on the internet, causing extremely negative social influence. Now, please come with us."
What awaited him would be at least a one-year confinement package and the permanent revocation of his right to speak on any public platform.
That same day, all official Alliance media would insert a brief news item in an inconspicuous location:
"Today, a resident of our city, surnamed Wang, was handled by relevant departments in accordance with the law for violating Alliance laws by making inappropriate comments online. The Alliance hereby reminds the general public that the internet is not a place outside the law. Please use the internet in a civilized manner, speak rationally, and jointly maintain our harmonious and beautiful spiritual home."
As time went on, no one dared to say a single bad word about Robin in any public setting.
She became, in a true sense, a perfect idol with zero negative reviews and zero negativity.
A world that was stable, harmonious, prosperous, and fair, but at the same time, covered so tightly by an invisible heavenly net that not even air could pass through.
This was the New World that Lu Jingming brought to the Douluo Planet.
Huo Yuhao walked the streets of Sea Abyss City.
His pace was very slow, like a curious tourist visiting the city for the first time.
But his gaze was not as superficial as a tourist's; it was deep and calm.
This was Sea Abyss City, the capital of the Astral Alliance, a miracle of human civilization hanging high in the heavens ten thousand meters up.
The mild, filtered air, carrying a faint scent of plants, brushed past his cheeks.
Above his head was a massive dome sky simulating sunrise and sunset, emitting soft light.
Beside him, elegantly shaped and completely silent maglev soul tool cars traversed orderly through preset aerial tracks, like blood flowing through arteries.