Time flew quickly—another month passed.
The Moon God Shuttle drifted across the endless ocean. Zhu Ziyang and his three companions lived leisurely, spending their days cultivating or entertaining themselves, never once feeling bored.
Since leaving Four Elephants Island, they had continued sailing northeast. Their journey had been full of wonders. Though they had yet to encounter signs of human civilization, they had seen many sea soul beasts that did not exist on the Douluo Continent: the hundred-thousand-year-old Starlight Ray with a body as dazzling as the night sky; the even larger hundred-thousand-year Silver-Scaled White Whale King, surpassing the Violet-Gold Chiwen by several degrees; and even the Rainbow-Scaled Merman Emperor, a hundred-thousand-year soul beast with the upper body of a man and the tail of a fish. Each sighting was astonishing.
At noon one day, a clear sign of civilization appeared before them—a fishing boat. Though its design differed somewhat from the fishing vessels of Douluo Continent, it was unmistakably human craftsmanship. For Zhu Ziyang and the three women, one thought instantly arose: a fishing boat means human civilization!
This sea was indeed home to humans.
"Brother, it really is a fishing boat!" Jiang Nannan cried in excitement, clutching Zhu Ziyang's arm. "Look—they're catching fish!"
"Ziyang, should we approach and ask them for directions?" Zhang Lexuan suggested.
"Let's do it." Zhu Ziyang nodded. Almost unconsciously, his hand brushed across the Bianhua Mark on his forehead. But once again, there was no response. His joy dimmed slightly, though he hid it well.
The Moon God Shuttle drew closer. At once, the fishermen aboard grew wary. Such a massive, unfamiliar vessel inspired caution in anyone.
"Stop right there, or don't blame me for being rude!" a middle-aged man shouted, rising into the air. Behind him appeared six soul rings: three yellow, two purple, and one black. A Soul Emperor—clearly the captain of the fishing boat.
Seeing him take the initiative, Zhu Ziyang halted the shuttle. He stepped out, hands open to show no hostility, and called:
"Uncle, we mean no harm! We're just lost at sea. Could you tell us where the nearest port is?"
"Lost at sea?" The Soul Emperor frowned, suspicion in his eyes. Yet the youth's bearing was extraordinary, his aura refined. Likely a noble of some empire. Better not to provoke trouble. So he replied:
"Head southeast from here. In about a day's journey, you'll reach Violet Port of the Milan Empire."
"I see. Thank you, Uncle!" Zhu Ziyang smiled brightly, though a ripple stirred in his heart. With a nod, he returned to the Moon God Shuttle.
Under the fisherman's astonished gaze, the shuttle surged forward. Its speed multiplied in an instant, vanishing from sight within moments.
"What in the world…? Such a massive ship, yet so fast… If only I had one!" the fisherman muttered in awe.
Inside the Moon God Shuttle, the four discussed the new information.
"This must mean we're in the waters of another continent. The Milan Empire… Seems civilization here is highly advanced," Zhu Ziyang mused.
"Their clothes looked different from those of the Douluo Continent," Zhang Lexuan noted. "Which means this civilization developed independently—no connection to ours."
"Brother, should we just sail directly into Violet Port?" Qian Lingyi asked hesitantly. "Wouldn't that draw too much attention?"
"Of course not." Zhu Ziyang chuckled. "First, we'll locate the continent itself. Then we'll find a deserted beach to land. After all, we can't even be sure yet if this is the Eastern Continent."
With the shuttle's incredible speed, it took far less than a day before land appeared on the horizon. A bustling port was visible even from a distance, ships constantly coming and going. Entering directly would draw far too much attention.
Thus, the Moon God Shuttle submerged, slipping unseen beneath Violet Port. It continued along the coast until it found a desolate cliffside. There, Zhu Ziyang stepped out first, setting foot on solid ground.
The instant his feet touched the land, the Bianhua Mark on his forehead stirred. At the same time, deep within his spiritual sea, another fluctuation arose. Two different waves of information unfolded before him.
The Bianhua's response was simple yet thrilling: this continent was indeed the Eastern Continent mentioned in the Seven Death God Trials. The mark revealed his next destination—the Death Scythe, hidden within a place called the Mountains of the Dead.
But even before he could ponder it, the other fluctuation seized his full attention—it came from the Dimensional Library.
He had nearly forgotten its existence; in recent years, the library's usefulness had waned. Yet now, upon setting foot on this unknown land, the library… had updated. A new section had opened, filled entirely with books from this very continent!
How could he be certain? Because among the titles he glimpsed were "The Founding History of the Milan Empire" and "The Violet Family Chronicle."
Zhu Ziyang was stunned. His curiosity toward the Dimensional Library reignited in full. Its origins were far from ordinary—of that he was now certain.
"Brother, what are you staring at?" Jiang Nannan's voice broke his trance. Her pretty face was tilted in puzzlement.
"Nothing," Ziyang said with a smile. "Just receiving information about this new land."
"This is the Eastern Continent?" the three girls cried in delight.
"That's right." Zhu Ziyang nodded, already pulling books from the library. As he read, he shared their contents aloud.
This continent was called the Martial Soul Continent. Like Douluo, it was rich in soul masters. Though only one-tenth the size of modern Douluo, it was home to eight human nations. The most powerful were the Milan Empire and the Landias Empire, each ruling a third of the land. The remaining six kingdoms divided the last third among themselves.
With so many nations, conflict was endless. The continent was divided into two camps: the Northern Alliance, led by the Milan Empire and including the Ascari, Froe, and Arcadia Kingdoms; and the Southern Alliance, led by the Landias Empire alongside the Pompeii, Bourbon, and Modo Kingdoms.
The two blocs had warred for centuries, their rivalry spanning millennia. Only in the past hundred years had they eased tensions—forced to unite against the rising tides of soul beasts.
Listening, Zhang Lexuan, Jiang Nannan, and Qian Lingyi all fell silent. Their expressions mirrored the same complicated feeling. For the state of the Martial Soul Continent was all too familiar—like a reflection of the Douluo Continent ten thousand years ago. The only difference was the absence of the Spirit Hall, that once-transcendent power. Without it, the two empires' rivalry had grown far more severe.
Zhu Ziyang continued:
"The Martial Soul Continent also has three great soul beast domains: the Extreme North Wastes in the north, the Mountains of the Dead in the center, and the Extreme South Desert in the south. Of these, the Mountains of the Dead are the largest, forming the border between the Milan and Landias Empires, and serving as the source of the continent's beast tides."
The Mountains of the Dead were vast and endless. There was even a saying across the continent: All mountains come from the Dead. It was no jest—it was truth. Stretching east to west, their eastern edge lay in the Pompeii Kingdom, while their western end reached the Froe Kingdom. Nearly every major mountain range branched from them.
Thus, the Mountains of the Dead were also known as the Divine Mountains.
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