Chapter 166: A Shocking Event on the Douluo Continent
Regardless of public opinion about the Breaking Clan's recent actions, Yang Potian and a group of friends, led by his grandfather Niu Gao, began their journey north to Almo Mountain. The travelers were all at least Spirit King level, except for Tianyue, allowing them to travel swiftly without carriages.
The journey from Heaven Dou City to Almo Mountain was long—over 3,000 kilometers—and it took them more than ten days of intense travel to reach their destination.
The largest city near Almo Mountain was Monet City, located about 70 kilometers away. Despite its status as the economic hub of the area, the city felt underwhelming. It was small, with minimal defenses, and sparsely populated compared to the cities they were accustomed to. Monet City was more like a large town, reflecting the region's low population density; there were only around five million people within a 300-kilometer radius, about one-tenth the size of a comparable region in his previous life. Monet City itself was barely the size of the small town of Nuoding.
Upon seeing Monet City, Grandfather Niu Gao hesitated. "Potian, are we really going to build a city here? Even if we establish it, I'm not sure there'll be enough people."
Yang Potian shook his head. "Monet City may be small, but it's relatively developed for this region. We'll expand it to five times its current size, making it one of the northernmost major cities. With the Breaking Clan's medicinal trade and some other businesses, we should see gradual population growth."
"Our primary focus, though, isn't this city; it's merely an economic hub. Most of our efforts should be on building our clan's headquarters on the mountain, especially focusing on defenses."
After spending a day observing Monet City, they headed directly to Almo Mountain.
Just as the information had indicated, Almo Mountain was tall and steep. The foothills were lush and suitable for growing medicinal herbs, but the temperature dropped sharply at mid-altitude, making the upper slopes less hospitable for ordinary people. The summit was blanketed in snow year-round, an environment only spirit masters could survive.
After assessing the terrain, Grandfather Niu Gao laid out a preliminary plan for the new clan headquarters.
At the mountain's base, they would establish extensive herb fields and an academy for the clan's younger generations as well as other children with awakened martial spirits within a few hundred kilometers.
The middle of the mountain would house the main clan residence, divided among the allied clans, with training grounds and residences for outer disciples.
The summit would be the clan's core, housing the elite disciples. Despite the harsh conditions, the area was ideal for spirit masters to hone their physical strength and martial skills.
The primary defense focus would be on the middle region, leveraging the natural terrain as a barrier. Secret escape routes would lead from the mountain's north side into the frozen wilderness, providing a way to evacuate to the icy northern lands if attacked.
Beyond the mountain, training grounds would be set up in the northern snowfields, offering a harsh environment to build resilience.
In a few days, Niu Gao and his men carved out a small training area on the summit for Yang Potian and his companions. With everything settled, Niu Gao and the clan members began the initial construction of the clan's core facilities, leaving Yang Potian and the others to focus on their training.
One pleasant surprise was the variety of spirit beasts discovered in the area. Due to the differences between the snowy peak and lush foothills, the diversity of spirit beasts made it akin to a mini spirit forest. This would make it convenient for the clan to hunt spirit rings in the future.
As Yang Potian and his group focused on training at the mountain's peak, clan members from the Heaven Dou region gradually made their way north. With over a thousand spirit masters combined from the Breaking and Defense Clans, Monet City quickly became crowded.
Taking advantage of his marquis title, Niu Gao had clan members assume control of Monet City, initiating large-scale construction projects.
The Defense Clan alone had grown to over 500 members, with most being spirit masters, all wielding defensive martial spirits like the Armored Giant Rhinoceros. Renowned for their building skills, the Defense Clan was already rapidly constructing the clan base and city, set to complete the project within half a year, impressing Yang Potian with their efficiency.
Meanwhile, several significant events shook the Douluo Continent.
The first was the relocation of the entire Breaking and Defense Clans from Heaven Dou City to the remote Almo Mountain. Over recent years, these clans had gained fame across the continent, with clan leaders Yang Wudi and Niu Gao becoming some of the few newly advanced Titled Douluo. Their revenge battle against Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had further cemented their reputation, leaving Spirit Hall with a loss of face.
Moreover, the Breaking and Defense Clan youths had claimed victory in the Spirit Master Tournament, showcasing several prodigies and earning widespread acclaim.
But to everyone's surprise, these two powerful clans, instead of expanding their influence, chose to isolate themselves at Almo Mountain in the north, shocking the entire continent. Normally, a clan with such strength would seize the opportunity to recruit outer disciples and form alliances, yet these two clans seemed content to withdraw from the limelight.
To ordinary spirit masters, the combined power of these clans was comparable to, if not greater than, the established top three sects, even surpassing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Their choice to retreat puzzled many.
The second major event was the sudden appearance of peculiar training manuals on the Douluo Continent's black market. These manuals included exceptionally refined techniques, some of which featured advanced meditation practices superior to those of established clans. Many high-level spirit masters saw these manuals as priceless treasures and eagerly began studying them.
One manual in particular offered a way to cultivate spiritual power, something previously unheard of on the continent. There were also blueprints for complex weaponry, highly valued by master blacksmiths. Unfortunately, the crafting process required rare metals, and a mysterious buyer had already emptied Gengxin City's metal supplies, causing a sharp rise in prices.
The soul master world was abuzz with speculation about these valuable techniques. However, no one could trace their origins, only knowing that two mysterious figures in black had been selling them on the black market and in certain clans, often at exorbitant prices.
Attempts to track the pair proved futile; they appeared and vanished without leaving a trace, despite efforts by the best tracking masters. Rumors circulated that the manuals originated from an ancient sect that vanished thousands of years ago due to a natural disaster. The two black-clad sellers claimed to have discovered the ruins and were selling the manuals to fund their cultivation.
The third major event involved a sudden fallout between Dugu Bo and Prince Xue Xing. The details were unclear, but it was rumored that the prince's nephew, Crown Prince Xue Beng, had crossed a line, compelling Prince Xue Xing to call in a past favor from Dugu Bo to resolve the matter.
Following this, Dugu Bo severed ties with Prince Xue Xing, though he remained a Heaven Dou Empire protector under Emperor Xue Ye's persuasion. However, his willingness to lend support in the future would be questionable.
Prince Xue Beng's reputation in the empire suffered, with rumors circulating about his ruthlessness, manipulation, and ambition, even alleging that he was responsible for the deaths of Emperor Xue Ye's other sons to claim the throne.
At Prince Xue Xing's mansion, both the prince and Xue Beng looked grim, Xue Beng's face bearing two fresh slap marks.
Furious, Prince Xue Xing scolded, "I told you to act like a playboy, not to become one for real! Recruiting powerful figures doesn't require such shameless tactics. All you've done is create enemies, threatening not only yourself but also the empire."
It turned out that Xue Beng, following advice from one of his advisors, had attempted to recruit the formidable Grandfather Long and Grandmother Long by winning favor with their beloved granddaughter, Meng Yiran. However, when he met Meng Yiran, he couldn't resist making advances, nearly succeeding in assaulting her.
Thankfully, Grandfather Long and Grandmother Long arrived in time to intervene. Furious at the threat to their granddaughter, Grandfather Long, ignoring Xue Beng's royal status, attacked him outright.
Confident that his Spirit Hall-provided Contra could protect him, Xue Beng was shocked when Grandfather Long defeated the protector within a few moves. Only with Prince Xue Xing's intervention and Dugu Bo's assistance was the situation calmed after a fierce battle with the Longs. But the incident soured Dugu Bo's relations with the prince, leading him to break ties.
When Emperor Xue Ye heard of the debacle, he was livid, striking Xue Beng twice for ruining the empire's alliance with a Titled Douluo.
Now, Prince Xue Xing turned to Xue Beng. "Where is the advisor who suggested you approach the Longs? Where is he?"
Xue Beng replied, "He vanished after the incident. I can't find him, and even his family has disappeared."
Prince Xue Xing sighed in exasperation. "You fool! You've been used as a pawn! This was all part of someone's plan to make us expend Dugu Bo's goodwill."
"Now not only is Dugu Bo's debt to me gone, but you also owe the Spirit Hall a favor."
Xue Beng protested, "Isn't the Spirit Hall our ally? How could I owe them?"
Prince Xue Xing shook his head. "Is your royal status so important to them? The Spirit Hall's Contra was seriously injured protecting you. They'll expect repayment sooner or later."
"This incident has caused a significant loss for the empire. Even your uncle despises you now. Do you still think you have a chance at the throne?"
(End of Chapter)