Along the way, as the women observed the local customs and culture of the continent, the irritations in their hearts significantly diminished.
In particular, the feud between little white and Lan Nuer had also lessened considerably.
Sitting in the carriage, watching everything outside, the feeling in their hearts was indescribable.
Now, Xu Ran's strength had reached the pinnacle of the continent, and it was certain that no one could surpass him without becoming a god for countless years to come.
With such strength, Xu Ran had mixed emotions.
Perhaps it wouldn't take long before the entire Divine Realm would be at his feet.
Although he had always known this day would come, he hadn't expected it to arrive so quickly.
Now, his power surpassed all other forces. Martial Soul Hall, the two great empires, Sea God's Island, and a multitude of soul beasts from both land and sea would all revere him.
After establishing his relationship with Bi Bidong and Qian Renxue, Martial Soul Hall had essentially become an extension of his own strength. As for the two great empires, Emperor Xue Ye was on the verge of passing away. Given his relationship with Xue Ke, the Tiandou Empire would naturally become his. As for the Xingluo Empire, once he visited again, the Zhu Clan would thoroughly take control of the empire.
In this way, all the powers of the world would become his people.
Even though Xu Ran had long since lost interest in these powers, with only the Divine Realm sparking his curiosity, he would be pleased if the continent could welcome a millennium of peace.
Therefore, he wanted to unite these powers to establish the Douluo Federation. These forces had originally been independent, each with numerous grievances and entanglements. Now, being able to unite around him was indeed a good thing.
Establishing a federation was much better than unifying the continent directly.
Direct unification would require the elimination of too many major clans, and even with unification, the civilization of Douluo would fall into complete decline. What would be the point of a Martial Soul civilization without the powerful Martial Soul clans?
By establishing a federation, not only could peace be maintained, but the competition between the great forces could also be preserved.
Such an arrangement would be beneficial not only to Soul Masters, but also a great boon to the common people.
Without war, the Soul Land would enter a golden age.
Moreover, once the federation was established, Xu Ran could set rules to limit the hunting of soul beasts by Soul Masters.
Now, Xu Ran was not just human, but also a soul beast, and he naturally had to consider the Soul Beast Clan, balancing the powers of both sides to maintain relative stability across the continent.
"Moving too fast, I haven't had the chance to truly appreciate so many memorable sights," Xu Ran sighed. Xiaowu, Zhu Qing, Rongrong, Zhu Yun, Shui Bing'er, Bai Chenxiang... Countless figures flashed through his mind.
Each of them had their own story.
If only he could stay by their side and listen to them share the amusing anecdotes of their cultivation and lives. That would truly make life delightful.
But he didn't have the time.
The time they and he had spent together was not long, often hurriedly spent together before he had to leave again.
Even when he ascended to the Divine Realm, there would be plenty of time to be with them.
But by that time, they would have already shed their youthful naivety and become goddesses.
Growth comes at a cost, and when stepping too briskly, one is resigned to merely skimming over the surface.
"No matter when, we will always support you. The scenery along the way may be wonderful, but the view from the peak won't necessarily be inferior. We will all wait for you. When you stop, the scenery will be just as beautiful, no matter when you look at it," Xiaowu said, looking with a touch of pity at the vacant expression on Xu Ran's face.
She had only known Xu Ran for a few years.
But in these years, she had encountered too many things, experienced too much.
The experiences Xu Ran had in these few days were much more exciting than what others might in a lifetime.
"If I had to do it all over again, maybe I would choose to hold my precious Xiaowu every day and never let go," Xu Ran said, caressing Xiaowu's slender waist with some emotion. He could still remember the initial appearance of Zhu Qing, Xiaowu, and the others. Their youthful faces were the beginnings of stunning beauty. And now, they had already turned into truly breathtaking beauties, the greenness of youth gone, becoming gentle and virtuous wives.
What pained Xu Ran was that he had not been able to grow up with them.
Every time he left and returned, they had become a little more mature and perfect.
Xiaowu and the others from Shrek Academy were okay; he had spent a long time with them.
But for Zhu Yun, Shui Bing'er... and all the others, he simply didn't have the time to be with them.
Having won their hearts seemed like the completion of a mission. Although he still cared for them afterward, in the end, he was powerless to do much.
With so many, he didn't even know how to spend his time with them.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt he owed them.
Although they rarely showed it in front of him, grievances in private were inevitable.
"This isn't your fault. We all understand you," Xiaowu said gently.
"Once I unify the Divine Realm, I will spend quality time with all of you, forever. Then we will have endless lifespans, free to do whatever we want," Xu Ran promised. However, he worried that his feelings would gradually dull and his heart for Xiaowu and the others wouldn't be as fervent as before.
"Mm, I'll wait for you," Xiaowu said, not knowing what else to say, she hooked her arms around Xu Ran's neck and deeply kissed him.
Xu Ran kissed her back passionately.
At this moment, all his doubts were dispelled.
What was he, a grown man, hesitating about?
Having power over the world when awake and lying with beauties while drunk—wasn't that what he wanted?
Why was he feeling hesitant now that he was nearly reaching his goals?
He believed he wouldn't change, that he would give Xiaowu and the others the best. His love for them would never fade.
Even if the world changed dramatically, as long as his true heart remained the same, that was enough.
Having realized this, Xu Ran felt the pressure inside him vanish instantly.
Tiandou City.
"So this is the capital of the Tiandou Empire? Quite impressive," Poseissi and the others said looking at the gates of Tiandou City, astounded.
Even the architecture on Sea God's Island wasn't this grandiose.
At this moment, the women got off the carriage and started exploring the customs and people of Tiandou City.
With their formidable strength, all greater than that of a human Titled Douluo, they were scanning their surroundings.
The women were as beautiful as flowers, especially with Poseissi and the others exuding exotic charms not found amongst terrestrial beauties, drawing many eyes their way.
"Damn it, when did so many stunning beauties come to Tiandou City? My God! They're incredibly beautiful."
"If I could win the affections of one of them, even just to do some... things, my life would be complete."
"You? Take a good look at yourself in a piss puddle. With your pathetic self, do you even dream of getting together with these goddesses? Have you no shame?"
"Beauties of this level are just for looking. One can only hope to dream about them at night."
"Look at that handsome guy; could it be that all these beauties are with him? Damn it, why can't I have such luck with ladies?"
"Wait, that guy looks kind of familiar..."
"..."
In an instant, a crowd gathered, pointing at Xu Ran and the women, greedily eyeing Poseissi and the others, cursing Xu Ran in their hearts.