Chapter 95: Li Huang Douluo

Based on the importance of the Soul Master Grand Competition to the major empires, and from a generally rational perspective, the Star Luo Empire's imperial family would never easily agree to hold the event in Haiyuan City.

However, Lu Jingming believed one thing: so-called bottom lines and principles often simply meant insufficient benefits.

As long as he could offer tempting enough advantages to sway the Star Luo imperial family, there was nothing that couldn't be achieved. With appropriate displays of power and intimidation supplementing his offers, Lu Jingming was confident in achieving his current objective.

"Brother Jingming, you truly never visit unless you need something, and every time you seek me out, you bring me a difficult task!" As Lu Jingming and Chang Li walked through the bustling Star Luo Plaza and arrived at the Imperial City gate, Xu Jiujiu had already been waiting for a long time, with the white-haired Nebula Douluo Manyi standing silently beside her.

"It's been a while, Sister Jiujiu, you've become even more beautiful and captivating," Lu Jingming said with a gentle smile, pretending not to notice the faint hint of resentment in Xu Jiujiu's eyes, praising her sincerely.

Now eighteen years old, Xu Jiujiu had shed her former youthful innocence. Her figure had become taller and more graceful, with alluring curves, approaching perfection in every aspect.

Her exquisite and peerless face, like a meticulously sculpted work of art from the heavens, exuded an allure that could topple nations with every glance and smile, truly befitting the esteemed princess of the Star Luo Empire.

"You're the same, Brother Jingming; you've already grown taller than me!" Xu Jiujiu was accustomed to receiving compliments on her beauty. However, when these praises came from Lu Jingming, who held a special place in her heart, a different kind of ripple stirred within her.

Years had flown by, and just as she had matured and transformed through the crucible of time, Lu Jingming had also undergone earth-shattering changes. Though still young, he had already surpassed Xu Jiujiu in height, his posture becoming even more upright and handsome, exuding an air of nobility in his every movement.

Among the many young talents Xu Jiujiu had met in the Star Luo Empire, Lu Jingming's appearance alone was enough to make him stand out, truly unique. Moreover, he possessed astonishing strength and unparalleled talent. All of these factors combined made Lu Jingming's standing in Xu Jiujiu's heart far surpass that of those so-called elite noble scions.

"This time, you've really given me a tough problem, little brother," Xu Jiujiu said, frowning slightly, her expression filled with difficulty. Recalling the message Lu Jingming had sent her in advance, she felt a headache coming on.

As a princess of the empire, she was well aware of the empire's situation and various affairs, naturally understanding the importance of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition to the empire.

This competition was held every five years, with the four great empires taking turns hosting it. This meant that each empire only had one chance to host it every twenty years.

Such a major event involved intricate webs of interests and deeply entrenched forces. The Star Luo Empire was not a place where their Star Crown lineage held absolute sway. Even if she wished to help Lu Jingming, she was truly powerless; even her imperial brother could not decide such a matter alone.

"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you, Sister Jiujiu. You just need to help me meet His Majesty the Emperor; I have my own way to persuade him," Lu Jingming quickly said.

He never intended to trouble Xu Jiujiu. Although Xu Jiujiu held a respected position, she was, after all, only a princess, not a crown prince with real authority, so there were many things she couldn't do.

"Sister truly underestimated you. You keep giving me more and more surprises," Xu Jiujiu said with a radiant smile. Lu Jingming's performance over the years had indeed given her many surprises, especially the rapid development of Haiyuan City, which she had been closely following with great admiration.

"This must be Crown Li Huang, right? Jiujiu apologizes for the rudeness!" Suddenly, Xu Jiujiu seemed to remember something and quickly bowed respectfully to Chang Li, who was beside Lu Jingming, her face filled with apology. She had been so focused on catching up with Lu Jingming that she had neglected Chang Li, which made her annoyed with herself. She muttered inwardly, "Brother Jingming distracted me!"

Xu Jiujiu had heard of Chang Li's great name long ago. In recent years, Chang Li had also made appearances, proving to be a powerful Titled Douluo, revered by the outside world as Li Huang Douluo.

Xu Jiujiu greatly admired this powerful individual who effectively managed Haiyuan City. Not only did Chang Li possess extraordinary personal strength, but she also transformed Haiyuan City from an obscure coastal town into the second-largest city in the Star Luo Empire. Although many factors contributed to this, Chang Li's efforts were indispensable.

"It's fine. Princess, you are A-Ming's sister, so you can just call me Sister Chang Li from now on," Chang Li said softly, a gentle smile on her face.

Xu Jiujiu had provided many conveniences for Haiyuan City's development while in the imperial capital. Having such a princess endorse Haiyuan City helped resolve many previously tricky issues. For this reason, Chang Li had a good impression of this princess whom she was meeting for the first time.

"Okay, Sister Chang Li. My imperial brother already knows that you and Brother Jingming are coming and has prepared a banquet," Xu Jiujiu, being incredibly intelligent and quick-witted, immediately changed her address without any awkwardness, calling out "Sister Chang Li" with particular sweetness. Just as she had decisively recognized Lu Jingming as her younger brother, this princess was adept at social interactions that bridged distances and fostered relationships.

Chang Li appeared extremely young and beautiful, looking only a few years older than Xu Jiujiu. This made Xu Jiujiu instinctively overlook Chang Li's status as a Titled Douluo, and she intimately linked arms with Chang Li, leading both of them into the imperial palace.

"Grandma Manyi, long time no see." Lu Jingming looked at Chang Li and Xu Jiujiu walking ahead, like inseparable sisters, secretly clicking his tongue in admiration. Then, he turned his gaze to the Nebula Douluo Manyi, who had been silently following behind them.

"Little Lu has also become increasingly outstanding. I've heard that your Haiyuan City is developing very well. Her Royal Highness talks about you every day in front of me. If you have time, come visit her more often," Manyi said, looking at Lu Jingming with warm eyes full of praise. She was actually very satisfied with Lu Jingming; his conditions in all aspects perfectly matched Xu Jiujiu. The only minor drawback was that this child rarely came to Star Luo City.

Although Xu Jiujiu held a noble status as a princess, this also meant she lost much of her freedom. Unless necessary, she rarely had the opportunity to leave Star Luo City. While Lu Jingming and Xu Jiujiu occasionally met in the simulated universe, how could a virtual world compare to reality? Only real-life meetings and genuine touch could deepen their feelings, saving her, an old woman, from constant worry.

Of course, the simulated universe, personally maintained by Herta, had already reached an astonishing level. In it, spiritual bodies could possess nearly real touch and perception. Whether it was the gentle caress of a breeze or the texture of objects, everything could be clearly felt, with minimal difference from the real world. Yet, despite this, most people still felt that the simulated universe was ultimately virtual. Even with the most realistic details, it always lacked that "real" sensation that truly touched the heart, as if separated by an invisible, thin film, preventing complete immersion.

Facing Grandma Manyi's urging, Lu Jingming smiled widely and readily agreed without a second thought. However, despite his words, whether he could actually achieve it in the future remained uncertain.

Lu Jingming felt that there wasn't much difference between meeting in the simulated universe and meeting in reality. In the simulated universe, they could still meet, chat, and deepen their relationship, and it wasn't bound by time and space, making it more convenient.

Under Xu Jiujiu's guidance, Lu Jingming and Chang Li soon entered a palace deep within the imperial palace. The Star Luo Empire's imperial palace was magnificent, with an extremely opulent architectural style.

Every decoration and every carving exuded luxury, showcasing the majesty and nobility of the imperial family. As he walked, Lu Jingming noticed some soul tool creations subtly integrated into the architectural decorations, adding a touch of technology to the ancient palace.

Clearly, the Star Luo Empire had keenly perceived the immense potential of soul tools and had begun to invest effort and resources in this area. This awareness and foresight were, at the very least, much earlier than the neighboring Heaven Dou Empire and Dou Spirit Empire.

However, Lu Jingming knew in his heart that it was already too late. The development of soul tool technology was a long and arduous process. The Star Luo Empire was already centuries behind the Sun Moon Empire in this regard.

Such an enormous gap could never be easily bridged by a sudden burst of effort. In the field of soul tools, without the emergence of a genius like Herta, who transcended eras with unparalleled talent, it would be harder for the Star Luo Empire to catch up to the Sun Moon Empire than ascending to the heavens.

But from another perspective, the more the Star Luo Empire valued soul tools, the more confidence Lu Jingming had. After all, when it came to soul tool technology, if Herta claimed to be second, no one else on the entire Douluo Continent would dare claim to be first, not even the renowned Silver Moon Douluo Kong Deming himself. 

With this in mind, Lu Jingming already had a plan. Since the Star Luo Empire yearned to make achievements in soul tools, he could leverage this demand to cooperate with the empire and achieve mutual benefit.

Chang Li also keenly sensed this, and the smile on her face grew even brighter.

Entering the side hall of the palace, they saw a dignified yet gentle-looking middle-aged man sitting opposite a thin, eagle-eyed old man by the window. As soon as Lu Jingming and the others entered, the middle-aged man in golden robes and the eagle-eyed old man in black robes simultaneously cast their gazes over.

"Imperial Brother, Elder Ying, I've brought Brother Jingming and Sister Chang Li," Xu Jiujiu's clear voice rang out as soon as she stepped into the main hall. From Xu Jiujiu's address, Lu Jingming instantly knew their identities. The middle-aged man in the luxurious golden robe was undoubtedly Xu Jiujiu's older brother, the current Emperor of the Star Luo Empire—Star Crown Douluo Xu Jiawei.

As for the eagle-eyed old man referred to as Elder Ying, Lu Jingming also knew something about him. He was Song Ying, the Sky Eagle Douluo, whose martial soul was the Six-Winged Sky Eagle.

He was a Level 97 Super Douluo, serving as the Grand Elder of the Star Luo Imperial Family's Consecrated Hall and also one of the Protector Douluo.

Sky Eagle Douluo could be called the strongest Titled Douluo in the Star Luo Empire, and it was no exaggeration to say he was a pillar of the nation. He was over two hundred years old, truly an old relic; even Xu Jiawei had to be respectful in his presence.

At this moment, this legendary figure of the Star Luo Empire was staring intently at Chang Li, his eagle-like pupils rapidly contracting, his face filled with shock.

I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!

p@treon HongMengZi