"I've successfully established contact with the Common Alliance from the Sun Moon Empire side. They were quite excited when they learned we could sell soul tools made by Herta, and they eagerly reached out to us," Chang Li said, as she rescued the small fox from Lu Jingming's hands and began patiently grooming its pink fur, which Lu Jingming had ruffled. Her movements were gentle and meticulous.
"Hmm, it seems Herta's reputation has caught the attention of the Sun Moon Empire. This is to be expected, after all, the soul tool industry in the original three Douluo nations has long been stagnant, with the strongest being only level eight soul engineers.
Now, with the sudden appearance of a level nine soul engineer, it would be strange if the Sun Moon Empire didn't pay attention," Lu Jingming murmured, frowning slightly in thought.
"But then again, the Common Alliance is one of the two major underground forces in the Sun Moon Empire. Being able to establish contact with them is indeed a great thing for us.
At least in the short term, Herta won't have to worry about a shortage of soul tool metal." Lu Jingming had some understanding of the Common Alliance. In the original story, the Common Alliance was the force to which Ye Guyi, the Holy Angel, belonged.
It controlled the dining and entertainment industries in Mingdu and had the support of the Sun Moon Empire's noble circles. Competing with the Common Alliance was the Alto Chamber of Commerce.
The Alto Chamber of Commerce primarily managed dark forces such as assassins and thieves, and its backing came from the Sun Moon Empire's military.
Lu Jingming also clearly remembered that in future plot developments, Xu Tianran would also support the Duskwater Alliance, created by the Holy Spirit Sect, allowing it to join this struggle of underground forces, contending with the Common Alliance and the Alto Chamber of Commerce.
By then, the Sun Moon Empire's underground power structure would shift from a confrontation between two forces to a three-way standoff. The Imperial Family, the nobility, and the military—these three forces would balance each other, forming a subtle and stable competitive relationship.
At the current stage, with He Caitou's father on the throne, the military's influence was suppressed to some extent.
Therefore, under the current circumstances, the Common Alliance's strength was greater than that of the Alto Chamber of Commerce.
"Sister Chang Li, you must be extra careful. The leader of the Common Alliance, that woman named Shangguan Weier, is not an easy opponent; she's very cunning," Lu Jingming recalled the relevant information from the original story and couldn't help but look worried, hastily reminding Chang Li, fearing that she might accidentally be outmaneuvered by the Common Alliance's leader.
"Oh! What, do you think I'm that easy to bully, in your eyes?" Chang Li raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of playfulness in her eyes. At the same time, she slowly lowered her head.
With this movement, her proud figure was presented intimately before Lu Jingming, causing his breathing to instantly hitch and his heart rate to involuntarily quicken.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Sister knows what she's doing and will handle it carefully," Chang Li couldn't help but let out a giggle, her smile as bright and enchanting as flowers blooming in spring.
The little fox in her arms also "squeaked" continuously, waving its fluffy little paws, as if mocking Lu Jingming.
Lu Jingming looked helpless, muttering inwardly that these older sisters always enjoyed teasing him, the little shota.
Hmph, when he grew up and gained enough strength, he'd see if they still dared to act this way! Then, they'd see if he dared to "rectify them on the spot." Thinking of this, for the first time, he so eagerly wished for time to pass quickly, to shed this young body soon.
At Shrek Academy, on Seagod Island, within the tranquil Seagod Pavilion.
Yan Shaozhe, who had returned to the academy earlier, stood respectfully before a white-haired elder. The elder lay comfortably on a reclining chair, exuding a calm aura seasoned by years.
Yan Shaozhe's face was filled with reverence, his posture straight yet slightly leaning forward, indicating his extreme deference to the elder before him.
"This is the situation, Teacher. From my observations, Snow Moon Douluo has very likely broken through successfully, reaching the Extreme Realm. As for Madam Herta, though I haven't met her personally, I had the honor of bringing back her work.
To be honest, it far exceeded my imagination. I boldly speculate that Madam Herta's attainments in the soul tool field probably surpass those of the Sun Moon Empire's three great soul engineers," Yan Shaozhe's words were sincere, his eyes revealing astonishment and admiration for what he had witnessed.
Upon hearing this, the elder on the reclining chair slowly opened his eyes. In an instant, a sharp gleam flashed and disappeared, like a meteor streaking across the night sky, making one feel the elder's hidden power.
The elder nodded slightly, sighing softly, "Is that so? To make such a firm judgment, it must be true. I just wonder, which reclusive sect does this mysterious Snow Moon Douluo come from?"
After a brief pause, the elder continued, "However, in the long run, her and Herta's appearance is a good thing for us.
Nowadays, the Sun Moon Empire is far ahead of our original Douluo Continent in terms of soul tools. Herta's existence might help us narrow this gap and bring new opportunities for the development of soul tools on the continent."
Then, the elder's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes: "There's just one thing I don't understand: why are they both willing to remain in that small Haiyuan City, wholeheartedly assisting a boy who is only eight years old? What is so special about this young man?"
Yan Shaozhe pondered for a moment, then respectfully replied, "Besides his astonishing talent, this young man's mind is also quite mature, appearing somewhat precocious. However, apart from that, I haven't discovered anything else special about him yet."
"Very well, Haiyuan City is also a force within the Star Luo Empire, which is much better than having ties with the Sun Moon Empire." This white-haired elder was the current Seagod Pavilion Master, Yan Shaozhe's esteemed teacher—Dragon God Douluo Mu En.
He was one of the few remaining Extreme Douluo on the Douluo Continent, and his name represented supreme authority and power in this land.
"By the way, how is that girl Xiaotao doing now?" Mu En was clearly more concerned with the growth of the academy's younger generation than with complex power struggles.
After all, Shrek Academy was facing a generation gap, with very few outstanding students. Besides Ma Xiaotao, who had been plagued by evil fire, only Han Ruoruo, the leader of this generation's Shrek Seven Monsters, showed some potential.
However, compared to true top-tier geniuses, Han Ruoruo was still slightly inferior. Now that Ma Xiaotao's evil fire problem had been resolved, Mu En saw a glimmer of hope.