Douluo: The Throne of Ice

Chapter 18: Great Ups and Downs, Shifting Landscape of the Continent

Shu Yan felt that this trip was quite eventful, with many ups and downs.

Yes, this dramatic rise and fall is exactly what it sounds like.

Has anyone ever experienced a high-speed fall from a height of 10,000 meters without any protective measures?

Very few people have probably experienced such a thrilling feeling. Of course, having gone through this experience, Shu Yan has become one of the many who have gone through it.

In the forests on the edge of the far north, streams formed from melting snow flowed gently, the forest was lush with flowers and grass, and the breath of life was constantly rising. Many small soul beasts ran by in groups, a sight never before seen in the far north.

Shu Yan leaned against a small tree about the size of a bowl, his face ashen. His stomach churned, and the extreme shock of the fall still made him feel disoriented. For a moment, he couldn't even speak.

Not far behind, the Snow Empress looked helplessly at the Ice Empress, reached out and tapped her forehead before saying:

"You... you're always causing me trouble. He's just a Soul King. If it weren't for his extraordinary physical strength, he might not be able to withstand your torment."

Hyotei kicked at a pebble on the ground, pouted, and said with a hint of grievance:

"How was I supposed to know he had such a low tolerance? He just went bungee jumping a few times with me, and I accidentally threw him a little far away. How was I supposed to know he would..."

Xue Di was so angry she felt helpless. She already knew that Bing Di liked to tease Shu Yan. Whenever the two of them got together, there was bound to be a verbal battle. But this was the first time they had gotten into such a situation. Now, Xue Di could only hope that Shu Yan would not hold it against Bing Di. Otherwise, she would be caught in the middle and she would probably have a terrible headache.

……

After resting for about half an hour, Shu Yan finally recovered somewhat. The Ice Emperor seemed to realize her mistake and stopped flying with Shu Yan, instead letting the Snow Emperor take over the Ice Emperor's position.

The three of them are currently within the territory of the Heavenly Soul Empire. The area near the far north has always been sparsely populated, with most people living in cities and few scattered villages or towns. However, once they leave the far north, the scenery here is completely different. Ice Emperor is curiously looking around along the way, while Snow Emperor, although not as exaggerated as Ice Emperor, is always lingering on the nearby scenery.

Shu Yan's thoughts gradually calmed down. Looking at the vast, seemingly boundless land beneath his feet, a strange feeling arose in his heart.

After the war of the gods ended ten thousand years ago, the territory that originally belonged to the Spirit Hall was divided between the two great empires, and the entire continent gradually returned to peace.

But a hundred years later, the seven gods ascended to the divine realm. Without the gods' suppression, over time, some people with ulterior motives reappeared in the open.

In this respect, the two former empires faced the same predicament and troubles.

After the kingdoms within the empire grew stronger, they frequently experienced unrest, and corruption once again swept through the entire noble class, even more severely than in the era when the gods suppressed it.

In other words, the corruption of the nobility in the Heaven Dou Empire did not appear suddenly. It was a deep-rooted flaw that had been passed down since Tang San's time, and its complete resurgence was simply expected.

Against this backdrop, ordinary people once again lived in dire straits, with numerous uprisings and rebellions across the land, affecting almost both empires. For a time, the entire continent was littered with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, as if the entire continent had been ravaged and lost its former vitality.

The war lasted for nearly a century before it finally subsided. However, the original two great empires were split into three due to the war. The Star Luo Empire remained unscathed, while the Heaven Dou Empire split into the Heaven Soul Empire and the Fighting Spirit Empire.

Unlike the tragic end of the Heavenly Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire paid a heavy price for quelling the rebellions in the kingdoms within its borders during that war, but at least the cost was kept within an acceptable range. However, during the war, the original royal bloodline of the White Tiger Dai family was almost completely wiped out. Forced by reality and helplessness, the Star Luo emperor of that generation voluntarily abdicated the throne to the Star Crown Sect, which had made significant contributions to the war of quelling the rebellion. The current sect leader of the sect succeeded to the throne of the Star Luo emperor. From then on, there was no longer a royal Dai family in the world, only the Star Luo White Tiger Duke Dai family.

What happened next was quite simple: the Sun Moon Continent and the Douluo Continent collided and merged, causing the continent's area to double. A brand-new Soul Master system appeared for the first time in the eyes of the people of the original three kingdoms of the Douluo Continent. Various conflicts and problems between the empires also resurfaced. The continent, which had finally achieved a brief period of stability, was once again engulfed in bloodshed and plunged into the quagmire of war.

But the final outcome is now clear.

During the brief period of unity among the three kingdoms of the original Douluo Continent, the Sun Moon Empire was defeated, and the new continent was named Douluo Continent. The war slowly came to an end, and the four great empires faced each other in a stalemate once again. This stalemate lasted for nearly four thousand years, until now...

Just as Shu Yan was still lost in thought, he suddenly heard Xue Di's gentle voice:

"There's a human city not far ahead. Shall we go down and take a look?"

Shu Yan looked up and gazed into the distance. Through the low, verdant mountains, he indeed saw a small town on the distant plains.

After thinking for a moment, Shu Yan said:

"Let's go down and take a look. It'll be a good opportunity to familiarize you with the human world beforehand, so you don't cause any trouble when we get to a megacity like Star Luo City with a population of over ten million."

Shu Yan himself didn't realize that his words were actually somewhat ambiguous.

But Xue Di just smiled silently after hearing this, as if she didn't care, and simply hummed in agreement.

Shu Yan himself belatedly realized what was happening and quickly explained it to Xue Di in a low voice. Xue Di offered a few words of comfort and then said nothing more.

The three figures streaked through the air at high speed, then landed on a road less than two miles from the city gate and walked on foot into the city.

Hyotei was still in high spirits, skipping and hopping at the front. Her dark green high heels made a series of crisp sounds on the hard pavement. Her waist-length dark green hair was tied into pigtails by someone, and at first glance, she looked as pure and lovely as a girl next door.

Of course, this girl is really an extreme narcissist and a polar bear, so here we have to use an old saying: don't judge a book by its cover! Otherwise, she'll suffer a great loss sooner or later...

Xue Di slightly concealed her aloof and detached aura, like a goddess descending to earth, but she still exuded a faint chill that was enough to make anyone stand still and remember her for a lifetime with just a stolen glance.

Shu Yan didn't care. Although he rarely went out when he was in Xingluo City, he had been to many bustling metropolises in his previous life. Although the three of them attracted nearly 90% of the attention on the road in this small town, it was still far less than in his previous life or when he was in Xingluo City.

Shortly after the three paid their way into the city, darkness began to fall, and the city lights gradually brightened. The moonlight, obscured by dark clouds, appeared somewhat dim. Night always arrives so conveniently...

……

P.S.: Tomorrow is Tuesday, please make sure you read both chapters to the end!! Please, if you finish reading by tomorrow, we can start the first round this week. It all depends on you all, thank you so much!

I'm constantly asking for various things (to follow the story, add it to your favorites, invest in it, give it a recommendation, and vote for it monthly).

(End of this chapter)