Douluo: Yun Ming in the Spirit Hall Era

Chapter 26 Soto City

Zhu Zhuqing was startled by Yun Ming's sudden tears. She didn't understand why he reacted so strongly to her mere mention of Shrek Academy. Could it be that Shrek Academy had touched upon some painful memory for him? Zhu Zhuqing softened her usually cold voice and spoke cautiously.

"Yunming, are you alright?"

Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's slightly worried question, Yun Ming struggled out of the surging emotions in his chest. It took him a while to calm down completely. Wiping away his tears, Yun Ming fell into deep thought.

He was recalling, trying to remember if he had had any other similar inexplicable experiences over the years. Aside from the scenes he saw when his Martial Soul awakened, and the extra fragments of memory and emotional outburst he experienced when mentioning that academy, the only thing he couldn't explain was the strange cultivation technique he had spontaneously activated during his meditation practice: "Reigning Supreme." His spear technique and spirit rings were too obscure, and Yun Ming, being intelligent enough, simply attributed it to his talent. But a technique like "Reigning Supreme" couldn't be created with just talent; there must be something else Yun Ming didn't know.

While the images of "Ruling the World" and those in his mind cannot be verified, there is one more point that can be explored: "Shrek Academy"!

He now wants to figure out what exactly this "Shrek Academy" is and what its significance is to him.

He had never had any contact with anyone or anything from this academy before, so why did just hearing a name cause him to lose control of his emotions? Yun Xiangming wanted to figure out the reason and also wanted to see if he could unravel the mystery surrounding him through this academy.

Yun Ming asked Zhu Zhuqing with a serious expression.

"Can you tell me everything you know about Shrek Academy?"

Seeing Yun Ming's serious expression as he spoke, Zhu Zhuqing was curious about why he was looking for this academy. However, she felt it was perfectly acceptable to tell Yun Ming what she knew, especially since she already owed him a debt of gratitude and didn't know how to repay it yet! Zhu Zhuqing answered Yun Ming and told him everything she knew.

"good!"

"Shrek Academy is located in the Kingdom of Barak, in the city of Soto. It is said to be a very unique academy."

Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment, her pretty face slightly flushed, and continued speaking.

"I don't know much either, that's all."

At this point, Zhu Zhuqing felt a little embarrassed. It seemed she had known far too little information. How could she have dared to head north to the Heavenly Dou Empire with such limited information? (Forced by a life-or-death crisis)

"It's alright, that's enough! Thank you!" Yun Ming replied.

Yun Ming felt it was alright. With the specific address information, things would be much easier. He was definitely going to Shrek Academy sooner or later.

After thinking it over, Yun Ming decided that three days later, once Zhu Zhuqing had fully recovered from her injuries, they would set off for Soto City to find Shrek Academy.

three days later

Yun Ming stood in front of the carriage and looked at Zhu Zhuqing beside him.

"Are you really going to Shrek Academy to see your fiancé? If you see him, your life, which has just started to calm down, might be forced back into the vortex of the past."

Zhu Zhuqing understood Yun Ming's meaning. Her meeting with her fiancé meant she might reappear in the Xingluo Dai family's sights. He was the heir to the throne, which was different from Zhu Zhuqing, who was a prospective princess consort. After all, they weren't married. A princess consort could be changed, but a prince couldn't be changed either!

The Star Luo Royal Family couldn't possibly ignore her fiancé's situation! Zhu Zhuqing knew the consequences, but she still wanted to see how that person was doing after abandoning her. Her reason for coming out this time was because of that person; she wanted to know if it was worth it.

"I'm going!" Zhu Zhuqing replied firmly. Whether it was the inertia of fate or not, Zhu Zhuqing still headed towards Shrek Academy.

Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing had made up her mind, Yun Ming said no more.

"Get in the car!"

The two then boarded the carriage, which headed towards the Kingdom of Barak and the city of Soto, embarking on a new journey.

The Kingdom of Barak is located south of the Heaven Dou Empire, bordering the Province of Fasno. While it's called a kingdom, its area is only three-quarters the size of the neighboring Province of Fasno, which is directly under the Heaven Dou Empire. It is one of the four major kingdoms within the Heaven Dou Empire's territory. King Kundra of Barak is the cousin of the current King Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The Barak Kingdom is located in the south, directly bordering the Star Luo Empire. Therefore, among the four kingdoms of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Barak Kingdom has the strongest military force and can be considered the gateway to the Heaven Dou Empire.

The Heavenly Dou Empire originally had ten provinces, but with the division into four kingdoms, six powers emerged. The empire directly controlled five provinces, while each of the four kingdoms controlled one. There was also a duchy, second only to the kingdoms, which occupied the smallest province in the eastern part of the empire.

On the surface, the four kingdoms and duchies are all under the rule of the Heavenly Dou Empire, but in reality, these five countries have become states within its borders, possessing complete autonomy except for necessary tribute. If it weren't for the Heavenly Dou royal family controlling a large military force, internal turmoil might have already erupted.

The Star Luo Empire also has a similar power structure, but unlike the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire has a much stronger control over its subordinate forces due to the support of its royal family.

I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.

The Star Luo Dai family's overt "winner-takes-all" succession system, while making the heirs struggle for survival daily, also ensured that very few of their Star Luo emperors were truly incompetent. This greatly reduced the probability of a tyrannical ruler, and in most cases, they were able to choose someone above average.

The royal families of the Heaven Dou and Star Luo empires are like their respective ancestral spirits: Heaven Dou's swan spirit is all show and no substance, while Star Luo's white tiger spirit truly possesses the aura of a kingly race in governance. If it weren't for the growing power of the Spirit Hall in recent years, Star Luo would have long ago launched an attack on Heaven Dou, initiating a war to unify the continent!

The Kingdom of Barak has two most important cities. One is Barak City, the capital of King Kundera, which is the political and economic center of the entire kingdom. The other city is Soto, the granary of Barak, located in the heart of the richest plain in the kingdom, Lima.

Both cities are heavily guarded and of vital importance to the entire kingdom.

A day later, Yun Ming opened the carriage window and looked at the tall city walls before him, and beyond those walls, the streets were even more bustling than those of Yinchuan City. His heart sank. They had arrived! Soto City!!!

Zhu Zhuqing's expression was also off, because her so-called fiancé was right there. Zhu Zhuqing was feeling very conflicted and uneasy.

Upon arriving in Soto City, Yunming instructed the driver to take the carriage to the best hotel in the city before letting him leave.

P.S.: Requesting monthly votes and recommendations.

(End of this chapter)