After Dugu Yan finished absorbing her fourth soul ring, the group wasted no time lingering.
Once they left the Poisonous Swamp, they climbed back into the carriages.
The journey back to Heaven Dou City was long. At the carriage's pace, it was estimated to take nearly two months.
Fortunately, no one was in a hurry. After planning a rough route, they set off towards Heaven Dou City.
Xu Yang sat inside the carriage, examining a massive map spread out before him. It was a map taken from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, almost a complete representation of the entire continent. After absorbing the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, his spiritual power had reached the level of a Soul Douluo, and his memory far surpassed what it used to be—now clearer than ever, with vivid recollections of his previous life.
"I didn't expect the Douluo Continent to have four great seas. If I remember correctly, according to the original story, the Douluo Continent and the Sun Moon Continent together make up only about 30% of the entire Douluo Star's landmass. The remaining 70% is ocean."
"And as for Sea God Island, it should be located in the western sea. With such a vast expanse of water, did the Sea God truly unite all of it? Or was it just the western seas?"
Gazing at Hanhai City, located at the westernmost edge of the Heaven Dou Empire on the map, Xu Yang fell into contemplation.
He hadn't realized it before, but now he was struck by the realization. The original novel barely covered the continent's geography, leaving most regions—especially the other seas, and the southern and eastern parts—shrouded in mystery.
Currently, they were in the Nia Kingdom, a subordinate kingdom of the Star Luo Empire. Though small in size, it was economically prosperous and situated near the southern sea, giving the region a distinct tropical rainforest climate.
The air was humid, temperatures were mild, and the sunlight was abundant.
"With so many Titled Douluo possessing hundred-thousand-year soul rings in Douluo II, could it be that these century-old soul beasts are hidden in unexplored areas?"
Especially the islands scattered across the oceans—if left uninhabited, the soul beasts there would have few natural enemies and could grow in strength undisturbed, easily reaching the hundred-thousand-year mark. The vast oceans likely housed countless soul beasts, far beyond imagination.
And in Douluo II, the advanced soul tool technology developed after the merger with the Sun Moon Empire provided the capability to explore the seas.
"Xu Yang, what are you thinking about?" Dugu Yan, seated nearby, noticed Xu Yang's intense focus on the map and asked curiously.
"Nothing really—just wondering what's on the other side of the ocean," Xu Yang responded, snapping out of his thoughts with a smile.
"Brat, don't get too curious about the ocean. It's far more dangerous than you think," Gu Rong warned. "The Upper Three Sects and the two empires have all considered exploring the seas, but very few ever return. Even sea spirit masters struggle."
"Why is that, Grandpa Gu?" Xu Yang asked.
"Because of sea soul beasts—especially in regions far from the mainland. Out there, the soul beast populations are larger, and their strength is far greater. Without established sea routes, finding a safe passage is a gamble with your life."
"Both empires have sacrificed over a thousand soul masters and nearly ten thousand soldiers, only to establish a single short route. Seeing this, the leaders concluded that exploring the ocean wasn't worth the cost, so they abandoned the idea."
"Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect once considered it too, but the result was the same."
Hearing Gu Rong's explanation, Xu Yang fell silent. The sheer number and variety of sea soul beasts vastly outstripped those on land, and they were rarely hindered by sentient beings like humans. Their overall strength far surpassed that of land-based beasts. Moreover, vicious creatures like the Deep Sea Demon Whale and the Evil Spirit Tiger Whale posed a constant threat. The ocean was indeed a treacherous place.
Without ships capable of withstanding attacks from sea soul beasts, venturing into the sea was akin to suicide.
"Looks like I'll need to push for faster soul tool research. Once I'm back, I'll suggest to the teacher that we shouldn't just focus on weapon-type soul tools, but also expand into civilian applications, especially transportation," Xu Yang resolved internally.
Having made up his mind, he set the map aside and struck up a casual conversation with Dugu Yan.
Since Xu Yang had successfully crafted his soul tools and handed them to Ning Fengzhi, the sect master had begun nurturing a new generation of soul engineers. They were already producing soul tools like soul-guided rays, soul-guided propulsion systems, gravity bracelets, and soul-guided pistols, using them as foundations for further innovation.
Thanks to soul tools, Ning Fengzhi saw a new future for auxiliary-type spirit masters—no longer confined to rear-line support.
Of course, Xu Yang had whispered plenty of ideas into Ning Fengzhi's ear. He knew that for soul tool technology to flourish, collective effort was essential. Relying solely on himself to reach level six as a soul engineer would eventually hit a ceiling.
Time passed quickly. A month later, Xu Yang's days were filled with teasing Dugu Yan, seeking cultivation advice from Gu Rong and Dugu Bo, and sparring with Ning Haiyan to hone his swordsmanship.
They eventually reached Tiansui City, a small town on the border between the Fasno Province and the Star Luo Empire. Unlike Notting City, it wasn't a transportation hub. Economically and culturally, it was lacking—a poor, remote settlement.
"How much longer until we reach Tiansui City? I feel like I'm going to rot!" Dugu Yan complained, trudging through the muddy road. She hadn't bathed in two days. No one had expected their chosen route through the Star Luo Empire to be so grueling.
"Stop complaining. You picked this route yourself!" Xu Yang shot her an exasperated look, glancing at the map. "At this pace, we should be there in about an hour."
"An hour more?!" Dugu Yan collapsed against the carriage window in despair.
"Sniff, sniff…"
As the carriage rumbled forward, Xu Yang's nose twitched—he detected a faint, metallic scent of blood in the air. The further they traveled, the stronger the smell became. Initially, Gu Rong and Dugu Bo paid no attention. After all, murder and robbery were all too common in the world of soul masters.
But soon, they sensed something was off. Their brows furrowed.
"Haiyan, what's the situation outside?" Gu Rong asked.
"Master Gu, there's a village up ahead. The scent of blood is coming from there!" Ning Haiyan reported.
"Let's check it out."
"Yes!"
Ning Haiyan immediately steered the carriage toward the village. Xu Yang emerged from the carriage and sat next to Ning Haiyan, activating his Sun Golden Eyes to survey the village.
What he saw made his heart race. Through the Sun Golden Eyes, he could see sinister black mists rising from the village—an ominous and malevolent aura.
"Evil soul masters!"
The words flashed through Xu Yang's mind.