To build Saint Freya Academy, Lu Jingming spared no expense, investing hundreds of millions of Gold Soul Coins.
After all, most of the building materials used in the academy were purchased through special channels from the Sun-Moon Empire.
Especially the Mimicry Training Chamber — its construction cost was astronomical, its technology highly advanced, and its value priceless.
It would be no exaggeration to say that in terms of environment alone, Saint Freya Academy was on par with other renowned schools.
One sunny day, Lu Jingming strolled through the academy grounds, cradling the little pink-haired fox in his arms.
As he passed by the crystal-clear lake, he casually scattered some food to feed the golden carp bred there.
The carp swam happily, scrambling for the food, causing ripples to spread across the lake's surface. Afterwards, Lu Jingming made his way to the pavilion by the lakeside.
There, Jingliu was sitting quietly atop the railing, gazing thoughtfully at the shimmering water, her eyes seemingly lost in deep contemplation.
Meanwhile, Chang Li and Zhang Lexuan were seated at the stone table in the pavilion, engrossed in a game of chess. Zhang Lexuan frowned deeply, clearly struggling in the match and on the back foot.
This was only natural since her opponent was none other than Chang Li — a chess expert who had studied the game extensively.
Lu Jingming walked over to Zhang Lexuan and glanced briefly at the chessboard. Instantly, he understood that she was trapped in a dire position, with hardly any chance of turning the tide.
Zhang Lexuan sighed softly, placing her chess piece down. "As expected of Sister Chang Li. Compared to you, I still have a long way to go."
A gentle smile curved Chang Li's lips. "Your skills aren't weak — I've just spent more time studying the game and have a deeper understanding of the strategies. Compared to some people, you're already quite impressive." She gave Lu Jingming a meaningful look as she spoke the last part.
Lu Jingming felt a bit awkward and instinctively looked away.
Chang Li had once tried to teach him chess, but his mind was never in it. He had only learned the basic rules, and his skill level was embarrassingly poor.
Seeing this, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but cover her mouth to stifle a laugh. She clearly understood who Chang Li referred to as "some people."
At that moment, Jingliu quietly appeared beside Lu Jingming, her voice calm: "It seems you're ready. Let's go."
Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan quickly reminded him, "Xiaoming, the choice of your first soul ring is crucial. Be careful. And be sure to stay safe outside."
In truth, she knew well that with Jingliu by his side, his safety was guaranteed. Her reminder was more out of habit and care than genuine concern.
Chang Li waved her hand with a smile. "Go early, come back early."
She was confident in Jingliu's strength, feeling no worry at all. The powerful aura and sense of security that Jingliu exuded reassured everyone present.
The little fox suddenly jumped from Lu Jingming's arms, lightly landing in Zhang Lexuan's lap.
She clearly didn't want to leave with Lu Jingming — after all, there were no delicious fried tofu snacks outside, and she wasn't about to leave her comfort zone!
Watching the little fox so decisively abandon him, Lu Jingming's mouth twitched involuntarily. He silently complained, "That's so like you! Divine Child, selfish to the bone — milk is always the mother!"
Normally, obtaining the first soul ring wasn't difficult. Usually, one could just enter a small soul beast forest, find a soul beast with a matching attribute, and kill it.
But Lu Jingming's situation was different: he planned to absorb a first soul ring that required the beast to be a millennium old.
Millennium-old soul beasts were scarce even in ordinary soul beast forests, and finding one with the exact attributes he needed was even harder.
If he wanted to find a larger soul beast gathering place, the options were limited. Haiyuan City was a coastal city of the Xingluo Empire, quietly located on the empire's far western edge.
To the north lay the border between Xingluo and the Tianhun Empire, where the border city Fengye Prefecture stood.
To the west stretched a vast ocean, beyond which was the Sun-Moon Empire.
To the south was the border line between the Sun-Moon Empire and the Xingluo Empire — the Mingdou Mountain Range.
This mountain range was treacherous and rugged, resembling a sleeping giant dragon sprawled between the two countries.
For years, it had been a frontline military outpost where the border troops of the two empires faced off. Small-scale skirmishes erupted constantly, never ceasing.
The soldiers on both sides clashed here endlessly, fighting back and forth as if trying to beat the "dog brains" out of each other.
To the east lay the heart of the Xingluo Empire — Xingluo City. This magnificent and grand capital carried with it the glory and splendor of the Xingluo Empire's ten thousand years of history.
Setting out eastward from Haiyuan City, passing through Xingluo City, one would arrive at the Star Dou Great Forest, located in the center of the continent.
This vast forest stretched endlessly, home to countless powerful and mysterious soul beasts, making it a coveted place for soul masters to acquire soul rings.
In an ordinary world, Haiyuan City, blessed with its unique geographical position, should have had boundless prospects for development.
It possessed abundant marine resources and was adjacent to two great empires, making it naturally favorable for trade and cultural exchange. Developing on this land should have been no great challenge.
However, due to a series of historical conflicts, although no large-scale full war had broken out between the Sun-Moon Empire and the Xingluo Empire, small-scale border skirmishes had never ceased.
The border troops of the two empires faced off continuously in the Mingdou Mountain Range, with ongoing conflicts.
This tense situation prevented Haiyuan City from establishing normal maritime trade with the Sun-Moon Empire.
The neighboring Fengye Prefecture of the Tianhun Empire faced the same dilemma; both cities could only barely sustain themselves by relying on the ocean.
On the Douluo Continent, the number of sea soul beasts far exceeded that of land soul beasts. These sea beasts mostly lived in groups, rarely appearing alone.
When they did appear, they came in large, formidable packs. As a result, all coastal cities of the empires on the Douluo Continent were frequently troubled by sea soul beast invasions, suffering greatly.
Faced with these fierce sea beasts, city residents were worn out dealing with constant attacks, leaving them no time to harvest resources from the ocean to boost development.
Six years ago, Haiyuan City was such a struggling city caught in this predicament.
Among the many cities of the Xingluo Empire, it was overlooked and long plagued by frequent sea soul beast invasions, making urban development extremely difficult.
Moreover, the city lacked powerful sects or families to anchor it, leaving its overall strength comparatively weak.
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