Chapter 40: Arrival at Radiant City (1 / 1)
The gale whistled, and the sea of clouds churned. Bear Lord's massive dark-gold body was like a meteor tearing through the sky, carrying Lin Yu and Gu Yuena toward the nation shimmering with metal and soul tool light at the western edge of the continent—the Sun Moon Empire.
Below them, lush forests and winding rivers were gradually replaced by orderly farmland, wide soul-rail tracks, and towns scattered like stars. The closer they drew to the west, the more distinct the fluctuations of soul power in the air became; it lacked the wild majesty of the Star Duo Great Forest and possessed more of a sense of precise order and the cold aura of metal.
"Roar! Master, Radiant City is just ahead! So many man-made lights, even more than the stars!" Bear Lord let out a low, muffled roar, his massive bear eyes looking down with curiosity at the brilliant sea of light on the distant horizon.
It was a magnificent sight composed of countless soul lamps, soul screens, and vast building complexes—the pinnacle symbol of human soul tool technological civilization. Radiant City, the heart of the Sun Moon Empire, was also the location of the soul tool technology sacred land: the Illustrious Virtue Hall.
Lin Yu stood with his hands behind his back on Bear Lord's broad back, his golden eyes calmly scanning the steel metropolis. His gaze pierced through the surface prosperity, as if he could clearly see the ambitions and undercurrents surging in the depths of the city.
Gu Yuena stood silently beside him, her silver hair unmoving despite the high-speed flight. Her purple eyes were as deep as an abyss, reflecting the brightly lit city below. That nearly invisible blush at the edge of her ears appeared even more hidden under the shifting light and shadow, yet it proclaimed the ripples from that "date" not long ago which had not yet fully subsided.
"Do you sense that scent?" Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of undetectable amusement. He wasn't asking Bear Lord, but speaking to Gu Yuena beside him. "Pure, undisguised, extreme greed for power and the desire for control... This is the Sun Moon Empire."
Gu Yuena did not respond, but a glimmer flashed in the depths of her purple eyes. She could naturally sense it. At the core of this city surged an energy that was vast, precise, aggressive, and full of expansionist desire—completely different from the primitive vitality of the Star Duo Great Forest, yet equally powerful. This energy was called soul tool technology, another form of interpretation and utilization of the world's rules after human civilization reached a certain level.
"Restrain your aura, Bear Lord," Lin Yu commanded flatly. "We aren't here to tear down houses... at least not for now."
"Yes, Master!" The ferocious aura on Bear Lord's body quickly retracted. His massive body even brought about a slight spatial ripple during flight, skillfully blending into the night like a moving shadow, silently gliding down to land at a relatively secluded edge of a soul beast forest on the outskirts of Radiant City.
Once their feet hit the ground, Lin Yu's gaze remained locked on the brightly lit city in the distance. He turned his head slightly toward Gu Yuena, that trademark rogue-like smile appearing once more: "The Spirit Pagoda—the cornerstone capable of prying apart the ten-thousand-year-old blood feud between the continent's Soul Masters and Soul Beasts. Its first brick will be laid here."
He deliberately paused, his gaze lingering on Gu Yuena's flawless yet frost-cold face. "As the future Pagoda Master, my Miss Bodyguard, do you have any brilliant insights?"
"Pagoda Master?" Gu Yuena's cold voice rang out, carrying a trace of undetectable stiffness and resistance. This title being tossed out so easily and even mockingly by Lin Yu made her feel instinctively uncomfortable. It gave her a faint sense of being seen through or even "arranged." She gave Lin Yu a cold side-glance. "Who wants it."
"Tsk, saying one thing and meaning another." Lin Yu chuckled, indifferent to her cold words.
Gu Yuena's silver teeth bit down imperceptibly, and that pink blush seemed to have a tendency to spread toward her cheeks. She abruptly turned her head away, leaving Lin Yu with only a cold and beautiful profile. "Boring! Tell me your plan."
"The plan is simple, yet also the most difficult." Lin Yu retracted his smile, his golden eyes becoming deep and sharp. "We need a catalyst—one sufficient to shock the Illustrious Virtue Hall and make them willing to pave the way for us."
He looked at Gu Yuena, his gaze burning. "The core of soul tool technology is the application of energy and spirit. And Spirit Souls are natural carriers of spiritual and soul energy. When soul tools encounter Spirit Souls, the sparks of that collision will be enough to ignite an entire era."
"So?" Gu Yuena finally turned back, her purple eyes flashing with the light of contemplation. She understood Lin Yu's intention—not to beg for cooperation, but to awe, to subvert!
"So, we need to find someone."
"Who?"
"Take a guess."
Gu Yuena: "..."
Bear Lord's massive dark-gold figure vanished into the night, flying toward the direction Lin Yu specified—an area on the outskirts of Radiant City with abnormal energy fluctuations—under the guise of "investigating potential threats and gathering intelligence."
Only Lin Yu and Gu Yuena remained. The forest on the edge of Radiant City fell silent. The distant city's bustle and the neon of soul lamps acted as a backdrop, illuminating the two of them.
Lin Yu clapped his hands, as if he had simply sent away a bothersome bodyguard. His trademark rogue-like smile naturally surfaced as he turned to the silver-haired, purple-eyed woman.
"Alright, the nuisance has been sent away." Lin Yu's tone was relaxed, his golden eyes shimmering in the night as he looked at Gu Yuena. "Now, it's time for business."
Gu Yuena's purple eyes narrowed slightly, her cold gaze sweeping over Lin Yu. "Business? To the Illustrious Virtue Hall?"
"No rush." Lin Yu waved his hand, walking toward the densest cluster of lights in Radiant City with a composed air, his pace leisurely as if he were truly just taking a post-meal stroll. "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. The Illustrious Virtue Hall is the target, but Radiant City itself is the soil that nurtures it. To establish ourselves here and found the Spirit Pagoda, we have to first understand the local customs, the degree of soul tool application, and see exactly how far they've come and what resources or people can be used, right?"
He spoke with logic and evidence, looking entirely like he was acting with careful consideration for the big picture. Investigating the city's situation and gathering intelligence were indeed necessary steps.
Gu Yuena's brow furrowed slightly; it seemed to make sense, but she also felt something wasn't quite right. However, Lin Yu's sense of purpose was always clear, so she temporarily suppressed that odd feeling and followed a step behind him in silence. Her silver hair flowed like a waterfall, unmoving in the night wind, while her purple eyes warily observed the surroundings, fulfilling her duty as a bodyguard—even if this "bodyguard" status had long since become somewhat subtle.
Thus, one after the other, the two stepped into the prosperous edge of Radiant City. Unlike the primitivity of the Star Duo Great Forest, the antiquity of Shrek City, or the savagery of the Body Sect, Radiant City hit them with a cold, efficient sense of the future.