To build St. Freya Academy, Lu Jingming spared no expense, investing hundreds of millions of gold spirit coins.
After all, most of the construction materials used for the academy were acquired through special channels from the Sun Moon Empire.
Especially the Mimicry Training Chamber, which was exceptionally expensive and technologically advanced, making it priceless.
It was no exaggeration to say that in terms of academic environment alone, St. Freya Academy was no less impressive than other renowned institutions.
On this bright sunny day, Lu Jingming, holding the pink-furred little fox, strolled through the academy.
As he walked past the crystal-clear lake, he casually scattered some food to feed the golden carp domesticated in the lake.
The carp swam joyfully, vying for the food, creating ripples across the water. Afterward, Lu Jingming arrived at the lakeside pavilion.
At this moment, Jingliu sat on the pavilion's railing, silently gazing at the shimmering lake, her eyes lost in thought, seemingly pondering something.
Meanwhile, Changli and Zhang Lexuan sat by the pavilion's stone table, playing Go. Zhang Lexuan's brows were furrowed, clearly caught in a difficult situation in the game, at a disadvantage.
This was quite normal, as the one teaching her Go was none other than Changli, who was currently playing against her. Changli was highly accomplished in Go, having delved deep into its study.
Lu Jingming walked to Zhang Lexuan's side. With just a glance at the chessboard, he immediately understood that Zhang Lexuan had been pushed to a desperate situation, with the odds stacked against her and almost no chance of turning the game around.
Zhang Lexuan helplessly put down her Go piece, sighing softly. She lamented, "As expected of Sister Changli, I'm still far behind you."
Changli's lips curled slightly, revealing a gentle smile. She said, "Your Go skills aren't weak; it's just that I've studied longer and have a deeper understanding of the game. Compared to some people, you're already quite good." As she finished, she gave Lu Jingming a meaningful glance.
Lu Jingming immediately felt a bit awkward, subconsciously shifting his gaze away.
Changli had once tried to teach him Go, but his mind was completely elsewhere. He only learned the basic rules, and as for his actual skill, it was simply too embarrassing to mention.
Seeing this, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. She naturally knew who Changli was referring to as "some people."
Just then, Jingliu, who had quietly arrived beside Lu Jingming at some point, spoke softly, "It seems you are ready. Let's go then."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan quickly urged, "Xiaoming, the choice of your first soul ring is crucial, be sure to be cautious. Also, remember to be safe outside." In her heart, she knew that with Jingliu by Lu Jingming's side, safety was naturally not a concern. Her warning was merely out of habitual concern.
Changli also smiled and waved, cheerfully saying, "Go and return quickly."
She had full confidence in Jingliu's strength, thus feeling no worry whatsoever. The powerful aura and sense of security radiating from Jingliu put everyone completely at ease.
"Ying!" The little fox seemed to sense that Lu Jingming was about to leave, instantly leaping from his arms and gracefully landing in Zhang Lexuan's embrace.
She didn't want to leave with Lu Jingming; after all, there was no delicious fried tofu to eat outside, and she certainly didn't want to step out of her comfort zone!
Watching the little fox unhesitatingly abandon him, Lu Jingming's mouth twitched uncontrollably. He silently grumbled, "Just like you, Miko! Truly scummy to the core—whoever gives food is mother!"
Normally, acquiring a first soul ring isn't difficult. Logically speaking, one merely needs to find a suitable soul beast in a small soul beast forest and hunt it down.
However, Lu Jingming's situation was different; he planned to absorb a first soul ring with a thousand-year cultivation limit.
In ordinary soul beast forests, thousand-year soul beasts are already scarce in number, and finding one with attributes perfectly matching his needs would be even more challenging.
If one were to seek larger soul beast gathering places, there weren't many options. Haiyuan City is a coastal city of the Star Luo Empire, quietly situated in the empire's westernmost region.
To the north is the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Soul Empire, where a border city of the Heaven Soul Empire, Maple Leaf Prefecture, is located.
To the west is a vast ocean; crossing it leads to the territory of the Sun Moon Empire.
To the south is the border between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire—the Bright Dou Mountain Range.
This mountain range is treacherous, with rolling peaks, like a sleeping giant dragon sprawled between the two nations.
For years, it has been the frontline of confrontation for the border armies of the two great empires, with small-scale conflicts erupting continuously.
Soldiers from both sides constantly clashed here, fighting as if to knock each other's "brains out."
And to the east lies the heart of the Star Luo Empire—Star Luo City, a magnificent capital that carries the glory and splendor of the Star Luo Empire for ten thousand years.
From Haiyuan City, heading east and crossing Star Luo City, one can reach the Star Dou Great Forest, located in the center of the continent.
This forest is vast and boundless, 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, with its unique geographical location, should have had infinitely bright development prospects.
It possesses abundant marine resources and is close to two major empires. Whether for trade or cultural exchange, it has unparalleled advantages. Developing in this land would seemingly not be difficult.
However, due to various historical contradictions, although a large-scale, full-blown war has not yet erupted between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire, small-scale skirmishes in the border regions have never ceased.
The border armies of the two great empires have long been in a standoff in the Bright Dou Mountain Range area, with constant conflicts.
This tense situation has prevented Haiyuan City from establishing normal maritime trade relations with the Sun Moon Empire.
The neighboring Maple Leaf Prefecture of the Heaven Soul Empire faces the same predicament, with both cities barely sustaining themselves through the ocean.
On the Douluo Continent, the number of sea soul beasts far exceeds that of land soul beasts. Most of these sea soul beasts live in groups, rarely appearing alone.
When they do appear, it is often in large groups, creating a formidable presence. Therefore, coastal cities in all empires on the Douluo Continent are constantly plagued by sea soul beasts, suffering immensely.
Facing these ferocious sea soul beasts, city residents are exhausted from coping and have no time to extract resources from the ocean to promote urban development.
Six years ago, Haiyuan City was such a city struggling in distress.
It was not valued among the many cities of the Star Luo Empire and had long been frequently harassed by sea soul beasts, making urban development extremely difficult.
Moreover, this city lacked powerful sects and families to oversee it, making its overall strength relatively weak.