Soul Land: I Fabricated Future Videos

Chapter 139: An Old Friend and a Young Acquaintance

"Sect Master, should we first find a base for our sect? Establishing a foundation before officially recruiting disciples might be a more stable approach." Now that his granddaughter's poison problem was resolved and he himself was free of concerns, Dugu Bo recalled Sun Zhongjing mentioning the sect's early development and raised the question.

"Hahaha, there's no need to worry about that." Sun Zhongjing laughed and waved his hand. "Some time ago, an old friend and young acquaintance of mine invited me to form an alliance. By now, I imagine he has everything prepared and ready for us."

"Old friend and young acquaintance?" Dugu Bo was puzzled. Who could be important enough for the Sect Master to address them as an old friend while still calling them young and treating them as an equal? Though curious, he didn't press the matter, figuring he'd learn the answer once they arrived.

With that, Sun Zhongjing led Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan away from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, setting off toward the location of this so called young acquaintance. As for the Medicine King Hall back in Heaven Dou City, before leaving, he had already instructed his disciples to keep it running in his absence. Although, in his eyes, their medical skills weren't particularly impressive, they were more than capable of treating minor illnesses and common ailments.

After several days of travel, Sun Zhongjing, Dugu Bo, and Dugu Yan finally arrived at their destination.

Before them stood a magnificent city!

Atop the towering and fortified city gates was a massive blue stone plaque inscribed with three characters Baiyun City!

"This is Baiyun City?!" Dugu Bo's eyes widened in astonishment. "You mean to say that your old friend and young acquaintance is Baiyun City's Lord, Ye Cheng? So you two actually know each other?"

"Hehe, when I first met him, that young man wasn't Baiyun City's Lord. He was merely a low level Soul Elder, severely injured and passed out on the side of the road. I couldn't just leave him there, so I brought him home and treated his wounds…" Sun Zhongjing reminisced with a nostalgic expression. "I never imagined that in just over a decade, this boy would rise to such heights."

"…"

Dugu Yan's eyes widened with curiosity, eager to hear more about Ye Cheng.

After all, for a girl her age, Ye Cheng who had reached the pinnacle of soul power at just twenty something was nothing short of a living legend. It was only natural for her to admire such a figure.

The pursuit of strength is an innate human desire.

Moreover, Ye Cheng wasn't just strong he was handsome. That restrained and enigmatic demeanor, combined with his ascetic, chiseled features, made him the ideal dream lover of countless young maidens.

Dugu Yan was no exception.

Because Ye Cheng was such an outstanding example, any other young men of her generation paled in comparison. Whenever a suitor tried to court her, she would subconsciously compare them to Ye Cheng only for them to fail miserably.

Take Yu Tianheng, for example. The young heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had been pursuing her for some time. Under normal circumstances, he should have already won her heart by now. However, because Dugu Yan's standards had skyrocketed, he had yet to receive any response reduced to nothing more than a hopeless admirer.

This was yet another butterfly effect caused by Ye Cheng's rise to power. The moment he began shaping the world, ripples of change had already begun spreading in unseen ways.

"Come on, let's go in."

Sun Zhongjing didn't elaborate further, much to Dugu Yan's disappointment. However, since she wasn't very familiar with him, she didn't dare to ask more questions. Instead, she followed the group excitedly, eager to see Baiyun City up close.

As they approached the grand city gates, they saw countless people coming and going. Guarding the entrance were several well trained soldiers. However, what shocked Dugu Yan the most was that these guards were all Soul Masters each one at least at the Soul Elder level!

This was unheard of!

In most places, a Soul Elder was considered a big deal. In smaller kingdoms, they could even become nobles! Yet here, they were mere gate guards?

That alone spoke volumes about the sheer power and influence of Baiyun City.

Then again, when she thought about who ruled this city, it suddenly didn't seem so surprising.

After all, this was a city built by a peerless Ultimate Douluo! Though Ye Cheng humbly called himself a City Lord, in reality, Baiyun City was practically a kingdom in its own right.

It was technically located within Heaven Dou Empire's territory, but the empire had no control over it. Essentially, Baiyun City was a nation within a nation!

After paying the entrance fee, the three officially stepped into Baiyun City.

The first impression was one of prosperity and vibrancy!

The buildings were new, but their architectural style carried a sense of timeless elegance. And these were just the common residential areas one could only imagine how magnificent the City Lord's mansion and the high ranking officials' estates must be.

More striking than the architecture, however, were the people.

Unlike the oppressed and fearful expressions of commoners in other cities, every citizen in Baiyun City looked composed and at ease.

Even though their clothing wasn't extravagant, it was neat and well kept. The streets were clean, and workers could be seen regularly sweeping fallen leaves and disposing of waste.

Even in Heaven Dou City, the so called capital of the empire, only the main roads were decently maintained. Elsewhere, the city was filthy and chaotic, especially in the slums.

Dugu Yan had once accidentally wandered into a slum the experience had been so disgusting that she couldn't eat for three days.

The people there never bathed, and waste was dumped openly in the streets. The disparity between the nobles' luxurious lifestyle and the peasants' unbearable living conditions was staggering.

She had often wondered: Why do these people remain in Heaven Dou City? Why does the empire allow such a place to exist within its capital?

But Baiyun City was completely different.

Despite having entered the commoner district, the area felt nothing like a typical commoner neighborhood.

Moreover, as they moved closer to the city center, the standard of living visibly improved buildings became grander, and the people seemed even better off.

Walking along the stone paved streets, the three of them blended into the bustling crowd. Most people didn't recognize them, though a few who got close enough recognized Sun Zhongjing and looked at him with surprised expressions.

Baiyun City was enormous. Traveling on foot from the outer districts to the inner districts would take several days. Additionally, the city's layout was complex, making it easy to get lost if one wasn't familiar with the roads.

Instead of walking the entire way, the trio decided to hire a carriage to take them directly to the inner city.

(End of Chapter)

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