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The duel at Decisive Peak had concluded, and the various families dispersed, each returning to their respective homes.
Li Luochen, along with those he had brought, prepared to head toward the main branch of Shrek Academy—now known as Shrek City. The fiefdom of Shrek City was located in a large city southwest of Tian Dou City. Its prosperity surpassed that of Suotuo City and was comparable in size to Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's Seven Treasures City. It was clear just how much Emperor Xue Ye valued Li Luochen—and even more so, the Shrek Academy that had nurtured him.
Li Luochen and his group arrived at a district where the walls were only about sixty percent complete. Muscular, towering men were hauling massive bricks and stones. Among them, the most imposing figure stood out. His face was ruddy like a ripe date, and though his short, steel-needle-like hair had turned gray, his complexion remained vibrant. His large, copper bell-like eyes gleamed with vitality. He was extremely tall, with a broad chest, wide shoulders, and a sturdy frame. Though his loose robe concealed some of his physique, his movements revealed his immense strength. He resembled a fortress—wide, solid, and unyielding.
This was Niu Gao, the patriarch of the Defense Clan, who had been "shamed" by Li Luochen with piles of gold spirit coins. Who said construction wasn't important? Infrastructure was the foundation of everything, and the Defense Clan excelled in building fortifications. Even a Soul Ancestor-level soul master couldn't penetrate the walls they constructed.
Li Luochen had also applied knowledge from his previous life—reinforced concrete. While he knew the basic formula for concrete, the Defense Clan had an even better one. As for the rebar, it was forged by the Strength Clan.
By embedding rebar, pouring concrete, and then arranging massive stone bricks using the clan's unique methods, Shrek City would become an impregnable fortress.
Unfortunately, Li Luochen didn't know how to create soul-guided weapons. If he could install soul-guided cannons on the walls, *tsk tsk tsk*, Shrek City would be truly invincible. But alas, Li Luochen had studied liberal arts in his previous life and was completely inept in science and engineering.
Li Luochen knew that the current lifestyle of the Defense Clan was akin to a "996" work schedule (T/N: 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week)—a deliberate arrangement on his part. Initially, Niu Gao had planned for a "007" (24 hour, non-stop work, 7 days a week) schedule to finish the project faster, but Li Luochen had put a stop to that immediately.
Good grief! If these guys were placed in another world, they'd truly be considered extraordinary talents. They didn't shy away from hard or exhausting labor, didn't demand rest days, and prioritized money over their lives.
"Yo! How's the progress on the city walls, Old Ox?"
Li Luochen approached Niu Gao directly, inquiring about the progress of Shrek City's construction. There was no point asking about anything else—this old rhino was obsessed with money. He ignored everything outside of work, embodying the quintessential emotionless laborer.
"Oh, Lord Li! Originally estimated to take a year, the project will likely be completed in about ten months. By then, Shrek City will undoubtedly become one of the most renowned cities on the Douluo Continent!"
Niu Gao patted his chest confidently. After all, the amount of gold spirit coins Li Luochen had thrown at him was staggering—enough to ensure the prosperity of the Defense Clan for decades, if not centuries.
Li Luochen nodded and then moved on. Along the way, he spotted several figures standing tall and straight like spears.
These were disciples of the Breaking Clan. The Breaking Clan specialized in both alchemy and spear techniques, though not all disciples were interested in alchemy. Some focused solely on mastering the Soul Breaking Spear.
The responsibility of patrolling Shrek City was entrusted to them, led by the young clan leader of the Breaking Clan, Yang Pojun, a seventy-eight-level Battle Spirit Sage.
Yang Pojun was the strongest member of the Breaking Clan aside from Yang Wudi. His mastery of the Soul Breaking Spear even surpassed Yang Wudi's. As a fellow weapon-type spirit master, Li Luochen had naturally sparred with him.
To put it simply, Yang Pojun's future was promising! At forty-something years old, he was the only son of Yang Wushuang, Yang Wudi's younger brother, who had gone missing. Yang Wudi's wife and daughter had perished during the family's migration, so Yang Wudi treated Yang Pojun like his own child. With his exceptional strength, Yang Pojun was poised to become the next clan leader.
Moreover, Yang Pojun was the most likely member of the Breaking Clan to reach the Title Douluo level—though Yang Wudi himself might also achieve it.
Since obtaining the Aromatic Silk Beauty, Yang Wudi had become utterly engrossed in alchemy. When Li Luochen first met him, Yang Wudi's spirit power had already reached level eighty-three.
Li Luochen clearly remembered the cultivation levels of the four clan leaders: Titan was the highest at eighty-six, followed by Niu Gao at eighty-four, Yang Wudi at eighty-two, and Bai He at eighty-one and a half.
And this was still over eight years ago! Yet Yang Wudi's strength had already reached eighty-three, indicating that he had obtained the Aromatic Silk Beauty early and used it to craft many pills that aided in cultivation.
After all, the Breaking Clan's medicinal garden housed numerous rare herbs. While the people of Tian Dou Empire didn't recognize their value, some substances that were toxic on their own became powerful cultivation aids when combined with other poisons.
Since relocating to Shrek City, the Breaking Clan had seen significant growth in cultivation. The clan now boasted eight Soul Sages, including Clan Leader Yang Wudi at eighty-three, Young Clan Leader Yang Pojun at seventy-eight, and Grand Elder at seventy-seven...
The Breaking Clan indeed had a bright future. Li Luochen had personally experienced the Soul Breaking Spear—it was a top-tier weapon-type martial soul. Like other elite weapon martial souls, it possessed unique characteristics. For example, the Seven Kill Sword carried an aura of slaughter, the Hao Tian Hammer was astonishingly heavy, and the Coiling Dragon Staff wielded the power of the Holy Golden Dragon.
As for the Soul Breaking Spear, its defining trait was its "annihilation" property. To put it simply, wounds inflicted by it were extremely difficult to heal, as the annihilation property suppressed recovery abilities. Top-tier weapon martial souls always had distinctive attributes.
However, the Breaking Clan was particularly passionate about alchemy, which consumed much of their time. Prolonged exposure to medicinal toxins often clogged their meridians, hindering cultivation.
This explained why Yang Wudi, despite his immense talent, hadn't reached a higher cultivation level. First, he spent too much time on alchemy. Second, the toxins from the herbs blocked his meridians. Otherwise, given his age, he should have at least been a high-level Soul Douluo by now.
Still, things were looking up. Li Luochen's first encounter with Yang Wudi had been over a year ago during his travels in the Star Luo Empire. Dugu Bo had invited Yang Wudi to relocate to Tian Dou Empire, as he was being squeezed out by both the Star Luo Empire and the Spirit Hall's branch division at the time.
Enraged, Yang Wudi left the Star Luo Empire. The empire had sought to control the Breaking Clan's alchemical operations and incorporate them into the royal family.
With his fiery temper, Yang Wudi simply took his clan and left. As for why the Star Luo Empire hadn't retaliated? Well, shortly after Yang Wudi's departure, Li Luochen had dismantled the Spirit Hall's branch division in the Star Luo Empire. The Pope's decree sure came in handy.
After causing chaos in the Star Luo Empire, they were too preoccupied to deal with the Breaking Clan. The clan fled to Long Xing City, where they stayed temporarily with Niu Gao.
Eventually, after finishing their affairs, Li Luochen's group arrived in Long Xing City and recruited both the Breaking Clan and the Defense Clan.
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