When it came to the final dish—a bowl of thick meat congealed in broth—Xie Yue stopped his introductions.
After all, once a creature has been minced and simmered into a thick soup, it becomes nearly impossible to identify. No matter how well he had studied soul beast data at the Academy, it was of no use now; he was, after all, not a master chef.
He looked over at Yan, signaling for him to explain.
A smirk played across Yan's lips.
He had ordered this dish specifically to prevent Xie Yue from recognizing it at a glance.
"This is a snake soup made from a Green-Scaled Sea Snake," Yan explained.
"It replenishes one's vitality and blood while significantly strengthening the physical constitution."
"Aside from this Green-Scaled Sea Snake soup, which was prepared from a soul beast of about fifteen hundred years, the other dishes are all from soul beasts around the seven hundred year level. Everyone, please dig in. You won't find a meal like this in just any hotel."
Ling Xiao felt like giving Yan a round of applause.
This was truly impressive; he was going to enjoy a rare feast today.
Ling Xiao started by tasting the snake soup. As he ate, he asked Yan, "Is this a Sea Soul Beast or one from inland waters?"
"It's a Sea Soul Beast. While inland waters have some aquatic soul beasts, they are fundamentally different from those in the ocean. Besides, whether in terms of population or variety, inland waters simply cannot compare to the vastness of the sea."
Ling Xiao ate with gusto, but he hadn't forgotten his earlier confusion.
He asked somewhat indistinctly through a mouthful of food, "If it's a Sea Soul Beast, ignoring the long distance and massive cost, just the act of capturing and killing them requires a group of powerful Soul Masters who excel at maritime combat."
"Who is providing this hotel with such ingredients? With this kind of strength, could it be Spirit Hall?"
"It's not Spirit Hall," Xie Yue explained, shaking his head.
"Our Spirit Hall is indeed powerful, but the number of Sea Soul Masters we control is quite small, and we don't have many experts specialized in sea combat. Just like the other sects on the continent, fighting at sea puts us at a distinct disadvantage."
"The power behind this hotel," Xie Yue continued, "is the Sea Shark Palace located in the East Sea. These ingredients come directly from those waters."
The East Sea, Sea Shark Palace!
Ling Xiao was startled, momentarily pausing his 'rice-shoveling'—or rather, his gourmet tasting process.
The shock these two names brought him was no less than that of the Sword Sect earlier. It made him realize that he was still too heavily influenced by his knowledge from his previous life. This Douluo Continent was far larger and more complex than he had previously understood.
He had only known that Sea God Island was located in the West Sea of the continent, but he had never considered what the East Sea was like or what powers resided there.
To the north of the continent lay the Frozen Forest, and further north was the Extreme Cold Ice Plains—the Far North of ten thousand years later.
But what if one crossed the Far North? What lay even further north? What was at the southernmost tip of the continent, south of the Star Luo Empire?
He didn't know any of this yet. Ling Xiao's eyes flickered with a sharp light.
He inwardly warned himself: I must never look down on this world again just because of what I think I know about Douluo Dalu. Since I have transmigrated here, I must treat it as an entirely new world.
There were still many unknowns for him to discover.
"Brother Xie Yue, how strong is the Sea Shark Palace? How does it compare to the Great Seven Sects of the mainland?"
Seeing their intense interest, Xie Yue put down his chopsticks and said, "I don't know a great deal about the Sea Shark Palace."
"I only know that this sect is composed entirely of Sea Soul Masters and is the number one sect of the East Sea. They don't interact much with the continental Soul Master world, but their strength is immense."
"The hereditary Martial Soul of the Palace Leader's lineage is the Demon Spirit Great White Shark. It is a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, and the corresponding soul beast is a supreme overlord of the ocean.
"The current Palace Leader of the Sea Shark Palace is a Titled Douluo named Helian Ba, known as the Demon Shark Douluo. He titles himself the 'Demon Shark King.' His cultivation and strength are even higher than the Black-Hearted Tiger's."
"If placed on the mainland, the Sea Shark Palace would be enough to rank among the Upper Three Sects."
Quite impressive, Ling Xiao thought, his eyes shimmering.
Although he harbored a dislike for Sea God Island, he was very interested in the Sea Soul Beasts and Sea Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent.
Once his strength reached a certain level, he might take a journey across the sea. He especially wanted to experience the power of the Demon Spirit Great White Shark Martial Soul. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
Since the Sea Shark Palace was in the East Sea, did it have any connection to Sea God Island in the West Sea? Who was stronger: the Demon Shark King Helian Ba, or that Demon Spirit Great White Shark King 'Xiao Bai' from the West Sea?
Speaking of which, Ling Xiao couldn't help but want to complain—who came up with such a brain-dead name like 'Xiao Bai' for a terrifying beast?
Shaking his head to clear his mind of that uninspiring name, Ling Xiao continued to savor the delicacies on the table. He had to admit, the taste of Sea Soul Beasts was worlds apart from land soul beasts—a completely different, exquisite flavor.
Countless miles away from Spirit City, in the southern reaches of the Douluo Continent, a giant,majestic city sat at the heart of the Star Luo Empire.
This was the imperial capital: Star Luo City.
Inside a side hall adjacent to the main Star Luo Imperial Palace, only two people were present.
A single table and two chairs stood in the center, the sound of chess pieces clicking against the board echoing through the space.
After a long silence...
"Sigh!"
A heavy sigh rang out.
On the left side of the board, a middle-aged man wearing black dragon robes and an imperial crown frowned deeply.
Seeming to have given up entirely, the piece in his hand fell onto the board. He looked at the elderly man opposite him and said in a low voice, "Three games lost in a row. Prime Minister, you truly didn't go easy on me at all!"
"Hehe. Your Majesty possesses great strategic brilliance and focuses on the affairs of the world. Why would you care about the gains and losses within a tiny chess match?"
The Emperor of Star Luo, Dai Mingzong, looked at his old friend.
The man wore simple grey robes and appeared quite plain. Although his complexion was healthy, his shock of white hair betrayed his old age.
"You've grown old."
Hearing this, the Prime Minister of Star Luo, Wei Yang, froze for a moment.
He shook his head and laughed.
"Everyone grows old. Even if this old official were to die this moment, I would have no regrets."
"If that day ever comes, the Star Luo Imperial Family will not forget the Prime Minister, nor will the citizens of Star Luo," Dai Mingzong said solemnly.
Although the Star Luo Empire was currently one of the two great empires on the continent, boasting immense national strength, a massive population, and vast territory, he still remembered the beginning of his reign.
Back then, the national strength was incredibly weak. His father had passed away, and the various kingdoms and duchies within the empire were becoming impossible to control. External clans invaded constantly, and Star Luo was on the verge of falling apart.
Back then, he had been at his wit's end. Though his cultivation talent was good and his Martial Soul was excellent, he could think of no way to save an empire that was shattering. In the end, he had almost given up on himself.
It was at that moment that he finally met the man who could teach him how to save the foundation of the empire. With this man's help, the Star Luo Empire underwent a series of radical reforms. For over twenty years, Star Luo pushed these changes through with absolute resolve.
Finally, the reforms were a complete success.
The national strength surged, the rebellious kingdoms and duchies within the borders were all dismantled, power was returned to the Imperial Family, and the external clans were dealt heavy blows, no longer daring to invade as they once had.