Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1481 First Arrival in the Capital, Banners Fluttering

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In the distance, the towering city walls of Tiandou City, reaching a height of 100 meters, are already in sight.

The sturdy granite walls and the numerous banners fluttering atop the city walls proclaimed the majesty of the imperial capital.

On and below the city walls, guards clad in standard iron armor and wielding gleaming spears stood solemnly, exuding an aura of well-trained prowess.

As you approach the city wall, you can feel an intense heat that seems to be brewing.

Huge banners hung between the battlements, with the competition emblem and the words "Mainland Elite Competition" embroidered in gold thread, fluttering in the wind.

Special advertising boards for Soul Guidance were set up on both sides of the city gate, featuring silhouettes of the emblems of popular championship academies such as Tiandou, Xingluo, and Wuhun, attracting crowds entering the city to stop and look.

The number of young Soul Masters dressed in the uniforms of various universities has increased significantly. They wear the sashes of their respective teams, and their expressions show both the excitement of being in the competition for the first time and an undeniable sense of tension and competition.

In addition to the familiar scent of pine smoke typical of the capital, the air was also filled with the restless aftershocks of soul power, as the entire city gathered strength for the upcoming showdown.

Inside the train carriage, the seven members of the Golden Generation gazed out the window at the outline of this ancient capital.

The air was filled with a mixture of freshness and tension.

Chu Youwei, hands on her hips, was the first to break the silence, her voice carrying its usual straightforwardness and flamboyance: "Hey, hey, hey! Stop sulking! Look outside!"

"This is Tiandou City? The city walls are quite intimidating. I wonder if they're strong enough for Captain He to cleave in two with one halberd?"

She nudged He Qiang beside her with her elbow, half-jokingly and half-provokingly.

He Qiang's usually calm gaze swept over the elite ranks of soldiers on the city wall and the competition flags fluttering in the wind.

Hearing Chu Youwei's words, he turned his head helplessly, a wry smile appearing on his gentle and sunny face: "Youwei, stop fooling around."

His voice, with its unique calm and magnetic quality, instantly quelled Chu Youwei's fiery temper. "As the capital, Tiandou City's city walls are a symbol of determination and strength."

Sitting on the other side of He Qiang, Chen Ze, who had been quietly observing, subconsciously pushed up his glasses. Although he didn't wear glasses, his eyes were as calm as a scanner: "The defensive structure is indeed rigorous. The angle of the city wall is set in accordance with the principle of spatial superposition. The spacing between the watchtowers has been optimized. Once inside... it will not be easy to escape."

"Moreover, the crowd is mixed with the energy fields of high-level Soul Masters. I sensed more than seven Soul Power fluctuations of Soul Saint level or above. These are probably the team leaders from other academies or high-ranking officials from various parties watching the battle."

He unconsciously tapped his fingertips lightly on his knee, as if calculating some kind of invisible chess game.

This is based on his instinctive understanding of space through his "Mysterious Pattern Chessboard" martial spirit.

"Oh? So professional?" Gu Wuyan looked up, a relaxed smile on his face: "Master Chen, relax a bit."

"Who cares about any formation? Our Weiwei can break it with just one 'Nine Heavens Crane' attack, right, Youwei?"

With a snap, Chu Youwei twisted her wrist: "Wuyan, do you think you're all that now that you've broken through to Soul King? You can't feel right unless you tease your older sister, right?!"

Gu Wuyan rubbed his head: "..."

……

The group from Chang'an Academy, consisting of more than a dozen large carriages and dozens of people, underwent a thorough inspection outside the city for nearly twenty minutes.

Finally, the convoy slowly passed through the massive secondary gate, which was fifteen meters high and ten meters wide, and entered this ancient imperial capital that had existed for over two thousand years.

Tian Dou City is extremely large, measuring approximately fifty miles in length and width. It is the political, economic, cultural, and military core of the Tian Dou Empire and one of the two largest and most prosperous cities on the entire Douluo Continent.

The carriage traveled along the wide stone-paved main street, where the magnificent buildings, diverse shop signs, and the endless stream of people dressed in various styles all showcased the vitality and cultural heritage of this ancient capital.

The craze for the Gao Ying Sai competition has permeated every inch of the capital city.

The main street was lined with flags from the participating academies, with the purple-and-gold emblem of the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy being the most prominent and eye-catching.

Billboards of all sizes displayed declarations of victory.

Vendors selling all sorts of support items crowded the street corner—crystal cards printed with the images of popular players, ribbons embroidered with the emblem of the Heaven Dou Royal School, and even toys and ornaments in the shape of the martial souls used by the "Three Heroes of Heaven Dou" Xue Shiming, Tang Chen, and Ning Zhongtian.

It's clear that the businesses here are also trying to capitalize on the traffic.

Cheers and discussions occasionally erupted from the crowd for a newly emerging out-of-town team or a well-known player.

"Prince Xue Shiming will surely win!" "Tang Chen! Tang Chen, one of the top ten prodigies, is coming!" "Look, doesn't that blond guy look like a rising star from Martial Soul Academy?"

A cacophony of noise and excitement, mingled with anticipation and tension, rolled in.

Chu Youwei excitedly patted He Qiang's arm and pointed out the window: "Qiangzi! Look! This is Tiandou City, much better than our Chang'an..."

She suddenly exclaimed, "Wow! The sugar figurine shop over there is making sugar figurines that look like Tang Chen, the Hammer King? And there's even one shaped like the Nine-Heart Begonia!" He Qiang was focused on flipping through a file on his opponent when he was slapped, causing his handwriting to slip.

He sighed helplessly and closed the file: "It is magnificent, Youwei."

"But ninety percent of the enthusiasm in the city is reserved for the host and those few people who are being lauded."

"The competition starts the day after tomorrow, and I haven't finished reviewing the materials yet."

Chu Youwei waved her hand dismissively: "Hey! You've been looking the whole way! Aren't your eyes tired?"

"Besides, in the round-robin tournament of the semi-finals, most colleges that run into us will just have to lie down and get swept aside, won't they?"

On the other side of the carriage, Shen Youchu quietly gazed out the window: "It is larger in scale than Chang'an, but people's hearts are more complicated, and the aura of the strong... is more concentrated."

Her pretty face was expressionless.

“You Chu is right.” Chen Ze put down the soul guide map that was glowing faintly in his hand and said calmly, “The height of the city wall, the defensive array, and the layout of the main and secondary roads have all been planned. From the perspective of spatial structure, Tian Dou’s control is far superior to Chang’an’s.”

"Moreover, the density and direction of the information flow also point highly to the western district of the city where the Tiandou Royal Academy is located and the main venue of the Gaoying Competition, the 'Tiandou Grand Arena'."

They entered the city through the west gate and happened to pass through this area in the western part of the city.

Gu Wuyan chuckled and said, "Isn't this even more interesting? Listen to the whole street shouting 'Heavenly Dou will surely win!' Hehe, we'd better disrupt this whole thing for the best!"

Chu Youwei nodded in agreement: "Wuyan is right, the whole city is hyping up those 'Three Heroes of Heavenly Struggle,' it's so annoying! Perfect, let them see what real skills are!"

Ji Boda, with his refined and scholarly demeanor, gently took Liu Ruyan's hand and said in a calm voice, "Chen Ze's analysis makes sense. The competition is fierce and the stakes are high. Caution is always the best policy. Ruyan, what do you think?"

He naturally shifted the topic to Liu Ruyan.

Liu Ruyan grasped Ji Boda's hand in return, her smile gentle and her voice soft yet carrying a restrained sharpness: "The grandeur of this capital is far beyond that of Chang'an; every blade of grass and every tree possesses its own power."

Her beautiful eyes darted around, taking in the view outside the window. The "power" implied in her words referred both to the pressure of the environment and the potential aura of a hidden master.

Shen Youchu sat quietly by the window a little further away.

Her pretty face was expressionless, her gaze sweeping calmly over the magnificent buildings in the distance before finally settling back into the car.

When his gaze fell upon Ji Boda and Liu Ruyan's clasped hands, a complex emotion flashed quickly in the depths of his eyes, like ripples on spring water.

She quickly looked away, gazing at the unfamiliar streets rushing past the window. Her voice was extremely soft, almost to herself, yet just loud enough for He Qiang and Chen Ze, who were nearby, to hear: "Chang'an... feels more comfortable."

This "freedom" is both a state of mind and an environment.

Gu Wuyan rolled her eyes. "Hey you two, can you stop being so lovey-dovey? I know you're getting married after the competition, but even Qiang Ge and Youwei aren't like this."

"The atmosphere outside is absolutely electric, and you guys here are enjoying a peaceful life."

He Qiang replied speechlessly, "What are you talking about me and Youwei doing?"

He looked at Chu Youwei, his tone gentle yet carrying a reminder: "Youwei, it's good to have high aspirations, but you must not underestimate your opponent."

At this moment, Gu Wuyan took out an exquisite food box: "Hehe, if you ask me, Brother Qiang is straining his eyes looking at the documents, and Sister Weiwei is straining her mind shouting slogans. Why not try some crystal cake? It replenishes soul power and refreshes the mind!"

He opened the lid, and a sweet aroma filled the carriage.

He Qiang took a pastry and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, remember this—this is not Chang'an, but Tian Dou City, a gathering place for heroes and a burial ground for countless geniuses, and we... have already entered the arena."

A sharp gaze swept over Chu Youwei and Chen Ze: "A sweeping victory? That requires skill to achieve in the ring. Off the field..."

His voice deepened, "Not a single mistake can be made."

Chen Ze nodded silently.

Chu Youwei pouted, took the pastries from Gu Wuyan, and muttered, "Okay, Vice Captain~~"

"Let's see who's still yelling once we've seen the real fight on the stage!"

He Qiang: "..."

The carriage fell silent, with only the sound of wheels rolling over stone slabs, the rustling of Gu Wuyan distributing snacks, and the solemnity of facing a real battlefield settling among the seven people.

Their gazes, without prior agreement, turned toward the depths of the city—the place where the giant emblem of the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy hung high, the focus of countless fanatical eyes, and the stage they were about to step onto, a stage destined to stir up a storm.

(End of this chapter)