Surrounded by bustling crowds and the constant clamor of voices, Lin Xiao slightly tilted his head to look at the sturdy city walls before him, a faint sigh rising in his heart.
This was Star Luo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire. Its walls stood a hundred meters tall and a hundred meters thick.
The descriptions from his memories hadn't made much of an impression before, but seeing this city in person now, the sheer presence of these walls carried a certain awe-inspiring weight.
Just passing through the city gate took him about three or four minutes, as if walking through a long tunnel. The people around him, however, seemed unfazed, clearly accustomed to it.
Looking around, the architecture within Star Luo City presented an entirely new style.
Aside from the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Dou Ling Empire, which shared some similarities due to their common origins, the architectural styles of the other two major empires were distinct. Before entering the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, Lin Xiao had been active along the border between the Sun Moon Empire and the Heavenly Soul Empire. This was his first time encountering the style of the Star Luo Empire.
Unlike the ancient simplicity of the Heavenly Soul Empire or the mechanical, modern aesthetic of the Sun Moon Empire, the Star Luo Empire had its own unique culture. Occasionally, buildings adorned with soul tools blended the two styles, creating a distinctive scenery that showed the Star Luo Empire was far less resistant to soul tools than the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Lin Xiao had changed into new clothes, blending in seamlessly with the other people of the Star Luo Empire at first glance. He had grown accustomed to this inconspicuous attire.
The roads in Star Luo City were exceptionally wide. After walking a distance along the street, Lin Xiao soon spotted a hotel. After a moment's thought, he stopped, turned, and walked inside.
"Welcome! Would you like to book a room, sir?"
A waiter approached as soon as he entered.
"Yes, book me a single room for half a month. I'll be staying starting today." Lin Xiao glanced around the hotel's interior and approached the counter.
"Very well, sir. May I have your name, please?"
"Shen Hao," Lin Xiao replied, then looked at the person registering him. "Do you know if there's a commercial street or something similar nearby?"
"I can tell you're not from around here, are you?"
Lin Xiao didn't deny it and nodded.
"If you need a guide, we offer that service. Would you like me to arrange one for you?"
"No need. I prefer to explore on my own."
"Oh, in that case, we also have maps of Star Luo City. Would you like to take a look?"
Lin Xiao chuckled at the registrar's enthusiasm. "You're quite the businessman. Alright, how much for one? I'll take it."
"Thank you for your patronage! It's just one silver soul coin. Would you like to add it to the room fee?"
"Sure." Lin Xiao nodded, and the registrar promptly pulled out a map from under the counter, clearly well-prepared.
With a quick glance, Lin Xiao noted that aside from a blank space marking the imperial palace, the map was highly detailed, even indicating attractions and shops. It seemed tailored for visitors, making the silver soul coin well worth it.
After completing the check-in and inspecting the room, Lin Xiao didn't linger long before heading out to the streets.
With a soul master's memory, he had already memorized the map's contents. Soon, he found himself on a bustling commercial street lined with shops, many catering specifically to soul masters.
Lin Xiao had visited commercial districts in the Sun Moon Empire, but this was different. The variety of goods here was vast, unlike the Sun Moon Empire, where most items were soul tools or metal materials.
Since he was here, Lin Xiao looked around with interest. Apart from soul beast materials unique to the Douluo Continent, there were also soul tools crafted by soul engineers from the Star Luo Empire.
Though the shops selling soul tools weren't as crowded as those in the Sun Moon Empire, they were still lively. Lin Xiao browsed through a few simple soul tool shields, examining how the Star Luo Empire's soul tool craftsmanship differed from that of the Sun Moon Empire.
"Boss, do you have any higher-level soul tools for sale?"
Lin Xiao's question immediately caught the shop owner's attention.
"Dear customer, the highest-level soul tools we sell here are Level 4. You see…"
"Anything higher?"
Higher?
The shop owner sized up Lin Xiao. Though he looked young, his request for higher-level soul tools suggested his cultivation was likely not simple.
The owner's expression shifted slightly, his smile growing broader. "You must have just arrived in Star Luo City, right? You may not know, but not just my shop—most shops around here rarely carry soul tools above Level 4. If you want those, you'll need to check the auction house up ahead."
As expected, things were different from the Sun Moon Empire, where Level 6 soul tools were commonly sold in Mingdu City. Here, anything above Level 4 was only available at auctions.
"Oh." Lin Xiao feigned realization. "Thanks for the tip, boss. It's my first time in Star Luo City."
"No need to thank me, sir. If you're interested, just keep going down the street, and you'll see the auction house. But soul tools don't appear at every auction, so you'll need to check with the staff there for specifics."
"Got it. Thanks, boss."
Lin Xiao clasped his fists in thanks and followed the shop owner's directions to a building. Compared to the towering structures around it, this one wasn't particularly striking, but seeing the hammer symbol above the main entrance, Lin Xiao allowed a faint smile to cross his face.
This had been his goal all along.
However, a newcomer heading straight to the auction house right after arriving in the city, especially if they bid on something unusual, would inevitably draw attention, particularly given that this auction house was backed by the imperial family.
Thus, it made the most sense for someone interested in soul tools to be "guided" here by others.
Blending into the crowd, Lin Xiao walked toward the auction house.
Stepping inside, he subtly surveyed the surroundings. Though the entrance seemed empty, he faintly sensed a hidden gaze, indicating that the security here was not as lax as it appeared.
Following a staircase downward for about twenty meters, he reached the auction's registration area.
Several girls in red dresses stood nearby, handing out numbered tags to each guest as they entered.
Watching the stream of people filing in, Lin Xiao suddenly smiled.
In this world, an auction was an experience not to be missed.
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