Chapter 436 – Duoling, Style, Direction

“…The earliest group of Duoling people arrived here aboard a spaceship, bringing with them technology that was advanced for their time. In just two hundred years, a vast interstellar Empire was born…”

Lu Yuan sat by the window, his eyes scanning line by line across the information jumping off the light blue light screen in front of him.

The blue light forming the screen was projected from a silver-black pendant around his neck.

This was a Smart Light Brain, although the most popular versions at the moment were made to look like earrings or other such jewelry.

“…So far, the number of habitable planets within the Duoling Starry Sky territory has exceeded 200,000…”

Lu Yuan felt a profound shock when he read this sentence.

Even though not every known habitable planet had been developed to some extent-in fact, many remained in a state of abandonment-the figure of 200,000 was still quite staggering.

Lu Yuan noticed that in the documentation he had found, the Duoling official statistics used a counting unit that was exaggeratedly large, and which he had never encountered before, to denote the number of official citizens in the Empire.

Yet, even such a vast Starry Sky Empire was not the absolute ruler in this part of the sky.

As far as Lu Yuan could ascertain, there were at least three other forces with the strength to contend with the Duoling.

Among them, Duoling was only in a lower-middle position.

“Hiss-“

Lu Yuan took a sharp breath, his mind slightly shaken.

He had to admit, as a frog just leaping out of the well, this was his first taste of the small awe that the Starry Sky could instill.

After briefly reviewing the general situation of the current Starry Sky area, Lu Yuan refocused his attention on himself.

What he needed to do now was seamlessly integrate into the identity of “Lu Qiyuan” in order to smoothly proceed with the next steps in regaining his strength.

Combining Lu Qiyuan’s memories with information found online, Lu Yuan figured out that the planet he was currently on was part of the “Duoling Main Star Circle,” one of the planets within the Empire’s main star circle.

This meant that his current residence was akin to the “capital” of the Empire. However, this “capital” was vastly larger than the typical meaning of a capital, encompassing over a thousand habitable planets and requiring the designation of “star circle.”

Moreover, the closer these planets were to the Duoling center, the more prosperous and advanced they were, with the cost and conditions of living continually increasing as well.

The “No. 2045” Planet Dadu, where he currently resided, was situated on the outermost edge of the main star circle, so much so that it could be described as being beyond the “sixth ring.”

Even so, obtaining permanent residency outside the “sixth ring” of the Duoling Main Star Circle was no easy feat.

The primary requirement was that the residents must have a Duoling nobility status.

The fundamental reason the Lu family could reside on No. 2045 Planet Dadu was that Lu Qiyuan’s father, Lu Lingfeng, held a noble title as a baron of the third rank in the Duoling Empire.

It was said that the Lu family ancestors were among the earliest ancient Duoling people to disembark from the original spaceship, having followed the first Emperor of Duoling in expanding the territory. The baron’s title was inherited across generations from their ancestors.

From the initial baron of the ninth rank to now a baron of the third rank, they hadn’t brought disgrace to their family name.

They couldn’t compare to those old Duoling people who rose rapidly as Duoling’s power expanded, but they were better off than those who lost their noble status over the generations.

Xu Mingguang, who was coerced and tricked by the original Lu Qiyuan into picking stones at the bottom of a meteorite crater, was the best example.

The name “Xu Mingguang” indicated that the Xu family’s ancestors were likely purely Duoling people, as only the earliest batch of Duoling people would inherit the surname “Xu.”

However, Xu Mingguang’s parents were now just regular workers at a Mecha Factory, and Xu Mingguang had to find an external tutoring class to prepare for the Mecha Engineer’s Qualification Certificate, which indicated their family’s decline.

During its continuous expansion, the Duoling Empire absorbed a large number of natives.

To this day, the majority of the population across all levels of the Empire were still natives, with old Duoling families like the Lu and Xu families making up a very small percentage. Yet, the core of true power was still held by those with pure Duoling bloodline.

“In the world of nobility, there’s a distinction between new nobility and old nobility. The Lu family is the quintessential old noble family…”

Lu Yuan recalled that in Lu Qiyuan’s memories, his father, Lu Lingfeng, epitomized the typical Duoling old nobility: strict, traditional, and rigid.

Whatever he did, he always prioritized the family’s legacy, which meant he was incredibly demanding of Lu Qiyuan in every aspect.

The harshness towards him stemmed largely from the disappointment of seeing potential go unfulfilled.

“A poor father-son relationship is actually good news for me,” Lu Yuan thought. “At least I won’t have to work too hard to keep up the pretense…”

He continued to delve into Lu Qiyuan’s memories.

In the bland and brief teenage years of Lu Qiyuan’s life, what intrigued Lu Yuan the most was his understanding of the Duoling strength enhancement system.

Ironically, this was the very area where Lu Qiyuan’s memories were the sparsest.

Lu Qiyuan seemed to be a lackluster character, even amongst the spoiled rich kids.

Though he attended the Duoling Shield, one of the top noble pilot academies on Planet Dadu, he wasn’t focused on mastering the piloting skills taught by the school or those passed down by his family. Instead, he was entirely preoccupied with chasing girls.

“Vinia.”

This was the name that appeared most frequently in Lu Qiyuan’s memories, the so-called “dream goddess” of his.

From the moment he first saw this girl named Vinia upon entering the academy, Lu Qiyuan launched an almost obsessive pursuit.

Vinia wasn’t particularly warm or cold towards him, yet he was indefatigable, always doing things that moved him emotionally but seemed foolish to onlookers.

For instance, going out in the middle of the night to the wilderness to collect meteorites.

“A sycophant extraordinaire.”

Lu Yuan gave a precise evaluation of the original Lu Qiyuan.

In his view, Vinia wasn’t the pure and beautiful person Lu Qiyuan imagined her to be; she was quite calculating.

Although she felt indifferent towards Lu Qiyuan, she neither rejected nor accepted him, intentionally keeping him on a string. It was clear she was interested in his noble status as the son of a baron, using him as a stepping stone while she looked for a better opportunity.

Vinia’s own background wasn’t particularly distinguished. She was merely the daughter of a newly minted baron of the eighth rank, and not even the only daughter.

Her fame in the academy was entirely the result of her natural beauty.

“Boring.”

Lu Yuan skimmed through this part of his memories, shook his head, and moved on.

From the limited memories Lu Qiyuan had about the strength enhancement system, Lu Yuan learned that within the Duoling realm, pilots remained the most mainstream form of power.

The terms related to the Starry Sky martial arts system, such as “star acupoint” and “natal star diagram,” also appeared in Lu Qiyuan’s memories.

However, unlike Lu Yuan’s previous experiences, people here seemed to consider the true entry point into Starry Sky martial arts to be at the threshold of ascending to the Star Lord Level.

Before reaching that stage, honing mental power and mastering the control of a Mech were considered the most critical skills.

Lu Yuan now understood that within the Starry Sky martial arts system, Mechs-or Mecha, as they’re known-were an inextricably important component.

There’s no essential difference between first cultivating the natal star diagram and initially practicing Mech piloting. Once someone reaches the Star Lord Level, the two must be integrated to unleash the fullest, most formidable combat power.

The Duoling people prioritized Mech piloting and focused solely on mental power and Mech control because, as a martial nation, they were continually expanding their territories.

The primary necessity was to quickly grow military power and efficiently form a combat-ready army in the shortest time possible.

And undeniably, Mechs offered the fastest solution.

Lu Yuan noticed that the current standards for evaluating the strength of Duoling Mecha pilots rested on two criteria:

One was the strength of mental power, also referred to as consciousness power.

The second was the Mech piloting skills combined with that mental power.

Both these areas far exceeded his previous understanding of Mech control.

“Back on the Home Planet, whether in the Xia State, the Distant Star Federation, or Javier, the pilots trained by official organizations are woefully behind Duoling pilots in terms of their methods and abilities to control machinery and Mechs…”

Lu Yuan had faced many Mecha pilots, ranging from low-level to high-level.

The impression these Mechs gave him was that they primarily relied on their intrinsic capabilities for attack or defense.

Although they placed some demands on the pilot, the pilot mainly played the role of issuing commands like “what action to take and when.”

There might be some “micro-controls” that only a few individuals could execute, but essentially, it was still a matter of humans controlling machines.

However, the Duoling’s requirements and descriptions for a qualified pilot gave Lu Yuan the impression of “Human-Mecha Integration.”

“Mental power is entirely in service of the Mecha.”

The mental power’s different forms corresponded to different styles of Mechs, resulting in varied combat capabilities.

This even led to the emergence of many different pilot styles, much like diverse schools of pure martial artists…”

Lu Yuan quickly consulted various online materials, feeling as though a brand-new world was slowly unfolding before him.

“The Lu family possesses a complete pilot style legacy.

In Duoling, the most crucial criterion for assessing the eligibility of nobility is their mastery of their family’s pilot style…

No wonder Lu Lingfeng was so strict with Lu Qiyuan.

As the only male descendant of the Lu family, Lu Qiyuan would inevitably inherit the family’s noble title of baron of the third rank in the future.

If he failed to master the family legacy style and didn’t pass the assessment, the noble title could be downgraded.

Repeated failure in assessments, if severe enough, might even lead to the complete loss of noble status…

Conversely, exceptional ability can also pave a smooth path for ascending in nobility.”

Lu Yuan quickly retrieved Lu Qiyuan’s memories of the Lu family’s legacy.

The name of the Lu family’s Mecha control style was quite elegant: Wind Spirit Sword Shadow.

“Mecha piloting places almost no demands on the pilot’s Star Martial Arts Talent.

This is good news for me…”

Lu Yuan’s Star Martial Arts Talent was poor, so much so that Yuwen Tong had once remarked that he had almost no prospects for cultivation.

Therefore, he had always pinned his hopes for advancement on attaining the status of a Grandmaster in martial arts and on the system of the evil deity.

At present, the [Grandmaster of Martial Arts] panel had vanished, and within the system of the evil deity, only the panel for the Spirit Devourer Clan was accessible, with the other major professions remaining locked.

During this period of weakened strength, becoming a pilot was undoubtedly an excellent way to fill the gap.

“At least until I reach the Star Lord Level, my lack of Talent won’t hinder my path as a pilot.

By the time I approach the level to ascend to a Star Lord, my strength should be largely restored. By then, I can consider switching back, and it will still be feasible…”

Lu Yuan’s eyes glinted with a lively and restless energy, as a wave of enthusiasm washed over him.

In that moment, he suddenly found a clear short-term direction for his journey and effort.

“At the very least, unlocking a new profession would be beneficial; what I need most right now are skill points and attribute points…”

Lu Yuan thought to himself.