Douluo Continent: From Internal Martial Arts to the Law of Heaven and Earth

"Where are we going next?" Gu Yue leaned against Tang Shan's side, her little head nodding, clearly starting to feel sleepy. She gently poked Tang Shan's arm with her slender fingers and asked in a soft, muffled voice.

Tang Shan's eyes reflected the flickering campfire, his expression serene. After a moment of contemplation upon hearing Gu Yue's question, he said gently, "We are not far from Xingluo City now, still in the heart of Xingluo. We can travel slowly and explore along the way. Our immediate goal is the border between the two great empires."

"Okay, sure!" Gu Yue seemed extremely sleepy, so she simply wrapped her arms around Tang Shan's arms and hugged him. She gently rested her head on Tang Shan's shoulder, her eyelashes drooping, and her breathing quickly became even.

Seeing Gu Yue fast asleep with her head on his shoulder, Tang Shan was both amused and exasperated, but he couldn't bear to wake her. After all, he was a dragon with a strong constitution, so sleeping like this wouldn't cause any problems, and he wouldn't get a stiff neck.

After all, his physical condition is what it is. To say that Gu Yue had a stiff neck is as ridiculous as saying that someone who can destroy a planet will die of a heart attack.

Sitting across from the campfire, Zhu Zhuyun's face was flushed, and the firelight made her cheeks even more beautiful. Zhu Zhuqing also unconsciously gripped her sister's sleeve tightly, clearly feeling a little uneasy.

Tang Shan clearly didn't notice the sisters' unusual expressions. As for their blushing, it was normal to blush from the heat by the campfire; it would be abnormal for him and Gu Yue to be so calm and composed.

Thinking about future road planning, Tang Shan looked at the girl opposite him: "Miss Zhu Yun, as a member of the Zhu family, you should know a lot about the Star Luo Empire. Do you have any recommendations for cities with distinctive features that are suitable for visiting?"

Zhu Zhuyun was clearly lost in thought. After hearing this, she was stunned for a long time before she came back to her senses and bit her lower lip lightly: "You can just call me Zhuyun. As for the cities suitable for visiting, I really don't know much about them. When I was in the family, I spent most of my time studying royal etiquette and focusing on cultivation. After all, I was originally destined to marry into the royal family."

Zhu Zhuyun's answer surprised Tang Shan, but considering her original life trajectory, it was normal that she didn't know much about the Star Luo Empire.

Even if she marries into the royal family, Zhu Zhuyun will at most become an empress in the future. The intrigue and backstabbing in the harem will be enough to give her a headache. She will also have to take care of cultivation and serving the emperor. It will be difficult for her to find time to understand the major affairs of the empire. As for the specific situation of the Star Luo Empire, she will probably be willing but unable to do so.

It seems that planning the return route will ultimately be up to him. Tang Shan rubbed his forehead, his expression slightly helpless.

"Tangshan, we have something to tell you." After struggling for a long time, Zhu Zhuyun finally made up her mind, stood up abruptly, her dark and bright eyes staring straight at Tangshan, her face full of determination.

"What is it?" Seeing Zhu Zhuyun's extremely complicated expression, and Zhu Zhuqing following closely behind with a cold expression, Tang Shan inexplicably thought of a sentence: three years minimum, death penalty maximum.

Beside the burning campfire, Zhu Zhuyun gently pulled Zhu Zhuqing's wrist and slowly approached Tangshan. The flickering firelight made her face even more alluring and enchanting. Her eyes and brows were captivating. An angelic face paired with a devilish figure was the most fitting description of Zhu Zhuyun.

A tight-fitting black bodysuit clung to her figure, accentuating her slender and supple waist, which could be grasped in one hand. Her breasts were full and shapely, with a proud figure. Under the heat, fine beads of sweat slid down and disappeared into the deep cleavage of her chest, the faint damp marks adding to her allure and sparking the imagination.

She walked towards Tangshan with light and graceful cat-like steps, her waist swaying slightly, and an unusually ambiguous atmosphere quietly flowed between the two of them.

Gu Yue, who was sleeping on Tang Shan's shoulder, trembled slightly with her long eyelashes, then quickly returned to calm, her breathing remaining even. No one noticed this subtle change.

Chapter 349 Communication

thump!

"Master, please accept my bow!"

Zhu Zhuyun, accompanied by Zhu Zhuqing, gracefully walked to Tang Shan and knelt down without hesitation, wanting to bow to him.

Tangshan?! He had considered many possible developments, but he never expected this one. The Zhu sisters' kneeling was so sudden that it caught him completely off guard.

Tang Shan wanted to help them up, but Gu Yue was still hanging on his arm. Fortunately, at the crucial moment, the "burden" became a "helper".

Gu Yue had woken up at some point. With a wave of her small hand, she summoned a gust of wind that lifted Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing up, allowing them to stand up again.

Originally, Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing were not far from the two of them when the Zhu sisters knelt down, which brought them right in front of them. This caused Tang Shan, who was sitting cross-legged, to have his gaze fall directly into Zhu Zhuyun's snow-white, layered breasts when Gu Yue lifted the two women up.

He shifted his gaze without changing his expression, looked up at the girl standing in front of him, and asked with some confusion, "What were you doing just now?"

Seemingly realizing that her position was somewhat precarious, Zhu Zhuyun took a step back without making a sound, creating some distance between herself and Tang Shan, her face and even the tips of her ears turning slightly red.

Looking at her sister, who still had a cold face, Zhu Zhuyun took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and met Tang Shan's deep eyes: "We want to become your disciples."

Tang Shan was somewhat confused: "No, all in all, we've only spent less than half a month together, and I haven't shown any special skills. Why do you want to become my disciples? Besides, I should be about the same age as you, right?"

Zhu Zhuyun bit her lower lip, which was also the reason why she was so conflicted before. It was really awkward to have someone her own age as her teacher, but now that she had taken the first step, she naturally wouldn't hesitate anymore.

After quickly sorting out her thoughts, Zhu Zhuyun barely suppressed her turbulent emotions and looked directly at Tang Shan: "The accomplished are my teachers. You are much stronger than me, so there is nothing shameful about becoming your disciple. You said you didn't show your skills, but I think your physical cultivation method that day and your three purple and one black soul ring configuration are the best proof. Besides, your name is Tang Shan, and that name is enough! My sister and I sincerely want to learn from you."

Tangshan: "..."

He felt that Zhu Zhuyun's words made a lot of sense and he didn't know how to refute them.

Finally, Tang Shan could only turn to Gu Yue beside him for help, hoping that she could lend a hand and dissuade the Zhu sisters from their idea as soon as possible.

Meeting Tang Shan's eager gaze, Gu Yue blinked, then seemed to suddenly realize something, yawned slightly, and naturally took Tang Shan's arm, tilting her head to the side, her breathing becoming even again.

Tangshan?! You can't pretend to be asleep like that.

Helpless, Tang Shan could only meet Zhu Zhuyun's burning gaze head-on. He was quite troubled and couldn't help but rub his forehead with his left hand: "You said you wanted to become my apprentice, so what do you think I have to teach you?"

Zhu Zhuyun answered without hesitation: "Physical cultivation method and martial spirit cultivation."

Tang Shan: "The physical cultivation method you mentioned is called internal martial arts, which I can teach you directly; as for martial spirit cultivation, you are a member of the Zhu family, and your family must have a systematic method for cultivating Netherworld Cats, which is definitely better than what I can teach you."

Zhu Zhuyun's eyes were clear as she stared intently into Tang Shan's eyes: "No, I also want to learn how you obtained your spirit rings? Our family tradition only teaches us to choose rings according to age limits, but your spirit rings and spirit skills clearly have other secrets. I want to know the key to them." Before Tang Shan could even agree, Zhu Zhuyun had already used respectful language, clearly determined to become his disciple.

Upon hearing Zhu Zhuyun's answer, Tang Shan was taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. However, he frowned and pretended to be puzzled: "What do you mean? What do you mean by how to obtain a soul ring?"

Zhu Zhuyun's lips curled up, and a smile naturally appeared: "Teacher, the confidence, or rather the foundation, of your ability to challenge opponents of higher levels should be your soul skills. Those soul skills with heaven-defying effects are the capital you rely on to challenge opponents of higher levels. Ordinary soul masters' soul skills are mostly bound by the age limit of their soul rings, but the power of your soul skills has long since broken through this common sense. This is the core of your ability to fight opponents of higher levels."

Tang Shan became genuinely interested. Although most normal Soul Masters could tell that he was using Soul Skills to leapfrog his level in a challenge, Zhu Zhuyun was the first to point it out.

It wasn't that he thought there was anything special about being the first to speak out, but rather that he felt Zhu Zhuyun had deliberately brought it up because she must have seen something.

The other person's quick thinking clearly broke the "curse" brought about by her own figure, after all, "big breasts, no brains".

Seeing Tang Shan sitting upright, clearly interested in her words, Zhu Zhuyun also became a little serious. She knew that the real test had arrived.

"Let me start by telling you the clues I've gathered." Zhu Zhuyun didn't rush to reveal her final conjecture, but instead began from the beginning.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Gu Yue, who was "sleeping," quietly perked up her ears, and her breathing rhythm also changed subtly.

Tang Shan glanced at it speechlessly, not intending to expose the Dragon King's pretense of being asleep. He shifted his attention to the girl in front of him, curious about how much she could actually see through.

Zhu Zhuyun sat cross-legged in front of Tang Shan, and Zhu Zhuqing followed suit, her gaze falling on her sister, a hint of expectation appearing in her icy eyes.

“Teacher, you have a spirit soul with full innate spirit power, and your spirit soul is also equipped with an extraordinary configuration of three purple and one black spirit rings. These points are basically related to the theories of the master who became famous on the continent a few years ago. Therefore, I speculate that you and the master should have some kind of connection.”

Tang Shan nodded slightly, without denying it. In fact, as his talent was revealed, many powerful forces had seen this, and even top forces such as Ning Fengzhi unanimously believed that he was the master's disciple under his guidance.

Zhu Zhuyun continued, "The master's theory does break with convention and can even be said to have completely changed the cultivation direction of the vast majority of soul masters. However, these changes are not particularly obvious due to the short time that has passed. But it is foreseeable that in the future, there will be soul masters with extremely low innate soul power who possess a soul ring that is nearly a thousand years old, or who choose to absorb high-level soul beasts that are compatible with them instead of absorbing top-tier soul beasts."

Tang Shan agreed with Zhu Zhuyun's speculation. These were all very likely to happen, or even inevitable. After all, they were both one-ring Soul Masters. One broke through a few years earlier and the other a few years later. The difference in the age of their Soul Rings could be tens or even hundreds of years. Anyone with a sound mind would know how to choose.

As for giving up stronger top-tier soul beasts and choosing high-level soul beasts that match one's own martial soul, this is likely to happen in the future. Choosing a soul beast with attributes similar to one's martial soul has one advantage: it can improve one's aptitude to a certain extent and make the path ahead a little wider.

"The future is foreseeable, but even if we continue to cultivate according to the master's theories, it is absolutely impossible for a monster like you, teacher, to be able to challenge opponents of higher levels as easily as eating and drinking." Zhu Zhuyun's expression became slightly solemn, clearly indicating that the truth of his speculation was not far off. "Putting aside everything else, just looking at the configuration of spirit rings, a standard Spirit Emperor's configuration of two yellow, two purple, and two black spirit rings is enough to surpass yours, teacher, not to mention the spirit rings of Spirit Saints and even Spirit Douluos. In terms of the age ratio alone, your spirit rings do not have an absolute advantage, but the combat power is worlds apart."

No, my true spirit ring colors should also be two purple and two black, it's just that the third spirit ring was dyed by the Amethyst Behemoth. Tang Shan silently added in his heart.

"The age limit of the spirit rings is right here. It's clear that your challenge against those above your level isn't based on these spirit rings that are beyond the normal age limit, but rather on the spirit skills that the spirit rings possess."

Zhu Zhuyun's words seem contradictory, but they can be understood by saying that Tang Shan's soul skill effects have little to do with the age of the soul ring; it's simply that those soul skills are too powerful.

"The power of your soul skills is your capital for challenging opponents of higher levels. Some people may think that you obtained these soul skills by luck, by the favor of heaven and earth, just like the protagonists in those novels. But I don't think so. Luck can only occasionally give you one or two powerful soul skills, but the soul skills corresponding to each of your soul rings are all top-notch. This is definitely not something that can be achieved by luck alone."

Zhu Zhuyun took a deep breath, barely calming her turbulent emotions, and said, word by word, "Compared to luck, I think human intervention is more likely. After all, you have connections with the master and possess a set of theories related to soul rings and soul skills. Isn't that reasonable? As for why you haven't published this theory, I suppose it's because the master doesn't want his disciple to be eliminated by the tide of the times he created! Am I right, teacher?"

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Tang Shan never expected that the girl in front of him could deduce his general situation when he was six years old from the clues he had revealed.

Of course, this is only a general account of what happened when he was six years old, not the whole truth. After all, there has only ever been one master, and that is Tang Shan himself. The identity of the master's disciple is just a disguise that Tang Shan puts on for himself.

However, since the other party could perceive the key to his initial success—the influence of consciousness on soul skills—why not tell them this theory? As for directly entering the soul skill space to select soul skills later, it wasn't that Tang Shan was unwilling to tell them, but rather that the conditions were simply too harsh.

One needs to acquire a soul skill that is self-controlled or has a similar effect, and then comprehend the will, in order to possibly enter the soul skill space when absorbing a soul ring. Tang Shan even felt that the requirements might be more than these.

Another crucial requirement is most likely the original martial soul. After all, only when the original martial soul is fused with the body can one sense the existence of the soul ring through the martial soul. If it is replaced by a weapon martial soul or a beast martial soul, it is not even possible to fully sense and control it, let alone use it as a springboard to enter the soul skill space with self-control as the medium and will as the guide.

"You're pretty close to the truth." Tang Shan finally spoke, looking at the intelligent girl in front of him, his voice softening slightly: "Since you've guessed that I have a theory about choosing soul skills to some extent, then it's fine to tell you this theory."

"So, teacher, you've agreed to take us as your apprentices?" Zhu Zhuyun's eyes lit up as she asked impatiently, while Zhu Zhuqing beside her also looked up at Tang Shan.

P.S.: Don't worry, the choice of soul skill is unique to the protagonist, and the function of the first soul skill will be revealed soon.

Chapter 350 Attempt

Tang Shan said helplessly, "You don't need to call me teacher. I can teach you all of this directly, including the methods for selecting internal martial arts and soul rings and soul skills. We are about the same age, calling me teacher would only make me sound old."

“Okay, teacher.” Zhu Zhuyun called out with a smile, clearly having listened to his words, but deliberately not doing as he wished.

"Teacher." Even the usually aloof Zhu Zhuqing obediently called out, leaving Tang Shan speechless.

Seemingly sensing that Tang Shan was in a bit of a panic, Zhu Zhuyun's smile faded slightly, and she said seriously, "Teacher, to be honest, the reason we became your disciples was to gain your protection. After all, you know our situation. If we were to venture out on the mainland alone without the support of a major power, we would inevitably be constantly hunted down by the Star Luo Empire."

Tang Shan had already thought of this, and said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter. Although I didn't plan to attack the Star Luo Empire again after killing a Soul Douluo, the grudges are already irreconcilable. Protecting you and making things difficult for them is something I'm happy to see."

Besides, I have His Highness the Crown Prince behind me. Although with my current strength, protecting you might be a bit difficult, His Highness the Crown Prince should be more than happy to cause trouble for the Star Luo Empire.”

"Then thank you very much, teacher." Zhu Zhuyun bowed solemnly at a ninety-degree angle, her sincerity evident.

Tangshan deliberately looked away from the other party's "sincerity" and didn't intend to correct their way of addressing each other anymore. Oh well, whatever.

"Now tell me about your cultivation. What level is your soul power? What are your soul skills? And from which soul beast did you obtain them?" Tang Shan asked.

"My current soul power is level 29. My first soul ring comes from a 470-year-old Netherworld Cat, and my second soul ring comes from a 900-year-old Shadow Leopard. My first soul skill is Netherworld Thrust, and my second soul skill is Netherworld Hundred Claws." Zhu Zhuyun briefly introduced her situation.

"Level 12, first soul ring source: Netherworld Cat, first soul skill: Netherworld Thrust." Zhu Zhuqing's words were concise and to the point, but fortunately, she managed to convey all the important information.

The Netherworld Thrust was alright, but the Netherworld Hundred Claws seemed rather ineffective. The thought flashed through Tang Shan's mind, but he composed himself and began to give the Zhu sisters a brief analysis of martial spirit cultivation.

"Regarding the cultivation of martial souls, I don't know how your family describes it, but in my opinion, the cultivation in Douluo Continent is nothing more than two stages: one is to accumulate soul power to the bottleneck, and the other is to absorb soul rings to break through. As for other development directions such as the power attack type and the agility attack type, they are all extra branches, not the core. The fundamental thing is to improve one's cultivation level and get as close as possible to the next bottleneck of absorbing soul rings."

Zhu Zhuyun asked in surprise, "What if one only cultivates soul power but lacks combat strength?"

The question posed by the other party was not unexpected for Tang Shan. It was like something out of a martial arts novel: should one focus on cultivating internal strength or on developing techniques? One must emphasize one aspect. As for the idea of ​​pursuing both simultaneously, that was clearly impossible. If it were truly possible, a certain sect wouldn't have almost beaten a dog out of its head because of it.

In Tang Shan's view, the obvious choice is to cultivate internal strength. It's not that he has any prejudice against swordsmanship or similar techniques; on the contrary, he values ​​skills just as much. However, if he had to choose a focus, he would definitely choose internal strength.

The reason is simple: before one's skills reach a level close to the Dao, or even attain the Dao, no matter how superb one's skills are, one is still ultimately just a mortal body. Inner strength, on the other hand, is the beginning of a transformation of life. While it may not increase lifespan, extending one's lifespan and living to one's theoretical lifespan should not be a problem.

In Tangshan's view, the core of cultivation is the transformation of one's life level, not the pursuit of combat power. Guided by this fundamental principle, there is no need for hesitation in making any choice.

"Then what is your purpose in cultivating?" Tang Shan did not answer Zhu Zhuyun's question immediately, but instead asked her a question in return.

Zhu Zhuyun was speechless for a moment, somewhat puzzled and confused, clearly not understanding what Tang Shan meant.

Tang Shan shook his head. This was another shortcoming, or rather a deficiency, that he had discovered in Douluo Soul Masters: the lack of a clear upper limit or core guidance.

The ultimate goal of cultivators is to become immortals. Although only a handful of people can actually achieve this, the destination is very clear.

The birth of martial artists is basically due to competition, whether it is with aliens, beasts or other humans, the word "conquest" runs through the core.

Now let's look at the Soul Masters in Douluo Continent. In Douluo Continent III and even later in Douluo Continent IV, Soul Masters were at most considered a relatively high-level profession, becoming part of the operation of civilization. However, in Douluo Continent I and Douluo Continent II, Soul Masters were more like a special group that transcended ordinary humans.

It's not that you can't transcend it, but you have to cut ties cleanly enough. I'm not saying it's completely unrelated, but at the very least, you have to become a legend like in cultivation novels.

If you want to integrate into the community and become one of the ordinary people, don't detach yourself too much from the group and draw such clear lines.

Look at the Soul Masters in Douluo Continent I and II, especially in Douluo Continent I—their upper limit is clearly to become gods, but they all pursue powerful combat strength. A certain mad pope even drags the entire Douluo Continent into war. They have nothing to do with ordinary people, but they are burdened by the Soul Masters.

Why do I cultivate? I don't know. I just cultivated because I had innate soul power. It's said that becoming a Soul Master can make you a superior person. This kind of thinking was very common in the Douyi era. In the Douyi era, Soul Masters didn't have a clear definition.

After a brief brainstorming session, Tang Shan looked at the two girls in front of him: "If you want to become powerful Soul Masters, then Soul Skills are very important; if you want to climb to a higher realm, or even achieve a title, then Soul Skills, except for a few special ones, will only be auxiliary in the later stages."