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

Simply put, the bottom of the spirit ring can be considered as the earth, mainly serving as a base and will not be affected by the two above.

The Soul Ring Foundation can be seen as a foundation formed by the convergence of violent energy, while the Soul Ring Core can be seen as a tall building that grows naturally as the foundation becomes stronger.

The improvement of the former will immediately drive the evolution of the latter, but the decline of the former will not immediately affect the latter unless a certain threshold is reached.

According to Tangshan's experiments, this so-called boundary should be a significant drop in the rank of a Soul Ring, for example, from ten thousand years to a thousand years, from a thousand years to a hundred years, from a hundred years to ten years...

After clarifying this connection, Tang Shan immediately had a bold idea: could he extract the soul ring base of the fourth soul ring, convert it into cultivation soul power, and then transfer the soul power to the first and second soul rings to help them increase their age?

Tang Shan has discovered that the foundation of a soul ring does not necessarily require the residual energy of a soul beast; his soul power cultivation can also be used as the foundation of a soul ring.

As for the losses, they are negligible, since the effect of the spirit ring will not be changed as a result.

Furthermore, Tang Shan had a new idea: what would happen if the entire base of a spirit ring were replaced by his spirit power energy? Would new changes occur then?

A constant stream of inspiration flowed into Tang Shan's mind. It was safe to say that the breakthrough in internal martial arts to the Divine Realm had brought him tremendous joy, propelling his cultivation to a whole new level. Although his apparent strength might not increase significantly, it would undoubtedly provide extraordinary assistance to his future training.

Stay calm, analyze everything carefully. There are many directions we can try, so there's no need to rush.

Tang Shan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, and quickly chose the direction of the first experiment: to convert all the soul beasts' soul power into his own soul power, and see what kind of changes would occur to the soul ring foundation built purely from his own soul power.

For the experiment, Tang Shan chose the fourth spirit ring. The reason was that its spirit skill effect was not very strong. Even if something unexpected happened, Tang Shan would not feel particularly bad. He could also extract more spirit power and transfer its age to other spirit rings. One spirit ring, two attempts, perfect.

With his mind calmed, Tang Shan focused his attention and slowly transferred that special control to his fourth spirit ring. A surge of domineering energy erupted from it and began to rampage through Tang Shan's body.

Ultimately, it originated from the golden-haired lion mastiff. Even after a considerable amount of time had passed, its remaining soul power remained ferocious, far more difficult to tame than the remnants of the first soul ring, the Thousand-Pound Ant. Fortunately, Tang Shan was no longer the quasi-Soul Master he once was. His internal martial arts had not only reached the Divine Realm level, but his willpower was also strong enough to propel him directly to level 98 after achieving his title. No matter how ferocious the golden-haired lion mastiff's remaining soul power was, for Tang Shan now, it would only be a matter of wasting more time.

As the abnormal energy was refined, Tang Shan continuously injected his refined soul power into it. With each inflow and outflow, a balance was quietly formed.

As the first rays of dawn touched the earth, Tang Shan slowly emerged from his meditative state as he crawled into his tent. Opening his eyes, a gentle glow flashed by.

"Are you alright?" Before Tang Shan could even snap out of his daze from his long meditation, Gu Yue's worried voice rang in his ears.

Tang Shan turned his head and met the girl's gaze. The tension in his eyes was pure and touching.

He didn't answer, but reached into the blankets beside him and touched something cold.

"Why didn't you sleep all night?" Tang Shan said, reaching out to touch the girl's head.

Gu Yue pouted and dodged Tang Shan's large hand: "You still haven't answered my question. What happened to your spirit ring last night?"

Tang Shan paused slightly, recalling his time with the girl before him, and a faint smile appeared on his face: "It's nothing, it's just that the effect of the first spirit ring has changed a little."

Before Gu Yue could ask any further questions, Tang Shan told her everything he had discovered the night before without reservation.

During this time, he had already seen through his own heart. There was no need to hide some things from the person in front of him, not to mention that the other person's background was extraordinary. Perhaps he could even get some guidance from the other person.

After listening to Tang Shan's account, Gu Yue was also somewhat taken aback. She knew that Tang Shan must have touched the rules of the spirit ring again yesterday, but she did not expect that he had touched them so deeply that he had actually found the core of the spirit ring.

"You mean your soul skills will evolve as the foundation of your soul rings grows stronger?" Gu Yue pondered for a moment, then asked, feigning curiosity.

Tang Shan nodded slightly: "I tried it briefly and improved the foundation of the first spirit ring. The rules contained in its spirit ring core have indeed changed."

"But how could the composition of a soul ring foundation possibly drive the evolution of soul skills? Not to mention that your soul skills are all rule-based soul skills with heaven-defying effects." Gu Yue raised her doubts at just the right time.

Tang Shan was taken aback and fell into deep thought. Just as Gu Yue said, whether the foundation of the soul ring was composed of the residual soul power of the soul beast or the soul power of the soul itself, it was essentially just a kind of energy. Energy could not drive the evolution of rules.

This is similar to how electric current is also a form of energy; it can make a machine run, but it can never directly cause a machine to evolve.

Seeing Tang Shan deep in thought, Gu Yue hesitated for a moment before pretending to guess, "Could it be that the rules of heaven and earth are helping you perfect your soul skills?"

Tang Shan's eyes lit up; this was indeed a possibility. The Martial Soul system clearly emerged under the unique rules of Douluo Star. Regardless of whether its emergence was intended to target Soul Beasts, Soul Rings, as a special product, must have some unique characteristics closely related to the rules of heaven and earth.

Since spirit rings are closely related to the rules of heaven and earth, it's only natural that some hidden effects haven't been discovered. Leaving aside other factors, the sheer variety of flashy spirit ring colors in the future is the best proof that the rules of spirit rings still hold hidden effects.

Getting back to the main point, since the Soul Ring Core is not driven by the Soul Ring Base to evolve, but the effect of the Soul Ring Base can cause its changes, what role does it play in the Soul Ring?

Chapter 353 Something's Wrong with Zhu Zhuyun

The Soul Ring Foundation is the foundation. Although it cannot directly promote the evolution of the Soul Ring Core, the Soul Ring Core itself needs the support of the Soul Ring Foundation. If the former is too powerful and the latter cannot keep up, it will be like a tall building with a shallow foundation, which is easy to collapse.

In other words, the previous speculation was not entirely wrong, but rather had some oversights. The enhancement of the Soul Ring Base does indeed lead to the enhancement of the Soul Ring Core, but what enhances them is not the growing Soul Ring Base, but the unique rules of heaven and earth of Douluo Star.

With Gu Yue's reminder, Tang Shan naturally came to the above conclusion and gained a clearer and more thorough understanding of spirit rings.

"Gu Yue, thank you. Without your reminder, my thoughts might have gone astray, and I don't know when I would have realized it." Tang Shan looked at the girl in front of him, his eyes full of sincerity.

"It's nothing. My family has done some research on martial spirits, and this is part of our research results." Facing Tang Shan's somewhat intense gaze, Gu Yue subconsciously turned her head away, her ear tips turning slightly red.

Tang Shan smiled, not exposing the clumsy lie; the two had already formed an unspoken understanding.

Stepping out of the tent, the gentle sunlight streamed down from the sky, making one feel completely comfortable. The purest fragrance of grass and leaves from the forest was refreshing and invigorating.

The tent flap next door swayed, and the Zhu sisters walked out side by side. Upon seeing Tang Shan, Zhu Zhuyun's face lit up with a beautiful smile, and she greeted him, "Good morning, teacher!"

Remembering her sister's instructions from the night before, Zhu Zhuqing obediently greeted, "Good morning, teacher!"

Tangshan had given up on correcting the way the Zhu sisters were addressed; he simply nodded and greeted them.

At this moment, Gu Yue also came out of the tent. After a quick wash, he prepared to begin practicing internal martial arts.

"Zhu Yun, have you figured out the answer to yesterday's question?" Tang Shan did not immediately teach the internal martial arts, but instead asked Zhu Zhu Yun the question he had left for her yesterday—what type of plant-type soul ring does the Blue Silver Grass absorb?

Zhu Zhuyun panicked. Yesterday, she was only thinking about how to protect her and her sister, and whether Xue Qinghe would refuse her, the Princess Consort of Xingluo, and had completely forgotten about this matter.

A hint of shame crossed the girl's face as she spoke the truth: "Teacher, I was a bit distracted last night and forgot about it."

Tang Shan did not get angry about this and said, "It's alright, it's okay if you forgot. I'll tell you the answer now. It's true that Blue Silver Grass is suitable for plant soul beasts, but the most suitable plant attribute for it is the life attribute."

Zhu Zhuyun was somewhat surprised, but after thinking for a moment, a look of understanding flashed in her eyes: "I chose plant-type soul beasts because their essence is similar to Blue Silver Grass, making them easier to absorb. I chose life attribute because Blue Silver Grass is ubiquitous and has a very strong vitality. Absorbing soul rings with the same attribute can improve one's aptitude to a certain extent."

"That's right. This conclusion applies to all plant and animal martial souls. If you select a soul beast using this method, unless some strange mutation occurs, as long as it has innate soul power and can cultivate, you can gradually improve its aptitude. This is also a possible way to break through the title when aptitude is limited."

You can also use this as a reference for acquiring your future spirit rings. Fortunately, there are many types of dark-attribute cat-type spirit beasts. If it were a rarer spirit beast, finding a spirit beast with a similar essence and attribute would probably not be so easy.

Tang Shan affirmed Zhu Zhuyun's understanding and briefly discussed the possible development directions of their future martial spirits. He then changed the subject and began to talk about internal martial arts.

"Next, I will teach you internal martial arts, also known as physical training methods. The essence of internal martial arts is to tap into your body's potential and push it to its maximum possible state..."

The azure lake reflects the morning sun, and the misty vapor spreads everywhere, bringing a touch of coolness.

Beside the lakeside woods, a handsome young man stood tall and pointed, instructing two girls on their movements. Soft sunlight filtered through the layers of trees, creating dappled shadows that seemed to adorn the scene, scattered yet not chaotic.

The black-haired girl rested her chin on her hand, her dark eyes fixed on the young man, a captivating smile playing on her lips.

Life returned to normal. After teaching the Zhu sisters the standing meditation technique that day, the four of them embarked on their journey again, traveling between cities and enjoying the scenery.

While Tangshan may seem to have become more lax, its strength is actually undergoing an astonishing transformation and progress every day.

Reaching the level of "seeing the gods without decay" allowed him to tap into his body's potential much faster, resulting in a continuous transformation of his physical attributes and an increasingly powerful and vigorous flow of qi and blood.

The base of the fourth spirit ring is constantly being transformed by Tang Shan every day, and the spirit power is in a cycle of repeated surges and falls.

Jiangtian City, not far from the border between the two countries, is essentially a central supply station for border cities of the Star Luo Empire. Soul Masters come and go in an endless stream, and the city's defenses are well-organized, giving it a solemn air as an important border town.

The group found a hotel with a wide view to stay in. The rooftop terrace was spacious and quiet, perfect for practicing martial arts in the early morning.

On the rooftop, two girls who bore a striking resemblance were practicing martial arts. Their movements were light and agile, yet concealed a deadly intent. Sharp cat claws gleamed with a faint, cold light, and their seemingly casual actions were mixed with a chilling aura. Zhu Zhuyun's movements were agile and ruthless, a blend of the Netherworld Cat's grace and ferocity. Zhu Zhuqing followed closely behind, her moves still somewhat clumsy, but she imitated them perfectly.

"Press down and then lift up, the spine and even the tail should be connected as a whole. The power is not a separate burst or contraction, but should be treated as flowing water." As the clear female voice rang out, her fair hands tapped on the two girls, finely adjusting their movements and smoothing out any sluggishness.

As the finger fell, the power flowed smoothly, adding an even more sinister touch to the already menacing movement.

"Why does your moveset feel a bit strange?" Gu Yue's eyes widened as she looked Zhu Zhuyun up and down, somewhat puzzled. The opponent's moves were flawless, but the aura around her exuded an odd and incongruous quality, unlike the agility of a typical Netherworld Cat Martial Soul.

Zhu Zhuyun was taken aback. She stopped and stood still, then turned to her younger sister after catching her breath: "Zhuqing, do you feel that there's something strange about my movements?" She had only felt that her power was becoming smoother during her own practice and had not noticed anything unusual.

Zhu Zhuqing let out a long breath, withdrew her hand, and shook her head after her breathing calmed down, saying matter-of-factly, "Sister, with your talent, how could you possibly be wrong?"

Zhu Zhuyun felt there was something off about her sister's words, but she didn't think much of it. Instead, she turned to Gu Yue with a pleading look in her eyes: "Could you take another look? Perhaps I'm not controlling my strength properly."

Gu Yue nodded. She was also a little curious as to why she felt that the other party's moves were a bit off. With her current Dan Jin cultivation, she should have been more than capable of guiding two people who hadn't even reached the Ming Jin level.

Zhu Zhuyun took a deep breath, calmed her mind, and began practicing the internal martial arts again from the beginning. This internal martial arts was created by Tang Shan specifically for their Netherworld Cat Martial Soul. It was tailored to the characteristics of the Martial Soul and was named the Netherworld Killing Technique because of its ruthless methods and deadly moves.

Brush brush!

With her tail and entire spine as the core, Zhu Zhuyun, possessed by her martial spirit, stretched out her limbs, her blood and qi flowing with her moves, her cat claws straightened, and her waist and abdomen powered her limbs. Her movements were sometimes fast and sometimes slow, like a hunter hidden in the night, showing a deadly allure.

She became more and more engrossed in her practice, her claws gleaming even brighter, while the cat behind her moved nimbly, becoming the key to maintaining balance and generating power.

Deep within his heterochromatic pupils, a faint crimson light flickered unnoticed. As the final move landed, the murderous aura around him suddenly condensed and then dissipated, a sinister and evil aura flashing by.

"It seems there's something wrong with your martial soul; it appears to be exhibiting ancestral tendencies." Gu Yue pondered for a long time before reaching the above conclusion. The unusual aura wasn't caused by any particular technique, but rather by subtle changes in the very essence of your martial soul.

Zhu Zhuyun looked down at her own claws, the tips of which seemed a few shades darker than usual. She then glanced back at the cat's tail, the tip of which had a very faint, purplish tinge. A sense of worry rose in her heart, and she asked, "Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

Gu Yue spread her hands: "I don't know. After all, my understanding of martial spirits isn't particularly deep. You should consult an expert for this kind of thing." As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Tang Shan, who was sitting cross-legged to the side.

Upon hearing Gu Yue's answer, Zhu Zhuyun also looked at the young man sitting quietly on the other side, her brows furrowing with worry. She asked softly, "Is Teacher alright? Why does his soul power fluctuate so erratically, sometimes surging and sometimes subdued?"

Gu Yue gently shook her head: "It's alright, this is a special cultivation method, it should be almost over."

During his routine practice yesterday morning, Tang Shan entered an extremely mysterious state, with his soul power circulating in its own cycle, oblivious to external sounds and noises, and meditating directly from yesterday morning until now.

To avoid being disturbed, Gu Yue, Zhu Zhuyun, and Zhu Zhuqing took turns guarding the area, not daring to relax for a moment, until this morning.

Since Tangshan did not object to the Zhu sisters' title, Gu Yue, having nothing better to do, simply took the opportunity to instruct the two women in their internal martial arts training, breaking down their moves and clarifying their power generation, which conveniently helped pass the time while they were on guard duty.

The Zhu sisters might not know what Tang Shan was going through, but Gu Yue already knew. According to the progress Tang Shan had told her before, his first spirit ring should be able to break through to ten thousand years today.

……

Just as Gu Yue predicted, as Tang Shan continuously refined the energy of his fourth spirit ring and injected it into his first spirit ring, the age of Tang Shan's first spirit ring continued to increase, and finally yesterday, a fundamental transformation occurred.

As mentioned before, the four unusual fluctuations that Tang Shan entered into the void space under his own control corresponded to his four soul rings, with the strength of the aura corresponding to their age.

The first spirit ring, which should have been the weakest, now has an aura several times stronger than before, even slightly stronger than the second spirit ring next to it.

hum!

With the injection of the last stream of liquid soul power, a subtle tremor quietly spread out, echoing in Tang Shan's mind.

In the indescribable space, the equally indescribable foundation of the soul ring seemed to have reached a critical point, officially beginning to leap towards a higher level. At the same time, the rule fragments representing the effects of soul skills naturally began to evolve, and streams of mysterious information automatically flowed into Tang Shan's consciousness.

That was the mystery of the rules of power, the clearest explanation and dissection of the essence of power. Tang Shan's mind was completely immersed in that mysterious information, unaware of the passage of time.

A peculiar fluctuation emanated from Tang Shan's body, spreading outwards. Gu Yue's eyes widened in shock: "This is the power rule! How is this possible? A Soul Master comprehending the power rule? It's simply a fantasy!"

Tang Shan was no longer touching the rules of heaven and earth as before, but had already comprehended a part of the rules, which was simply incredible.

It is important to know that the requirements for comprehending the rules are extremely high, and these requirements not only lie in comprehension, but more importantly in basic values, namely, sufficiently strong soul power.

Chapter 354 Changes in the First Soul Skill

Even with extraordinary comprehension, one cannot comprehend the rules if their basic stats are insufficient. This is why Gu Yue was so surprised.

Before comprehending the rules, there is a heavy door blocking the way. Soul power cultivation is the only key to this door. Before opening the door, no matter how heaven-defying your comprehension is, it cannot play any role. However, Tang Shan managed to do this, which left Gu Yue completely puzzled.