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

Suddenly, a jet-black, venomous thorn shot out from the mouth of the porcupine doro, moving with lightning speed and silently heading straight for Tangshan.

The hair on his left arm stood on end instantly. Triggered by a sense of crisis, Tang Shan instinctively transferred all his soul power to his left hand, quickly flipped his wrist and slapped back, accurately deflecting the poisonous stinger, but some venom still splashed onto the back of his hand.

Soul power circulated rapidly in his palm. He ducked to avoid the follow-up poisonous stings, and with a flick of his wrist, he shook off all the venom from the back of his hand, demonstrating his perfect control over his body. Even though it had only adhered for less than a second, Tang Shan's skin on the back of his hand had already turned a faint red and felt a slight burning sensation.

This was only because the Porcupine Douluo hadn't fully unleashed his poison. Otherwise, given the opponent's profound cultivation as a Title Douluo, even if his poison mastery wasn't as good as the Poison Douluo's, the moment the venom touched him, it would have been enough to corrode a large, bloody hole in Tang Shan's palm.

"My two Soul Masters, His Highness requests your presence."

A servant stood at the edge of the training ground and shouted loudly towards Tang Shan and the Porcupine Douluo who were locked in fierce combat. The next moment, the Porcupine Douluo flashed to the servant's side, turned to look at Tang Shan, and waved his hand: "His Highness has ordered us to stop fighting and go see what's going on."

Tang Shan smiled and agreed, then quickly caught up with the chubby figure of the porcupine doro.

In the past few days, Tang Shan and Su Yuntao have come to Xue Qinghe's residence almost every day to spar with the two Douluo. It has to be said that Title Douluo are Title Douluo after all. Even without revealing their true cultivation, there are many things worth pondering and understanding in their guidance.

Tang Shan, in particular, had vaguely sensed the opportunity to break through to the Dan Jin realm from the Serpent Spear Douluo. However, since the two had only known each other for a short time, and it might be related to the other's cultivation, he did not rush to ask.

The glass in the lobby had already been replaced, and soft light shone on Xue Qinghe, giving him a subtle sense of holiness.

She sat by the window, where she could see the military camp stationed in Ironwall City, a faint smile on her face as she gazed into the distance, lost in thought.

"Your Highness." Tang Shan bowed slightly to the other party.

"Please sit down, you may all step back." Xue Qinghe gestured for Tang Shan to sit down, then looked at the two who had come with him, Citun and Shemao Douluo. The two nodded in agreement, and their figures quickly disappeared into the darkness.

At this moment, only Tang Shan and Xue Qinghe remained in the empty hall, and a brief silence fell over the room. Tang Shan did not speak first, and Xue Qinghe was clearly in a good mood and enjoying the tranquility, so she did not speak immediately.

After an unknown amount of time, Xue Qinghe withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at Tangshan, a signature gentle and refined smile appearing on his face.

"Tangshan, where's your older brother?"

"He's still at the Great Soul Arena. If Your Highness needs him, I'll send someone to call him back right away." Tang Shan's answer was not beyond Xue Qinghe's expectations. Over the past few days, she had come to understand the personalities of the two disciples of the Grandmaster.

In her view, Su Yuntao was more like a genius in the conventional sense, fond of fighting and exceptionally talented, while Tang Shan in front of her was always somewhat unfathomable to her.

Tang Shan is indeed a genius, but he is different from ordinary geniuses. Geniuses in the conventional sense are often only outstanding in a certain field or direction, but Tang Shan is like an all-rounder. There is almost nothing he doesn't understand, from interpersonal relationships and political acumen to martial spirit cultivation and cultivation theory.

If Tang Shan knew Xue Qinghe's thoughts, he would surely sigh helplessly: You're overthinking it. My expertise in human relationships is because I possess the soul of an adult; my understanding of politics is because the so-called political struggles in Douluo Continent are inherently simple; as for cultivation theories, most of them come from novels, and the only thing I've truly earned through my own hard work is perhaps the results of my cultivation.

“There’s no need to call him back. I think your challenge alone is enough.” Xue Qinghe looked at the distant military camp, his smile growing even brighter. “I’m looking forward to seeing if you can instill enough fear in the officers after you’ve defeated all the lower-ranking officers in the army.”

"Your Highness, victory is not the goal; winning people's hearts is the key."

Xue Qinghe nodded, his tone resolute: "Of course I understand. Don't worry, everything is ready. You just need to find an unlucky person to set an example."

Tang Shan nodded in agreement, and the two walked out of the gate together, boarded the carriage, and were escorted by the royal guards as they slowly drove towards the military camp.

In the spacious office, Hong Zhen sat upright like an iron tower, his piercing gaze sweeping over his subordinates below. His thick fingers tapped incessantly on the table, radiating an invisible sense of oppression.

The air in the room was stuffy and sticky, making one unconsciously hold their breath.

"Today is the second time the Crown Prince has come to comfort the soldiers and inspect the troops. You all better behave yourselves and stop wearing those grumpy faces you had a few days ago. Do you all understand?"

"Yes, General!" The crowd below trembled and answered loudly in unison.

"Fine, let's put that behind us for now. But what happened a few days ago? Don't you owe me an explanation?" Hong Zhen's voice suddenly turned cold, filled with barely suppressed anger. "Tell me, why have so many people in the city been saying that the Second Prince suits our tastes and is the best candidate for Crown Prince? You must explain to me clearly today who did this!"

boom!

The old man slammed his palm hard on the stone tabletop. The next second, a powerful surge of soul energy swept out, instantly turning the entire table into dust, which scattered to the ground in the wind.

"What did I tell you that day? No messing around, no taking sides! From now on, whoever is the crown prince or the emperor, we will listen to them, but you still insisted on interfering!"

The sound, like thunder, echoed throughout the room, making one's eardrums ache.

"General, I know about this, but I really didn't do it. I just didn't intervene in time." A subordinate raised his hand tremblingly to report. He was in charge of intelligence work, and if he didn't speak up, he was afraid he would be kicked out of the army tomorrow.

"You didn't do it?" Hong Zhen's gaze swept over his face, his eyes sharp as knives, before turning to his other subordinates. "Whoever did it, step forward. I can be lenient with you. Don't wait until I find out."

"General, I didn't do anything, I just watched and didn't interfere."

"I don't have any, I wouldn't dare to do anything reckless."

"The general spoke up a few days ago, how could we dare to go against the grain?"

A chorus of defenses rose from below, and Hong Zhen's face darkened, his mood at its worst. Heaven knows how much he groaned when his confidant reported to him that the people of Ironwall City were saying the Second Prince was the best candidate for crown prince.

It doesn't matter what the people in other cities say, they are just ordinary people after all. But the people of Ironwall City are different. They are mostly relatives and friends of the soldiers. The people are on the side of the Second Prince, and the army is also close to the Second Prince. What does this mean?

This is no longer a question of taking sides, but rather whether it will arouse the suspicion of Emperor Xueye!

Today, he caused this mess because of his closeness to the Second Prince. What if tomorrow, he's dissatisfied with me and leads his army to break away and become independent? After all, the army is in your hands, the people's hearts are with you, and the people of Ironwall City are all related to the army. This makes me very uneasy.

"General, do you think it could have been the First Prince who did it?"

At this moment, a clever man had a sudden inspiration and cautiously offered a guess: "The Crown Prince was slighted by us a few days ago, and he must be holding a grudge. Maybe he deliberately spread these rumors in the city to cause us trouble and get revenge for the slight."

"Then tell me, where did the First Prince find so many people to spread rumors throughout Ironwall City? This is a city, not a small town or an insignificant village!" Hong Zhen's last sentence was almost squeezed out through gritted teeth, clearly he was extremely angry, his face was red, and his eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

P.S.: After the protagonist fights a battle at the military camp, the storyline of Iron Wall City should end. Next comes Heaven Dou City, where more characters from the original work will appear. Here's a brief explanation: the protagonist's various schemes and plots... [The rest of the text is a jumbled collection of characters and phrases, likely from different sources, and doesn't form coherent sentences. A direct translation isn't meaningful as it lacks context and grammatical structure.]

This is my first time writing about romance, and I'm not sure if I can handle it well. I don't want the characters to be sleeping together within the first ten chapters, and I hope my characters aren't just pretty faces who fawn over the protagonist because of his looks and talent. I also hope the protagonist isn't a womanizer who seduces every woman he fancys. For example, even now, the protagonist still treats the angel girl like a powerful ally, while the angel girl still sees the protagonist as a genius subordinate. Finally, I ask for everyone's support. Subscriptions, monthly tickets, recommendations, collections, comments—anything is welcome. I'm not picky.

Chapter 71 Arrival at the Military Camp, Xue Qinghe's Request (Please add to your favorites, follow, and subscribe)

"It's not impossible, after all, he's the eldest prince."

Some people still harbored doubts about Xue Qinghe and subconsciously argued against it.

Hong Zhen felt so angry he almost laughed. He never expected that there would be such a talented person among his subordinates.

"The eldest prince is only ten years old this year. No matter how good he is at socializing and winning people over, tell me, how can he win over those people?"

"And if they want to influence the entire city's atmosphere, how many people would they need? Even if so many people entered in batches, wouldn't they be detected at all? Are our troops a sieve, or have those people dug a tunnel directly into the city?"

"Is it possible that the Royal Guards are working for the First Prince?"

Someone discovered the ripples.

"Entering our Ironwall City openly and honestly, without any concealment or hiding, and with the Royal Guards being more than sufficient, isn't that perfectly reasonable?"

Hong Zhen suddenly calmed down, his eyes revealing intense disappointment: "If you were stupid before, now I think you're just plain dumb. The Royal Guard? They're His Majesty's army. Their only duty is to protect the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince orders them to do something, it's no different from rebelling against His Majesty."

"You can't even come up with a decent excuse! Why don't you say the First Prince has sided with the Spirit Hall? The Spirit Hall has considerable influence in our Iron Wall City; it was the First Prince who instructed them to do this!"

As he continued, anyone could hear the intense sarcasm hidden within his words.

dong dong!

A knock sounded at the door. Hong Zhen calmed himself down, stood up, and opened the door.

"General, the Crown Prince has arrived."

His confidants reported this to him.

"Okay, I understand. You may leave now."

The confidant dared not look into the office and immediately turned and left.

Grasping the doorknob, Hong Zhen opened the door and looked at his men, who were never easy to manage, his tone calm and without the slightest ripple.

"Come with me to welcome the Crown Prince. Put away your petty thoughts and force a smile. If you keep that long face, don't blame me for coming back and settling scores."

"Yes, General."

He quickly revealed a bright smile, truly radiant.

Although they didn't know who had caused such a disaster, they were all very clear that their general was currently at the height of his rage, and if they couldn't help but provoke him, the consequences would be dire.

……

The carriage slowed down, and Tang Shan got off first, lifting the curtain. Then Xue Qinghe, dressed in luxurious clothes and with a gentle smile on her face, got off the carriage.

"I have met the First Prince."

Before the two men had even moved, General Hong Zhen led a group of people out of the gate to greet them, his face beaming with a hearty and cheerful smile.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Hong Zhen strode up to Xue Qinghe and bowed without hesitation.

After the other party finished bowing, Xue Qinghe stepped forward and lifted Hong Zhen up.

“General, your status in Ironwall City is unparalleled. I am but a lowly prince. How can I accept such a great honor?”

Hong Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat instantly poured down his forehead.

What does it mean to have a unique status in Ironwall City? Such words cannot be used carelessly. It seems that Xue Qinghe's attitude has clearly changed. Hong Zhen had a bitter pill to swallow. "Your Highness, those are all rumors. Our Ironwall City has really not taken sides."

Although I was feeling depressed, I couldn't neglect my outward manners. If I made a mistake and was accused of disrespecting the royal family, I would be doomed.

"Your Highness requests your presence."

Hong Zhen led the way, with Xue Qinghe following behind him, while Tang Shan lagged half a body length behind Xue Qinghe. Behind him were the various military generals that Hong Zhen had brought out.

Tang Shan could clearly sense that among the people behind him, many were staring intently at him and Xue Qinghe. Clearly, some suspected that the turmoil in Iron Wall City had been caused by the First Prince.

What's the use of your suspicions? No one knows better than you how many men the First Prince brought. On the surface, the First Prince doesn't have the power to do this.

Xue Qinghe and Tang Shan exchanged a glance, their faces simultaneously revealing extremely bright smiles, everything was developing as they had expected.

Upon reaching the heart of the military camp, Hong Zhen led the two into the largest reception room. He had his subordinates bring over a few chairs, while he himself made tea.

He clearly hadn't done this kind of thing many times, and his movements were somewhat clumsy, leaving Hong Zhen feeling quite helpless.

Normally, he only drinks plain water in the army and hardly ever touches tea. I never expected that one day he would personally brew tea for someone else. Only His Majesty has ever received such treatment. After all, his core mission is to be an indestructible barrier in front of the Tiandou Empire. As long as he does this well, his position is extremely secure. There is no need to worry about any accidents. After all, most nobles and emperors are not fools. As a barrier, you don't have to be good at interpersonal relationships. As long as you are good at defense, that's enough.

Today was ultimately a last resort. I don't know which of his brainless subordinates made such a huge mess. If Xue Qinghe really goes back and reports the truth, the army he has painstakingly built may fall apart.

Therefore, having no other choice, Hong Zhen could only try his best to please Xue Qinghe.

Hong Zhen handed a cup of hot tea to Xue Qinghe, and was about to hand another cup to Tang Shan, who was sitting next to him.

Although he didn't know what the relationship was between Tang Shan and Xue Qinghe, the fact that Xue Qinghe had asked him to sit down together showed how much he valued Tang Shan.

"General, you're too kind."

Tang Shan did not let the old man offer him tea, but instead quickly took it with both hands.

Since he was not the eldest prince, he didn't need to accept such treatment.

He looked at the character in front of him with some curiosity. The other party's army had some resemblance to the army of his country in his previous life. Every move they made exuded a strong military aura, which was very rare in Douluo Continent. You have to know how soldiers in his previous life cultivated such temperament. It required absolute self-discipline, a complete system, abundant resources, and a certain level of social and civilized consciousness.

Although the aura of the troops under his command was less than one percent of that in his previous life, it was still evident that this person was extraordinary.

“Your Highness, there has been some unrest in Ironwall City recently. Some spies from the Star Luo Empire have come to our Ironwall City to spread rumors. We did not deal with them in time, which has caused unrest among the people. It was my oversight.”

Seeing that Xue Qinghe always had a smile on her face but didn't say a word, Hong Zhen had no choice but to speak first, since his own troops had made the mistake first.

"General, how is the matter being handled regarding this spy?"

Xue Qinghe's answer was nonchalant, and his casual attitude undoubtedly indicated that if you say it this way, I will just listen to it this way; we both know the truth.

She fumbled around in the teacup, as if something inside was extremely attractive to her.

Seeing that beating around the bush wouldn't work, Hong Zhen decided to just tell the truth, since he wasn't good at scheming.

"I inform the Crown Prince that the Ironwall City's bulwark army has no other intentions. We are also investigating the source of the information, trying to find the real culprit behind the rumors. We will always be the bulwark of the empire, and we will always serve Your Majesty."

Tang Shan looked at the old man in front of him and sighed inwardly. The other party still hadn't grasped the situation.

If the other party had stopped the rumor as soon as it started spreading, there would have been no need to be so humble. But by allowing the rumor to spread freely, they have put themselves at a disadvantage.

Now, wanting to deal with it but harboring ulterior motives, wanting to help neither side, is making an even bigger mistake.

To Emperor Xueye, such words as "I will only serve His Majesty" might seem more like a forced act of loyalty after his secret intentions have been discovered.

The best course of action for them would have been to actively gravitate towards Xue Qinghe. This would have seemed to favor one side, but in reality, it would have restored balance to the situation, which is exactly what an emperor desires.

A hint of pity flashed in Tang Shan's eyes. Since you haven't handled things well, then we won't be polite. After all, simply maintaining the balance of power is not what Xue Qinghe and I want.

"General Hong, rest assured, I am aware of the situation here, and the fault does not lie with you."

Before Hong Zhen could even breathe a sigh of relief, Xue Qinghe's next words made his heart leap into his throat again.

"I will report everything I have seen, heard, and felt these past few days to my father truthfully, without any bias."

That voice, which used to sound gentle, now felt like a demon, radiating intense malice. What does it mean to report what you see, hear, and feel without bias? You've already reported what you feel, how can you not be biased?

"Your Highness, this..."

Hong Zhen was sweating profusely, feeling unsure of what to do next.

"Actually, the report to the Emperor could be slightly adjusted, but General Hong Zhen might need to do me a small favor."

Seeing the other party's helpless look, Xue Qinghe, feeling the thrill of intellectually crushing them, quickly presented a step, but there were some small traps hidden below the step.

"I wonder if there's anything I, Hong Zhen, can do to help. I will certainly do my best without shirking my responsibilities."