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

"I'm a little curious about your method of cultivating the physical body. I wonder if I could ask you for some advice?"

"A method of physical cultivation?" Tang Shan was taken aback for a moment, but quickly realized that the other person was obviously referring to his own cultivation method, which was similar to traditional Chinese martial arts.

"Of course you can, but this method is very difficult to practice and you have to stick to it for a long time to see results."

Tangshan agreed, while also giving a heads-up in advance.

He was able to make such rapid progress in physical cultivation thanks to the assistance of his first soul skill. If it were any other soul master, no matter how high their talent or how strong their blood and qi, they would certainly need to persevere even if they didn't have to train hard in the coldest and hottest winter months.

"It's alright, I don't expect to achieve much from this training. As long as it strengthens my body, that's fine. After all, my talent for cultivating soul power is just average. I might as well find a training method that can strengthen my body and make it more energetic..."

Upon hearing Xue Qinghe say that his soul power talent was not good, Tang Shan thought to himself: I believe you one hundred percent. You definitely don't have any angelic martial soul. You have innate level 20 full soul power.

……

"So, Yun Tao might be going to take someone as his master? And that person is the nephew of Sword Douluo Chenxin?"

In the hotel, Su Haichao looked at his two sons and felt a little unreal.

Since arriving in Ironwall City, surprises have been nonstop. First, Tang Shan and Su Yuntao joined the ranks of the First Prince of Tiandou, and now I hear that Su Yuntao may become an apprentice. It's truly one good thing after another.

"Shanzi, what do you think about this?" Having managed to calm herself down a bit, Su Haichao, like Su Yuntao, sought Tang Shan's opinion.

Tang Shan's answer was the same as always: let Su Yuntao make her own decision. He didn't object, and if the cultivation method was really suitable, there was nothing wrong with becoming a disciple.

"In that case, Yun Tao, you can decide for yourself."

Hearing her father's words of advice, Su Yuntao patted her chest and said, "Don't worry, even if I really do become his disciple, I'll make sure I get as much benefit as possible from him."

If Chen Zhan knew Su Yuntao's intentions, he would probably regret it. This wasn't about taking on a disciple; it was about inviting back an ancestor.

"Has His Highness said when he will depart?"

After finishing their trivial conversation, Su Haichao's expression became more serious as he looked at the two of them.

"They didn't say the exact time, but it'll probably be in the next day or two."

Tang Shan stroked his chin and looked at Su Haichao: "Dad, do you want to come with us then?"

Su Haichao shook his head without hesitation: "After all, he is the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou. It's not good for me, an ordinary Soul Master from the Spirit Hall, to get too close to him. Besides, I have some business to attend to in Iron Wall City. I ran into a few friends I knew from my youth. You can just follow the Crown Prince's convoy."

After saying that, he took out a token from his pocket and handed it to Su Yuntao: "After you arrive in Heaven Dou City, go to the Spirit Hall and give the token to the staff there. It would be even better if you could meet Bishop Salas and see if he could help you travel the continent. Even if he is unwilling to help because you joined the Heaven Dou Empire, the First Prince should be able to find a way."

“Yes, Father.” Su Yuntao accepted the token, while Tang Shan stood aside without saying a word.

He didn't intend to reveal his speculation that Su Yuntao's joining Xue Qinghe's forces wouldn't be affected by the Spirit Hall. After all, it involved Xue Qinghe's true identity. Su Yuntao just needed to enjoy the benefits from both sides and maintain her relationship with Xue Qinghe; that was all he needed to do.

As darkness gradually fell, countless stars adorned the inky black sky, and moonlight shone down, adding a sense of tranquility and mystery to the entire city.

Although night had fallen, Ironwall City was far from deserted; on the contrary, it was becoming increasingly lively. Various stalls lined both sides of the street, some selling proper goods and others selling novel trinkets. Lights were lit one by one, illuminating the street with a warm yellow glow. The shouts, calls, and laughter of pedestrians mingled together, creating a vibrant and bustling atmosphere.

Serpent Spear Douluo drove a simple carriage slowly through the streets of Ironwall City. Xue Qinghe wasn't wearing the python robe that belonged to a prince; instead, he was dressed in a simple and neat outfit. He sat by the carriage door, his legs dangling in the air, his noble air subtly dissipating, replaced by a rare sense of ease.

Tang Shan sat by the door on the other side, his legs dangling outside the car. The cool night breeze, carrying the smells of street life, blew away the fatigue of days of hard work, allowing his tense mind to relax completely.

Neither of them spoke, quietly absorbing the liveliness of Ironwall City and immersing themselves in its vibrant atmosphere. Their thoughts were unusually synchronized: if only things could stay this peaceful forever, they truly wished time could stand still at this moment.

A rich aroma wafted into his nostrils, pulling Tang Shan back from his wandering thoughts. He subconsciously yawned, and the night breeze made his mind even clearer and calmer.

Not far away, an elderly man slowly pushed a food cart over. On the cart was a huge iron plate, and the meat patties glistened with an enticing golden hue under the heat of the flames, sizzling with oil. The rich aroma of meat wafted from the cart, attracting many passersby who eagerly gathered around to buy this golden and crispy delicacy.

"Pause!"

Xue Qinghe shouted, and with a light flick of his whip, the tall steed slowly came to a stop under his skillful control.

"Sir, give me three meat pies."

Xue Qinghe jumped out of the car, walked to the dining car, and spoke with a gentle smile.

"Alright, young man, that's fifteen bronze soul coins in total."

The old man agreed verbally, but his hands didn't stop. He quickly packed up the three steaming, glistening meat pies and handed them over.

Xue Qinghe frowned and reached into his pocket to take out money, but after searching for a long time, all he could find were gold soul coins, not even a single bronze soul coin.

"Sir, keep the change."

Tang Shan noticed Xue Qinghe's predicament, quickly jumped off the car, took out a silver soul coin from his pocket, and placed it on the old man's stall.

"Thank you both, young men!"

The old man happily accepted the coins. Xue Qinghe coughed twice and looked at Tang Shan: "Tang Shan, you are quite thoughtful."

As she spoke, she shoved a piping hot meat pie into Tang Shan's hand, then turned and ran quickly toward the carriage.

Tang Shan watched Xue Qinghe's retreating figure and saw that she had also given Snake Spear Douluo a meat pie. He couldn't help but smile and slowly walked towards the carriage.

Once back in the car, Tang Shan glanced at Xue Qinghe teasingly: "Your Highness, perhaps you should bring more bronze and silver soul coins when you go out in the future?"

Xue Qinghe had regained his composure by now and retorted crisply, "I don't think you took out any bronze soul coins just now, did you?"

Tang Shan's playful expression faltered for a moment. He quickly pretended not to hear and turned to look out of the car, as if something novel outside had captured his full attention.

The Serpent Spear Douluo drove the carriage, his smile impossible to hide. He took a bite of the fragrant meat pie and was filled with emotion: ever since the young master met Tang Shan, he has become much more lively and is no longer the cold and aloof person he used to pretend to be.

You should know that no one knows better than Xue Qinghe and the Porcupine Douluo how aloof he is when no one else is around. He spends all his time either studying politics or burying himself in cultivation. He rarely goes out to stroll around the city at night. When he was in Tiandou City, apart from the necessary social interactions to maintain his persona, he almost always stayed in the First Prince's residence and never came out.

These two titled Douluo were nominally Xue Qinghe's subordinates, but in reality, they were more like elders. They had watched her grow up from a tiny child and couldn't bear to see her close off her heart.

The appearance of Tangshan seemed to break down that barrier, and Xue Qinghe's usually gentle smile finally held a touch of heartfelt warmth...

The lights of Ironwall City flickered, the carriage went further and further away, and amidst the interplay of light and shadow, three figures slowly blended into the bustling crowd, completely merging into the city's night and fireworks.

P.S.: I'd like to ask everyone to give Tangshan's physical cultivation method a name. We can't exactly call it "National Martial Arts" in Douluo Continent, can we? Finally, please add to your favorites, follow, and subscribe. Thank you for everything!

Chapter 81 Leaving Ironwall City, Puxin's Second Prince

"Father, please take good care of yourself here. My elder brother and I will be leaving now."

Tang Shan waved to Su Haichao, who had escorted the two brothers to the hotel entrance.

"Go ahead, I'll be fine here by myself. You all just focus on your cultivation."

Looking at his two tall and handsome sons, Su Haichao was filled with endless emotions.

"Goodbye, Father."

Su Yuntao stepped forward and gave Su Haichao a big hug. Then the two brothers did not hesitate and turned to board the magnificent carriage.

Xue Qinghe leaned out of the carriage, smiled and waved to Su Haichao. Only then did Snake Spear Douluo crack his whip and slowly steer the carriage forward.

As Tang Shan sat in the carriage, he let out a long sigh of relief. He could foresee that he and Su Haichao would be separated for a long time to come.

Turning to look at Su Yuntao beside him, Tang Shan's heart gradually calmed down: Once they arrived in Tiandou City, his elder brother should also go to travel the mainland, and from now on he might have to rely on himself.

"Tangshan, tell me about your physical cultivation methods."

Xue Qinghe sat down opposite Tang Shan, staring intently at him, clearly very curious.

I almost forgot, once we arrive in Tiandou City, the only person we can rely on isn't ourselves, but this powerful figure right in front of us.

Faced with the request from his future patron, Tang Shan naturally wouldn't refuse. He cleared his throat and spoke with a serious expression.

“Your Highness, this special cultivation method was created by my master. Although he did not say that it was forbidden to pass it on to outsiders, he also did not say that it should be made public to the whole continent. Therefore, I can teach it to you privately, and you can also pass it on to your confidants, but it cannot be spread on a large scale.”

"Okay, if it's to be sent to close associates, I'll let you know in advance."

Seeing Tang Shan's serious attitude, Xue Qinghe also sat up straight and responded solemnly.

At this moment, the carriage gradually slowed down, and the voice of the Serpent Spear Douluo came from ahead: "Your Highness, Hong Zhen has come especially to see you off, as you see..."

"Okay, I'll go down and take a look."

Xue Qinghe answered loudly, then looked at Tang Shan and said helplessly, "Tell me when I get back. I'm going to check on the situation outside."

"OK then."

After watching Xue Qinghe get off the car, Tang Shan curiously lifted the curtain and peered out.

Before anyone knew it, squads of soldiers, dressed in fine armor, with impeccable military bearing and in neat formation, had surrounded Xue Qinghe's carriage in the center. These soldiers were all tall and strong, exuding a fierce and valiant aura.

Is this the Royal Guard that only the Heavenly Emperor can control?

Tang Shan looked around curiously, then turned his gaze to the front of the convoy, where he saw Hong Zhen, whom he had seen in the military camp before, leading the unloading team to greet Xue Qinghe. Afterwards, the group exchanged pleasantries.

After watching for about five or six minutes, Tang Shan lost interest. Sure enough, cultivation was much more comforting. These kinds of negotiations and political matters were ultimately a bit of a torment for him.

As Tang Shan pondered this, he suddenly realized that the powerful figure he was currently relying on wasn't particularly focused on cultivation. This wouldn't do; how could he slack off on his cultivation? What if he couldn't become a god in the future and still needed her to help him achieve immortality?

Tang Shan made up his mind to urge this angel lady to cultivate more in the future. At this moment, Xue Qinghe, who was communicating with Hong Zhen, suddenly felt a chill down his spine, as if he was being watched by something, and couldn't help but shiver.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

Hong Zhen's senses were extremely sharp, and he immediately noticed Xue Qinghe's unusual behavior, asking her with concern.

"It's nothing, I probably just didn't get enough rest last night."

Thinking back to last night when almost all the shops in Iron Wall City were closed, that carefree feeling filled Xue Qinghe's heart with warmth, which slowly spread to every part of her body.

"Your Highness should take better care of your health; there's no need to be so eager for quick success."

Hong Zhen assumed Xue Qinghe was staying up late studying or writing a report to Emperor Xue Ye, so he casually offered a few words of advice before lowering his voice and saying, "I'll trouble Your Highness with that matter."

Xue Qinghe nodded slightly, and after exchanging a few more pleasantries, she boarded the carriage again.

"May I ask, Your Highness, what level is your innate soul power?"

Upon hearing Tang Shan's question after boarding the carriage, Xue Qinghe's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know why Tang Shan suddenly asked this question. Remembering that he had told Tang Shan before that he had only a moderate talent for cultivation, he quickly gave an answer.

"My martial soul is a swan, with innate soul power at level two. I can only say that my talent is mediocre, and I have virtually no hope of reaching the Soul Master realm in this lifetime."

I also had to study the art of governance and the etiquette of royalty and nobility, leaving me with very little free time, so I gave up cultivation a long time ago.

Goodness, calling level 20 "level 2" is quite the trick.

Tang Shan inwardly complained, but outwardly began to persuade, "Your Highness, it's best to continue cultivating if you can. Soul power can maintain your physical condition and reduce the possibility of getting sick. Although you only have level two soul power, with more effort, reaching the Great Soul Master level shouldn't be a big problem. Moreover, Your Highness also has the Swan Martial Soul, which allows you to fly. In case of an emergency, you can use your flight ability to escape. After all, the probability of someone posing a danger to Your Highness being a Soul Saint level expert is not high."

"That seems to make sense." Xue Qinghe appeared thoughtful on the surface, but in reality, she didn't care. She didn't have a swan martial soul at all; she clearly had a divine martial soul, the six-winged angel, with innate level 20 full soul power. Cultivation was an easy thing for her. Compared to cultivation, it was more important to gradually gain control of the Heavenly Battle.

Seeing Xue Qinghe's indifferent response to his words, Tang Shan felt helpless. It seemed there was still a long way to go to change this angelic young lady's attitude towards cultivation. He didn't want Xue Qinghe to completely abandon her plans and return to the Spirit Hall to focus on cultivation, which would mean losing his support. He just hoped she could spend less time on governance and more time on cultivation, so that if she really faced Tang San in the future, there wouldn't be a need for them to fight to a standstill.

It seems that she will only realize this when his strength surpasses hers.

Thinking about his future cultivation plans, Tang Shan secretly made up his mind that he would at least correct Miss Angel's cultivation mindset by the time he reached the third ring.

……

At the city gate of Bafang City, a group of well-dressed soldiers surrounded a low-key and simple carriage in the middle. The calm and mature Second Prince of the Snow Mountain exchanged a few words with the official who had escorted him to the gate, and then turned to board the carriage.

Watching the carriage escorted by the army gradually disappear into the distance, the thin, middle-aged man at the head spat at the bushes beside him and cursed, "Pah! Finally, we've gotten rid of this troublesome person."

The young man following behind him couldn't help but ask, "Father, won't we get into trouble if we treat the Second Prince like this?"

The thin, middle-aged man, with his hands behind his back, replied nonchalantly, "What could possibly be wrong? Many of the royal family's supplies pass through here. Our Bafang City is a vital thoroughfare for the Tiandou Empire. This Second Prince wants to investigate the accounts? He's dreaming."

Besides, we've never shortchanged ourselves on taxes; in fact, they've increased every year. What grounds does he have to investigate us?

A richly dressed merchant standing next to the man echoed this sentiment.

“That’s right. The taxes we pay are increasing year by year. Even if there are some problems with smuggling some things from the Star Luo Empire, it’s definitely not something a mere second prince can handle.”

"Actually, this is a test."

The thin, middle-aged man narrowed his eyes, his face full of shrewdness. "As far as I know, His Majesty not only sent the Second Prince to Bafang City, but also sent the First Prince to Tiebi City and the Third Prince to Hanhai City. Clearly, this is a special test."

The merchants accompanying the middle-aged man were all cunning and shrewd; they immediately grasped the key point and hurriedly asked, "You mean?"

"The choice of the crown prince should be decided within the next two or three years. Judging from the Second Prince's behavior, he clearly doesn't like us, so we don't have many options left."

"The First Prince went to Ironwall City, where the Second Prince has considerable prestige. Obviously, his experience there is likely to be similar to that of the Second Prince when he came here. His Majesty is testing the two princes' ability to solve problems and difficulties, which shows that His Majesty also has some hesitation."

The thin, tall middle-aged man's face revealed a gambler's fervor as he said, "I've decided to take a gamble and invest in the First Prince. If he really manages to sit on that throne, that's when we'll make a fortune."

Upon hearing the thoughts of the thin, middle-aged man, the merchants who had been frowning because of Xue Shan's actions immediately came to their senses and advised him, "Former city lord, please calm down. It's not good to take sides so easily. Why don't we follow the example of the previous city lords and not help either side?"

"Why should we stand idly by? Haven't you seen the situation clearly? The Second Prince has always disliked us businessmen. He even talks about governing the country through military means. Without our Bafang City and us merchants, where would he get the money to expand his army and strengthen his power?"

Why bother with a simple carriage? Who are you trying to impress? I don't believe he's this frugal in his palace in Tiandou City.

The words of the thin, middle-aged man silenced the merchants of Bafang City. Each of them had uncertain expressions, clearly hesitant and struggling.

However, they all shared a consensus: the Second Prince was by no means a suitable candidate for emperor. He only possessed an iron fist and lacked understanding of human relationships. If he were to ascend to the highest position, the merchants would likely be in dire straits for many years to come.

Inside the simple carriage, the sounds of conversation were sealed inside by special materials, making them inaudible to the outside world.

“Your Highness, aren’t you being a bit too cold-hearted? This might cause dissatisfaction among those people.”

"I did this on purpose. I wanted to show them that the Tiandou Empire rightfully belongs to our Xue family. I must first demonstrate my stance with ruthless and iron-fisted methods before I can use appeasement to win them over. Otherwise, even if I outwardly subdue them, they might still harbor other intentions. When I return this time, I will also carefully recount my discoveries in Bafang City in my report to my father, giving them the most severe deterrent. As for easing tensions, there's still a long way to go, no rush."