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

Qian Daoliu didn't say anything more, but simply nodded to indicate that he understood.

Watching the Golden Crocodile Douluo's figure disappear into the distance, Qian Daoliu's eyes revealed a hint of curiosity as he murmured, "Tang Shan... perhaps we can meet him once he absorbs his third soul ring."

P.S.: Extra chapter today.

Chapter 154: Mastering the Twelve Meridians, Cultivation of Titled Douluo from Different Eras

The carriage slowed down and came to a stop. They had arrived at what was formerly the Prince's residence, now the Crown Prince's residence.

Emperor Xueye originally wanted to rebuild a mansion for Xue Qinghe, since the previous mansion was not grand enough and did not match his current status as crown prince, but Xue Qinghe refused.

The ostensible reason is naturally the usual excuse of wasting money and manpower, which may sound fake, but many people buy into it.

This move not only solidified Xue Qinghe's position as crown prince, but also boosted her prestige once again after she became crown prince.

As for the root cause, it's simply that they're too lazy to do it.

Xue Qinghe was ultimately not a true prince, and she didn't care about power or wealth.

Going through all that trouble to build a new Crown Prince's residence, having to familiarize herself with the environment all over again, and consuming a huge amount of resources—in her opinion, it was simply not worth it. After all, it was just a bit larger than her current mansion, and the interior decoration had already reached the limits of the Heavenly Dou Empire; there wouldn't be any major changes afterward, so why bother with another undertaking?

Returning to the courtyard, which had remained largely unchanged, except for the addition of a few more fish in the water, which were a bit plumper, the entire courtyard was exactly the same as before in the past three years.

Feeling the ever-renewing, cyclical soul power within his body, Tang Shan was very satisfied.

Unexpectedly, such mysterious changes occurred after all twelve meridians were connected.

At this moment, the soul power within her body was no longer scattered and wandering, but rather it started from the lung meridian and flowed in a closed loop along the twelve regular meridians: "lung, large intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, pericardium, triple burner, gallbladder, and liver," with a long and complex path.

Within this closed-loop channel, her soul power was repeatedly squeezed and tempered, gradually transforming from its initial transparency and clarity into a layer of warm, lustrous light. Even without her actively channeling it, the spontaneously flowing power drew her in, like streams flowing into the ocean, silently transforming it into her cultivation.

The transparent soul power was already shimmering with a hazy, misty luster. At this rate of tempering, it would probably be able to complete the liquefaction of soul power before level 40—a feat that is practically unheard of among soul masters of the same level.

Tang Shan was overjoyed. This at least showed that the quality of his soul power far exceeded that of ordinary people. Perhaps he could try to condense a soul core when he reached level 70.

Thinking of this, Tang Shan's smile slowly faded, and he fell into deep thought.

To be honest, she had been hesitating about one thing: whether or not to condense a soul core in the early stages of cultivation.

The benefits of condensing a soul core are self-evident: it improves the quality of soul power, accelerates cultivation speed, strengthens physical qualities, and enhances spatial perception, providing a near-comprehensive boost to strength.

However, she currently faces two key problems: First, she lacks a clear understanding of the method for condensing a soul core—it's not simply a matter of compressing soul power; it requires deeply connecting the martial soul's origin, spiritual power, and the soul core to form a unified energy core. During the Douyi era, she could only study Dugu Bo's elixir pearl, but after three years, she gained nothing substantial. Now, she doesn't know any of the ferocious beasts who have mastered the method of condensing soul cores; she can't very well proactively seek them out for guidance, can she?

Secondly, there was clearly another path in the era of Douyi: even without condensing a soul core, one could still break through to the limit. This path may have been eliminated by later generations due to its extremely high difficulty, but it was by no means weak—in Tang Shan's view, this was the cultivation path that best suited one's martial soul.

Over the course of three years, due to a series of coincidences, Serpent Spear Douluo and Porcupine Douluo successfully broke through to the Title Douluo realm. That's what Xue Qinghe told her at the time, and Tang Shan said she "believed it."

Getting back to the main point, through questioning the Serpent Spear Douluo, Tang Shan gained a systematic understanding of the cultivation path for Title Douluo at the first level. Combining this with a comparison of the strength of Title Douluo II and III in the future, she outlined two completely different cultivation paths for Title Douluo:

Path One: The Path to Martial Soul Development in the Douyi Era

Core Logic: Centered on the Martial Soul, it runs through the entire cultivation process. By continuously expanding the upper limit of the Martial Soul, it drives the overall improvement of oneself.

Is your body unable to contain your soul power? Unlock the upper limit of your martial soul; the upgraded martial soul can, in turn, purify your soul power and expand your body's capacity threshold.

Is your mental strength difficult to improve? Unlock the upper limit of your martial soul and integrate your insights into it; your mental strength will naturally increase as your martial soul grows.

Is your physical condition insufficient to support it? After your soul power is purified by your martial soul, the nourishing effect is enhanced exponentially, and your physical condition is strengthened in tandem.

Advantages: It can bring out the characteristics of a martial soul to the extreme, revealing the ultimate beauty of "the great way is simple";

During the cultivation process, one gains insights step by step, making it very easy to touch upon the level of rules, and attacks may contain the power of rules;

It is the optimal path to godhood through faith—leaving aside the inheritance of deities, the core of godhood through faith must be the core characteristics of the martial soul, such as the holiness of angels and the water control of sea gods. Soul masters who develop their martial souls to the extreme have a far greater perception and absorption of the power of faith than others.

Disadvantages: Extremely strong burst power but insufficient endurance. It's like forging a top-notch energy gun but lacking a matching energy supply system—a short burst of power might suppress a dual-soul core Limit Douluo, but in a prolonged battle, the endurance of three such Limit Douluos might not even match that of a single dual-soul core Limit Douluo.

Path Two: The Path to Soul Core Condensation in the Second and Third Eras of Douji

Core logic: Using the Soul Core as the energy core, it pursues pure numerical crushing, making breakthroughs easier and mass production more feasible.

Advantages: The breakthrough threshold is much lower than the former, which can be intuitively reflected from the number of Ultimate Douluo - in the Dou Yi era, aside from the protagonist group and the god martial soul holders Bo Saixi and Qian Daoliu, Tang Chen alone opened up the limit of martial soul achievements on his own; in the Dou II era, in addition to the protagonist group and Xuanzi, the Light, Dark Holy Dragon and Death Douluo all relied on soul cores to break through; in Dou San, the method of soul core condensation was completely understood, and Ultimate Douluo was almost as bad as a "Super Douluo".

Disadvantages: While the potential ceiling seems high, it lacks a true "mechanism of crushing" – compared to the three eras, Tang Chen in Douyi is in a class of his own. His developed explosive ring technique and Haotian Nine Techniques are enough to be passed down for ten thousand years without becoming outdated.

Especially the Soul Ring Explosion, it's practically a game-breaking skill! While others gradually increase their combat power, Tang Chen treats his Soul Rings like bombs—each time he explodes, he gains several times his own explosive power. When all nine rings explode at once, he practically crushes the concept of "limit," making him an unsolvable force in any era.

Imagine if the technique of detonating the rings were given to Yun Ming facing the Soul-Devouring Cannonball: why would he need to exert all his strength to withstand it? He might be able to treat the Soul-Devouring Cannonball like fireworks, easily detonating a few rings to block it without taking any damage; if all nine rings were detonated at once, not only could the Holy Spirit Cult be wiped out, but he might also kill some emperor or two emperors along the way!

Looking at the Limit Douluo of Douluo II and III, not a single one could produce such an exaggerated self-created soul skill as Tang Chen's—please, all the Limit Douluo after you combined probably can't even match the deterrent power of Tang Chen's Ring Explosion. Is that reasonable?

Tang Shan had a bold idea: first, to reach the limit by developing his martial soul and obtain the top-notch "mechanism"; then, he would go back and condense dual or even triple soul cores to make up for the shortcomings in "numerical values"—he had to grasp both and be strong in both.

If combined with the Soul Bone Armor and the Four-Word Battle Armor, perhaps this would be the true limit of humanity, the true ultimate Douluo, without divine intervention!

Suppressing the surging emotions within him, Tang Shan made a decision: he would not condense a soul core until he achieved the Ultimate Douluo level.

……

"Grandpa, give me a hug!"

A crisp, childlike voice, sweet and coquettish, rang out as a small figure rushed over with light steps—it was Ning Rongrong. She wore two round buns, her cheeks flushed, showing no fear whatsoever of Bone Douluo's terrifying, skeletal face.

"Oh, my sweet Rongrong!"

Gu Rong's face instantly lit up with a doting smile, his originally sharp bone structure softening slightly. He carefully bent down, steadily supporting Ning Rongrong under her armpits, lifting her high and spinning her around before gently pulling her into his arms. He looked nothing like the imposing figure of a Title Douluo; he was simply an ordinary old man doting on his granddaughter.

Ning Rongrong giggled, her little body squirming in Gu Rong's arms. Her tiny hands naturally climbed up his head and precisely grabbed the few sparse, pitiful strands of hair. She squinted, her little mouth pouting high, with a mischievous slyness: "Grandpa Bone, you have so little hair."

"Oh dear, my little darling!" Gu Rong wailed deliberately, but his tone was full of indulgence. He raised his hand to protect the top of his head, afraid that the little one would use too much force, yet he couldn't bear to push her away. "This is Grandpa's precious hair. There are only a few strands left. If you pluck any more, you'll really be bald!"

"Rongrong, get down! How can you be so rude to your Grandpa Gu!"

As soon as Ning Fengzhi stepped through the door, he saw his daughter grabbing Gu Rong's hair. His face instantly darkened, and his tone was clearly reprimanding. Sword Douluo Chenxin followed behind, but a faint smile appeared on his lips, clearly used to this scene.

"Fengzhi, it's alright, it's alright!" Gu Rong quickly pulled Ning Rongrong into his arms, standing in front of her, and smiled as he smoothed things over, "She's just a little kid, she's just playing around, what's a few strands of hair... Ouch!"

Before she could finish speaking, Ning Rongrong pulled out a strand of hair with a "snap." She held up the gray hair and waved it in front of her eyes, her eyes narrowing into slits as she laughed: "Grandpa Bone, look."

"Rongrong!" Ning Fengzhi's face darkened even more, and he took a step forward.

"Fengzhi, no, no, no!" Gu Rong hurriedly waved his hand, protecting Ning Rongrong even more tightly. He also secretly gave her a wink and coaxed her in a low voice, "Good Rongrong, be gentle next time. Grandpa's hair can't withstand you picking it like that."

He turned to Ning Fengzhi and smiled, "It's just a single hair. I have several more on my head. Rongrong can play with it if she likes."

Ning Rongrong peeked out from under the ancient banyan tree, stuck out her tongue at Ning Fengzhi, made a face, and then quickly shrank back, looking completely unconcerned.

"Fengzhi, it's alright." Sword Douluo finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of teasing, "Anyway, his hair is pitifully thin, so I might as well shave it all off with one sword, saving Rongrong the trouble of pulling it out, and it'll be much neater."

"No, no, no!" Gu Rong cried out, quickly covering her head. "These few strands of hair are something I cherish. It would look terrible if I shaved them off! If Rongrong wants to pull them, let her. I'm happy to!"

P.S.: On how witches are made

Chapter 155: The Breakthrough Begins

"Dad, Grandpa Gu agreed to this, so you can't scold me when we get back."

Ning Rongrong was incredibly cunning. Although she was only four years old, she had already learned to "bully others by relying on her power." She made a face at her father, then hugged Gu Rong's neck and gave Jian Dou Luo Chen Xin a sweet smile.

If anyone else witnessed this amazing scene, they would probably exclaim: "What a talent!"

"Yes, I agree to that."

The ancient banyan tree hurriedly echoed this sentiment.

Hey!

Ning Fengzhi sighed, somewhat helplessly: "Uncle Gu, Uncle Jian, you spoil her too much."

"We'd be happy to, since the two of us are strong enough to protect her."

Gu Rong pursed her lips, her face completely unconcerned.

Swordmaster Chenxin's silence also seemed to indicate his attitude.

Ning Fengzhi Fu'e.

"Alright, Rongrong, go play by yourself first. Dad has something to discuss with your Grandpa Gu."

Upon hearing Ning Fengzhi's words, Ning Rongrong stopped causing trouble and obediently ran out, ready to start wreaking havoc on the sect.

To know how to leverage power at such a young age is certainly not foolish; on the contrary, it must be very clever.

Ning Rongrong knew that she could act recklessly most of the time, but she had to behave herself when her father got serious, otherwise she would not only not be forgiven, but would also arouse his resentment.

The key is to strike the right balance; this is perhaps the difference between a naughty child and a spoiled brat.

"Fengzhi, shouldn't someone keep an eye on Rongrong?"

Watching Ning Rongrong leave, Gu Rong felt quite reluctant to part with her.

"It's alright, let her wander around and have fun. Putting aside all the trouble she's caused these past few days, how could she possibly get into trouble within the sect?"

Ning Fengzhi didn't care at all, and then looked at the two Douluo: "Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, what are your thoughts on Tangshan's second awakening tomorrow?"

“Fengzhi, you believe Tangshan so much? The so-called second awakening may not be true,” Gu Rong questioned.

“I don’t believe Tang Shan, but I believe the master behind him. Regardless of whether what he says is true or false, we have to go there tomorrow. After all, the master has completely disappeared since he released the sixth theory of martial souls. He is very likely to appear during Tang Shan’s second awakening. We can’t miss such a good opportunity.”

Ning Fengzhi said calmly.

"Fengzhi, are you trying to take this opportunity to win over a potential master?"

Swordsman Luo Chenxin seemed to be deep in thought.

"No, the main purpose is still Tangshan. I have met him a few times over the years. His cultivation level has improved normally, but the degree of improvement in his blood and qi is indeed different from ordinary people. Moreover, I can clearly sense that there is a special power stirring in his body. So the second awakening is probably true."

"If the second awakening truly possesses such incredible abilities as he claims, then we might really need to take the original Soul Master seriously."

Swordsman let out a long breath, becoming even more curious about Tangshan.

"If they really have that kind of strength, should we...?"

Gu Rong didn't finish his sentence, but the three of them already understood the unspoken meaning behind it.

Ning Fengzhi fell silent, then shook his head: "There's no need for that. How much of a commotion can Tangshan cause? Uncle Jian, come with me tomorrow."

"it is good."

Sword Douluo Chenxin agreed readily. He didn't ask any further questions. Logically, it should have been Bone Douluo who accompanied him, so why was it him again this time?

Bone Douluo seemed to understand something as well, but didn't say anything more.

……

"Xiaoxue, if Grandpa takes action tomorrow, your identity may not be able to be kept secret."

Golden Crocodile Douluo stared at Xue Qinghe, his eyes filled with a clarity that had been tempered by the passage of time, as if he could see through her feigned indifference.

Xue Qinghe unconsciously rubbed his cuffs with his fingertips, his tone still light: "So what if we're exposed? At worst, I'll go back and focus on my cultivation. Grandpa, just remember to protect Tang Shan. Don't let anything happen to him; he's my right-hand man."

Golden Crocodile Douluo sighed softly, "You say you don't care, but what you're really worried about isn't your escape route after your identity is exposed, but rather your fear that something might happen to Tangshan."

He paused, his gaze falling on Xue Qinghe's slightly changed expression, and continued, "Before, when you mentioned the master, you were full of admiration. But just now, when you mentioned that he might come, the expectation in your eyes was far less than before."

A moment of panic flashed across Xue Qinghe's eyes, and he subconsciously retorted, "Grandpa, what nonsense are you talking about? I just... I just think that the breakthrough in Tangshan is more important."

“It’s more important.” Golden Crocodile Douluo didn’t expose him, and his tone softened a bit. “But you don’t need to worry too much. Your identity may not be exposed. If Tang Shan’s teacher really comes, it will be a good way to intimidate Ning Fengzhi and the others; even if he doesn’t come, Grandpa can handle it by impersonating him. In the end, as long as Tang Shan can break through smoothly, nothing else matters.”

Xue Qinghe's eyes lit up, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly: "Grandpa Golden Crocodile, are you saying that the master might really come?"

"It's hard to say."

Golden Crocodile Douluo gave her a deep look, his figure gradually becoming transparent. "But don't worry, whether the master comes or not, I will protect you and Tang Shan."

The last words faded into the night wind. Xue Qinghe sat on the edge of the bed, gazing blankly at the starless night.

"Master?" she murmured softly, the worship in her heart already blurred, and this title seemed so distant and illusory.

……

At this very moment, what is the "master" that Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe are thinking about doing?

After confirming that his blood and soul power had returned to their peak, Tang Shan did not hesitate. After dinner, he lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep, preparing for tomorrow's breakthrough.

……

The Crown Prince's residence was bustling with activity today. Although the people who came were mainly there to observe Tang Shan's breakthrough and so-called second awakening, Xue Qinghe still had to make proper arrangements—after all, the people who came were basically at the pinnacle of the Soul Master world, and they could not be neglected.

"Grandpa, what will happen if the breakthrough fails?"

Dugu Yan frowned slightly and asked with concern.

Dugu Bo's lips twitched, thinking to himself: I don't know how Tangshan should awaken a second time, how would I know the outcome of failure?

But seeing the worry on his granddaughter's face, he comforted her, "Don't worry, not only am I coming this time, but Ning Fengzhi will also be coming. According to his travel habits, there will definitely be a Title Douluo accompanying him. At that time, there will be at least two Title Douluos from the Crown Prince's residence. You also know Teacher Tang Shan's identity. He might also come for such a big event as his second awakening. That means there might be three Title Douluos present at the time of his final breakthrough. Even if he fails to break through, that will be enough to protect Tang Shan."

Hearing that so many powerful figures would be present, Dugu Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, the two of them had already arrived at the gate of the Crown Prince's residence.