Douluo Continent: The Legend of the Gods

Sunlight streamed through the window into the small bookstore in the western district of Xingluo City, and tiny dust particles floated slowly in the beams of light.

The bookstore owner was a kind-looking old lady. Seeing that he was so young yet so earnest and eager to learn, she allowed him to come here to read books every day, even if he didn't buy anything.

Yun Qinglin stood in front of the bookshelf, his fingertips tracing the yellowed books: "Illustrated Guide to Common Plants in Mainland China," "Basic Herbalism," "Simple Handbook for External Wound Treatment," and so on. These were his gains over the past two weeks.

More than 10,000 years ago.

More than 10,000 years have passed since Tang San's era. Soul tools have evolved from non-existent to sophisticated. The Spirit Hall was destroyed, and Shrek City rose to become one of the most powerful organizations on the continent.

But why does medical progress seem to have stagnated? It's practically no different from being stuck in the early stages of feudal society...

No, it's not even as good.

Yun Qinglin casually flipped open the "Simple Manual for Treating External Injuries," and the contents made him both laugh and cry.

"For external bleeding, a cloth strip can be tightly tied above the wound."

"If the wound becomes infected, you need to heat the knife with fire and cut it open to drain the pus."

"Soul Masters with the means can ask a healing-type Soul Master to heal their injuries with Soul Power."

That's it?

He recalled that before he traveled through time, although the inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine had suffered a near-extinction, the system that remained was ten thousand times stronger than this.

Meridian theory, acupoint theory, Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, Qi, blood and body fluids... which one is not a systematic body of knowledge?

But what about here?

Yun Qinglin picked up the book "Basic Herbal Medicine" again and opened the table of contents: Hemostatic herb, blood-activating herb, detoxifying herb, calming herb... The introduction of each herb was only three or five lines long, without even a mention of any contraindications, let alone the theory of prescriptions based on the principles of monarch, minister, assistant, and guide.

"Surely powerful forces have some knowledge of the body's meridians and acupoints?" he thought to himself, but quickly dismissed the idea.

If there were systematic research, how could it be that there isn't even a decent medical book available on the market?

It seems that the people of Douluo Continent, after awakening their soul power, completely lost interest in studying the human body itself. Anyway, there are healing-type soul masters; if someone is seriously injured, a healing-type soul master can heal them with a single soul skill. What injury can't be cured?

The problem is, healing-type Soul Masters aren't omnipotent. Moreover, how many healing-type Soul Masters are there on the entire continent? What happens when ordinary people get injured? Can commoners afford to hire a Soul Master for treatment?

"I reckon only the Body Sect has a relatively thorough understanding of the human body," Yun Qinglin sighed.

Those lunatics from the Body Sect treat the body as a martial soul for cultivation, and their research on human anatomy is absolutely top-notch on the continent.

But what they're researching is how to turn the body into a weapon, which is completely different from healing and saving lives.

"Qinglin, sighing again?" The bookstore owner, a kind-looking old lady, walked over with a teacup and asked with a smile.

Yun Qinglin snapped out of her reverie and nodded politely, "Hello, Grandma Zhou."

The old lady's surname was Zhou, and everyone called her Grandma Zhou. The bookstore had been open for decades and had many customers, but she had never seen anyone as young as Yun Qinglin who spent every day reading in the bookstore.

"Reading medical books again?" Granny Zhou leaned over for a glance. "Qinglin, why are you so interested in medicine? Don't Soul Masters have healing-type Martial Souls? Why bother learning these tedious tasks?"

She doesn't consider herself a high and mighty Soul Master. Her Martial Soul is just a book, with innate half-level Soul Power. She has only just cultivated to level 4, making her no different from an ordinary person.

Yun Qinglin smiled and said, "Grandma, not everyone is a Soul Master. Even ordinary people need someone to heal them when they're injured, right?"

Grandma Zhou paused for a moment, then laughed: "You're a kind-hearted child. But these books are all outdated. When I was young, my grandfather taught me these things, and they're still the same content, not changed at all."

Nothing has changed.

It hasn't changed at all in hundreds of years.

Yun Qinglin felt a mix of emotions. He couldn't help but recall some fanfiction he had read in his previous life, in which the protagonist transmigrated to the Douluo Continent and would casually pull out things like the "Huangdi Neijing" and "Shanghan Zabing Lun," leaving those titled Douluo completely stunned.

At the time, he thought those settings were exaggerated, but now that he has experienced them firsthand, he knows they are not exaggerated at all.

He was certain that if he were to simply offer a fraction of the theories of traditional Chinese medicine from his previous life, it would be enough to shake the entire medical community on the continent.

He can bring it up again when he has the chance later. For now, let's forget about it. He might get invited for tea by a powerful figure shortly after he brings it up.

"Grandma, may I borrow these books to read?" Yun Qinglin waved the books in her hand.

Grandma Zhou waved her hand readily: "Why borrow? It's yours! Nobody wants it anyway, it's just gathering dust here."

Yun Qinglin was taken aback for a moment, then gave a sincere smile: "Thank you, Grandma."

He thought for a moment and then added, "Grandma, if I learn better medical skills in the future, I will treat you for free."

Grandma Zhou was amused by him, and a bright smile bloomed on her wrinkled face: "Okay, okay, then Grandma will be waiting."

Yun Qinglin put the book into his soul tool. His second martial soul seemed to have become more active in the past half month, but he still couldn't release it. It was strange. However, he always felt that he could remember a lot of things very quickly when he read books. Was it just an illusion?

The Emerald Swan Martial Soul brought him not only the surprise of innate full soul power, but also a strange perception ability. He could vaguely sense the strength of the life aura of the people around him, and even detect some subtle hidden injuries.

The old wounds that Uncle Dan had when he was hunting soul beasts in his youth looked like a faint gray mist to him.

"This seems to be quite helpful for my healing." Yun Qinglin thought to himself. Now that he had awakened a healing-type martial soul, he should work hard in this area. He just didn't like fighting, but he was still interested in becoming stronger.

Just as I was thinking about something, a commotion suddenly broke out on the street.

"Make way! Make way! Everyone make way!"

The rapid sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached. Yun Qinglin subconsciously looked into the distance and saw a group of knights in magnificent armor escorting a carriage as they sped past.

A corner of the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a pale face. It was a girl about his age, with her eyes closed.

"That's... Princess Jiu Jiu's carriage?" Whispers of discussion came from the side of the street.

Xu Jiujiu? The princess of the Star Luo Empire? She looks to be the same age as him now... He remembered that Xu Jiujiu was 6 years older than Huo Yuhao, so Huo Yuhao was probably not even born yet or had just been born?

Great, the specific timeline is clear now, but I haven't heard of any problems with this princess in the original story. She looked pale just now, as if she was exhausted? But it shouldn't be anything serious, otherwise she wouldn't have been traveling to the palace by carriage, right?

He remembered that Xu Jiujiu had a titled Douluo by her side, who seemed to be one of the guardian Douluos of the Star Luo Empire, Nebula Douluo—Man Yi. In a real emergency, this titled Douluo would definitely take the other person to seek treatment immediately.

Unbeknownst to him, a soft white light was slowly descending above the Star Luo Imperial Palace.

Wang Xian'er is over two hundred years old this year.

As the Healing Immortal Douluo of the Star Luo Empire's Hall of Worship, she has witnessed too much life and death in her life. Her Healing Angel Martial Soul grants her the ability to almost bring the dead back to life, but precisely because she has seen so much, she has become increasingly taciturn.

As an extremely rare healing-type Super Douluo, he is one of the most crucial trump cards of the entire Star Luo Empire and the deputy head of the Royal Hall of Worship.

"Elder Wang, since Jiu Jiu awakened her Star Crown Martial Soul a couple of days ago, she seems to experience this kind of overdraft every time she cultivates. Do you have any way to cure it completely?"

Xu Jiawei said with some concern that he had a very good relationship with Xu Jiujiu, his younger sister. Although he was more than 20 years older than her, he genuinely loved her.

Wang Xian'er waved her hand, her silver hair shimmering softly in the sunlight. "Jiujiu's condition isn't due to injury. She has exceptional talent; as the most outstanding genius your Star Crown Sect has produced in so many years, her martial soul has undergone a benign mutation. However, her mental strength is still too low. The Star Crown martial soul requires both soul power and mental strength to be cultivated together in order to maximize the use of the power of the stars. Right now, I can only help her recover some of it after each time she overdraws it; a complete cure is impossible."

Xu Jiawei breathed a sigh of relief. In the past two days, Manyi had also told him about Xu Jiujiu's cultivation problem, but he was still worried, so he asked her to find Wang Xian'er to take a look. Fortunately, it was not a big problem.

The Star Luo Empire does possess some rare and precious materials that can enhance spiritual power. Xu Jiujiu's spiritual power is actually not weak now; it was already quite good at the age of six when she first awakened her martial soul. Currently, she just hasn't been able to control her martial soul well since it was first awakened, but this problem will probably be resolved once she becomes more proficient.

Wang Xian'er stood on the terrace outside the palace, overlooking the ancient city. Xingluo City glowed with a golden halo under the setting sun, its rows of houses stretching to the horizon.

Suddenly, a surge of energy emanated from the West District, and the sheer vitality of it startled her.

As a level 95 Super Douluo, her perception far surpasses that of ordinary people. As the strongest healing-type Title Douluo on the continent, her sensitivity to life force is estimated to be second only to the ferocious beast Bi Ji.

Just now, she sensed a faint life force, a force pure, warm, and even carrying a touch of holiness. Though weak, it seemed to be on a higher level than her healing angel.

When Yun Qinglin awakened his martial soul, Wang Xian'er happened to be invited by Shrek Academy to help Mu En treat his injuries; otherwise, she would have been immediately noticed by this Healing Immortal Douluo when his martial soul awakened.

"Interesting." Wang Xian'er's lips curled up slightly. This was the first time in many years that something had aroused her curiosity. After greeting Xu Jiawei, Wang Xian'er immediately headed towards the direction of the fluctuation.

The former Xicheng District street.

Yun Qinglin was walking along a familiar route when he suddenly heard a faint sobbing sound as he passed a small alleyway.

Following the sound, he saw a gray and white kitten curled up in the corner, with a hideous wound on its hind leg that had become infected and suppurating. When the kitten saw him approach, it raised its fur warily, but was too weak to run away.

This kitten is probably not even a ten-year-old soul beast. It could be easily subdued by a child, which is why it was able to enter the city of the Star Luo Empire smoothly.

"You're badly injured," he said softly, extending his hand.

The kitten bared its teeth and growled threateningly, but it suddenly quieted down the moment Yun Qinglin's hand touched it.

A soft emerald green light flowed from Yun Qinglin's fingertips. It was the innate power of the Emerald Swan Martial Soul. Although he had not yet obtained a Soul Ring, the healing power inherent in the Martial Soul was already being exerted to some extent.

The light penetrated the wound, and the gruesome, rotting flesh shed at a visible speed, allowing new granulation tissue to grow. The kitten comfortably squinted its eyes and purred softly.

"This simple wound doesn't seem to have taken much to heal..." This was the first time Yun Qinglin had used his martial soul's healing ability. He had been familiarizing himself with the Emerald Swan martial soul for the past two weeks, and he decided to heal Dan Chen's internal injuries after absorbing the first soul ring.

For the past two weeks, Dan Chen has been using his Soul King strength to inquire about Soul Beasts suitable for healing-type Soul Masters. He estimates that in a few days, Yun Qinglin will set off with him to hunt Soul Beasts.

"what?"

A soft exclamation suddenly came from behind.

Yun Qinglin's hand trembled, almost startled. He turned around abruptly and saw an elderly woman with silver hair standing not far behind him, dressed in a plain white robe, with an otherworldly air. She was looking at him with astonishment, or more precisely, at the emerald light flowing in his hand.

Oops.

Yun Qinglin subconsciously withdrew his martial spirit, but it was too late. The old woman had already walked up to him, her eyes, which seemed to see through everything, scrutinizing him closely.

"Child, what is your name?" The old woman's voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable authority.

"Yun Qinglin," he answered honestly, inwardly screaming: Oh no, I've been found out! This old lady is clearly not simple; could she be a teacher at Shrek Academy? No, Shrek is over there, this is Star Luo City, she must be from the Star Luo Empire...

"Yun Qinglin..." The old woman murmured the name, her interest deepening. "Child, may I see your martial spirit?"

This is not a command, it is a request.

He sighed, knowing he couldn't avoid it, and had no choice but to release his martial spirit again.

Emerald-green wings unfurled in the sunset, each feather like a vein of emerald ore pierced by sunlight, its interior flowing with starlight like liquid turquoise. The clear call of a swan rippled through the air, instantly enveloping the alley in a gentle, emerald light.

A sharp glint suddenly flashed in the old woman's eyes.

"The Emerald Swan...it's actually the Emerald Swan!" Her voice rarely carried a hint of excitement. "Child, do you know what kind of martial spirit this is?"

"I know a little bit," Yun Qinglin said honestly. "It shares the same name as the ferocious beast, the Emerald Swan."

"Same name? No, this is the Emerald Swan!" Wang Xian'er took a deep breath, calming her excited emotions. "I've studied martial souls for over a hundred years, and I've only ever seen records of this kind in ancient texts. The Emerald Swan is the strongest healing-type martial soul in the Douluo Continent, bar none. It's said that in ancient times, a Title Douluo once single-handedly saved an entire army with this martial soul!"

Yun Qinglin remained silent. He knew the Emerald Swan was formidable, but it seemed he had underestimated it.

"Child, how old are you? What level is your soul power?" the old woman asked anxiously.

"Six years old, with innate full soul power," Yun Qinglin continued to answer honestly, since he couldn't hide it anyway.

The old woman fell silent.

After a long silence, she slowly spoke: "I am Wang Xian'er, the Healing Immortal Douluo of the Star Luo Empire's Hall of Worship, with the title 'Healing Immortal.' Child, would you be willing to become my disciple?"

It really was that Immortal Physician Douluo. Yun Qinglin's mind raced, but his face remained honest. He didn't mind finding a powerful backer for himself. Not joining the royal family didn't mean he couldn't serve them. Moreover, the Immortal Physician Douluo held an extremely high position on the continent. If he became his disciple, he would gain many benefits.

Being laid-back doesn't mean being lazy; it's foolish not to seize opportunities that could benefit you. However...

Is this person in such a hurry? If I join now, I don't know if I'll be tied to the royal family... He doesn't mind serving the Star Luo royal family, but he doesn't want to be bound to the royal family's big ship for the rest of his life.

"I know what you're worried about," Wang Xian'er said, as if she could read his mind. "You don't want to get involved in conflicts, you don't want to join any faction, you just want to live a quiet life. Isn't that right?"

Yun Qinglin looked at her in surprise.

"Having lived for over a hundred years, what kind of people haven't I seen?" Wang Xian'er smiled slightly. "Your eyes tell me that you are not competitive and have a gentle nature. But child, have you ever thought about it? In this world, possessing a powerful martial spirit but not cultivating it is itself a kind of danger."

"I can hide away for now," Yun Qinglin whispered. Isn't that what he's doing now? He can travel around again once the mainland is completely safe, and it won't be long.

"Hide?" Wang Xian'er chuckled. "With your emerald glow, where can you hide? Besides, do you know what the greatest characteristic of the Emerald Swan Martial Soul is? It's affinity. You're naturally attractive to others; you can't hide it even if you want to."

Yun Qinglin fell silent. He had to admit that Wang Xian'er was right. In the past two weeks, he had indeed discovered that his affability was surprisingly high. At least strangers treated him unexpectedly well, and he even got discounts when he went shopping.

His mindset hadn't yet shifted from that of a modern person. Even though his parents weren't around in the Douling Empire, he hadn't suffered too much hardship, since Dan Chen had treated him very well.

It's ineffective to apply modern thinking to the affairs of this continent if one's contact with Soul Masters is not deep.

"I won't force you to join any faction." Wang Xian'er's voice was even gentler. "Even if you become my disciple, you will still be free. I will take you to the Star Luo Royal Academy, where the library is completely open to you. You can learn anything you want. As for your future path, that's up to you. How about it?"

"You don't need to worry about the Star Luo royal family. After they learn about your martial soul, they will only befriend you and will not forcibly bind you."

The injured kitten was able to stand up and was rubbing its head against Yun Qinglin's leg, purring contentedly.

Upon hearing Wang Xian'er's words, Yun Qinglin bowed respectfully to her, saying, "Teacher."

A super Douluo has shown me his utmost sincerity, not only promising me that my future will remain free, but also providing me with the knowledge system that I currently lack most. To take advantage of this would be ungrateful.

In fact, Yun Qinglin's worries were unnecessary. As Wang Xian'er's disciple, he would naturally be close to the Star Luo Empire's royal family. Even if he did not join the Hall of Offerings, he would still lend a helping hand when the Star Luo Empire encountered a crisis.

The current emperor, Xu Jiawei, is actually a very farsighted emperor. He is more than ten times stronger than the Tianhun and Douling kingdoms. At least after he took office, the Xingluo Empire saw the growing national strength of the Sun Moon Empire early on and attached more and more importance to soul tools.

Unfortunately, the traditional Soul Masters' aversion to Soul Tools was deeply ingrained in the original Douluo Three Kingdoms. With Shrek Academy leading the way in this rejection, traditional Soul Masters felt that relying on Soul Tools was a dead end, which made it very difficult for Xu Jiawei to implement his policies.

Yun Qinglin found the rejection of soul tools laughable. Using tools would only make humans stronger. Isn't the biggest difference between humans and animals that humans use all sorts of tools to assist in life and production?

Despite knowing the powerful effects of soul tools, they still resisted them, mainly because they were worried that the impact of soul tools would shake the unassailable status of soul masters.

Yun Qinglin had seen too many similar examples in his previous life.

Textile workers during the Industrial Revolution smashed machines because they were taking away their jobs; sailors during the Age of Exploration resisted new navigational instruments because they would render their ancestral stargazing useless.

Those who have benefited from the status quo in any era will instinctively reject anything new that might threaten their position.

The traditional Soul Masters of Douluo Continent were precisely the "beneficiaries" of that era.

What is a Soul Master? They are beings standing at the very top of the human pyramid. Even a Soul Master with only two Soul Rings can attain an extremely high status among ordinary people, and a Title Douluo can even sit on equal footing with an emperor.

What gives them this extraordinary status? It is their innate awakened martial spirit, their cultivation methods passed down through generations, and the "talent threshold" that ordinary people can never cross.

But soul tools are different.

A well-crafted long-range soul tool can allow a soul master with only one ring to unleash attack power approaching that of a third ring. A fixed soul tool can even allow an ordinary person, after training, to threaten a truly powerful individual. When power no longer depends entirely on talent and bloodline, those born noble will naturally feel fear.

Therefore, they rejected it, they resisted it, and they devalued soul tools to nothing, calling them "external objects" and "heretical practices."

But they wouldn't say how terrifying the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Master Legion was on the battlefield, nor would they say that when a real war came, even these noble Soul Masters needed Soul Tools to save their lives.

Thinking of this, Yun Qinglin smiled sarcastically to himself.

Wang Xian'er smiled and said, "From now on, I'll call you Qinglin. Here, take this as a gift for becoming my disciple."

Yun Qinglin looked at the bracelet-like soul tool handed to him, took it, and said, "Thank you, teacher."

The bracelet is entirely silver-white, inlaid with tiny star-blue gemstones. It feels warm to the touch, yet is extremely lightweight, clearly indicating that it is no ordinary item.

Wang Xian'er never stopped observing Yun Qinglin. There was no greed in his eyes, and he was indeed respectful to her. Having lived for over two hundred years, she believed that she had a very accurate eye for people, and that her newly accepted disciple was definitely of superior character.

"This is the Star Essence Ring, a level seven storage soul tool with an internal space of 300 cubic meters, divided into three independent areas. The ambient temperature area can hold daily necessities, the refrigerated area is suitable for preserving fresh medicinal herbs, and the constant temperature area is specially used to store rare items that require a stable environment. It is a fine product produced by the Mingde Hall of the Sun Moon Empire."

Yun Qinglin felt a warmth in his heart. A level seven storage soul tool would be worth at least several million gold soul coins outside, and it would be extremely rare and difficult to find. For Wang Xian'er to give him such an expensive gift on their first meeting showed that she genuinely considered him her disciple.

He solemnly put the bracelet on his wrist. The Star Ring automatically conformed to his wrist, its silvery-white light flashing slightly before fading away, making the item's value completely invisible—a form of protection, in a way.

"Come on, Qinglin, take me to your house and I'll help you arrange your admission to Xingluo Royal Academy. I'll also arrange a separate dormitory for you at the academy. You're still young, so you can study with me for a while first, and then enroll when you're twelve."