Douluo Continent: Copying Ya Li, the Carefree King of the Sun and Moon

Immediately, he raised his hand, and his first spirit ring lit up: Holy Prayer - Sun and Moon Light Healing.

A soft white light emanated from his palm, transforming into countless tiny specks of light that drifted toward the injured villager.

Burns, abrasions, and hidden injuries caused by evil influences all healed at a visible speed under the soothing white light.

Even the burnt-out ruins of the houses were covered with a faint halo, completely preventing any possibility of reignition.

The villagers stared blankly at the scene, at the white-clad boy in the ruins, at the holy light emanating from his palm, and they all knelt down, weeping uncontrollably.

"Angels...it's God who's come to save us..."

"Thank you, God! Thank you, Angel God!"

Xu Yanli didn't let them get up. He knew that sometimes kneeling was not out of fear, but an instinctive release of relief after surviving a disaster.

He stood there quietly, continuously emitting healing light, until the last injured person's wound healed, before slowly withdrawing his hand.

Chapter 146 The Second Divine Test

Just then, his mental sea suddenly trembled violently.

The life seed and the destruction seed, which had been quietly suspended in mid-air, simultaneously burst forth with dazzling light. The emerald green and dark purple light intertwined, no longer as distinct and mutually repulsive as before, but instead began to slowly merge.

Xu Yanli's consciousness was instantly pulled into the depths of his spiritual sea.

He saw the seed of life and the seed of destruction slowly approaching each other, and the two colors of light merged into a color he had never seen before at the boundary.

It wasn't green, it wasn't purple, it was a strange white.

Immediately afterwards, two voices rang out at the same time.

The Goddess of Life's voice was as gentle as water: "The first test of the Goddess of Life has been completed. In the midst of chaos, you have come to understand the essence of life out of compassion for all living beings. You are rewarded with a 10% increase in divine affinity, a one-level increase in soul power, and an increase of 10,000 years in the lifespan of your soul ring."

The God of Destruction's voice was deep and majestic: "The first test of the God of Destruction is complete. You have come to understand the essence of destruction through your protection. You are rewarded with a 10% increase in divine affinity, a one-level increase in soul power, and a ten-thousand-year increase in the lifespan of your soul ring."

Xu Yanli stood at the intersection of the two colors of light, watching the slowly merging chaotic light. After a long silence, he nodded gently.

"Life is not for immortality. Destruction is not for the end."

His voice was soft, but every word was clear: "The meaning of life lies in protecting what should be protected. The meaning of destruction lies in clearing away the obstacles that should be cleared away."

"Life is not about providing endless nourishment, nor is destruction about indiscriminate annihilation. Life is about allowing those who deserve to live to live, and destruction is about making things that should not exist disappear completely."

He raised his head, gazing at the ever-brightening chaotic light, and slowly said, "This is the essence."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two colors of light completely merged, and the chaotic light ball slowly rose into the air, hovering in the very center of his mental sea, like a newly risen sun, illuminating the entire mental sea with unparalleled clarity.

The first test for the Goddess of Life is complete! The first test for the God of Destruction is complete!

The next second, two beams of light descended from the sky, one green and one purple, and landed on Xu Yanli at the same time.

He felt his body being lifted by a gentle force, passing through his mental sea, through the depths of his consciousness, through a chaotic light, and arriving at a place he had never seen before.

This is a small, secluded place, not large, only a hundred feet in circumference, yet its beauty seems otherworldly.

In the center of the secret realm grows a huge ancient tree, whose trunk requires dozens of people to encircle, whose canopy blocks out the sky, and whose leaves shimmer with a verdant halo.

There was a clear spring under the tree. The water was crystal clear and the bottom was covered with colorful pebbles. Various exotic flowers and plants grew on the edge of the spring. He recognized some of them, but had never seen them before.

But the edge of the secret realm was a desolate wasteland. The black earth was barren, and purple lightning raged in the sky, carving scorched cracks into the ground.

Half of it is teeming with life, the other half is desolate and destroyed; half is heaven, half is hell.

A voice echoed within the secret realm, no longer the solitary voice of the Goddess of Life or the God of Destruction, but rather two voices overlapping, one gentle and one majestic, intertwining and reverberating:

"The Second Divine Trial: Soul Refining by the Tide of Life Destruction. One hour each day to meditate under the Ancient Tree of Life, and one hour to endure the destructive lightning domain. Time limit: one year."

Xu Yanli stood in the center of the secret realm, looking at the ancient tree of life before him and the destructive lightning domain in the distance, and took a deep breath: "I understand."

Consciousness exits the secret realm and returns to reality.

Chapter 147 The Second Test of the Two Gods

The sky was already turning a pale white, and the morning light shone through the horizon, gilding the ravaged village with a layer of pale gold.

The villagers were still busy, tidying up their broken belongings and burying their deceased relatives. There were no complaints or cries, only silent work and occasional suppressed sobs.

Xu Yanli stood under the charred old locust tree at the village entrance, watching all this, and remained silent for a long time.

Huo Yuhao walked to his side and said softly, "Teacher, we should go."

Xu Yanli nodded, but did not move immediately. He took out a bag of gold soul coins from his storage soul tool and handed it to the old man next to him who was cleaning up the wreckage.

"Grandpa, this money is enough to distribute to the villagers. It's enough to rebuild their houses and buy household items."

The old man tremblingly accepted the money bag, his cloudy tears streaming down his wrinkled face. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word, only bowing repeatedly.

Xu Yanli helped him up and said softly, "Don't bow. For those who are alive, living well is the best way to express your gratitude."

He let go of her hand and turned to walk out of the village.

Huo Yuhao followed behind, took a few steps, and suddenly looked back. The old man was still standing there, clutching his money bag. His hunched figure looked particularly thin in the morning light, yet it exuded an indescribable resilience.

"Teacher," Huo Yuhao caught up with Xu Yanli and asked in a low voice, "You said the meaning of life is to protect what should be protected, so... what do you want to protect?"

Xu Yanli paused, but did not turn around.

"What I want to protect..." he said softly, as if speaking to himself, "is those who shouldn't have to suffer. It's the common people oppressed by the powerful, the children abandoned by Shrek Academy, the villagers slaughtered by evil spirit masters. It's all the ordinary people on this continent who are fighting with all their might just to live a good life."

After saying that, he started walking and continued forward.

"I can't change everyone, but I'll change as much as I can."

The convoy resumed its journey and arrived in the new city precisely at noon.

The magistrate of Xincheng County had already received the news and was waiting at the city gate with a group of officials from his yamen. As soon as he saw the convoy of the Prince of Xiaoyao's mansion, he immediately went to greet them and bowed respectfully.

"Your humble servant, Zhou Wenyuan, the magistrate of Xincheng County, respectfully welcomes Your Highness, the Carefree Prince!"

Xu Yanli lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at him. The man was in his thirties, with a thin face but upright eyes, clearly not a sycophantic official.

It seems Xu Tianran made a careful choice.

"Magistrate Zhou, has the location for the school been decided?"

"It's settled, settled!" Zhou Wenyuan replied hastily. "It's located in the east of the city. It used to be an abandoned warehouse, but I've already had it cleaned up. However..."

"Just what?"

Zhou Wenyuan rubbed his hands together with some embarrassment: "The place is really too simple, I'm afraid it will be unfair to Your Highness."

“I don’t mind if it’s simple.” Xu Yanli jumped off the carriage. “Take me to see it.”

The warehouse in the east of the city was indeed rudimentary, with earthen walls on all four sides, many broken roof tiles, an uneven floor, and moss growing in the corners. But it was large enough to accommodate over a hundred children for classes at the same time.

Xu Yanli walked around the warehouse and nodded: "This is it. Re-tiled the roof, plastered the walls with white lime, and rammed the ground with blue bricks. Make the windows bigger so there's plenty of light. Level the open space in the yard and use it as a playground for the children."

Zhou Wenyuan nodded repeatedly and instructed his men to write down his orders.

"Prepare desks and chairs, with two chairs for each desk, so the children don't crowd together. Also prepare pens, ink, paper, and inkstones; if you need more, go to Xiaoyao Pavilion to get them." Xu Yanli said as she walked, her speech slow but clear. "The lunch standard is set: one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and one soup, with plenty of rice. Make sure to find a clean cook so the children don't get sick."

As Zhou Wenyuan kept writing, his eyes suddenly reddened.

"Your Highness..." his voice choked with emotion, "On behalf of the people of Xincheng, on behalf of these children, thank you!"

Xu Yanli glanced at him and smiled gently: "No need to thank me. Once the school is established and the children are truly receiving an education, you can thank me then."

After leaving the warehouse, Xu Yanli went to the new city market, not to inspect it, but just to stroll around and look at things.

The market street wasn't large, but it was exceptionally lively. Vendors selling vegetables, cloth, and sugar figurines called out their wares in a constant stream. Several children chased and played in the alleyways, their laughter ringing out. At a roadside tea stall, a few elderly people sat with large bowls of tea, chatting about this year's harvest, their lives peaceful and uneventful.

Xu Yanli was walking down the street when he suddenly stopped.

A little girl, about four or five years old, was squatting by the roadside. She was so thin she was practically skin and bones, wearing a tattered cotton-padded jacket covered in patches. In front of her was a small basket containing a few withered wild vegetables, clearly dug up by the roadside.

"Wild vegetables, selling wild vegetables..." the little girl called out timidly, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "One copper soul coin for a handful..."

Xu Yanli squatted down and looked at her: "Where are your parents?"

The little girl paused for a moment, then her eyes instantly welled up with tears: "Dad went to work in the mine, and it collapsed... Mom is sick and lying in bed... I... I dug up wild vegetables to sell and earn money to buy medicine for Mom..."

Xu Yanli paused for a moment, then took out a gold soul coin from his storage soul tool and placed it in her palm.

"I bought all the wild vegetables. Use this money to buy medicine for your mother, and use the rest to buy some food."

The little girl stared blankly at the golden soul coins in her palm for a long time before suddenly bursting into tears. She kowtowed to Xu Yanli while crying, her forehead turning red from the kowtow.

Xu Yanli helped her up and said softly, "Don't stumble. Tell me, where do you live?"

The little girl pointed towards the depths of the alley, sobbing.

Xu Yanli stood up and followed her into the alley. In a low mud-brick house, a woman with a withered face lay on a wooden bed, covered with a thin, tattered quilt. Her complexion was sallow, and her lips were cracked, indicating that she had been ill for a long time.

Xu Yanli walked to the bedside, raised his hand, and his first soul ring lit up, casting a soft white light on the woman. The accumulated illness, physical strain, and hidden injuries from many years gradually dissipated under the soothing white light. The woman's complexion visibly became rosy, and her breathing gradually became steady.

She slowly opened her eyes, looking at the white-robed boy beside the bed, at the holy light in his palm. Her lips trembled, wanting to say something, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Xu Yanli withdrew his hand and said softly, "Take good care of yourself. When the school reopens, send the child to study for free."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the mud-brick house.

Behind them came a woman's suppressed sobs, followed by a little girl's clear voice: "Mommy! Mommy! You can sit up now!"

Xu Yanli did not turn around, but her steps were lighter than when she came.

Two days later, the school was completely renovated.

Xu Yanli personally unveiled the red cloth on the plaque. The four large characters on the plaque, "Xincheng School," were written by his own hand, with neat characters and vigorous strokes.

Chapter 148 His Majesty the Silver Dragon King

Hehe, his handwriting wasn't very good at first, but this was a prince's basic course, and Xu Tianran forced him to practice desperately.

A crowd of people gathered at the school gate; some were carrying children, some were helping the elderly, and some were standing on tiptoe to peek inside. The children squeezed to the front, their eyes sparkling with curiosity and anticipation.

Xu Yanli stood at the school gate, looking at the children, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"From today onwards, Xincheng Academy will officially open." His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "Children aged six to twelve, regardless of gender or background, can come here to study. There is no tuition fee, and lunch is provided. However, there are only two paths in the future: either serve the imperial court or join Xiaoyao Pavilion."

Cheers erupted from the crowd; some cried, some laughed, and some knelt down and kowtowed. The ragged children looked up at the blond, white-clad boy before them, their eyes shining brightly.

This condition is not a harsh restriction for ordinary people, but rather a guarantee.