Douluo: Dragon King's Tai Chi Mystery

The earth was torn open by the brute force of the Dark Demon God Tiger. Zhao Xuanzhen unleashed the Eight Trigrams Qimen, causing the Kan Water position to surge, and towering waves seeped from the ground of the arena of life and death. The Dark Demon God Tiger roared, unleashing its evil power, and the gray light forcefully shattered the waves.

Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger; a fierce gale raged from all directions, howling like the wails of vengeful ghosts. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, a super soul beast combining the three attributes of evil, wind, and thunder, lashed out again with the accelerating gale, aiming straight for Zhao Xuanzhen's head!

“The character '巽' (xùn) means ‘wind lock’.”

The wind was no longer the protector of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, but instead transformed into chains that wrapped around his limbs. His evil eyes blazed with ferocity, and disregarding his body which was locked in mid-air, the evil god hook at his tail, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, suddenly grew to three zhang long, turning into a shadow that pierced towards Zhao Xuanzhen's back!

The Fire Dragon roared out of the void, its claws colliding fiercely with the Evil God's Hook. Evil energy and flames intertwined and rose, turning half of the arena of life and death into a chaotic gray-red landscape.

"The character 'Kun' signifies an earthquake!"

Zhao Xuanzhen's offensive did not stop there. The earth trembled, and huge earth pythons with a single horn on their heads rolled up. Under the shocked gaze of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, the earth pythons learned the attack method of the Evil God Hook and fiercely stabbed their single horns towards the relatively soft belly of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger!

"boom!!!"

The Dark Demon Tiger crashed to the ground, its body creating a massive crater. With a roar, its imposing form slammed into the ground, instantly causing countless cracks to appear on the arena, spreading outwards like a spiderweb until they reached Zhao Xuanzhen's feet.

The giant tiger rubbed its mouthful of cold, sharp teeth, its body bearing several deep wounds that exposed bone. The Kun character technique was penetrating every crevice, damaging its body.

The evil hook at its tail swayed, a sign that the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's bloodlust had reached its peak, its beastly eyes fixed intently on the tiny human.

Zhao Xuanzhen's expression was solemn. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger truly lived up to its name as a god-level soul beast. Among soul masters/soul beasts of the same cultivation level in the Douluo Continent, very few could withstand even a few moves from it. This guy had almost withstood a Kun-character Dao technique head-on, yet its combat power didn't seem to be greatly diminished, demonstrating the extent of its strength.

Fighting against opponents of higher levels is commonplace for both humans and beasts; in fact, they rarely fight against enemies of the same cultivation level. This is a novel experience for both of them.

The two combatants were on high alert, and Shen Yi, the only spectator outside the arena, was dumbfounded. That was the legendary Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, the zeroth soul beast that had never been triggered by a student in the Arena of Life and Death!

When Shrek Academy created the Arena of Life and Death, they established a matching system with six tiers, which, like the colors of the Soul Rings, were white, yellow, purple, black, red, and gold.

White represents a Soul Saint talent, yellow equals Soul Douluo, purple equals Title Douluo, black equals Super Douluo, red equals Limit Douluo who stands at the pinnacle of Douluo Continent, and gold equals a prophecy left by the Shrek Academy ancestors.

If the Arena of Life and Death welcomes a student with the potential to become a god, the Zero Soul Beast, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, will be the most difficult opponent he will ever face.

Even Tang San's ancestor had the advantage in soul power back then. The creator of the Arena of Life and Death found it hard to believe that his descendants could defeat the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger when their soul power was similar!

Within the arena of life and death, the life-or-death struggle continues. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger seems to have inherited the will of its creator and does not believe that any being of equal cultivation level can defeat it!

The gray mist surged like a living thing, devouring all colors. The innate domain of the Dark Demon God Tiger Clan expanded dramatically. The Dark Demon Domain covered the area, and the evil aura transformed into winding ghostly shadows, forming a brutal and grotesque painting.

The Dark Demon God Tiger grinned as it looked at the humans. This was the talent brought by the power of the evil god. Under the Dark Demon Domain, it was the ruler of all things!

"Om-"

The golden soul ring bestowed by the Golden Tree shone brightly, and the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's savage laughter faltered, because a second domain appeared in the Arena of Life and Death!

Ancient divination runes hung around Zhao Xuanzhen's body, and his soul power flowed through his limbs and bones. Black and white energy flowed like clouds covering the sky, covering the arena of life and death, including the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's proud Dark Demon Domain!

The Yin and Yang energy surged past, shattering the winding ghostly shadows of the Dark Demon Realm into countless dust particles. Along with the endless gray mist of the Arena of Life and Death, it howled in fear as the Yin and Yang swept through!

Fourth Soul Skill: Tai Chi Domain!

Chapter 58 Ye Xinglan by the Sea God Lake: Dao Intent and Sword Intent, Cherishing Today Like a Precious Gift (4K)

Although both Zhao Xuanzhen and Tang Wulin received their soul rings from the Golden Ancient Tree, their soul skills are vastly different.

Due to Zhao Xuanzhen's unique nature, he could not be endowed with the Child of Nature by the Life Core. Instead, the Golden Tree Spirit used its life energy to stimulate the origin of his true martial soul, forming the fourth soul skill, Tai Chi Domain!

Leaving aside a few exceptions such as the Demon-Slaying Domain and the Noble Ring, and focusing only on conventional combat domains, those are arguably the most coveted soul skills among Douluo Soul Masters.

As is well known, the Lord of a Domain is the controller of everything within its domain, possessing immense power and the ability to suppress all opponents within the domain.

As one side gains and the other loses, the gap between the domain master and the enemy widens significantly. For Soul Masters of the same level, the side with the domain has an absolute advantage.

The domain effects in Douluo Continent are diverse, and their strength varies. Zhao Xuanzhen's Taiji Domain undoubtedly stands at the pinnacle of the domain world. The strength of his true self is one aspect, while the Golden Tree is another.

Besides amplifying oneself and weakening the opponent, the Tai Chi domain also contains two other effects.

First, it carries the power of Yin-Yang decomposition. When other domains face the Tai Chi domain, their power will be greatly reduced. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's Dark Demon Domain is the first to enjoy this domain suppression.

Secondly, the Golden Tree is a symbol of light and life, and the pinnacle of plant-type beings. After the Tai Chi Domain merges with the energy of the Golden Tree, it also restrains plant-type Soul Masters and Soul Masters with dark attributes.

Unfortunately, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger has been hit again, and the Dark Demon Domain is almost completely covered by the Tai Chi Domain.

Initially at a slight disadvantage, the Dark Demon God Tiger planned to unleash its domain to reverse the tide and thoroughly crush the humans before it. However, with both domains appearing simultaneously, the Tiger's disadvantageous position suddenly turned into an incredibly stressful and unfavorable one!

"The power moves mountains and rivers, suppress!"

The first soul ring shone brightly. Zhao Xuanzhen drew circles with both hands, and the yin and yang energies within the Tai Chi Domain were incredibly dense. The power of the yin and yang attribute soul skills increased dramatically, and an unparalleled black and white Tai Chi diagram appeared, pressing down on the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger like Mount Tai.

The Dark Demon God Tiger roared and howled, a fierce wind howled, and the ferocious evil god hook at its tail circled and swirled, causing the surrounding air to fluctuate violently. The evil god hook overflowed with extremely evil power, and then straightened, extended, and lengthened, finally transforming into a gray spike filled with evil energy!

Evil God's Thorn!

"boom--"

The evil god pierced through the black and white air currents along its path, charging relentlessly towards the Qi-driven mountains and rivers. Zhao Xuanzhen clasped his hands together, and the Tai Chi diagram instantly reversed, causing the Yin and Yang energies to explode with a deafening roar. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was forced to retreat by the impact, and by the time it regained its footing, its limbs had already plowed two deep furrows into the arena of life and death, and half of its body was embedded in the churning earth.

"Roar--"

The tiger's roar was no longer majestic; the divine-level soul beast now revealed a desperate struggle, as the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger propped up its upper body, and countless orbs of light containing the three attributes of evil, wind, and thunder gathered above its head.

The eerie gray lightning, accompanied by primal evil energy, condensed into the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger clan's most powerful innate soul skill: Dark Demon Evil God Thunder!

"The character 'Zhen' signifies Yang Thunder!"

Within the suspended Bagua runes of the Taiji realm, the Thunder Trigram suddenly shone brightly, thunderclouds rolled above the arena of life and death, and the magnificent heavenly thunder descended like a god. The extremely strong and fierce Yang Thunder of Heaven and Earth collided violently with the Dark Demon Evil God Thunder!

The moment the two bolts of lightning intertwined, heaven and earth seemed to fall silent. The dark demonic god lightning was frenzied and violent, wanting to destroy everything around it, while the yang lightning of heaven and earth was righteous and awe-inspiring, like the scorching sun burning away the filth.

As the Dark Demon God Lightning began to dissipate, the Dark Demon Domain cracked, and the fur of the Dark Demon God Tiger peeled off under the brilliant golden lightning, revealing charred and ugly flesh.

Smoke rose, the last wisp of evil lightning vanished, and the yang lightning of heaven and earth transformed into a colossal pillar, pinning the dark demonic tiger to the ground.

A golden figure broke through the smoke, and under the remaining lightning, the dark gold claws extending from its fingertips were chilling to the bone!

The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's beastly eyes revealed its fear of death. The moment Zhao Xuanzhen descended, its dark golden claws pierced out with an icy edge, the sharp claw tips striking a gray aura shield, which was the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's last line of defense!

The innate soul skill, Evil God's Guardian, activates the bloodline of the Evil God to construct an indestructible protective shield. Compared to the similar soul skill, Invincible Golden Body, Evil God's Guardian has a slightly lower defense limit, but its duration is longer!

Separated by a layer of gray aura, the human and the beast stared at each other again. The human's gaze was icy, radiating a relentless killing intent. The soul beast roared in fury and terror. The dark gold blade, held just inches away, was like the Grim Reaper's scythe, striking the evil god's guardian once, twice... countless times, producing a series of teeth-grinding cutting sounds!

"Sizzle, sizzle..."

The evil god's protection was about to dissipate, and the cracks in the gray aura continued to widen. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was severely injured and powerless to resist. It could only watch helplessly as humans expressionlessly handed death to it inch by inch!

In the end, the evil god's guardian shattered under the onslaught of the dark gold claws, its claw blades piercing the black "king" character on the head of the dark demonic tiger, penetrating its brain in one blow!

The infamous divine-level soul beast turned to ashes, the Tai Chi domain slowly contracted, and the Bagua phantom returned to silence.

"It's a pity. No matter how many numbers you add up, a fake without the bloodline of an evil god can never compare to the real Dark Demon Evil God Tiger."

Zhao Xuanzhen sighed. If he could travel back 20,000 years, he would indeed be interested in experiencing the power of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. Perhaps the creation of this arena of life and death also hides the meaning of commemorating this legendary evil soul beast.

With life and death decided, Zhao Xuanzhen voluntarily withdrew from the arena of life and death, walked out of the thick gray fog, and saw his homeroom teacher, Shen Yi, looking shocked.

"Teacher Shen, are there any make-up exams?"

Shen Yi was speechless for a moment, and shook his head blankly.

"If nothing happens, I'll leave first."

"……OK."

After the final exams, Zhao Xuanzhen left the Arena of Life and Death. Instead of returning to Seagod Island to cultivate or heading to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, he unexpectedly went to three different places.

Mecha Design Association, Mecha Manufacturing Association, Mecha Repair Association.

He registered his identity with the three major secondary professional associations and took on some tasks.

As a wealthy second-generation heir of the Spirit Pagoda, Zhao Xuanzhen, backed by Xuanlong Street, naturally looked down on the paltry rewards for missions. He only pursued his second profession because it required practical combat experience, especially in mecha manufacturing.

The martial souls of Shrek Academy students are at least of the upper-middle level, and the missions issued by the Professional Association are generally of high quality. Making them by hand will give Zhao Xuanzhen a wealth of practical experience, laying the foundation for making two-word battle armor in the future.

The three associations were located in three different directions from Shrek Academy, far apart from each other, and members had to pass an entrance test. Zhao Xuanzhen spent a considerable amount of time on this, and by the time everything was done, daylight had turned into a starry sky.

Bathed in moonlight, Zhao Xuanzhen returned to Poseidon Island, admiring the night view along the way. The night was as dark as ink, and the surface of Poseidon Lake was like a clear mirror, with shimmering waves stretching out in patches. The branches of the ancient trees on the lakeside swayed gently in the night breeze, occasionally skimming the water and creating a few fine ripples.

On the shores of Poseidon Lake, the sword's edge pierced the tranquility.

The bright yellow longsword resembled a river of starlight, each swing leaving a dazzling trail, and the moonlight was cleaved into scattered frost and snow by the sword's light.

Her golden ponytail swung with each move, the ends brushing against her sweat-soaked nape, forming a wet arc in the moonlight. The girl's azure pupils were clearer than the waters of the Sea God Lake, burning with a scorching sharpness.

Ye Xinglan, Star God Sword.

In another timeline, Ye Xinglan was able to comprehend sword intent at such a young age because of her exceptional swordsmanship talent, unwavering effort, and never-give-up will—all three were indispensable.

Zhao Xuanzhen stopped and stared at the blonde girl dancing with her sword under the moon. The sound of the sword cutting through the air was always crisp and sharp, like tearing silk. Her knuckles gripped the sword tightly, and beads of sweat fell into the engravings on the hilt. The Star God Sword reflected her stubborn face.

Fireflies startled by the lake circled around the girl, but always retreated hastily at the last second before touching the sword's edge, as if afraid of its obsessive sharpness.

Practice each move ten times, and repeat each move a hundred times.

As she finished her final move and sheathed her sword, the Star God Sword trembled for a long time in the damp air. Ye Xinglan breathed slightly, and a strand of golden hair fell down, trembling with the rise and fall of her chest.

The girl slowly turned around, her eyes meeting those of azure and darkness. She raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her eyelashes. She had an unusual look in her eyes—calm, focused, and sharp as a sword.

"How is my sword?"

Ye Xinglan didn't care why Zhao Xuanzhen appeared at the Sea God Lake late at night; she was more concerned about the opinion of her peers, whom she regarded as role models, on her swordsmanship.

"You've made great progress in your realm, almost comprehending sword intent, but it's still not pure enough." Zhao Xuanzhen pointed to his chest, where his heart was.

“If one’s heart is filled with worries and anxieties, and there is no way to resolve them, they will often become obsessions.”

These words hit the nail on the head, precisely the predicament Ye Xinglan was currently facing. Her pearly white teeth pierced her crimson lips as she spoke softly:

"Since the day we lost the Tianhai Alliance competition, I've thought about many things over the past year, but I haven't gotten any answers."

Why am I not as strong as you guys, even though we're about the same age?

Why is it that despite diligent daily practice, the gap hasn't been narrowed?

Why does upholding honor ultimately backfire...?

Ye Xinglan looked up at the starry sky with three questions in a row. The stars shone brightly, but not a single one could unravel the doubts that weighed on her heart.

"I don't understand what's right and what's wrong. Too many questions are swirling in my mind. Are the beliefs I've always held onto completely worthless?"

My past seems like a failure, my present is filled with confusion, and my future is shrouded in uncertainty...

Zhao Xuanzhen, you are one of the origins of my inner turmoil. The one who tied the knot must untie it; now I wish to use the Star God Sword to seek an answer from you!

Ye Xinglan bowed with utmost solemnity, slowly but resolutely raising the Star God Sword. Soul Masters of the Extreme Emotion Sword Path fear being trapped by their mental state the most. If she doesn't resolve her inner turmoil, she'll probably be stuck with sword intent for life.

The Star God Sword sliced ​​through the night mist, its blade scattering countless cold stars, its clanging sound shattering the waves on the lakeshore. Zhao Xuanzhen's clothes suddenly billowed out, his cloud-like hand drawing an arc that stirred the water vapor on the lake's surface, his palm completely deflecting the Star God Sword's swift thrusts.

As Zhao Xuanzhen's palm slid along the spine of the sword, his five fingers moved as if caressing a zither string. Ye Xinglan's pupils trembled slightly, and the feeling of resistance from the sword hilt was just like piercing a viscous mass of moonlight.

The Star God Sword unleashed its power, snapping the ribbon binding the girl's hair. Her long golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall in the moonlight, obscuring half of her beautiful face. The withered branches beneath her feet exploded, and tiny wood chips mixed with grass wove a semi-transparent curtain between the two.

Zhao Xuanzhen's gaze was calm as he slowly stepped forward to face the Star God Sword. When he made his move, the air within a radius of three zhang condensed into an invisible domain. The golden sword blade was deeply embedded in the mud, and the Tai Chi energy flowed upwards along the sword, turning the Star God Sword's fierce killing move into soft silk.

With a light tap of his palm against the longsword, Ye Xinglan pushed his hand seemingly slowly but actually quickly. He felt as if the world had turned upside down, and suddenly felt a cold touch on the hilt of the sword. The Star God Sword was already lying across his neck.

Staring at Zhao Xuanzhen, who was holding the Star God Sword upside down, Ye Xinglan bit her lip, blood seeping from between her teeth: "That is your will, a will that is even greater than Na'er's spear will!"

"If I weren't at this crucial stage of comprehending the Star God Sword Intent, I would never have discovered that hidden intent in my entire life. Could you tell me what that intent is, that it is so profound!"

"Want to know?"

Zhao Xuanzhen chuckled and released the Star God Sword. Suddenly, waves surged on the lake, water curtains filled the sky, and a long dragon roar came from the depths of the Sea God Lake. The lake water rose, and thousands of water droplets condensed into a huge water dragon.

The night wind twisted into nine cyan chains, and crimson lotus flames exploded in the void, the two intertwining with a water dragon that soared into the sky. The water dragon, wind chains, and flame lotus intertwined behind Zhao Xuanzhen, while the Tai Chi Yin-Yang diagram beneath his feet continued to expand and expand.

Amidst the halos of light emanating from various scenes, Zhao Xuanzhen stood in the center of the Taiji diagram, his clothes spotless, the raging forces of nature merely docile playthings in his palm.

With a flick of his fingers across the void, the Tai Chi diagram shrank into a black and white sphere of light the size of a pearl, which fell into his palm and spun silently. Zhao Xuanzhen squeezed it slightly, and the sphere of light shattered into tiny specks of light. The wind stopped, the fire died down, the water dragon sank into the center of the lake, and the violent elements returned to the world.

"How could that be? All the power contains your will..."

Ye Xinglan's worldview was somewhat shattered, and she couldn't understand the will that Zhao Xuanzhen possessed at all.

"To me, swords, spears, and elements are merely expressions of intent," Zhao Xuanzhen said calmly.

"To embrace all things in the world and forge the true self—this is the meaning I have come to understand, the meaning of the Dao."

“The Dao…” Ye Xinglan murmured.

"If you are preoccupied with gains and losses, concerned about the past, and worried about the future, you will lose sight of the present."

Zhao Xuanzhen rose with the wind and flew towards Poseidon Island, his gentle voice echoing far and wide: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift from heaven."

I used to think that spiritual practice was simply about being yourself. Later, I added another element: always cherish today as you would a gift.

"The past cannot be changed, and there's no need to worry about the future. All I can do is seize the moment and focus on the sword..."