Douluo Continent: A Thousand Miles of Cultivation

Chapter 50 Change of Identity

"Then why is he even participating in the next competition? With their talent, they might already be Soul Saints by 25. Why rush it?" Yin Jin finally voiced his opinion after a moment of silence. "And what's with this talk of support? How is that even possible..."

"Have you heard how many competitions the Pope has participated in? One? Or two?" Ling Yunzhi asked solemnly.

"Elite tournaments are a waste of time for people like them! They don't need to fight for superficial face! As for Qian Shui, he might just have happened to be in the right tournament at the right time!"

...

Qian Shui didn't know what his teammates thought; he only knew that Bibi Dong wanted him to participate in the competition and to be the team leader, so he would just do it.

Preparing a meal alone outside Wuhun City, the spring season felt somewhat desolate, but skillfully lighting the charcoal fire filled the place with human warmth.

In recent battles against reckless and powerful opponents, he didn't use his martial spirit to directly attack and inflict direct damage on the soul and spirit; instead, he focused on physical attacks. While this might seem unwise, Qian Shui's goal has never been victory, but rather honing his skills.

Although he was badly beaten, he learned a lot. While he may not have mastered the use of power, he had grasped some advanced techniques, such as the flow and transition of force.

Practice is much more intuitive than showing off on forums in my previous life. So much so that even when Qian Shui is cooking, he has a sense of order. At first glance, it seems to be very structured and not casual, and a bit rigid.

Around sunset, the group had arrived.

The atmosphere was rather awkward. No one spoke; everyone stood in rows, watching Qian Shui stir-fry the food alone. At least this very peculiar cooking method was enough to pique people's curiosity and help pass the time.

The person flipping the wok and stir-frying the food was in a bad mood and instead immersed in their culinary hobby, ignoring the person behind them.

Several dishes were cooked together and served at the same time. Qian Shui only noticed the serious-looking people behind her when they were served.

"Sit down." Qian Shui didn't think much of it, put down the roasted meat from the pile, and went back to her work.

The group sat down at a large square table made up of several folding tables, leaving the main seat empty, but that was all.

Once again, a large bowl of braised pork was brought to the table, and Qian Shui realized that no one had started eating yet.

"Why aren't you eating?" In Qian Shui's mind, a gathering like this should have been completely devoured long ago. The six people in front of him were all sitting upright, as if they were soldiers waiting for orders to eat.

He casually served the prepared vegetable skewers, took out some cut fruit from his soul tool, and then sat down and started eating. He wanted to finish eating early so he could think about how to get started, since he still had some research to do that evening.

He took a few bites before realizing something was wrong. He stopped and looked at the crowd who were completely still, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. So, he habitually looked at Feng Jingyi.

At least in Qian Shui's mind, Feng Jingyi was a friend after all, and she wasn't usually very polite to him, so she should at least greet everyone.

“Uh… team leader, we can…” Feng Jingyi was considered to have high emotional intelligence and instantly understood Qian Shui’s situation.

These words made Qian Shui uncomfortable. He finally realized that this was a feudal era, and he was the person with the highest status present. Without his orders as the head of the feudal family, who would dare to overstep their bounds? Moreover, he had organized such a unique gathering for the Douluo people.

'So that's how it is? This is what they call being in a position of power? Let whoever wants to be in power do it!'

"Let's eat together." Suppressing her discomfort, Qian Shui gave the instruction to "start eating," and didn't want to emphasize polite words like "peers" or "make yourself at home." "Class monitor, could you help greet everyone? I just remembered that I need to discuss something with Uncle Gui."

People may like the feeling of being a leader, but Qian Shui finds it very annoying. He doesn't even like meetings, and he hates being put in a bossy position even more.

After saying that, he left the table without even washing his pots and pans. He had already realized the problem and didn't want to sit awkwardly among them, so he decided to make an excuse to leave and give them some space.

The atmosphere at the table eased somewhat after Qian Shui's figure disappeared.

"Haha, eat up, eat up, it smells delicious~ The team leader is a bit of a weirdo, after all, he's lived alone away from home since he was a child, so that's bound to be his personality~"

Feng Jingyi glanced in the direction Qian Shui had left, her expression somewhat forlorn. The problems brought about by the change in her identity were not only for Qian Shui, but also for her.

If they were of the same generation, it wouldn't matter what they did, but the hierarchy was strict, and they weren't Earthlings who could look at each other on equal terms.

As he walked back, Qian Shui's mind was in turmoil. Some long-dormant thoughts kept him from calming down.

'And then, those dead memories suddenly attacked me…'

It turns out that he was very close to Qian Renxue. Apart from the guards and servants, it was difficult for him to feel such a difference in status. In addition, due to his long-term cultivation, he seemed to have forgotten what the real feudal era was like. Today's situation was just a drop in the ocean.

But could he choose Shrek's approach? Could he even fit into their circle? Besides, erasing people's doubts is no easy task. He's too busy taking care of himself to conduct social experiments.

"I used to think I hated fighting, but now I hate trash talk..."

……

With the support of his mental power and the control of his soul power, Qian Shui's skills have improved significantly, to a great extent, at least compared to the Douluo people.

"What is this?! How can it be so delicious?!" Yin Jin looked like he was about to cry from delight.

"You haven't tried this before, have you? Xiao Shui... uh... Sasha and I tried the team leader's cooking once, and it was absolutely delicious. At least I've never eaten anything this good."

"It's no exaggeration to say that if this meal were served in a top-tier restaurant, it could easily fetch tens of thousands of gold soul coins, and those suckers would definitely flock to it!" The Yin Jin family is considered a wealthy family, and no one doubted his knowledge in this area.

"Our team leader is surprisingly good in every aspect..." Ling Yunzhi recalled Qian Shui's cooking posture. Although the food was delicious and a big plus, the huge gap in quality still gave him the creeps. "Did you notice his cooking movements? There were almost no unnecessary movements!"

“Now that you mention it, it’s true. And thinking back to the first time I saw him cook, although he was very casual, there were no unnecessary movements. And this time it’s even more thorough!” Feng Jingyi analyzed the first time Qian Shui took Qian Renxue on a picnic. “I think I understand what he meant by paying attention to things other than martial souls and soul skills.”

Ling Yunzhi looked at Feng Jingyi, who had taken over the conversation, and asked, "Isn't this the first time?"

“Yeah, that was last year on his birthday. He wasn’t like this cold and aloof person back then. I don’t know what happened, he was clearly a little kid who looked so happy eating a salsa popsicle.” Feng Jingyi propped her head up, pouted, and recalled that she had given Qian Shui a hair tie to tie up his long hair. Unfortunately, she accepted it but never saw him use it.

“If you don’t eat now, there won’t be any left! Look at Yu Zhou and Chen Sha…” Ruoyou reminded Qian Shui and the other two who were analyzing the situation seriously.

"Well done, Sasha! You two are truly cut from the same cloth!"

Watching the burly man and the mature woman devour their food like a whirlwind, Feng Jingyi grew anxious; she wasn't full yet!

"Here you go, Xiao Feng..." Chen Sha blushed deeply and handed the meat skewers she hadn't eaten to Feng Jingyi.

"Want a sip? Iced?" Ling Yunzhi looked at his childhood friends, took out the wine he had prepared beforehand, and said to Ruoyou.

"You drink it, I have extra practice tonight."

……

In the nearby grove, Qian Shui quietly munched on dried meat and fruit, watching the moon rise into the sky before it even got dark. Although she didn't consciously control her aura, she blended in quite well with the environment.

"Team leader, aren't you going? Everyone's waiting for you..." Feng Jingyi followed the direction Qian Shui had gone and found him.

"No need, just leave it after you finish eating, I'll clean it up."

"You have to say something..."

Hearing Feng Jingyi's distant tone, Qian Shui felt utterly disgusted. She sighed and calmly said, "Does it have to be said like that?"

"Xiao, Xiao Shui, don't blame everyone. You are now in charge of the Pope's Decree, and His Majesty Ghost Douluo is... and..." Feng Jingyi shrank her head. She understood what Qian Shui meant, but she was still very careful.

"It's my fault, I didn't consider these things." Qian Shui wasn't ignorant, but this situation wasn't just a change in status, it was also a consequence of her own actions. Ghost Douluo's following was the result of her willful truancy back then, coupled with her previous domineering attitude, there was no reason why she wouldn't be estranged.

"Class monitor, they're all unhappy about being bossed around by a little kid."

As dusk fell, Qian Shui looked rather lonely under the moonlight. Although he stood ramrod straight, one could sense that he wasn't as strong as he appeared as he gazed at the moon.

"No, putting aside the Pope's decree, everyone still respects you, after all, you are very strong!" Feng Jingyi looked at Qian Shui like this and felt a little sorry for her.

Because of her rapid development, Qian Shui looks like an adult, but as time goes by, her hair grows longer and floats gently in the breeze.

Nowadays, with his platinum-toned clothes and no longer bald, he still looks very handsome, exuding a very mature aura.

“Strong?” Qian Shui didn’t think he was strong. As always, he wouldn’t let his level limit his imagination or comparisons. The forest under the moonlight reminded him of Bibi Dong in the Star Dou Great Forest, also under the moonlight, when she spread her six purple wings and had an extraordinary temperament.

"And then there is another, like the bright moon over the sea, who remains unmoved by the rising and falling waves, following only the Milky Way in the sky!"

He sighed inwardly at his own lack of culture; of all the beautiful phrases he had used in his past life, he couldn't think of anything more fitting.

"Pfft~ You've clearly never seen the ocean before~" Qian Shui's pretentiousness obviously didn't get any approval, but instead earned him a look of ridicule.

Qian Shui looked somewhat embarrassed. "We met in a past life!"

Feng Jingyi only realized what was happening when she compared this handsome young leader to Qian Shui, the bald man who had been beaten black and blue for skipping class.

'He's just a ten-year-old kid~'

"Hey Xiaoshui, my home is near Hanhai City. Shall we go see the sea during our holiday this year?"

Feng Jingyi approached Qian Shui again and leaned on the shoulder of this junior who seemed to be about the same height as her.

"I have other things to do during the holidays, I'll think about it..."

Chapter 51 Preliminary Training Plan

Qian Shui did not immediately accept Feng Jingyi's invitation. He did not have a strong desire for the sea, and his personal skills and tactics were not yet fully developed. Purely playing around would be a waste of time.

With Qian Shui's addition, the entire team started to follow his routine, training 24/7 without any blind spots.

Since the cultivation method is impossible to pass on, Qian Shui can only train these guys according to the all-round training method of the Martial Soul Method.

According to the original work, Yu Xiaogang's early grueling training of the Shrek Seven was not entirely without reason. However, due to the limitations of the era, it was viewed very poorly and was extremely crude. Its purpose was not simply to refine the body.

He didn't know much about Qian Shui, but he had trained in the Star Dou Great Forest based on military and martial arts requirements, ensuring flexibility before gradually increasing intensity, making it regular and habitual. He mostly trained passively during hunting and running.

These academic students naturally require systematic training, and they have the resources and experience to do so.

The initial priority is to improve physical fitness. This is not very effective for a Soul Master who is over level 40, but it is not impossible.

Feng Jingyi, Ruoyou, and Ling Yunzhi were instructed by Qian Shui to seal their soul power and were also subjected to exercises like sandbags, which are not found in the Douluo Continent. The two support characters were given fewer restrictions. The five of them were immediately subjected to military-style training, with the training intensity gradually increasing as their physical abilities improved. In the evening, their soul power was unsealed, and they each recovered. Once they were mostly recovered, it was a new day.

Fortunately, the living conditions were well taken care of, and even the diet was arranged by Qian Shui in a reasonable way: low-carb, low-fat, high-protein, and full of fruits and vegetables, which can be described as scientific nutrition... training!

Fortunately, the chef's skills were also praised, and the taste was indeed delicious and up-to-date.

These people all envied Yu Zhou. Apart from basic exercise, the strong man had almost no training program, but in fact, he was the most miserable.

Among the people Qian Shui has fought, the big guy has the highest attack power, but his control is really poor. Just like his martial soul, he will charge forward like a pig, which is a case of having strength but not being able to use it.

However, he was outstanding in physical fitness, so Qian Shui started his experiment on mental power cultivation from him.

The method is very simple: emphasize three years of college entrance examination and five years of simulation, which is to study! Qian Shui made full use of his papal authority to recruit the best teachers in theoretical research, who took turns teaching every day, and even the homework and tests were not missed.

Although Qian Shui knows very little about matters of the soul and spirit, strength in this area has nothing to do with how many books one has read. However, concentration, learning ability, and memory can be improved through training, and these are things that are clearly linked to spirit.

Having experienced modern systematic education, Qian Shui deeply understands this, and these things have become his valuable assets in the fantasy world, although he has forgotten most of them.

The second step is to occasionally develop one's own abilities, which means to use skills more efficiently.

To put it simply, it's all about fighting. Although there's no concept of "week" in Douluo Continent, Qian Shui would habitually go to the Silvers Grand Arena twice a week. In the early stages, he would let his friends fight on their own and fight against the teacher. On the last day, he would spend some time having a debriefing meeting where everyone would raise and solve problems.

Once everyone's physical strength catches up, they will all trek over a hundred kilometers together overnight to reach the royal city of Sylves to fight a team battle, but that's another story.

These simple days passed day after day. The only thing that bothered Qian Shui was that these people were just too obedient! Although this was good and saved Qian Shui a lot of trouble, everything has two sides.

Such obedience lacks the necessary spirit of questioning. After all, Qian Shui cannot guarantee that he is completely correct. Nothing in the world is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. That's okay; all that matters is to identify and solve the problems.

But it's easier said than done. Even Qian Shui herself might not be able to do it, let alone these teenagers who live under social Darwinism and only recognize the strong.

Fortunately, the forced debriefing meeting was somewhat useful, even though these guys weren't used to it at first; after all, it was part of military democracy.

Because no one argued with her, Qian Shui actually liked Yin Jin. At least this rich young master would complain, while the others' submissive attitude was really unlikable.