Douluo Continent: A Thousand Miles of Cultivation

Ning Fengzhi deduced almost the complete extent of the information revealed by Qian Shui and his group.

"Qinghe, do you know why I came to find you in person?"

Xue Qinghe shook his head slightly. Normally, such a message could be delivered by someone from below. Why would Ning Fengzhi need to make the trip himself?

“This information is outdated. If it were only that, it wouldn’t be enough to warrant such a large-scale mobilization. But news has come from Wuhun City.” Ning Fengzhi’s expression was solemn, and deep worry was evident on his face. “This person is probably the biggest variable in this competition, and he may very well deal a much harsher blow to your generation!”

"What exactly is causing you such concern?"

Ning Fengzhi sighed and said, "This boy named Qian Shui has won the highest honor of the Spirit Hall: the Purple Record Medal! The reason for this is that at the age of 14, with a spirit power of level 48, he defeated a high-level Spirit Saint!"

Xue Qinghe stood up abruptly, his expression shifting between light and dark.

Chapter 67 The End is Near

When it comes to Qian Shui's affairs, probably no one in the world cares more than Qian Renxue. The information she knows goes far beyond what Ning Fengzhi has found out about the obvious things.

She wasn't surprised that Qian Shui could defeat the Soul Saint, just as she herself could do it.

The hardships he has endured in his cultivation over the years are far beyond what outsiders can imagine. At the age of 14, so-called geniuses are just following the rules all day long. How can they compare to Qian Shui?

Seeing Xue Qinghe's incredulous gaze, Ning Fengzhi could only smile wryly. Such talent and strength were terrifying.

"Qinghe, although this is hard to accept, there are clues to it. However... sometimes the world is like this, there are always some exceptionally talented people who can defy common sense."

"Teacher, is there really no other way?"

Ning Fengzhi shook his head. This was all he could find out about Qian Shui, and after that message, the person disappeared again.

"Qinghe, I know what you're trying to do, but the Spirit Hall has many Title Douluos, which is beyond our comprehension. Moreover, this person wasn't even in the Spirit Hall's group that came to Heaven Dou City."

Including him, at least two other players are not on the team. And as a seeded team, the Spirit Hall team doesn't need to participate in the qualifiers, so there's only one possibility left.

"They've broken through to the Soul King realm?"

"That's right! Very likely!"

This casts another shadow over the Heavenly Dou Empire, which was originally a sure thing to win the championship.

However, not everyone knows this. The Spirit Hall team has always been formidable, and they have won almost every competition, which is common knowledge.

……

Meanwhile, Qian Shui and his group arrived at the Frozen Forest.

The far north is freezing cold, and the group of people wore pure white winter clothes, wrapped up tightly to protect themselves from the cold.

"There are many types of spirit beasts with different attributes, but not every type will necessarily have ice-type abilities. Your spirit is ice element itself, so the most suitable one should be a pure ice-attribute spirit skill."

Qian Shui adapted quite well, relying on the super long mana bar of the cultivation method to wrap himself up tightly with soul power.

Ling Yunzhi, on the other hand, was not afraid of the severe cold at all, since his martial soul was ice element.

The worst off was Feng Jingyi; the little girl was so cold she couldn't even speak.

Qian Shui, on the other hand, was explaining to them the spirit beasts of the far north, as well as her understanding of the attribute 'ice'.

"Kid, there's an Ice Jade Scorpion ahead, it looks like it's just over ten thousand years old."

Qian Shui stopped teaching, and his powerful perception extended out, confirming Ghost Douluo's words.

"We're really lucky. The Ice Jade Scorpion's attributes are just right. Uncle Ghost, it's best if this doesn't cause any big battle. The far north is not a safe place. Let's stay away as much as possible and absorb the soul ring at the edge of the Frozen Forest."

The Ice Jade Scorpion is not a species to be trifled with. If you go near the far north, you might end up fighting the young and getting attacked by the older ones, which could provoke the Ice Emperor and cause serious trouble.

So Qianshui led the group south back to the exit of the Frozen Forest.

Before long, Ghost Douluo arrived before everyone with a large scorpion that was entirely emerald green and covered in ice crystals.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Ling Yunzhi didn't waste any more words. After defeating the Ice Jade Scorpion, he began absorbing the soul ring.

Seeing that the situation was settled, Qian Shui wanted to slip away. "Uncle Gui, I'll go to Tian Dou City first and join the main force. When he wakes up, I'll take the two of them with me."

“Okay.” Ghost Douluo had no objections and even tossed the papal decree back to Qian Shui.

"Xiao Shui, are you leaving?" Feng Jingyi quickly stopped him.

"Yeah, judging by the time, the qualifiers have already started. I need to go check on our opponents." 'Check on them? Forget it, checking on Dugu Bo is the most important thing.'

Qian Shui found a perfectly reasonable excuse and then turned to leave.

"Wait!" Feng Jingyi stopped Qian Shui, then looked back at Ling Yunzhi. "Let me go with you..."

Girls are sensitive, especially when it comes to people they like. The closer they got to Tiandou City, the more Qian Shui talked. At this point, he probably didn't even realize that the aloof persona he had built up over the years was almost completely ruined.

Qian Shui didn't have any other thoughts; his mind was already far away. "That won't do, squad leader. Not only can I run fast by myself, but I can also avoid any danger. But with you..."

Looking at Qian Shui, whose goatee was covered in the marks of time, Feng Jingyi was indeed a little flustered. Even though he had almost ruined his appearance, it did not diminish the boy's excellence.

She brushed her wind-blown hair aside and said, "It's been so many years, I'm no longer your class monitor, yet you still call me that~"

"Uh... I'm used to it. How about I call you? Sister Feng?"

"Okay~"

Feng Jingyi stepped forward and straightened Qian Shui's clothes. Qian Shui didn't dodge, but he found it a bit strange, as he had always been a straight man since birth.

"Don't let my surname fool you; you are truly as free as the wind..."

"Freedom?" Qian Shui didn't think so. The Spirit Hall had at least kept him very tightly bound. Where did he get any freedom? He was not as free as he was back when he was alone in the Star Dou Great Forest, where he could be naked and no one cared.

"Yeah...look at you, not only are you strong, but you even dared to draw your sword in front of the Pope!"

Hearing Feng Jingyi's teasing, Qian Shui couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, after all, it was a dark history.

"No, please. We're all the same."

"It's different... At least I'm different. I don't even dare disobey my sect elders. I really want to be like you..." Feng Jingyi sighed, realizing that no one could be like Qian Shui, at least not her. "Freedom, it's something I can only dream of..."

If it were anyone else, Qian Shui would have just given a perfunctory answer, simply saying they were strong enough. But with this sword-wielding girl, he didn't want to be perfunctory; the word "freedom" could easily lead to trouble if not handled properly.

"Sister Feng, have you ever thought about what freedom really is?" Qian Shui also became serious. "Freedom is choice, it's doing what you want without overstepping the bounds."

"Freedom comes from choice, but often there are few choices, like the constraints of a sect. I think that's why you feel like everything is under your control."

Qian Shui probably understood Feng Jingyi, because that was how things were in the feudal era. Clan power was a huge mountain weighing on everyone, and those within it had no freedom whatsoever.

Arranged marriages sound appealing, but how do you know what kind of person you're marrying? Given the average quality of people in this era, finding someone with whom you can maintain a respectful relationship is probably a stroke of good luck.

"But the choice is always your own, isn't it? As long as you are determined in your heart and want to fight for it, what is the loss of your life? It's just death after all. Since the right to choose is in your own hands, you can naturally do whatever you want."

Listening to Qian Shui's words, Feng Jingyi felt as if she had opened up a new world. In the Douluo Continent, there was no spirit of resistance; sects, families, and loyalty were the main themes.

"Don't rush, I haven't finished yet. The key is not to overstep the bounds. Sister Feng, I think you not only haven't realized that you can compete, but more importantly, you're also bound by ties, right?"

What will happen to your family if you fight back? Their fate is intertwined with yours; how can you so easily choose freedom?

Therefore, you can't overstep the bounds. If you really want to transcend, everything is illusory before you have absolute strength. You can only fight to the maximum extent within the rules, not fight without any bottom line. That's reality.

But even with power, one cannot truly act arbitrarily; control is paramount. Unbridled pursuit of momentary pleasure will only invite greater disaster.

Establishing a government has its advantages. Back then, he spent a lot of effort recalling these things in order to tutor Qian Renxue, after all, Qian Shui also has its own main theme.

Feng Jingyi was indeed led astray; she had only picked a topic, but this person had actually started to talk at length.

But it does make sense. These are things she herself longed for, so she couldn't help but be moved and forget her original purpose.

The man who had been talking loudly patted the pensive Feng Jingyi and said, "Let's go."

Qian Shui made a dashing turn and the Imperial Envoy Wen Xin flew away.

Before Feng Jingyi could react, Qian Shui had already flown far away; she was incredibly fast.

She stared blankly in the direction Qian Shui had left, her hand on her chest lingering there for a long time, as if she had a premonition of something. After all, the boy seemed to have found his direction and ran towards the finish line without hesitation.

As darkness fell, Ling Yunzhi finally completed the absorption of the soul ring quickly.

"Feng girl, stop looking. Ling boy is almost finished absorbing the essence. Let's get ready to go."

Although Ghost Douluo didn't want to get involved in the child's affairs, he couldn't stand it anymore. He had watched the child grow up from the beginning and was one of the few people who knew the whole story. That's why he turned a blind eye and let the child act alone.

Qian Shui is a man of deep feelings and insightful character, though somewhat oblivious when it comes to matters of the heart. His childhood companionship may have prevented him from even realizing his own emotions. But an outsider's perspective is often clearer. Is it because Feng Jingyi's family background is lacking? Is she not pretty enough? Is her personality not good enough? None of these are true.

Ghost Douluo didn't know how Qian Shui guessed Qian Renxue's whereabouts, but based on his understanding of Qian Shui, going to Tian Dou to prepare for the competition? That was a joke.

Although Qian Shui has appeared meticulous over the years, he is essentially someone who doesn't want to go to school. Some things have made him realize that he must obey Bibi Dong's will, but they have never changed him, just like what he said to Feng Jingyi.

After all, the child made it clear from the beginning that he didn't want to participate in the competition, let alone be a team leader.

What drove him to do this was not his ambition to rise to power, nor his will to become a strongman, nor Bibi Dong's coercion, but for that person in Tian Dou City!

For her, he could draw his sword against the Pope; for her, he could force himself to work hard; for her, Qian Shui almost abandoned himself.

Therefore, Ghost Douluo understood that Feng Jingyi had no hope; she could never compare to the person who held an absolute position in Qian Shui's life.

What's even more cruel is that their talents are so great that generations of people can only look up to them. No matter how much better this girl is than ordinary soul masters, she can probably only look up to them in her entire life.

Given such a devastating disparity, how will she ever stand beside Qian Shui in the future? How will she face the aloof and detached Qian Renxue?!

Chapter 68 Looking Back Suddenly

The topic of freedom is too broad, and Qian Shui himself knows his own limitations. He can only explain what he knows to Feng Jingyi.

Many principles cannot become profound values ​​without blood and fire, pain and hatred, thought and debate, and the tempering of time.

Freedom is predicated on the right to choose. It is true that you need to fight to make choices, but the more crucial question is what to do after the fight.

Qian Shui is only good at building a government; he can't fight against fate and can only numb himself by constantly becoming stronger. Only in this way can he make things easier for the girls in Tian Dou City.

……

Having already entered the Foundation Establishment stage, Qian Shui's soul power is almost abundant. Although level 49 is a level, it cannot truly reflect Qian Shui's real strength.

If all applications of immortal cultivation techniques didn't require starting from scratch, he could have achieved far greater combat power simply by using some proper spells, but unfortunately, that's not feasible. Fortunately, he was able to fly on a sword by gathering soul power, which is quite impressive.

"Tsk..." Looking at Tiandou City from high above, although it was majestic, it did not exceed expectations. After all, the super cities in my previous life were much more spectacular.

He somersaulted and swooped down to the outside of the city, then followed the crowd into Tiandou City.

It's not that he doesn't want to show off in front of others, but that would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble, especially in social situations and social interactions. The price of showing off would be too high, so it's really unnecessary.

Upon entering the city, a medieval urban style immediately hits you. Fortunately, it's a fantasy world, unlike the bizarre and monstrous world of Earth's history.

He wasn't in a hurry; he unleashed his senses and headed towards the city's central bank.