Douluo Continent: From Internal Martial Arts to the Law of Heaven and Earth

With a cooldown period for his second soul skill, Xu Siyue was unable to teleport again. He could only forcefully fold his hands in front of his chest, the dark water swirling rapidly in his palms, forming a small vortex in an attempt to neutralize the immense power of Tang Shan's attack.

Crash! Bang!

The pitch-black vortex, as dark as an abyss, was as fragile as paper under Tang Shan's palm strike, offering no relief whatsoever.

Tang Shan's palm finally slammed heavily onto the black armor.

An immense force was poured in without reservation. This force did not burst outwards, but rather crushed inwards. It did not push Xu Siyue back even half a step, but instead forced him to stand firmly in place, without even the slightest room to move.

Click-clack!

A sharp, teeth-grinding crack suddenly rang out, and irregular protrusions on the tortoise shell beneath the fist trembled violently. Tang Shan clearly noticed that a fine crack had appeared on the tortoise shell beneath his fist, and this crack spread rapidly throughout his body like a spider web.

Under Tang Shan's watchful gaze, the jet-black armor shattered with a crash, transforming into streaks of dark light that coalesced behind Xu Siyue, forming a massive tortoise shell. However, compared to its previous deep luster, the shell's color was now noticeably duller.

A trickle of blood slowly flowed from the corner of Xu Siyue's mouth, but he remained calm and said indifferently, "I lost."

[P.S.: One chapter finished. Three chapters today, time to rest and organize the plot. Extra chapter tomorrow.]

Chapter 146 Tangshan's Declaration, the Cultivation of Body Soul Masters

The surroundings fell silent at some point. Xu Siyue's clear words, "I lost," reached the ears of the students below the stage. The voice was not loud, but it was like a thunderclap.

They lost. The strongest student from the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy lost to a freshman.

A Soul Master lost to a Second Ring Great Soul Master.

This result was both so unexpected and so perfectly logical.

Surprisingly, from a rational perspective, a Soul Master should never lose to a Great Soul Master, even if the opponent possesses the first and second thousand-year soul rings. After all, Xu Siyue also has two thousand-year soul rings, and the difference in soul power levels is like an insurmountable chasm. Furthermore, her martial soul is the Xuanming Turtle, a top-tier martial soul. She shouldn't lose under any circumstances.

Naturally, the entire battle was a head-on collision. Apart from the initial even match between the two, Tang Shan's relentless attacks were extremely oppressive. Even those who didn't experience it firsthand couldn't help but feel fear because of the continuous attacks. It was a crushing force of momentum and a powerlessness in terms of combat skills.

Despite being called a Soul Master, he was at a disadvantage throughout the entire process, except at the very beginning, and was in a passive defensive state. His defeat seemed so inevitable.

Wow!

After a brief silence came an overwhelming uproar and discussion. Compared to the shock of the battle, more students were focused on other aspects.

"What is Tang Shan's second soul skill? How can his body grow so big?"

"I don't know, but it's definitely a divine skill. Just think, if a beast spirit attack type soul master activates this soul skill, his body will expand and his strength will suddenly increase. Wouldn't that be able to directly crush his opponent?"

"And another thing, his first soul skill is also outrageous. Everyone knows how troublesome the Xuanming Vortex derived from Xu Siyue's Xuanming Power is. Back when Xu Siyue broke through to level 30, he successfully used this soul skill to restrict the strongest person in our school at that time. If it weren't for his insufficient soul power, he probably could have become the strongest person among our students back then."

"Even the senior with the Vajra White Tiger martial soul could be restrained, yet he couldn't restrain Tang Shan. It's outrageous."

"I only have one question now: are the differences between people really that great? Tang Shan is only a Great Soul Master, yet he defeated a Soul Grandmaster. Is that reasonable?"

……

Seeing Xu Siyue's voluntary surrender, Tang Shan didn't say much. He walked to the center of the arena, his gaze sweeping over the students below. An invisible aura emanated from him, subconsciously quieting the students down.

Tang Shan's spirit rings suddenly contracted, and his swollen body visibly shrank back inch by inch, his bones emitting soft crackling sounds. In just a few breaths, he returned to his original slender appearance. He reached into his spirit tool and took out a brand-new school uniform, slowly and carefully putting it on. His fingertips gently smoothed the wrinkles at the hem, and then, with a slight upturn of his lips, he spoke clearly and brightly: "I am Tang Shan, a freshman, and I am very happy to join the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

This seemed like a greeting, but it also seemed like a declaration: I am a freshman, but I have already defeated all the students of the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy.

At this moment, the handsome young man bathed in the sunlight stood in stark contrast to the burly giant who had just shattered the gale and crushed the Soul Sect. The students stared in disbelief, unable to reconcile the two figures. After a long while, a chill crept up their spines and spread throughout their bodies. Only one thought remained in everyone's mind: "A true monster has arrived."

……

The two walked side by side on the wide school road.

Ning Guang glanced at Tang Shan beside him, his expression somewhat complicated.

Tangshan looked back curiously: "Is there a problem?"

He couldn't help but look Tang Shan, whose appearance had changed drastically, over once more: "How did you do that?"

"This should be considered a special ability that comes with a special cultivation method."

Tang Shan touched his face, and with subtle alterations to his flesh and bones, his features were restored to their true appearance.

After defeating Xu Siyue, Tang Shan still underestimated the impact. If it weren't for his keen senses, who knows how many "poisonous hands" he would have suffered after leaving the ring. Fortunately, his internal martial arts have now reached the level of Huajin, and changing his appearance by slightly adjusting the arrangement of his flesh and bones is as simple as eating and drinking.

Therefore, he simply plunged into the crowd and took advantage of the brief commotion to successfully escape the sight of the trainees.

He still remembered the agreement he had made with Ning Guang. He first went to Qin Ming to report, and Qin Ming directly counted that he had passed the practical course and told him that the three education committee members said he could arrange his practical courses freely in the future.

Only then did Tang Shan realize that his actions had attracted the attention of three education committee members. Tang Shan wholeheartedly agreed that he would no longer have to attend practical training classes. After all, the strongest students had already been defeated, so there was nothing to challenge in practical training classes. They couldn't very well challenge the teachers, could they?

If someone challenges and defeats all the top-level teachers, does that mean the school's teachers are too useless?

If Tang Shan were to challenge a Heavenly Sovereign-level teacher, he would have to use his external soul bone and soul skills, which could cause considerable trouble if discovered by others.

Moreover, it's not so outrageous to fight a Soul Master who is a level above you, but challenging a Soul King is just too abnormal.

Getting back to the main point, having confirmed that he had passed the practical training, Tang Shan didn't linger. He found Ning Guang in the crowd, pulled him away from the girl who had been causing trouble for Yu Tianheng, and prepared to find a place to have a proper talk about the Body Sect.

"That's fine."

Ning Guang found a stone table with a long stone bench on each side, and the two sat facing each other.

"I knew you were strong, but your strength still exceeded my expectations and shattered my understanding of prodigies."

Ning Guang sighed deeply, unable to contain his emotions.

"It's mainly because I was lucky; the soul skill I obtained was pretty good."

Tang Shan laughed it off, trying to fool people by explaining his own strength.

"That's true. Soul skills are obtained randomly. To be able to obtain such an extraordinary soul skill can only be described as having great luck."

Ning Guang believed Tang Shan's explanation. After all, the soul skills that everyone can obtain by absorbing a soul ring are random. He couldn't very well tell Tang Shan that he chose his own soul skills, which was obviously impossible. Why not mention that their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could be developed as a defensive martial soul?

"Alright, I want to have a thorough understanding of the original martial soul."

After expressing his feelings, Ning Guang quickly steered the conversation back to the main point of their discussion.

Tang Shan's expression also became more serious.

"First of all, I can make it clear that the original martial soul is indeed worth cultivating, and this kind of martial soul even has some mysteries that you have not yet discovered."

Ning Guang's eyes narrowed: "What do you mean by that?"

Tang Shan didn't speak, but instead mobilized the qi and blood in his body to prepare to operate to the limit.

slam-la-

A clear sound of blood flowing suddenly rang out from Tang Shan's body, as if a rushing river was roaring within him, and waves of scalding heat surged and spread outwards from him.

How terrifying is the blood and qi!

Ning Guang's expression changed slightly. He knew that Tang Shan had strong blood and qi, but he did not expect that the other party's blood and qi were so exaggerated.

However, this was not the end; a faint drumbeat began, then gradually grew brighter.

thump! thump!

This was no drumbeat; it was the powerful heartbeat of Tangshan. At first, it was as light as a drumbeat, but in an instant, it was as loud as a thunderclap. With each beat, the surrounding air trembled slightly, and even Ning Guang's eardrums were buzzing.

The addition of the heart seemed to give the already strained blood and qi a core, causing its circulation to accelerate dramatically. The increasingly terrifying heat waves rolled and steamed, making Ning Guang feel as if he were in a scorching furnace, with all his pores open and his clothes being heated to a warm temperature.

Just as his qi and blood were pushed to their limit, a few specks of silvery-white light appeared on Tang Shan's body, emanating a terrifying aura, as if something extremely terrifying was about to awaken from within.

What is this silvery-white light?

Ning Guang couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice.

"This is the special secret I was talking about. The specific effects are still unclear, but we can guess that it can either increase one's cultivation talent or greatly increase one's strength. I'm tentatively calling this special state 'Second Awakening'."

"A second awakening?"

Ning Guang murmured something and looked at Tang Shan: "When will you be able to awaken for the second time?"

"I can awaken now if I want to, but I sense that my awakening might not be complete right now, so I've decided to let nature take its course. I'll definitely be able to awaken within three years at most."

"Can every Soul Master with a true Martial Soul achieve what you have?"

Ning Guang tapped his fingers unconsciously on the table, clearly indicating that he was quite agitated.

"That's how it is in theory."

Tang Shan's lips curled up into a smile; the fish was clearly about to take the bait.

"What do you mean?"

Ning Guang looked at Tang Shan with some doubt.

"All physical martial souls possess this potential, though the difference lies in the amount. Of course, even the smallest amount must exist."

However, this potential doesn't appear naturally as strength increases; it must be developed through special methods, which is the true foundation of a powerful Martial Soul.

Ning Guang: "So you're saying that you're the only one who knows this development method right now?"

Tang Shan: "That's right. You can collect spirit masters with their original martial souls and give them to me. I'll help you train them."

Ning Guang hesitated for a moment, then looked at Tang Shan: "I need to go back and discuss this with my father. Besides, it's impossible for us to find a Soul Master for free. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School won't get any benefits."

"That's no problem at all. And you may have misunderstood something. My main purpose is to help you train, not to bring you under my command. I have no intention of establishing a power right now. I suggest you start collecting now. After all, your sect is large and powerful, so simply collecting some shouldn't be a waste of many resources. After my martial soul awakens for the second time in a few years, you can then consider whether to increase your investment."

P.S.: I wonder if any readers felt that the author's or the protagonist's style was too inconsistent. Let me briefly explain: the protagonist, Tang Shan's, style is very clear: he's all about being cautious and understated. For example, when he releases theories as a master—things that would attract attention across the mainland—he'll use an alias to stay out of it. But when it comes to showcasing his talent or displaying an extraordinary level of strength, I'm just looking for some thrills. Okay, that's all the free words I can give you.

Chapter 147 Tangshan's Idle Chess, the Mysterious Faceless Serpent

Tang Shan watched Ning Guang leave into the distance, lost in thought.

Asking the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to help collect Body Soul Masters was just a side hustle. Whether they were there or not, as he said, he didn't care whether the Body Soul Masters he trained were his subordinates or not. Perhaps sending Body Soul Masters into various forces would be more in his interest.

He didn't want people with physical body spirit masters; instead, he wanted the entire continent to know that every person with a physical body spirit was a potential Soul Douluo or even a Title Douluo. In this way, he, as the creator of physical body spirits in a certain sense, would surely become famous throughout the continent.

In this way, it is unknown whether faith can be consolidated, and it can also be used to pave the way for future godhood.

Of course, the reason it's considered a "secondary move" is that Tangshan already has better alternatives.

In this timeline, unless he is inexplicably "divinely granted justice," with his help and manipulation, that angelic lady bathed in holy light will surely be able to firmly sit on the final throne.

When the time comes, let her issue a decree in the Heaven Dou Empire. That would be much more lucrative than me painstakingly cultivating my own Soul Master to gain fame.

After all, with his "meritorious service in supporting the dragon," getting the angel lady to give him face would be a piece of cake.

Besides, Miss Angel's martial soul is related to the gods, so isn't she the perfect research subject?

As for whether the angel lady would be willing then, Tang Shan stroked his chin and thought, "Never mind, we'll see when the time comes."

Tang Shan may have underestimated the impact of his defeat of Xu Siyue. At this moment, he has become famous in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. For a long time, the students have been discussing in private the freshman who defeated the Soul Master Xu Siyue with great strength as a Great Soul Master.

Less than a month after enrolling, Tang Shan's name had already spread throughout the entire Heaven Dou Royal Academy.