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

boom!

The burly soldier stood up instantly and bowed deeply at a perfect 90-degree angle: "Your Highness, for the sake of the country, please select a Crown Princess as soon as possible!"

After saying this, the soldier simply turned around and left with orderly steps.

"Tang Shan, you're back. I thought you'd be gone for a few more days." Xue Qinghe forced a smile, his initial joy completely gone. He didn't know if it was the pressure from Emperor Xue Ye urging him to get married, or because he saw the three stunningly beautiful girls behind Tang Shan.

"Your Highness, thank you for waiting so patiently." Tang Shan responded and led the three into the mansion. Xue Qinghe gave the guards at the door a sharp look, full of warning, then closed the door again and walked to Tang Shan's side with a tray in her hand.

"Tangshan, who are they? Aren't you going to introduce them to me?" Xue Qinghe's tone was somewhat sarcastic.

Tang Shan didn't think much of it. After all, Xue Qinghe had just encountered some troubles, so it was normal for him to be in a bad mood. He smiled and asked, "Your Highness, shall we talk here? There are too many people at the entrance, so it might not be very convenient."

Xue Qinghe frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then led the four of them deeper into the Crown Prince's residence. They walked through the corridors, avoiding the servants, and headed towards Tang Shan's courtyard.

Following behind Tang Shan, Zhu Zhuyun held Zhu Zhuqing's small hand, her eyebrows slightly raised as she carefully examined the handsome and refined young man ahead. She then stole a glance at Tang Shan beside her, her cheeks flushing almost imperceptibly. She quickly made up her mind: In terms of appearance, he's far inferior to the teacher; his temperament is too gentle. Can he protect us? If only his identity could be given to the teacher, perhaps then I could…

Zhu Zhuyun abruptly interrupted her thoughts, her fingertips tightening slightly, her cheeks flushing slightly as she tried to prevent herself from going astray: Oh my god! What am I thinking! I've already been so disrespectful to my teacher by betting on both sides, how could I have such disrespectful thoughts towards her?

Before anyone knew it, Zhu Zhuyun's ear tips had turned a light pink, and Zhu Zhuqing, who was being led by her hand, looked at her sister's stunning face with a glint in her eyes.

The group arrived at Tangshan's courtyard, and Xue Qinghe placed the tray he was carrying directly on the stone table. Tangshan, Guyue, and Xue Qinghe sat down one after another, while Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing stood aside, waiting for Tangshan's instructions.

Filled with doubt, Xue Qinghe turned his questioning gaze toward Tang Shan.

"Zhu Yun, Zhu Qing, please sit down. There's no need to be so formal," Tang Shan said to the two women. After they sat down, he looked at Xue Qinghe and said, "These are Zhu Zhu Yun and Zhu Zhu Qing, formerly the princesses of the Star Luo Empire."

"Your Highness, we are your teacher's disciples. We may be in need of your help now." Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing stood up at the same time, bowed slightly, and then sat down again.

Xue Qinghe was stunned, her mind a complete mess, her thoughts swirling with Tang Shan's casual introduction: "They are the princesses of the Star Luo Empire."

After a long while, she finally came to her senses and recalled the Zhu sisters' self-introduction. She fell into self-doubt again and looked at Tang Shan: "What did they call you just now? I think I heard 'teacher'?"

Tang Shan said helplessly, "I taught them cultivation, so they always called me teacher. Before, I asked them to change their way of addressing me and call me by my name, but they refused to accept it, so I had no choice but to let them be."

"One should treat one's teacher with due respect. I hope Your Highness will not take offense," Zhu Zhuyun explained with a smile, sitting to the side.

So they're master and disciple. I thought... Xue Qinghe secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the girl beside Tang Shan who gave him a strong sense of crisis, and asked without showing any emotion, "And who is this?"

"I am Gu Yue." The voice was soft, melodious and ethereal, yet it struck Xue Qinghe like a thunderbolt, instantly stunning him into a daze.

"You are Gu Yue? How is that possible? It's only been a short time since we last met, how could you have changed so much?" Xue Qinghe's exclamation changed tone, her voice became somewhat high-pitched, but she was completely unaware of it, only staring at the silver-haired girl in front of her with disbelief.

Not only was Xue Qinghe surprised, but Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing, who had first witnessed such a change, also wondered if they were seeing things. How could a person change so drastically in just one night?

If it weren't for Gu Yue's exceptionally special soul skills, which she displayed multiple times in subsequent battles, the two women would probably have thought that the person in front of them was another unfamiliar girl.

In Xue Qinghe's study, the Golden Crocodile Douluo suddenly sat up from his recliner. His sharp gaze pierced through the layers of barriers as he stared incredulously at the silver-haired girl beside Tang Shan, falling into deep self-doubt: Is she Gu Yue? Was her previous appearance a disguise? Impossible, I didn't even notice before, how could it be a disguise?

But Tang Shan wouldn't lie, and lying about this wouldn't make much sense anyway, since Gu Yue's talent was undeniable and would be easily proven. In other words, this girl really was Gu Yue—it was simply unbelievable.

After seeing through Tang Shan's identity, Golden Crocodile Douluo thought that this kid would no longer surprise him, but the facts before him still slapped him in the face.

What surprised him wasn't Gu Yue's stunning beauty, but rather her seamless concealment techniques, which even he, a Limit Douluo, hadn't been able to see through.

Chapter 358 With the Glorious Gu Yue

Golden Crocodile Douluo originally wanted to see what kind of sparks would fly between these people, but the final result was far beyond his expectations.

It was one thing for the twin sisters to be the princesses of the Star Luo Empire, but what was even more outrageous was that they had become Tang Shan's disciples. When Gu Yue, who was originally unremarkable, met him again, she seemed to be a completely different person. Her appearance and temperament made Golden Crocodile Douluo have to admit that even Qian Renxue was slightly inferior to her.

While Golden Crocodile Douluo's thoughts were merely somewhat confused, Xue Qinghe was completely dumbfounded.

"Are you really Gu Yue?" Xue Qinghe was still suspicious, mainly because the other party had changed too much. Of course, the most important reason was that the other party had brought her an unprecedented sense of crisis.

"Let me give you a general overview from beginning to end." Seeing that the huge amount of information had overwhelmed the angel lady, Tang Shan decided to recount his experiences over the past year or so for her mental well-being.

"Where should we begin? Let's start with the story of our chance encounter with my older brother..."

……

Notting City, Notting College

A dilapidated carriage was parked at the door, and a disheveled old man wearing faded clothes boarded the carriage.

Tang San and Yu Tianheng followed closely behind and also got into the carriage.

The coachman raised his whip and lashed it down sharply, the air crackling as the wheels rolled and slowly moved forward.

Inside the car, Tang San, Yu Tianheng, and Yu Xiaogang sat facing each other, the atmosphere somewhat eerie.

After a long while, Yu Xiaogang opened his slightly closed eyes and said weakly, "Xiao San, Tian Heng, do you still remember what our goal is this time?"

A shadow crossed Tang San's eyes. Yu Tianheng remained expressionless, his voice cold: "Remember, it's a vicious widow. Try to find someone whose age is close to 764."

Yu Xiaogang was very satisfied with Yu Tianheng's answer and nodded slightly: "As I mentioned in the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls, the maximum lifespan for absorbing the second soul ring is 764 years, of which..."

Seemingly having gained approval, Yu Xiao began to speak enthusiastically in front of Tang San and Yu Tianheng. The more he spoke, the brighter his eyes became, and the rosier his complexion grew. His previous listless state had completely disappeared, and he even seemed somewhat excited.

Tang San painfully closed his eyes, trying to banish the noisy voice, but the other party was like a piece of chewing gum, impossible to shake off.

"Little San, do you know why I made you choose the Spider Soul Beast, the Vicious Widow?" Yu Xiaogang paused, looking at Tang San with a questioning tone.

Although Tang San already had the answer in his heart, not wanting to rush down this wrong path, he casually replied, "I don't know."

Yu Xiaogang frowned, displeased with Tang San's careless attitude, and couldn't help but lecture him: "Xiao San, what were you doing while I was teaching? Were you sleeping? You can't even understand such a simple theory. What kind of Soul Master will you become in the future?"

Tang San really wanted to say that understanding theory and becoming a Soul Master had little to do with each other; what really mattered was whether one had the aptitude. However, remembering Yu Xiaogang's personality, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Little San, remember, don't limit yourself with your own thinking. Be brave enough to accept new things and new ideas. For example, my Martial Soul's Ten Core Competencies include one..."

Yu Xiaogang noticed Tang San's subtle resistance, but unusually, he didn't get angry. Instead, he softened his tone and began to lecture Tang San. After he felt he had said enough, he changed the subject to Tang San's goal of hunting for spirit rings.

"The Vicious Widow is a rare soul beast that excels in both control and offensive power. It controls enemies with its spider silk and kills them with its deadly poison. If you absorb its soul ring, it will bring about a tremendous transformation to your martial soul. At that time, your Blue Silver Grass will not only be tough but also carry deadly poison, making it perfect."

Yu Xiaogang's tone was full of confidence, his eyes were bright, and he was in high spirits.

Tang San nodded symbolically in agreement, but in his heart he was calculating how to break free from Yu Xiaogang's restrictions and absorb a plant-type soul ring. Yu Tianheng glanced at Yu Xiaogang out of the corner of his eye, looking very indifferent. He felt that his uncle had already hindered his revenge, and it was time to let him rest for a while. As for how to cultivate in the future, Yu Tianheng believed that he should be fine on his own. At least, it was better than listening to his uncle, whose theories were even contradictory, give lectures.

……

"So, you fought a battle with the Star Luo Soul Douluo outside Star Luo City, and then you ran into the two of them?" Xue Qinghe asked, her lips twitching slightly as she listened to Tang Shan's account.

Tang Shan nodded: "That's exactly right."

"Don't you think this is too much of a coincidence? They are princesses, how could they escape from Xingluo City so easily?" Xue Qinghe was still somewhat doubtful.

"Actually, it's not a coincidence. Most of the powerful people in Xingluo City were drawn out by me and searched for my whereabouts. The city's defenses were naturally relaxed, so it's not surprising that they were able to escape. If you have to say it's a coincidence, it's just that the direction they fled in partially overlapped with my battlefield."

Tang Shan had already thoroughly understood the ins and outs of that day. It was indeed a coincidence, and it should be a pure coincidence. There was no special force manipulating things behind the scenes. After all, he wasn't his older brother. He had already been arranged to be either on the run or on his way to escape. His luck was simply unparalleled.

He understood Xue Qinghe's suspicions—that the Zhu sisters might be spies sent by the Star Luo Empire—which was only natural.

Tang Shan was certain they weren't spies. Putting aside the immense cost of using the princess as bait, and Tang Shan's profound understanding of the two sisters based on his knowledge of the original story, his terrifying mental fortitude alone was enough to guarantee that no bad person could disguise themselves as a good person and escape detection.

"Alright, I trust your judgment." Xue Qinghe took a deep breath, turned his gaze to his "great enemy" Gu Yue beside him, and his expression was extremely complicated. "I really didn't expect that you disguised yourself so well before, without revealing the slightest flaw. It's really surprising."

Gu Yue smiled and replied calmly, "It's nothing. Anyone can disguise themselves. The main thing is how skilled they are. I only disguised my appearance, which is nothing."

Xue Qinghe's eyes twitched almost imperceptibly. She felt that Gu Yue's words were implied, but she had no evidence. She was using divine equipment to disguise herself, so how could an ordinary soul master see through her?

Tang Shan's heart skipped a beat. He also felt that Gu Yue seemed to be implying something else. Recalling her original true strength, perhaps she really saw through Xue Qinghe's disguise.

"Tangshan, are you going out again this time you're back?" Xue Qinghe deliberately avoided Gu Yue's sharp words and forcibly changed the subject, asking Tangshan.

Tang Shan nodded slightly: "I still need to go out. After all, I haven't fully explored the continent. The main reason I came back this time is to hunt for spirit rings and break through to the Soul King level."

"You're level 50!" Xue Qinghe's eyes widened in disbelief. She was at level 20 with innate full soul power, a talent that was considered top-notch. She was also three years older than Tang Shan, and she was only at level 55. Now she was being told that Tang Shan was already level 50. How could she not be surprised?

Tang Shan was naturally unaware of Xue Qinghe's cultivation progress. Faced with the other party's astonishment, he asked with some doubt, "Yes, the improvement speed is about the same as before, right?"

Xue Qinghe opened his mouth, unsure how to answer. He couldn't very well say that Xue Qinghe's level was almost catching up with his, could he? If he did, it would be tantamount to directly revealing his identity.

Finally, while feeling helpless, she forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. It's just that we haven't even started searching for the soul beasts yet. We were caught off guard by the news."

Tang Shan had also considered this question and said to Xue Qinghe, "Your Highness, how about that twin Cyclops? It has both strength and spirit attributes, and a lifespan of 80,000 years, which is just right."

Xue Qinghe frowned: "The 80,000-year-old twin cyclopes, are you talking about the one we found by chance before? Isn't that too old? And it's just a top-level soul beast. Should we send someone to search the Star Dou Great Forest again to see if there's a more suitable one?"

Tang Shan's lips twitched, and he glanced at the stunning silver-haired girl beside him. He shook his head slightly and said, "It was already pure luck that we were able to obtain the Golden Behemoth and the Golden Lion Mastiff, two legendary soul beasts. Even if there are still legendary soul beasts surviving on the entire continent, they are unlikely to be of the strength attribute. There is no need to covet their ranks."

As for super-attribute power soul beasts, it doesn't seem necessary. The main thing to look at is the power of the soul beast's soul skills, not its inherent rank.

Facing Xue Qinghe's somewhat surprised gaze, Tang Shan smiled slightly: "Powerful soul skills are the foundation of my ability to challenge opponents of higher levels. I have a way to select the type of soul skill when absorbing soul rings. Zhu Yun, didn't you want to know how I obtained these powerful soul skills before? I'll tell you now."

Xue Qinghe understood Tang Shan's meaning, and his pupils widened instantly: "You mean you have a method to actively select soul skills, and now you plan to make it public? Is this also a research result of the master? I see."

Without a sound, Golden Crocodile Douluo appeared in Tangshan's courtyard, his eyes shooting out two beams of golden light: "Boy, are you telling the truth?"

"Grandpa Golden Crocodile, it's true, but there's also a bit of luck involved."

Upon seeing the Golden Crocodile Douluo suddenly appear, Tang Shan quickly gave a slight bow before explaining.

At this moment, everyone's attention in the courtyard was focused on Tang Shan, waiting for him to reveal the theory that would inevitably affect the landscape of Soul Masters, except for Gu Yue, because she was the only one who knew the complete method by which Tang Shan acquired Soul Skills.

The silver-haired girl turned to look at the young man before her. Seeing him being the center of attention, a sense of pride and satisfaction welled up within her. This was the human that she, the Silver Dragon King, had chosen.

Chapter 359 Ancient Soul Masters

"Let me clarify first that the method derived from this theory cannot select soul skills, it can only select the type of soul skill."

Before revealing the method, Tang Shan added a caveat: he rarely used consciousness interference with soul skills. Later on, he directly entered the soul skill space with his consciousness to select them. The reason he could prove the theory was correct was because his first soul skill and Su Yuntao's first and second soul skills were obtained in this way, and they achieved the expected results.

Xue Qinghe, the Zhu sisters, and Golden Crocodile Douluo all nodded in agreement. Thinking about it, it made sense. Soul skill acquisition was random, and being able to choose the type of soul skill was already incredibly powerful. Directly choosing a soul skill and its effects was simply unrealistic.

"Actually, this method is not secret at all. In fact, many Soul Masters have been using it for a long time, but they just didn't realize it." Tang Shan's opening statement aroused everyone's curiosity.

"You mean, this theory wasn't discovered by you, but existed all along?" Xue Qinghe asked softly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"It's hard to say whether I was the first to discover it, but it has certainly existed for a long time and is frequently used," Tang Shan replied calmly.

Zhu Zhuyun grew increasingly curious, her beautiful eyes filled with anticipation. She couldn't help but urge, "Teacher, what exactly is that theory? Please stop keeping us in suspense."

Tang Shan didn't keep him in suspense any longer. With a slight smile, he gave the answer directly: "Choosing the type of soul ring and soul skill is actually very simple. When absorbing a soul ring, recall the type of soul skill you want, and firmly believe in this idea, and try to purify this consciousness as much as possible."

After he finished speaking, the courtyard fell into a brief silence. The four of them stared wide-eyed at Tang Shan. Seeing that he didn't intend to say anything more, Zhu Zhuyun asked hesitantly, "Teacher, is that all?"

Tangshan shrugged and answered with absolute certainty, "That's all. That's the method."

Could this method be fake? The thought arose uncontrollably in the minds of the four of them at the same time, but was then dismissed the next moment. Tang Shan had no reason to tease them like this. In other words, the method that sounded so absurd could indeed be used to select the type of soul skill.

"Does this method require a certain level of mental strength, or do you need to visualize some special pattern?" Golden Crocodile Douluo frowned slightly and couldn't help but ask. In his opinion, if it were really that simple, it was impossible for no one in the entire Douluo Continent to have discovered it for so many years. Surely not all Soul Masters were missing a screw in their heads, right?

"Mental strength may be useful, or it may not be. I don't know. After all, to draw accurate conclusions, we need the cooperation of a large number of Soul Masters."

However, I can assure you that the initial intervention requires no mental strength, nor does it require imagining anything else; you only need to be certain about the type of soul skill you want.” Tang Shan’s voice was firm as he glanced at the four people who were caught in self-doubt, and gave an example, “This method has been used by soul masters for a long time, and you certainly know that it’s the Star Luo Dai family.”

Tangshan has already given us this much advice; if anyone present still can't grasp it, then they really have something wrong with their brains.