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

The sea of ​​clouds surges on the horizon, weaving magnificent patterns across the sky.

The sun slowly emerged from the sea of ​​clouds, its golden light piercing through the clouds and pouring down, illuminating the entire Douluo Continent.

A soft halo of light fell upon him, bringing a wave of warmth, and his consciousness gradually returned like a tide. Tang Shan awoke from a deep sleep, and before he even opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was something soft beneath him.

That was the unique feel of the Blue Silver Grass; it seemed to have a life of its own, actively supporting his body. Each blade of grass swayed gently in the breeze, offsetting the hardness of the ground.

Even though he lay on the ground all night, it did not cause him any discomfort.

With a slight effort, he propped himself up, and his mental and physical state had already returned to its peak.

After gazing at the red sun for a moment, Tang Shan stood up, casually brushed off the grass roots stuck to his clothes, and turned to go into his room to wash up.

While washing up, he looked at himself in the bronze mirror and kept thinking about a question: Why not stay in a perfectly good room and instead use the sky as a blanket and the ground as a bed?

After washing up, Tangshan did not begin his morning exercise. Compared to his previous training, it is best to have a continuous flow of Qi and blood generated in his body before practicing the Resonance Method, so Tangshan decided to temporarily cancel his morning exercise and instead practice after eating.

Bang bang bang!

A gentle knock sounded on the door, clearly indicating that Xue Qinghe hadn't forgotten his daily morning exercise routine.

Upon opening the door, Xue Qinghe, dressed in a loose-fitting robe, stood calmly at the entrance with a gentle smile on his face.

"Your Highness, please come in."

Tangshan took the initiative to make room for the other party and welcomed them in.

"In Tangshan, I know an older master who might also like to learn internal martial arts. I wonder if that's possible?"

Xue Qinghe did not rush to start cultivating, but decided to resolve the matter of Golden Crocodile Douluo first.

"No problem. Has that senior arrived? Why don't we just have him come and cultivate together?"

Tang Shan didn't think much of it and answered casually. In his view, it was just an internal martial art; as long as someone was willing to learn, he was willing to teach, and there was nothing to hide.

Xue Qinghe's smile grew even brighter. As she expected, Tang Shan agreed very readily. However, to avoid being abrupt, and considering that Tang Shan still needed to try absorbing the soul bone, she delayed for a while.

"That senior might not arrive so soon; it will take some time. The main reason is to seek your opinion first."

"Your Highness, as long as it doesn't spread on a large scale, just let me know when you hand it over to your trusted confidants."

Tang Shan has gradually come to understand that unless one is exceptionally gifted in internal martial arts training, the difference between a Soul Master training internal martial arts and an ordinary person training them is not particularly significant.

Ultimately, no matter how abundant your Qi and blood are, you're merely skipping the accumulation stage. In the development of Ming Jin, An Jin, Hua Jin, and even later levels, Qi and blood are just byproducts. The essence of internal martial arts is mastering the human body and mastering internal force; if you can't, you simply can't.

To achieve something in a short period of time, you would need to possess an effect similar to Tangshan's number one soul skill, "Self-Control," to make rapid progress.

But what are the odds? What are the odds of someone with a similar soul skill being able to learn internal martial arts?

"Your Highness, please begin. Now that I have reached the Transformation Realm, I will probably stop morning exercises and start cultivating after meals when my Qi and blood have accumulated. However, Your Highness can still come as usual in the morning, and your guidance will also help me organize my cultivation."

Xue Qinghe, who had initially thought he would no longer exercise in the mornings in Tangshan, was delighted by the other person's subsequent words: "If it doesn't bother you, then I'll leave it to you from now on."

"It's no trouble at all. After all, I've received so many resources from His Highness, this little bit of effort is nothing."

Next, Tangshan began to guide Xue Qinghe's cultivation.

"The legs are rooted to the ground, or rather, sunk into the ground, so that the power can be transmitted down, not just stay in the soles of the feet."

“Drawing a sword is not simply a matter of using your arm strength; you need to use your waist and even your whole body. Your Highness, you were standing in the correct basic posture before. Now, if you want to train faster, you need to make all the muscles in your body work together and adjust to the stance that is most suitable for you.”

"The whole body should be relaxed, while the sword in hand should be solid. The so-called relaxation is not about being loose, but about allowing the power to flow and converge on the sword as much as possible; the so-called solidity is about allowing all the power to converge on the sword, with the body as the illusion and the sword as the reality."

Time passed quickly, and half an hour went by in the blink of an eye.

"Alright, that's enough for today's training."

As Tang Shan's voice faded, Xue Qinghe, who had maintained his sword-drawing posture, did not immediately relax. Instead, he slowly placed his hands at his sides, took a long, deep breath, and then slowly began to move his body.

For some time, Xue Qinghe learned a lot from Tang Shan. After standing in the stance, one should slowly adjust one's state and try to calm down the active Qi and blood, rather than suddenly relaxing or sitting down on the spot.

This will not only cause minor damage to the body, but also greatly deplete the hard-earned results of one's spiritual practice.

Bang bang bang!

The knocking sounded again: "Breakfast is here."

Xue Qinghe stepped forward and opened the door. A row of graceful maids outside bowed and greeted him, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Alright, you can leave now after you've put the breakfast on the table."

"As ordered, Your Highness."

The well-trained maids answered in unison once again.

Tang Shan leaned against the table, his eyes casually scanning the plates of fragrant and expensive breakfast dishes that had been opened. Each one was both nutritious and delicious, and he couldn't help but feel grateful once again that he had latched onto a powerful backer; otherwise, he wouldn't have the energy and blood to replenish his cultivation of the Resonance Technique.

As Tang Shan watched the maids leave, his gaze inadvertently caught a glimpse of the last maid's subtle movements.

Just as she turned to close the door, her fingers subtly scratched Xue Qinghe's palm, her eyes carrying a hint of ambiguity and teasing that only a woman could understand.

Xue Qinghe froze, standing rooted to the spot, his face displaying a complex mix of emotions, clearly bewildered by this sudden turn of events.

Seeing this, Tang Shan's lips twitched slightly. He suppressed a laugh, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then slowly said, "Your Highness's reputation for being 'approachable' seems to have deeply penetrated the hearts of your maids. Even your personal maids dare to joke with you like this. Your charm is truly enviable."

Xue Qinghe wore a kind smile, but her eyes swept over him coldly: "Tang Shan, you seem quite pleased to see me make a fool of myself?"

“Of course,” Tang Shan put down his teacup and teased earnestly, “After all, it’s not a daily occurrence to see His Highness the Crown Prince being ‘taken advantage of.’ I’m happy for His Highness because it shows that you are approachable and well-liked.”

Seeing Xue Qinghe's face darken visibly, Tang Shan decisively picked up his chopsticks and chuckled, "Just kidding, Your Highness, don't take it seriously. Breakfast won't taste good if it gets cold, I'll start eating first."

After saying that, he decisively ignored Xue Qinghe's murderous gaze, wielded his chopsticks with lightning speed, and began to feast.

He chewed and digested the food, which was very nourishing for his blood and qi, very quickly.

The meat of centuries-old or millennia-old spirit beasts, along with various kinds of ginseng, lingzhi, and he shou wu—these highly nutritious substances that are deadly poisons to ordinary people—have become the best fuel for Tangshan.

As the food entered his stomach, a powerful and pure heat surged forth. That heat flowed through his meridians like a dragon, rushing wildly to his limbs and bones. Wherever it passed, the previously calm blood and qi were instantly ignited, emitting a rumbling roar.

His skin had a faint red glow, and his pores were open.

……

The plates were cleared away, and Xue Qinghe took a small cloth bag from his bosom and placed it on the table.

"Your Highness, what is this...?"

Having shaken off her embarrassment and annoyance, Xue Qinghe didn't give Tang Shan a pleasant look, only rolling her eyes: "The external soul bone you wanted."

Tang Shan was genuinely astonished that he ignored how jarring it was for a "man" to roll his eyes.

No, you really got it? I was just saying it offhand.

Even though he had a vague premonition when Xue Qinghe said he was going to give him a surprise yesterday, Tang Shan still couldn't believe it when the external soul bone was actually placed in front of him.

This is an external soul bone, not some ordinary thing. It's an external soul bone second only to a 100,000-year soul bone! With such a generous gift and such an investment, Tang Shan couldn't help but feel a little ashamed of his earlier teasing of the angel lady.

"I found this soul bone in a corner of the national treasury, but it has never been absorbed by anyone. I brought it here just for you to try and see if you can absorb it."

"After all, it's an external soul bone, and you know its special nature; preserving it is truly difficult. If you can't absorb it, I can also help you get two ten-thousand-year soul bones."

After listening to Xue Qinghe's explanation, Tang Shan suddenly realized why this external soul bone could be preserved; it turned out that no one had successfully obtained it to this day.

"I wonder what's so special about this soul bone. Could it be that the energy it contains is too powerful and domineering?"

Tangshan couldn't help but speculate.

"No, quite the opposite. The soul power contained within is not abundant. The main problem is that the absorption conditions are harsh, and we still haven't figured out what those conditions are."

Xue Qinghe pushed the cloth bag in front of Tang Shan, his face serious.

"Take this soul bone and try it out, but if you can't absorb it, you must not force it. I can't predict what will happen if you force it."

"Your Highness, please rest assured. If it is truly impossible, we will not force it. After all, I still owe Your Highness so many favors."

Tang Shan smiled as he put the cloth bag away, and Xue Qinghe's serious expression softened a bit.

"I'm going to the secret chamber to absorb the essence. Your Highness may need to trouble the two senior monks to protect me."

"Go ahead, I have my own plans."

Watching Tang Shan enter the secret chamber used for seclusion, the door slowly closed. Xue Qinghe's hands unconsciously clenched, his knuckles turning slightly white. His gaze was fixed on the closed stone door, and a few ripples welled up in his heart.

The courtyard gate opened quietly, and Golden Crocodile Douluo walked to Xue Qinghe's side with his hands behind his back.

"Don't worry, as long as he doesn't do anything reckless, nothing will happen. Even if he tries to absorb it by force, it will only damage the meridians in his palms, but I have plenty of ways to recover."

Hearing the comforting voice of Golden Crocodile Douluo, Xue Qinghe took a deep breath, but did not respond as usual.

Tang Shan's image kept flashing through her mind. Xue Qinghe knew Tang Shan well and knew that he was a person who would never be eager for quick success.

But this time, she wanted him to succeed more than anyone else.

If he can absorb even the external soul bone that a titled Douluo failed to absorb, it means that he truly possesses the luck and miracle to defy fate.

On this thorny path to godhood, he might truly become the only one who can walk alongside him, together breaking through the final barrier, standing tall in the heavens, looking down upon all living beings.

P.S.: Things haven't progressed that quickly yet. Miss Angel is looking for a fellow Daoist; you could say she hopes Tang Shan can become a fellow Daoist, but they haven't developed into Daoist partners yet.

Chapter 119 Absorbing Soul Bones, An Earth-Shattering Battle

Sitting cross-legged in the secret room, Tang Shan looked around with some curiosity.

This was his first time here. He usually cultivated either in his bedroom or by the pond in the yard, so he rarely used this place.

The secret room isn't large, only about twenty square meters. It's made entirely of marble, and even the door is carved from a single piece of stone, giving it a strong insulating ability.

Pushing aside a stone slab on the ceiling, a sliver of sunlight shone in, restoring some light to the dark stone chamber.

"Let me see what this external soul bone looks like."

Tang Shan curiously opened the cloth bag, and a moderately strong fluctuation of soul power emanated from the loosened opening.

This bag is quite special; it should have the ability to conceal soul power fluctuations.

He loosened the bag completely, tilted it down, and a hand bone, seemingly sculpted from chaotic glass, landed in his palm.

The hand bone was exactly the same size as the palm of Tangshan's hand. It had a strange semi-transparent appearance, but it was not pure and colorless. Instead, it seemed to have compressed all the mixed elements in the world together, presenting a deep, hazy, and chaotic color.

A faint halo flowed across the bone, and at first glance it was no different from a human hand bone. If it weren't for the ancient and weathered soul power fluctuations emanating from it, it would probably be mistaken for a fine bone carving artwork.

What kind of spirit beast produced this spirit bone? Even the Spirit Hall has no record of it.

Tang Shan examined the soul bone for a while, but couldn't see anything unusual about it. He was certain that it was a left palm bone. He simply held the soul bone in his left hand, preparing to absorb it.

With a thought, his soul power surged within his body, originating from his dantian and flowing wildly along the Taiyin Lung Meridian in his hand, pouring into the soul bone in his hand.

The soul power inside the transparent hand bone was activated, emitting a hazy, eerie light. It then transformed from a solid state into countless dazzling streams of light, which frantically drilled into Tang Shan's palm.