Douluo Continent: Getting Stronger After Heartbreak

Chapter 1: The Sword Douluo's Personal Disciple is a Soul Beast

"Sword, is your soul power still not increasing?"

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School, in its residential area, is housed in a small building overlooking the lake.

Sword Douluo Chen Xin stepped onto the stairs and arrived at a closed door on the second floor.

"Click-clack".

He pressed the switch on the door, and the two heavy doors slowly opened to both sides.

"Sword'er, don't always stay in this sword pool. Although the mimicry training method can help you comprehend the self-created soul skills taught by your teacher, it's not something you can master in a short time..."

Sword Douluo looked into the doorway, a faint smile appearing on his usually rigid face: "You shouldn't be so ambitious. After all, this is a self-created soul skill that your teacher spent thirty years creating. It's comparable to the Great Sumeru Hammer of the Clear Sky Sect. You've only spent three years trying to even get a basic grasp of it."

"Bang bang".

The door opened fully, and Sword Douluo looked inside, muttering to himself, "At your age, accumulating soul power is more important. Although you have innate full soul power, you haven't made any progress in three years. Old Bone's disciple has already surpassed you..."

"Huh? Where did everyone go?"

At this moment, Sword Douluo suddenly froze. He glanced at the forest of swords in the room but did not find anyone.

"They're not in the mimicry training ground today?"

He muttered a question in confusion, but then his pupils contracted and his gaze focused on the center of the sword forest.

Sure enough, the figure of an eight or nine-year-old boy slowly emerged from there.

"Teacher, I've always been here..."

Qin Jian looked at the Sword Douluo at the door, a warm smile appearing on his face.

He was dressed in light blue clothes similar to those of Sword Douluo, and from a distance, he looked like a miniature version of Sword Douluo.

However, his small face was too delicate, much more handsome than Sword Douluo's.

"This is... my body is like a sword!"

Sword Douluo spoke slowly, unable to hide his shock.

Qin Jian stepped out of the sword pool with small steps, looked up at Sword Douluo and smiled, "Yes, teacher, it took me three years to finally grasp the basics of your self-created soul skill!"

Sword Douluo took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, calming the shock in his heart.

He never underestimated his disciple's talent, and even though he couldn't improve his soul power, he never doubted it.

Because he was born with full soul power, and his awakened martial soul was a weapon of slaughter, a sword!

But Sword Douluo still didn't expect that Qin Jian could comprehend his self-created soul skill, Man and Sword as One, at such a young age. He couldn't imagine how powerful his talent must be.

"Let's go, let's go have dinner."

He regained his deadpan expression, casually ruffled Qin Jian's soft hair, and turned to walk downstairs first.

Qin Jian quickly jogged to catch up, a smile playing on his lips. He thought to himself, "Teacher's just putting on an act again. I bet he'll go brag to Bone Douluo after he finishes eating!"

The restaurant tables weren't large, but Sword Douluo and Qin Jian didn't seem far apart as they sat facing each other.

"Thank you, teacher, for preparing dinner for me."

Qin Jian had been cultivating all day and was starving, so he immediately grabbed his chopsticks and began to wolf down his food.

Seeing his expression, Sword Douluo shook his head and said, "Eat slowly, don't choke."

"Ugh..."

Qin Jian nodded, his words slurred.

"Besides, this meal wasn't prepared by the teacher..."

Sword Douluo casually picked up a bite of food, then frowned slightly: "The food made by the sect's chef is far inferior to what you, Sword'er, can make."

Upon hearing this, Qin Jian finished chewing and swallowing the food in his mouth, then looked up at Sword Douluo and squinted at him, saying, "Then I'll cook for you from now on, Teacher."

Sword Douluo looked at the boy's youthful yet delicate face and a thought stirred in his heart: "The smile on this child's face is always so warm..."

He held up his chopsticks, his brows furrowing slightly as he hesitated.

Qin Jian, sitting opposite him, asked curiously, "Teacher, what's wrong?"

Sword Douluo opened his mouth, glanced at Qin Jian again, and then slowly said, "Jian'er, as far as I know, after a soul beast transforms into human form, its cultivation speed is much faster than that of a human, right..."

"Snapped!"

Qin Jian's noodles trembled, and one of his chopsticks fell to the ground and landed on the table.

The sound seemed particularly jarring at that moment.

But Qin Jian's expression returned to normal in an instant. He casually picked up his chopsticks, took another bite of food, and put it in his mouth.

He chewed and mumbled incoherently, "Teacher, didn't you say before that soul beasts who transform into humans have extremely high talent and cultivate very quickly? It's normal that they're faster than us humans, right?"

Seeing his seemingly calm and composed demeanor, Sword Douluo couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.

Now that he had decided to expose Qin Jian's true identity, he naturally wouldn't give up so easily.

So, Sword Douluo rested his chin on his left hand and asked casually, "Then how come you haven't been able to increase your soul power for three whole years?"

"Thump thump..."

Qin Jian's heart pounded violently in his chest. He forced a weak smile and said, "T-Teacher, I don't understand what you mean. What does my inability to increase my soul power have to do with soul beasts?"

"How can it be alright?"

Sword Douluo smiled easily, but his words sent a chill down Qin Jian's spine, as if he had fallen into an ice cave: "Aren't you just a human transformed from a soul beast?"

He casually picked up some food and continued eating.

But Qin Jian, on the other side, was completely stiff. He could only slowly lower his head and say with a sliver of hope, "Teacher... you must be joking. How could I possibly be a soul beast..."

Seeing his cautious demeanor, Sword Douluo felt a strange urge to tease the little guy.

He always acts like a little adult, and he's wanted to tease him for a long time. Even if he's a soul beast transformed into a human, he should still be a child at heart since he's just taken human form.

"Sword, I must say your disguise was very successful. Even though you haven't reached level 60 soul power, you didn't have a trace of a soul beast aura on you, so neither I nor Old Bone were able to discover your true identity at first..."

Sword Douluo stood up as he spoke and sat down in the chair next to Qin Jian.

"It's a pity you are my personal disciple. After spending three years together, some of your habits are still different from those of humans..." He looked down at Qin Jian.

It's like a hunter eyeing its prey.

Qin Jian lowered his head, beads of sweat running down his face.

"But teacher, that's just your speculation, isn't it?" he said softly.

Sword Douluo shook his head and said, "You still won't give up, so I'll say it one more time. This is something you might not even know yourself."

He smiled and said, "You think you've concealed your aura perfectly, but you don't know that it's only possible because of the soul power within your body. If you exhaust your soul power, you'll no longer be able to conceal the aura of a soul beast..."

Qin Jian's expression changed drastically. He suddenly stood up, took a few steps back, and stared at Sword Douluo in shock: "Teacher... this... is this real?"

Sword Douluo smiled happily.

"That's definitely true!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)