The Essence of Cultivation

The moon shone bright against a sparse scattering of stars. Inside the room, Dugu Chen lay against his small wooden bed, gazing at the moon in the sky. His little face bore a thoughtful look, but anyone who could see his eyes would notice that they were unfocused. He was clearly spacing out.

He had awakened a top-tier Beast Martial Soul—the Qilin. Although he had never heard of any Soul Beast or Martial Soul related to Qilin on Douluo Continent, the Innate Domain and top-tier Beast Martial Soul could not be fake.

His talent could already rank among the top ten on the continent.

Just an hour ago, he had even taken a master—a Titled Douluo, no less. Though this master could not defeat any other Titled Douluo, no one beneath that rank could defeat him either!

Even now, Dugu Chen had yet to fully process it. He had really picked up an overpowered old grandpa by sheer luck.

Though Dugu Bo was not particularly strong, he was practically the richest man on Douluo Continent! As long as Dugu Chen inherited the Ice Fire Yin Yang Pot and gave both himself and Dugu Bo a boost, he could grow up safely. His talent could even rival Qian Renxue's.

With his safety suddenly guaranteed and his future filled with light, the tension Dugu Chen had carried for years finally loosened.

He even cast aside the Meditation Method Dugu Bo had just taught him, along with his reminder to cultivate diligently.

Leaning against the bed, he slowly closed his eyes. Dugu Chen slept exceptionally soundly that night.

Just as dawn broke, Dugu Chen opened his eyes right on time.

Looking at the sun that had yet to rise outside the window, Dugu Chen washed up briefly, left his room, and nimbly climbed onto the roof.

He took a deep breath atop the roof. Watching the gradually rising sun, he sat cross-legged and began practicing the Meditation Method Dugu Bo had taught him.

Unnoticed by anyone, a wisp of Purple Qi drifted over from the horizon and merged into the faintly glowing Soul Mark on Dugu Chen's forehead.

Dugu Chen only felt that today's cultivation was faster than usual. It was also easier for him to empty his mind and enter deep meditation.

He did not know whether it was because of his Martial Soul Awakening or because Dugu Bo's Meditation Method was more advanced.

In the past, he had cultivated according to the methods used by Huo Gua ten thousand years later, using powerful Spiritual Power to guide the circulation of Soul Power.

Ultimate Attribute Soul Masters cultivated extremely slowly from level thirty to level seventy. However, once their Spiritual Power entered the Formless and Intangible Realm, it could envelop their Soul Power and speed up cultivation.

Although Dugu Chen's Spiritual Power was not strong enough to completely envelop his Soul Power, it could still take the lead. Moreover, he had been able to look within himself from birth, allowing him to avoid many detours. Besides, he was not an Ultimate Attribute Soul Master.

"Phew." He slowly exhaled a mouthful of stale air. Having completed his morning practice, Dugu Chen climbed down from the roof and entered the house to make breakfast.

By the time Dugu Chen finished preparing breakfast, Dugu Bo emerged from his room.

At this moment, Dugu Bo had changed clothes and put on his green robe. His dark green hair had also been neatly arranged. Other than his somewhat pale complexion, he looked no different from an ordinary person.

When Dugu Chen saw Dugu Bo come out, he inwardly marveled at the vitality of a Titled Douluo. In just one day, such severe injuries had healed enough for him to get out of bed and walk.

"Teacher, you're up. There is only simple food at home." Dugu Chen quickly helped Dugu Bo sit down and served each of them a bowl of porridge.

"Chen'er, this old man isn't that particular. Simple food is quite good." Dugu Bo replied with a cheerful smile, clearly very satisfied with his newly accepted disciple.

"Chen'er, my injuries will take another half month to fully heal. During these days, practice the Meditation Method I taught you properly. After half a month, your teacher will take you to hunt your first Soul Ring. Do you have a target in mind?" Dugu Bo asked while eating breakfast.

"I will leave it entirely to Teacher."

When it came to obtaining Soul Rings, he should obediently listen to his teacher for now. He was a complete Soul Master novice—how could he possibly know more than Dugu Bo?

He only recognized some top-tier Soul Beasts like the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear and Titan Giant Ape. Saying their names would be useless. He should just listen to his teacher. He now had someone backing him up, after all.

"Chen'er, your Martial Soul possesses both fire and earth attributes. Soul Beasts with those attributes would be best for you to absorb. Your Martial Soul is clearly best suited to the Power Attack System, so the Soul Beasts you choose should primarily excel in strength, attack, and defense. That leaves fewer options." Dugu Bo said as he stroked his beard with a smile.

"Once your teacher has recovered, I will take you to the Star Dou Great Forest. It is the largest Soul Beast forest on the continent. We will surely find something suitable."

"Take these books and study them carefully. If there is anything you do not understand, come ask me." As he spoke, he took several books out of his Soul Tool.

"Thank you, Teacher. Could you give your disciple some Gold Soul Coins?" Dugu Chen asked somewhat awkwardly.

He had only just become Dugu Bo's disciple and was already asking for money. Would Dugu Bo think he had come only for his wealth?

"This card contains one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. Consider it your daily expenses." Dugu Bo did not suspect anything and took out a purple-gold card, handing it over.

"Teacher, this is far too much. Your disciple only wants one thousand Gold Soul Coins for Grandpa Ma, to repay him for taking care of me these past years." Dugu Chen hurriedly waved his hands and explained.

He would be leaving with Dugu Bo in a few days, and he did not know when they would meet again. Giving Grandpa Ma one thousand Gold Soul Coins would be enough to repay his care over the years. It was not that Dugu Chen did not want to give more, but too much money could easily invite disaster.

"It is rare for you to have such filial devotion. Keep the card! Consider it a gift from your teacher." Dugu Bo handed him a bag of Gold Soul Coins and did not take back the card.

Dugu Chen did not stand on ceremony any longer. He put away the gold card, finished breakfast, informed Dugu Bo, and went out to find the Old Village Chief.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. During this time, Dugu Chen frantically absorbed the knowledge Dugu Bo taught him, cultivated diligently, and trained his body.

At the village entrance, over a hundred people had gathered.

Outside the village entrance, a carriage stood quietly parked. The coachman sat silently atop it, while Dugu Bo had already entered the carriage.

Dugu Chen, meanwhile, was being held by the Old Village Chief as they said their final farewells.

After he boarded, the coachman steadily drove the carriage toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

Dugu Bo looked at his disciple before him. The boy possessed outstanding talent, valued loyalty and affection, and Dugu Bo nodded with a smile.

Half a month had passed, and Dugu Bo's injuries had fully healed. He looked energetic and vigorous.

"Chen'er, how have you found the books these past few days? Do you have a target for this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Seeing his disciple's somewhat silent demeanor, Dugu Bo decided to distract him by testing his studies.

Hearing his teacher's voice, Dugu Chen quickly came back to himself.

"Teacher, after looking through the books these past few days, I feel that the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear would suit your disciple very well."

Dugu Chen looked at his teacher and knew that he was concerned for him. Warmth filled his heart, and he also wanted to tease him, so he spoke with a straight face.

Hearing that answer, Dugu Bo's mouth twitched. A legendary Soul Beast like the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was something he had never seen in his entire life, nor had he ever heard of anyone hunting one.

"The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear is indeed very suitable for your Martial Soul. However, hunting Soul Rings also depends on a certain amount of luck. If we encounter another suitable Soul Beast, there is no need to fixate on the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear."

He could not discourage his disciple for having his own ideas, so he could only advise him indirectly. Encountering any particular Soul Beast required luck, after all. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

"Your disciple understands. Teacher, while reading these books, I came across the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. Can a Beast Martial Soul also absorb plant-type Soul Beasts?"

Dugu Chen took the opportunity to raise a question that had come to him from both the books and his previous life.

"You read that book as well? You may read its introductions to Soul Beasts, but you only need to skim the rest. Though your teacher does not think highly of that book's author, his Soul Beast catalog is indeed quite comprehensive."

A trace of disdain flashed through Dugu Bo's eyes as he cautioned him.

"Chen'er, remember this: when Soul Masters cultivate, they absorb Soul Rings to make up for their own weaknesses and strengthen their advantages. There are no perfect Soul Masters in this world."

Seeing Dugu Chen's thoughtful expression, Dugu Bo continued his instruction.

"This brings us to the two major schools in the Soul Master world today: the Extreme School and the Balanced School. I will explain them to you in detail later."

"When Soul Masters absorb Soul Rings, they absorb a Soul Beast's characteristics to strengthen themselves. Every breakthrough can be called an evolution, making oneself more perfect. For example, your Martial Soul specializes in power attacks, so Soul Beasts with great strength and defense are best. You cannot absorb a vine-like Soul Beast that specializes in binding just to make yourself more flexible, can you? Your talent is exceptional, so every Soul Ring of yours must be chosen carefully."

Hearing this, Dugu Chen gained a deeper understanding of Martial Soul cultivation and the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul proposed by Grandmaster.

At its core, it was still evolution. Even if one started with an ordinary iron sword, upon cultivating to the rank of Titled Douluo, that iron sword would no longer be ordinary.

The essence of cultivation in any world was evolution: allowing a person to undergo transformation and advance toward a higher level.

As for whether the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul were useful? They were. But compared to those from major powers, they were of little use, because those people had the ability to hunt better Soul Beasts entirely.

The inherited Martial Souls within major powers had already been thoroughly studied. They possessed their own traditions regarding which Soul Rings to add, so naturally they would not alter them according to someone else's theories.

Lower-level Soul Masters did not have so many concerns. As long as it was suitable, who cared whether it came from an animal-type or plant-type Soul Beast?

That was why the gap between genius Soul Masters from major powers and lower-level Soul Masters was so vast. Their Martial Souls were inferior to begin with, and now the basic attributes added by their Soul Rings were worse as well. The gap only continued to grow.

That was why Yu Xiaogang's position was so awkward. His theories were not entirely his own, either. As a level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, how could he possibly have had the ability to conduct experiments and determine the limits of every Soul Ring? Thus, high-level Soul Masters looked down on him, though no one bothered to make things difficult for him because he was Yu Yuanzhen's son. Lower-level Soul Masters benefited from his theories and were willing to call him Grandmaster.

Of course, no one knew how much sincerity and how much mockery lay behind that title of Grandmaster in the Soul Master world.

If he had not accepted Tang San as his disciple, he likely would never have been able to turn his life around.

Furthermore, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had been cultivated into ruin. It had originally been a Martial Soul with the Life attribute, yet it had been given several poison-attribute Soul Rings. During the Soul Master Tournament, it had nearly been beaten into despair.

Only because Tang San was so ridiculously overpowered could he manage it. Had it been an ordinary native of this world, he would likely have switched to cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer long ago.

As Dugu Bo continued teaching him, Dugu Chen cultivated while reflecting, and the carriage sped toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

Spirit City.

A city belonging solely to Soul Masters, it stood exceptionally majestic under Spirit Hall's construction.

It had a hexagonal layout and six city walls, all guarded by Spirit Hall Guard Corps members who were Soul Masters. The relief carvings on the six walls were exactly the same as those on Spirit Hall's token.

They represented the six most powerful Martial Souls on the continent.

They were also the original embodiment of Spirit Hall's values.

Within the magnificent Pope's Palace, a breathtakingly beautiful woman sat upon the Pope's throne. Noble, elegant, tranquil—every beautiful word could be used to describe her.

Though she was no longer young, time had not left any traces upon her.

This woman was the current Pope, Bibi Dong. She was reviewing documents at her desk.

At this moment, a seductive-looking, somewhat effeminate figure stepped forward.

"Reporting to Your Holiness the Pope, a child with Innate Full Soul Power awakened in Majia Village half a month ago."

The figure's voice was somewhat androgynous. If not for the Adam's apple on his throat, no one would have believed that he was a man.

Upon hearing this, the Pope stopped reviewing the documents and raised her head to look at Chrysanthemum Douluo below. Her beautiful eyes were calm, as though nothing could shake her state of mind.

"Oh! Innate Full Soul Power. A promising seedling. Ghost, go bring him back."

The Pope's reply still echoed through the hall when a shadow shifted faintly in one corner. In the blink of an eye, it was as though nothing had happened.

These are the author's humble thoughts on cultivation in Douluo Continent. In truth, cultivation in all fantasy worlds can be viewed as evolution. Readers are welcome to share your opinions, and the author will humbly accept them.