Chapter 6: Douluo Xu Xian
Heaven Dou City—the imperial capital of the Heaven Dou Empire—stood proudly in the northeast-central region of the continent. As the political heart of the empire and one of the two greatest cities on the entire continent, only the imperial capital of the Star Luo Empire could compare. Not even Spirit Hall City, the sacred land for soul masters, could rival its sheer scale.
Although the subordinate kingdoms and duchies under the two great empires were no longer tightly controlled, the foundation of imperial power remained firm. Centered around Heaven Dou City, the Heaven Dou Empire controlled three major military regions, boasting a standing force of over a million men—making them a power that could not be easily toppled.
If not for this strong foundation, the Heaven Dou Empire would've long been crushed by Spirit Hall's soul master legions in the original timeline.
In truth, the empire's reluctance to rein in its subordinate states wasn't out of goodwill. Both Heaven Dou and Star Luo had border duchies and kingdoms that acted as buffer zones. If war erupted, those states would be the first line of defense—or casualties.
It was a pragmatic strategy, albeit a helpless one. Which emperor didn't desire absolute authority? But the turbulent state of the continent simply didn't allow for unification.
Beyond Spirit Hall, powerful soul master clans also interfered in politics. Take the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, for example. Why did they fully support the Heaven Dou Empire in the original story? Was Ning Fengzhi truly so naïve as to willingly act as a court official?
Of course not. The true motive was to expand his clan's influence amid chaos. The more unstable the situation, the more the empire relied on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—meaning greater gains for Ning Fengzhi.
Sadly, he miscalculated. He underestimated Spirit Hall's strength. Not only was his clan decimated, but his two Titled Douluo elders were also annihilated by Bibi Dong while trying to save Tang San.
To reach Heaven Dou City from their current location, Dugu Chen and his master, Dugu Bo, had to traverse the Silves Kingdom to the north, enter the capital region, and then head east. The journey spanned nearly two thousand li, a testament to the vastness of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Even at carriage speed, it would take several days to arrive—including time for rest. Of course, Dugu Bo could fly them there faster, but doing so in multiple bursts would quickly deplete his soul power. As eager as he was to see his granddaughter, a few days' delay wouldn't change much.
---
Arrival at the Dugu Mansion
Heaven Dou City was vibrant and prosperous. Broad, clean streets stretched across the city, flanked by countless shops, and throngs of people bustled to and fro.
In the eastern district, a carriage came to a halt before a grand mansion. Its massive gates, five meters tall and eight meters wide, were already open. A row of servants stood on either side, led by an old man in his fifties. Above the gate hung a plaque bearing two bold characters: Dugu.
Today marked the return of Dugu Bo and his grandson. Having sent word ahead, the household was fully prepared.
Dugu Bo stepped down with Dugu Chen and dismissed the servants, leaving only the old man by his side.
"Chen'er, this will be your home from now on," Dugu Bo said warmly. "This is the mansion's steward, Guan Shan. Just call him Butler Shan. He's a Level 57 Soul King. If you need anything, just let him know."
Then, turning to Guan Shan, he added, "This is the disciple I took in during my travels, Dugu Chen. Inform the others. And where's Yan Yan? Why didn't she come to greet me?"
"Miss Yan is currently at a critical point in her breakthrough," Butler Shan replied with a bow. "We didn't inform her."
"Ah, breaking through? That's more important." Dugu Bo beamed. "Go prepare some food and a bath."
After freshening up and dining, Dugu Chen and Dugu Bo sat in the courtyard of Dugu Yan's residence, chatting casually as Dugu Bo passed on his experience in the soul master world.
The courtyard was beautiful—brimming with vibrant flowers and soft colors. The peaceful setting and the old man's prideful monologue offered a rare moment of relaxation.
Suddenly, Dugu Bo's gaze turned to the room's door. Dugu Chen followed his eyes.
The door slowly opened.
A girl stepped out, clad in a tight purple outfit. Her short purple hair framed a delicate, slightly round face. When she spotted them, her large eyes curved into crescents, and she dashed forward excitedly.
"Grandpa! Yan Yan missed you so much! Why were you gone so long? I've never been away from Grandpa for this long!"
She threw herself into Dugu Bo's embrace, rubbing her little head against him like a spoiled child.
Dugu Bo's eyes softened instantly. Since the death of his son, Dugu Yan had been his world. He held her like a fragile treasure, patting her head gently. "Grandpa was delayed because I took in a disciple."
He subtly motioned to Dugu Chen, clearly not intending to mention his injury. Dugu Chen understood without needing words.
Pulling Dugu Yan to sit opposite Dugu Chen, Dugu Bo made introductions.
"Wow! Junior brother, you have innate full soul power?! That's way stronger than me!"
Dugu Yan's eyes sparkled as she stared at Dugu Chen with awe.
Dugu Bo was about to correct her for calling Dugu Chen 'junior brother', but thought better of it. Yan Yan had always been alone. If she wanted to treat this disciple as a little brother, so be it.
Dugu Chen didn't object either. After all, how could a granddaughter compare to a senior sister?
Beautiful things were universally admired. Being admired by such a lovely loli, Dugu Chen blushed despite himself. His heart swelled with pride.
Though he used to find lolis annoying, now he was furiously repeating to himself, Three years to start... death penalty at most...
Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed. That gaze of admiration was usually his privilege alone. This brat had stolen the spotlight.
---
Battle of the Siblings
"Ahem," Dugu Bo coughed, breaking the tension. "Since both of you have become soul masters, it's time to consider your future development paths."
Hearing this, both Dugu Chen and Dugu Yan looked confused. Wasn't that already decided?
Seeing their doubt, Dugu Bo explained.
"In the soul master world, there are two main cultivation philosophies: balance and extremity.
"The extreme path focuses all efforts in one direction—pure offense, pure control, or pure defense—making the user devastating in that area. The balanced path emphasizes versatility, with fewer weaknesses but also fewer overwhelming strengths.
"The Heaven Dou Empire tends to support the extreme path. The Four Great Clans under the Clear Sky Sect all walk this road. The Star Luo Empire, however, leans toward balance."
Dugu Chen had pondered this during his journey and, with his knowledge from a past life, had come to some conclusions.
Extreme builds were powerful but rigid—easily countered. Balanced builds were versatile, but often lacked an edge in decisive battles.
In the end, perfection didn't exist.
The Clear Sky Sect, led by Tang Chen, had perfected the extreme path. By matching the Clear Sky Hammer with strength-type soul beasts and inventing self-created skills to cover their weaknesses, Tang Chen became a near-invincible land-bound Douluo. Thanks to him, the Clear Sky Sect rose to the top.
Dugu Chen had already begun to form a plan for his path.
Dugu Bo smiled. "It's fine if you need time to think it over."
Dugu Yan immediately lit up and ran to Dugu Chen. "Junior brother! Let's spar! I want to see how strong full innate soul power really is!"
"Alright," Dugu Bo agreed, giving Dugu Chen a sharp side glance. "Grandpa wants to see Yan Yan's progress too."
Dugu Chen pouted. Such bias... I'm the weaker one here!
---
In the training grounds, the two faced off.
A green light gleamed from Dugu Yan's forehead, transforming into a diamond-shaped scale. Her body became more serpentine, her eyes cold and sharp. A yellow soul ring shone around her.
"Dugu Yan, Level 15. One-ring control-type battle soul master."
Golden-red light surged around Dugu Chen.
"Dugu Chen, Level 13. One-ring assault-type battle soul master."
Dugu Chen charged.
Dugu Yan buffed herself with her first soul skill: Bi Lin Red Poison – Excitement Poison, boosting her attack and speed by 20%. She swung at him, but Dugu Chen caught her fist with a clawed hand. Even with the buff, she was only at 30% of his physical strength.
She threw another punch, which he caught too. Frustrated, she lashed her snake tail at his legs to trip him, but he remained unmoved.
A strange scene emerged:
The boy's claws restrained the girl's hands. The girl's tail wrapped around the boy's legs. Her face was flushed with effort.
From afar, Dugu Bo's eye twitched. Wasn't this posture a little too suggestive?!
Dugu Chen felt a chill and turned. Dugu Bo's eyes were glowing green.
Ah... I'm dead.
Flustered, Dugu Chen loosened his grip. Dugu Yan took advantage and tackled him to the ground.
"I win, junior brother!" she declared proudly, pinning him down. "From now on, your senior sister will protect you!"
"Ahem! Yan Yan! Get up!" Dugu Bo's voice cut in sharply.
Realizing their posture, Dugu Yan's face flushed crimson. "Aaaahhh!"
She bolted into her room and buried herself under her blanket.
Dugu Bo glared at Dugu Chen. "Kid... good... very good."
He turned and left with a cold snort.
Dugu Chen stood frozen, feeling like his life had just taken a very dark turn.
Senior sister was just too enthusiastic… but I was definitely willing…
Still, he dared not speak a word. He didn't want to be tossed into the lake by that terrifying old man.