This discovery plunged Yan Zu into deep contemplation.
“Civilization Aspiration Power…” he murmured to himself.
“It doesn’t refer to personal strength, but rather to contributions to the entire world?”
Having thoroughly studied the original work in his previous life, he was intimately familiar with the developmental trajectory of the Douluo Continent.
This world possessed extraordinary powers like Martial Souls, yet its progress of civilization was bizarrely slow.
Ten thousand years ago, the Douluo Continent was in an agricultural era.
Ten thousand years later, when Tang San ascended to godhood, it remained an agricultural era.
Another ten thousand years after the God King Tang’s ascension, it was still an agricultural era.
Moreover, Evil Soul Masters ran rampant, and in terms of civilizational development, it had regressed compared to before.
Although there were rudimentary forms of Soul Tools, everyone applied them to combat, with scarcely anyone considering using the power of Soul Masters to improve people’s livelihoods.
Food System Soul Masters could create sausages that restored stamina, yet no one researched how to ensure the common people had enough to eat.
Support-Type Soul Masters could amplify combat power, yet no one contemplated how to enhance production efficiency.
The entire continent’s superstructure revolved around the two words: “combat.”
The Spirit Hall sought to unify the continent not through economic development or improving people’s lives, but through military conquest.
The nobles of the Two Great Empires vied for power and profit, their thoughts not on benefiting the nation and its people, but on cultivating stronger Soul Masters.
The Top Three Sects dominated their regions, relying on the deterrent power of their sect’s experts.
This was a world where the strong took all, but also a world where civilization stagnated.
“Ridiculous,” Yan Zu shook his head.
“Possessing extraordinary power, yet confining that power to slaughter. If these powers were applied to production, construction, and research, the Douluo Continent would have long since entered another era.”
He thought of Blue Star.
That world, devoid of extraordinary power, relying solely on wisdom and cooperation, had advanced from the Stone Age to the Information Age in mere millennia.
Humanity used technology to transform the world, culture to nourish the soul, and systems to ensure fairness.
Yet the Douluo Continent, despite possessing the heaven-defying existence of Martial Souls, had frittered away ten thousand years in “fighting and killing.”
This struck Yan Zu as somewhat laughable, yet also regrettable.
A world possessing supernatural power like soul power should have had a much broader space for development, yet it was shackled by the “might makes right” mentality, remaining stagnant.
Promoting the growth of civilization, becoming an existence surpassing the God Rank…
this goal was too grand, too weighty.
Yan Zu was currently just a six-year-old child.
Even possessing Twin Souls and a Check-in System, he was acutely aware of his own insignificance.
He still needed constant growth just to protect his family and Xiao Wu, let alone shoulder the burden of an entire continent’s civilizational development.
He shook his head, temporarily suppressing these thoughts deep in his heart.
For him now, the most important things were steady growth, improving his strength, and protecting those around him.
As for civilizational development, that was a long process.
The current Yan Zu was not yet qualified to consider it.
Just then, the System’s notification tone sounded in his mind:
[Detected that the host has completed Martial Soul Awakening, triggering a special reward.]
[Congratulations on obtaining: Blue Star Literary Collection · Enlightenment Volume.]
[Reward Description: Contains three works of civilizational enlightenment, laying the foundation for civilization’s growth.]
With a thought from Yan Zu, the contents of the three works flooded into his mind.
The Roland Epic: The story of the knight Roland and his unicorn companion fighting to protect civilization.
The Legend of King Arthur: The legend of King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, establishing the Knights of the Round Table, and pursuing equality and justice.
One Thousand and One Nights: A collection of short stories filled with exotic charm and imaginative wisdom.
“This is…” A flash of understanding dawned in Yan Zu’s eyes.
The System was paving the way for him.
Directly advancing the course of civilization was too difficult.
But starting with culture first, using captivating stories to open the hearts of the people, subtly planting the seeds of civilization—when the time was ripe, they would naturally blossom and bear fruit.
“Brilliant,” Yan Zu praised.
He stood up, feeling the surging fluctuations of soul power within his body, and looked at the two spirits before him, his heart also stirring with excitement. Follow the newest chapters on novelping dot com.
The Xuanyuan Sword slowly retracted its radiance, transforming into a streak of light that vanished into his body.
The little Qilin, meanwhile, toddled over on its short legs, rubbed against his pant leg, and then disappeared with a “whoosh.”
“Huh? Where did it go?” Xiao Wu looked around.
“It returned to my body,” Yan Zu explained.
Xiao Wu nodded thoughtfully, then asked, “Can it still come out to play in the future?”
Yan Zu thought for a moment.
“It should be able to.”
Xiao Wu’s eyes lit up.
“Great! I’m going to pet it every day from now on!”
Yan Zu: “…”
He suddenly felt a bit worried that this little Qilin might get rubbed bald by Xiao Wu in the future.
Yan Hu finally snapped out of his shock at this point.
He stepped forward, crouched in front of Yan Zu, and looked at his son seriously.
“A’zu, listen to your father.”
Yan Zu nodded.
Yan Hu lowered his voice, his expression grave.
“Twin Souls are a heaven-sent opportunity, but also a heaven-sent danger. The Spirit Hall and the great sects all covet geniuses. Once your Twin Souls are exposed, it will inevitably attract endless trouble, and could even endanger the lives of our entire family.”
Su Qing quickly chimed in, wiping tears from the corner of her eye.
“Yes, A’zu, you must never reveal your Twin Souls in front of outsiders from now on. Just use one spirit normally. You must remember this!”
Yan Zu nodded heavily.
“Father, Mother, I understand. I won’t reveal it lightly. I will protect myself well, and protect our family.” He understood well the cruelty of this world.
The secret of his Twin Souls absolutely must not be leaked, or the consequences would be unthinkable.
Xiao Wu also came over and said, “Brother A’zu, I’ll help you keep the secret too! If anyone dares to bully you, I’ll beat them up!” As she spoke, she even waved her little fist, looking especially earnest.
Yan Hu and his wife looked at Xiao Wu, their eyes filled with warmth.
This girl they had picked up had long since become a part of the family.
The night grew deeper.
The chirping of insects in Five Soul Village gradually thinned.
The Qilin Phantom in the small courtyard had retracted most of its light, leaving only a faint, gentle aura lingering around Yan Zu.
Xiao Wu lay on her small bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
She could clearly feel a stream of pure, auspicious vitality flowing from Yan Zu’s direction next door.
Following the bond of the Auspicious Beast Heart-Linking Talisman, it surged into her body, causing her damaged Soul Beast Origin to stir faintly.
The speed of her soul power circulation was several times faster than usual.
This feeling was too comfortable and reassuring.
It unconsciously reminded her of the warmest sunlight in the Star Dou Great Forest.
After hesitating for a moment, the little girl tiptoed out of bed and walked barefoot to Yan Zu’s bedside.
Moonlight filtered through the window lattice, illuminating her flushed cheeks.
Gazing at Yan Zu’s sleeping profile, she mustered her courage and gently nudged him.
“A’zu, little brother… can I… sleep in the same bed with you?”
Yan Zu wasn’t truly asleep; he was sorting through his thoughts after awakening his Twin Souls.
Hearing her, he opened his eyes, his dark pupils showing no trace of drowsiness.
Seeing the dependence and anxiety in Xiao Wu’s eyes, and sensing the increasingly active soul power within her body as she drew closer, he understood—the auspicious aura of the Qilin naturally attracted Xiao Wu, who was in Soul Beast Human Form, and could also accelerate her growth.
“Come on up,” Yan Zu said, shifting aside to make room for her.
Xiao Wu happily slipped under the covers, snuggling close to Yan Zu as she lay down.
The moment she drew near, she felt a richer vitality envelop her.
Warmth spread through her limbs and bones, and her soul power seemed to find an outlet, flowing merrily along her Meridians.
Unable to resist, she nuzzled against Yan Zu’s arm and whispered, “A’zu, little brother, your aura feels so comfortable. I can feel my soul power growing.” You are reading on novelping.com, the official source.
“Sleep now,” Yan Zu said softly.
“From now on, I’ll have Xiao Yu accompany you in cultivation every night.”
“Mm!” Xiao Wu responded sweetly, hugging Yan Zu’s arm as she soon drifted into a deep slumber.
Her breathing was steady and even, a trace of peaceful contentment lingering at the corner of her mouth.
But Yan Zu remained awake for a long time.
He lay with his eyes open, staring at the dark rafters overhead, his mind swirling with thoughts.
Awakening Twin Souls today was undoubtedly a tremendous opportunity, but it also meant he had officially stepped into the vortex at the center of this continent.
The Spirit Hall, the Top Three Sects, the Two Great Empires…
these colossal powers would not overlook any genius, let alone one with Twin Souls.
And what made him even more wary was Tang San.
According to the timeline, Tang San should have already awakened his Blue Silver Grass in Holy Soul Village and be training under Yu Xiaogang.
In the original story, Tang San’s path to growth was paved with the bones of countless spirit beasts, cloaked in a facade of “purity and integrity” while acting out of selfishness.
But until now, Yan Zu had never considered deliberately targeting him.
The reason was simple—everyone has their own aspirations; this is a diverse world.
Tang San could walk his broad road, and I would cross my single-plank bridge.
Our paths need not cross.
If I sought to eliminate him merely because I disliked him, how would that be any different from a paranoid bully who crushes the weak and eliminates dissenters?
A true powerhouse should not be led by prejudice.
But now, things were different.
He bore the two great spirits of the Xuanyuan Sword and the Qilin, and he carried the mission of Civilization Orthodoxy.
What did Tang San do after becoming a god?
He became a God King, yet treated the Douluo Continent as his own backyard.
The rules he established for the Divine Realm nearly severed the path for Soul Masters in the mortal world to ascend.
The Tang Sect’s Peerless Techniques he inherited benefited only himself.
Ten thousand years after his ascension, the civilization of the Douluo Continent had nearly stagnated.
Soul Tool technology developed in a distorted manner, the people’s livelihood withered, and Evil Soul Masters ran rampant.
What kind of God King was that?
Yan Zu recalled a story he had read in his previous life.
Duke Huan of Qi once asked Guan Zhong, “I love hunting, women, and wine.
Will these hinder my path to hegemony?” Guan Zhong replied, “Excess leads to loss of followers; lack of diligence leads to failure in affairs.
If you can grasp the overall situation and employ people appropriately, these indulgences are of little consequence.”
The key lies in “fulfilling the responsibilities of one’s position.”
A person can be despicable, selfish, or greedy.
But when one becomes a God King, they should bear the responsibilities of a God King.
Tang San ascended to that position yet only sought to protect his own interests, even going so far as to covet Huo Yuhao’s Fortune, not sparing even his own daughter—pure [System censored]… He contributed nothing to the development of the entire realm.
He consumed the Fortune of a world to sustain himself but refused to give back even a sliver to nurture all living beings.
“This isn’t called purity and integrity—this is called dereliction of duty.”
Yan Zu thought coldly in his heart.
To advance the civilization of the Douluo Continent, to build, to develop, and to ensure the power of Soul Masters is used for the people’s livelihood rather than slaughter, he must inevitably cut off Tang San’s path to godhood.
Between the two of them, there is no possibility of compromise.
Since they are destined to be enemies, there can be no mercy.
“Tang San, your path to godhood… I, Yan Zu, will surely sever it.”
“This is not personal enmity, but… a conflict of principles.”
He whispered softly, his voice light yet as resolute as the ring of a sword.
Beside him came the even breathing of Xiao Wu.
The little girl was sleeping soundly, a trace of drool still at the corner of her mouth.
Yan Zu looked down at her, then glanced out the window at the bright moonlight, suddenly feeling that whether one is a God King or not, taking care of this rabbit before him was more practical for now.
He gently pulled the blanket, covering Xiao Wu’s exposed arm.