Douluo: I Can Choose My Own Soul Skills

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Within the city, the briny scent of the sea was stronger. The stone–paved streets underfoot were inlaid with colorful shells. Rows of blue-and-white coastal–style houses stood in neat, staggered patterns.

Their thatched roofs were designed for ventilation; windows were left wide open, offering a clear view of Mediterranean–inspired interiors. Fish bones and shells hung as decoration from the exterior walls.

A petite girl in conservative attire suddenly appeared before Ye Lan.

"Big brother, are you visiting Hanhai City for vacation?" she asked, her large, innocent eyes fixed on his unguarded face.

Her soft voice disarmed him, and he relaxed.

"I'm settling here for a while. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Heehee, perfect timing! My family's house is over by the Grand Dou Soul Arena. My parents sent me out to get some life experience!"

"Big brother, come with me! My family's place is a great deal—long–term rentals are even cheaper." The girl, Lily, realized she might secure her first tenant and grinned with delight.

Ye Lan, having no other plans in Hanhai City, agreed.

"Alright, let me take a look."

"Follow me, big brother—just call me Lily. I'll show you around Hanhai City. There's so much delicious food!" Lily's stomach growled, making her words momentarily slurred.

"Ha, I'm Ye Lan!" he replied with a light laugh.

…

A few days later, Ye Lan had finished unpacking both his luggage and his long–term rental.

It turned out Lily's family were merchants who had developed property near the Grand Dou Soul Arena.

Following her recommendation, Ye Lan chose a standalone villa with an expansive courtyard.

What sold him on the house was that courtyard: a fully enclosed training space right at home—no need to trek out to remote areas to cultivate.

Just one kilometer away was the Grand Dou Soul Arena, surrounded by bustling shops and all the conveniences of daily life.

Convinced this would be an ideal living arrangement, Ye Lan signed the lease—not simply because Lily was cute!

Unfortunately, this also meant he wasn't suited for arena combat in Hanhai City.

Nearly every soul master here was a Sea Soul Master, wielding water–based martial spirits. The arena itself was entirely aquatic.

Only those with innate flight could spar effectively against Sea Soul Masters in such an environment.

Ye Lan couldn't fly; relying only on natural swimming ability in a fully water–filled arena would leave him powerless and completely countered.

He wouldn't invite needless suffering, so at Hanhai City's arena, Ye Lan wouldn't fight to gain experience.

…

With his new home sorted, Ye Lan began practicing his first self–invented soul skill.

He started by outlining his plan: a movement–speed soul skill.

As the saying goes, "Nothing is unbreakable—only speed remains undefeated."

If you're fast enough, you stand unbeatable. If you meet a higher–level soul master and can't win, a fast escape can buy you time for a new opportunity.

Currently, Ye Lan relied most often on soul power attachment to his legs for speed.

Thus, his first self–created skill concept was straightforward: use soul power to reinforce leg muscles.

Even soul masters with poor soul power control instinctively use their energy to strengthen their bodies—so Ye Lan's idea was both logical and attainable.

If a soul master wielded a beast martial spirit, they could directly reinforce their muscles via Martial Soul Possession—though their efficiency paled compared to Ye Lan's refined method.

So Ye Lan's first goal was to elevate the simple act of attaching soul power to his legs into a true soul skill.

He bent his knees slightly and channeled soul power into his legs. Instantly, he felt his muscles strengthen; the power surged from his calves into his thighs, then drove his torso forward. His stride was markedly faster than before.

Paying close attention to how soul power flowed through the meridians in his legs, he repeatedly sprinted from his starting point and back, over and over. After dozens of rounds, he finally discerned the exact paths leading into the smallest terminal channels.

Compared to the warm current he'd felt while sunbathing, this was faint—but at least he could locate those tiny meridians and feel the energy striking them.

With that knowledge, Ye Lan began varying the ratio of attached soul power—allocating greater force to the main conduits and less to the finer branches. He optimized this distribution again and again.

Previously, his approach was like flooding every channel indiscriminately—effective, but wasteful, much like forcing a torrent through narrow pipes. Now, he spread his soul power proportionally, matching volume to conduit size.

After about ten days of relentless practice, Ye Lan perfected this attachment method. His speed soared roughly one-third higher than before. He was now faster than most agility-type soul masters of his rank—second only to those who used open soul skills.

Rubbing his throbbing legs, Ye Lan considered applying this optimized method to his entire body. Every muscle group except his brain could benefit…

He hesitated on head techniques. His Blue Silver Grass hadn't fully evolved, and his understanding of cerebral meridians was still vague. He wasn't about to tinker with his mind and risk becoming comatose.

Although he envied Tang San's Purple Supreme Demon Eyes—and longed for vision that could see through any move—he resolved to postpone any ocular soul skill.

…

Strictly speaking, refining his whole-body soul attachment still wasn't a new soul skill—it merely raised his base stats.

True soul skills required amplifying one's soul power by two or even three times.

Over the next few months, as his muscles grew stronger, Ye Lan noticed different muscle groups bore different soul power loads. From this insight, he devised a genuine soul skill:

He would circulate soul power into his legs until they bristled with energy, then stomp the ground several times. Using that rebound force, he'd store the energy in his thighs—whose larger muscles could hold multiple times the power of his calves. Releasing it all at once, he could propel himself several meters in an instant, as if teleporting.

He named this soul skill Instant Step.

Although blindingly fast, Instant Step had a glaring drawback: it placed tremendous strain on his leg muscles. He could only use it sparingly—no more than five times per day. Exceeding that would force a lengthy recovery for his damaged muscles.

That five-use limit was his current plateau. As his physique improved, he anticipated being able to employ Instant Step more frequently.

(End of Chapter)