Douluo Dalu: I have a Soul Beast Clone

Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

A man and a woman walked leisurely through the beautiful academy grounds. Many passersby couldn't help but sneak a glance, secretly admiring the couple as an ideal pair.

The man appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, with extraordinary good looks and a unique aura. The woman seemed younger, around sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate beauty and a figure that was beginning to take shape, giving a glimpse of the captivating woman she would become in the future.

These two, of course, were Li Chang'an and the newly arrived "junior," Dugu Yan.

At Dugu Yan's "invitation," Li Chang'an, as the "senior," naturally took it upon himself to show her around the academy.

Fourteen-year-old Dugu Yan looked about sixteen or seventeen, having absorbed two soul rings. With seven more years of age than Li Chang'an, she appeared younger than him, who was only seven years old. While this may seem illogical, it was actually due to the growth-promoting effects of the soul rings on soul masters' bodies, and the results were not the same for everyone.

Although absorbing soul rings promoted growth, the effects were not uniform. Various factors, such as the individual's martial soul, body constitution, and genetics, could lead to different outcomes.

Most people would experience a growth spurt after absorbing soul rings, but Li Chang'an, after absorbing two soul rings, had his appearance rapidly develop to the level of seventeen or eighteen years. This was not unusual. Dugu Yan's slight increase in age, with only two or three years added to her appearance, was equally unremarkable.

There was no fixed standard for these changes, as every individual's situation varied. Some grew faster, some slower, and some might not change at all in terms of appearance.

These effects of individual differences were nothing worth dwelling on.

"...The main campus area of the academy is located halfway up the mountain, while the simulation zones are spread both on the upper and lower parts of the mountain, and there are lakesides as well..." At this moment, Li Chang'an led Dugu Yan up the mountainside, where the stone steps were carved from white marble. Each step had a different soul beast pattern, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship.

The warm sunlight cast shadows from the trees on the stone steps, adding an extra sense of tranquility and charm. As they walked and breathed in the fresh air, it felt like stepping into a world of plants.

"By the way, Senior, we've been talking for a while now, but I still don't know your name," Dugu Yan casually remarked as if it had just occurred to her.

"Me? I'm Li Chang'an." He answered nonchalantly, then asked in return, "What about you, Junior?"

 The girl walked ahead, hands behind her back. She turned around with a playful smile and said, "My name is Dugu Yan. Senior, you must remember it well~"

There was no denying that the girl in front of him, with her pure yet subtly seductive expression, was incredibly sweet and captivating. Even though Li Chang'an had seen many beautiful women in his past life—such as popular internet personalities and young models—he couldn't help but be drawn in by her beauty. He thought to himself, She's a real enchantress!

"Dugu Yan... I've remembered it," Li Chang'an replied, nodding seriously. He appeared completely oblivious to the girl's charm, embodying the true nature of a straight man.

This caused Dugu Yan, who had mustered the courage to flirt with him, to feel somewhat deflated. She began to doubt her own allure. Could it be that she wasn't the type of girl that Senior liked? Or was it that she wasn't pretty enough?

Girls in love often find themselves insecure and uncertain.

Li Chang'an, of course, noticed that the girl in front of him had an interest in him. But he understood that the best things were those that couldn't be easily obtained. If he wanted to maintain the upper hand in their future interactions, he had to make sure Dugu Yan came after him, not the other way around.

Moreover, his current status as the Emperor's son-in-law—The Imperial Prince Consort—meant that he couldn't openly pursue women. That would be a disgrace to the Emperor and the Princess. Right now, he had to rely on the support of the Heaven Dou Empire; he didn't have the power to oppose the imperial family. Only when he reached the rank of Soul Douluo or even Title Douluo would he have true autonomy. By then, not only could he pursue relationships freely, but he might even be able to establish a harem without fear of reprimand.

With power, everything changes.

The main campus area of the Heaven dou Royal Academy was all built with single-story houses, giving it the feel of a fortress. The outer walls were five meters high, and they were entirely a bright yellow, looking quite striking. Even the top of the walls was covered in glazed tiles, which shimmered magnificently under the setting sun.

After Li Chang'an showed Dugu Yan around the main areas of the academy, it was time to say goodbye. Dugu Yan had only come to handle her enrollment procedures and would officially start attending in two days.

After bidding a reluctant farewell to the girl, Li Chang'an returned to his dormitory.

He sat down in a meditation position, closing his eyes and transferring all of his consciousness to his soul beast avatar.

In the expansive underground cavern, a ten-meter-long emerald green snake slowly twisted its body. Its skin appeared extremely dry, with a layer of white covering its entire body, as though it were wrapped in a transparent membrane.

As the snake continued to twist, cracks appeared on its body, especially on its head, where the outer layer of skin split open, revealing fresh, vibrant green scales underneath. As the snake continued to struggle, the shedding process began.

The massive snake was shedding its skin from the head down.

When it finally wriggled free from the last remnants of its old skin, its body had grown from the original ten meters to nearly twenty meters long.

Clearly, it had undergone a growth spurt due to shedding its skin.

"Finally, it's reached a thousand years."

Li Chang'an observed the rejuvenated body of his soul beast avatar. After constantly devouring soul beasts to increase his soul power, his soul beast avatar had quickly grown from a hundred-year-old to a thousand-year-old being.

He also noticed that now, as a thousand-year-old soul beast, the connection between this avatar and his human body had become even stronger.

In the past, although they were both parts of the same soul, the two bodies had remained separate, with no interaction.

Now that his soul beast avatar had reached a thousand years, Li Chang'an immediately felt a qualitative change in the connection between the two bodies.

First and foremost, it was the ability to control both bodies.

Previously, when he controlled both his human body and soul beast avatar, he could only focus on one at a time. It was like trying to multitask, but one body would inevitably seem sluggish or even a bit clumsy.

Now, however, it was different.

He could truly multitask. Even while controlling both bodies at once, there was no sense of being overwhelmed.

There had been a fundamental change in his ability to manage both bodies simultaneously.

(End of Chapter)