Split a person into two

Returning to Heaven Dou City, Zhongli did not hear the translated version of the 'Analects'.

Thus, he was unaware of what exactly the leader Du Bafang, along with his three thousand disciples, had comprehended.

"Virtue, Justice, Dao, Morality!"

"Disciples, who can explain the meaning of these four characters that the Sect Master mentioned?"

Du Bafang stood on the platform, his voice booming with confidence as he addressed the crowd.

The people below him were all broad and strong. Even the female soul masters had unusually muscular builds.

To describe them as having the figures of bears and tigers wouldn't be an exaggeration.

A powerful physique is one of the key factors in the second awakening of a martial soul, so it was entirely normal for them to look this way.

"Vice-Sect Master, I know!"

At that moment, a young man who appeared scholarly and somewhat handsome yet had a burly build spoke up loudly.

The scene was slightly discordant, but with so many people around like him, he didn't stand out too much.

Their entire bodies could be trained, except perhaps the face, which was particularly difficult to exercise!

It was quite normal for someone to have a refined face but a sturdy, muscular back and build.

Upon hearing this, Du Bafang didn't hesitate and said, "Alright, you come up!"

The young man didn't hold back either, performing a spinning leap to land at the front of the crowd. Pointing to the first character, he began, "Brothers and sisters, look at this character for 'Virtue' (仁)!"

The disciples of the Main Body Sect were all brothers. Of course, there were also female soul masters, who were referred to as sisters.

Though they were not related by blood, the bonds between them were often closer than those of many biological siblings.

"On the left, you have 'person' (人), and on the right, you have 'two' (二), signifying the technique of splitting a person in two!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, feeling that it made a lot of sense.

The Sect Master's words undoubtedly had deeper meaning and were not to be understood literally.

Virtue (仁)? Could one really show mercy to enemies? Obviously, that was impossible!

As the Martial God Douluo, with martial arts reaching divine levels, how could he possibly show mercy when he struck?

It's like the saying: 'Learning without reflection leads to confusion, and thinking without learning is perilous!'

Learning the Sect Master's martial skills without understanding his philosophy would lead to confusion and madness!

Conversely, understanding the Sect Master's philosophy without mastering his martial skills would get you killed!

"Now, look at this character for 'Justice' (义)…"

The young man continued to explain, speaking with passion and eloquence.

After some time, he finally finished his speech.

"Good, very good!"

"Your understanding is quite on point!" Du Bafang praised the disciple and, as if struck by a thought, added, "Now, everyone go and train your 'Morality' (德)!"

"You must train your back muscles into the shape of the character 'Morality' (德)!"

"Morality is the foundation. Only with a strong physique can we have an absolute advantage, whether absorbing soul rings or fighting against others!"

"Yes!" came the unanimous reply.

No one dared to oppose these words, for "Morality" was indeed the foundation. The strength of body soul masters lay precisely in this concept of "Morality."

When one's body was trained to the shape of the character 'Morality,' they could naturally absorb more soul power...

Even if one's martial soul was the brain, a body soul master still had to train their back into the shape of the character 'Morality.'

Don't think that just because your martial soul is the brain, your body would be weak!

It must be understood that as the brain develops, the energy required and consumed by the body becomes enormous!

If the physique isn't strong, it won't be able to withstand such immense mental power.

The entire Main Body Sect continued its operations, with a large amount of cultivation resources being purchased. High-intensity training came with high consumption, requiring a great deal of food for sustenance.

Moreover, not just any regular meat would suffice!

Soul beast meat was the best, with ordinary meat being the second choice.

Soul beast meat contained large amounts of soul power and special substances. If ordinary people ate too much of it, they might explode from the inside.

For regular soul masters, processed soul beast meat posed no danger, though it took longer to refine, so even they couldn't consume too much at once.

However, for most body soul masters, this wasn't a problem. As long as the soul beast wasn't too far beyond their limit, it was just one word: 'Eat!'

With their strong physiques, they had no fear of not being able to digest it.

Ninety percent of the money the Main Body Sect earned was spent on food.

Especially when it came to special ingredients, the prices were even more exorbitant.

Special foods, like whale jelly and similar delicacies, also had significant benefits for the body when consumed.

However, feeding three thousand "big eaters," who required soul beast meat every day, was an expense that most factions simply couldn't afford…

---

''Heaven Dou City, Zhongli's Residence''

After returning from the Main Body Sect, Zhongli couldn't shake a vague feeling that something was amiss, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

The disciples of the Main Body Sect seemed more motivated and positive after studying 'The Analects', which was certainly a good thing.

But still, Zhongli couldn't help but wonder… did they truly understand those ancient texts?

Recalling the confident demeanor of Du Bafang, he ultimately chose to trust him.

"Zhongli, you're back early this morning. Did you bring me breakfast?" Paimon rubbed her eyes and asked with an eager look.

For Paimon, eating was practically her entire world.

Zhongli glanced at Paimon. With his keen eyes, he noticed that she had grown just a tiny bit since they first arrived in the Douluo Continent.

For most people, spending so much time together would make it hard to notice such subtle changes. But Zhongli was different; his memory didn't fade so quickly.

"Yes, I brought you a basket of buns."

With a simple gesture, a steaming basket of buns appeared on the table.

"Thank you, Zhongli! You're the best!" Paimon said happily.

Traveling with the Traveler often meant eating irregularly, sometimes starving for days. But with Zhongli, even though he often went out without money, Paimon had never gone hungry!

Zhongli watched as Paimon dug into the buns. Stroking his chin, he pondered silently.

Where exactly did all that food go in such a small body like Paimon's?

"Zhongli, do you want to eat some too?" Paimon asked with a hint of embarrassment, realizing that she had been hogging the food. She lifted a bun in each hand, as if offering one to him.

"No need, I've already eaten."

"Hehe, then I'll eat them all!" Paimon giggled with delight, her small frame seeming no more than fifty pounds at best.

Zhongli took another sip of tea, watching her eat as his mind wandered again.

There were four Sustainers of Heavenly Principles, and one thing was certain—they were all shadows of the true Heavenly Principles.

The true Sustainer of Heavenly Principles was also a white-haired woman with a golden crown.

From his memories of past lives, he recalled that Paimon could also be referred to as "Paimon," a name derived from one of the 72 pillars of demons—who is quite loyal to King of Angels.

Though the physical resemblance between Paimon and Paimon wasn't perfect, there was likely some connection.

If one were to follow the theory of parallel entities across different dimensions, Paimon definitely couldn't be as "ordinary" as she seemed.

To be fair, there was nothing ordinary about the current Paimon.

"What secrets are you hiding, little one?" Zhongli mused inwardly, though his expression remained calm.

With his level of power, he hadn't sensed any particular energy coming from Paimon. This meant one of two things: either Paimon was just Paimon, or her power far exceeded his imagination.

Shaking his head, Zhongli decided not to dwell on it any longer.

Whether or not Paimon was hiding some extraordinary power, she was still herself.