Douluo: Martial Soul White Tiger, I am the White Emperor of Heaven

Su Chen said softly, "Do you see it? The lights of Tiandou City are brighter than ever before. Your sacrifices have not been in vain. This land, these people, will continue to live well. We will continue to carry on your beliefs. We will continue to uphold your protection."

The night breeze rustled the leaves outside the window, as if in response to his words.

Under the same night sky, at the other end of Tiandou City, in a small courtyard, a little girl was sitting on the steps, looking at the stars in the sky.

"Grandpa, is it true that Lady Qian Renxue and the others turned into stars?" The little girl turned her head and asked the old man sitting behind her.

The old man smiled and patted the little girl's head: "It's true. They became the three brightest stars, forever watching over us from heaven."

"Can they see us?" the little girl asked again.

"Yes," the old man said. "As long as we have them in our hearts, they will be able to see us."

The little girl nodded, then shouted loudly to the sky, "Lady Qian Renxue! Commander Zhao Feng! Lord Lin Mo! Thank you! I will grow up well! I will protect this land just like you!"

The child's innocent voice echoed in the night sky, carrying far and wide.

In the sky, three stars suddenly twinkled at the same time, as if responding to the little girl's call.

…………

Time flies like an arrow, and another year has passed in the blink of an eye.

The atmosphere on Martyrs' Day remains solemn and respectful, but the sadness has gradually faded, replaced by a warm and resolute strength. People are no longer just crying and mourning, but have begun to think about how to pass on the spirit of the martyrs.

The Heaven Dou Empire's royal family issued a decree—to establish "Heroic Academies" throughout the country, specifically to cultivate young Soul Masters with a spirit of protection. The academies do not teach combat techniques, nor do they teach Soul Power cultivation; they teach only one thing—belief.

The drafter of this decree was Su Chen.

Su Chen stood before the first cornerstone of the Heroes' Academy, a shovel in his hand, ready to shovel the first shovelful of earth. Behind him stood the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, civil and military officials, representatives of various forces, and tens of thousands of ordinary people.

"Everyone," Su Chen turned to face the crowd, his voice not loud, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears, "Today, we are establishing the Heroes' Academy here not to cultivate powerful Soul Masters, but to cultivate people with conviction. The sacrifices of Lady Qian Renxue, Commander Zhao Feng, and Lady Lin Mo teach us a lesson—true power does not come from Martial Souls, nor from Soul Power, but from within. Only with a strong enough heart can one truly protect what one wants to protect."

In the crowd, some people sobbed softly, some nodded silently, some clenched their fists, and some closed their eyes to pray.

Su Chen continued, "The Heroes' Academy has no entrance exams, no graduation exams, no tuition fees, no age limits, and no status restrictions. As long as you have a heart for protection, and as long as you are willing to carry on the beliefs of the heroes, you can come here to study." These words caused a stir. No tuition fees, no age limits, and no status restrictions meant that anyone could enter the Heroes' Academy. This was unheard of in the strictly hierarchical Douluo Continent.

Some questioned it, some opposed it, and some ridiculed it as a pipe dream. But Su Chen remained unmoved. He believed that the power of conviction needs no threshold.

With the first shovelful of earth, the construction of the Martyrs' Academy officially began.

Three months later, the academy was completed. It was less of an academy and more of a massive memorial hall. At the center of the academy stood a tall tower, topped with statues of Qian Renxue, Zhao Feng, and Lin Mo, and the tower itself was inscribed with the names of heroes—those who sacrificed their lives in that great battle a thousand years ago.

The tower is surrounded by classrooms, a library, and training grounds, but all the buildings share a common characteristic—simple yet solemn, without any superfluous decorations, except for a sentence inscribed on the wall: "Heroes are immortal, their protection is endless."

The first batch of trainees consisted of only three hundred people, ranging from ten-year-old children to fifty-year-old elders, from noble children to commoners, from Soul Masters to ordinary people. They came here for different reasons, but they all had one thing in common—they all wanted to become like Qian Renxue, Zhao Feng, and Lin Mo.

Standing on the podium, Su Chen looked at the three hundred faces below, a complex emotion welling up inside him. Among these people, some were exceptionally talented, some were mediocre, some were full of vigor, and some had lost in thought. But they all chose to come here, to carry on the beliefs of the martyrs.

"Everyone," Su Chen began, his voice calm yet firm, "Welcome to the Heroes' Academy. Here, I will not teach you how to fight, nor how to increase your soul power. I will only teach you one thing—what is faith."

"Belief is not a slogan, not empty words, not pretty words to be said all the time. Belief is the power that enables you to make the right decision when you face choices; it is the courage that enables you to persevere when you are in dire straits; it is the light that guides you when you feel lost."

"Lady Qian Renxue, as the Goddess of Angels, could have been high above, enjoying the glory and power of a god. But when she saw the continent in crisis, she chose to sacrifice herself, merging her soul into the seal, exchanging a thousand years of solitude for the peace of the continent. This is faith."

"Commander Zhao Feng, as the commander of the Heroic Army, could have led the army to retreat and save his own life. But when he saw Lady Qian Renxue sacrifice herself, he chose to stay and protect her, exchanging a thousand years of perseverance for the peace of the continent. This is faith."

"Lord Lin Mo, as the inheritor of the Holy Angel Spirit Abyss Dragon Emperor Martial Soul, could have left alone to find other solutions. But when he saw that Lady Qian Renxue and Commander Zhao Feng needed help, he chose to join them and sacrifice himself, exchanging the self-destruction of his soul for the destruction of the Seed of Nothingness. This is faith."

Su Chen's voice grew louder and more resolute: "They told us that beliefs are not for showing off or flaunting, but for putting into practice. True belief is believing in the light in the darkest of times, holding onto hope in the most desperate times, and choosing to move forward in the most difficult times."

Below the stage, three hundred pairs of eyes shone brightly. Some wept, some clenched their fists, some whispered, and some prayed silently. They may not have fully understood Su Chen's words, but they all felt that power—the power of faith, the power of heroes.

“From today onwards, you will become the inheritors of our beliefs.” Su Chen looked at each of them and said, word by word, “You don’t need to become powerful Soul Masters, you don’t need to become high-ranking figures. You only need to remember one thing—no matter what difficulties you encounter, no matter what choices you face, ask yourselves: If Lady Qian Renxue, Commander Zhao Feng, and Lady Lin Mo were here, what would they do? Then, do what they did.”

The voices of three hundred people rang out simultaneously, firm and powerful: "Yes!" (End of Chapter)