Douluo Continent: Ink Bamboo as a Cauldron to Break Through Ten Thousand Heavens

Another beautiful day has begun!

He greeted Xiao Xiao, who had gotten up early to exercise. Chen Cheng also continued his training, trying to find that feeling of enlightenment he had experienced the night before through various means.

"What a pity, sigh, that feeling was fleeting. Last night, Mu En hinted that my martial spirit had room for improvement, and that feeling must have been the key."

"I'm speechless. In my previous life, I didn't want to get up at 8 a.m., but I was forced to get up early every day to practice Tai Chi so as to showcase the academy's unique features. In this life, for the sake of some so-called 'feeling,' I stayed up all night and am here practicing early in the morning..."

After finishing his training, Chen Cheng ate a few bamboo pills and stretched, still regretting not having seized the opportunity. Looking back, he saw Xiao Xiao also training hard, drenched in sweat!

"There's someone right next to me that I didn't even notice? Is Xiao Xiao just too unremarkable and unattractive? Or was I just too focused on that feeling? Anyway, Xiao Xiao is a bit lazy, but she's obedient! She's actually 'shedding her laziness and embracing diligence,' planning to establish herself as a hardworking and disciplined persona?"

Chen Cheng invited Xiao Xiao to go to the cafeteria together, and she looked quite satisfied. During the meal, Chen Cheng remained deep in thought, his face clouded with worry. It wasn't until Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi came over and patted him on the shoulder that he realized they were greeting him.

What's most infuriating is that as soon as these two heard about his predicament, they started bragging about how after breaking through level 40, they went to obtain their fourth soul ring yesterday afternoon, and now they have both become four-ring Soul Masters!

Although he was pleased with their eagerness to improve, Chen Cheng felt even more irritated by their smug expressions!

"Hey you two, don't you feel like you're getting a little too cocky?" Chen Cheng yelled, "Why don't you come and fight me, so you can both come to your senses and see reality for yourselves!" Xu Sanshi readily agreed, and then dragged Bei Bei into it, saying that they would fight Chen Cheng together.

"I was practically yelling at them, 'Come on, let's have a go!' Sigh, I don't think just beating them up would really do anything, but a fight would be good for relieving my emotions."

Thinking of this, Chen Cheng's mood improved somewhat. Xiao Xiao then went to call Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao to go watch the excitement.

"Hmm, the students in Zhou Yi's class are already rushing to the classroom at this hour. Anyone who arrives later than Zhou Yi will probably be punished. These three little ones can still leisurely come over to watch us spar, so their lives seem pretty comfortable! Who says relationships have to be cultivated in a pressure cooker? Isn't it better to develop a harmonious relationship like this? However, this time the three little ones have been transferred to other classes, and without Huo Yuhao's leadership, the cohesion in Zhou Yi's class will drop another level. It's hard to say how many will be left for the freshman assessment, let alone compete for the championship. I wish Zhou Yi can comfortably stay in her 'loved' position this time. Hmm, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong are here, and it seems their relationship has improved a lot! Hmm, Huo Yuhao's complexion is also better than yesterday. It seems that cultivation really requires a lot of resources..."

"Let's just fight. I still have to go to the Soul Guidance Department after we're done!" Chen Cheng said as they walked to Sea God Lake. "If we go to the sparring arena to register and then go back and forth, Xiao Xiao and the other two will probably be late for class."

"Yeah, the three of us are so lazy we forgot about it." Xu Sanshi scratched his head. "We'll take on you, and then you can use your soul tool, no problem, right?"

"What the hell? Shameless! Xu Sanshi, where's your face? Where's your face? You're acting like I'm not a Soul Master! I'm not that much higher level than you guys, am I?" Chen Cheng angrily denounced Xu Sanshi's shameless behavior, but when he turned around, he saw that Bei Bei was already in a fighting stance. "Damn it, I think you two had planned to beat me up all along! No wonder you didn't call Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan over, were you afraid they'd call you shameless!"

"Come on!" Without responding to their smirks, Chen Cheng stopped dawdling and shouted, summoning his martial soul. At the same time, a soul-guided thruster appeared on his back, and with a burst of beams, he was in front of Xu Sanshi in the blink of an eye. Xu Sanshi only had time to summon the Xuanming Shield to protect himself, but he was quite confident in his defensive capabilities. Even without having time to use his soul skills, he did not think that Chen Cheng could break through his defenses in such a hasty manner.

Just as Xu Sanshi summoned the Xuanming Shield to block his vision, Chen Cheng stomped his right foot on the Xuanming Shield, using the recoil to slide backward a short distance, just in time to dodge the thunderous dragon claw coming from the right.

"Hey Beibei, that's not very ethical of you! You're resorting to sneak attacks!" Chen Cheng complained, but his hands didn't stop moving. Using the Tang Clan's hidden weapon techniques, a bunch of bamboo strips shot from his hands towards the two of them, their trajectories unpredictable and difficult to anticipate. Chen Cheng didn't just throw the bamboo strips and leave them there. Although his mental power wasn't enough to transform each bamboo strip into a weapon, the sudden appearance of a few weapons amidst the large number of bamboo strips seemed even more difficult to defend against.

Bei Bei charged towards Chen Cheng with ghostly, stealthy steps, using her left hand to deflect the bamboo shards in front of her with the Crane Control Dragon Capture technique, while her right hand's Thunder Dragon Claw continuously gathered power, a large amount of blue electricity coursing through her scale-covered right arm. Xu Sanshi, without dodging, advanced forward, releasing his second soul skill, the Profound Nether Shield Formation. The entire shield seemed to split into two clones, protecting the surrounding area, and a large number of bamboo shards were smashed against it and deflected.

Seeing that the two were charging forward with undiminished momentum, Chen Cheng stopped his persistent attempts to harass them with bamboo strips. The bamboo strips that the two had initially blocked took root and sprouted into bamboo stalks, blocking their path. Taking advantage of the situation, Chen Cheng retrieved a flying soul tool and a small soul ray from his storage soul tool. He then leaped into the air and unleashed three beams. The beams were about to hit Bei Bei, who had just broken free of the bamboo barrier with Thunderous Strike and was charging forward. With bamboo blocking her left, right, and behind, the timing and angle of the beams were incredibly tricky.

However, Xu Sanshi wasn't just standing by and watching. He and Bei Bei spent every day together and had a perfect understanding. In the next instant, he switched places with Bei Bei, shielding her from the attack.

  

"The Xuanming Displacement is really useful! A god-tier skill that allows for zero-frame startup, protecting allies, and initiating team fights! Luckily, I guessed this displacement!" After firing the beam of light, Chen Cheng didn't stop. The propulsion soul tool on his back activated, and the flight soul tool immediately retracted, drawing an arc in the air as it rushed towards Xu Sanshi's original position, which was now attacking Bei Bei, who had just been displaced there. The bamboo strip in Chen Cheng's hand condensed into a long staff, becoming as hard as iron under the effect of his second soul skill, Bamboo Wall Firmness. The extreme speed of the falling bamboo staff transformed into the force of a powerful gust of wind, slamming down hard on Bei Bei!

Just as Beibei switched positions, she heard the sound of wind breaking above her head. In her haste, she only had time to raise her right hand to block the bamboo stick that was swiftly swinging down from above. She instantly fell to her knees on the ground, her clothes torn by the aftershocks of the collision, and even the martial spirit she possessed seemed somewhat illusory.

Everything happened in an instant. Xu Sanshi, who had just blocked the soul guide ray, hadn't even had time to catch his breath when he heard a noise from Bei Bei's side. He quickly turned around, but unfortunately, due to Chen Cheng's deliberate positioning, Bei Bei was blocked between the two of them. Xu Sanshi was also unable to get past Bei Bei to attack Chen Cheng, who was further away, so he had to activate Xuanming Displacement again, followed by Xuanming Shock.

Although Chen Cheng's attack was fierce and unexpected, the load of the propulsion device, the recoil from the bamboo stick, and Bei Bei's lightning power all reacted on him, slowing his movements. He only had time to use two or three bamboo strips to create a bamboo shield to block the Xuanming Shock.

"Sigh, if I weren't broke, I'd love to learn the fighting style of the Sun Moon Empire from the original story! They used those invincible shields and protective soul tools like they were free!"

Without time to think, Chen Cheng, who had recovered slightly, hurriedly used Ghostly Shadow Step to retreat. If he had been any slower, Bei Bei, who was rushing over from behind, would have used Thunderous Fury to amplify his power, and the Thunderous Might that he had been charging up for so long would have electrocuted him like a fish!

But hearing Xu Sanshi chuckle in front of him, Chen Cheng knew he was doomed! Sure enough, the next moment he and Xu Sanshi switched places! He appeared in front of Bei Bei, who had been gathering her strength for a while. Bei Bei didn't hesitate either; her fourth spirit ring lit up, and the Thunder Dragon Head slammed towards Chen Cheng. Xu Sanshi wasn't idle either. Although he had used his fourth spirit skill several times, leaving him with very little spirit power, he could still harass Chen Cheng with his spirit strikes.

Facing attacks from both sides, Chen Cheng could neither dodge the thunderous dragon head coming from the front nor break through Xu Sanshi's defense from behind. The three people watching from the sidelines couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat for Chen Cheng.

"Sigh, I guess I'll have to spend the money! It's not even time for my plan yet, and I'm already wasting it!" Amidst Chen Cheng's lament, a golden light shone.

"Damn it, Chen Cheng, you shameless bastard! You even used your invincible shield for a friendly spar!" Bei Bei was shocked by the sudden turn of events and cursed.

"It's all because of you two!" Chen Cheng said fiercely while stuffing bamboo pills into his mouth to recover his strength. Then, the moment Bei Bei's attack ended, he deactivated his invincible shield and used a soul-guided cannon in each hand to hold off the two of them.

It was obvious that Chen Cheng had won. At this distance, Bei Bei, who had just unleashed her fourth soul skill and hadn't had time to retract it, couldn't dodge, and Xu Sanshi, whose soul power was depleted, couldn't withstand it either. Seeing Chen Cheng's fierce eyes as he desperately chewed on the bamboo pill, looking like he was saying, "If you don't surrender, I'll blow you up!", they quickly admitted defeat one after another.

"Is this what a soul tool is? I never knew it could be this powerful! We're both Soul Masters, yet with the power of a soul tool, one of us can take on two opponents!" Huo Yuhao couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"So what? In the end, it's just relying on external forces!" Wang Dong said subconsciously.

"What? I think you're just jealous of Chen Cheng's strength, hehe." Xiao Xiao didn't have any reservations about soul tools; she simply felt that Chen Cheng was stronger.

Wang Dong didn't say anything more, but the thought of trying out a soul tool made him feel inexplicably nauseous. He turned to look at Huo Yuhao and saw that he was deep in thought, so he didn't say anything more.

The three people in the distance weren't in much better shape; they lay on the ground without a care, munching on bamboo shoots like snacks and bickering. The fight, seemingly involving several shifts, actually only lasted a very short time, but all three felt utterly exhausted, having used every trick in the book. Chen Cheng, in particular, had completely moved beyond the sadness of not finding "inspiration" and entered into the sadness of losing an invincible shield.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from the distance of Poseidon Lake, and a crimson figure was slowly approaching, with a phoenix cry heard from time to time.

"Damn it, how come that crazy woman Ma Xiaotao is here too! I just had a fight and I don't have any energy left! Can I run away?" Xu Sanshi's expression was as sad as it had been before the fight.

"Heh, this is just retribution for not being martial arts virtuous!" Chen Cheng said, but still handed him a large handful of bamboo shoots. "Go and eat them on the way to recover. Don't let this crazy woman damage your vital essence."

Xu Sanshi's face was contorted like a bitter gourd, and his heart was probably no sweeter. But then Bei Bei's voice suddenly rang out: "Something's wrong, there's something wrong with Ma Xiaotao this time!"

The three looked closely, and it really was! This time, Ma Xiaotao was radiating a fierce light. When she flew over, the Sea God Lake beneath her feet emitted water vapor. She couldn't speak human language and was screaming as she rushed over at top speed, completely like a terrifying, crazed soul beast!

"No, she's not coming for you, she's going for those three kids!" Chen Cheng realized the seriousness of the situation and shouted urgently.

"Xiao Xiao, you three! Run!"