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

"Brother Chen Cheng! How did we do just now?" Xiao Xiao jumped up and greeted Chen Chengchao and the others as they approached.

Hearing Xiao Xiao's sunny and energetic voice, Chen Cheng's discomfort from thinking about "Shrek Academy's unwillingness to give hard-working people a chance and its 'genius-only' approach" was temporarily dispelled, and he smiled as he looked at the three little ones.

"You did a very good job. I didn't expect you to do this, winning without a scratch. That's how it often is; learning to use your intelligence can make it easier to turn the tide."

Wang Dong pouted somewhat discontentedly and walked over: "Brother Chen Cheng, what do you mean by this? Do you think we can't win, or that we'll win badly? You're underestimating us!"

Xiao Xiao raised her arm in agreement, while Huo Yuhao nodded thoughtfully. Recalling Chen Cheng's instructions during their previous special training—that safety should be the priority, and that they should use their brains whenever possible, and absolutely not risk their health to win a match unless absolutely necessary—Huo Yuhao felt that Chen Cheng rarely spoke without reason. Perhaps he had sensed something this time?

"Alright, alright, it seems there are only three teams at the Soul Master level. You've already defeated two of them. To face Dai Huabin's team again, you'll probably have to wait until the very last day. Keep up the good work! I'll be back to watch your match tomorrow. Good luck!"

Chen Cheng smoothed things over and then left. Since all three were unharmed, winning the championship wasn't really important. Even if they won, Chen Cheng wasn't particularly interested in the soul bone as a reward, since it would ultimately be absorbed by Xiao Xiao anyway. However, the soul bone's age was indeed a bit low. While soul bones are precious, this was still a rare find for a twin martial soul genius, and a soul bone of this age would somewhat limit their talent.

At dinner, Huo Yuhao and his two friends shared their afternoon's competition experiences at the table. There wasn't much to say; they faced a team composed of one power-attack type and two agility-attack types. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, amplified by the power of Hao Dong, unleashed the Butterfly God's Light, instantly defeating their opponents. After all, the Butterfly God's Light was originally a thousand-year-old soul skill, and with the fusion of their martial souls, its power approached the strength of a three-ring Soul Master's thousand-year-old soul skill. This team consisted entirely of two-ring students; the two agility-attack type soul masters were eliminated immediately, leaving only one power-attack type soul master. Even if he withstood the attack, he wouldn't have more than 20-30% of his soul power remaining. Xiao Xiao merely lifted the cauldron slightly, and the opponent was eliminated outright.

"Actually, the teams that make it to the finals all have at least three members with offensive capabilities, rather than purely support-type Soul Masters. After all, in Shrek Academy, apart from a few geniuses who are padded with resources, everyone else's talent is top-tier on the continent, and the differences between individuals aren't that significant. Under such circumstances, having a support-type Soul Master to lead a team in a competition would likely be a burden if their abilities weren't as extraordinary as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Perhaps, if Ning Tian's team hadn't encountered Huo Yuhao's team when they were among the 64 teams, they might have also been able to reach the top eight? That would have been quite a sight."

"Sigh, even now I still feel that Shrek Academy's assessment method is a bit problematic. How can it be so domineering, just throwing everyone together like a hodgepodge for the assessment? It doesn't show each person's characteristics at all, or rather, it can't fully utilize each person's strengths. How many talents will be buried by doing this?"

That night, the three of them didn't stay up late in the experimental area as usual. After all, Huo Yuhao and his team had their final assessment the next day, and they had a chance to compete for the championship. For Huo Yuhao, it was also an opportunity to test the results of his three months of hard work, so he took it very seriously.

The three of them sat at the lab table, sipping the little good tea Chen Cheng had left, and then leisurely reclined in their chairs, enjoying this rare moment of rest. Even the light from the soul-guiding lamps in the experimental area seemed to soften at that moment.

"Chu Chen, have all the freshmen who didn't pass the assessment these past two days left the academy? Has Bei Bei helped you get a place to live on campus?" Chen Cheng suddenly remembered that Chu Chen was quite different from the guy next to him who had a very high chance of winning the championship. He had been watching the competition these past two days and had forgotten to ask about how to arrange accommodation for him.

"Yes, Brother Beibei helped me get a spot to stay at the school. He said that if I have the opportunity to achieve something significant in the future, or show enough talent, the academy will consider giving me another chance." Chu Chen looked up at the Soul Guidance Lamp. The kindness of everyone was just like the Soul Guidance Lamp at this moment, making her see the light and feel the warmth.

Chen Cheng smiled, sat up straight, and refilled everyone's cups with tea. He couldn't help but sigh again, "This tea Xu Sanshi gave us is absolutely amazing! This world doesn't have drinks like Coke or Sprite. I used to joke that drinking iced tea at home was like drinking horse piss, while at school it was like drinking Guojiao (a famous Chinese liquor). But now, let alone iced tea, even a bottle of Ice Dew would be sweet for me! And the ingredients for cooking in this world are so simple, maybe because technology hasn't advanced that far yet. Most cooking techniques rely on roasting and stewing, seasoning with just a little salt and basic spices. Getting seasonings like chicken essence and MSG from my previous life is practically impossible. Therefore, the cuisine in this world actually tests a chef's ability to bring out and control the natural flavors of the ingredients. Take Huo Yuhao's grilled fish, for example—just a little salt, and through precise control of the heat and grilling time, a touch of spice to bring out the aroma, and it's unforgettable. Sigh, I've been in this world for over ten years now, I wonder if I'll ever be able to go back…"

Thinking of this, Chen Cheng couldn't help but pick up his teacup, take a few sips, and let his gaze drift away and become hazy, his thoughts gradually soaring to the heavens.

Huo Yuhao rarely communicated with Chu Chen. On one hand, he wasn't particularly sociable; on the other hand, he and Chu Chen hadn't had much interaction. Therefore, aside from discussions about soul tools and occasional exchanges about soul master knowledge, they had virtually no communication. At this moment, Huo Yuhao finished a cup of tea, attempting to use the energy contained within to accelerate his meditation. He had absolutely no intention of engaging in conversation.

  

"By the way, Chu Chen. Does your family know about you joining the Tang Clan? Don't they object?" Chen Cheng pulled himself back to reality, feeling that if he continued to be melancholy for a while, he would lose his composure in front of the two children. He rubbed his eyes, pretending that his eyes were a little sore from staring at one spot for so long.

"My parents didn't really care about me. They didn't actually think I could get into Shrek Academy at first. Our family's martial spirit inheritance isn't particularly outstanding, and my Yin-Yang Robe is a mutated form." Chu Chen said, sounding somewhat dejected, like a little girl who wasn't loved by her parents. "Their initial plan was just to try their luck. After I got into Shrek Academy, their only expectation of me was that I could find a talented boy and marry him..."

"It sounds a bit like the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School's long-standing strategy, but this simple expectation of finding someone to marry is really too hurtful to a girl. Even in the precocious world of Douluo Continent, explaining the future of an 11-year-old girl so clearly before she even enters school is quite discouraging. It feels like after studying hard for over ten years and finally getting into a good university, only to have your family suddenly tell you: 'Our goal for you is simply to find a boyfriend at university and live off him.' Who wouldn't feel hurt hearing that?"

Thinking this through, Chen Cheng gained some understanding of the girl's situation. Her background meant that if she didn't stay at Shrek Academy, her family would likely be unable to afford to train a Soul Master. As a two-ring Soul Master, she might end up like the concubines or even maids in the White Tiger Duke's mansion, becoming an appendage of other noble leaders. Her previous tears weren't just for her teammates, but also for her own sorrowful plight!

Chen Cheng pushed a cup of tea in front of her: "What do you think of me?"

Chu Chen didn't understand what Chen Cheng meant. Her jumpy thinking often puzzled those around her, so she could only say, "Brother Chen Cheng, you're a very good person, and you've been very good to me. If you need me to repay you, I..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Cheng paused mid-air, his hand still holding the teacup. Thankfully, he hadn't yet taken a sip. With a helpless expression, he interrupted, "My bad for not finishing my sentence. What I meant was, what do you think of my current talent?"

Chu Chen's face flushed instantly. She picked up her teacup, turned around as if to hide her embarrassment, and then whispered, "You're amazing, Brother Chen Cheng. You're only 15 years old, right? You're already a four-ring Soul Master. Moreover, you can teach us Soul Guidance Techniques and Fist Techniques. You seem to know everything about theoretical knowledge, and you often teach us many profound truths that we've never heard of before..."

Chen Cheng nodded; this was the answer he wanted to hear! How was he supposed to respond to what she had just said?

"Actually, my background is similar to Yuhao's; we're both orphans. That's why I felt a sense of closeness when I first saw Huo Yuhao, and I really wanted to lend him a helping hand. Perhaps it's a kind of redemption for my past self? And our experiences now prove that as long as you work hard, your background doesn't determine how high you can go. Your future is still in your own hands!"

Chu Chen was immediately surprised. In his view, Shrek Academy was simply a gathering place for the sons of high-ranking officials and nobles, or a marriage venue for rich young ladies. Those who could come to Shrek Academy were all either rich or noble. Not only were there high tuition fees, but a letter of introduction from the city lord was also required for admission. At that time, Chu Chen's family had gone to great lengths and pulled many strings to secure this admission spot, spending a large sum of money in the process. The night before the admission, he could clearly see that his parents' hair had turned somewhat gray.

This is why Chu Chen often felt inferior. Others in their families or sects had countless resources to cultivate their talents, while Chu Chen's ability to attend Shrek Academy was already the result of his parents' tireless efforts. Moreover, there were quite a few like Dai Huabin in the academy who abused their power, bringing their aristocratic status to the academy, and Shrek usually turned a blind eye to it. Because of this, Chu Chen couldn't even find a single close friend, let alone anyone to confide in. He also dared not complain to his parents, who had gone to so much trouble to send him to the academy.

With this mindset, Chu Chen never imagined that Huo Yuhao and Chen Cheng were both orphans. In her original understanding, Chen Cheng might be from a prominent family, coming to Shrek Academy to experience life and, incidentally, to find talent for his family. That would explain why he was training people like Huo Yuhao and herself, and even cultivating good relationships with Xiao Xiao and the others. But now that this was said, Chu Chen felt that some previously unseen barriers had disappeared.

"But we're two different people, one a transmigrator who has lived two lives, and the other a chosen one. Is that something we can say?" Chen Cheng couldn't help but complain in his heart, but seeing Chu Chen's "we're both in the same boat" expression, he didn't say anything more.