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

During lunch, only Xiao Xiao reminisced about the morning's match, while Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao seemed somewhat silent. However, no one seemed to mind, assuming it was just pre-final tension.

Chen Cheng noticed the occasional glances exchanged between the two, as if they had made some kind of agreement, and he understood.

"Hmm, perhaps Huo Yuhao's reaction upon hearing Dai Huabin's name was a bit too much, and Wang Dong noticed? After returning, Huo Yuhao felt that Wang Dong was a trustworthy partner, so he poured out his hatred to him. But this is good, it's obvious that their relationship has progressed further, and now they're even exchanging glances in front of everyone. I wonder what they're planning this afternoon, to ambush Dai Huabin on the field? No, Huo Yuhao isn't that impatient. His goal has always been to become strong enough to rightfully return to the White Tiger Duke's Mansion and seek justice. Such underhanded tactics are not his style, that's for sure. Besides, the rules for the freshman assessment don't allow crippling, so he probably wants to defeat Dai Huabin himself and vent his anger!"

Thinking this, Chen Cheng raised his glass to express his belief that Huo Yuhao's team would win the final that afternoon. He was then interrupted by Xu Sanshi, who said, "Just drink your water properly. Why are you pretending to drink water?"

So Chen Cheng ladled out a bowl of soup and, still pretending to offer a toast, did so. Everyone laughed, thinking that the atmosphere was right, and wished Huo Yuhao and his group a triumphant return that afternoon.

"Hahahaha, that's hilarious! Dai Huabin and his two buddies were just squatting in the distance watching. I remember they were pretty arrogant, weren't they? How come they don't even react when I step on their heads now?"

Chen Cheng was secretly overjoyed. He had seen Dai Huabin and his two companions squatting nearby eating, which was why he had loudly wished Huo Yuhao and his team a triumphant return. Chen Cheng was firmly on Huo Yuhao's side and had long disliked Dai Huabin; making fun of him was a way to vent Huo Yuhao's anger. Besides, seeing Dai Huabin's posture, as if he wanted to smash his bowl and start a fight, was indeed hilarious. If Zhu Lu hadn't been holding him back, he might have actually come over and argued back, only to be thoroughly beaten up by the "Three Scoundrels" of Chen Cheng, Bei Bei, and Xu Sanshi.

Zhu Lu quickly pulled Dai Huabin away. What a joke! Someone who wouldn't even dare use the tables and chairs in Shrek Academy's cafeteria, how could he dare to provoke them? Just a cowardly bully! From the beginning, Chen Cheng didn't think this kind of person was of any benefit to the world. Once he grew up, he would simply become another bloodsucking leech, deserving of everyone's wrath. And Huo Yuhao's revenge for his mother's death was perfectly justified!

After dinner, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong planned to rush back to their dormitory to cultivate. This time, Wang Dong, usually a lazybones, didn't object; he only reluctantly agreed to cultivate with them at night. Their exchanged glances revealed not only tacit understanding but also a palpable tension. They claimed it was for the competition, but it was probably more about getting Huo Yuhao to vent his anger. In the original story, aside from being a bit spoiled, Wang Dong was actually a very nice person. She didn't have the arrogant, aristocratic airs of Dai Huabin, and she was incredibly righteous. Upon hearing about Huo Yuhao's mother's death, she wanted nothing more than to rush over and seek revenge. Besides, she was a girl, the daughter of a god-king who had descended to earth to experience life—how could she not be a princess?

With a half-smile on Chen Cheng's face, the group said their goodbyes and agreed to meet again in the afternoon.

The partitions in the afternoon assessment area have all been removed, making the entire arena appear exceptionally spacious.

"This space is many times larger than the square dance area downstairs from my apartment in my previous life. It's a pity, otherwise people would actually be doing square dancing in the assessment area of ​​the world's number one Soul Master Academy. Sigh, with such a big scene, only the teachers came; almost no students came to watch the competition. They don't understand 'sharing the joy with the people' at all. But perhaps this is to protect the students' privacy? As for fairness, I don't believe that Huo Yuhao and his team, who drew the Soul Master team for two consecutive mornings, didn't have any underhanded dealings in the draw."

  

"Hey, isn't that Dean Qian from our Soul Guidance Department next to Yan Shaozhe? Huo Yuhao hasn't shown the Soul Guidance Department's talent to the public yet. What brought him here? These two are such a pair of bad friends, they argue as soon as they meet. Luckily there aren't many students today, otherwise, you two wouldn't be ashamed, but everyone around you would feel embarrassed."

Chen Cheng glanced around and noticed another figure in the stands—a disheveled old man with graying hair and a haphazardly growing beard. His long, discolored robe was poorly worn, covered in grease and tears, almost turning the once-white robe black. He pulled out a chicken leg and a large, purplish-red gourd from somewhere, and with a pair of tattered slippers hanging from his feet, he reclined on a chair in the stands, drinking and eating. No one around him seemed to mind his behavior, or rather, no one dared to.

Unlike Yan Shaozhe, this old man didn't make a grand entrance. He just seemed like an unnoticed old man, finding a corner to eat and drink. However, when Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo saw him from afar, they bowed in their direction. The old man merely raised his head slightly to acknowledge them.

However, a figure approached him, seemingly introducing the two teams of students below the stage. Yes, this person was Wang Yan, and it appeared he was discussing Huo Yuhao's situation with the old man. But judging from the old man's impatient reaction, the reminder likely had the opposite effect.

"I don't even need to ask, this old man is most likely Elder Xuan. He's knowledgeable but short-sighted, the engine that wipes out Shrek Academy's outstanding students. He's like he's out of his mind every day, acting on a whim, and the best at shirking responsibility. The only right thing he did was expel Huo Yuhao from Shrek Academy before the game even started. It wasn't until after the beast tide that he had to shoulder the burden of Shrek Academy and started to seem like a normal person."

Chen Cheng shook his head as he watched the old man eat with his mouth greasy, then turned his gaze to the room.

Both Dai Huabin's team and Huo Yuhao's team were now on the field, eager to try their skills. After three months of training and the various medicinal baths provided by Chen Cheng, Huo Yuhao's appearance was vastly different from when they first met. He had grown to 1.7 meters tall, and his muscles were now well-proportioned and powerful. His overall demeanor had also transformed from initial listlessness and lack of confidence to a radiant confidence born from his hard work.

Dai Huabin appeared even stronger, nearly 1.8 meters tall. A faint but palpable killing intent slowly rose around him, and his eyes were fixed intently on Huo Yuhao's team of three, his fierce gaze fully revealed.

Only someone with his ruthless nature could display such a strong killing intent. However, those around him probably only felt pride in it, after all, his father was the Duke of White Tiger, the commander-in-chief of the Star Luo Empire's three armies, a man who had risked his life countless times on the battlefield. For his most talented son to display such ferocity from a young age was an honor, a source of pride. Everyone around him expected that one day he would shed blood on the battlefield like his father. Therefore, his ruthlessness was deliberately cultivated from childhood; it could be said that the entire White Tiger Duke's family system created such a ruthless individual, ultimately leading to Huo Yuhao's tragedy.

However, Dai Huabin didn't recognize Huo Yuhao at the moment. Just as Chen Cheng had said during their earlier chat, Huo Yuhao's transformation was such that almost no one except his close companions could recognize him. But his killing intent was real. What normal values ​​could a five-year-old who could cruelly kill a small soul beast have?

Chen Cheng even suspected that if Huo Yuhao really humiliated Dai Huabin in this competition, he wouldn't mind taking action against him before the original story.

Before the match, Director Du, who was to act as the referee, came over and announced the new rules. He said that in order to showcase their strength to the fullest, the match would allow free movement and attacks by any means, without holding back, and that he would be responsible for ensuring the safety of the trainees. The only thing to note was that soul tools were still prohibited, and when using flight abilities, the trainees could not leave the ground for more than ten meters.

After hearing the rules, both sides indicated they understood. When Dai Huabin heard that he didn't need to hold back, his expression turned sinister and ruthless, like a beast eyeing its prey. Huo Yuhao took in all of this. At this moment, although he was filled with murderous intent, Chen Cheng's teachings had instilled in him the principle that "a gentleman's revenge is never too late," so his demeanor and actions appeared quite calm.

"Exchange names!"

"Dai Huabin!"

"Zhu Lu!" The girl with black hair who always clung to Dai Huabin.

"Cui Yajie!" A girl with pink hair, whom Chen Cheng didn't recognize.

"Is Dai Huabin on fire? Ever since I noticed him, he's been staring at these three, as if he wants to poke holes in them with his eyes. Didn't I find a chance to mock them a few times at lunch? What a petty and vengeful person! With such a vicious heart, how much trouble will he bring after becoming a strongman?" Chen Cheng felt the rising murderous aura from Dai Huabin's side, and his desire to go down and give him a few "personality correction punches" grew stronger and stronger.

"Huo Yuhao!"

"Wang Dong!"

"Xiao Xiao!"

Compared to the excitement of Dai Huabin and his group, Huo Yuhao and his two companions appeared remarkably calm. This was also part of Chen Cheng's usual guidance to them: combat relies not only on strength but also on strategy. How can one develop excellent tactics if emotions constantly dictate their thinking?

At Director Du's signal, both sides slowly moved away, retreating to the edge of the field to wait for the start. In this vast arena, the six of them, if not floating in the sky, certainly appeared extremely small.

Everyone in the stadium fell silent, and all attention was focused on the game.

"The match begins!"

Huo Yuhao simply walked forward without releasing his martial spirit. Meanwhile, Xiao Xiao remained behind Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.

Meanwhile, Dai Huabin's team surged with renewed vigor, shouting as they ran, "Martial Soul Possession!"

A flash of light appeared, and Dai Huabin's figure began to expand rapidly. His body leaned slightly forward, his arms outstretched, seemingly lengthening as well. His school uniform was stretched taut by his bulging muscles, and claws extended from his hands as they moved, appearing to gleam with a cold light from a distance. His hands were now twice their previous size. His once golden hair had turned into gray and white fur, like a tiger's, and a faint "king" character appeared on his forehead.

The three spirit rings, two yellow and one purple, created a surge of spirit power around him. The light shone on his cold and handsome face, making Dai Huabin, who already exuded killing intent, even more ferocious now that his spirit was possessed.

Zhu Lu's appearance changed relatively little. After her martial soul was attached to her, apart from the two spirit rings surrounding her, her eyes became darker, she gained ears on her head, and she acquired some not-so-exaggerated claws on her hands. But when she moved, her speed increased several times over, leaving a trail of afterimages behind her.

On the other side, Cui Yajie's transformation was so dramatic that it could even be compared to Dai Huabin's. Originally appearing as an eleven or twelve-year-old girl, after being possessed by a martial spirit, she seemed to have grown two or three years older, instantly becoming youthful and vibrant. Her hair, like the wavy hairstyle of a woman from a last century's movies, cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall. Her eyes held a captivating allure, and her cheeks flushed a light, wine-like blush, adding to her already stunning beauty and youthful energy. Her ears became pointed, like an elf's. Even more remarkably, two long tails, each over a meter long, appeared on her back, glossy and incredibly supple in the sunlight, making one want to touch them.