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

Just like in the original story, Du Weiren spent a long time explaining to this group of clueless people that it was the effect and function of the Golden Road that was too strong, which caused him to have little strength left to fight against the Netherworld White Tiger after he had defended against it, rather than saying that the Netherworld White Tiger was too strong to break through his defenses. Among them, the sentence "Do you really think that you can break through my defense as an eight-ring Soul Douluo with just two freshmen?" clearly showed that he was a little anxious.

Come to think of it, no one would have imagined that the freshman assessment would require the referee to withstand two spirit fusion skills, one of which was a spirit sealing skill.

Du Weilun asked Huo Yuhao and the others about the name of their spirit fusion technique, and then briefly answered their questions about spirit fusion techniques. He then turned back and glared fiercely at Dai Huabin and the others, saying that it was one thing to lose with a spirit fusion technique, but if he hadn't stopped them, Xiao Xiao's cauldron would have already smashed down, and given their staggering state, they wouldn't have been able to defend against it. Dai Huabin and the others didn't say anything more, but their expressions grew increasingly grim.

Chen Cheng had already left by then. As someone who already knew the outcome, he was naturally unsurprised. But at this moment, his feelings were undoubtedly surging and excited, like the sense of accomplishment one feels when playing a pet-raising game and watching it grow little by little.

Moreover, he genuinely sympathized with Huo Yuhao. When Huo Yuhao delivered his thirtieth hammer blow with all his might, he was so excited he almost jumped out of his seat. Every night, he watched Huo Yuhao train relentlessly, sweating profusely, as if he wanted to squeeze every last drop of strength from his body—a routine he'd maintained for three months straight! This hard work was the stepping stone that allowed him to earn Dai Huabin's respect, and it was also the whetstone that honed his blade of revenge. One day, Huo Yuhao would, through his own strength and effort, trample all of Duke Baihu's enemies under his feet!

After the competition ended, life returned to normal. Chen Cheng went back to the experimental area, either trying to replenish his savings or tinkering with a level-five soul tool that suited him.

However, under Chen Cheng's guidance, Chu Chen, the young girl, didn't stay in the Soul Guidance Department all the time; she's started going to the library to read books now. In any case, if you want to gain a truly solid theoretical foundation, studying diligently in the library is an indispensable part. Huo Yuhao has this habit in his spare time, but most other Soul Masters either rest or are busy cultivating in their spare time, paying very little attention to theoretical knowledge.

At the same time, Chen Cheng also told Chu Chen that she should have critical thinking skills when studying, ask questions when she didn't understand, and not just follow the crowd. Simply accepting knowledge will only make her a vessel for knowledge, not a learned person.

The evening was another dinner gathering. Everyone had seen Huo Yuhao and the others' hard work. Even Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong, who were lazy and didn't study regularly before entering the academy, were now getting up before sunrise every morning to train with Chen Cheng. Before being influenced by Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong never meditated at night. Now, every night, Huo Yuhao not only dragged him to cultivate with Hao Dong's power, but also pulled him together from time to time in his spare time.

This time, Chen Cheng prepared even more ingredients, but unfortunately, it was all in vain; all the food was devoured. Huo Yuhao, the head chef, frankly said he felt as exhausted as if he had just finished another final match, eliciting laughter from everyone.

However, after they finished eating, Chen Cheng and the others started talking about core disciples. The three little ones were very curious about this, and after Bei Bei explained the benefits of being a core disciple, they were very excited.

"Well, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao should be fine, but Huo Yuhao will likely get a core disciple experience card for now, enjoying the benefits but not the status." Seeing their enthusiastic discussion, Chen Cheng couldn't help but chime in.

The others were naturally very dissatisfied with this statement, and Tang Ya even came over to tell Chen Cheng to shut his mouth.

However, after a brief moment of confusion, Huo Yuhao seemed somewhat relieved and didn't say anything more. Chen Cheng, seeing this, didn't explain either. Chen Cheng thought he would talk to Huo Yuhao after finishing his studies in the Soul Guidance Department.

"Actually, the main reason for this situation is that those people at the top are blind to the truth, and another reason is that Huo Yuhao himself hid it too well. Who knew that his white spirit ring wasn't 10 years old, but a million years old? If it were me, without knowing the original story, I probably would have made a similar judgment. The key is that he kept the effects of his spirit skills hidden. If no one has tried his spirit skills, how would they know about the bug-like ability of these spirit skills? They can't be seen with the naked eye. Any one of his four spirit skill effects is a god-like mechanism! But apart from himself and his teammates, no one knows about it. He opened the shop in a winding alley and didn't advertise it. Who would know there was a shop here?" Thinking this, Chen Cheng sighed. After staying for a while, he returned to the experimental area with Huo Yuhao and Chu Chen.

  

At the end of the night, Chen Cheng comforted Huo Yuhao. However, to Chen Cheng's surprise, Huo Yuhao seemed quite philosophical about it.

"That's true. After all, he has at least a million-year soul ring as a foundation, so he's starting off at the top. Moreover, Tianmeng has been giving him hints that a major change will occur after level 20. He has goals and expectations in mind, so he won't pay too much attention to temporary gains and losses."

With that in mind, Chen Cheng reiterated that he could accompany Huo Yuhao to obtain his spirit ring when Huo Yuhao reached level 20. Even just saving some travel time would be beneficial.

Huo Yuhao expressed his gratitude, and then everyone parted ways.

The next day, Chen Cheng did not go to the freshman commendation ceremony, but planned to spend the whole day in the experimental area researching soul tools.

However, it's worth mentioning that Huo Yuhao's intense clash with Dai Huabin in yesterday's finals not only deepened his understanding of the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique but also allowed him to grasp some of the principles of "using someone else's force against them." When they practiced Tai Chi together again this morning, he had become the person who understood it most, second only to Chuchen, who possessed Yin-Yang attributes.

During lunch, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao still expressed their dissatisfaction, feeling that the academy owed Huo Yuhao something. After all, Huo Yuhao was the core of the team's tactical arrangements, and they wouldn't have won the finals without him. However, the academy's final decision was just as Chen Cheng had expected: they didn't grant him the status of a core disciple.

Instead, Huo Yuhao comforted everyone, saying he could accept it. Tang Ya, on the other hand, kept blaming Chen Cheng for his jinxing words.

Chen Cheng didn't say much, but told Huo Yuhao, "It's okay, gold always shines. And I have a feeling that your core disciple trial card hasn't ended yet, maybe it will become permanent. Also, the freshman assessment is over, and you can now officially report to the Soul Guidance Department to show your talent there."

Hearing this, the crowd's voices of indignation on Huo Yuhao's behalf finally ceased. Indeed, with Huo Yuhao's talent, which could be described as "monstrous" in the Soul Guidance Department, he would definitely become their prized possession. Why should they be fixated on the belle of the Martial Soul Department?

Huo Yuhao agreed to go with Chen Cheng to report to the Soul Guidance Department after school in the afternoon to participate in the assessment.

"You mean, he's a freshman who just finished his entrance exams, and he's already a Level 1 Soul Master, and he's mastered all the theoretical knowledge of a Level 2 Soul Master? Are you kidding me!"

The Soul Guidance Department's examiner found Chen Cheng's words hard to believe. After all, if it were true, Huo Yuhao would have become a Level 1 Soul Guidance Master in less than three months, which would be considered a historic achievement. However, he often saw Chen Cheng and Huo Yuhao entering and leaving the Soul Guidance Department together, and Chen Cheng wasn't the type to joke about serious matters. For a moment, he scrutinized Huo Yuhao, as if trying to discern something from him.

"Alright, teacher, let him try. If he doesn't pass, we can just have him learn it all over again. I have a lot of confidence in my brother," Chen Cheng replied with a smile, patting Huo Yuhao on the shoulder and gesturing for him to come over.

"Then I'll begin, teacher!"

After speaking, Huo Yuhao turned his gaze to the experimental table, selected the necessary materials, and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he felt that his entire being was united, and his vision was completely clear. He released his martial spirit, activating his mental detection to monitor the materials on the table.

The teacher frowned slightly when he saw that Huo Yuhao's first spirit ring was white. However, the spirit guidance system doesn't have high requirements for the talent of the martial spirit; the key is still the level of the individual's spirit guidance device.

Huo Yuhao's carving knife moved with precision, his movements fluid and seamless. Initially, his teacher wanted to warn him to be careful, as the rare metal with soul power affinity he had chosen was very precious. However, when he saw the gleam in Huo Yuhao's eyes, he instinctively fell silent. That gaze and aura could only be achieved through intense focus on soul tools; many soul masters only reach this level when they suddenly have a breakthrough or a sudden inspiration. Soul tools created in such moments are often more innovative. Therefore, it was natural not to interrupt this state of mind.

But the more the teacher paid attention to Huo Yuhao, the more alarmed he became: "What kind of thinking is this? He should be making a soul-guided cannon, right? But why are there no energy-gathering and stabilizing patterns engraved on it? Is he going to make multiple core arrays for assembly? But even if he succeeds, the final assembled soul-guided device will require more soul power just to activate, and its power will only be at an average level. It's completely not worth it."

The teacher's interest was now fully piqued. Originally, he had only intended to give a casual assessment, issue an identity token, and then have Chen Cheng lead the learning process. However, after being drawn in by Huo Yuhao's creation of the soul tool, he discovered that Huo Yuhao's approach was quite ingenious. Glancing at Chen Cheng and seeing his confident demeanor, he became even more curious.

"Storing energy, storing energy, accelerating, accelerating. Four patterns are carved on a small core array. This is already at the level of a second-level Soul Master, right? But what's the use of making this core array? It's just for simple energy storage and acceleration. In the end, the soul power doesn't take shape and is launched from the soul tool. It might dissipate into the air as soon as it's launched."

While the teacher was completely baffled, Huo Yuhao flawlessly completed the final inscription. Carefully picking up the newly inscribed core array, he channeled his soul power into it. The blue light gradually receded, then suddenly burst forth, forming a beam of light!

Success! Huo Yuhao was incredibly excited. Chen Cheng's daily guidance always combined his own abilities, and Chen Cheng felt he understood the wonders of mental detection even better than Huo Yuhao himself. It was precisely because of this divine skill that his Soul Master career had become so smooth. Moreover, he had already completely mastered the theoretical knowledge of a Level Two Soul Master, but he had always been unable to complete the inscription process due to insufficient Soul Power. This time, under special circumstances, he had actually succeeded on his first try—how could he not be overjoyed?

In contrast to Huo Yuhao's excitement, the teacher's expression was even more puzzled. He didn't even know whether he should admit that Huo Yuhao had become a Level Two Soul Master. Although he had indeed inscribed a Soul Guidance Core of Level Two complexity, he couldn't see any use or effect from it. A Soul Guidance Core without any function, no matter how skillfully inscribed, is just a waste!

"Huo Yuhao, could you also make the complete outer shell of the soul tool? I want to see what the finished product will look like."