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

Chen Cheng looked at the thin but upright young man in front of him, whose eyes showed no weakness, and his mind was filled with many thoughts.

"What should I say now? Just confess? No, how can I make him believe me? Should I say I've read novels where you fall for a third of the protagonist's daughters and get tormented by all sorts of love triangles? Forget it, he'd probably just think I'm crazy. Say nothing? But the combined years of the soul beasts within him are enough to reenact Chinese history hundreds of times. If he thinks about it and becomes suspicious, what if he uses his power to get rid of me? Ugh, this trouble is right at my doorstep, and I'm just a lazy bum who doesn't want to use my brain. If only I were Klein next door, I'd transmigrate, level up, and gain a brain, so I wouldn't be so anxious about every little thing..."

Thinking of this, a flash of inspiration struck Chen Cheng, and he said, "Let me introduce myself in detail. I'm a fourth-year student in the outer academy of Shrek Academy, and a member of the Tang Sect. You don't need to be nervous. I just followed you because I was worried about your safety traveling alone to the Star Dou Great Forest. Everyone has their own opportunities, and it's impossible not to be envious, but I won't steal yours. I know a little about your situation..."

Chen Cheng stared into Huo Yuhao's eyes. He couldn't be completely sure whether the consciousness he was facing was Huo Yuhao himself, the million-year-old soul beast Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, or even the demigod-level consciousness Ilex!

Huo Yuhao didn't move or speak; he just stood there quietly, his body appearing somewhat tense.

Chen Cheng frowned. He was certain that the consciousness controlling the body was no longer Huo Yuhao. After all, in the original story, Huo Yuhao had a very strong reaction when he heard the words "Shrek" and "Tang Sect".

"I just saw that you didn't seem to have absorbed the spirit ring of that ten-year-old wind baboon, but you do have one..."

At this point, Chen Cheng was basically certain that the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm was now in control of the body, so he decided to praise it a couple of times, since this guy was the least likely to be praised.

"Isn't a beautiful white ice silkworm coming by? It looks friendly, but it seems to be a species from the far north. The fact that we can see it in the Star Dou Great Forest means it's definitely not an ordinary person, uh, a soul beast. With such a beautiful body and a length of seven or eight meters, it's probably a rare powerhouse. So it shouldn't have any ill intentions towards you, otherwise we wouldn't be able to talk like this..."

Seeing the smug look on "Huo Yuhao's" face, Chen Cheng was speechless.

"This is quite an opportunity for you, and in my opinion, your future is limitless..." Chen Cheng thought to himself, "Is the probing not over yet?! I'm almost at a loss for words to praise you!"

Huo Yuhao's eyes were no longer sharp, and his body relaxed. He said, "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Chen Cheng. Could you protect me for a moment? Brother Tianmeng said he needs to communicate with me... and needs me to absorb his power." After saying that, he sat down cross-legged.

Chen Cheng's heart skipped a beat, knowing that Huo Yuhao had returned and regained control of his body. In his thoughts, he also felt that this was a good opportunity to get closer to Huo Yuhao, so he said, "Yuhao, wait a moment, I have a few words to say to you."

Huo Yuhao appeared quite exhausted; it was clear that communicating while merging with the spiritual essence of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm was proving difficult for him. Nevertheless, he forced himself to lift his head and look at Chen Cheng.

Chen Cheng released his fourth spirit skill, Unending Bamboo, which generated a dark breeze around him, easing Huo Yuhao's fatigue. He then said, "I can see you have a story, but your aptitude is too poor. You must be eleven or twelve years old now to be acquiring your first spirit skill. It will probably take a tremendous amount of effort to realize your ambitions or wishes."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao clenched his fists and remained silent.

Chen Cheng continued, "Furthermore, you just absorbed a magical soul beast. Without the protection of other forces, you would likely perish before you could fully mature. Moreover, I don't believe your current aptitude will be valued by other forces, and I certainly don't think everyone else will be as loyal to you as I am, knowing your secret..."

Ignoring Huo Yuhao's reaction, Chen Cheng took out a carefully stored pill from his storage device and held it in his hand, saying, "Shrek Academy is currently recruiting students, and you must have heard a lot about its reputation as the 'Number One Academy on the Continent.' Joining Shrek Academy to grow might be a good choice. You've now obtained your first spirit ring and become a spirit master, but you certainly haven't met the academy's admission requirements of 'under twelve years old and above level fifteen'..."

Seeing that Huo Yuhao's serious gaze wasn't fixed on the pills, Chen Cheng nodded secretly.

"But as you just heard, Tang Ya, Bei Bei, and I are from the Tang Sect. Although the Tang Sect has declined and only the three of us remain, the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy have always had close ties. Every year, the Tang Sect can offer one spot to join Shrek Academy without taking the entrance exam. After joining the Tang Sect, you can also learn the Tang Sect's unique skills to strengthen yourself..."

"I'm willing to join the Tang Sect, Brother Chen Cheng!" Huo Yuhao said before Chen Cheng could finish speaking. Huo Yuhao had heard the legends of the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy since he was a child, and had always longed to join them.

Chen Cheng nodded: "Alright, since you're willing to wait a bit, I'll introduce you to this. This is the Profound Water Pill, which I managed to get with great difficulty. Consider it my contribution to you. It can improve your aptitude. Now take it, and I'll help you circulate your energy to absorb it."

Huo Yuhao gratefully accepted and swallowed the pill. On one hand, he wanted to improve himself, and on the other hand, he didn't know the value of the Xuan Shui Pill, so he didn't refuse.

Chen Cheng also sat down cross-legged and used his martial soul to mark Bei Bei and Tang Ya. He estimated that the two of them would arrive soon after hearing the movements of Tianmeng Ice Silkworm and Ilex.

He circulated his soul power, gradually clearing impurities from Huo Yuhao's meridians, while also using the gentle Xuan Tian Gong and the properties of the ink bamboo to nourish and improve Huo Yuhao's body, helping him absorb the medicinal power.

After a long while, Chen Cheng finished his meditation, stood up, stretched, and glanced at Huo Yuhao, who was still meditating but whose body had already expelled many impurities.

"With the fusion of the Profound Water Pill and the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's essence, things won't turn out as tragically miserable as they were in the original story."

  

As he thought about it, he chuckled mischievously, and then Chen Cheng saw Tang Ya's strange expression.

"You wouldn't happen to have a crush on Xiaoyuhao, would you?"

Chen Cheng nearly collapsed upon hearing this, and said in a very unfriendly tone, "Hey, sister, you're the head of the Tang Clan, and you never talk about recruiting new members to strengthen the clan. I found someone decent, giving her pills and helping her circulate her internal energy, and after much persuasion, I finally convinced her to fall for you, and then I turned around and saw you trying to sarcastic remarks about me. Heavens, how can there be such a vicious woman?"

Tang Ya initially wanted to lash out, but seeing Chen Cheng's efforts, she sincerely said, "Alright, thank you for your help."

Bei Bei, who had been observing Huo Yuhao, spoke up: "He just absorbed his first spirit ring. Are you planning to have him join the Tang Sect and then take the exemption from the entrance exam?"