Trials and portraits

After finishing his meal, Chen Feng returned to his dormitory, ready to continue his battle with Mathematics problems.

Tang San returned shortly afterward, and the two of them continued to live together.

However, this is only a temporary place to stay. They are currently experiencing student dormitory life and seeing if there are any inconveniences that need to be addressed.

Once the new students enroll, they will move into the faculty and staff dormitories.

When designing the school dormitories, Chen Feng considered the number of students, believing that the most common arrangement would be four or six students per dormitory.

However, the other students objected, believing that a two-person or even a single-person dormitory would be a more suitable option, considering privacy and the need to avoid interference.

As the first research university on the mainland, there's no need to be so fussy about this.

Xiao Wu went so far as to make a radical statement, arguing that dormitories with more than four people are no different from Dormitory and would make the school lose all its prestige. Ning Rongrong also stated that unless it was a special situation involving wilderness exploration, she would never stay in a room with more than four people.

However, single dorm rooms were too luxurious, so the school ultimately decided on double rooms.

Chen Feng had no reply to this. As someone who had once lived in a six-person room, he had no desire to offer any opinion.

"Xiao Feng, still busy with the teaching materials?" Tang San walked over and took a look.

"Well, how about you? How's the adjustment to the Artificially Created Foundation Ring going?" Chen Feng asked.

"It's basically complete. The power of the Foundation Ring will gradually increase from weak to strong until it can no longer withstand the pressure, at which point it will begin to solidify. This way, we will obtain the Foundation Ring of optimal age."

"That's right. As long as we arrange suitable Soul Beast, our Foundation Establishment shop can open for business."

"Wasn't it supposed to be the Soul Contract who did this?"

"Have you forgotten? Neither party in Soul Contract can be too strong. At this stage, they are not capable of creating the Foundation Ring. We need to wait for the Soul Contract to grow stronger."

"That's true. At this stage, we can only rely on Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast to fill in. It feels like such a luxury," Tang San sighed.

"Having Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast work for you, you're probably the only one on the entire continent doing this," Chen Feng laughed.

"Xiao Hei and A Fei can be counted as two. Old Tie is too big and it's a bit inconvenient, but he can barely be counted. I'm afraid we'll have to look for other types of Soul Beast," Tang San pondered.

"Okay, take your time looking, there's no need to rush."

"Oh, right, Xiao Feng, I went to see Dad today. He said he needs to see you and asked me, Xiao Wu, and me to come over later," Tang San said suddenly, as if remembering something.

"Am I going too?" Chen Feng, somewhat surprised.

"Yes, Dad knows about what happened a few days ago, and he probably wants to talk to you about it."

"Okay, I'll go tomorrow."

Chen Feng guessed at Tang Hao's purpose in summoning him, thinking it was nothing more than the Blue Silver Forest and the City of Slaughter.

The Blue Silver Forest is nothing to worry about; it has little to do with him. At most, he tricked the Blue Silver King into coming here to work. The key issue is the City of Slaughter.

To be honest, Chen Feng didn't like this place and didn't want to go in and witness the evil of humanity, even if there was a divine inheritance inside.

He always felt that the divine positions in the Douluo Continent were somewhat like the Investiture of the Gods, and that accepting the divine position felt like being trapped inside it.

Otherwise, the old Sea God and the old Asura wouldn't have been so focused on running away.

However, the Divine Examination provides a real boost to cultivation, so how to choose between it and other factors requires careful consideration.

The next day, Chen Feng, Tang San, and Xiao Wu arrived at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. After descending the Blue Silver steps to the bottom of the valley, they saw Tang Hao's figure.

"You've arrived." Tang Hao stood up from his chair. "I heard you've had some conflicts with the Spirit Hall recently?"

"It's been resolved, Uncle Hao, don't worry," Chen Feng said.

"Since the three of you are perfectly fine, I'm naturally not worried. I called you here to ask if you three are interested in a trial ground I know of?"

"What kind of trial grounds?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.

Tang Hao hesitated for a moment, then gave a general explanation of the nature of the Land of Slaughter. Tang San and Xiao Wu frowned as they listened, while Chen Feng, having anticipated this, showed no unusual expression.

"... It's roughly this kind of place—dangerous, bloody, and cruel, but it's definitely a good place to hone your skills. I see that the three of you don't rely heavily on Soul Skill, so I feel this place is perfect for you," Tang Hao said, looking at the three of them.

"Uh, this place is so scary, I don't really want to go." Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue. "What do you think, Xiao San?"

If you want to go, I can go with you.

Tang San frowned and thought for a while, then shook his head. "Dad, I don't really want to go there either. It doesn't suit my style, and I'm afraid it might even affect my cultivation of the Blue Silver Grass."

Tang Hao looked at his son's face and hair, nodded without saying anything, and then looked at Chen Feng.

"Uncle Hao, let me think about it some more. I have some things to take care of, so I don't really want to go there for the time being," Chen Feng said, politely declining.

"Actually, even if you wanted to go, you couldn't possibly set off now. I've already told you about the dangers there. You can't leave without going through..."

"If we go for special training, there's a very high chance we'll die," Tang Hao said in a deep voice.

"Since none of us are going, does that mean we don't need special training?" Xiao Wu revealed a sly smile.

"Hehe." Tang Hao chuckled, then his expression turned serious. "Little girl, you're dreaming. If you don't go to the trial grounds, you'll need even more special training. Your current strength is still too weak. What if you encounter a powerful enemy like the Spirit Hall next time? Won't you just be waiting to be killed?"

Chen Feng coughed lightly, "Uncle Hao, this time it's Qian Daoliu who's attacking us. I doubt we can handle him with just special training, right?"

"I know. To be honest, it's really impressive that you managed to provoke Qian Daoliu Shou. He didn't even get angry when I killed his son." Tang Hao looked at Chen Feng with some emotion.

That's because he knows who the real culprit is, Chen Feng muttered to himself.

"Anyway, the Spirit Master Tournament is over, and your new school is on the right track. You have relatively more free time now, which is a good time for special training. But don't worry, I know you're working on some amazing techniques, so it won't take up too much of your time. Just come once a week," Tang Hao said, waving his hand.

"Wouldn't that conflict with our treatment schedule?" Tang San asked.

"What's the conflict? After you've treated me, you can rest a bit and then start, it's perfect."

"So, Uncle Hao, what are the contents of the special training?" Chen Feng asked.

Tang Hao grinned, "Beat me."

"I can't do it, farewell." Chen Feng in a fist salute and prepared to leave.

"Don't rush off, I haven't finished yet." Tang Hao called out to Chen Feng, "I don't use Soul Power or Soul Skill, I only use my own strength. If it weren't for your sword, Xiao Feng, I wouldn't even need my Martial Soul."

"That's no use either." Xiao Wu pouted.

"That's why it's called special training. If you could complete it easily, what kind of special training would it be? Since you're not going to fight in the trial grounds, then fight me. This is the most direct way to become stronger. I will train you diligently," Tang Hao said earnestly.

Chen Feng and the other two exchanged glances, all seeing bitterness in each other's eyes. How could they possibly be worthy of confronting a Titled Douluo head-on?

But they didn't refuse, because they knew it was for their own good.

So, after Tang San and Xiao Wu used their Martial Soul Fusion Skill to heal Tang Hao, the tedious and monotonous one-sided beating began.

To prevent damage to Dugu Bo's Herb Garden, Tang Hao took the three of them outside, but they returned quickly because Tang Hao showed no mercy whatsoever.

Whether the opponent was his son, his future daughter-in-law, or Chen Feng, the Scholar in the eyes of others, Tang Hao threw an ordinary punch, rarely even using his hammer, at most just to block Chen Feng's sword.

Faced with overwhelming power, even though Chen Feng and his two companions used all their skills, they could only try to delay, but in the end, they could not help but be defeated and beaten black and blue. None of the three of them escaped unscathed.

After beating the three of them, Tang Hao carried them back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. "Rest for a while. We'll come back next week. Go back and reflect on your experiences."

Chen Feng winced in pain, a wave of regret washing over him. He shouldn't have come today; if he had stayed at school, he wouldn't be suffering like this.

"Uncle Hao, let's make a deal," he couldn't help but say.

"What do you want to discuss?" Tang Hao turned to look at him.

"Could you please not slap me in the face next time? After all, we're people of status now. It's not good to have a bruise on your face when you go back."

"OK."

The three of them didn't rush back to school. Instead, they stayed there to get rid of the bruises on their faces first. It has to be said that Tang Hao's skill was extremely exquisite. Although he had beaten the three of them up, they actually felt a subtle sense of relief, as if they were metal blocks forged by a blacksmith, becoming purer after impurities were removed.

Tang Hao watched Tang San recover first and began to think about whether he could be more strict with his son next time. He always advocated practical training and never did anything fancy.

Chen Feng was well aware of this; what normal person would send their son to a hellish place City of Slaughter without a second thought?

After returning to school, Chen Feng, whose body ached all over, didn't run around anymore and went straight back to his dormitory to begin his seclusion.

Tang San used Blue Silver Grass to treat him, while he himself began meditating and cultivating.

However, his incredible recovery ability is no joke; he's always the first to fully recover.

In the intense confrontation with Tang Hao, Chen Feng and his two companions showed significant improvement, both in their ability to withstand blows and their capacity to maneuver against powerful opponents.

This was quite different from the battles in the Spirit Master Tournament. Due to reasonable tactical arrangements and overwhelming intelligence, the Spirit Master Tournament did not actually put too much pressure on Chen Feng, and he even had some leeway.

He was more accustomed to gaining an advantage and achieving victory through tactics. He disliked simple and direct head-on conflicts, let alone desperate situations that required a desperate struggle to break through, which he had never experienced.

But Tang Hao used his fists and hammer to tell Chen Feng that sometimes fancy tricks don't work, and at this time, all you can rely on is strength and courage.

Furthermore, the oppressive aura emanating from Tang Hao was too strong. Although he wouldn't kill Chen Feng and the other two, the extremely dense killing intent made them feel as if they were truly facing death, which in turn stimulated their potential. In just one month, each of them broke through one level in terms of Soul Power.

Just when Chen Feng thought life would continue like this, Qian Renxue personally delivered a message when the entrance exams began.

"Brother Xue, do you mean you've found a clue about that person?" Chen Feng asked in the Conference Room, somewhat surprised.

There had been no news of Chen Lang from the sect, and he thought the man would be hard to find. But unexpectedly, after handing him over to Qian Renxue, they made a discovery in just one month? The Spirit Hall is not to be underestimated.

"That's right, I did find clues about that person, but the things he's involved in are somewhat sensitive," Qian Renxue nodded slightly.

"Sensitive? Is it a royal secret?" Chen Feng frowned slightly.

Although he had long ago added Chen Lang to his kill list, if the royal family was involved, he would need to plan carefully.

This man is definitely going to die. Even if he has connections with the royal family, Chen Feng will still kill him.

Before killing him, Chen Feng wanted to ask about his father's whereabouts. He always felt that his orphanhood might be related to this Chen Lang.

However, to Chen Feng's surprise, Qian Renxue gave an answer he hadn't expected.

"It's not a royal secret. I found a former witness who said that when he was exploring, he passed through a strange town where he witnessed a bloody incident. He was so frightened that he immediately fled in the chaos, but even so, he still vaguely remembered the faces of some of the people involved."

Chen Feng had a bad feeling and asked, "Is the person in the portrait the murderer or the murdered?"

"The one who was killed."

"Does he still remember what the other person looks like?"

"I remember, I had someone draw a portrait based on his description. You can take a look." Qian Renxue took out a scroll from her Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Chen Feng.

Chen Feng glanced at her, reached out and took it, slowly unfolding it.

When the portrait appeared before him, he felt a sense of both surprise and inevitability.

Although some issues with the description and drawing resulted in slight changes to the faces in the painting, Chen Feng immediately recognized that this painting was extremely similar to the portrait of his father, Chen Yuan, that Cang Xiao had given him.

Based on the information he has gathered so far, it is reasonable to guess that this person is likely his father.

But just to be on the safe side, Chen Feng still wanted to ask that person in person.

But before he could speak, Qian Renxue said, "I've brought that person. Would you like to see him?"

"By the way, Brother Xue, why did you say this matter was sensitive earlier?"

Have you City of Slaughter?