Opening the Ash Box

Warm light silently merged into Yu Cheng's body.

Like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, like weary birds returning to the forest.

Everything happened with utmost naturalness, without the slightest rejection, just like when Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng had sacrificed his Soul Power to him.

Yu Cheng sat in his seat, quietly sensing the wondrous changes within his body.

The first thing he felt was an increase in spiritual power.

After absorbing Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng's energy, he felt as though his thoughts had become faster and his senses sharper.

The discussions of the crowd below the stage and the flow of air around him had all become much clearer.

The second point was also the most important one.

Yu Cheng could clearly feel that his perception of the Soul Power in the air had become more acute.

The cultivation method of Douluo Continent relied on meditating through one's martial soul to absorb the free Soul Power between heaven and earth.

The stronger one's martial soul and the higher one's Innate Soul Power, the faster one could absorb Soul Power.

Some people spent all day laughing and fooling around, swaggering about while leading their underlings into trouble. Yet her cultivation speed was astonishingly fast, allowing her to gain three or four levels of Soul Power in a year.

For example, Xiao Wu.

Meanwhile, Yu Cheng had worked himself to the bone at Fasnuo Main Hall. Yet after an entire year, he had only gained two levels of Soul Power.

That was the gap created by Innate Soul Power.

"My Innate Soul Power should be at Level Five now!"

Yu Cheng thought to himself.

He had possessed Innate Level Two Soul Power at age six and cultivated to Level Fifteen by age ten, averaging more than three levels per year.

That speed appeared roughly comparable to Tang San's and Xiao Wu's.

However, Yu Cheng knew very well that this was the result of Evil Soul Master Bro giving him a cheat.

During his years at Nuoding Academy, the Blood Sacrifice Array had never stopped.

Wang Sheng could serve as a reference for the true cultivation speed of Innate Level Two Soul Power.

It would already be considered decent if one could break through Level Ten before graduation and smoothly enter an intermediate Soul Master Academy.

At the same time, that was why Yu Cheng had left Spirit Hall and joined an intermediate academy.

If he remained at Fasnuo Main Hall, he would have no chance to use the Blood Sacrifice Array.

Not being able to raise his Soul Power was truly unbearable.

Yu Cheng had no desire to be like Yu Xiaogang, capable only of empty theoretical talk while being pathetically weak himself.

The light gradually faded, and several blurry shadows appeared.

These were memory fragments belonging to Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng.

Yu Cheng rapidly skimmed through them as though watching a slideshow.

Murder, treasure hunting, cultivation...

Nearly every scene was stained in bloody red.

Suddenly, the phantom of a pair of long, fair legs appeared before Yu Cheng.

Yu Cheng froze for a moment, then studied them carefully with a critical eye.

"Damn, he ate pretty well."

"Tang San stayed in Slaughter City for two years and his mind started going wrong. He had even absorbed a spiritual skull bone."

"Bro spent ten years in that hellhole. He deserved to enjoy himself."

The life imprints belonging to Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng drifted down like snowflakes.

In the end, they all turned into nothingness.

Through those images, Yu Cheng also confirmed one thing.

Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng had indeed come from a parallel world and was not absolutely connected to his own world.

The Ash Box he would inherit in the future was likewise based on the "original anchor point," not the present.

He was now Master Yu, the City Lord of Nuoding City.

Those identities would not affect Yu Chengs in other worlds.

Heaven Dou Empire, Star Luo, Spirit Hall...

The countless Yu Chengs could go wherever they wanted.

The light vanished.

Only an Ash Box remained, floating in Yu Cheng's mind.

The Evil Soul Master mark on its surface had also lost its color, becoming dim and lifeless.

Yu Cheng opened the Ash Box with his thoughts. There was nothing inside.

"Evil Soul Master Yu Cheng helped awaken my Innate Soul Power. I wonder what the next future will bring me?"

Yu Cheng pondered inwardly.

He was still far from strong enough.

With Level Five Innate Soul Power and the Blood Sacrifice Array, his cultivation speed was already quite good.

Yu Cheng hoped to inherit several Soul Bones.

Compared to cultivating diligently, he still preferred riding someone else's coattails and enjoying ready-made gains.

Outside.

The time Yu Cheng spent opening the Ash Box seemed lengthy, but only an instant had passed in the outside world.

When Yu Cheng opened his eyes again, his entire temperament had undergone a subtle change.

"Hm?"

In a dark corner.

Tang Hao stared at Yu Cheng, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Was that an illusion?"

He keenly sensed that, in that instant just now, Yu Cheng seemed somewhat different.

His appearance had not changed, but his spirit and bearing had undergone a qualitative transformation.

The feeling was like when Tang Hao had killed a Soul Master for the first time in his teens.

At that moment, Tang Hao understood the true purpose of cultivation.

It was battle.

It was slaughter.

From then on, his Clear Sky Hammer had forged ahead without hesitation.

Perhaps gaining a noble title had changed Yu Cheng's state of mind.

Tang Hao shook his head and smiled.

The youthful spirit of a teenager was like a sword drawn from its sheath.

Its edge was fully revealed.

It was utterly arrogant.

Those of the same age could only gaze after him from afar beneath that imposing aura.

Tang Hao did not investigate further and turned to look at Tang San.

Clearly, beneath Yu Cheng's radiance, Tang San had been suppressed and had lost confidence.

"That trash Yu Xiaogang really deserves a hammer to the head."

Tang Hao thought viciously.

When a student's mindset developed a problem, a teacher should soothe him at the first opportunity.

But what about Yu Xiaogang?

His theories had been shattered, and the blow to his heart was even worse than Tang San's.

He spent all day lying around like a corpse in the dormitory.

Even his three daily meals had to be delivered by Tang San.

A teacher actually needed his student to care for him?

After living for so many years, this was the first time Tang Hao had ever seen someone so useless!

The ceremony ended.

Yu Cheng returned to the City Lord's Mansion and found a chair to lie down in.

Throughout the entire celebration, he had felt like a puppet being dragged around everywhere. Now, he could finally get some proper rest.

"Yu Cheng, your City Lord's Mansion is so grand!"

Xiao Wu's voice suddenly rang out.

Yu Cheng turned his head and saw Xiao Wu and Tang San entering the rear garden under a maid's guidance.

He had long since given the order that anyone from Holy Spirit Village or Nuoding Academy who came looking for him was not to be stopped and should be brought straight in.

"Heh heh, jealous?"

Yu Cheng said with a smile.

Xiao Wu and Tang San were both his friends, so he did not need to maintain a city lord's dignity around them.

"Now that you're the city lord, shouldn't you treat us to a huge meal?"

Xiao Wu grinned.

"If I remember correctly, doesn't someone still owe me two Silver Soul Coins?"

"How long has it been? Two years?"

Yu Cheng shook his head and smiled. "Tsk, tsk. A Soul Master borrowing money from a commoner. I've never seen anyone so shameless in my life."

"Fine, I'll pay you back."

Xiao Wu reached into her pocket and took out two silver coins.

The next moment, she said without the slightest politeness, "Sister Xiao Wu wants charcoal-roasted carrots, braised carrots, steamed carrots..."

"I want stir-fried rabbit meat too."

Yu Cheng chuckled.

Sometimes, he really wanted to crack open Xiao Wu's head and see whether it was stuffed with carrots.

"Yu Cheng, I heard you joined Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

Tang San asked.

As far as he knew, entering an intermediate academy only required Level Eleven, but an advanced academy required at least the cultivation of a Soul Grandmaster.

"That's right. His Highness the Crown Prince invited me so warmly that I couldn't refuse even if I wanted to."

Yu Cheng nodded.

"Doesn't that mean we won't be able to play with you anymore?"

Xiao Wu pouted, her tone dejected.

The next moment.

Her tone shifted. "Yu Cheng, we haven't fought in a long time. While you're still in Nuoding City, how about we have a good spar?"

As she spoke, the corners of Xiao Wu's mouth rose uncontrollably.

Yu Cheng glanced at her.

Damn, she really was the Rogue Rabbit. Had she come here specifically to pick a fight with him?

Perfect. He could test the improvement brought by the Ash Box.