Who is the True Evil Soul Master

"After killing a soul beast, the blood must be stored in jade vessels to preserve its activity."

"Directly absorbing blood energy can easily cause adverse reactions; it's best to take some medicine as a supplement."

"In fact, soul beast blood lacks a certain spiritual essence. Using soul master blood for alchemy is actually quite good."

Youth Yu Cheng spoke with a serious tone.

Hearing this, Yu Cheng was taken aback.

"Bro, I'm starting to get the feeling you're not exactly a good guy either?"

Using soul master blood for alchemy?

How was that any different from an Evil Soul Master?

And judging by Youth Yu Cheng's tone, he didn't see anything wrong with it at all.

Clearly, he'd done this often before!

"Here I am, a great theoretical master of my generation, and I'm destined to become an Evil Soul Master?"

Yu Cheng silently complained to himself.

"I've merely done some research on the bodies of soul masters."

Youth Yu Cheng smiled.

"I've dissected many soul master corpses. Later, a few Tang Sect elders stopped me, saying it was against the will of heaven."

Youth Yu Cheng shook his head, looking regretful.

"Good grief..."

Yu Cheng couldn't help but admire Youth Yu Cheng's audacity.

Some customs on the Douluo Continent were similar to those on Blue Star.

After death, the tradition was to bury the body and let it rest in peace.

Even Yu Cheng had to be sneaky when collecting blood.

But Youth Yu Cheng? He openly dissected corpses? If outsiders found out, they'd definitely think he was a degenerate.

"By the way, do you know about Immortal Herbs? Can you cure Dugu Bo's poison?"

Yu Cheng asked.

In his view, Youth Yu Cheng was well-versed in pharmacology and should be able to resolve the Vicious Poison of Dugu Bo's Martial Soul.

That way, he could scheme for the Immortal Herbs.

"Isn't that obvious? Do you even understand the weight of being a Medicine Hall elder?"

Youth Yu Cheng rolled his eyes.

"But..."

His tone shifted, "Directly removing the toxins from their bodies would be too wasteful. The toxins produced within a soul master's body are far more valuable for research than those of soul beasts."

Hearing this, Yu Cheng helplessly pressed his forehead.

"You still want to use Dugu Bo for experiments?"

"Bro, please put away your divine powers!"

Inside the office.

"You've broken through to the twentieth rank!"

Qin Ming looked up at Yu Cheng, who stood before his desk, surprise in his voice.

He remembered that when Yu Cheng joined the team, his soul power was only at rank sixteen.

How long had it been?

One year, and he'd broken through four ranks in a row!

Qin Ming's fingers tapped unconsciously on the desk.

"Yu Cheng, what was your Innate Soul Power level?" Qin Ming asked.

"Rank two." Yu Cheng replied calmly.

Hearing this, Qin Ming's brow furrowed even deeper.

With an Innate Soul Power of rank two, at the ten-to-nineteen rank stage, one could improve at most one and a half ranks per year.

After thinking for a moment.

His eyes lit up slightly, and a look of sudden realization appeared on his face.

"I understand."

"Your First Soul Ring is six hundred years. Absorbing it not only improved your physical constitution but also significantly enhanced your talent."

The more he spoke, the more plausible it sounded, and he nodded to himself.

Yu Cheng watched Qin Ming's self-reinforcing speculation, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

Talking to a smart person really saved trouble.

His soul power had risen too fast, easily arousing suspicion.

Yu Cheng had prepared a whole list of excuses, but not a single one ended up being used.

Qin Ming spoke up: "Lingling broke through to level thirty yesterday and needs to obtain her third soul ring. Since you also need a soul ring, let's go together."

"This team soul-hunting expedition will double as field combat training."

Three days later, on the outskirts of the Sunset Forest.

The northern climate was much colder than the Star Dou Forest. The trees here weren't dense, and the ground vegetation was mainly shrubs.

The team advanced cautiously through the forest.

Yu Tianheng, Yufeng, and Osler walked at the front, clearing the path.

The Shi Brothers flanked the team on both sides.

Dugu Yan brought up the rear. As a Control System Soul Master, she needed to oversee the entire team's situation.

Yu Cheng and Ye Lingling were protected in the very center.

The two of them seemed relatively relaxed, not even releasing their Martial Souls.

"Hold on a moment."

Yu Cheng suddenly stopped, dashing quickly toward a large tree on the right.

Under the puzzled gazes of the others, he swiftly dug up a few small plants, then returned to the team.

The small plants had purple leaves, slender and seven-lobed, nearly impossible to spot in the shade of the tree.

"What's this?"

Ye Lingling leaned in, curiously eyeing the purple plants in Yu Cheng's hand.

"Seven Leaf Purple Orchid, a relatively rare medicinal herb."

Hearing this, a flicker of surprise passed through Ye Lingling's beautiful, large eyes.

"You know alchemy too?"

The Ye Family was a renowned medical clan, and Ye Lingling had grown up immersed in that environment, giving her some knowledge of medicinal herbs.

But she had never heard of the Seven Leaf Purple Orchid.

"A bit of research."

Yu Cheng smiled, offering no further explanation.

Dugu Yan glanced at Yu Cheng but didn't press, merely waving her hand:

"Move on. Stay alert."

After about an hour of walking, the group arrived at a valley.

The terrain inside was relatively flat, with a small pond at the center.

In the pond, a few pale green lotuses bloomed quietly, their petals bearing a jade-like luster, with a faint golden glow at the heart.

Jade Orchid, two thousand years—exactly the target for Ye Lingling's third soul ring.

"The intel was right."

Dugu Yan said in a low voice, her sharp gaze sweeping over the area around the pond.

"Be careful. The Jade Orchid is surrounded by symbiotic venomous snake-type soul beasts that are good at hiding. We have to eliminate the guardian beasts first before Lingling can absorb the soul ring."

Plant system soul masters had an advantage when hunting souls—some soul master hunters specifically collected information on the distribution of plant-type soul beasts and sold it.

Beast soul masters, on the other hand, mostly had to rely on luck to get the soul ring they wanted.

The team quickly deployed into a battle formation.

The several Battle Soul Masters formed a triangular stance, facing the pond.

Dugu Yan stood slightly behind them.

Qin Ming was hidden in a nearby large tree, all his aura suppressed.

According to the training plan, unless the group was in life-threatening danger, he wouldn't intervene.

Command this time was entirely in Dugu Yan's hands.

"Search the area around the pond carefully, especially underwater and the grass along the shore."

Dugu Yan gave the order.

Yu Tianheng nodded slightly, focusing his senses on the fluctuations of soul power in the water.

"Splash."

A stone dropped into the pond sent ripples spreading across the surface.

"What are you doing!"

Yu Tianheng whipped his head around, glaring at Yu Cheng who had thrown the stone.

He had been focusing intently on sensing, and this completely interrupted him!

But the next moment, where the ripples had spread, the water surface exploded open!

A white giant snake as thick as a thigh burst up from the water.

On its triangular snake head, scarlet vertical pupils locked firmly onto Yu Tianheng, its bloody maw opening wide, revealing two sharp fangs!

"What the hell!"

Yu Tianheng's expression shifted sharply, his third and first soul rings instinctively lighting up.

Third Soul Skill, Wrath of Thunder!

First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!

At the same time, tiny specks of light flew from Yu Cheng's hand, precisely sinking into Yu Tianheng's body.

Blue Silver Grass First Soul Skill, Frenzied Seed!

"Crackle~"

The Thunder Dragon Claw Yu Tianheng had condensed streaked through the air at extreme speed, the air twisting violently in its wake, erupting with a heart-stopping crackling sound.

"Boom--!!"

The claw and the snake head collided head-on!

Shockwaves exploded, water splashing everywhere!

The white giant snake took the hit, its ferocity fully provoked. It shook its head and lunged fiercely at Yu Tianheng.

"Attack together!"

Dugu Yan gave the order.

Almost at the same moment, the light of various soul skills flared up!

Facing the assault of several Soul Elders, the white giant snake lost its life in less than three minutes.

"It's dealt with."

Yu Tianheng let out a breath of relief.

He turned to look at Yu Cheng: "How did you know where the white snake was?"

The spot where Yu Cheng had thrown the stone was too precise—right above where the giant snake had been lurking.

"I guessed."

Yu Cheng's expression didn't change.

"The pond is only this big. Throwing a stone to test it out is pretty reasonable, isn't it?"

In truth, the white snake's position had naturally been discovered by Youth Yu Cheng.

Just then, Shi Mo dragged the orchid ashore, and the jade-like luster on its petals rapidly dimmed.

"Lingling, the Jade Orchid will wither once it leaves the water—hurry up!"

Shi Mo shouted.

Ye Lingling took a long blade from her Soul Tool, and with a swift motion of her hand—

"Crack!"

The lotus root was severed, and a purple soul ring rose up.

Ye Lingling sat down cross-legged and began to draw in the soul ring.

At that moment, Yu Cheng pulled a short blade from his waist and walked toward the white giant snake's corpse.

"Yu Cheng, what are you doing?" Dugu Yan asked, puzzled.

"Every part of a soul beast is a treasure."

Yu Cheng crouched down and began to dissect.

"Snake venom, snake gall, snake sinew, snake skin... especially this three-thousand-year venomous snake—its poison is a good thing. It'd be a waste not to collect and study it."

He carefully cut open the venom gland beneath the snake's head with his blade, took out a jade bottle, and began collecting the dripping venom.

Dugu Yan watched his practiced movements, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

"You study poison too?"