Notting City, Chelsea Tavern.
In a corner, a figure with a sexy crew cut held a wineglass, drinking himself into a stupor with an irrepressible smile on his face.
Ever since twilight had settled over the city, Yu Xiaogang had been sitting here, drinking cup after cup without stopping.
Before coming to the tavern, he had once again drilled his "great and invincible" Ten Core Theories into his good disciple Tang San. That good child had looked at him with [admiration] the entire time, letting him thoroughly enjoy the feeling of being worshipped.
What was more, Tang San had become famous throughout the academy these past few days.
Level thirteen, First Spirit Ring, terrifying combat strength—he had challenged students of the same age one after another.
This had brought Yu Xiaogang tremendous glory.
It also proved that his theory of "plant-type Soul Masters absorbing animal Spirit Rings to poison and mutate Blue Silver Grass" was valid, ruthlessly slapping the faces of those people who only talked behind his back about how he loafed around and waited for death.
Even the teachers who used to nag at him had fallen silent lately.
He, Yu Xiaogang, would surely become renowned throughout the world with these Ten Core Theories.
When that time came, ten thousand would admire him, a hundred schools would submit to him—who under heaven would not know his name?
Yu Xiaogang raised his head again, filled another cup, and tipped it back in one gulp.
Through his drunken haze, he seemed to see himself standing at the pinnacle of the Soul Master world, his theories passed down for generations, his name known to all.
"Ha ha... among all the heroes under heaven, there is only I, Yu Xiaogang!"
Yu Xiaogang burst into loud laughter, but before it had faded, his whole body went limp and he collapsed onto the table, dead drunk.
The surrounding drinkers glanced at him and curled their lips in disdain.
That fake master who loafed around and waited for death was spouting nonsense here again.
No one paid him any attention, and the tavern's clamor soon filled the corner once more.
Just then, several tall figures slowly approached from the far end of the street outside the tavern.
They were five burly men. Their muscles stretched their robes taut, their shoulders and backs swayed as they walked, and they radiated menace. One look was enough to tell they were not good people.
The man in front was the most conspicuous.
He stood nearly eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and broad-backed, his muscles knotted like forged iron. His square face had sharp, defined features, and two vicious scars ran from the corners of his mouth, perfectly symmetrical, as if someone had carved the character for "eight" into his face with a knife.
The two scars twisted together when he grinned, making him look even more ferocious and terrifying.
He looked up at the tavern's signboard, and the corners of his mouth slowly split into a grin.
"Third Boss, this is the place."
One of the men behind him stepped forward and lowered his voice. "The First Boss and Second Boss lost contact in Notting City before. Before they disappeared, they were together with that Rose called 'Master' in this city."
"Rose..."
Split-Faced Scarface licked his lips. "I want to see what kind of goods could make both the First Boss and Second Boss stumble."
"Come on. Let's have a look at this rose that brought down both the First Boss and Second Boss."
The four men behind him grinned at the same time, greed and savagery flashing in their eyes.
These men were the Rose Boy Band.
Some time ago, their First Boss Scarface, Second Boss Double Scar Brother, and Fourth Boss Sausage Mouth Nige had lost contact in Notting City along with several brothers. There had been no word from them since.
When they followed the clues to those ruins, they found nothing but shattered stones and rubble. After digging through them, they had only discovered several patches of dark red blood that had long since dried.
They knew then.
The First Boss and the others were most likely dead.
After a thorough investigation, every clue pointed to one person: Yu Xiaogang.
The tavern doors were violently shoved open, and the heavy wooden doors slammed against the wall with a dull bang.
The previously boisterous tavern fell silent in an instant.
Several drunken patrons turned toward the entrance, their words catching in their throats halfway out.
The five hulking men filed inside, their sharp gazes sweeping across the room before settling in unison on the table in the corner where someone lay slumped.
The waiter forced himself to step forward, squeezing out a smile. "G-guests, you..."
The leading brute did not even glance at him. He strode right past him and headed for the corner.
The other four followed close behind, their boots thudding against the wooden floor.
Not a single drinker in the room dared breathe loudly.
Split-Faced Scarface stopped before Yu Xiaogang's table and looked down at the crew-cut man passed out on it, clicking his tongue twice.
"He really is quite pretty. No wonder the First Boss and Second Boss both fell for him."
He reached out, his rough palm covering Yu Xiaogang's sexy head, and gently rubbed it.
"Not bad, not bad. Fine goods indeed, worthy of the Rose Boy Band's taste. That sexy crew cut, that full beard... heh heh."
Yu Xiaogang gave a muddled grunt.
Split-Faced Scarface withdrew his hand and licked his lips. "Take him."
Without a word, one of the burly men behind him bent down, scooped Yu Xiaogang off the chair, and carried him in a bridal hold.
Split-Faced Scarface swept a glance over the terrified drinkers around them, sneered, and turned to stride outside.
No one dared stop them.
The waiter huddled behind the counter, his fingers clutching the hem of his clothes. His lips trembled twice, but in the end, he said nothing.
Just as they had arrived, the five men vanished into the night, carrying an oppressive aura that made it hard to breathe.
The tavern remained quiet for quite a while before someone cautiously spoke.
"...Who were those people?"
"I don't know... but they didn't look like people to mess with."
"Ah, I remember now. They're the famously feared Rose Boy Band!"
"Gasp, the Rose Boy Band?!"
"That guy is probably going to suffer."
For a time, all the drinkers clenched their buttocks tight.
Compared to a certain Rose Yu Xiaogang who had once again fallen into the Rose Boy Band's hands, Tang San was diligently cultivating at this moment.
On the back mountain of Notting City Primary Spirit Master Academy, Tang San sat cross-legged amid thick grass.
His Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul spread outward like a spiderweb.
One layer coiled around the surrounding grass and trees, drawing in pale green life force, while its roots pierced through the humus and burrowed deep into the earth.
Earth gave rise to wood. Wherever the roots reached, the rich earth-element energy was broken down and converted by the Mysterious Heaven Skill, blending with the life force of the vegetation before flowing into his meridians.
Above and below, he absorbed them simultaneously.
His cultivation speed was more than twice as fast as it had been during the same period in his previous life.
The primary academy did not have mimic cultivation grounds.
But Blue Silver Grass was the continent's most common wild grass—frail yet resilient, found everywhere.
The back mountain of Notting City, the wastelands outside the city, the grass by the roadside—everywhere was covered with it.
His Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul resonated with those of the same origin, rooting into the ground and absorbing nourishment.
Earth gave rise to wood.
His personal mimic cultivation ground was right beneath his feet.
Having been reborn, if he still had to grind along slowly as he had in his previous life, then he would have been a God King for nothing.
His path in this life was clear.
Blue Silver Grass would pursue ultimate life and inherit the Life God's divine position.
He would not touch the Ice and Fire Immortal Herb, and Blue Silver Grass would no longer be contaminated by any impurities of ice or fire.
A prairie fire could not burn it all; when the spring breeze blew, it would grow again.
When life force became so vast that restoration outpaced burning, elemental restraint would cease to exist.
The grass that could not be destroyed was the true meaning of ultimate life.
In this world, strength had always reigned supreme.
Ever since his last mistake, when the Rose Boy Band had forcibly violated him, he had completely awakened.
Without strength, even as Tang God King, he could not preserve his dignity. He had to raise his strength as quickly as possible.
Then he would slaughter the Rose Boy Band that had humiliated him.
Tang Hao, hiding not far away and watching Tang San cultivate, felt immensely gratified.
It seemed that the setback last time had made Little San understand the cruelty of the Soul Master world even more clearly.
The weak had no truth; the strong possessed power.
Moreover, Little San's cultivation method had opened his eyes.
He truly was worthy of being his son.
Without a mimic environment, he simply created one himself.
And he used Blue Silver Grass to root into the earth and increase his cultivation speed.
What an excellent idea.
It seemed that his hopes of returning to the sect and taking revenge on Spirit Hall were close at hand once more.
A certain rat hiding in a gutter was already fantasizing about the future.
Spirit Hall!
Prepare to receive my wrath!
Before you continue