Arriving in Heaven Dou City, Beginning to Make Up a Story

Nothing happened that night. Early the next morning, the two got up bright and early.

After washing up, Yang Yunhai slowly rose from the edge of the bed once Zhu Zhuqing had finished getting dressed.

"Zhu Qing, could you help me tidy up my hair?"

Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing looked him over. Yang Yunhai's hair was long and thick, already well past his waist. The hair over his forehead was dense as well, while the locks at his temples hung all the way to his chest, almost completely covering his ears and neck.

It really did need trimming.

And Yang Yunhai truly could not manage the job alone.

"Okay." Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly.

"Then I'll move a stool over. Let's go to the mirror in the washroom." As he spoke, Yang Yunhai walked over to the table by the window and picked up a stool.

Soon, the two arrived before the washroom mirror. Yang Yunhai sat in front while Zhu Zhuqing stood behind him and helped trim his hair.

It was only then, through the mirror, that Yang Yunhai truly got a good look at his own face.

On closer inspection, the contours of his features had not changed much. His skin had merely become fairer and smoother, while his lines had grown softer.

"That makes sense. It was only a bloodline evolution, not bone shaving and cosmetic surgery. If my skeletal structure hasn't changed, my appearance shouldn't change much either. Looks like I was just a little dark before. My foundation wasn't bad at all." Yang Yunhai sighed inwardly.

"So my looks haven't shifted toward Ah Yin's. I won't need to worry if Tang Hao sees me in the future."

As for his hair color, there were plenty of blue-haired people in this world. He had been one himself before, only it had not been as vivid or obvious as it was now.

"That saves me some trouble." He thought to himself.

"Still, I need to come up with an explanation, especially for this massive jump in Soul Power Level." With that thought, his mind began to wander.

Until, a quarter of an hour later, Zhu Zhuqing shifted to trimming the hair over his forehead. Since she had changed into tight leather clothing, her curvaceous figure swayed slightly before Yang Yunhai's eyes at close range. The skin below her neck was pale and tender, elegant curves casting soft shadows.

Perhaps she also felt they were standing too close. Her Wine Dimples flushed faintly red, which only made her even more alluring.

"Ridiculous. This is a sin, a sin." Yang Yunhai stole a glance, then quickly shut his eyes.

Zhu Zhuqing had agreed to go to Heaven Dou City with him, but she had not said she wanted to be his girlfriend or anything like that.

After all, they had known each other for too short a time and did not understand each other deeply. They were still far from knowing each other inside and out.

He could completely understand that.

So, as a gentleman, he needed to keep his eyes respectable.

"No matter what, I at least bought the Hair Crystal and broke up one of the Shrek Seven Devils. This was a huge win." He spoke honestly in his heart.

On the other side, seeing Yang Yunhai close his eyes, Zhu Zhuqing relaxed a little and began trimming his hair with full focus.

Another quarter of an hour later, her crisp voice echoed through the washroom. "Done. Take a look and see whether anything else needs trimming."

"Okay." Yang Yunhai immediately opened his eyes and looked toward the mirror.

Since there were no hair accessories suitable for men, Zhu Zhuqing had not done anything elaborate. She had simply neatened and shortened his hair. His front hair was parted down the middle and fell along both sides of his neck, while the hair in back fell behind his chest. Both ears were exposed, making the style exceptionally clean. Yet despite its simplicity, his temperament had changed dramatically. Compared with his previous slightly effeminate appearance, he now looked noticeably more heroic.

"Looks pretty good. Thanks, Zhu Qing." Yang Yunhai said as he stood and turned sideways to inspect it.

As a man aspiring to become a turret-style mage, long flowing hair and a valiant bearing clearly suited his aesthetic better.

Ultra-long-range binding followed by electric torture. He would stand in place and unleash a relentless barrage without moving his body at all, his long hair the only thing fluttering in the wind. His enemies would be unable to get close, left only to rage helplessly as they endured the torment.

Just imagining that scene felt incredibly cool.

"It was nothing." Zhu Zhuqing showed a rare faint smile and nodded slightly.

"Let's go. It's time we set off. The hotel staff will clean up the hair on the floor later." Yang Yunhai added.

"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded, glanced at the bundle in Yang Yunhai's hand, and added, "Put the bundle in my Soul Tool."

"Sure." Yang Yunhai agreed without hesitation. Since it saved him trouble, of course he would not refuse.

Thus, Zhu Zhuqing took the bundle and stored it in her Soul Tool. She then left the hotel with Yang Yunhai and headed toward the post station by the city gate.

Before long, the carriage began to roll forward, leaving the city and racing toward Heaven Dou City.

Near noon, clip-clop, clip-clop. A teenage boy and girl entered Suotuo City.

"Xiao Wu, shouldn't we find a place to stay first? It's almost noon too. Let's eat something first." Tang San said with a smile.

"Now that's more like it." Xiao Wu lifted her chin slightly, looking quite satisfied.

Soon, the two arrived at the Rose Hotel. Without any surprise, they ran into Dai Mubai, and Tang San defeated him in battle.

After successfully checking in, Xiao Wu ultimately could not sit still and strongly demanded that Tang San accompany her shopping around Suotuo City. Tang San agreed helplessly.

As they walked, "Eh, Little San, look over there." Xiao Wu cried out in surprise as she looked at a shop in the distance.

"That shop seems to have something to do with Spirit Masters."

"Let's take a look." Tang San examined it for a moment and decided to go inside.

Soon, the two entered the shop. After browsing around, they did not find anything they needed and left directly.

The next day, around noon, Shrek Academy.

Hiding in the shadows, Flender watched Tang San fly into a rage and pass Zhao Wuji's test at the cost of severe injuries. As Dai Mubai carried Tang San toward the dormitories, Flender suppressed his excitement at having recruited several genius Spirit Masters this year, turned around, and hurried to the academy gate.

He looked around, frowned slightly, and muttered.

"Those two little fellows didn't come?"

"Could they have learned who I was somewhere, found out I owned that shop, and thought I had overcharged them? Did they get upset and decide not to come?" Thinking of that possibility, Flender's face instantly filled with regret, and he blurted out a curse.

"Damn it, what a huge loss!"

Time flew by. Several days later, outside Heaven Dou City, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

"Two guests, we've arrived at Heaven Dou City," the coachman called.

"We're finally here." Yang Yunhai sighed inwardly and politely called outside, "Thank you for your hard work, sir."

After saying that, he called to Zhu Zhuqing, and the two stepped out of the carriage one after the other.

He looked at the sky. It was still morning. Turning to Zhu Zhuqing, he said, "Zhu Qing, let's find a hotel first. After lunch, I'll go to Spirit Hall. My Soul Power Level has broken through, but I still haven't gone to get recertified and collect my Spirit Master subsidy."

"Okay." Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly and followed Yang Yunhai into Heaven Dou City.

As the imperial capital, Heaven Dou City certainly had no shortage of hotels. After buying some paper and a pen along the way, the two soon arrived at a hotel.

"Zhu Qing, should we book a double room again this time? Hotels in Heaven Dou City are rather expensive." Yang Yunhai asked while standing at the entrance.

At those words, a trace of redness almost instantly appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's fair cheeks, but she still nodded slightly. "Mm."

So Yang Yunhai strode to the front desk and booked a double room.

Since the luggage was in Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Tool, Zhu Zhuqing paid for the room this time.

"Awesome!" Under the waiter's slightly admiring gaze, Yang Yunhai took the key and led Zhu Zhuqing upstairs.

They found the room number, opened the door, and went inside.

As expected of a hotel in the imperial capital, it was exceptionally luxurious. Compared to the one they had stayed in together before, not only was the interior much larger, but the bed was larger as well, and the bedding and mattress were all made from top-quality materials.

"As expected of Heaven Dou City. Even hotel rooms are this nice. Every inch of land must be worth a fortune." Yang Yunhai could not help sighing.

Having been born into a great clan and stayed in even better rooms, Zhu Zhuqing offered no comment. She merely nodded slightly.

"We've been in a carriage for so long. Let's take a bath and change clothes first." Yang Yunhai added.

Thus, Zhu Zhuqing entered the bathroom first again, and he only went in after she came out. Then they went downstairs together, ordered several small dishes, and began to eat. During those days of traveling by carriage, they had not eaten anything decent. It was time to have a proper meal.

Soon, after finishing their meal, the two returned upstairs to their room.

"Zhu Qing, rest for a while. I'll write something, then I'll go to Spirit Hall by myself."

As he spoke, Yang Yunhai walked toward the desk by the window. After sitting down, he pulled over the paper, picked up his pen, and fell into thought.

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing about this. She walked to the bed, lay on her side with her back to Yang Yunhai, closed her eyes, and rested quietly.

At that moment, Yang Yunhai began writing, carefully making up a story in somewhat immature prose.

"I, Yang Yunhai, was born in an unknown village outside Notting City, Fasinuo Province. I was later abandoned by my parents and left beneath a Poplar Tree outside the city. Fortunately, Longbow Tai, then a Spirit Hall Deacon, took me in and brought me to the orphanage in Lonely Grass Village to be raised."

"During my childhood, I was accidentally struck by lightning outdoors. I did not know what kind of mutation occurred in my body afterward, but whenever I went outside on a thunderstorm day, I would inevitably be struck by lightning. Because of this, whenever the weather was overcast, Grandpa Tai would forbid me from leaving the house."

"But fate was unpredictable. Before I reached the age of six, I was still accidentally struck by lightning dozens of times."

"Until, at the age of six, Grandpa Tai led me to awaken my Martial Soul in the village. Perhaps because I had been struck by lightning before, I awakened a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul with a trace of Thunder Attribute, along with 0.5 innate Soul Power. Not long after awakening it, I recalled my past experiences of being struck by lightning and began suspecting that my 0.5 innate Soul Power came from those lightning strikes. Then I thought of how I had survived so many strikes without dying."

"I decided to make a bold attempt and cultivate by drawing heavenly lightning into my body on rainy days."

"The result was fortunate. I succeeded. Although my body endured unbearable pain, I did not die in the end."

"After being unconscious for several days, I examined myself again and was astonished to discover that my Soul Power had increased slightly, while my body had grown stronger as well."

"But at the same time, the side effects appeared. My body became stiff, and so did my Martial Soul."

He omitted the fact that it could also increase the hardness of his Martial Soul and continued writing:

"Afterward, I became even more convinced of my idea. Perhaps my Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul should not have been able to awaken Soul Power at all. The reason I possessed it was because a trace of lightning energy had remained in my body after I was struck. That was also why I could draw in lightning."

"After recovering, I entered Notting City Junior Spirit Master Academy as a work-study student. From then on, whenever it rained, I would secretly run into the mountains beside the dormitories to cultivate through Lightning Attraction. At the same time, I worked hard to train my body, hoping that I could withstand more lightning in the future. Day after day passed like this, until two and a half years later, when my Soul Power broke through to level 10."

"During those two and a half years, I gained a deeper understanding of my Martial Soul."

"I thought of how Blue Silver Grass Soul Beasts possessed tenacious vitality, meaning they carried the Life Attribute. Meanwhile, the Thunder Attribute was clearly something that destroyed life."

"Therefore, I guessed that the reason my Martial Soul became stiff after being struck by lightning and required a long time to recover was likely because it absorbed too much Thunder Attribute energy, suppressing its Life Attribute. If I absorbed too much, I might even die because of it."

"So I came up with a bold idea."

"That was to further increase my Martial Soul's Life Attribute and strengthen my body by using Cross-Level Soul Ring Absorption on plant-type Soul Beast Spirit Rings. That way, I could absorb more energy through Lightning Attraction and cultivate faster."

"At the time, I wondered whether Spirit Masters with different Martial Souls and different innate Soul Power truly had the same limit for the age of Spirit Rings they could absorb."

His pen moved swiftly as he quickly wrote down the conjecture about Spirit Masters absorbing Spirit Rings beyond their level, the same theory he had once explained to Grandpa Tai.

"And I could strengthen my body by drawing heavenly lightning into it. Therefore, I believed I should be able to absorb Spirit Rings of a higher age."

"So I returned to the village and found Grandpa Tai, telling him about my thoughts." He wrote down their conversation as well.

"Afterward, I went to the Beginner Soul Hunting Forest and found Uncle Ao. With his help, I killed an Azure Vine nearly 500 years old. Fortunately, I succeeded. Although the process was unbearably painful and my body nearly collapsed, I ultimately succeeded, and my Soul Power rose to nearly level 12."

"Afterward, I returned to the academy and, after trying it out, discovered to my delight that I could withstand one more bolt of lightning."

"Furthermore, for a period after being struck by lightning, my cultivation speed also increased. The effect had been very slight before, so I had not noticed it. But that time, I clearly felt it. Therefore, for the period that followed, I cultivated and trained my body even more diligently."

He specifically mentioned the explanation he had given the headmaster of Notting Academy regarding the age of his First Soul Ring.

"Until three and a half years later, just before graduation, my Soul Power broke through to level 20."

"After that, I chose to graduate early and went to the Soul Hunting Forest to ask Uncle Ao for help obtaining my Second Soul Ring."

"After screening the options, I selected a Bloodthirsty Thorns more than 950 years old. After Uncle Ao helped kill it, I fortunately succeeded in absorbing it again. My Soul Power rose to nearly level 22, and then..."

"Not long afterward, I returned to the village and spent the New Year properly with Grandpa Tai. After that, I thought that the All-Continent Soul Master Competition would begin in just over a year. I absolutely could not miss such a grand event. But with my cultivation at the time, I definitely had no hope of participating. If I enrolled in a higher-level Soul Master Academy, with my Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, I felt I would not learn anything particularly useful either. It was only a little over a year, so I might as well travel outside and broaden my horizons first. I could decide everything else after the competition ended."

"So after the New Year, I bade Grandpa Tai farewell and left Notting City. Since I was about to leave my hometown, I thought I might as well explore the area around it first. I would see the mountains of my hometown and the waters of my hometown. As long as I did not enter a Soul Beast forest, there should not be any danger."

"Several days later, wanting to see the border between the two nations, I traveled beyond the range marked on the map Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo of Spirit Hall had given me as a farewell gift."

"Then I came to a beautiful mountain. Without thinking much of it, I entered. As I walked, nearing dusk, a thick fog gradually rose in the mountains for some unknown reason, and I lost my direction."

"I climbed to the treetops but still could not see far. With no other choice, I returned to the ground. Since I did not know when the fog would disperse, I decided to feel my way forward first and search for water."

"Then I came to an open area and saw a bamboo shoot. It looked very different from the bamboo shoots I had seen before. The outer skin was not much different, but the stalk beneath it was completely unlike ordinary bamboo. Though it was also green, the color was so deep that it nearly looked black, and its texture was like jade."

"Although it was strange, I did not think much of it at the time. The joints at the bottom of bamboo shoots in the mountains usually contained water, and that water tended to taste sweet. To drink and to eat the fresh bamboo shoot to fill my stomach, I used my dagger to cut the shoot flat just above the upper part of its bottom joint."

"When I looked inside, there was indeed a large amount of water, and it even gave off a faint fragrance."

"Without hesitation, I immediately crouched down and drank deeply, quickly finishing all the water."

"Then something completely unexpected happened."

"Only a few breaths later, I discovered that the energy in my body had suddenly surged, and my cultivation began rising rapidly."

"I immediately thought it might be the Bamboo Shoot Essence I had just drunk, but I had no time to think further. I quickly sat down to meditate, hoping to speed up its digestion."

"Several hours later, when I awoke again, I was astonished to discover that my Soul Power had reached level 27. Furthermore, after carefully examining myself, I found that the hardness of my Martial Soul had greatly increased, while my body had also become stronger."

"At the time, I was overjoyed. I quickly ran back to the bamboo shoot I had cut down and used my dagger to slice open its other joints, hoping to find more water. Unfortunately, I found none. With no other choice, I gave up on the idea and chose to eat the entire bamboo shoot I had cut down."

"Unfortunately, my cultivation did not increase again."

"Afterward, I chose to camp where I was and planned to sleep for the night before leaving."

"Early the next morning, when I woke again, much of the surrounding fog had already dispersed. I began searching the area, hoping to find other bamboo shoots, but found nothing. I could not even find a single bamboo stalk."

"With no choice, I could only continue onward."

"Afterward, I left that mountain. When I looked back, even I did not know where I was. Helplessly, I could only wander without direction. It was not until the afternoon that I finally found a small path. Following it, I met some passersby. Only after asking them did I learn that I was already near the border. Thus, I followed the direction they pointed out and arrived at the border."

"After traveling around for a while, I changed direction and prepared to visit the imperial capital, Heaven Dou City."

"Then, at dusk, a heavy rain suddenly began to fall. Thinking that the strength of my Martial Soul had increased greatly and that my body had also become much stronger, I immediately thought of taking the opportunity to see whether I could draw in more lightning. So I took action and found a secluded spot."

"Then, during the lightning strikes, my body felt as though it were being burned by flames, and my skin began splitting continuously. The intense pain also made my consciousness grow increasingly hazy."

"At the same time, my cultivation rose rapidly. I guessed that the Bamboo Shoot Essence I had consumed before still contained energy that my body had not fully absorbed. This Lightning Attraction was precisely an opportunity to stimulate my body and speed up its absorption. I was unwilling to let such an opportunity pass, so I struggled to endure."

"Afterward, even I could not remember how many bolts of lightning I took. Once I received the last bolt, I fainted."

"But when I woke again, I was astonished to discover that my Soul Power had reached level 30, and my body had undergone tremendous changes. My hair had become brighter and longer. My skin had shed its old layer and become fair, while all my injuries had fully recovered."

"Furthermore, after meditating and sensing myself, I discovered that my Martial Soul seemed to have evolved."

"I gained an ability to communicate with the surrounding Blue Silver Grass. Through the Blue Silver Grass on the ground around me, I could sense movements within several hundred meters."

"After thinking it over, I decided to enter the Star Dou Great Forest alone to obtain a Spirit Ring."

"After all, at that time, I was very close to the Star Dou Great Forest. With my newly acquired sensing ability, I believed I could safely avoid the Soul Beasts I encountered along the way. Besides, I intended to hunt an immobile plant-type Soul Beast. With my First Soul Skill, Second Soul Skill, and the Thunder Attribute carried by my Martial Soul, I could use vines to touch the target Soul Beast and wear it down from a distance."

"The result was exactly as I expected. I successfully reached the area inhabited by thousand-year Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest and was fortunate enough to encounter a plant-type Soul Beast Pot Vine more than 2,000 years old. Through long-range lightning attacks, I successfully killed it."

"Afterward, as was obvious, I successfully absorbed its Spirit Ring, and my Soul Power broke through to level 32."

"Later, on the journey back, I kept thinking and began to form a conjecture."

"I do not know about the Fourth Soul Ring, since I have not absorbed one yet. But regarding the first three Spirit Rings, I believe the age limit for absorption is related only to the strength of the body. As long as one's body is strong enough, perhaps even the First Soul Ring can directly absorb one below ten thousand years. As for ten thousand years, I feel it should not be that easy. I had heard before that ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts possess considerable intelligence, not much different from humans. So I made a bold guess and thought of a possibility."

"That was that after a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast is killed, the Spirit Ring it produces might retain a portion of the Soul Beast's consciousness. If absorbed, it might interfere with one's mind and affect one's sanity. And if one could not withstand it, one might become an idiot or even die on the spot."

"After all, it would be residual consciousness from a Soul Beast that had cultivated for ten thousand years. I feel that without special circumstances, it would be difficult for a Spirit Master to absorb it early. Perhaps this is also why Spirit Masters can only absorb Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings once they reach level 50."

"Of course, these are only my personal conjectures for now."

Having written this much, Yang Yunhai flicked his hand lightly and thought, The story may be bizarre, but my Soul Power growth is real, and my Cross-Level Soul Ring Absorption is real too. If Salas, the Bishop of Heaven Dou City's Spirit Hall Holy Temple, learns of something this important, he will definitely report it to Bibi Dong. If Bibi Dong hears about the strange Bamboo Shoot Essence, she knows nothing about medicine and will likely ask Chrysanthemum Douluo, who does.

"If Chrysanthemum Douluo knows about the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo, he will definitely choose to believe it." The Ink Jade Divine Bamboo was an Immortal Herb from the later Douluo works, capable of increasing the toughness of one's Martial Soul after being consumed.

"After all, how could a commoner child possibly know about Immortal Herbs? Anyone would know he simply stumbled onto one through ridiculous luck." Yang Yunhai thought to himself.

Besides, he had written about a bamboo shoot, not a fully grown bamboo plant. If he had written about bamboo, details like its height would become loopholes. Writing it as a bamboo shoot would undoubtedly make it more confusing. Chrysanthemum Douluo might know of the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo, but he had definitely never seen it in person.

Then the chance that he knew what an Ink Jade Divine Bamboo looked like while it was still a bamboo shoot was even smaller. Besides, did Chrysanthemum Douluo truly know every rare treasure on the continent?

Moreover, would anyone persecute someone who had already joined Spirit Hall, proposed the theory of Cross-Level Soul Ring Absorption, and successfully put it into practice with his life, all for the sake of a rare treasure that had already been eaten? His Martial Soul also possessed the Thunder Attribute. Though it was a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, it had already evolved. Its quality might still be unclear, but the fact that he had reached level 32 was undeniable.

And he had reached it at such a young age.

Someone who had made outstanding contributions to Spirit Hall and possessed tremendous potential—only an idiot would think of persecuting such a person, right?

As for sending someone to investigate, the medicinal effect of the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo mainly acted on the Martial Soul, so checking the changes in his Martial Soul would be the priority. Next would be feeling his hands to examine the strength of his body.

Who would have nothing better to do than feel his feet?

Therefore, the right leg Soul Bone was unlikely to be exposed.

Even if they really had to feel for it, he could let them check his left foot then. If that still did not work, he could claim it had dropped when he hunted for his Third Soul Ring. A thousand-year Soul Bone was not enough for Spirit Hall to kill him over.

As for a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, a weakling like him obtaining one? No one would believe it even if he said so.

And as for devouring cultivation, soaring from level 21 to level 30 in less than half a month... Anyone who believed that had to be an idiot.

With that in mind, he took out another sheet of paper.

He picked up his pen and wrote again: "Regarding how to determine the Spirit Ring age limit a Spirit Master can absorb, the following is my hypothesis."

"As everyone knows, physical strength is tied to bodily power to a certain extent. Since the absorption limits of a Spirit Master's first three Spirit Rings depend solely on the Spirit Master's physical strength, one only needs to use some tool to test that physical power. For example, place a metal block of a certain weight on the ground and have the person punch it or move it. If they succeed, their strength naturally meets the standard."

"Afterward, one may select a Spirit Ring of an appropriate age based on the weight reached. Of course, to be safe, I personally recommend lowering the age somewhat to increase the margin for error."

After writing this, Yang Yunhai put down his pen, rolled his neck, then lowered his head and began quietly clearing off the table.

A moment later, he tucked the organized papers into his robe and walked briskly out of the room and out of the inn.

He headed toward the Spirit Hall Holy Temple.

PS: This chapter was a little wordy, but I felt it was necessary. If I did not write this, everyone might get confused later when he met Bishop Salas and then Bibi Dong found out.

Also, Chapter 33 was heavily revised. After carefully considering the readers' comments yesterday, it was indeed unlikely that Zhu Zhuqing would fall hopelessly in love with the protagonist after knowing him for such a short time, so I changed it.