[Second perspective: Spirit Hall Academy student, Zhang Ming (level 15)]
As the golden light faded, the solid feeling of having his feet on the ground steadied Zhang Ming's somewhat dazed mind.
He looked around and found himself on a country track, with a little village wreathed in cooking smoke at its end.
"So this is... the Shrouding the Heavens World?" Zhang Ming took a deep breath.
But the next second, he was a little surprised...
He did not know whether he was imagining it, but he felt as though his body was inexplicably growing stronger.
"Strange. Could the Soul Power here be so dense that it's passively nourishing my body?"
Zhang Ming speculated inwardly, filled with anticipation.
After all, if that was the case, it was undoubtedly tremendous news for someone like him, whose innate Soul Power was low and whose physical foundation was weak.
With that thought, Zhang Ming immediately sat cross-legged and tried practicing the most basic meditation method taught by Spirit Hall Academy.
Crack...
Zhang Ming had only just begun cultivating.
Instantly, as though the sound of a bottleneck breaking had rung out, his Soul Power actually rose straight to level 16!
Moreover, this surging momentum showed no sign of stopping!
Level 17!
Level 18!
In a mere three seconds, Zhang Ming's cultivation had actually broken through three levels in one go!
If he had not felt his dantian swelling and stinging and stopped cultivating of his own accord, this...
Probably would not have been his limit!
"This... this isn't a dream! It's real!"
Zhang Ming clenched his fists fiercely, feeling the surging Soul Power within him.
The immense surprise and joy almost made him want to throw back his head and howl.
Douluo Continent.
"..."
Following Long Aotian's bizarre transformation into ash after three steps, Zhang Ming's almost childishly easy, utterly unreasonable three-level leap in Soul Power on the heavenly screen once again plunged the entire Douluo Continent into deathly silence.
On Shrek Academy's grounds, everyone's breathing grew heavy.
"Three... three seconds... three consecutive breakthroughs?"
Tang San's eyes were full of shock. "How is that possible?! Back when I went from level fifteen to level eighteen, I had to slog away for months!"
"Damn it!"
"Even someone like Zhang Ming, with such a poor foundation, can instantly gain three levels of Soul Power. If it were me..."
Compared with Tang San, however, Yu Xiaogang suffered an even greater shock.
After all, Tang San was already a genius, merely seeking to add flowers to brocade, but Yu Xiaogang had been stuck at level 29 Soul Power for half his life, his cultivation unable to advance an inch. Yet now...
Someone like Zhang Ming had cultivated for just three seconds, and his Soul Power had soared.
"If I went to the Shrouding the Heavens World, could I use this opportunity to break through level 29?"
Soul Masters with poor aptitude like Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya gazed at Zhang Ming with eyes full of envy.
After all, Zhang Ming's innate Soul Power was clearly not high. Otherwise, he could not possibly have reached his age with a mere level 15 Soul Power.
Yet even so, he could still break through three times in three seconds. How could Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya not be envious?
"I have to go to the Shrouding the Heavens World!" Huo Yuhao secretly clenched his fists.
Meanwhile, unlike Soul Masters such as Tang San who still needed to improve their cultivation, those currently standing at the very pinnacle of the Douluo Continent, such as Qian Daoliu, Bibi Dong, Chen Xin, Mu En, Xuan Zi, and Di Tian...
Were more curious about just how Zhang Ming had done it.
After all, Zhang Ming had not consumed any rare treasures. He had simply cultivated.
In theory, however, even if the Soul Power outside was inexhaustible, the amount that could be drawn into a human body within a short time was fixed.
Therefore, it should have been utterly impossible for someone's cultivation to soar in such a short time simply by absorbing Soul Power!
They could not figure it out.
"This Shrouding the Heavens World is growing more and more mysterious!"
In fact, it was not only Bibi Dong, Chen Xin, Qian Daoliu, Di Tian, and the others who could not understand it. Even Zhang Ming himself was rather bewildered...
Looks like I need to find someone and ask about the specifics of this world.
With that thought, Zhang Ming straightened his Soul Master robes and walked toward the little village ahead, where cooking smoke curled into the air.
Soon, Zhang Ming had reached the village entrance.
He was just about to find someone to ask about the situation, but just then...
A little boy of about seven or eight, dressed in coarse cloth and with a snot bubble still hanging from his nose.
Clutching a flower that gave off a faint blue glow, he skipped past Zhang Ming, seemingly heading back into the village.
Zhang Ming had not intended to pay him any attention. After all, what could a child know?
But...
He instinctively glanced at the flower, only to find that he could no longer look away.
The flower resembled an orchid, azure all over, its petals seemingly flowing with a shimmering watery light. One glance was enough to tell that it was no ordinary thing.
What shocked Zhang Ming even more was...
As the little boy ran past him, a trace of exceedingly delicate floral fragrance drifted on the breeze and entered his nose.
In that instant, Zhang Ming felt the barrier at level 18 Soul Power within his dantian actually loosen slightly, as though he might break through to level 19 at any moment!
"This...!"
Zhang Ming was dumbstruck. He stopped in his tracks and whipped his head around.
His burning gaze fixed on that... strange blue flower in the little boy's hand.
"I only just broke through to level 18, and now merely smelling a trace of its fragrance has such a miraculous effect? If I swallowed the whole plant..."
"What this child is holding is definitely one of this world's top heavenly materials and earthly treasures!"
For a moment, Zhang Ming was immensely excited.
He recalled how, before his departure, Her Holiness Pope Bibi Dong had personally received him and instructed him to gather as much fortune and as many opportunities as possible for Spirit Hall. When the time came, he would certainly be rewarded handsomely.
And now, an opportunity was right before his eyes...
At that thought, Zhang Ming looked at the little boy ahead.
"Stop right there, brat! The thing in your hand is fated with me!"
At that moment, Zhang Ming wore a vicious expression and was even prepared to seize it by force.
After all, this was a lower world. It was an honor for these primitive natives to offer everything to a "god" like him, who hailed from the superior plane of the Douluo Continent.
Douluo Continent, Shrek Academy grounds.
Yu Xiaogang had regained his composure by now, once again assuming the air of an otherworldly master.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he watched Zhang Ming and the little boy in the heavenly screen's live broadcast.
"This child looks eight or nine already, yet there isn't the slightest fluctuation of Soul Power from his body..."
"Judging by that, although cultivation exists in this Shrouding the Heavens World, its cultivation system must be extremely backward. It really is a lower world."
"Long Aotian was simply unlucky and got ambushed, whereas Zhang Ming has excellent luck. Not only has his cultivation soared, but he's also encountered a heavenly material and earthly treasure like this."
Listening to Yu Xiaogang's analysis, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, and the others nodded in agreement.
Tang San's eyes, however, were filled with envy.
After all, Tang San was not Yu Xiaogang. He understood medicinal herbs very well, so as he watched Zhang Ming, he once again marveled inwardly: His luck is far more than merely good!
The herb in that child's hand probably possessed medicinal potency on par with some top-grade medicinal kings several hundred years old.
At that moment, Tang San was actually far from the only one who envied Zhang Ming.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Speed Clan, Dugu Bo, Chrysanthemum Douluo, Mu En, Zhuang Yusen...
Anyone with even some knowledge of medicinal principles who could see just how extraordinary the orchid in the child's hand was felt immense envy.
But the next second.
A flash of astonishment crossed all their eyes. "You said... there's a whole pile of rare treasures like this?!"