Douluo Dalu 2: You are an Evil Soul Master, but also a good person ?

"Thank you..."

Tang Ya gently pressed her red lips together and bowed slightly.

"Heh, you earned it." Jing Hongchen smiled, but a hint of curiosity flickered in his eyes.

He could tell that there was something strange about Tang Ya.

Her martial soul, Dark Blue Silver Grass, seemed to have some devouring properties.

And judging from what she had displayed so far, she had likely devoured at least a hundred people—her Blue Silver Grass had almost completely mutated.

But if it were any ordinary person, they would have long since fallen into darkness and corruption.

Yet this girl's mind remained clear and unclouded, nothing like those under the control of the Holy Spirit Cult.

Could it be... because of this boy?

Jing Hongchen glanced at Xu Cheng, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen each received an eighth-tier soul tool. Everyone knew that, as the grandchildren of Mingde Hall's Hall Master, they wouldn't possibly lack such rewards.

This was more about honor than the actual prize.

Finally, it was Xu Cheng's turn.

Jing Hongchen pulled out a soul tool.

"Hongchen's Protection!"

Xu Cheng's pupils shrank sharply.

A ninth-tier soul tool—the same "admission ticket" Jing Hongchen had used to tour the Sea God Pavilion in the original story!

While it wasn't considered the strongest among ninth-tier soul tools, it was still formidable. More importantly, this was crafted personally by Jing Hongchen, guaranteeing its quality.

Was this really a prize for an assessment?

Xu Cheng was momentarily stunned.

Even at the wealthy and prestigious Shrek Academy, if he recalled correctly, the first-place prize was only a soul bone around thirty to forty thousand years old.

"This is a personal gift from me," Jing Hongchen whispered through voice transmission.

At the same time, he discreetly placed Hongchen's Protection in Xu Cheng's hand and handed him a metallic core formation before patting his shoulder with a smile.

"I hope you find a worthy teacher."

Xu Cheng opened his mouth but said nothing.

Looking into those kind and expectant eyes, he slowly nodded.

"Thank you..."

If Jing Hongchen's stance had been unclear before, then now...

He had made his bet!

"As for this core formation, it's a seventh-tier soul tool. Don't underestimate it. If you study it thoroughly, you'll understand its true value."

Jing Hongchen sent another voice transmission before leaving with a smile.

Xu Cheng lowered his head, looking at the core formation, then at Jing Hongchen's departing figure.

He exhaled deeply.

"Brother Cheng, what's up with my grandpa!?"

Dream Hongchen pouted as she came over, and when she saw only a seventh-tier core formation in Xu Cheng's hand, she puffed up indignantly.

"Don't worry! I'll go ask Grandpa for an eighth-tier soul tool for you!"

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Xu Cheng cleared his throat.

"This core formation may be seventh-tier, but it's extremely valuable—far beyond any regular soul tool. Besides..."

He flipped his palm, revealing a red crystal.

Hongchen's Protection!

Meng Hongchen gasped softly.

"I can't believe Grandpa gave you this..."

Even Xiao Hongchen was visibly moved.

A ninth-tier soul tool was beyond ordinary weapons—it was practically a strategic-level asset!

"Grandpa..."

Only Tang Ya stood frozen, her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.

She had never imagined that the Hall Master of Mingde Hall, a ninth-tier soul engineer... was actually the grandfather of her best friend!?

No wonder...

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The first semester had ended.

Many students chose to return home and use their family's resources to obtain their second soul ring.

Others, whose families were not as wealthy, stayed in Mingdu to work part-time. They earned money by crafting low-tier soul tools and selling them to black markets or various factions.

The reputation of the Sun-Moon Imperial Academy was formidable, making it a prime supplier for many forces seeking business collaborations during the holidays.

Of course, the academy also provided financial aid.

For students from poor backgrounds, they received ten gold soul coins per month, along with academy assistance in soul tool research.

After all, unlike Shrek's "noble academy", many students in the Sun-Moon Empire came from commoner backgrounds...

Xu Cheng, however, had other plans.

Departure

Outside the academy gates.

A mechanical soul vehicle slowly pulled up.

The driver was a tall, broad-shouldered man shrouded in a black robe.

Even in this spacious soul vehicle, his massive frame pressed against the ceiling, forcing him to hunch forward slightly.

"Holy Son..."

A young man and woman walked side by side out of the Sun-Moon Imperial Academy, making their way toward the vehicle.

The black-robed man quickly got out, opening the car door.

Xu Cheng glanced back at the academy.

See you in a month and a half…

Then, he and Nana stepped into the car and disappeared from view.

Inside the Soul Vehicle

"This car is actually quite comfortable..."

Xu Cheng stretched his shoulders and observed his surroundings.

For many low-tier soul masters in the Sun-Moon Empire, these vehicles were the preferred mode of transportation.

They had replaced traditional carriages, which were cumbersome, yet were still far more affordable than flying soul tools.

Of course, Xu Cheng could use a flying soul tool himself, but he had always had a special fondness for vehicles.

Especially in this foreign world, riding something so similar to the vehicles of his past life gave him an odd sense of nostalgia.

As long as he wasn't in a hurry…

Their journey had two objectives:

First, to help Nana visit her parents' graves.

Second, to head to the border—hopefully, they'd "stumble upon" a certain orange-haired girl...

Just as Xu Cheng yawned, a delicate hand reached over.

Gently pressing against his shoulders, massaging away his fatigue.

Xu Cheng had pulled another all-nighter the night before.

He had been analyzing the core formation given to him by Jing Hongchen.

Thanks to his Soul Tool Analysis proficiency, he had successfully deciphered it after one night.

Yes—it was the blueprint for the humanoid mecha-like soul tools that would later appear in the final stages of the original story.

It contained drive mechanisms, shields, integrated attack linkages—practically everything.

The only flaw was that this seventh-tier core formation still had some imperfections.

Issues with human control optimization and weapon load limits still needed to be resolved.

But even as it was—this was incredibly valuable...

Xu Cheng sighed.

If the protagonist from the original story, Huo Yuhao, had gotten this blueprint early, the entire world's power balance would have shifted dramatically.

"Do you want... a lap pillow?"

Nana's soft voice rang in his ears.

"Hmm?" Xu Cheng blinked. "Where'd you learn that term?"

"I heard the girls talking. They said it's a 'reward' for their boyfriends," Nana replied calmly.

"... No wonder this is the Douluo Continent..." Xu Cheng's mouth twitched.

This kind of precocious behavior—if it were in his past life, an early romance scandal like this would have been publicly condemned by the entire school.

"... So? Do you want it or not?"

Though her tone was calm, Xu Cheng was sensitive enough to catch the faint blush on her face.

"Alright then, let's give it a try."

Xu Cheng leaned back, resting his head on Nana's lap.

A soft fragrance surrounded him—her warmth, her presence...

She had long legs, with smooth, sun-kissed skin.

"...Mmm..."

Nana lightly bit her lip.

As she watched Xu Cheng fall asleep, her shyness faded, replaced by a deep tenderness...

(End of Chapter)