Focusing intently on his AFK-training Soul Summoning Flag martial soul and Meditation skill, Chu Chengzhou's initially jubilant expression quickly darkened after a few seconds.
'Piece of trash~!'
With a scowl, he cursed inwardly.
This AFK-training cheat wasn't as impressive as he'd hoped. His Soul Summoning Flag martial soul required a full hundred days of idling just to upgrade from Ordinary to Advanced quality.
What's worse, the Meditation skill wasn't what he had envisioned either.
Previously, Chu Chengzhou had assumed that once he slotted the Meditation skill into the idle system, he could simply lie around while his soul power skyrocketed, entering "soul power overdrive mode" and ascending to the pinnacle of life.
After all, meditation required mental effort, and lower-level soul masters couldn't sustain all-day cultivation. But with AFK-training, it would run continuously, making its efficiency several times higher than self-cultivation.
Alas, dreams were grand, but reality was harsh—and it delivered a crushing blow.
Not only did it take an entire month to raise the gray-tier Meditation skill to white-tier, but it also didn't allow passive cultivation. The only thing it improved was the skill's level itself.
'An ordinary-quality martial soul and half a level of innate soul power… With my trash-tier talent, if I work hard for a year, I should be able to increase my soul power by one level, right?'
Chu Chengzhou thought uncertainly.
Of course, gaining one level per year at the Soul Trainee stage was based on his current cultivation efficiency.
Upgrading the Meditation skill should improve his soul power cultivation speed, and raising the quality of his martial soul might help mitigate his pitiful talent.
In Chu Chengzhou's view, there was no such thing as a benign or malignant martial soul mutation. What people called a "malignant mutation" was likely due to the soul master's own lackluster talent being unable to support a powerful martial soul.
Take his mother's Flame Banner martial soul, for instance. Aside from spitting fire, it was useless in every other way. Even if the quality were the same, it wouldn't compare to his Soul Summoning Flag martial soul, which could summon spirit beasts.
Yu Xiaogang's Luo Sanpao followed a similar logic. If the essence of the Luo Sanpao weren't strong, how could it combine with Flender and Liu Erlong to unleash the three-person fusion technique: Golden Holy Dragon?
The same went for Tang Yuehua. If her mutated martial soul were truly as terrible as people claimed, how could she possess a domain without even reaching the first spirit ring?
After all, most Title Douluos on the continent couldn't even achieve a domain!
Clearly, the problem wasn't with mutated martial souls—it was with the soul master themselves.
Hmm, as another super-trash-tier talent, Chu Chengzhou assured himself that he absolutely didn't mean any disrespect toward Tang Yuehua.
Yu Xiaogang: What about me?
With the cheat system now in place, Chu Chengzhou began envisioning a bright future.
Starting in Nuoding City, and with the timeline roughly aligned with the original story, he would inevitably cross paths with Tang San and Xiao Wu, the "thuggish rabbit."
Though the thuggish rabbit had violent tendencies and was secretly a terrifying hundred-thousand-year shape-shifting spirit beast, it posed little actual danger.
Before Xiao Wu's identity as a spirit beast was exposed, whether they became friends or remained mere acquaintances, there wouldn't be any risk to his life.
But Tang San was a different story. Befriending him meant eventually clashing with the Spirit Hall.
He bore no grudge against the Spirit Hall and had no desire to tangle with such a colossal force.
Hmm, and it definitely had nothing to do with the fact that the angelic young lady was both beautiful and badass.
Opposing Tang San?
Even with his cheat system, Chu Chengzhou considered himself a late bloomer who wouldn't stand a chance against Tang San in the early stages.
Moreover, Tang San often spoke of so-called "ways to court death," casually contemplating taking lives. Who knew when one of his hidden weapons might end Chu Chengzhou?
Befriending him was out of the question, opposing him was impossible—what about staying as a random passerby?
It sounded reasonable, but in reality, it wasn't suitable either.
With his cheat system, his strength would undoubtedly grow far faster than his apparent trash-tier talent suggested. What if Tang San or Tang Hao, lurking in the shadows, grew suspicious of him?
If someone set their sights on him, Chu Chengzhou couldn't guarantee he'd remain steadfast under pressure.
Besides, keeping secrets in the world of Douluo was futile. Facing hypnotic mental skills, if he couldn't resist, he'd spill everything—even the color of his underwear.
"What if I drive this father-son duo away?"
If neither friendship nor opposition worked, the idea of driving Tang Hao and Tang San away began to take root in Chu Chengzhou's mind.
But then the question arose: How could he drive them away?
After much deliberation, Chu Chengzhou came up with a plan.
His grandfather was the principal of Nuoding Primary Soul Academy, so he clearly remembered that the academy's school year began in early April, with each academic term lasting a full year.
Chu Chengzhou's birthday was in early February of the 2629th year of the Douluo calendar, making him about a year older than Tang San. By early April next year—three months after Tang San awakened his martial soul—he would enroll in Nuoding Academy.
Thus, all he needed to do was anonymously send a letter to the Spirit Hall in January, tipping them off about Tang Hao's whereabouts, and the father-son duo would surely leave.
Although Tang Hao hadn't killed the previous Pope of the Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji, the real culprit—Bibi Dong—was too politically sensitive to be implicated. This black pot naturally fell onto Tang Hao's shoulders.
Once the Spirit Hall learned of Tang Hao's location, they would undoubtedly send someone to investigate.
Whether the Spirit Hall's envoys could defeat Tang Hao or not, one thing was certain: by the time they arrived, Tang Hao and Tang San would no longer be in Nuoding City.
"No, no, that won't work. Instead of tipping off the Spirit Hall, I should send an anonymous 'message' directly to Tang Hao!"
Suddenly, Chu Chengzhou shook his head and revised his strategy.
If the Spirit Hall sent envoys after receiving the tip-off, there was a high likelihood they'd clash with Tang Hao.
The commotion caused by a battle between Title Douluos would be massive, and it might scare off a certain thuggish rabbit worried about exposing its identity.
But that wasn't the main issue.
The real concern was what would happen if the Spirit Hall sent envoys of over 95 levels, possibly multiple Worships. If Tang Hao couldn't handle them and retreated to nearby Nuoding City, using the city as a battlefield and indirectly holding its citizens hostage to ensure his escape, what then?
Hao Tian Sect was currently in seclusion and had no need to care about its reputation. Taking an entire city hostage wouldn't be beneath them.
On the other hand, the Spirit Hall's stance was to protect civilians. If they stood idly by, their reputation would be ruined.
Though this scenario was unlikely, Chu Chengzhou had to prepare for the worst.
There was no helping it. He lived in Nuoding City, and the collateral damage from a battle between Title Douluos would be catastrophic.
The safest approach would be to wait until after Tang San awakened his martial soul, then send an anonymous letter to Tang Hao in the guise of an ally, informing him that his identity had been exposed and urging the father-son duo to flee immediately. That way, no unforeseen risks would arise.
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