The next morning, a carriage departed from the Chu Manor.
It traveled all the way to the most bustling area in the center of Tian Dou City before finally coming to a slow stop in front of a building.
Stepping out of the carriage, Chu Chengzhou surveyed the structure before him.
It was a five-story building, which could be considered relatively tall even in the bustling Tian Dou City.
The first impression this building gave was one of elegance. The overall architectural style was somewhat ancient, and on the plaque above hung only two simple words: Yue Xuan.
Men and women entered and exited Yue Xuan, though not in large numbers. However, it was clear that they were all either dressed in fine clothing or possessed an exceptional demeanor.
After observing for a moment, Chu Chengzhou walked toward Yue Xuan.
However, just as he reached the entrance, two young men dressed in green stepped forward, each raising an arm to block his path.
The young man on the left who had stopped Chu Chengzhou took a step forward and, mustering his courage, said, "Young Master, you don't seem to be a student of Yue Xuan. May I ask if you have an invitation?"
Although Chu Chengzhou was handsome, well-dressed, and undoubtedly counted as a beautiful young man, the cold aura emanating from him gave the first impression of someone with ill intent. Ignoring his appearance and focusing solely on his demeanor, he fit the description of the rumored evil soul master who committed countless atrocities.
Moreover, Yue Xuan housed many children of nobility. If anything were to go wrong and they failed to stop him, the blame would fall squarely on them.
"I'm here to see your Mistress."
Glancing at him, Chu Chengzhou said indifferently.
"May I ask for your name, Young Master? We'll go inside and announce your arrival," the young man on the right spoke up.
"My name is Chu Chengzhou. Go ahead!"
Chu Chengzhou nodded after hearing this.
Since he was seeking help, and his intentions weren't entirely pure, it wouldn't be appropriate to act arrogantly and force his way in.
"Please wait a moment, Young Master Chu."
The young man bowed slightly and walked into Yue Xuan.
---
Second Floor, Yue Xuan
Melodious tunes echoed through the elegant and tranquil hall. Tang Yuehua, dressed in a silver palace gown, was demonstrating how to play the harp for her students.
At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed in purple approached.
Seeing Tang Yuehua playing, the purple-clad man paused and quietly stood to the side, waiting.
After a long while, the music ended, and applause filled the hall.
"Manager Ao De, is there something you need?"
After the applause subsided, Tang Yuehua turned to the steward of Yue Xuan and asked softly.
"Madam, a young man named Chu Chengzhou has arrived outside, claiming to be here to see you."
Steward Ao De bowed and spoke.
"Chu Chengzhou? Why wasn't he invited in?"
Hearing this, Tang Yuehua frowned slightly, clearly displeased.
If she remembered correctly, aside from those improperly dressed, Yue Xuan didn't have a rule of turning away visitors, did it?
She had seen Chu Chengzhou before—handsome, dignified, and refined. Even if the guards at the entrance didn't recognize him, they shouldn't have blocked him, right?
Before Steward Ao De could respond, Tang Yuehua rose and went downstairs to greet the guest.
Though she didn't have much of a relationship with Chu Chengzhou, during the Soul Master Tournament, her nephew Tang San suffered a crushing defeat at his hands and was severely injured.
But that was just a competition—they were opponents, and injuries were inevitable. She couldn't hold a grudge about it.
Moreover, Tang Yuehua was well aware of the current situation of the Hao Tian Sect. If possible, she was very willing to befriend a young genius like Chu Chengzhou.
Additionally, Chu Chengzhou had close ties with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and was reportedly set to become Ning Fengzhi's son-in-law. In the fight against the Spirit Hall, he was a natural ally for the Hao Tian Sect.
Faced with Tang Yuehua's dissatisfaction, Steward Ao De awkwardly remained silent, simply following behind her.
---
Outside Yue Xuan
After waiting for a few minutes, Chu Chengzhou saw Tang Yuehua, dressed in her silver palace gown, accompanied by a purple-clad middle-aged man and two maids, walk out.
"Respectful greetings, Madam!"
The two green-clad attendants guarding the entrance immediately bowed.
"Such a rare guest! Little Brother Chu, what brings you to my humble Yue Xuan today?"
Waving her hand, Tang Yuehua smiled and walked up to Chu Chengzhou.
Her nephew Tang San was around the same age as Chu Chengzhou, and she was of the same generation as Chu Chengzhou's prospective father-in-law, Ning Fengzhi. Thus, Tang Yuehua naturally assumed the role of an elder.
"Aunt? In my eyes, Sister Yuehua, you're no aunt—you should be called 'Sister' instead."
Chu Chengzhou immediately countered.
"If you're an aunt, doesn't that make me the same generation as Tang San?"
"Haha~ Such honeyed words!"
Upon hearing "Sister," Tang Yuehua immediately covered her mouth and giggled. Women, after all, love it when others refer to them as younger.
"Hmm? What's this?"
Suddenly, Tang Yuehua noticed the icy aura emanating from Chu Chengzhou.
Previously, she had been pondering how to bring Chu Chengzhou over to their side against the powerful Spirit Hall. Now, upon closer inspection, she immediately noticed the peculiarities about him.
She had seen Chu Chengzhou during the Soul Master Tournament—how, after only half a year, had his demeanor changed so drastically?
If the Chu Chengzhou of before was a graceful young man, then the current him could easily pass for a ruthless evil soul master.
"I recently returned from somewhere and am not in good condition. I heard that Sister Yuehua possesses domain powers capable of purifying the mind—I hope you can help me."
Chu Chengzhou didn't elaborate further, but he knew Tang Yuehua would understand why he was like this.
After all, Tang Hao had likely been in a similar state after obtaining the Killing God Domain. In fact, his condition might have been even worse. In the original story, Tang Hao had directly brought Tang San, fresh out of Slaughter City, to Tang Yuehua. Clearly, Tang Hao had also been cured under the influence of Tang Yuehua's Noble Domain.
Upon hearing this, Tang Yuehua's pupils contracted sharply, and a look of shock appeared on her face.
What place could turn someone into this ghostly state? Aside from the infamous Slaughter City, known as a place of no return, Tang Yuehua couldn't think of another.
Her brother Tang Hao had also been to Slaughter City, but when he emerged, he was nearly thirty years old and close to reaching Level 70 in soul power.
And Chu Chengzhou? Though Tang Yuehua didn't know his exact age, judging by his appearance, he might not even be twenty yet. During the Soul Master Tournament six months ago, Chu Chengzhou was only a Soul Ancestor. Even now, he was likely at most a Soul King.
Furthermore, it had only been six months since the end of the tournament. Even if he had gone straight to Slaughter City afterward, that was still less than half a year.
In such a short time, Chu Chengzhou, likely not even twenty years old and at most a Soul King, successfully emerged from Slaughter City, obtained the Killing God Domain, and became one of the current generation's Killing Gods?
What Tang Yuehua didn't know was that Chu Chengzhou had taken less than a month to leave Slaughter City. Had she known, she would have been even more shocked.
"It seems Sister Yuehua knows where I've been. Will you help me?"
Chu Chengzhou smiled and asked.
"You've already called me 'Sister.' How could I, as your elder sister, refuse? Follow me!"
After recovering from her shock, Tang Yuehua rolled her eyes and led Chu Chengzhou into Yue Xuan.
'Indeed, she's radiant!'
Following behind Tang Yuehua, Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but silently marvel at the enticing curves beneath her silver palace gown. Having tasted worldly pleasures, he couldn't help but admire her beauty.
Of course, strictly speaking, Tang Yuehua wasn't yet a married woman.
As far as he knew, Tang Yuehua was still unmarried, though her age was slightly advanced.
As for the rumors circulating outside—that no one dared to misbehave in Yue Xuan because its Madam Tang Yuehua had some unspeakable secret with Emperor Xue Ye—this was pure nonsense.
It was undeniable that Tang Yuehua was a cultivation failure, but she was the eldest princess of the Hao Tian Sect. Even though the sect had sealed itself off, she didn't need to rely on such means to establish herself in Tian Dou City.
Moreover, backed by the Hao Tian Sect, though she might be able to deceive many people, the upper echelons of the Tian Dou Empire certainly weren't among them.
After all, it had only been over a decade since the Hao Tian Sect sealed itself. As the younger sister of Tang Xiao and Tang Hao, the former heiress of the continent's number one sect, how could the leaders of various factions not know Tang Yuehua's origins?
As for why Tang Yuehua, despite her age, remained single?
One could only say that she had fallen in love with someone she shouldn't—incestuous relationships were a taboo.
Not long after, Tang Yuehua led Chu Chengzhou to the fourth floor of Yue Xuan.
Seeing that Tang Yuehua hadn't continued upward, a trace of disappointment flashed in Chu Chengzhou's eyes.
Yue Xuan had five floors in total. The first four floors were used for teaching, while the top floor was Tang Yuehua's private space. Her decision not to take him to the fifth floor clearly indicated that, in her eyes, he was still an outsider.
Well, Chu Chengzhou had overthought it. After all, this was only their second meeting—how close could their relationship really be?
Even Tang Yuehua coming out to greet him was likely because he was a talented soul master. Otherwise, even if royalty from the Tian Dou Empire came, Tang Yuehua would entertain them, but she certainly wouldn't personally greet them at the door.
"Little Brother Chu, please sit. Bring tea!"
Inside the hall, after seating Chu Chengzhou, Tang Yuehua turned to the maid and instructed.
Once the tea was served, Tang Yuehua dismissed the maid and asked, "Little Brother Chu, how long has it been since you left Slaughter City?"
"About half a month. I can control my killing intent, but I can't manage the aura issue."
Chu Chengzhou answered honestly.
"Hm hm, since you can control your killing intent, it shows you've done well in terms of self-control. The reason you appear cold isn't just an aura issue.
More importantly, the massive killing intent accumulated in your heart has affected your temperament. This isn't something mere self-control can suppress."
Tang Yuehua shook her head with a smile.
"Please teach me, Sister Yuehua!"
Chu Chengzhou sincerely clasped his hands.
Smiling and nodding, a gentle ripple emanated from Tang Yuehua's body. A circle of white-golden Domain unfolded, making the already elegant and tranquil fourth floor of Yue Xuan feel even more serene and natural.
While Chu Chengzhou's Killing God Domain was filled with piercing killing intent, Tang Yuehua's Noble Domain was elegant and natural, soft enough to soothe all the sorrows of the world.
At this moment, Chu Chengzhou felt a long-lost warmth.
This wasn't warmth caused by temperature changes, but rather warmth on a spiritual level. The coldness in his heart melted away like snow.
Closing his eyes and carefully experiencing it for a long while, Chu Chengzhou opened his eyes.
"Sister Yuehua, your Noble Domain truly lives up to its reputation!"
Chu Chengzhou praised.
"Alas, success lies in the domain, but failure does too. What use is having a domain if I can't even become a soul master?"
Upon hearing Chu Chengzhou's praise, Tang Yuehua didn't show joy but instead sighed deeply, speaking with a hint of resignation.
If given the choice, she'd rather not have this domain.
The continent revered strength above all else. Compared to being a weak woman with domain powers, she undoubtedly wished to become a strong individual.
After the Hao Tian Sect's sealing over a decade ago, this desire only grew stronger within her.
"Oh? Sister Yuehua, could you elaborate?"
Chu Chengzhou feigned surprise and asked.
"There's no harm in telling you. I assume Little Brother Chu knows my background.
When I awakened my martial soul, I didn't inherit the Hao Tian Hammer passed down by our sect. Instead, it underwent a malignant mutation. Though I gained domain powers, my soul power level was capped at Level 9, unable to progress further.
Even my grandfather, the strongest individual on the continent, couldn't resolve the issues with my martial soul."
As she spoke, a gentle white-gold glow flashed, and a white-gold ring martial soul appeared in Tang Yuehua's hand.
"Sister Yuehua, as far as I know, martial souls that inherently possess domain powers are all extremely powerful, like the Six-Winged Angel martial soul passed down by the Spirit Hall's Angel Family.
Since your martial soul has an innate domain, it cannot possibly be considered useless. It's likely due to some unknown reason that your soul power cultivation has been restricted."
Blinking, Chu Chengzhou said.
In his view, whenever a martial soul undergoes mutation, it develops in a better direction.
The existence of malignant mutations wasn't the fault of the mutated martial soul itself but rather the poor aptitude of the soul master who awakened it.
There was one thing Yu Xiaogang said correctly: the size of one's innate soul power, or the strength of a soul master's aptitude, was proportional to the strength of their martial soul.
Perhaps Tang Yuehua originally awakened a martial soul superior in quality to the Hao Tian Hammer, but due to her insufficient innate talent, it degenerated into a defective product, capping her soul power at Level 9.
After all, martial souls that inherently possess domain powers were god-tier martial souls, like the Six-Winged Angel martial soul or the Sea God martial soul.
Tang San's Blue Silver Domain may seem like it was automatically mastered after the awakening of the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, but that wasn't the case.
Without the selfless contributions of the Blue Silver King and countless Blue Silver Grass, how could he awaken a Blue Silver Domain?
"Little Brother Chu, do you know?"
Tang Yuehua asked, slightly surprised.
"Know what?"
Chu Chengzhou blinked, puzzled.
"My grandfather once said the same thing! But knowing it didn't solve the problem, did it?"
As she spoke, Tang Yuehua couldn't help but reveal a sorrowful expression.
The gist of it was: stop stating the obvious.
Chu Chengzhou: "…"
"Cough, anyway, Sister Yuehua, with your Noble Domain, I feel like I'll recover soon."
Clearing his throat, Chu Chengzhou changed the subject.
"No, that's just an illusion. My Noble Domain alone isn't enough. Next, you'll need to learn various noble etiquette and music."
Tang Yuehua shook her head, speaking earnestly.
In the past, though Chu Chengzhou was worth befriending, Tang Yuehua didn't insist.
After all, the Spirit Hall's influence was vast, and even an ordinary Titled Douluo couldn't provide much assistance.
However, if he was a young genius who had emerged from the cruel Slaughter City, that was a different matter altogether.
Though Tang Yuehua didn't know much about Slaughter City, she understood that anyone who could emerge from it was undoubtedly a formidable individual. Even if they weren't strong now, they definitely would be in the future—like her brother Tang Hao.
Moreover, Chu Chengzhou's displayed talent and strength surpassed even her second brother Tang Hao. After all, Chu Chengzhou's age and soul power level were far lower than Tang Hao's at the time.
Thus, Tang Yuehua hoped Chu Chengzhou would owe her a favor, which could later aid the Hao Tian Sect in resisting the Spirit Hall.
Besides, Chu Chengzhou was Ning Fengzhi's prospective son-in-law, and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was also at odds with the Spirit Hall. This wasn't an impossible scenario.
"Etiquette and music? Sister Yuehua, music can refine one's character—I can learn that. But etiquette? Let's skip that, shall we?"
Chu Chengzhou was somewhat resistant to noble etiquette.
"Impossible. Little Brother Chu, the importance of etiquette is undeniable. It enhances personal cultivation and helps you integrate better into the empire."
Tang Yuehua shook her head.
"Um, why should I integrate into the empire instead of the empire adapting to me?"
Blinking, Chu Chengzhou said.
What kind of strength or status did the Tian Dou Empire have to expect him to integrate willingly?
When he achieved the rank of Titled Douluo in the future, even all the experts of Tian Dou combined wouldn't stand a chance against him alone, right?
Tang Yuehua: "…"
Sure enough, men were all brutes! Her grandfather was like this, her brothers were like this, and now Chu Chengzhou was no different.
"Sister Yuehua, I've heard that the weak adapt to the world, but the world adapts to the strong. I believe I have the potential to become strong."
Chu Chengzhou continued.
"Little Brother Chu, will you learn noble etiquette or not?!"
Tang Yuehua said expressionlessly.
"Learn, definitely learn! Since Sister Yuehua is willing to teach, I'll definitely learn!"
Without hesitation, Chu Chengzhou immediately agreed.
Strong spiritual power might not make one smarter, but learning efficiency was certainly faster than that of ordinary people. With his Absolute Control technique controlling his own strength, mimicking and mastering noble etiquette and music shouldn't be too difficult.
---
Seven months later.
Morning, third floor of Yue Xuan.
At this moment, elegant and beautiful harmonious melodies echoed through the concert hall.
In the center of the hall on the stage, Chu Chengzhou and Tang Yuehua sat facing each other, smiling as they played the harp together.
After more than half a year, Chu Chengzhou's aura was no longer icy—it had fully recovered.
No, it was better than before. If the previous Chu Chengzhou gave off an air of arrogance, the current Chu Chengzhou could be accurately described with one phrase:
"A gentleman of unmatched elegance."
After a long while, the music ended, and thunderous applause filled the hall.
"Little Brother Chu, your performance was excellent. You're ready to graduate!"
Tang Yuehua smiled warmly at Chu Chengzhou.
"Sister Yuehua flatters me. There's still much I need to learn."
Chu Chengzhou replied with a smile.
"Modesty is good, but there's no need to be overly modest."
Tang Yuehua shook her head.
She wasn't exaggerating—Chu Chengzhou's comprehension ability was exceptionally high, far surpassing ordinary people. Though it had only been half a year and he studied only half a day daily, he had made significant progress in both etiquette and music.
Though he was still far from matching her, he had surpassed many students who had studied for three years at Yue Xuan.
Precisely because of this, she performed a duet with him to instruct the other students.
"Sister Yuehua, I have important matters to attend to and won't be able to visit Yue Xuan for a while."
Chu Chengzhou said apologetically.
"It's fine. I said earlier that you're ready to graduate. However, my Yue Xuan will always welcome you in the future."
Waving her hand, Tang Yuehua said.
"As long as Sister Yuehua doesn't find me bothersome."
Chu Chengzhou nodded.
After chatting for a bit, Chu Chengzhou bid farewell and left Yue Xuan. He boarded a carriage and headed toward the northern gate of Tian Dou City.
At the city gate, after getting out of the carriage and letting the servants drive it back, Chu Chengzhou summoned Xiao Hong and flew toward the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Over the past half year, though he spent his mornings studying etiquette and music at Yue Xuan, his cultivation hadn't been neglected.
After consuming the two immortal herbs, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot, his soul power cultivation speed was even faster than that of ordinary individuals with full innate soul power. Coupled with the Gold-Tier Nine Breath Qi Absorption Meditation Method, even though advancing from the Soul King stage required more soul power accumulation, his promotion speed remained rapid.
Over seven months ago, when he left Slaughter City, he was only a Level 55 Soul King. But seven months later, yesterday morning, he had broken through to Level 60, becoming a quasi-Soul Emperor.
However, advancing five levels in soul power didn't significantly boost Chu Chengzhou's overall strength.
Excluding summoning, his strongest combat technique was archery. Even his illusions weren't as effective.
After all, paired with the Nine Heavens Mystic Bow and Flowing Golden Armor-Piercing Arrows, the Sun-Shooting Divine Arrow technique could pose a fatal threat to Soul Douluos.
But the ultimate technique of archery relied heavily on the forging level of the bow and arrows. Since he was still at the Soul King stage, his soul power hadn't undergone a qualitative change, and the increase in arrow technique's maximum power was relatively limited.
Of course, while his personal strength hadn't increased significantly, the advancements in his summoning abilities were substantial.
After another half year of leveling up, the age of his fourth soul ring had now reached an astonishing 56,000+ years.
In other words, the current Big Bear was equivalent in strength to a 56,000-year-old Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear.
And a 56,000-year-old Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear… Hmm, weak Titled Douluos like She Long, even in their True Body forms, could probably be crushed with a single swipe, right?
Moreover, after half a year of grinding, following the upgrade of Nine Breath Qi Absorption Technique, both his body-forging Unbreakable Golden Body and spirit-refining Eternal Thought techniques had evolved into Gold-Tier techniques.
He was heading to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect today because he had arranged in advance with Chen Xin to depart for the Great Star Dou Forest in the afternoon to obtain his sixth soul ring.
In terms of strength, Chu Chengzhou wasn't incapable of hunting souls alone in the Great Star Dou Forest.
With Big Bear's current strength, as long as the target's cultivation years didn't exceed 100,000 years, there weren't many who could match it.
However, hunting souls alone was inconvenient and unsafe. To avoid encountering multiple dangerous foes during the critical moment of refining a soul ring, Chu Chengzhou decided to bring Chen Xin along.
---
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