T/N:
Shadow Attack is changed to Shadow Assualt.
__________
"Perfect timing. I'll use you to test the strength of the Scorpion Shadow Corps."
As he spoke, Lü Buliang's second soul ring lit up. His second soul skill, Shadow Assualt, activated, turning him into a shadow that vanished into the ground. With the aid of the Shadow Grave Domain and a 50% speed boost, he swiftly fled the scene.
He wasn't stupid—facing a single ten-thousand-year soul beast was manageable.
But a siege by ten of them? Even if he could win, his level-37 soul power would be far from enough to sustain the fight.
Not to mention, the noise of battle would only attract more powerful and higher-level soul beasts.
In such a scenario, retreat was clearly the wisest choice.
The summoned Scorpion Shadow Corps still had its use. Though they weren't strong enough to match the ten-thousand-year beasts, they bought Lü Buliang valuable time to escape.
…
After wrapping up his trip to the Sunset Forest for immortal herbs, Lü Buliang had stayed to test his new skill, the Shadow Grave Domain.
Unexpectedly, the battle with the Giant Earth King drew the attention of many ten-thousand-year soul beasts.
Fortunately, with the help of the Scorpion Shadow and Ghost Shadow Corps distracting the beasts, he managed to flee the forest and return to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
It was already late at night.
On the rooftop of the boys' dormitory.
As usual, Lü Buliang sat cross-legged, holding a crystal orb in his hands. Bathed in the bright moonlight, surrounded by the shadows of nearby plants and buildings, and enveloped in the darkness, he meditated.
With his eyes closed and mind focused, Lü Buliang carefully controlled the flow of soul power into the crystal orb. He inhaled slowly through his nose, then gently exhaled through his mouth. His soul power pulsed subtly with each breath, while the ice and fire energies within him turned into a black mist that swirled around him.
After just half an hour of meditation, Lü Buliang could already feel the tremendous benefits from the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot.
After absorbing the medicinal effects of these two immortal herbs, his cultivation and martial soul aptitude had undergone a complete transformation.
During the process, he felt as if all the meridians in his body were unblocked, his soul power flowed more rapidly, and his cultivation speed naturally soared.
With the crystal orb gifted by Xue Qinghe aiding his training, Lü Buliang felt as if he were flying—what used to take eight hours to achieve now took only one.
A wave of warmth surged through every part of his body. To his left, a blast of cold erupted from within; to his right, a wave of heat spread outward.
Two opposing energies surged inside him simultaneously, making his mind unusually clear, his spirit vibrant, and his physical strength noticeably enhanced.
His soul power Increased by one level.
Now at level 38.
Lü Buliang opened his eyes in delight, sensing the changes in his body. He noticed that the ice and fire energy within his soul power had grown even more potent alongside the breakthrough.
During his meditation, he also took the opportunity to observe the changes brought about by the evolution of his Shadow Martial Soul.
Setting the crystal orb on the ground, Lü Buliang stood up and quietly observed the shadow beneath his feet. Its darkness was exceptionally intense.
Previously, such heavy shadows only appeared when subjected to intense light energy. But now, this wasn't caused by moonlight—it was as if the shadow was absorbing the moonlight.
The denser the shadow beneath him, the more darkness it contained, the more it hungered to devour light energy.
Could this be the result of his Shadow Martial Soul evolving to possess a dark attribute?
He used to rely on light energy to cultivate, but now that his shadow had a dark attribute, it grew stronger by consuming that very light. If one day his shadow surpassed his control, it might turn against him.
That hidden danger couldn't be ignored.
Didn't Dugu Bo suffer backlash from his own serpent venom because it became too powerful?
"You're finally back," came a sudden voice, pulling Lü Buliang out of his thoughts. "I heard from Lingling that you left the academy on your day off. Where did you go?"
Lü Buliang looked up. The speaker was Dugu Yan. Once again, she had snuck onto the rooftop of the boys' dormitory.
"Yan, when did you get back to the academy?" he asked.
"This afternoon. My grandfather taught me a new poison mixture, then sent me back to practice on my own," Dugu Yan said, a bit worried. "But he was acting strange—his temper flared out of nowhere, and he even yelled at me. I got mad and left."
Hearing her explanation, Lü Buliang finally understood. No wonder Dugu Bo had appeared at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—his serpent venom must have flared up, so he sent Yan back and returned to the spring to suppress the poison with its extreme cold and heat.
However, that encounter had led to Lü Buliang earning Dugu Bo's trust. In the future, whenever Dugu Bo's poison flared up again, he would probably come to the academy to ask for the red and white pills.
Over time, Dugu Bo would become increasingly dependent on him. When that happened, negotiating with Dugu Bo would be easy.
He had obtained the immortal herbs, awakened his martial soul a second time, gained the Shadow Grave Domain, acquired the Ice and fire Dragon King's inner core, formed two shadow legions, and secured Dugu Bo's trust.
Lü Buliang thought to himself: this weekend was exhausting, but worth it.
Now, it was time to consider an excuse to leave the academy and visit the secluded Clear Sky Clan in the Star Luo Empire for a trade.
Once he mastered alchemy and poison-crafting, he could help resolve the serpent venom backlash in both Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, and maybe even enhance their strength.
That way, he could rightfully claim the rest of the immortal herbs and heavenly treasures.
"Lü Buliang, I've mastered a new poison mixture. In tomorrow's practical combat class, let's fight again," Dugu Yan said with a proud grin. "This time, I promise you'll get a taste of my Jade Phosphor Serpent venom!"
"Sure," Lü Buliang agreed cheerfully. "I just developed a new group-attack soul skill. Here's a heads-up, Yan—tomorrow, you'd better have Lingling save some soul power to heal you, or you might get beaten to death. And if you lose, I'm not giving you any more psychological counseling."
"I don't need Lingling's healing, and I definitely don't need your counseling. Tomorrow, the one who loses will be you!" she declared before jumping off the roof and heading back to the girls' dormitory.
Lü Buliang sighed inwardly. He already had a top-tier martial soul, level-38 soul power, immunity to both water and fire, invulnerability to poison, and two shadow legions that could be summoned for combat.
Yan, what are you even fighting me with?
…
The next morning.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy – Advanced Class 1.
As the academy bell rang, the theory class ended.
Students streamed out of the classroom and gathered on the training field for their practical combat session.
Arriving at their section of the field, Lü Buliang noticed that today's instructor wasn't Shi Gao, but Qin Ming.
Qin Ming had taken leave previously to handle matters in another city, which was why Shi Gao had substituted.
Now that he had returned, he resumed his duties as the class instructor.
"Teacher Qin, you're finally back!" Oslo wailed dramatically. "You don't know what we've suffered under Shi Gao! He had us run a hundred laps every day with his restriction-type soul skill—I thought my legs were going to fall off!"
Qin Ming patted Oslo on the shoulder and laughed. "For you battle soul masters, Shi Gao's restriction skills are excellent for training. I can already tell your physical conditioning has improved tremendously. Oslo, as an agility-attack type, his methods might be tough, but they suit you. Quit complaining."
"Mr. Qin, where did you go for a whole month?" Yu Feng asked curiously. "Outside of hunting soul rings in the forest, where else could you be for that long?"
Oslo suddenly had a thought and whispered, "Sir, don't tell me you're teaching at another academy too?"
Qin Ming sighed and didn't reply. His gaze swept across the students before landing on Lü Buliang. His expression darkened. "Lü Buliang, what's your current soul power level?"
"Level 38," Lü Buliang replied.
"Thirty-eight? Not bad—you're on par with Yu Tianheng now."
As soon as he said that, Qin Ming realized something. When he recruited Lü Buliang into the academy, the boy had been at level 35. Now, barely two months had passed, and he was already level 38?
A three-level jump in two months?
Oslo and Yu Tianheng were also stunned. Everyone turned to Lü Buliang with astonished expressions.
But the most shocked was Dugu Yan. Why?
Because when Lü Buliang joined the academy, he was level 35—two levels below her.
The first time they fought, he was level 36—one level lower.
Last time during their team battle, he was level 37—equal to her.
Now, he was level 38—one level higher.
After all her hard work training, she had still been overtaken.
Yu Tianheng was also shaken. After losing that tag-team battle against Lü Buliang and Dugu Yan, he had already felt humiliated. Now that Lü Buliang's soul power matched his own, his mood grew even more complicated.
"Lü Buliang, are you joking?" Oslo asked in disbelief. "None of us have gained even one level in the past two months, and you gained three? How are we supposed to compete with that?"
"What's so strange about that?" Lü Buliang said calmly. "You all know the uniqueness of my Shadow Martial Soul. Any place with light and shadow can become a mimicry training field. Plus, I have the crystal orb His Highness gave me to aid in cultivation."
"Every rest day, while you're all enjoying yourselves in Heaven Dou City, I'm grinding nonstop. Whether in terms of resources or training time, I've put in far more than any of you. So of course I improve faster."
"I…" Oslo couldn't argue. He really hadn't been training as hard.
Still, it was hard to believe that hard work alone could explain such a massive gap. No matter how diligently one trained, soul power shouldn't increase by three levels in just two months.
If that were all it took, soul masters could just train around the clock and forget about eating or sleeping.
Qin Ming stared at Lü Buliang in disbelief. When he first admitted him, he had thought Lü Buliang's talent was inferior to the likes of Yu Tianheng. But now… this rate of growth didn't match that of someone with only innate soul power level 7.
Could it really be the unique nature of the Shadow Martial Soul that gave him such a massive edge?
Watching Lü Buliang's monstrous progress, Qin Ming couldn't help but recall where he had spent the past month—
At his alma mater: Shrek Academy.
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