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

"I am a ghost, after all..." The girl chuckled softly, her figure flickering as she appeared beside Xu Cheng, skillfully wrapping her arm around his. "Master, I just broke through to level 27 yesterday. I'm catching up to you."

"Level 27, huh?" Xu Cheng's eyes flashed with surprise.

In the original story, by the age of 17, Nana had already reached level 54, a peak-level Soul King and a top-tier Level 5 Soul Engineer. Her talent was undeniable.

Even across the entire continent, she would rank among the best.

Now, with Xu Cheng's resources and support, her progress was naturally even faster...

"But... how did you get up here?" Xu Cheng was puzzled. He had only gotten in with Xiao Hongchen's help.

"I'm in the Practical Soul Tool Department. Even though I just enrolled today, I already have my Level 3 Soul Engineer certification." Nana puffed out her chest slightly, a triangular badge pinned to her uniform.

Ah, right. I forgot about that...

Xu Cheng patted his head.

Practical Soul Engineers also received certifications.

The threshold was lower than for someone like Xu Cheng. As long as one could proficiently control and use the corresponding soul tools in combat, they were considered a Soul Engineer of that level.

At level 27, using a Level 3 soul tool in combat was a breeze for Nana.

"What time is it?"

"It's... 3 a.m."

"Let's head back to the dorm and catch some sleep. We have class in the morning... Oh, and call me Holy Son."

"Okay, Master."

"..."

The two walked out of the experimental building.

The first-floor lobby was still brightly lit.

At least a hundred or so people remained, deeply engrossed in their research.

As they walked along the tree-lined path back to the dorms.

Nana still clung tightly to Xu Cheng's arm, as if only then would she feel at ease.

Over the years, Xu Cheng had grown used to it.

From the tearful little girl she had been to the tall, 1.7-meter-tall young woman she was now, she had always liked sticking close to him. Ever since that day, when he had picked her up after witnessing that tragic scene...

He had raised her like a younger sister, and now, after five years, they were practically childhood sweethearts.

As for the branch leader from back then, under Xu Cheng's guidance, he had met his end at Nana's hands...

It wasn't that Xu Cheng was being reckless. He was simply cultivating his own forces. Did anyone really think the Holy Spirit Cult was full of fools who could be persuaded to turn over a new leaf with a few words?

These were people who had clawed their way out of piles of corpses, especially the branch leaders, whose sins were immense. When Xu Cheng had tried to implement reforms, they had covertly and overtly obstructed him...

So, the only solution was to eliminate them to pave the way for progress.

At least now, the branch leaders of the Holy Spirit Cult in the cities near Mingdu were all Xu Cheng's people—or rather, people who accepted Xu Cheng's benevolent methods. Those who didn't accept them... well, they were no longer around.

"How were your interactions with your classmates today?"

Xu Cheng pondered the day's gains as he asked with a smile.

"There were two who stood out. One was Meng Hongchen, with her Vermillion Ice Toad martial soul. Her soul power is one level higher than mine... level 28. But her fighting style leans more toward being a soul master, with less reliance on soul tools. The other was Tang Ya, the girl you went out of your way to save the other day..."

Xu Cheng chuckled helplessly.

"The jealousy is strong with this one."

"Hmph~"

The girl didn't seem to mind.

"In the future, you'll all be part of the same sect. Don't be too harsh on her. Her background is similar to yours, perhaps even more tragic. Out of hundreds in her sect, she's the only one left..."

Xu Cheng said quietly.

"..."

The girl bit her lip lightly, finally nodding after a long pause.

"Alright, let's part ways here."

Xu Cheng stopped walking.

The male and female dorms were separate buildings, and mixing wasn't allowed.

"Brother."

"Huh??"

Xu Cheng's eyes narrowed, and he turned sharply to look at Nana, who had suddenly spoken up.

This girl usually teased him by calling him "Master." Only when something serious came up would she call him "Brother..."

Could it be...

"In two months, it's... the anniversary of my parents' death. I was wondering..." The girl bit her lip, lowering her head cautiously.

Xu Cheng let out a sigh of relief.

Oh, that.

He waved his hand dismissively. "I thought it was something serious. Of course, I'll go with you. Get some rest now, and stop startling me like that."

A faint smile appeared on Nana's delicate face.

She watched as Xu Cheng's figure gradually disappeared from view.

The reason she wanted Xu Cheng to accompany her to pay respects to her parents was that, in this world, he was her only family left—a family bound not by blood, but by something deeper.

From five years ago, when that figure had descended like a god.

Taking her in, saving her parents.

And the series of reforms he had implemented within the Holy Spirit Cult.

She revered him like a deity.

"Whatever you do, I'll always be by your side, Brother..."

...

In the days that followed.

Xu Cheng's life revolved around three points: the experimental area, the dorm, and the classroom.

Amidst the busy schedule, he had mostly figured out the majority of Level 2 soul tools circulating in the Sun Moon Empire and had successfully replicated them, gaining significant insights.

He could even replicate a few Level 3 soul tools.

But the problem was, Xu Cheng had hit a bottleneck... his mental strength was stuck.

Without a doubt, with his Blood Pupil martial soul, Xu Cheng's mental strength far surpassed that of soul masters at the same level. This was why he had been able to advance from zero to Level 3 in just a month.

Although he could analyze many high-level soul tools, analysis and replication were ultimately two different processes.

So, for many Level 5 or 6 soul tools, he could only theorize after analysis, unable to put them into practice. And soul tool research heavily emphasized hands-on experimentation...

It was like in his previous life, where he had memorized all the theoretical knowledge from textbooks, but the lab equipment was broken.

It was frustrating.

In his heart, Xu Cheng missed a certain chubby silkworm more and more.

With Tianmeng's million-year soul ring and its vast, ocean-like mental strength, his power would skyrocket...

The sports field.

Xu Cheng sat on a bench, sighing at the sky.

"Why the long face? Did you get dumped?" Xiao Hongchen plopped down beside him, poking Xu Cheng.

"No, I hit a bottleneck," Xu Cheng shook his head.

"You..."

Xiao Hongchen's mouth twitched.

Since becoming this grind king's roommate, he had personally witnessed Xu Cheng's leap from a Level 1 Soul Engineer to a Level 3 Soul Engineer in just one month, a terrifying pace...

And the soul tools Xu Cheng created incorporated his own understanding, executed with ease, much like the profound comprehension of a high-level Soul Engineer.

You hit a bottleneck?!?!

Then what am I? What am I, huh?!

"I..."

But before Xiao Hongchen could finish, he was interrupted by a silver-haired beauty.

"Brother Cheng, my close-combat soul tool is acting up. Can you help me fix it?"

As she spoke, she pulled out a short dagger that had broken into two pieces. Its pale blue hue and intricate engravings on the casing hinted at its high value.

"This soul tool was specially made for me by my grandfather to better complement my martial soul. But I didn't expect..." Meng Hongchen's delicate face showed a hint of sadness.

"Meng..." Xiao Hongchen was full of questions.

Wait... who's your real brother here?!

(End of Chapter)