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

"Officials from Heaven Dou City have come to save us!"

"It's the Lords from Heaven Dou City!"

"We're over here!"

"…"

The members of the Ironblood Sect were suddenly reinvigorated.

But in the next instant—

"Scram!"

A calm voice broke through the air.

Wuyun's tone was light, but the aura surrounding him was no longer concealed.

The overwhelming presence of a Super Douluo instantly engulfed all of Heaven Dou City.

Even in the pitch-black night sky, an eerie chill swept across. Dark clouds obscured the moonlight, and black mist spread over the city, forewarning an impending storm.

In the blink of an eye—

Those Heaven Dou enforcers, who had just been charging in so aggressively, suddenly froze as if their throats were clenched. One after another, they retreated at double their previous speed, disappearing into the distance.

The disciples of the Ironblood Sect: "…"

The city's defense forces: "…"

The onlookers from Heaven Dou City: "…"

"My lord, please spare us!"

Tie Li, trembling with fear, howled toward the sky.

"…"

Xu Cheng glanced at Tie Li, the corner of his mouth curling slightly.

"Since you claim that big fish eating small fish is only natural, then isn't her killing you equally justified?"

"Ah!"

A purple-black strand of Blue Silver Grass pierced through Tie Li's abdomen. Before blood could even flow out, his body visibly shriveled until it was nothing but a desiccated corpse.

Thus—

At Tang Ya's feet, corpses lay strewn like fallen leaves.

Countless thick purple-black vines writhed behind her, her beautiful eyes glowing purple. Her body was surrounded by a dark aura, giving off a presence akin to the descent of a demon child.

"Father, Mother…"

Rain began to fall from the sky, soaking the girl's hair and washing over the mountainous piles of bodies in the courtyard. Streams of blood merged with the rainwater, flowing outside the walls.

In the dark of the night, the scene became even more chilling.

Tang Ya seemed to have lost all her strength. Staggering under her own weight, she fell into unconsciousness, her vision darkening.

Xu Cheng appeared behind Tang Ya. He placed her arm over his shoulder and lifted her into a princess carry. Checking her energy channels, he muttered, "Her soul power is completely depleted."

"Playing so big for her first awakening?"

Wuyun clicked his tongue.

"Less talking. Hand over the Dragon Beard Pill," Xu Cheng said with an unflinching expression.

"Tsk… this hurts a little."

Despite his grumbling, Wuyun obediently pulled out a bottle of pills.

This girl possessed the potential of a saint. Using a Dragon Beard Pill to stabilize her foundation was well worth it.

He gently parted Tang Ya's lips and slipped the pill in.

Not long after, the pill's effects kicked in. A faint flush of color returned to Tang Ya's pale cheeks.

Xu Cheng nodded in satisfaction.

In the world of Soul Land II, there was always an impression that pills would make one's foundation unstable and leave soul power hollow.

But in truth, this belief stemmed from Shrek Academy's bias.

Particularly, Bei Bei's dismissive attitude:

"We rely on steady, solid training to build a strong foundation. Only other nations recklessly burn through their students' potential with pills for short-term gains..." (exact quote).

Oh, really? And when Shrek Academy cheats, why don't they mention that?

Sacrificing one's talent for the sake of a victory—wrong!

Using underhanded tactics and dirty tricks to win—right!

This is the deep-rooted ideology of Shrek Academy… so disgustingly hypocritical. No wonder they later got wiped out, with the entire academy blown to pieces.

Pills were originally invented to aid soul masters in cultivation—

Whether by boosting strength, healing injuries, or stabilizing foundations.

High-grade pills, in particular, could enhance strength rapidly while simultaneously stabilizing the foundation, earning them a reputation as premium-grade. Their drawback? High cost and increasing resistance.

The high price is understandable. Resistance, akin to drug tolerance, means the body gradually develops immunity to the effects with repeated use, diminishing returns over time.

Thus, these pills are rare and hard to come by for ordinary people.

In contrast, cheaper pills that destabilize the foundation and leave soul power hollow are more accessible. These are the first choice for average soul engineers.

After all, if someone becomes a soul engineer, why should they rely on martial spirits to fight? Isn't that a waste of their soul engineering skills?

Soul engineers don't need to worry about stable soul power—they focus on crafting tools and using them in combat.

Of course, this view is somewhat oversimplified. The Sun Moon Empire recognized the need for balance between martial spirit and technology, which led to later exchanges with Mu En for student training.

As for Xiao Hongchen taking a pill to destroy his foundation in the tournament? That was just a forced plot device to glorify the protagonists by dumbing him down.

The grandson of Jing Hongchen, surrounded by Sun Moon Empire mentors, making such a reckless decision? Ridiculous.

Xu Cheng snapped out of his thoughts.

He looked at the unconscious Tang Ya in his arms.

"Let's go hunt a soul beast. I need to return to class tomorrow…"

Those siblings—he had heard much about them and was looking forward to meeting them at the academy.

Two figures in black robes vanished, leaving behind a scene of utter carnage.

Star Dou Forest – Outskirts

A campfire crackled.

Wuyun stared at Xu Cheng, who had fully absorbed a 10,000-year soul ring in less than half an hour and was now bursting with energy.

"You're a monster. Your third soul ring is already 10,000 years?"

"I'm an evil soul master. I don't need to explain myself to anyone," Xu Cheng replied casually, biting into some roasted meat.

Wuyun was speechless.

He pointed to the sleeping Tang Ya nearby. "What about her? Should I take her back to headquarters?"

"She'll stay with me," Xu Cheng said calmly.

"In the Holy Spirit Sect, I've managed to convince some, but old habits die hard. These people are steeped in bloodshed, and it's almost impossible to force them to change overnight.

"For now, it's best if Tang Ya stays away from them, lest she be influenced."

"You…"

Wuyun shook his head.

"In all history, you're probably the only one trying to reform a sect of evil soul masters by advocating kindness and care for civilians. Honestly, you're…" He struggled to find the words.

Wuyun looked at Xu Cheng, feeling that this young man, despite his age, was utterly unfathomable.

He didn't follow any established rules.

Within the Holy Spirit Sect, he preached compassion toward ordinary people—

Yet moments ago, he allowed Tang Ya to slaughter her enemies, using their lives to nourish her own growth.

And yet, this boy's talents were terrifying.

Three soul rings: purple, purple, black.

Twin martial spirits: Blood Pupil and Sun—both top-tier among the continent's elite.

A future Ultimate Douluo seemed almost certain.

This combination… if he grows unchecked, will he become a disaster for the continent or…

Slap!

Wuyun smacked himself.

"Damn it! I'm an evil soul master! Why am I worrying about this nonsense?"

"…"

Xu Cheng continued eating his roasted meat, glancing at Wuyun's gloomy face.

Come to think of it, evil soul masters, despite their ominous name, weren't all bloodthirsty murderers who thrived on killing to grow stronger.

Many joined the Holy Spirit Sect after being oppressed by nobles.

Wuyun was one such individual.

And Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng, for example, sustained himself by consuming beast blood rather than killing or torturing living beings.

So really, the Holy Spirit Sect… had potential for reform.

(End of Chapter)