"Is that the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud?"
"That's right, it's a treasured heirloom passed down within the Heaven Dou Imperial Family."
Zhu Zhuqing was even more puzzled upon hearing this. "Since it's a royal heirloom, how could I possibly get my hands on it?"
"The Heaven Dou Imperial Family will take it out on their own. To them, the symbolic significance of the shroud far outweighs its practical use. They don't actually use it; they just treat it as a rare soul tool. The Heaven Dou Empire may seem calm on the surface, but there are hidden undercurrents, and it's only a matter of time before things explode. When that time comes, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud will likely be one of their bargaining chips." Su Cheng explained softly.
"However, I don't know under what circumstances or for what reason they'll bring it out. And I can't guarantee whether you'll be able to obtain it—it will depend on your own abilities and opportunities. It doesn't matter if you don't get it, just do your best and don't put yourself in danger for it."
After thinking for a moment, he chose not to tell Zhu Zhuqing that this item was related to the Sea God's inheritance.
It was best to let her discover this on her own.
If Zhu Zhuqing found out the critical use of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, he feared that with her personality, she might not be willing to give up easily. At that point, the risks would become uncontrollable.
When it came down to it, if she decided to challenge Tang San's fate, she would definitely be at a disadvantage, even though her current strength and potential surpassed his by a small margin.
"Alright, that's all for today. You should focus on preparing for the upcoming finals."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded absent-mindedly, still digesting the large amount of information she had just received in the brief conversation, and pondering the hidden clues.
Seeing her lost in thought, Su Cheng smiled, deciding not to linger any longer, and prepared to leave with Su Yue.
"Wait." Just as he was about to leave, the girl instinctively called out, "Why did you tell me all of this? This seems like very important information, doesn't it?"
Su Cheng turned back and casually replied, "Because I like you."
With a wave of his hand, he added, "Good luck in the match."
Looking at his smile, Zhu Zhuqing's face suddenly flushed red, and she nodded without responding.
"Ha, 'because I like you,'" Su Yue mimicked Su Cheng's tone mockingly as they walked. "You're old enough to be her ancestor, and yet you're not embarrassed at all."
Then, glancing at the curvaceous girl who was watching their retreating backs from a distance, Su Yue snorted. "She's weird too. You've only met her once, and she's already infatuated? I don't see anything special about you."
"What nonsense are you talking about? It was just a normal conversation."
"I'm not blind. The expression on that little girl's face was clearly off. Besides, books say that this kind of situation between people is usually significant."
Her words made Su Cheng start to question the wisdom of letting Su Yue study on her own.
"What kind of books have you been reading?"
"None of your business," Su Yue pouted. "But why don't you want to take her under your wing for training anymore? A few years ago, you couldn't stop talking about her."
Su Cheng shook his head, his eyes growing calm. "There's no need anymore. It's better for her to continue her training as planned."
His thinking had undergone a significant shift compared to a few years ago.
Back then, Su Cheng didn't fully understand the true nature of this simulation and treated it like the usual situations—identifying and training those with potential to serve as allies, while also fulfilling his missions of altering destinies.
But as time passed and after several attempts, he realized that meddling too much wasn't necessarily a good thing. It was better not to rush and to avoid stirring up unnecessary variables.
Opportunities should be saved for the right moment; everything else could be left to unfold naturally.
The finals progressed quickly.
By this point in the soul master tournament, the rules were simple—matches were eliminations, and they took far less time than the preliminary ranking rounds.
In just a few days, the second Heaven Dou team, led by Zhu Zhuqing and Tang San, had advanced to the final round.
Throughout the process, their strength far exceeded that of the first Heaven Dou team.
Whether it was Zhu Zhuqing, who possessed a top-tier martial soul, or Tang San, with his dual martial souls, or the powerhouses Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, who had gained external spirit bones, they all demonstrated formidable strength.
Not to mention the two auxiliary soul masters with remarkable potential: Oscar and Ning Rongrong.
Additionally, the substitute agility-type soul master who replaced Xiao Wu faced little competition in the lead-up to the final match.
The final day arrived quickly, and both teams—the second Heaven Dou team and the Spirit Hall Academy team—stepped into the center of the plaza.
Fourteen people stood facing each other, their auras colliding intensely.
At this moment, all eyes were fixed on the arena, whether it was the respective teachers leading the teams, the powerful elders of Spirit Hall, Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, or even Pope Bibi Dong herself.
Su Cheng and Su Yue stood at the back of the Spirit Hall crowd, watching the match unfold.
Standing at the front of the second Heaven Dou team, Zhu Zhuqing seemed to sense something. She turned her head and met Su Cheng's gaze.
She saw him nod slightly and give her a thumbs-up.
A small smile appeared on her face, easing her earlier tension.
Her teammates noticed this and were surprised, not understanding why Zhu Zhuqing, who rarely showed emotion, suddenly smiled like this.
Did she know someone in Spirit City?
Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, and the others instinctively followed her gaze, but by then, Su Cheng and Su Yue had already disappeared.
In another corner, Su Yue snorted, pulling her arm free from Su Cheng's grip but said nothing more.
She looked at the members of the opposing team, her thoughts swirling.
Apart from Xiao Wu, who was a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast in human form, the rest of the team was exactly the same as before.
In just a few years, they had all grown, and their cultivation speed was not much slower than hers. It made her marvel at the terrifying potential of the human race.
If the same level of progress had to be made by spirit beasts, even the most talented ones would need thousands of years, highlighting the immense gap between them.
Still, she wondered if these people remembered the humiliation they had once suffered and how they had mentally evolved over the years.
At that moment, Su Cheng's voice reached her ears, "Who do you think will win between these two teams?"
"Of course, Spirit Hall."
With her previous experience and despite her current lower cultivation level, Su Yue's eyes could still discern the difference in strength between the two teams.
She couldn't help but gloat a little, "That girl you've taken a liking to is bound to face a setback. Her teammates are nothing but dead weight."
In theory, Su Yue's assessment wasn't wrong.
Although the Shrek Seven Devils now had two more external spirit bones and Zhu Zhuqing's exceptional Hell White Tiger martial soul, without consuming immortal herbs, their martial souls and soul power levels were below their peak potential.
Furthermore, with Xiao Wu absent from the team, replaced by an ordinary agility-type soul master at only the Soul Elder level, their overall strength wasn't much better than the original lineup.
Meanwhile, the Spirit Hall Academy team boasted three Soul Kings, two of whom could perform a fusion technique.
On paper, no matter how well Shrek's tactical coordination might be, they stood little chance of winning.
What Su Yue didn't know, however, was that Tang San had some tricks of his own. If he unleashed all his hidden cards, his real strength wouldn't be far behind Zhu Zhuqing's.
"I'd say the second Heaven Dou team will win."
"Impossible."
"Care to make a bet?"
"..." Su Yue suspiciously glanced at Su Cheng, her expression unhappy. "Are you planning to secretly help that girl?"
"Of course not. I won't do anything. So, are you in?"
"No." Su Yue's expression softened as she turned her head back, replying coolly, "I don't play such pointless games."
"..."
The battle began swiftly. All seven members of the Spirit Hall Academy team moved almost simultaneously, with a surge of soul power erupting from their bodies in an instant.
On the other side, the members of the Emperor Team 2 were not to be outdone and quickly assumed their formation.
As the sole control-type soul master, Tang San took charge at the center, while Zhu Zhuqing, the strongest fighter, led the charge at the front like an arrowhead.
Meanwhile, on the opposing side, Xie Yue and Hu Liena, under the support of their auxiliary soul masters, unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion Technique, Charm.
A red screen of light suddenly exploded, enveloping nearly half of the battlefield, completely covering everyone inside...
At the early stage, the battle unfolded much like Su Yue had anticipated. However, in the final moments, thanks to Zhu Zhuqing's powerful distraction, Tang San successfully executed the Bat Wing Reincarnation technique from the Tang Sect's hidden weapons arsenal, turning the tide in their favor at the last moment.
As expected, the Shrek Academy team emerged victorious, claiming the championship.
At this moment, not only was Su Yue secretly surprised, but on the spectator's stands, Bibi Dong's killing intent also surged, resolving that she must find a way to kill Tang San to eliminate future threats.
With the champion decided, the Soul Master Competition ended hastily.
Due to Spirit Hall Academy's defeat, the closing ceremony became extremely simple. The elaborate preparations Spirit Hall had made for the event were rendered useless. The awards were handed out briefly, with just three soul bones as the reward.
Although Tang San and the others grumbled a bit, they didn't dwell on it too much.
The soul bones were reward enough; nothing else mattered.
After the long competition had ended, it also marked the official graduation of Tang San and his friends. They all decided to part ways temporarily for individual cultivation.
Ning Rongrong naturally returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to gradually take over some of the clan's affairs.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun planned to first return to Shrek Academy with Flender and the other teachers.
The rest of the group's situations were more complicated.
After the final match, Dai Mubai was approached by Dai Weisi privately.
As expected, the moment the Hell White Tiger Martial Soul appeared, the Star Luo Royal Family could no longer sit still.
The upper echelon of the family, despite the bloody tradition of sibling rivalry within the Dai family, decided to recall Dai Mubai to understand the situation and discuss countermeasures.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't seem to care much about this.
Just a few days ago, Zhu Zhuyun had secretly approached her, and she too would be returning to the Star Luo Empire soon.
Tang San also finally met his father, Tang Hao, who had disguised himself as an ordinary person and infiltrated Spirit City.
Tang Hao planned to take Tang San away for several years of solitary training.
Before parting, the group from Shrek Academy agreed on a time to reunite in the future.
Though there was some emotional estrangement between them, due to the long-standing issues stemming from their time outside the small town near the Star Dou Forest, they were well aware of each other's talents and value.
Except for Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai, there were no fundamental conflicts of interest between the others, making them natural allies in the future.
Especially Tang San, who was always thinking about rebuilding the Tang Sect in this world; Ning Rongrong, who came from a powerful sect; Dai Mubai, who would face the brutal bloodline competition within the Star Luo royal family; and Zhu Zhuqing, who bore the pressure of her own powerful Hell White Tiger Martial Soul.
All these individuals, bound by their respective backgrounds and interests, had their own plans.
Under such circumstances, it was only natural to make future arrangements.
Three days later, Su Cheng found Su Yue in the library of Spirit City and took the book from her hands as he said, "Time to go."
"Where to?"
"Bibi Dong is leading a team to hunt down Tang San. We're going to watch the show."
"How boring. You go ahead. I'm not interested." Su Yue waved her hand dismissively, showing no interest in an outcome that was already certain.
"It won't be boring at all. There might be some unexpected surprises. Just come with me."
With that, Su Cheng grabbed her and dragged her out of the library.
This time, the assassination squad led by Bibi Dong was nothing short of impressive.
Given Tang Hao's presence, Bibi Dong not only brought herself but also four Titled Douluo.
They were Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, as well as the two brothers, Qianjun Douluo and Jiangmo Douluo, who served as protectors of the Spirit Hall.
To be honest, not even Su Cheng could foresee how they could possibly fail with such a lineup.
Qianjun Douluo and Jiangmo Douluo were both peak-level Douluo, with spirit power at level 96, and as brothers, they were perfectly synchronized in battle. Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, though weaker, had the Polar Stillness Domain as their Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
Not to mention, Bibi Dong herself was no ordinary Titled Douluo.
Though her power was suppressed by the Rakshasa God trials, preventing her from using her full strength, she had a 100,000-year-old spirit ring and was not someone to be trifled with. Her combat ability rivaled that of a peak Douluo.
On the other hand, Tang San would be completely unprepared, as Bibi Dong hadn't made any moves to alert him.
Aside from Tang Hao, who was secretly accompanying him, there were no other powerful figures by his side.
Chen Xin was busy escorting Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong back to their clan, and Dugu Bo was with his granddaughter. How could Tang San possibly survive?
Even if Tang Hao detonated his spirit rings in desperation, there was no way he could take on five opponents by himself, no matter how powerful his 100,000-year-old spirit ring might be.