Ning Rongrong stared blankly at the girl beside her.
At this moment, the girl was wearing the ridiculous green uniform of the Shrek Academy team, covered with various advertisements.
But her appearance, figure, and demeanor could make people instinctively overlook those external factors.
No matter how fancy or ugly the external attire, they couldn't overshadow her unique temperament.
Haughty and carefree, as free as the wind.
Ning Rongrong certainly knew this person.
The Shrek Academy team had not lost a single match except on the first day, relying entirely on the girl's strong personal abilities.
She was the biggest dark horse in this Soul Master competition.
The Tian Dou Royal Academy at least had a reputation, but the Shrek Academy was completely unknown to ordinary people.
It could even be said that, apart from Su Cheng, she was the strongest in this competition.
If Su Cheng hadn't performed so brilliantly in the past few days, perhaps this girl would have attracted everyone's attention.
Young in age, high in cultivation, and possessing a Spirit Ring surpassing theoretical limits.
Her strength was extremely formidable, almost single-handedly defeating all members of the Blazing Academy's seeded team.
Her formidable Hell Civet Martial Soul subverted everyone's perception of agility-type Soul Masters, being both fast and powerful without any shortcomings.
But her anxious expression and swift movements at this moment left Ning Rongrong puzzled.
She didn't understand how these two people were connected.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't care about the opinions of others at this moment.
Even the teachers and teammates of the academy were forgotten at this moment.
She wasn't someone who cared about others' thoughts in the first place.
At this moment, what surged in her mind was the figure of the person whose Martial Soul she had devoured, the figure who had left alone at the last moment.
"Swish—"
An invisible sword qi flew in, blocking in front of her.
Zhu Zhuqing was initially angry, but then a silver light flashed in her hand as she reached out.
"Little girl, calm down."
A voice with a hint of powerful soul power instantly reached her heart.
This made her sober up.
Zhu Zhuqing looked sideways.
Seven Glazed Tile Pagoda sect's Guardian Douluo Chen Xin was standing not far in front of her at this moment.
However, he didn't look at her at this moment, but stared solemnly at the icebergs on the stage.
The temperature near the stage had dropped to an extreme level, even someone with her physique found it difficult to bear. One can imagine how terrifying the low temperature in the central area of the stage must be.
There seemed to be a flash of light in Chen Xin's eyes, and he said in a deep voice to the people nearby, "Wait, Cheng'er is fine."
In his perception, although Su Cheng's aura had dropped to the bottom, almost to the point where ordinary people couldn't perceive it, the vitality in the core area of the iceberg was intense, and there was even a tendency to further enhance.
The members of the Heaven Water Academy team looked at each other when they heard this, without saying anything more.
Although the members of the Tian Dou Royal Academy team were anxious, with the presence of the Title Douluo, there shouldn't be any major problems.
The referee outside the ring finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As a Soul King, he had no way to deal with the current situation in front of him.
But now that the Sword Douluo was present, there would naturally be no problem.
The competition could continue normally.
Su Cheng's life or death was uncertain, but he hadn't fallen off the stage. Although Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu's souls were exhausted and they were unable to fight, their teammates were still in a decent state, at least with plenty of soul power left.
Now the only thing to consider was whether Su Cheng could break through the blockade.
At the same time, in a hidden view, a figure emitting a blue-golden light quietly appeared.
It was Ah Yin.
After the journey through the Blue Silver Grass Forest, as long as she didn't attack actively, appearing in spiritual form, there were few people who could detect her presence.
Even strong figures like Chen Xin had difficulty detecting her when she actively hid.
Ah Yin didn't care to see how others reacted at this moment, her face full of seriousness as she manipulated part of the authority of the Five Elements Domain, protecting Su Cheng who was locked in the ice mountain without distraction.
In Su Cheng's eyes, however, another scene appeared.
This technique of Shui Bing'er's, crossing two major levels and displaying the power of a Soul Emperor with Soul Ancestor level strength, was indeed powerful, but it was not enough to cause him significant harm.
The reason Su Cheng had endured this attack was precisely because he was not afraid of this level of attack.
With the protection of the Five Elements Domain at the level of a Soul Saint, the hundred-thousand-year soul bone from the Blue Silver Emperor, and the five attributes of the sixty-thousand-year soul rings enhancing his own attributes, Shui Bing'er's fusion technique could injure him, but it was not enough to seriously harm him.
Moreover, it wouldn't take long for him to fully recover.
The greatest strength of the Five Elements Domain lay not in its enhancement or suppression effects, but in its eternal nature.
What Su Cheng sought was the glimpse of the immortal light he had seen from the giant ice phoenix.
In the Blue Silver Grass Forest, he had witnessed the world's decline.
Although this experience had helped him greatly in his short-term combat power and would be beneficial for his future cultivation for a long time, from a longer-term perspective, it would become a profound shackle.
Because he saw the "end" of his cultivation path.
This had a detrimental effect on his state of mind.
Even more troubling was that this seemed to be an insoluble problem.
In his past life, he had heard many myths and legends.
The tortoise may live a long life, but it still has its end, the python rides the mist, but in the end, it becomes ashes.
Even immortals and Buddhas also had a day of decline due to the Five Decays of Heaven and Man.
But among these beings, the phoenix was an exception.
Because it could "rebirth," the phoenix was a "forever" divine being.
In the past, Su Cheng couldn't understand the meaning behind it.
He thought it was some kind of secret technique that could extend one's lifespan, like the powerful soul techniques and miraculous abilities in this world.
But even though the world could decay, how could such a divine being, no matter how mystical, escape the fate of destruction?
But today, with the glimmer of insight from that immortal light, he finally touched upon a hint of a solution.
The phoenix's rebirth wasn't about "prolonging life," but about "renewal."
Miracles can't surpass karma.
The primary cause of the world's decay lies not within itself but comes from "disasters."
"Miracles can't surpass karma because miracles are themselves karma. Absorbing soul power, enhancing cultivation, bestowed by heaven and earth, and finally returning to heaven and earth, this is inevitable."
Su Cheng realized.
"But when the phoenix undergoes rebirth amidst calamity, it eradicates karma, thus avoiding the bad end. When it approaches the stage of decay, it rejuvenates itself through rebirth, revitalizing its vitality."
With a thought, myriad thoughts arise.
With his insight, the Nirvana Scripture spontaneously began to operate again, beginning a new transformation.
A source seemed to appear within his body, burning like a flame, releasing a blazing vitality.
At this moment, a warmth suddenly emanated from his right leg.
The hundred-thousand-year soul bone from the Blue Silver Emperor, which had melted, began to gradually dissolve, and then turned into a warm stream that flowed into Su Cheng's body, transforming into the core of vitality.
"This time, it's truly a proper 'Nirvana Scripture'..."
Su Cheng chuckled lightly.
From now on, there would be no more shackles on his path.
From Su Cheng's awakening to the start of his technique, it actually took a very short time.
To bystanders, it was just a few minutes.
The temperature around the stage suddenly began to rise.
The icebergs cracked one after another.
With a loud bang, the giant iceberg shattered.
Su Cheng reappeared in front of everyone.
"..."
Everyone was astonished to find that he seemed unharmed at this moment, and his aura was unusually calm, not at all like someone who had just experienced a battle.
No, not only was there no damage, but his state seemed even better than before.
Su Cheng looked around, then realized there were quite a few people near the stage.
It seemed that the commotion just now was a bit too loud.
First, he nodded slightly to Chen Xin, then looked at Zhu Zhuqing with some surprise and nodded lightly to her.
Then he turned to the members of the Heaven Water Academy team on the stage and said softly, "Do you want to continue?"
There was a hint of bitterness in Shui Bing'er's eyes.
She originally had been extremely worried.
Her kind-hearted nature didn't want anyone to be seriously injured because of her soul skill, otherwise she wouldn't have gone all out to suppress the fusion technique that far exceeded her control ability, and even suffered backlash as a result.
But seeing that the move she had exerted with all her effort, using up all her soul power, had no effect, she felt a little dejected.
She shook her head lightly, sighed, and said, "No, we concede."
The other members of the Heaven Water Academy team didn't object to her decision.
As long as they weren't blind, they could see that the opponent was in perfect condition now.
Su Cheng wasn't surprised either, he nodded and continued, "If you don't mind, we can have a good exchange in the future. Your martial soul has great potential."
Shui Bing'er's expression paused.
She thought that the other party might recruit her, but she didn't expect him to say this, considering the huge gap in strength between them.
Moreover, from the post-match exchange between the other party and Feng Xiaotian, it seemed that he wasn't someone who liked to be polite.
"If you're willing, you can consider teaming up with us for the finals. I can give you my share of the final prize."
The members of the Heaven Water Academy team were a little surprised, but they didn't show any objection.
Su Cheng didn't say much more, he nodded and turned to leave the stage.
Shui Bing'er had already made up her mind. If the other party tried to recruit her like they did with the two members of the Heavenwind Academy team, she would refuse outright.
She valued the team she led at the Heavenwater Academy, and the academy's president was her direct elder.
But the rewards for winning the championship...
The Martial Soul Hall had made a significant contribution this time, directly offering three precious soul bones as the championship prize.
Whether she could have a soul bone herself didn't matter much to her personally, but if there was a chance to obtain one, it would be beneficial to hand it over to the academy.
She hesitated for a moment.
"Consider it, you can come find me anytime," Su Cheng said calmly. Afterward, he turned his attention to the black-haired auxiliary soul master girl beside her. "Are you called Xue Wu?"
"Ah? Yes," Xue Wu replied, somewhat surprised that he would engage her in conversation.
"You're also welcome to join our team. Your martial soul is quite unique," Su Cheng said.
Xue Wu nodded in a daze, seemingly still processing what was happening.
After the referee announced the match result, Su Cheng jumped down from the stage.
Approaching Chen Xin, he said, "Teacher, I made you worry."
"No worries," Chen Xin observed him with slight surprise. "You seem to have gained some insights."
"Yes," Su Cheng nodded calmly. "Shui Bing'er's martial soul fusion technique was powerful, but her martial soul is even more special, containing a hint of immortality, which is remarkable."
Su Cheng glanced at the Heavenwater Academy team departing in the distance. "If I can exchange ideas with her more in the future, my strength will undergo a transformation."
Chen Xin nodded gently. "Your path in swordsmanship differs from mine. Now that your strength has reached this level, there isn't much more I can teach you. But in the future, be cautious and don't take unnecessary risks. You're still young, and there are plenty of opportunities to improve your strength, no need to rush. Remember, cultivate the heart before cultivating the sword."
"I understand," Su Cheng said solemnly.
Chen Xin's strength lay in his sincerity towards swordsmanship, different from most other powerful figures in this world.
After Chen Xin left, Su Cheng walked over to Zhu Zhuqing, who was standing nearby with a cold expression.
"Sorry for making you worry. The situation was unusual just now, and I had some insights suddenly, so I decided to take that soul skill head-on," Su Cheng said.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze for a moment.
Then she said in a low voice, "Come out tonight, I have something to ask you."
Without waiting for his response, she turned and left.
Su Cheng shook his head helplessly.
"...Brother, do you know that girl from the Shrek Academy team?"
Ning Rongrong approached, looking at the departing figure of Zhu Zhuqing with a soft voice.
"I know her," Su Cheng nodded, glancing at her, "What's up?"
Ning Rongrong hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How do you two know each other?"
Su Cheng pondered for a moment, feeling it was difficult to explain.
It's impossible to tell others about the simulation.
Can't say we met in a dream, right?
He could only say, "Their team came to our academy before, wanting to use the second team's quota to participate, but I refused, so we met like that."
Ning Rongrong lowered her head in silence, not knowing whether to believe him or not.
Returning to the team's resting area, Su Cheng found that Feng Qingyu had come over again today.
"You keep coming over here all the time. Doesn't your teacher care?" Su Cheng asked.
"He doesn't care," Feng Qingyu sat on the sofa, stuffing fruits into her mouth as she spoke, "I'm not a starter, just here to watch the excitement. It doesn't matter if I'm here or not."
"Alright," Su Cheng sighed and sat down, grabbing an apple and taking a bite.
"You're really good at pretending. You had to take that martial soul fusion technique head-on," Feng Qingyu tilted her head back, running her silver hair through her fingers, "I saw that a few members of the Heavenwater Academy team seemed a bit shaken."
Su Cheng smiled but didn't explain further.
She wouldn't understand even if he did.
This child indeed had good talent, and more importantly, she knew how to think for herself and didn't just follow the crowd.
But this was both an advantage and a disadvantage.
If her accumulation was insufficient, knowing some higher-level things prematurely could easily lead her astray.
Thinking of this, Su Cheng suddenly felt a little moved and turned to Feng Qingyu, "Who is your teacher?"
"Teacher?" Feng Qingyu looked puzzled, "I have many teachers, which aspect are you referring to?"
"I mean the kind of inheritance relationship, like the one-on-one mentorship between me and Sword Douluo."
"I don't have one, I just practiced with my grandfather."
"I see..." Su Cheng hesitated, feeling it might be inappropriate to ask.
He couldn't help but say, "If you're willing, you can consider me as your teacher. But my cultivation level isn't high right now, and my actual age isn't much older than yours, so if you mind—"
"No problem, I'm willing! From now on, you're my teacher, you have to take care of me!" Feng Qingyu quickly agreed, as if afraid he might change his mind.
"..." Almost forgot, this child's thought process is different from ordinary people.
"Once a teacher, always a father," Su Cheng glanced at her, "But first, you have to kowtow to me three times."
"Ah?" Feng Qingyu was dumbfounded for a moment, "You're too much..."
Su Cheng resisted the urge to laugh and said seriously, "That's the rule in our place."
"..."
After hesitating for a moment, Feng Qingyu bit her lip and prepared to perform the ceremony.
For the sake of her safety in the future, she endured it.
Su Cheng quickly reached out to stop her, "I'm just joking. If I really make you kowtow, I'll be shortening my lifespan."
The girl breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, release your martial soul and let me see."
With a faint breeze brushing past, a transparent figure appeared behind Feng Qingyu.
If it weren't for the soul rings appearing under her feet, most people wouldn't notice that she had already released her martial soul.
But this naturally couldn't escape Su Cheng's keen eyes.
He observed the real view, and then, the shadow of the opponent's martial soul was clearly revealed in his eyes.
...
At the Shrek Academy team area,
As Zhu Zhuqing returned to her seat, several teachers and teammates looked at her with questioning eyes.
Tang San frowned, concentrating without speaking, while Xiao Wu's eyes were full of doubt.
Oscar looked helpless and secretly gestured to Zhu Zhuqing.
However, Zhu Zhuqing completely ignored their strange looks, returning to her seat and sitting down.
"Zhuqing, just now..." Dai Mubai finally couldn't help but ask.
"I saw that the battle over there was intense, so I went to see what was happening. Perhaps I could gain some insights," Zhu Zhuqing said, her eyes half-closed, calmly.
"Do you know, Su Cheng from the second team of the Royal Star Academy?" asked one of the teachers.
"Yes, I know him. We've met a few times before," Zhu Zhuqing glanced at them. "Don't you also know him? Tang San and Xiao Wu were in the same junior academy with him before, weren't they?"
"..." Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged glances, both frowning.
"Hmm, I thought you seemed to have a good relationship," Dai Mubai said tentatively.
"Is that so?" Zhu Zhuqing's expression remained unchanged. "You're overthinking it. He's one of the strongest opponents our team wants to defeat for the championship. Of course, we need to pay special attention."
She added, "I don't think he's as strong as we imagined. When Tang San completes the Haotian Hammer, we might still have a chance to win."
Dai Mubai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Most of the others averted their gaze, exchanging glances secretly.
Clearly, most of them didn't quite believe Zhu Zhuqing's words just now.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing had no time to pay attention to the thoughts of others. She couldn't help but feel complex emotions.
Before, Yu Xiaogang had left the team for more than ten days, reportedly going out to inquire about some information to help Tang San practice the second martial soul, Haotian Hammer, more safely.
Originally, she didn't care, but a casual remark made by the other party after returning to the team had left her feeling extremely complicated.
"Su Cheng isn't the strongest opponent you'll face in this competition. The Martial Soul Hall team is much more formidable. They also have three Soul Kings, and besides those Soul Kings, there's also a soul master with Soul Emperor level cultivation, named Qian Renxue, who is a descendant of the Qian family from the Martial Soul Hall."
"Qian Renxue!"
This name instantly stirred up memories that Zhu Zhuqing had been unwilling to touch deep in her heart.
...
"I know that you definitely have a follow-up plan. Let's make it clear, what do you want me to do?"
"I already told you, once you become the emperor, surrender to the Tian Dou Empire."
"I'm talking about later!"
"There's nothing more."
"Nothing more?! You've done all this, sacrificed yourself, just to let me become a Title Douluo, then become the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, and then surrender to that Qian Renxue?!"
"That's one way to put it..."
In that dream, Su Cheng had also mentioned this name.
Martial Soul Hall.
Qian Renxue.
Twenty years of plotting and scheming, self-sacrifice, and finally begging, all to hand over the Star Luo Empire to that person.
She couldn't accept it.
Why?
In Su Cheng's heart, what did he see herself as, and what did he see that person as?
But what could her unwillingness change?
That was a peak soul Emperor, and a peak Soul Emperor under twenty-five at that.
She possessed the memories of cultivation from the dream realm. She was confident that given time, she could reach that level before she turned twenty-five.
But the problem was, the reality was right in front of her, and she simply didn't have that time.
Zhu Zhuqing could allow herself to lose to Su Cheng.
But instinctively, she didn't want to lose to that person.
...
At night, Su Cheng stood alone in the forest outside Tian Dou City, silently waiting.
It didn't take long for him to feel a slight movement.
She's here.
A figure flew out of the city and quickly approached.
Black hair fluttered in the wind, like an elf in the night sky, elegant and natural.
Soon, the graceful figure landed not far in front of him.
"What are you..."
Su Cheng was momentarily stunned.
A long, fitted dress in jet black enveloped Zhu Zhuqing from head to toe.
Only her face, cold with a hint of unique charm, and her flowing black hair were exposed.
This was a custom-made dress that only the major aristocrats of the Star Luo Empire could possess.
In the simulated world, Zhu Zhuqing always dressed like this after reaching adulthood.
However, Zhu Zhuqing's figure had not fully developed yet, so this dress was slightly smaller in size compared to before.
Su Cheng stared blankly at Zhu Zhuqing not far away, feeling a little dazed for a moment.
At this moment, although she stood alone, there was no sense of loneliness about her.
The starlight seemed to converge on her alone, like the queen of elves in the night, natural and proud.
"What's wrong?" Zhu Zhuqing took a slow step forward, walking closer to Su Cheng, and raised her head slightly to look at him.
"What about this outfit..."
"Is there a problem?" Zhu Zhuqing replied lightly, "Doesn't it suit me?"
"That's not it." Su Cheng was puzzled, "Why did you change into this?"
Even if the Shrek Academy uniform is ugly, there's no need to wear this.
Su Cheng knew the situation with this long dress; just putting it on was quite troublesome.
"It's for you." Zhu Zhuqing took another step forward.
"Huh?"
Su Cheng was astonished, "What's wrong with you? You seem different from usual."
"What do you think I should be like?"
"..." Su Cheng was caught off guard by her question and didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't delve deeper but just stared silently at him.
After a moment, she spoke in a low voice, "Su Cheng, are you planning to join the Martial Soul Hall?"
Su Cheng's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything.
"There's someone in the Martial Soul Hall named Qian Renxue, are you going to find her."
Zhu Zhuqing took another step forward, her eyes firmly fixed on him.
"..."
Su Cheng turned his head slightly, avoiding her gaze.
"Su Cheng, I never thought you'd be this kind of person. You're really pathetic. What kind of woman could make you like this? Are you planning to surrender and hand the championship over to that Qian Renxue?!"
Zhu Zhuqing's tone was mocking, with a hint of ridicule in her eyes.
"No, it's not like that. Things aren't as you think." Su Cheng sighed.
Ignoring his defense, Zhu Zhuqing took another step forward.
"I thought that dream was so surreal, with many things different from reality, but in the end, it's still like this."
"Zhu Zhuqing, I'm not going to the Martial Soul Hall just for—"
"What am I to you?"
Zhu Zhuqing took a half step forward, their figures almost overlapping.
Suddenly, she raised her right hand and grabbed Su Cheng's collar with her slender fingers.
Her tone was somewhat excited, with a hint of mist in her eyes.
"Su Cheng, what am I to you? Have you ever really cared about me?"
Su Cheng was slightly forced to lower his head as she pulled him.
Their faces were less than a foot apart.
In Zhu Zhuqing's large and bright eyes, there was a faintly strange light.
Warm breath emanated from her plump lips, spraying onto Su Cheng's face with a fragrant breeze.
"Zhu Zhuqing, calm down and let me explain slowly."
Su Cheng also felt a little confused. He didn't expect Zhu Zhuqing to be so agitated.
But he didn't dare to easily restrain her with force. Doing so would only complicate the situation further, and if anything went wrong, it would be even harder to recover. He could only try to ease the situation with words.
"I don't want to listen to your preaching." Zhu Zhuqing said coldly.
"You always have all sorts of reasons, all sorts of lies. When it comes to reasoning, few people can match you."
"Since the last time I saw you, I haven't lied to you about anything."
"Haha, it's ridiculous."
Zhu Zhuqing tugged at the corner of her mouth, revealing a slightly twisted false smile.
Staring into his eyes, she gritted her teeth.
"What you call not lying to me is just picking out a few true words at random to deceive me. What, do you still think of me as that six-year-old little girl you used to bully and isolate when I entered school?"