The moment the blazing white pillar of light struck Spirit Hall Academy, the entire academy fell silent.
A tremendous pressure blanketed the area, and scorching heat waves baked the ground.
Everyone's gaze was drawn to the tall, humanoid figure within the blinding light, a sight that made all hearts tremble.
Gradually, the dazzling white light dimmed, revealing the true appearance of the figure.
Encased in a form-fitting battle armor that shimmered with waves of light, the figure's perfect, curvaceous physique was fully displayed.
The smooth, raised chest armor, the slender waist, and the round, firm hips all led down to long, straight legs that strode forward gracefully and powerfully.
As she walked, the hard bluestone pavement of Spirit City Academy bore deep, uneven footprints, with wisps of white mist rising from them.
It was clear she still couldn't fully control the terrifying energy within her.
Her right arm, also clad in armor, ended in a hand with five long, powerful fingers gripping a broad-bladed sword that burned with blazing white flames.
The surrounding space seemed to warp slightly from the intense heat she emitted.
Behind her, three pairs of enormous wings, spanning over five meters, spread wide.
These were not pure white feathers, nor were they the same fluttering plumes of the past.
The wings, much larger than her body, appeared entirely made of light, magnificent and dazzling.
Her once waist-length, cloud-like golden hair now also blazed with brilliant white light, resembling countless beams of light fluttering in the air.
Her exquisitely sculpted face, with its high nose bridge and long eyebrows, remained as perfect as ever, making others feel ashamed of their own appearance.
However, her long, narrow phoenix eyes were now filled with blazing white light, obscuring any emotion within.
Only her tightly pressed red lips conveyed an extreme, icy killing intent.
Qian Renxue ignored the strange looks from others.
Her blazing white eyes, their pupils indistinguishable, seemed to pierce through space, focusing on a graceful figure in a black coat deep within the academy.
At the same time, in the academy's inner training ground, Zhu Zhuqing, who was with Feng Qingyu and the others, suddenly looked up.
She sensed that powerful, incomprehensible presence and saw those terrifying eyes filled with killing intent and divine power.
What kind of divine might was this...
At that moment, she felt like a defenseless mortal, standing alone on the ground, looking up at a massive meteor falling from the sky, obscuring the entire heavens.
All she could see were the flowing fires on the meteor, with no other light, as the dark shadow of death pressed down.
Zhu Zhuqing's face turned pale instantly.
Large beads of sweat oozed from her pores and rolled down her delicate cheeks.
Every nerve in her body screamed in terror.
Her dark red hair moved despite the absence of wind, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
This was not due to cowardice but a survival instinct driving her to flee.
She wanted to lift her feet, to get away.
However, under the extreme divine pressure, her body felt like an insect trapped in amber, unable to move an inch.
The fact that she hadn't collapsed to the ground was a testament to her strong will.
In the face of such an absolute power difference, any struggle was futile.
She was going to die!
She knew this with certainty.
The end of her life might come in the very next second...
Other students in the academy also looked grim.
They, too, felt that overwhelming presence at the same time.
Even the residual aura made these young soul masters, whose highest cultivation was no more than Soul King, tremble in fear.
But because they were not directly targeted, they were merely frightened and heavy-hearted, not paralyzed.
"What... what is that?" Feng Qingyu stammered, turning to the others.
Her expression was one of panic, like a frightened animal.
She asked, "What is that?" instead of "Who is that?" because she couldn't believe a human could exude such an overwhelming presence.
Even the peak Title Douluo and Pinnacle Douluo couldn't compare.
It was like facing a volcanic eruption, a tsunami, or a collapsing mountain. In the face of such natural disasters, human power seemed as insignificant as dust.
"Don't worry, this is Spirit City. We'll be fine," Feng Xiaotian tried to calm her, stepping closer.
At this moment, Shui Bing'er noticed Zhu Zhuqing's unusual behavior.
With a slightly trembling voice, she asked, "Zhuqing, what's wrong?"
"..."
Zhu Zhuqing did not respond, staring blankly into the distance.
Not only was she unable to speak, but she couldn't hear any external sounds either.
Aside from the sharp ringing in her ears, only the powerful beating of her heart echoed in her chest.
Behind her, the spectral image of a white-haired, blood-striped tiger flickered.
...
"...You don't need to worry about my personal matters. How is your cultivation progressing? After all this time, you still can't merge your power?" Su Cheng switched topics, asking about Bibi Dong's progress in her cultivation.
"It's not working," Bibi Dong sighed softly.
"You won't help, and my accumulation isn't enough, nor is my talent sufficient to progress further."
"It shouldn't be like this. Your accumulation is sufficient. Even if the energy within you can't balance, the fusion efficiency shouldn't be so low for this long. I think you're not putting enough effort into it, getting distracted," Su Cheng replied bluntly, frowning in disbelief.
"Do you think I don't want to improve? The god trials are completely ruined, decades of effort wasted. My comprehension isn't as good as yours, so I can only progress step by step. As it stands, I might have to wait until I can further realize the potential of my twin spirits," Bibi Dong looked at him pitifully.
"If it doesn't work, follow my previous suggestion and research what's going on with my soul. Since your cultivation is also at a bottleneck, take this opportunity to try. It will benefit you greatly," she proposed.
"No."
This time, Su Cheng refused without hesitation.
Although his progress had slowed recently, he had many pressing matters to handle and didn't want more complications.
If necessary, he would wait until the simulator returned to normal and enter the next trial to assess the situation.
He had a hunch that the next simulation would be crucial.
In fact, Su Cheng had already speculated about the true nature of the simulator.
This time, it would be the final verification.
"Let's wait for Xiaoxue to come out of seclusion. If she's fine, I'll go with you to attach a soul ring to the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor. Once your second martial soul advances, the training of your innate power will truly begin, and your growth potential will open up significantly."
"Sigh, it turns out that in your eyes, Xiaoxue alone outweighs everyone else combined."
"You misunderstood; that's not what I meant."
Hearing Bibi Dong's words, Su Cheng looked at her in surprise, then shook his head and patiently explained.
"You may be experiencing some delays in your cultivation, but you've all actually started on the right path. Xiaoxue is different; her situation is unique. Honestly, I've never experienced her kind of twin soul situation, so I can't fully grasp its intricacies.
"All the suggestions I give her regarding her cultivation are based on my own accumulated knowledge and theories, and they may not be entirely correct. Whether they work in the end depends on her.
"So I need to monitor her progress closely to prevent any irreversible situations. To say the least, I should be strong enough to suppress her if necessary."
At this point, his voice paused.
He felt like an old general on stage, covered in flags.
But then he chuckled to himself, realizing he was overthinking it.
No matter how talented Xiaoxue was, she couldn't possibly improve her strength to such an extent in a short time.
His concern wasn't about anything else but that unique comprehension of meaning.
From the beginning, Su Cheng had been somewhat uneasy.
That true meaning was too lofty and ethereal. Given Qian Renxue's incredible potential, there was a possibility she could lose control while advancing rapidly.
But this was her own will, and there was no better route for her to choose.
From the moment she became a twin soul, there was no turning back for Qian Renxue. Unless she sacrificed one of the souls to become one person again, she had to keep moving forward.
So, Su Cheng could only choose to trust her ability, believing she could maintain her calm and stay true to herself.
After a brief pause, he continued speaking:
"If it were just a soul mutation, although troublesome, there are at least temporary solutions, like absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. The soul power from such a ring could stabilize her soul core and reduce the friction between the twin souls.
"But the problem is, Xiaoxue's talent far exceeds ordinary people, making it highly likely for unforeseen situations to arise.
"She might easily gain special insights during cultivation or by chance or accident, leading to a rapid increase in strength.
"I even suspect she is the true favored one of this world's destiny, the so-called Child of Destiny."
"Child of Destiny? Destiny..." Bibi Dong looked at Su Cheng in shock, repeating the term softly.
"Yes, Child of Destiny. The darling of the world, favored by fate, a key figure capable of changing the world's future."
At this point, Su Cheng glanced at Bibi Dong.
"In fact, you also resemble a Child of Destiny. You have extraordinary talent, a rough life, and numerous opportunities.
"But actually, you are not.
"You are more like a protector, existing to pave the way for the true Child of Destiny."
"A protector...?"
Bibi Dong frowned instinctively, finding this notion ominous.
Was everything she did just to benefit someone else?
The thought brought a shadow to her eyes.
She refused to believe this.
"Be more specific," she demanded.
"It's not necessary," Su Cheng waved dismissively. "It's just my guess. Besides, everything is already in the past."
"The past? What do you mean?"
"Because you are no longer destined. You are destined to fail."
He gazed into Bibi Dong's eyes, his look penetrating as if seeing an alternative life path.
Though Bibi Dong didn't understand what Su Cheng meant by "destined to fail," she knew it wasn't what she feared.
She inexplicably felt relieved, her voice returning to its previous calmness. "Since Xiaoxue isn't the one, who is this Child of Destiny you're talking about now?"
"Probably... me."
"..."
Bibi Dong was stunned.
Seeing Su Cheng's serious expression, she couldn't hold back her laughter after a few seconds.
"Pfft! Hahaha..."
Su Cheng: "..."
"I thought you were being mysterious, saying all sorts of nonsense, only to circle back and brag about yourself... Haha, you're really something..."
"..."
Ignorant woman!
Su Cheng cursed inwardly, feeling a wave of embarrassment.
He had his reasons for saying that.
But explaining everything would be too complicated and unnecessary.
So, Bibi Dong found his words amusing.
"!"
However, a few moments later, her laughter abruptly stopped as if muted.
Her eyes still glistened with tears, but her face was no longer smiling.
Su Cheng's eyes also flashed sharply, and he sat up straight.
Both turned their gaze toward the direction of the Douluo Hall.
There, an immensely powerful aura surged skyward.
To Su Cheng, its strength was comparable to his own when fully exerting his Eternal true form's second stage.
It was even more dazzling and domineering.
"So strong!"
"Is that Xiaoxue?!"
In an instant, the aura vanished, then descended into Spirit Hall Academy.
The next moment, an overwhelming killing intent surged upward.
"Not good!"
Su Cheng was startled. Without saying more, he vanished from the Pope's Hall.
"How can it be this strong..."
Bibi Dong's expression changed drastically. Her fingers clenched into fists involuntarily.
Biting her lip, she quickly followed, heading toward the academy.