A Night Meeting with Zhu Zhuqing

Ning Rongrong stared blankly at the girl beside her.

At this moment, the opponent was wearing the ridiculous green team uniform of the Shrek Team, which was covered with various advertisements.

But her appearance, figure, and demeanor make people subconsciously overlook those external factors.

No matter how gorgeous or ugly her outward appearance is, it cannot overshadow or conceal her unique temperament.

Disdainful and unrestrained, free as the wind.

Ning Rongrong certainly knew this person.

The Shrek Academy Team had not suffered a single defeat except on the first day, entirely due to the exceptional individual abilities of the girl in front of them.

This is the biggest dark horse in this year's Soul Master Competition.

At least the Heaven Dou Royal Academy has a good reputation, while Shrek Academy is completely unknown to ordinary people.

It could even be said that she is the strongest player in this competition besides Su Cheng.

If Su Cheng hadn't performed so brilliantly in the competition these past few days, this girl would probably have attracted everyone's attention.

He is young, highly skilled, and possesses a Fourth Soul Ring that is beyond theoretical limits and lasts for ten thousand years.

He was extremely strong and almost single-handedly defeated all the members of the seeded team from the Blazing Fire Academy.

The powerful Nether Civet Martial Soul has overturned everyone's understanding of agility-type Soul Master, possessing both speed and strength, with no weaknesses.

But her anxious expression and swift, fleeting figure...

Ning Rongrong was stunned.

She didn't understand how these two people could be connected.

Zhu Zhuqing didn't care about what others thought at that moment.

At this point, they no longer cared what their teachers or teammates might think.

She wasn't someone who cared about what others thought anyway.

At this moment, what surged in her mind was the figure of the Devouring Martial Soul, and the back view of the one who left alone at the last moment.

"Call out--"

An invisible sword aura flew over and blocked her way.

Zhu Zhuqing was initially angry, then a silver light flashed in her hand as she reached out to grab forward.

"Little girl, calm down."

The voice, imbued with a hint of powerful Soul Power, instantly entered his heart.

That brought her back to her senses.

Zhu Zhuqing glanced sideways.

At this moment, Chen Xin, the guardian Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, was standing not far in front of her.

However, the opponent did not look at her at this moment, but stared solemnly at the iceberg on the arena.

At this moment, the temperature near the arena had already dropped to extremely low levels, which was difficult for her to withstand, so one can imagine how terrifyingly low the temperature must be in the central area.

A glint seemed to flash in Chen Xin's eyes as he frowned and said in a deep voice to the people nearby, "Wait a moment, Cheng'er is alright."

In his senses, Su Cheng's aura had already plummeted to its lowest point, to the point that it was almost imperceptible to ordinary people.

However, within the iceberg, the life force at its core was exceptionally intense, and even showed signs of further strengthening.

"..."

Upon hearing this, the members of the Heavenly Water Academy Team exchanged glances and said nothing more.

Although the other members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team were anxious, the fact that Titled Douluo had appeared meant there shouldn't be any major problems.

The referee outside the ring finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He was only at the Soul King level, and there was nothing he could do about the situation at hand.

However, with Sword Douluo by his side now, there will naturally be no problem.

The competition can continue as normal.

Su Cheng's fate is unknown, and he hasn't fallen off the stage. Although Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu have exhausted their Soul Power and are unable to fight anymore, her teammates are still in good condition, at least they still have a lot of Soul Power left.

The only thing to consider now is whether Su Cheng can break through the blockade.

At the same time, in a realm invisible to all, a graceful figure radiating blue-gold light quietly appeared.

It was Ah Yin.

After her journey through the Blue Silver Grass Forest, as long as she doesn't attack first and appears in Spirit Body form, almost no one can detect her presence.

Even a powerful figure like Chen Xin, Titled Douluo, could hardly detect her when she deliberately concealed herself.

Ah Yin had no time to observe others' reactions. With a solemn expression, she manipulated a portion of the Five Elements Domain's authority to protect Su Cheng, who was trapped in the iceberg and had no time to spare.

What Su Cheng saw at this moment was a completely different scene.

Shui Bing'er's Martial Soul Fusion Skill spanned two major levels, displaying the power of Soul Ancestor Emperor with the strength of a Soul Master. It was indeed very strong, but it was not enough to cause him too much damage.

Su Cheng endured this blow precisely because he was not afraid of attacks of this level.

He has the Five Elements Domain at the Soul Saint level protecting him, Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone obtained from the Blue Silver Emperor, and five 60,000-year-old Soul Ring that enhance his attributes.

Shui Bing'er's Martial Soul Fusion Skill could injure him, but it wasn't enough to seriously damage him.

It won't even take long for it to fully recover.

The greatest strength of the Five Elements Domain lies not in its enhancement or suppression effects, but in its ever-renewing nature.

What Su Cheng wanted was that glimmer of immortal light he had seen in that giant Ice Phoenix.

In the Blue Silver Grass Forest, he witnessed the decay of the world.

Although I gained some understanding from this, I still felt a constant sense of worry and fear.

That experience greatly helped improve his short-term combat strength, and it will even be of great benefit to his cultivation for a long time to come.

However, from a longer-term perspective, it will inevitably become an extremely profound constraint.

Because he saw the "end" of his spiritual journey.

This is definitely not a good thing for one's state of mind.

The bigger problem is that this seems to be an unsolvable problem.

He had heard many myths and legends in his previous life.

Even the divine tortoise, though long-lived, has its end; the flying serpent riding the mist, in the end, turns to dust.

Even celestial beings and deities experience the five signs of decay.

But among these creatures, the phoenix is an exception.

Because it can undergo "rebirth," the phoenix is a "living" deity.

In the past, Su Cheng could not understand the meaning behind it.

It was simply some kind of supernatural power or secret technique that could prolong life, just like the various powerful Soul Skill in this world, or the wondrous ability to leap across the sea.

But even the world can decay, so how can even the most wondrous creatures escape the fate of extinction?

But today, thanks to that spark of inspiration, he sensed the difference and finally grasped a little bit of the key to solving the problem.

The phoenix's rebirth is not about "extending lifespan," but about "rebirth."

Supernatural powers cannot overcome karma.

The main cause of the world's decay does not lie within itself, but rather in "calamities".

"Supernatural powers cannot overcome karma, because supernatural powers are karma itself. Absorbing Soul Power to improve one's cultivation is a gift from heaven and earth, and in the end, it must be returned to heaven and earth. This is inevitable."

Su Cheng suddenly realized.

"But the phoenix is reborn from the ashes amidst calamity, thereby eliminating cause and effect and thus avoiding the end of decay and emptiness. In the stage of decline, it regains its vitality through rebirth."

One thought arises, and a myriad of thoughts follow.

With his enlightenment, the practices of the Nirvana Sutra began to operate spontaneously once again, starting a new transformation.

A source point seemed to have appeared within my body, burning like a flame and releasing a blazing vitality.

At that moment, a warm sensation suddenly came from my right leg.

The Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone obtained from the Blue Silver Emperor began to melt gradually, then turned into a warm current and merged into Su Cheng's body, transforming into the core of life.

"This time it's truly a legitimate 'Nirvana Sutra'..."

Su Cheng chuckled softly.

From now on, there will be no more obstacles on the road.

From the moment Su Cheng awoke to the moment he began to circulate his cultivation technique, the time was actually very short.

To an onlooker, it only took a few minutes.

The temperature on the arena suddenly began to rise.

Cracks appeared on the iceberg.

"Boom--"

With a loud bang, the massive iceberg shattered.

Su Cheng reappeared before everyone.

"..."

To everyone's surprise, he appeared to be completely unharmed, and his breathing was unusually calm, as if he had just gone through a battle.

No, not only was he unharmed, but he seemed to be in even better condition than before.

Su Cheng looked around and realized that there were quite a few people near the arena.

It seems the commotion we just made was a bit too big.

He first bowed slightly to greet Chen Xin, then looked at Zhu Zhuqing with some surprise and nodded gently to her.

He then turned to look at the Heavenly Water Academy Team members on the arena and said softly, "Shall we continue?"

A hint of bitterness appeared in Shui Bing'er's eyes.

She was extremely worried.

She was kind-hearted and did not want anyone to be seriously injured because of her Soul Skill. Otherwise, she would not have tried so hard to suppress the Martial Soul Fusion Skill whose power far exceeded her control, and even suffered a backlash as a result.

But seeing that his painstakingly executed move, which used up all his Soul Power, had no effect, he felt somewhat dejected.

He shook his head gently and sighed, "No, we admit defeat."

The rest of the Heavenly Water Academy Team had no objection to her decision.

Anyone with eyesight can see that the other person is in good condition.

To attempt a challenge at this point is not a sign of fighting spirit, but rather an overestimation of one's own abilities.

Su Cheng was not surprised. 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 was somewhat surprised.

She thought the other party might try to recruit her, but she didn't expect them to say this, given the vast difference in their abilities.

Moreover, judging from the previous post-match conversations between the other party Feng Xiaotian, it seems that they are not people who like to be polite.

"If you'd like, you can consider teaming up with us for the finals. I can give you my share of the final prize."

Shui Bing'er paused slightly.

She had already decided that if the other party tried to recruit her in the same way they recruited the two from the Heavenly Wind Academy Team, she would simply refuse.

She values Skywater Academy team she leads very much, and the academy's dean is also her direct superior.

But the prize for the champion...

The Spirit Hall went all out this time, offering three precious Soul Bone as the champion's prize.

She wasn't too concerned about whether she could possess Soul Bone, but if she really had the chance to get one, handing it over to the academy would be a good idea.

He hesitated for a moment.

"Think about it. You can come to me anytime."

Su Cheng wasn't in a hurry. After speaking, he looked at the long-haired black-haired support-type Soul Master girl and asked, "Excuse me, is your name Xue Wu?"

"Oh? Yes."

Xue Wu was somewhat surprised, not expecting the other party to actually strike up a conversation with her.

"You're also welcome to join our team; your Martial Soul is quite unique."

Xue Wu nodded blankly, seemingly not yet having reacted.

After the referee announced the result of the match, Su Cheng jumped off the ring.

She walked up to Chen Xin and said, "Teacher, I'm sorry to have worried you."

"It's alright." Chen Xin looked him over and said with a hint of surprise, "You seem to have gained some insight."

"Yes." Su Cheng nodded frankly. "Shui Bing'er's Martial Soul Fusion Skill is very powerful, but her Martial Soul is even more special. It contains a trace of immortality, which is amazing."

Su Cheng looked at the departing Heavenly Water Academy Team and thought, "If I can communicate with her more in the future, my strength will undergo a transformation."

Chen Xin nodded slightly. "Your swordsmanship is different from mine. Now that you've reached this level of strength, there's not much I can teach you. But you should avoid taking unnecessary risks in the future. You're still young, and you'll have many opportunities to improve your strength. There's no need to rush. Remember, cultivate your mind before cultivating your sword."

"I understand." Su Cheng's expression was solemn.

That's where Chen Xin's strength lies.

He is a rare Soul Master who is truly devoted to the way of the sword, unlike the vast majority of strong people in this world.

After Chen Xin left, Su Cheng walked to Zhu Zhuqing was standing not far away with a cold expression.

"I'm sorry to have worried you. The situation was unusual just now, and I suddenly had some insights, so I took that Soul Skill head-on."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing looked at Su Cheng with a scrutinizing gaze for a moment.

He then said in a low voice, "Come out tonight, I have something to ask you."

After saying that, he turned and left without waiting for a response.

Su Cheng shook his head helplessly.

"... Brother, do you know Zhu Zhuqing from the Shrek Academy Team?"

At this moment, Ning Rongrong walked over and asked softly as she watched Zhu Zhuqing's departing figure.

"I know her." Su Cheng nodded, turning his head to glance at her. "What's wrong?"

Ning Rongrong hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How did you two meet?"

Su Cheng thought about it and felt it was a bit difficult to explain.

I can't tell anyone about the Simulation.

You can't exactly say you met them in a dream, can you?

He could only say, "Their team came to our academy once before, wanting to borrow a spot from the second team to participate in the competition, but I refused, and that's how we met."

Ning Rongrong lowered her head and remained silent upon hearing this, it was unclear whether she believed it or not.

After returning to the team's rest area, Su Cheng discovered that Feng Qingyu had come over again today.

"You keep coming here all the time, don't your teachers care?"

"I don't care." Feng Qingyu said, sitting on the sofa and stuffing fruit into her mouth. "I'm not a starting player. I'm just here to watch the fun. Whether I'm there or not doesn't matter."

"All right."

Su Cheng sighed, sat down, and casually picked up an apple to eat.

"You're really good at pretending, insisting on taking that Martial Soul Fusion Skill head-on." Feng Qingyu tilted her head back and casually smoothed her long silver hair. "I think those people from the Skywater Academy are a bit questioning their existence after being so shocked."

Su Cheng smiled but didn't offer any further explanation.

She wouldn't understand even if I explained these things to her.

This child is indeed very talented, and what's even more remarkable is that he knows how to think critically and doesn't just follow the crowd.

But this is both an advantage and a disadvantage.

If she doesn't have enough experience and learns about higher-level things in advance, given her temperament, she might easily go astray if she starts to overthink things.

Thinking of this, Su Cheng suddenly had an idea and turned to look at Feng Qingyu, "Who is your teacher?"

"Teacher?" Feng Qingyu, somewhat puzzled. "I have plenty of teachers. Which one are you asking about?"

"I mean the kind of inheritance, like the one-on-one master-disciple relationship between me and Sword Douluo."

"No, I cultivate with my grandfather."

"I see..." Su Cheng hesitated before saying, "If you're willing, you can consider becoming my disciple. However, my cultivation level isn't high right now, and I'm not much older than you. If that bothers you—"

"No problem, I'm willing! We've agreed, from now on you'll be my teacher, you have to protect me!" Feng Qingyu said quickly, as if afraid he would change his mind.

"..." I almost forgot, this kid's thought process is a bit different from most people.

"A teacher for a day is a father for life." Su Cheng glanced at her. "You'd better kowtow to me three times first."

"Huh?" Feng Qingyu was stunned. "You've gone too far..."

Su Cheng suppressed a laugh and said in a serious tone, "That's how the rules are where we're from."

"..."

Feng Qingyu hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and prepared to perform the formal ceremony of becoming an apprentice.

For the sake of future safety, I'll endure it.

Su Cheng quickly reached out to stop him, "I was just joking with you. If I really made you kowtow, wouldn't I be shortening my lifespan?"

The girl immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright, release your Martial Soul and show it to me."

As a faint breeze swept by, a transparent figure, barely visible to the naked eye, appeared behind Feng Qingyu.

If the Soul Ring hadn't appeared at her feet, most people wouldn't have realized that she had released her Martial Soul.

However, this naturally did not escape Su Cheng's keen eyes.

His True Vision was revealed, and then the opponent's Shadow Martial Soul was fully exposed in his eyes.

Shrek Academy Team Zone.

As Zhu Zhuqing returned to her college, she was met with scrutinizing gazes from several teachers and teammates.

Tang San frowned, deep in thought and silent, while Xiao Wu's eyes were full of doubt.

Oscar looked helpless and secretly winked at Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing completely ignored their strange looks and walked back to her seat.

"Zhu Zhuqing, what you just did..." Dai Mubai finally couldn't help but ask.

"I see the fighting over there is fierce. I'll go check it out; maybe I can get some insights," Zhu Zhuqing said calmly, her eyes slightly closed.

"Do you know Su Cheng from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team 2?"

"Yes, I know him. We've met a few times before." Zhu Zhuqing glanced at them. "Don't you know him too? Didn't Tang San and Xiao Wu go to school with him at the junior academy before?"

"..." Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance and frowned in unison.

"Um, I just thought you two seemed to have a good relationship," Dai Mubai stammered as he explained. "You seem quite worried about him."

"Really?" Zhu Zhuqing's expression remained unchanged. "You're overthinking it. He's one of our team's biggest rivals in our quest for the championship, so of course we need to pay close attention to him."

After saying that, he added, "I don't think he's as strong as I thought. Maybe we'll have a chance to win once Tang San masters the Clear Sky Hammer."

Dai Mubai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The others averted their gazes and exchanged glances discreetly.

Clearly, most of them didn't really believe what Zhu Zhuqing had just said.

Zhu Zhuqing had no time to care about what others were thinking; all she needed to do was keep Dai Mubai calm.

To be honest, she's not in a good mood right now.

Yu Xiaogang left the team for more than ten days before, supposedly to look up some information so that Tang San could cultivate his Second Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, more safely.

She didn't care at first, but a casual remark the other party made after returning to the team left her with Zhongji.

"Su Cheng is not the strongest opponent you will face in this competition. The Spirit Hall Team is much more formidable; they also have three Soul Kings. Moreover, in addition to those Soul Kings, there is a Soul Master with the peak cultivation of a Spirit Emperor named Qian Renxue, a descendant of the Qian Family the Spirit Hall."

"Qian Renxue!"

This name instantly stirred up memories deep within Zhu Zhuqing's heart that she didn't want to touch.

"... I know you definitely have other plans. Let's talk about them all at once, what do you want me to do for you!"

"As I just said, after you become emperor, you will surrender to the Heaven Dou Empire."

"I meant behind!"

"That's all."

"Gone?! You did all this, crippling yourself, just so I could become Titled Douluo, then the Star Luo Emperor, and finally surrender to Qian Renxue?!"

"You could say that..."

In that dreamlike state, Su Cheng also mentioned this name.

Spirit Hall.

Qian Renxue.

Twenty years of scheming and self-sacrifice, until finally bowing his head and begging, all to hand over the Star Luo Empire to that person.

She was unwilling to accept it.

On what grounds?

In Su Cheng's heart, what does he consider himself to be, and what does he consider that person to be?

But what can you do if you're unwilling to accept it?

That's the peak of the Soul Emperor realm, and he's a peak Soul Emperor who's not even twenty-five years old.

She possesses the cultivation memories from her dreams and is confident that given time, she can reach this level before the age of twenty-five.

But the problem is, reality is that she simply doesn't have the time.

Zhu Zhuqing can allow herself to lose to Su Cheng.

But she instinctively didn't want to lose to that person.

At night, Su Cheng stood alone in the forest Heaven Dou City, waiting silently.

Not long after, his expression suddenly shifted slightly.

They've arrived.

A figure flew out of the city and then rushed over quickly.

Her long black hair fluttered in the wind, like an elf in the night sky, elegant and natural.

Soon, her beautiful figure landed not far in front of him.

"What are you doing...?"

Su Cheng was momentarily stunned.

The jet-black, fitted long dress hugged Zhu Zhuqing tightly from top to bottom.

Only her delicate face, which exuded a unique charm despite its aloofness, and her long black hair fluttering in the wind were exposed.

This is a custom-made formal dress that only the highest-ranking nobles of the Star Luo Empire possess.

In the Simulated World, Zhu Zhuqing, as an adult, usually dresses like this.

However, Zhu Zhuqing's figure has not fully matured yet, so the style of this outfit is a size smaller than it was back then.

Su Cheng stared blankly at Zhu Zhuqing not far away, feeling slightly dazed for a moment.

At this moment, although she stood there all alone, she did not feel lonely at all.

All the starlight seemed to converge on her, making her like an elven queen in the night, natural and proud.

"What's wrong?" Zhu Zhuqing slowly walked up to Su Cheng and looked up at him.

"Your clothes..."

"What's the problem?" Zhu Zhuqing asked calmly. "Is it not suitable for me?"

"No, that's not it." Su Cheng, somewhat puzzled. "Why did you change into this?"

Even if Shrek Academy's team uniforms are ugly, there's no need to wear them.

Su Cheng knew the situation; changing into that long dress would be incredibly troublesome.

"For you." Zhu Zhuqing took another step forward.

"Um?"

Su Cheng asked in surprise, "What's wrong with you? You seem different from usual."

"What kind of person do you think I should be?"

"..." This question stumped Su Cheng, and he didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Zhu Zhuqing didn't delve into it, but simply gazed at him silently.

After a moment, she parted her red lips slightly and said in a deep voice, "Su Cheng, are you planning to join the Spirit Hall?"

Su Cheng's brow twitched slightly, but he remained silent.

"There's a person in the Spirit Hall named Qian Renxue. You're going to find her."

Zhu Zhuqing took another step forward, her eyes fixed on him.

"..."

Su Cheng gently turned his head away, avoiding her gaze.

"Su Cheng, I never imagined you'd be this kind of person. You're such a coward. What kind of woman could bewitch you like this? Are you planning to just surrender and hand the championship over to that Qian Renxue?!"

Zhu Zhuqing spoke with sarcasm, a hint of mockery in her eyes.

"No, it's not what you think," Su Cheng sighed.

Zhu Zhuqing ignored his explanation and took another step forward.

"I thought that dream was both real and unreal, and that many things in it were different from reality, but in the end it turned out to be the same."

"Zhu Zhuqing, I went to the Spirit Hall not just for—"

"What am I?"

Zhu Zhuqing took half a step forward, and the two figures almost overlapped.

She suddenly raised her right hand and stretched out her slender fingers to grasp Su Cheng's collar.

His tone was somewhat agitated, and his eyes were slightly misty.

"Su Cheng, who am I? You've never taken me seriously, have you?"

Su Cheng lowered his head slightly as she pulled him forcefully.

The two faces were no more than half a foot apart.

A strange, dark light flickered in Zhu Zhuqing's large, bright eyes.

Her full, red lips exhaled hot breath, carrying a fragrant breeze that brushed against Su Cheng's face.

"Zhu Zhuqing, calm down first, and let me explain slowly to you."

Su Cheng was also a little flustered; he hadn't expected Zhu Zhuqing to be so agitated at this moment.

But he dared not easily subdue her and explain in detail.

That would only complicate matters further, and if something unexpected happens, it would be even harder to salvage the situation. The best course of action is to try to ease the tension with words.

"I don't want to hear your lectures," Zhu Zhuqing said coldly.

"You always have all sorts of reasons and all sorts of lies. When it comes to reasoning, few people can match you."

"I haven't lied to you about anything since we last met."

"Ha, how ridiculous."

Zhu Zhuqing twitched the corners of her mouth, revealing a slightly distorted, fake smile.

She stared into his eyes, which were so close to hers, and gritted her teeth.

"Your claim of not lying to me is just picking out a few truths to deceive me. What, do you still think I'm that little girl you bullied and isolated when I started school at six?"