Dead silence.
An eerie stillness fell over the entire practice arena.
"Is it... over?"
One disciple gaped, his jaw nearly hitting his toes.
Where was the earth-shaking clash of dragons and tigers they'd been promised?
Where was the blood and carnage, the three hundred rounds of battle?
They'd gotten the snacks ready... No, wait, the melon seeds were ready, and this was what they got?
One move! It had taken just one move!
Long Aotian, the strongest of the Body Sect's younger generation, hailed as a future Super Douluo, hadn't even managed to break through Su Chen's defenses before he rolled his eyes back and hit the ground.
On the raised platform, the Titled Douluo elders stared at one another, utterly bewildered.
They'd spent a whole month preparing for this battle for the position of young sect master!
They'd reinforced the defensive arrays and paved the arena with rare metals, afraid the shockwaves from the clash between these two Little Monsters would tear the sect apart.
And the result?
The fight was over in less than three seconds.
The elders looked at the untouched arena, their hearts bleeding. They'd been a little too hasty with that budget request!
Only Du Busi stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.
"Just another day at the office. No big deal."
He'd predicted this outcome long ago.
Come on, Du Busi had been afraid Su Chen would kill Long Aotian. Su Chen's Martial Soul was just too bizarre.
If Su Chen had added a Soul Ring, Du Busi would have had to serve as the referee himself.
Then, Du Busi flashed to the center of the arena.
He lifted the unconscious Long Aotian with his Soul Power and gave him a quick examination.
Fortunately, Su Chen had held back. Long Aotian had only been knocked unconscious and would be fine after a couple of days' rest.
Du Busi then swept his gaze across the crowd. His booming voice rang out like rolling thunder:
"I hereby announce! From this day forward, Su Chen is the Body Sect's sole young sect master! To see him is to see me!"
"Does anyone object?!"
The crowd fell utterly silent.
A few disciples who'd been eager to challenge Su Chen now shook their heads like rattles and took a synchronized step back.
What kind of joke was this?
Even Long Aotian had been crushed in an instant. What would they go up there for? To serve as punching bags?
This wasn't a competition. It was a crushing mismatch!
From that day on, Su Chen's name became an insurmountable mountain for the Body Sect's younger generation!
After this battle, the name Su Chen became an everlasting monument, impossible for the Body Sect's younger generation to surpass.
Yet Su Chen, at the heart of the storm, chose to keep a low profile.
Back at his residence, he hung up a "Do Not Disturb—Cultivating" sign, rubbed his hands together, and gazed at the simulator with shining eyes.
The real world was as stable as could be, and his position as the Body Sect's young sect master was secure.
There were still several years before the original story began. He had time to kill.
Why not... enter the simulator again and teach that pristine and noble Tang San a lesson?
"Come on, let's see what good stuff I get this time!"
Su Chen brought up the simulator interface with practiced ease.
[Third Simulation, starting!]
[Ding! Simulation attempt *1 consumed.]
[Refreshing talent pool...]
[Congratulations, host! Your luck is through the roof! You've obtained the Golden Legendary Talent: Eternal Blessing!]
"Eternal Blessing?"
Su Chen raised an eyebrow.
That talent sounded impressively grand.
[Simulation begins!]
[Age 0: You transmigrated to the Douluo Continent, born in the Sun Moon Empire's capital, Ming Capital.]
[After giving birth to you, your parents passed away before they even had a chance to look at you.]
[Su Chen: ...Great. My parents sacrificed to the heavens, granting me boundless power. A classic strong-start setup.]
[You lay in your swaddling clothes, wailing with hunger. Just as you were about to become history's first transmigrator to starve to death, a pair of old but strong hands lifted you up.]
[The person who found you was none other than Kong Deming, head of the Sun Moon Empire's Offering Hall and its strongest Level 10 Soul Engineer—the Silver Moon Douluo!]
[You were taken to the Offering Hall. But Elder Kong was busy with research and didn't raise you himself, leaving your care to the servants.]
Su Chen stroked his chin.
Now this was interesting.
Last time he'd gone with the Body Sect's brawler route. Was he going to take the path of strengthening the nation through science and bombing everything with Soul Tools this time?
[Age 6: Time flew by, and you somehow grew up.]
[One day, Kong Deming finally remembered there was a child in the corner and decided to awaken your Martial Soul himself.]
[The awakening ceremony blazed with light!]
[As expected, you successfully awakened your Martial Soul.]
[A plain gray bell hovered quietly in the palm of your right hand. It made no sound, yet radiated an aura of Nirvana that made the soul tremble.]
[Innate Full Soul Power!]
[Kong Deming looked at the bell in your hand, surprise flashing in his eyes. This Martial Soul... didn't seem to appear in any Soul Tool catalog.]
[Never appeared before? That's right!]
[This was an artifact capable of overturning the rules of the entire Douluo Continent!]
Su Chen stared at the simulator's description, his pupils contracting sharply.
Another god-tier start!
This plain-looking gray bell was practically a cheat!
Its core ability: Undead Collection!
Whether a Soul Beast or a Soul Master, upon death, their bones or souls could be devoured by the bell.
Here was the key: undead creatures summoned from the bell retained the peak strength they'd had in life! And they were absolutely loyal!
But that wasn't even the most terrifying part.
It could also create a clone!
By putting a third of his soul into the bell, he could craft a Bionic Body that would grow in strength in step with his main body.
The key point: this clone had unlimited Soul Power—an endless mana supply!
Su Chen sucked in a sharp breath.
A clone with unlimited mana? What did that mean?
It meant that once he became a god, he'd have a war machine that could run forever!
And if he equipped it with a full set of Level 9 Fixed Soul Guidance Shells... The thought was too horrifying to bear!
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. The Tang San of this life is probably going to meet another unfortunate end."
A "nuclear-friendly" smile tugged at Su Chen's lips.
He didn't know how the story would unfold, but one thing was certain: Tang San had to die!
[The news of your awakening with Innate Full Soul Power exploded like a bomb among the Sun Moon Empire's upper echelon.]
[Kong Deming also took a keen interest in you.]
[He immediately made his decision: This child is exceptionally gifted and must receive special training!]
[To test your talent for Soul Tools, Kong Deming decided to send you to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, the highest institution for Soul Guidance Technology on the continent.]
[He even declared that if you performed well, he would personally take you as his disciple!]
[To show his sincerity, Kong Deming wasted no time and personally took you to the Evil Eye Forest to hunt a Soul Beast.]
[With this Level 94 Titled Douluo protecting you, obtaining your First Soul Ring was as easy as reaching into a bag.]
[You soon absorbed a Hundred-Year Soul Ring from a 420-year-old Evil Eye Tyrant.]
[You obtained your First Soul Skill: Soul Plunder!]
[This was an incredible support skill! You could freely browse the memories of any undead collected by the bell and even steal their combat experience and knowledge of Soul Tool crafting!]
[That meant you would have countless "teachers" and an enormous store of knowledge!]
[After absorbing the Soul Ring, your Soul Power shot straight up to level 12.]
[Kong Deming watched your monstrous rate of growth, his face creasing into a delighted smile. The more he looked at you, the more satisfied he became.]
[After returning to Ming Capital, you officially enrolled at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.]
[With a face handsome enough to shake the nation and the halo of Innate Full Soul Power, you became the entire school's focus on your very first day.]
[Especially Meng Hongchen, known as the "little princess of Mingde Hall."]
[The moment she spotted you in the crowd, she froze.]
["Wow! What a handsome junior! That face... I'm in love!"]
[Meng Hongchen's eyes sparkled, and a glistening trickle of drool even ran from the corner of her mouth (not really).]
[They say eyes never lie—she'd fallen for you at first sight!]
Before you continue