This simulation was pretty interesting...
Su Chen rubbed his chin, savoring the scenes from the simulation.
To avoid becoming an ignorant, mindless "ominous creature," his simulated self had actually chosen to seal himself away and drag the entire world down with him?
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That 'self-sealing' move was downright sinister!"
Su Chen couldn't help commenting, though a satisfied smile curled his lips.
No matter how twisted the process had been, the ending was good—Tang San was dead.
As long as he got rid of that "troublemaker," whether his simulated self lived or died in the end didn't matter.
It wasn't the real him going to his death, anyway. That was the simulator's problem. What did it have to do with Su Chen?
"Instead of worrying about whether the simulator survives, I should see what loot I got this time!"
Thinking of this, Su Chen rubbed his hands together and stared eagerly at the results panel.
"This time, I achieved the 'immortality' feat. You'd better cough up some decent loot instead of trying to fob off junk on me!"
"Give me something valuable! It has to be valuable!"
Ding—!
A crisp system notification rang out.
Reward draw complete!
Congratulations, Host! You're in luck! Your fortune has come through!
[You have received the following rewards:]
One: Divine Artifact—Bell of the Departed.
[Rank: Super Divine Artifact]
[Effect: Ring the bell to forcibly enslave the bones or souls of all deceased beings within a hundred li, regardless of their strength in life! Those enslaved will retain their peak strength and never betray you!]
[Cost: This item carries an immense karmic burden. The user may face ominous misfortune in their later years, or even the descent of a great calamity.]
"..."
Looking at the bell wreathed in eerie black smoke, Su Chen fell into thought.
"This thing... It's ridiculously powerful, but it comes at a price..."
It was unbelievably satisfying—practically a weapon made for overwhelming your enemies with numbers.
But the side effect... "ominous misfortune in your later years"?
Su Chen shivered.
It reminded him of the legends about certain red-haired monsters.
"Forget it. It's a good item, just a little too hot to handle. I'll keep it as a trump card and use it as little as possible."
Su Chen shook his head and continued reading.
Two: Eight Immortal-Grade Herbs:
Including: Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, Infernal Delicate Apricot, Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum...
"Holy crap, are these wholesale?"
Su Chen's eyes lit up, and the gloom from before vanished.
"Now we're talking! Simple and practical, and I can use them right away!"
He nodded in satisfaction. Immortal Herbs were like Bitcoin in his previous life—you could never have too many. If he couldn't use them all himself, they'd be perfect for cultivating his subordinates.
Then Su Chen eagerly looked at the final three rewards.
Three: One Adaptive Million-Year Soul Ring (automatically adjusts its attributes to suit the Martial Soul).
Four: Soul Power Level +10 (ignores bottlenecks and raises the level directly).
Five: One million Gold Soul Coins.
"..."
Su Chen's eyes widened as he swiped across the screen twice.
That was it?
Really?
Su Chen stared in disbelief.
"Come on, I said 'loot,' not actual Gold Soul Coins!"
"And you only gave me this much? Who the hell do you think you're shortchanging?"
"I achieved 'immortality' in the simulation, and all you give me is this? Who do you think you're looking down on?"
If anyone else had heard Su Chen's thoughts, they might have been so enraged they'd have spat up three mouthfuls of blood.
A divine artifact, eight Immortal Herbs, a Million-Year Soul Ring, and ten levels of Soul Power... Any one of those would make Titled Douluos fight tooth and nail for it, and he was still complaining it wasn't enough?!
Utterly greedy. Terrifying, truly!
Still, jokes aside, these rewards were indeed lavish.
Aside from those vulgar Gold Soul Coins, which you had automatically ignored, every other item was top-notch and would greatly benefit your cultivation.
After the simulator's rewards had been transferred, Su Chen's Soul Power had rocketed to level forty-six!
A level forty-six Soul Ancestor!
But that wasn't his limit.
Su Chen stroked his chin, a gleam flashing in his eyes.
If he took another Immortal Herb and paired it with a high-quality Soul Ring... breaking through to Soul King at level fifty would be as easy as reaching into a bag for an item!
An eight-year-old Soul King! Armed with a Super Divine Artifact!
If word got out about that kind of setup, it wouldn't just be the kids next door who were shocked. Even the Titled Douluos who prided themselves on being geniuses would be left doubting their lives, their Dao hearts shattered on the spot.
Even Titled Douluos were just little girls in his eyes!
Super Douluos were only slightly bigger little girls!
The word "overpowered" wasn't enough to describe this.
Three words said it best:
Scared to tears.
And the most precious wealth wasn't something external.
The combat experience from three simulations, the insights into cultivation, the foreknowledge of the future... It had all been perfectly melded into your bones and blood.
That meant Su Chen would face no bottlenecks and take no wrong turns on his path to the peak!
Then Su Chen took a deep breath and let his consciousness sink into the system space.
He withdrew the Immortal Herbs he'd obtained from the simulation rewards.
With a slight shift of his will, two herbs, radiating rich immortal energy, appeared out of thin air.
In his left hand was a translucent plant with leaves as dewy as jade and several glistening droplets at its tip, as if they reflected the clarity of autumn waters—Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew!
In his right hand was an enormous chrysanthemum. Every petal was a splendid shade of purple, while its center shone gold. A faint aura of power surrounded it—Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!
These were the two Immortal Herbs that the Epitaph had identified as the best supplements during the second simulation!
A glint flashed in Su Chen's eyes.
Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew enhanced the eyes and greatly increased mental strength, making the future scenes shown by Epitaph clearer and longer-lasting;
Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum strengthened the body and forged an indestructible physique, allowing this body to perfectly withstand King Crimson's violent power and the strain of Time Erasure!
A match made in heaven!
Without hesitation, Su Chen sat cross-legged and began to consume and refine the herbs.
Time slipped by as he cultivated.
A day and a night passed in the blink of an eye.
When Su Chen opened his eyes again, a flash of purple-gold light glimmered across them.
At that moment, he felt the Soul Power within him surging like a mighty river, so full that it seemed ready to spill over.
He hadn't obtained his fourth and fifth Soul Rings yet, so his exact level couldn't be displayed, but he could clearly sense it.
The bottleneck known as "Soul King" had already been smashed to pieces by the herbs' violent medicinal power!
Level fifty? No, he was definitely beyond that!
Now, all he needed were two Soul Rings, and he could ascend to the heavens in a single bound!
"Whew... Time to get out."
Su Chen stood up, stretched his limbs, and pushed open the door he'd kept shut throughout his long seclusion.
Creak—
The morning sunlight fell warmly across his face.
A slender figure in the courtyard immediately caught Su Chen's eye.
It was a woman dressed in a moon-white robe.
She held a slender sword and danced beneath the flowering tree.
Her sword flashed like water, her form swept like the wind. Each thrust carried a natural rhythm, neither fierce nor murderous, but instead imbued with an ineffable elegance and grace.
Amid the drifting petals, she seemed the most beautiful sight in the courtyard.
Suddenly, a line surfaced in Su Chen's mind:
If you couldn't see her toes when she bowed her head, she was a peerless beauty.
That line fit Zhang Lexuan perfectly.
Perhaps she sensed the movement behind her; the swordlight abruptly stopped.
Zhang Lexuan lowered her sword and turned around slowly.
Her gentle, dignified face showed no displeasure at being interrupted. Instead, it bore a smile as warm as a spring breeze.
She looked at Su Chen, concern filling her beautiful eyes, and spoke in a voice so gentle it was almost unbelievable:
"You're finally out of seclusion! Are you hungry? I saved you some food in the pot."
Before you continue