Chapter 8: Liu Erlong

"???"

"Wait a minute, is Bibi Dong insane? Killing me? If she really wanted to kill me, couldn't she have been a little more subtle? Now look what happened—mutual destruction!"

Zhou Sheng'an looked at Bibi Dong's fate in the entry and almost laughed out of anger.

He knew that standing out so much would make him a target, but he was following Qian Renxue, the heir of the Spirit Hall's Angel lineage and granddaughter of the Grand Worshipper.

No matter how you looked at it, he was still part of the Spirit Hall faction, right?

Why would that lunatic Bibi Dong want to kill him? Wasn't this a case of friendly fire?

"Could it be... because of Yu Xiaogang?" Zhou Sheng'an suddenly thought of something.

He had refused Yu Xiaogang's participation in compiling the Heaven Dou Compendium. Later, when Bibi Dong invited him, she specifically mentioned that incident. When he rejected her, Bibi Dong flew into a rage and nearly lost control.

The entry later mentioned Yu Xiaogang again—when he stepped onto the stage to challenge Zhou Sheng'an during a public lecture.

The result was obvious.

A so-called "Grandmaster" like Yu Xiaogang could never defeat him, a true Saint Teacher.

Could it be that Yu Xiaogang's disgraceful downfall was what drove Bibi Dong mad enough to attack him?

"This is ridiculous. What a turn-off of a woman. I need to make a note of this—until I have enough strength to protect myself in reality, I must avoid this major threat at all costs!"

Zhou Sheng'an took this lesson to heart.

Thankfully, he had this golden finger (cheat ability). Otherwise, even as a transmigrator, he might still end up dead at Bibi Dong's hands in the future—for such an absurd and laughable reason!

But now that he was aware of the issue, he could simply sidestep it.

Zhou Sheng'an looked at the system interface, where a new option appeared.

[Do you wish to extract the experience and skills from this simulation? Yes/No?]

Did this even need consideration? This was the whole point of the system!

In an instant, a massive stream of information poured into his mind.

Zhou Sheng'an's body shuddered as if struck by lightning. In his mind, he now possessed over a year's worth of knowledge and experience. Aside from soul power cultivation insights, the most valuable gain was the Soul Power Expansion Theory.

However, since this theory was incredibly difficult to refine, he could currently only expand his soul power by six to seven times.

Expansion essentially involved condensing a pseudo-soul core, turning gaseous soul power into a solid state to enhance its density. However, this method was still limited by a soul master's cultivation level.

Without affecting his cultivation speed, the maximum sustainable expansion was around five times.

Of course, if this theory were made public, it would already cause a huge stir in the soul master world.

But Zhou Sheng'an wasn't satisfied with just that.

His third soul skill, Blue Silver Sea Domain Descent, allowed him to summon an ocean-like field of Blue Silver Grass, even squeezing out the air itself—naturally consuming an enormous amount of soul power.

If he could only expand his soul power six or seven times, he would barely be able to cover the size of a basketball court.

"This isn't urgent. The next simulation is tomorrow. Hopefully, I can go further this time. What if I don't stand out too much? After all, I used a pseudonym, 'Yue Sheng'..."

Zhou Sheng'an rubbed his chin, contemplating.

Since he was destined for fame, he had more choices. He didn't necessarily have to wait for publication in the academic journal. He could test the waters or find a powerful backer.

"Hold out for the best offer. Hmm... tomorrow, I should find a place to settle down first as a stepping stone. That means there's only one option..."

Zhou Sheng'an narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.

…

The next day, Zhou Sheng'an arrived at a well-known academy in Heaven Dou City—Blue Tyrant Academy!

This was an advanced soul master academy that only accepted commoners.

Coincidentally, Zhou Sheng'an had no fondness for nobles, and the academy's principles suited his tastes perfectly!

With little difficulty, he applied for a teaching position and was soon taken to the office of the person in charge.

After stating his intent, the administrator quickly assessed Zhou Sheng'an and said, "Young friend, if I'm not mistaken, you're not even twenty yet, are you?"

The administrator looked at him doubtfully.

At Zhou Sheng'an's age, he would be the right fit for a student, not a teacher.

"That's right. I'm exactly eighteen this year," Zhou Sheng'an replied with a smile.

"Then… maybe our staff misheard? Are you applying to enroll as a student, not as a teacher?" The administrator asked, confused.

Zhou Sheng'an shook his head seriously. "I'm applying to be a teacher."

The administrator was momentarily stunned before chuckling. "Young friend, actually, becoming a teacher at our Blue Tyrant Academy has requirements, and you clearly don't meet them. I'm sorry, but..."

Zhou Sheng'an smiled. "There must be exceptions, right?"

The administrator frowned and shook his head. "If you're here to name-drop some noble background, I'm sorry, but that won't work either. Our headmaster would never approve..."

At this point, the administrator suddenly realized something. Was this young man here to pursue their headmaster?

Many young men had come to court their dean because of her beauty.

Some had even tried applying as instructors to get close to her.

Seeing the administrator's expression change, Zhou Sheng'an stopped explaining and simply extended his hand.

A Blue Silver Grass sprouted from his palm, swaying without wind, surrounded by three soul rings—yellow, purple, and purple.

As soon as they appeared, the administrator's eyes widened in shock.

Not because of Zhou Sheng'an's cultivation level—an eighteen-year-old Soul Elder was just a normal genius.

The shocking part was his soul ring configuration—absolutely terrifying!

And his martial soul was the universally acknowledged "trash" martial soul, Blue Silver Grass!

"My name is Zhou Sheng'an. I was born with only half a level of innate soul power. Given that, I think your academy can make an exception, right? What I wish to teach is simply the knowledge I have accumulated."

Zhou Sheng'an grinned.

The administrator swallowed hard and nodded repeatedly. "Of course! Of course! Please follow me. Only our dean can determine your level and salary!"

His gaze toward Zhou Sheng'an was now filled with disbelief.

"Alright." Zhou Sheng'an smiled and nodded.

Thus, the administrator led Zhou Sheng'an out of the teaching building and into the academy's forested area.

After about ten minutes of walking through the fresh air, a faint, sorrowful melody reached their ears from up ahead.

The voice was melancholic and deeply touching, evoking an inexplicable sadness. The melody was hauntingly beautiful.

"At night, sleep eludes me, what can I use to numb the pain..."

Soon, they arrived at a small wooden house, where a plainly dressed yet stunning woman was watering flowers.

Zhou Sheng'an saw her clearly—her face carried a deep sorrow.

"Dean, this is the situation..." The administrator explained.

After listening, Liu Erlong glanced at Zhou Sheng'an indifferently and said, "Top-tier treatment..."

Noticing Liu Erlong's cold attitude, the administrator wiped his forehead nervously, afraid that Zhou Sheng'an might feel slighted.

But Zhou Sheng'an wasn't bothered at all—he was only looking for a stepping stone.