Chapter 61: The Curtain Will Fall

Spirit Hall, Pope's bedchamber.

Bibi Dong had received the memories from the simulation—almost as if experiencing them in real time. As she recalled Zhou Sheng'an from the simulation, a look of disbelief appeared on her face.

How did Zhou Sheng'an do it?

He was only in his early twenties, so how had he already reached the level of a Titled Douluo?

And it wasn't a power that had been artificially boosted—he was genuinely strong. So strong, in fact, that he could suppress the Titled Douluos of Spirit Hall at the time.

"I originally planned to simply crush everything once I became a god. I didn't mind enduring humiliation for a while."

"But how did Zhou Sheng'an's soul power progress so quickly? I'm not even confident I can surpass him to become a god. If that's truly the case, then all my ambitions will come to nothing."

Bibi Dong furrowed her brows deeply, a sense of helplessness rising within her.

That man, Zhou Sheng'an, always brought her "pleasant" surprises.

Even after choosing a route of military conquest, he hadn't neglected his cultivation. On the contrary, he'd grown even more terrifying.

Both his strategic intellect and soul power had improved hand in hand. If Zhou Sheng'an ever turned against Spirit Hall, the organization might be completely uprooted, whereas the Anzhu Empire would only suffer some minor damage.

After a moment of silence, Bibi Dong once again immersed her consciousness into the simulation.

If this path still led nowhere, then she'd have no choice but to try another route...

…

In the woods, the dim moonlight fell upon Zhu Zhuqing's figure. Her breathtakingly beautiful face was slightly frowning, her eyes shimmering with complex emotions.

In the simulation, she had always followed Empress Zhu and understood her changes well.

With the unification of the continent under the Anzhu Empire, the Zhu family had become royalty. Empress Zhu's feelings for Zhou Sheng'an had quickly faded, buried beneath her thirst for power.

To Empress Zhu, control over the world mattered more than Zhou Sheng'an.

And Zhou Sheng'an's existence had become the greatest threat to her authority.

Zhu Zhuqing let out a soft sigh and murmured to herself, 'If I hadn't borrowed Auntie's strength back then and had simply let Teacher consolidate his foundation for a few more years, would things have turned out better? What will Teacher do now?'

'With his moral standards, he would never let the world fall into chaos again. He wouldn't… seek death, right?'

Biting her lower lip, Zhu Zhuqing sent her consciousness into the simulation.

…

The scene shifted to the eve of Zhou Sheng'an's coronation ceremony.

Zhou Sheng'an received a message from Xiao Tianhe saying that Empress Zhu wanted to meet with him privately in the palace.

In truth, ever since the fall of the Star Luo Empire, Zhou Sheng'an had never shared a bed with Empress Zhu again.

He looked deeply at Xiao Tianhe and smiled. "Old General Xiao, why is the Empress calling me?"

Xiao Tianhe pondered for a moment before suddenly laughing. "She probably misses the Heavenly King too much. You and Her Majesty were once deeply in love. Surely you have much to talk about upon your return."

Zhou Sheng'an chuckled and said no more, striding into the imperial palace.

As soon as he entered, he could feel several probing gazes—every one of them from experts above Soul Douluo.

He walked straight into the grand hall, completely unfazed by the scrutiny.

The moment he stepped inside, the feeling of being watched reached its peak. But his expression remained calm as he looked up at the woman seated on the dragon throne—dignified and dazzling, so beautiful it was almost otherworldly. She carried herself with such superiority that it made one want to kneel.

That was Empress Zhu—his woman. But the look in her eyes now contained little warmth.

Zhou Sheng'an scanned the hall. More than twenty ministers stood there.

He had long been commanding troops on the battlefield and didn't know many of Anzhu Empire's officials, but these ministers were all above Soul Douluo level. How could he possibly believe they were legitimate?

"It's been a long time, A-Zhu," Zhou Sheng'an called out clearly.

A-Zhu—that was their intimate nickname for each other in private.

Upon hearing it, a flicker passed through Empress Zhu's eyes, but it quickly faded, her expression returning to that of a cold, detached goddess overlooking the world.

"Old General Xiao, you speak," she said.

Xiao Tianhe stepped forward from the side. He didn't look Zhou Sheng'an in the eye, only saying:

"Zhou Sheng'an is guilty of three major crimes!"

"First: instigating war with the Star Luo Empire without authorization, risking the Zhu family's survival for the sake of military fame."

"Second: conspiring with remnants of the Star Luo Empire to plot rebellion."

"Third: arrogant due to his achievements, showing disrespect to the throne."

After speaking, Xiao Tianhe still didn't dare meet Zhou Sheng'an's gaze.

The vast Anzhu Empire had been built entirely by Zhou Sheng'an. Accusing him of treason was absurd—nothing but self-deception.

Zhou Sheng'an laughed softly. These were just trumped-up charges, weren't they?

"Back then, A-Zhu, you were imprisoned in the cold palace by the Star Luo Emperor. He wanted to punish the Zhu clan. I swore never to beg for mercy, used the Zhu clan's troops to blockade the borders, and personally led a cavalry strike to the Star Luo capital, beheading the emperor…"

"After that, I swept through the land, founding the Anzhu Empire. And now I'm a traitor?"

He looked around again. Even the Soul Douluos pretending to be ministers—those who had come to kill him—now averted their eyes, not daring to meet his.

Empress Zhu narrowed her eyes, carefully observing Zhou Sheng'an, as if recalling old memories.

Xiao Tianhe stayed silent, staring at the floor. In his ears, the echoes of the past—his first awe-struck meeting with Zhou Sheng'an—still lingered.

'A once-in-a-generation hero—how could he rebel? Why would he rebel? Why need to rebel?'

Perhaps with just one word from Zhou Sheng'an, the entire Anzhu Empire would change hands.

Maybe that was exactly why Empress Zhu resorted to such ruthless tactics.

"Zhou Sheng'an is plotting rebellion—execute him," Empress Zhu declared.

She waved her hand, and from the beams above, dozens of heavy crossbows suddenly fired, all aiming at Zhou Sheng'an.

Clack, clack, clack…!

In an instant, rust-colored Blue Silver Grass burst from Zhou Sheng'an's body, like iron and steel, blocking all the arrows.

At the same time, nine soul rings slowly rose around him.

All of them were dark red.

Zhou Sheng'an had silently reached the realm of a Titled Douluo!

The Soul Douluos in the hall all froze. Though they had the advantage in numbers, they no longer had the slightest confidence.

A chill crept into everyone's hearts.

Zhou Sheng'an… was not someone they could handle.

"So be it, A-Zhu. You've already been completely blinded by power…"

Zhou Sheng'an muttered to himself, his voice a little hoarse.

He brought his hands together, and from the floor, rust-colored Blue Silver Spears shot up—seven or eight meters long, lightning-fast and sharp as blades. They instantly pierced through the bodies of the Soul Douluos.

Blood sprayed across the floor.

Empress Zhu clutched her mouth, collapsing back onto the dragon throne, eyes wide in shock as she stared at the scene.

It was over. Her ambition… had come to an end.

…

[Douluo Calendar, September 27th, 2026: Zhou Sheng'an suppressed Empress Zhu, cleansed the palace in blood, eliminated traitors, and installed Zhu Zhuqing as the new ruler, making her the first Empress of the Anzhu Empire.]

[Zhou Sheng'an acted as regent, toured the empire, reformed the bureaucracy, and purged corrupt officials… ushering in a golden age of peace and prosperity.]

[Zhou Sheng'an vanished mysteriously. His whereabouts remain unknown.]

[Fourth simulation has ended.]