Chapter 62: Firestar Meditation Technique

"Teacher…"

Zhu Zhuqing had received all the memories from the simulation. Though her soul power level was too low to retain most of them, her feelings for Zhou Sheng'an seemed to have been etched into her very blood.

She especially remembered everything regarding soul power cultivation.

Those teachings were more than enough for her to reach the Soul Ancestor realm, and once she became a Soul Ancestor, she was confident she could defeat Zhu Zhuyun.

In other words, if her only goal was to surpass Zhu Zhuyun, she could go back now—there was no need to wade through this mess. After all, she wasn't the only woman who had seen Zhou Sheng'an's unparalleled excellence.

Staying close to Zhou Sheng'an might very well lead her into danger.

But still, she wanted to go to him—like a moth to a flame.

In truth, there was one thing in the simulation that hadn't been listed as a major event, but it left the deepest impression on Zhu Zhuqing.

When she ascended the throne as Empress, she had finally explained everything to Zhou Sheng'an.

The woman who had truly recognized his talent and shown him grace… was her, not Empress Zhu!

Unfortunately, by then Zhou Sheng'an no longer cared for romantic feelings. Zhu Zhuqing could even sense that, in the simulation, her teacher had taken a dangerous path in pursuit of stronger soul power.

His quiet departure later might have had something to do with that too.

"That's why I can't just leave him be! No matter what trouble Teacher is facing, I won't walk away. Even if things turn out the same as in the simulation, that's fine!"

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes shimmered with excitement.

She had come to a realization—she didn't need to pave Zhou Sheng'an's path. All she had to do was give him the space to grow, and then simply wait for him to soar.

When that time came, a man like Zhou Sheng'an—who valued morality so highly—would never let her efforts go to waste.

And in real life, she wasn't going to settle for just a master-disciple relationship.

Staring at the six-day countdown on the simulator, Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip.

"I'm setting out now! I'll try to reach Heaven Dou City within ten days and find Teacher!"

…

"He actually won… how is he winning again?" Tang Yuehua muttered to herself. No matter how she calculated it, it was already unbelievable for Zhou Sheng'an to reach the Soul King realm in just over three years.

How could he possibly have escaped from the imperial palace unharmed—and even turned the tables on Empress Zhu and the others?

She couldn't make sense of it no matter how she tried.

Tang Yuehua took a deep breath. Regardless, Zhou Sheng'an had won. In the simulation, he had once been an invincible Grand Sage Master in theory—and later became an unparalleled general.

At the very least, that second identity could allow the Clear Sky Sect to appear in public without fearing retaliation from the Spirit Hall.

But…

Was that enough?

Tang Yuehua rubbed her eyes. She had to find a better path!

If the Spirit Hall could be overthrown, that would be the best future for the Clear Sky Sect…

"Tomorrow, I'm going to find Zhou Sheng'an! Based on my investigation, he should currently be at Blue Tyrant Academy. But in the simulation… who knows how many women he's involved with. That's a problem—I need to think of a way to cover it up."

Tang Yuehua frowned slightly. She wouldn't be sleeping tonight; she needed to come up with a foolproof plan.

At the very least, she couldn't reveal her true identity just yet.

Among all the players using the Goddess Simulator, no one wanted their cover blown!

…

On top of Pope Hill.

"In the end, you didn't help Sheng'an at all! He didn't need your help in the first place!" Dark Qian Renxue sneered. "You were acting all high and mighty, but now? Who's the blind one?"

"Do you think Sheng'an needed your help? All that effort for nothing!"

Qian Renxue coldly snorted. "What do you know?! At the very least, before Sheng'an exposed his soul power, Bibi Dong didn't know he had already become a Titled Douluo! If it weren't for me, could he have hidden it for so long?"

"You mean…?"

"That's right. This is the advantage of secretly controlling the Spirit Hall. I can make Bibi Dong see whatever I want her to see. If I don't want her to see something, she can't do anything about it!"

Qian Renxue raised her chin. Did they think she was just playing house?

While Bibi Dong was using the simulator to explore cultivation techniques, she was busy pulling strings with the higher-ups of the Spirit Hall!

"You really feel like you're doing things backward…"

Dark Qian Renxue mumbled. But since it was all for Sheng'an's sake, she didn't scold her too much.

Qian Renxue sneered. "Just wait and see! Starting tomorrow, I'll begin pulling the top brass of the Spirit Hall to my side. With the simulation experience, everything will be twice as effective!"

…

In the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"He's amazing! Da Ming, Er Ming, I'm telling you—he actually unified the Douluo Continent again! Even the Spirit Hall couldn't stop him!"

"We have to invest in this guy! Build a good relationship with him!"

Xiao Wu clapped her hands excitedly.

Er Ming yawned and looked toward the lake's surface. His bull horns glinted with a cold, ghostly light.

Da Ming asked curiously, "Sister Xiao Wu, even if he's worth befriending, we can't leave the core area. If you went alone… we'd be really worried for your safety."

"Oh, come on! It's fine! Once the break is over, I'll explain everything to Brother San."

Xiao Wu kicked her legs playfully, her voice firm with resolve.

…

Meanwhile, a series of chimes woke the sleeping Zhou Sheng'an.

With a helpless groan, Zhou Sheng'an got out of bed and sighed.

"Can't even get a good night's sleep anymore… all that ding-ding-dong—it's messing with my sleep quality. Huh? The simulation ended already?"

"Receive, receive…" he mumbled groggily.

Suddenly, a massive stream of information surged into his mind.

It felt like his head was being stabbed by tens of thousands of needles. The searing pain instantly jolted him awake!

Zhou Sheng'an nearly leapt out of bed, cold sweat covering his face.

"What the hell?! That was a good ending in the simulation, sure, but… damn it. Ended up as Empress Zhu's man, then got betrayed in the end—total failure."

If he had a choice, Zhou Sheng'an wouldn't want to go through that again. Too humiliating.

Also, that rapid rise to Titled Douluo in just three years… it had more drawbacks than benefits.

"Firestar Meditation Technique…" Zhou Sheng'an muttered the name of the technique he gained in the simulation—the key to reaching Titled Douluo in just three years.

The so-called Firestar Meditation Technique was a treasure derived from bloodshed on the battlefield.

By absorbing the battlefield's negative energies—like bloodlust, resentment, and killing intent—he could convert them into soul power, which ultimately helped him reach the Titled Douluo realm.

But it was, after all, a shortcut with many hidden dangers.

Even someone as monstrously talented as Zhou Sheng'an could only barely maintain balance. By age thirty-five, his soul power would be stuck at Level 95.

For most, that would be a heavenly gift.

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

After the previous four simulations, he had set his goal—to become a god by age twenty-five!

Still being a Titled Douluo at thirty-five? Embarrassing!

"For the next simulation… maybe I can refine the Firestar Meditation Technique. Even though it's a shortcut, maybe there's another path waiting to be uncovered…"

As that thought crossed his mind, Zhou Sheng'an suddenly noticed a letter had been slipped under the door.

He picked it up and opened it.

The contents were simple: Jiang Zhu had broken through to Level 30 and hoped he could accompany her to hunt for a spirit ring tomorrow.