Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Villain Life Simulator

The Shura Demon Sword slowly sunk inch by inch into Su Cheng's body, yet strangely, not a single drop of blood flowed out.

From the perspective of the three-eyed Golden Lion, the blade's scarlet aura of Shura's divine power gradually deepened, transforming into dark red patterns on its surface.

Then, this energy began to intertwine with the colorless energy surrounding the wound on Su Cheng's chest, creating countless thin black cracks as they clashed and eroded each other.

What the Golden Lion didn't realize was that, although it seemed like Su Cheng was harming himself by embedding the Shura Demon Sword directly into his body, in truth, he was sealing it within his internal world.

At the same time, Ah Yin was using her unique power over the earth to assist him, continually helping him control and adjust his second spirit, so he wouldn't be overwhelmed.

While Shura's divine power is indeed formidable and the Shura Demon Sword is one of the highest-level artifacts, Su Cheng possesses a unique internal energy system that sets him apart from others.

His inner power not only integrates the various forces within him seamlessly, but it has also been tempered by the True Sun Fire and refined by the Water of the Soul, giving him a physique unlike any other. It embodies his spirit, will, soul, and instincts, merging into a self-contained world of its own, distinct from the conventional methods of using spirit power in combat.

This means that his body itself is his most powerful weapon and vessel.

Thus, only by suppressing the Shura Demon Sword with his physical form and reinforcing it with the resilient, grounding power of the earth can he ensure that the sword's aura will remain undetected by the Shura God after leaving the Slaughter City.

However, as the sword sank deeper into his body and fiercely clashed with his inner energy, Su Cheng's aura began to fall rapidly.

From the level of a Second-Class God, it plummeted down to the threshold of that level, and soon, it dropped even further, down to the rank of a Third-Class God...

"Hah..."

Once the greatsword was entirely gone, Su Cheng wiped his hand across his chest, and the wound vanished in an instant.

On the surface, he appeared mostly fine, aside from a slightly pale face and beads of sweat streaming down, but in truth, he was in poor condition.

The three-eyed Golden Lion looked at him with concern in its eyes. "Your power...?"

Previously, it couldn't even discern Su Cheng's level, but now, it could clearly feel that he was only marginally stronger than itself.

"Yes, I've fallen in rank. Right now, I guess you could say I'm around the rank of a Spirit Douluo," Su Cheng replied casually, wiping his face.

The Spirit Douluo level of cultivation, compared to his original power, was barely different from that of an ordinary person with no cultivation at all.

In order to completely suppress the Shura Demon Sword and fully conceal its aura, Su Cheng had nearly exhausted all his power, causing his outward strength to drop drastically.

"Let's go."

With that, Ah Yin appeared, shielding Su Cheng and the three-eyed Golden Lion as they quickly left the Slaughter City.

Half a month later, Su Cheng returned alone to Spirit City.

Ah Yin had already returned to slumber within his spirit, as her unique situation meant it wasn't suitable for her to appear in front of human spirit masters, especially those from the Spirit Hall.

Additionally, her presence within his spirit helped him suppress the demon sword, alleviating the mental burden.

As for the three-eyed Golden Lion, Su Cheng had returned it to the Star Dou Forest.

The past three years had been a valuable experience for the Golden Lion, allowing it to witness many new sights it hadn't seen before, which was beneficial for its cultivation.

Su Cheng had also gained in return, as the Golden Lion's unique properties provided him with insight not only into Tang San's situation but also into a deeper understanding of its unique destiny-altering power.

Upon entering the city, Su Cheng first glanced in the direction of the library.

"Three years... I wonder how far Su Yue has advanced in her training. Will she be able to keep up when the final battle arrives?"

As he pondered this, he chose not to go see Su Yue immediately, instead heading toward the Pope's Palace first.

After all, Bibi Dong was his teacher in name, and as her disciple, it wouldn't be appropriate not to greet her immediately upon returning.

Before long, Su Cheng was smoothly escorted into the Pope's Palace, walking into the council hall.

This time, Bibi Dong did not, as usual, look down at him from the high steps at the far end of the hall. She did not hold the Pope's scepter, nor did she wear the papal robes.

Instead, she wore a simple white dress with gold patterns and silver trim, hands clasped behind her back as she stood waiting not far from the entrance.

This appearance made her look much younger, without the usual intimidating aura of authority she carried.

"Teacher." Su Cheng bowed to her lightly.

Bibi Dong raised her head and looked him over, remaining silent for a while before calmly speaking, "In just three short years, you've already reached the Spirit Douluo realm? Did you use some special means?"

Outwardly calm, her emotions were, in truth, highly conflicted.

The disciple before her no longer had the slight trace of innocence from back then, and even his height now exceeded hers.

She still remembered what he had promised her when they parted three years ago.

"You think I'm too young, but in a few years, I'll be an adult. You think I'm weak, but I'll train to reach the Title Douluo rank, and I'll become stronger than anyone else. You believe my spirit is evil, so I'll work to research a way to purify it..."

In fact, she remembered every single word of that conversation as if it had been yesterday.

The words he had spoken that day echoed in her mind almost daily, even affecting her usual training and handling of duties.

She feared for the future, worried about Su Cheng's experiences while he was away, and at times, resented her past misfortunes.

Yet, deep down, she could not deny a certain unspoken anticipation that lingered quietly...

And today, he had nearly fulfilled every promise he made that day.

Age needed no further comment—no one remains a child forever, after all, and everyone grows up eventually.

But his rapid advancement was truly astonishing. In just three years, he had surpassed three major realms, climbing from Spirit King to Spirit Douluo—a rate even she had not achieved in her youth. If he continued at this pace, he would surely find a god's inheritance and pass the divine trials.

Even his aura had transformed, shedding its former darkness and becoming strikingly clear and pure, radiating a grounded, simple strength.

"Of course not," Su Cheng replied, unaware of the complicated emotions beneath Bibi Dong's calm exterior, smiling as he continued, "I couldn't bear to let you down. Does my aura seem off to you?"

Most of his strength was now focused on suppressing the Shura Demon Sword's aura, so he naturally had little left to maintain his previous extensive disguise.

Bibi Dong wasn't weak, after all. With only the power he currently had at the Spirit Douluo level, it would be difficult to deceive her senses.

In this case, he felt it was wiser to stop hiding and reveal his Spirit Douluo-level strength directly.

While his inner energy was indeed unusual, Bibi Dong wouldn't recognize its true nature. She would simply think his spirit power was somewhat different.

After all, this world's spirits are highly varied, and his own spirit had always been unique. After "purifying" the former dark energy, some changes were expected.

"You..."

Bibi Dong hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something, but then abruptly changed her tone: "Your talent has indeed exceeded my expectations. You're almost on par with your sister. You may not know, but Su Yue has also made incredible progress these past few years. She's now at the Title Douluo level. Even our Grand Worshiper, who's been reclusive for years, was impressed by her talent."

"Oh?" Su Cheng's eyes lit up, and he smiled brightly.

Su Yue's foundation is profound, so achieving this level of accomplishment is expected, though it still fills him with a great sense of satisfaction.

At this pace, she might indeed break through to the god-level within the timeframe.

Bringing her to Spirit City for training has indeed proven to be the right decision.

As Bibi Dong watched the smile on his face, a sense of unexplainable displeasure crept into her heart.

When they had just reunited moments ago, Su Cheng hadn't shown any excitement or joy over their long-awaited meeting, appearing unusually calm instead.

But now, he's so elated just because of Su Yue's progress…

With this thought in mind, Bibi Dong, feeling a bit stifled, spoke up calmly, "You can go see her now. Su Yue has mostly been in the library these past few years."

"Alright." Su Cheng nodded in response.

He had, in fact, intended to do so.

After saying a quick farewell, he left the Pope's Hall.

Having already met with Bibi Dong, it was indeed time to check on Su Yue.

Only by seeing her in person could he feel reassured.

"Huh?"

Watching Su Cheng's figure disappear without a backward glance, Bibi Dong's expression froze, and her emotions began to shift, her face reflecting a range of complex feelings.

She hadn't expected him to leave so decisively, as if he had no desire to spend even a little more time alone with her.

When they had parted years ago, Su Cheng's confession had been so heartfelt and sincere that it had caused her many sleepless nights.

But now, upon seeing him again, she couldn't sense any of that former passion, nor did he seem particularly sentimental.

Instead, he was acting perfectly normal, treating her just as he would any ordinary teacher, or as the Pope of Spirit Hall.

His words were respectful, his emotions balanced.

This was, objectively, the proper demeanor—a disciple showing the right attitude.

Yet, to Bibi Dong, this behavior seemed like an unspoken withdrawal and distancing.

Especially for someone like Su Cheng, a young man who'd only recently reached adulthood and experienced his first taste of love, this was nothing short of callous behavior!

His confession and promises from back then now felt like a joke.

Anger flashed in her eyes, though underneath, a sliver of worry emerged as well.

She wondered what Su Cheng had experienced in the past three years, how his cultivation had progressed so rapidly, and whether his mindset had changed as well.

She had even sent people to investigate his whereabouts, but their search yielded nothing, leaving her with a lingering unease.

Meanwhile, Su Cheng, now out of Spirit Hall, had no idea what Bibi Dong was thinking.

It wasn't that he was devoid of feelings for her, but in reality, his bond with Bibi Dong was already deep, and he wasn't as naïve as he'd once seemed—a young man infatuated with his first love.

Now he was more patient and composed, not one to rush things. After all, a separation of just a few years was hardly worth fretting over.

Moreover, Bibi Dong's spiritual core had shown no signs of awakening.

In Su Cheng's view, even if there was some subconscious effect that made her hold him in high regard, certain psychological barriers—such as her position and their age difference—were not easily overcome. This would take time.

If they had spent these past years together constantly, things might have been different.

But after three years apart, their feelings remained vague and would require time to adapt.

Besides, he had so many pressing matters to deal with lately that he could hardly catch a break.

Even with his advantage in information, outsmarting the gods was no simple task, especially when facing formidable opponents stronger than himself. There was no room for carelessness, leaving him with little time and energy for personal affairs.

As he walked through the wide streets of Spirit City, Su Cheng pondered in his mind.

"This time, I wonder how the Rakshasa God will act.

"As I expected, after obtaining the Shura Devil Sword, that guy took the bait. The fate trajectory of the Nine-Headed Bat King clearly indicates that it will lead the Rakshasa God to me. If I'm not mistaken, the place where we'll meet should be the Rakshasa's Secret Realm. But why would I be able to enter the Rakshasa's Secret Realm? Where exactly is that place...?"

"Could it be related to Bibi Dong? After all, she is still the successor of the Rakshasa God. But the problem is that, for a divine trial candidate, one can only enter the inheritance realm after completing all the trials and beginning the process of inheriting the divine position.

"If that's the case, isn't the timing a bit too tight…?"

"Seventh Trial of the Rakshasa God. Requirement: Kill the inheritor of the Shura God position and seize the Shura Demon Sword. Time limit: one year. Reward upon completion: a 15% increase in affinity with the Rakshasa God, and a chance to re-enter the Rakshasa's Secret Realm."

A sudden voice in her mind startled Bibi Dong. She hadn't even completed her sixth trial, so how could the seventh trial appear?

Then, she froze in shock. "Shura God's successor?!"

In the next moment, a scene unfolded before her eyes.

In the vision, a man and a woman were seen leaving the City of Slaughter, leaning close to each other.

The woman, nestled in the man's arm, occasionally shared affectionate interactions with him, adjusting his collar from time to time, appearing like a couple deeply in love.

Walking beside them was a peculiar soul beast covered in golden fur, with a red vertical eye on its forehead.

"Why…"

Bibi Dong stared dazedly at the image of Su Cheng in the vision, then looked toward the striking figure of the woman in the blue-and-gold palace dress. A dark purple glow flared in her eyes.

The aura that had long been calm and steady around her began to grow chaotic and sinister, intensifying gradually.

"Why!"

At this moment, she had no interest in the trial requirements or rewards of the Rakshasa God; her mind was filled solely with Su Cheng and Ah Yin's intimate actions.