Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Villain Life Simulator

"Do you remember what I told you a few years ago? I said that I saw loneliness in you. Humans are social beings; they need to love and to be loved—by family, friends, lovers…

"But in the past, you had none of these, so you suffered, unable to find meaning or joy in life. Today, I saw a similar state in her."

Su Cheng reached out to run his fingers gently through her long hair and softly said, "You should have noticed this. Because we're so alike, it's easier for us to recognize these qualities in each other. You were just blinded by stronger emotions, which caused you to overlook it."

"…" Bibi Dong felt a shiver in her heart, suddenly recalling the strange feelings that had surfaced when she saw Qian Renxue today—a mixture of unexplainable pity and superiority.

Perhaps it was because of Su Cheng that she had become different from her past self.

Having shed the heavy shackles, she now began to notice things she had previously ignored.

In those years, she had been immersed in pain, always desperately trying to escape the shadows of her past. Yet, she had never considered that her daughter was walking a path much like her own.

"I think, with her identity as the daughter of the Pope and such extraordinary Spirit potential, she shouldn't have ended up like this. I don't know what misunderstandings or conflicts happened between you, but it must have been serious for things to be this strained." Su Cheng sat down on the step below her high-backed chair, leaning against its legs.

As a faint, fresh scent drifted from the woman, he closed his eyes contentedly.

"Dong'er, have you ever thought that if you both could lower your pride a bit and communicate more, even without my presence, the two of you could have saved each other?"

"Save each other…" Bibi Dong murmured softly. "Is that what you believe?"

"Of course." He nodded firmly. "But you're both proud people, and I doubt either of you would willingly bow to the other. But I still believe you share many similarities…"

He began listing, from his perspective, the similarities between mother and daughter.

Su Cheng knew both Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue well, but Bibi Dong didn't know that.

Seeing how he quickly saw through many issues with just a single encounter—and his "guesses" aligned with the truth—only served to confirm his words in her mind.

So, she began to face her own attitude toward Qian Renxue.

In fact, Su Cheng's conversation with Bibi Dong today may have seemed casual, but he had carefully considered it beforehand.

If he didn't know the past truth, it wouldn't matter. But knowing it, he had no desire to reopen her wounds.

Su Cheng knew well that Bibi Dong was an extreme person, prone to getting caught up in her own views.

Handling someone like her was exceptionally difficult. Trying to pull her out of her own beliefs would be exhausting and could easily backfire.

So he chose a different approach.

He guided her to think from a fresh perspective, focusing on something new to lessen the impact of that traumatic event.

The incident in the hidden chamber had cast a dark shadow over Bibi Dong's later life. It left a profound psychological scar, leading to her resentment toward her daughter, Qian Renxue, and even her eventual temptation and descent into darkness by the God of Rakshasa—all rooted in the actions of Qian Xunji, the true source of her suffering.

Thus, Su Cheng deliberately avoided discussing Qian Xunji and instead focused on her daughter, Qian Renxue.

After all, an unbreakable blood bond connected Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue.

And he wasn't just speaking randomly—the two truly did have striking similarities.

Both possessed remarkable talents, both had endured loneliness, both held esteemed positions yet had suffered many hardships… When people recognize common ground, they often begin to empathize with each other. Even if they don't become friends, strong hostility becomes difficult to maintain.

"…Since you now know my story, isn't it fair that you tell me about yourself?"

After finishing the topic of her daughter Qian Renxue, Bibi Dong, feeling more relaxed, glanced at Su Cheng on the floor. She decided to step down from her chair.

Gathering her skirts, she sat down next to him, disregarding her usual dignified bearing as Pope, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I've realized something—you're not nearly as obedient as you first appeared. There's a lot more going on in that mind of yours, isn't there?"

"Well then, what would you like to know?"

"What do you mean by that? Are there more secrets you're hiding from me?"

"Quite a few, actually," Su Cheng replied with a laugh. "So, which ones would you like to know?"

"I want to know everything… Is that possible?"

"Of course. But I'm afraid it would take quite a while."

"Tch." Bibi Dong cast a sidelong glance at him, then suddenly chuckled lightly. "Fine, just tell me one thing, then."

"What's that?"

"Are you the successor of the God of Shura?"

"No."

"You're not…"

Bibi Dong fell silent for a moment.

She wasn't surprised by this answer, nor did she think Su Cheng was lying to her.

In fact, she had already harbored suspicions about this.

Although there was proof of his divine test, as someone who had passed through the City of Slaughter, she could sense that the Shura God's power was even more difficult to control and much bloodier than the Rakshasa God's power.

However, in the years she had known Su Cheng, she had not sensed a trace of killing intent from him, which made no sense.

Even Soul Masters with mastery over the Killing God Domain couldn't fully suppress their killing aura, let alone a mortal wielding god-level power.

"Did you abandon the Shura God's inheritance?"

Although she phrased it as a question, her tone carried certainty.

Normally, it was impossible to end a divine test halfway unless the person died.

But if that person was Su Cheng, she felt it might be possible.

"I did." Su Cheng replied calmly. "A voice inside told me that I shouldn't walk this path. I have my own path to pursue, one more suited to me."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"…"

Bibi Dong fell silent again.

She never expected that someone could abandon the allure of a divine inheritance.

As the successor of the Rakshasa God, she understood what the Shura God's inheritance represented and who the Shura God was.

The path to that divine position was extremely challenging, but once attained, the Shura God was far stronger than the Rakshasa God.

Among the gods, the Shura God was one of the most powerful.

Months later, Qian Renxue knelt quietly before the large statue in the center of the Hall of Douluo.

It was a brilliant golden statue of a six-winged Angel God. Behind it, three pairs of wings stretched out, and a massive golden sword pointed skyward, surrounded by a faint golden flame.

Qian Renxue's long, radiant golden hair flowed down to the floor, her hands clasped together in front of her chest. Her thumbs pressed together, her index fingers touched, and the other six fingers spread apart like the wings of a six-winged angel. A faint aura of light enveloped her.

At that moment, golden light surged, and Qian Daoliu appeared before her. From the massive sword held by the angel statue, golden flames burst forth, instantly filling the surroundings with an indescribable sacred aura.

"It's time… Xiaoxue, open your eyes."

As Qian Daoliu raised his hand, the golden flames from the statue's sword descended from above, completely covering Qian Renxue.

The golden flames circled around her as her body rose within the light. Nine golden panels slowly appeared before her.

"The Nine Tests of the Angel…"

In the Pope's Hall, where she was meditating, Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes, a faint purple-black shadow hovering behind her.

"Xiaoxue?"

She turned her head to look toward the Douluo Hall, and Su Cheng's words to her surfaced in her mind.

Then, she sighed softly and closed her eyes again.

She was getting closer and closer to completing all of her divine trials.

On the streets of Spirit City, Su Cheng was leisurely strolling with Su Yue.

"So, when do you think you'll be ready to attempt breaking through the divine barrier?"

Su Cheng turned his gaze to the silver-haired beauty beside him and asked casually.

Currently, Su Yue's cultivation had reached the limit of a Peak Douluo. Although her strength was still far below his, her foundation was incredibly deep. Even when Su Cheng observed her future with the Trajectory Eye multiple times, he couldn't clearly discern her fate.

He had to admit, the Dragon God's bloodline was indeed extraordinary—a top-tier lineage unmatched in the entire universe, destined for dominion.

Su Cheng himself had greatly benefited from the Dragon God's bloodline when breaking through his bottleneck. And Su Yue, the Silver Dragon King with an even deeper foundation and a kinship with the Dragon God's lineage, had gained even more.

Though she hadn't yet broken through, her combat power was already comparable to an ordinary newly ascended deity among human powerhouses.

"Oh? So, after spending the night with your beloved Pope, you finally remembered to ask me this?" Su Yue glanced at Su Cheng with her enchanting violet eyes, chuckling softly.

"There you go again. I'm asking you a serious question."

"Hmph."

Two years ago, when she first found out that Su Cheng had gotten involved with Bibi Dong, the inheritor of the Rakshasa God, she was quite displeased.

However, after seeing the sealed Rakshasa God and the Shura Demonic Sword, her attitude changed. Whatever she thought to herself, she seemed much more relaxed, even acting more affectionate and casual, aside from occasional taunts.

"Hmph what? Just answer—"

Before he could finish, Su Cheng suddenly stopped and turned his gaze toward the pure white hall building atop Pope Hill.

With Su Yue's spiritual power already nearing the divine level, she followed his gaze and looked in that direction as well.

"The inheritance of the Angel God?" Su Yue narrowed her eyes and asked quietly.

"That's right."

"Can you interfere with a god's inheritance?"

"I can. But avoiding detection from Qian Daoliu and Qian Renxue will be tricky." As he spoke, Su Cheng pulled her into a secluded, empty corner. "Fortunately, the Angel God has already fallen. If a first-class god were still watching from the Divine Realm, I wouldn't stand a chance. You keep an eye on our surroundings. I need to get ready."

Then he transmitted a message in his mind, "Ah Yin."

"Mhm."

A graceful figure appeared at his side—it was Ah Yin.

She nodded at Su Yue in greeting, then, with a serious expression, released her unique domain to enhance Su Cheng's state.

Su Yue glanced at her, pursing her lips as a faint shadow passed through her eyes. Then, she let out a quiet sigh and started coordinating the surrounding elements to prevent the city's powerhouses from sensing any energy fluctuations.

She had long known about Ah Yin's existence.

Two years ago, when Su Cheng took her to the Rakshasa Realm, she met this former spirit beast clan member who had become a unique lifeform and got an idea of their relationship.

At this moment, Su Cheng was too focused to care about Su Yue's thoughts.

He closed his eyes tightly, and his perception spread rapidly, instantly covering all of Spirit City.

Simultaneously, a faint, glazed light began to flicker on his forehead. His vast True Force quickly converted into soul power, which was rapidly consumed.

Silently and without a trace, high-level soul power penetrated into the Angel God's domain within the Douluo Hall, "seeing" the tall figure suspended in midair.

The light on Su Cheng's forehead brightened suddenly, and in the next moment, his soul linked with the spiritual fluctuation in midair.

His vision shifted, and he found himself in a boundless space.

A soft golden mist filled the expanse, stretching endlessly in all directions with no clear "up" or "down," as if he were floating in a golden universe.

This place was none other than Qian Renxue's sea of consciousness.

"Whew…"

Su Cheng exhaled and opened his eyes, his vision returning to normal. Beside him stood Ah Yin and Su Yue, and not far away were the streets and buildings of Spirit City.

In just this brief moment, more than a tenth of his True Force reserve had been depleted.

"Is that all it takes? That fast?"

"Yes, that's enough." Su Cheng nodded. "Now it's just a matter of slow progress—my soul power will gradually expand over time."

This was the opportunity he'd been waiting for.

Qian Renxue's strength wasn't weak, and since her return to Spirit City, she had stayed in Douluo Hall, wholly focused on awaiting her Angel God trial, making it nearly impossible to infiltrate her consciousness undetected.

Only at this moment, when the divine trial descended and occupied her entire awareness, could he slip into her consciousness without alerting her.

This was only possible thanks to the aid of the Trajectory Eye, along with the insight he'd gained from studying the Rakshasa God and the Angel God's inheritance lacking a supervising deity. These factors combined to make his plan feasible. Otherwise, even with his strength, his skill in spiritual power was limited, and accomplishing this would've been nearly impossible.

His goal was to observe Qian Renxue's divine trials and, if possible, offer her some help in the subsequent trials.

Most crucially, he wanted to see if Qian Renxue had acquired the final "spiritual core."

It was already confirmed that Zhu Zhuqing, Ah Yin, and Bibi Dong were among the selected candidates in this simulation, but there was still one unidentified candidate.

Although Qian Renxue seemed a likely candidate, he needed evidence.

However, today's initial soul link was only the beginning. He still needed a lot of time to further explore Qian Renxue's consciousness, but that process would be far less strenuous.

True Force naturally grew slowly over time, and since Qian Renxue would need a significant amount of time to complete her divine trials, he wasn't in a rush.