"…Please wait a moment, I will invite the Bishop to personally evaluate your soul power level."
Su Cheng lightly nodded, indicating she could go.
Not long after, Bishop Salas, who oversaw the Spirit Hall branch in Heaven Dou City, hurriedly arrived with the same female receptionist. His face was filled with disbelief.
For a moment, many people lingering in the hall peeked curiously in their direction.
Salas clearly didn't want too many people to know about this, and intended to take Su Cheng into a separate room to talk.
But Su Cheng shook his head and refused, simply urging, "Bishop, can we evaluate my soul power level now?"
Today, his goal was only to scatter bait—it was far from time to draw in the net.
Salas couldn't force the matter and could only ask, "Mr. Su, could you please show me your martial soul and your spirit rings?"
As he spoke, he laid down a soul power barrier to block all prying eyes.
Moments later, he confirmed—this really was a thousand-year-level second spirit ring.
He then looked again at the Su Cheng standing before him.
He had heard of Su Cheng's name: adopted son of Chen Xin, inheritor of the Seven Kill Sword, once a core direct-line disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and also someone with a mere 0.5 innate soul power—a waste.
And this reputation had only become more well-known after Chen Xin had recently achieved the title of Sword Douluo.
Yet to possess such a spirit ring with such poor innate talent, breaking the common rules to obtain a thousand-year second ring—if no extremely high-year spirit bone or similar resource was used, then this was indeed a miracle.
Some thoughts emerged in his mind.
But then Su Cheng suddenly said, "Bishop Salas, there's no need to rush. I never intended to hide this method. In fact, before coming to the Spirit Hall, I had already contacted several bookstores and informed them of the method to absorb spirit rings beyond their normal year limits. I believe it won't be long before the related books appear."
Salas froze, feeling as though his rhythm had instantly been disrupted.
After a moment of silent stiffness, he dryly praised, "You are truly selfless."
"It's only right. Good people are rewarded."
"…"
"I heard you've already separated from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Would you be willing to join the Spirit Hall? With your level of research, even receiving an invitation to the Elder Hall in the main city would be easy."
Since Su Cheng had already announced his method publicly, Salas could only settle for second-best.
Besides, Su Cheng wasn't some powerless drifter to be manipulated at will. Sword Douluo Chen Xin might have only recently become a Titled Douluo, but his special martial soul ensured frightening combat strength. And even if Su Cheng claimed to have cut ties with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, he was still Chen Xin's adopted son—they would hardly abandon him if something happened.
Recently, there had also been friction between the Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Clan; it was truly not a time to stir up extra trouble.
"We'll see. Recently, I plan to travel around the continent and refine my theoretical system," Su Cheng replied, neither agreeing nor rejecting.
As if he would agree now.
The power of this theory hadn't truly revealed itself yet, and his reputation hadn't fully spread. If he joined Spirit Hall now, who would value him?
"Can we evaluate my soul power level now?"
Su Cheng asked for the third time.
"Of course. Please follow me."
After handling this series of matters, the simulator did not fast-forward through the plot as usual.
Feeling something, Su Cheng realized the developments would spread even faster than he had expected, so he relaxed and traveled across the continent, also preparing himself for the return to the real world once the simulation ended.
What he didn't expect was that this wait would last nearly half a year.
During this time, several major events occurred as expected.
First, the truth about Tang Hao's wife Ah Yin being a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast in human form was exposed. Then Spirit Hall chased the Tang couple. After Ah Yin's sacrifice, Qian Xunji was severely injured by Tang Hao, and later died upon returning to Spirit Hall.
Afterward, the current Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong, naturally ascended to the position of Pope. Tang Hao was wanted across the continent, and the Clear Sky Clan sealed its gates.
"The timing is perfect. It looks like the opportunity is about to arrive," Su Cheng thought, "I just wonder if, in this simulation world, that transplanted Tang San will appear."
He then shook his head.
Very unlikely.
If Tang San were here, the destruction of Spirit Hall wouldn't require Su Cheng at all—which wouldn't fit the difficulty of an S-rank mission.
The upheavals among the upper ranks did not affect ordinary people.
Instead, Su Cheng's name, in just half a year, had become known across the entire continent—no one didn't know it.
His work "The Counterattack of a Mortal" swept across the continent like a violent wind.
The title was something he casually picked. Though a more grandiose name involving "core competitiveness" might have sounded fancier, the content spoke for itself, so it didn't matter.
With Su Cheng himself serving as a real example, its credibility skyrocketed. Many followed the method and found success.
Of course, no one had yet achieved a thousand-year second spirit ring like him.
Su Cheng had also mentioned this in the book.
To absorb a spirit ring that exceeded its year limit, one had to gradually increase the years from the beginning; otherwise, the physical body would find it difficult to withstand.
If the first spirit ring was only 400 years, then although the second ring could surpass the limit slightly, it could not be too aggressive.
"Master Su recently published a new theory, explaining in detail how to surpass the year limit for the third spirit ring! The book also says he already has ideas regarding absorbing a ten-thousand-year fourth spirit ring!"
"What?! Really? Let me see!"
"But Master Su is only at the Great Soul Master level, right? How did he research the theory for the third ring's absorption?"
"Idiot, didn't he also research the methods for the first and second rings before he himself absorbed them?!"
"That's true."
"Master Su is truly selfless. He hasn't even reached the Soul Elder realm yet, and he already published the theories."
"…"
Similar discussions were happening everywhere on the continent—all within Su Cheng's expectations.
The method for surpassing the year limit of the third spirit ring had long been researched by him. After all, thousand-year spirit rings didn't involve spiritual power issues; compared to the first two rings, it only required adding a few more acupoints.
"Heh. Spirit Hall… Bibi Dong… can you still sit still now?" Su Cheng sneered, watching copies of "The Counterattack of a Mortal 2" being snatched up everywhere.
Spirit Hall had not approached him recently—this was somewhat beyond his earlier expectations.
Su Cheng speculated that part of the reason was the internal power shift consuming much of Bibi Dong's attention. But more importantly, they probably believed he had already exhausted his potential. With only the cultivation of a Great Soul Master, it was unlikely he could continue developing his theories.
But that didn't matter. He still had many cards in his hand. A bit more bait wouldn't hurt.
Just as people across the continent were debating his newest theories, all sorts of reports and comments were also pouring into the Pope's Palace like snowflakes, landing on the desk of the newly appointed Pope, Bibi Dong.
"'The Counterattack of a Mortal 2' released—Su Cheng reveals the secrets of the third spirit ring!"
"The true master, the shining gem of this era—Su Cheng!"
"There is only one true master in this world, and that is Su Cheng!"
"…"
In the main city of Spirit Hall, inside the Pope's Palace, Bibi Dong read the reports and reviews sent from various branch halls, her brows slowly tightening.
For some reason, she found these reports irritating.
"A fine 'true master', indeed."
Tomorrow begins the confrontation with Bibi Dong, and then the key plot begins. Signed already—please follow and bookmark.
(End of Chapter)