Zhou Sheng'an looked at Ji Xiang, who had just woken up, while beside him stood a tense and reserved Du Bubai.
Ever since his fourth disciple, Qin Ming, had left the mountain, he had made a great name for himself, shaking the entire Douluo Continent and ensuring that everyone remembered him. Qin Ming, however, was also an overly enthusiastic admirer of his teacher.
He practically praised Zhou Sheng'an as an unparalleled genius, a scholar of past and present, a pioneer of knowledge with no equal before or after him.
As a result, waves of people had come—seeking to become his disciples, challenging him, or even attempting to assassinate him...
Fortunately, Da Ming and Er Ming had been there to block them. Otherwise, this humble cottage would have been unlivable long ago!
Though people still came to seek discipleship, Er Ming turned them all away. But now, these two had stood outside the door for so long that they had nearly frozen to death.
Their determination and perseverance moved even Er Ming.
So what reason did Zhou Sheng'an have to reject them?
After all, Zhou Sheng'an valued temperament over talent. He was no mere theorist like a certain so-called master. He truly believed in the principle that "there are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters!"
"Teacher, I want to learn soul power cultivation from you!"
Du Bubai couldn't hold back and spoke up.
Zhou Sheng'an smiled and said, "And how can you be so sure that I can teach you martial soul cultivation? My innate soul power was only half a level, and my martial soul is the most well-known 'useless' Blue Silver Grass."
"Precisely because of that, you are even more worthy of being my teacher. Besides, I know that Poison Douluo is your disciple."
Du Bubai scratched his head with a goofy grin.
Leaning against the doorway, Er Ming chuckled and pointed at Du Bubai. "Teacher, look at this guy. Sometimes he's ridiculously stupid, and sometimes he's incredibly sharp."
Zhou Sheng'an let out a soft laugh and said, "Tell me about your situation."
Without hesitation, Du Bubai immediately dropped to his knees—thud, thud, thud—kowtowing three times with loud bangs. His face was filled with joy as he looked up at Zhou Sheng'an, his voice ringing with excitement. "Thank you, Teacher, for accepting me!"
"From this day forward, I, Du Bubai, am your disciple. If you command me to go east, I won't dare to—"
Zhou Sheng'an waved his hand, amused. "Enough with the formalities. Just tell me the important details."
"My martial soul is my own body. My innate soul power was only level five," Du Bubai replied.
Zhou Sheng'an nodded. "A body martial soul, huh? That's quite rare and has significant research value. You may follow me in cultivation. And you, Ji Xiang? Why do you wish to become my disciple?"
Ji Xiang had already woken up and had just witnessed Du Bubai's dramatic kowtowing.
Now, he struggled to climb out of bed, attempting to kneel and do the same.
Da Ming pressed down on his shoulder with a sigh. "Don't imitate that fool. Since Teacher has allowed you to stay, that means he has already accepted you as his disciple. He doesn't care for those superficial rituals."
"That's right, little junior brother. Just tell us your aspirations," Du Bubai said with a grin.
Ji Xiang's expression turned emotional, his eyes reddening as they welled up with tears.
"Teacher…"
"Teacher, I am originally from overseas, a mere small-time physician. But because of the war on the Douluo Continent, I was caught in the chaos. I was captured by a naval force and brought to the continent… Seeing those despairing faces, I had only one thought—someone must bring order to this turbulent world."
"So, I want to learn governance and statecraft from you! I want to ensure that those people never go hungry again."
Ji Xiang spoke with heartfelt sincerity.
Zhou Sheng'an gazed at him deeply before saying, "Very well. I hope you can achieve what you've set out to do."
And so, Zhou Sheng'an gained two more disciples.
...
[Douluo Calendar, June 13, 2025: Heaven Dou Empire's Grand Marshal Qin Ming was assassinated. He perished. Poison Douluo, enraged, unleashed poison that wiped out half of Spirit City's population.]
[Douluo Calendar, June 18, 2025: Spirit Hall announced a manhunt for Poison Douluo and secretly supported factions to incite another war.]
[Poison Douluo evaded Spirit Hall's pursuit. Qian Daoliu personally led the chase.]
[Spirit Hall's conspiracy failed. The Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire both declared a ceasefire, agreeing to maintain their current territories and refrain from further invasions.]
[After two years of war, the Douluo Continent was exhausted.]
[Nobody wanted to fight anymore.]
[Spirit Hall wanted to stir up trouble, but no one was willing to follow them.]
[Under these circumstances, the reputations of former war heroes took a dramatic turn. They were no longer revered, but instead blamed as the instigators of war.]
[Among them, Heaven Dou Empire's Grand Marshal Qin Ming—once feared across all nations—was now cursed and reviled.]
[Heaven Dou Empire's Prime Minister publicly declared: "Generals are the root of all chaos. What the continent truly needs are capable ministers who can govern in times of peace, not war-hungry warriors!" Qin Ming's revered teacher was also implicated, slandered as a hidden manipulator responsible for the conflict.]
[The Douluo Continent entered an era of recuperation and rebuilding.]
[Spirit Hall continued its assassinations of certain 'goddesses,' targeting any woman with fame and influence.]
...
"That Prime Minister is too much! How dare he speak about Qin Ming like that? And he even dared to slander Teacher, calling him some scheming war instigator?"
Xiao Wu gritted her teeth in anger, itching to tear the Prime Minister's mouth apart.
But for now, she could only stay hidden within the simulation, as Spirit Hall seemed to have noticed her existence and was actively searching for her.
Xiao Wu nudged Zhu Zhuqing, puzzled. "Zhuqing, how about you? That crazy woman from Spirit Hall is after me again."
Zhu Zhuqing turned around, her face deathly pale, startling Xiao Wu.
Zhu Zhuqing spoke coldly, "I'm dead."
"What?!"
Xiao Wu was stunned.
Zhu Zhuqing's voice remained icy. "I, my sister, and several of the most outstanding women of the Zhu Clan were all assassinated by Spirit Hall."
"How could this happen…" Xiao Wu was momentarily dazed.
It seemed Spirit Hall's goal was to track down all the other 'goddess' players!
Would they eventually try to do this in reality too?
Xiao Wu felt a chill—her identity couldn't withstand being exposed in real life!
...
Moon Pavilion.
Tang Yuehua massaged her temples and sighed. "The world changes too quickly. Not long ago, generals were highly respected. Now, they are seen as the root of all disaster. But I suppose it makes sense—chaos relies on warriors, but true stability requires capable ministers."
"Zhou Sheng'an is highly effective in devising brilliant strategies, but managing a region—or even an entire nation—is probably beyond him."
"Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone completely silent this time."
Tang Yuehua let out another sigh. Her situation within the simulation wasn't going well either. She had originally planned to use the opportunity to trap and kill Bibi Dong, but she couldn't even get close to Zhou Sheng'an.
The moment she tried, she would be relentlessly hunted down!
Tang Yuehua was certain that around Zhou Sheng'an's cottage, there were at least three Titled Douluo stationed.
How could anyone get close under such circumstances?
It was clear—if she couldn't reach Zhou Sheng'an, then no other 'goddess' players could either!
...
Elsewhere, Qian Renxue had finished tying up loose ends and arrived at Zhou Sheng'an's cottage.
She now had long golden hair, looking as stunning as a celestial goddess.
"Sheng'an, in this simulation, we meet again."
With a smile, Qian Renxue strode toward the cottage.