Douluo Continent: We agreed on a simulation, but they've come to life?

Chapter 44 One and a Half Years Later (Combined Chapter)

In the simulator, many plot points are simulated and skipped, only fleeting. Control is handed over to him when the main storyline is involved. The simulator has been running for over twenty years, but in Lu Cheng's perception, only a few months have passed. Therefore, this real, tangible feeling still excited him for a while.

With the increase in soul power and the effects of the Xuan Shui Pill from last night, Lu Cheng found chopping wood and carrying water quite easy.

After returning home.

At the entrance of the Jiang family courtyard, they encountered the Chen family's butler, who had been clinging to the wall with his helmet the night before. The latter smiled and spoke to Jiang's mother, who remained expressionless. Only when she saw Lu Cheng return did a smile appear in her eyes, and she said in a friendly tone, "You're back! Quickly put it in the yard, go wash your hands and eat..."

"Hmm." Lu Cheng nodded, ignoring the butler, and buried his head as he went into the courtyard.

The butler frowned. In his eyes, Lu Cheng and the Jiang family were commoners. Everyone would respectfully call him Butler Chen. It was one thing for Jiang's mother to be indifferent to him, after all, she was the mother of the future second young mistress, but what was this little beast?

With a quick glance, a kind smile appeared on his face.

"This young man must be Lu Cheng, right?"

"I see you're young and in good health. Why not come to my Xu family and ask for a job? I happen to be the steward of the Xu family. Once you're in, I can arrange for more people to take care of you. Maybe if you're lucky, you can even become the Third Young Master's page..."

"..."

Lu Cheng glanced at him with surprise, ignored him, and turned to go inside.

“You…” Chen Nian looked surprised and pointed at Lu Cheng’s back.

"I'm sorry, my child is tired. If you have nothing else, please leave." Jiang's mother's eyes were indifferent. Without waiting for Chen Nian's further words, she decisively closed the door.

Chen Nian: "..."

He glared coldly inside, "You damned little beast, just you wait..."

……

A year and a half has passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the Jiang family's courtyard.

Lu Cheng held his breath, closed his eyes, and spread his spiritual power outwards, taking in the entire courtyard, the pedestrians passing by on the nearby green-tiled street, and the swallows flying in the sky with exaggerated speed and range.

It's unclear whether this counts as an inherent talent of the martial soul itself. The Blood Eye martial soul has no additional soul rings or secondary evolution, yet it seems to possess an innate "detection" ability, almost like having a God's-eye view cheat, dynamically capturing the movements of all living things.

Therefore, with the Blood Eye buff, he barely needed to practice aiming with the Sun-Shooting Bow; it was as accurate as if he had a cheat code.

"Dinner's ready..."

Jiang's mother looked at Lu Cheng with kind eyes, her gaze softening with a gentle smile, and greeted him softly.

However, a sickly paleness appeared on her face.

"okay."

Lu Cheng slowly opened his eyes, his blood-red pupils looking particularly eerie. In the past two years, the boy had turned ten. With ample nourishment, he had grown to about 1.67 meters tall. His physique was not particularly robust, but his muscles were well-defined.

His soul power surged to level twenty-three.

In fact, given his speed of soul power improvement, he had already reached level 15 before Shrek Academy's enrollment last summer. However, Jiang Nannan happened to reach the Soul Master level last year and took advantage of Shrek Academy's quota to go to the Star Dou Great Forest with a group of students and disciples to hunt for soul rings, so he was unable to come.

Therefore, Lu Cheng considered that at that time, he had just entered the school at the fifteenth level, and he probably wouldn't receive much attention. Jiang Nannan's recommendation also put pressure on him, since the girl was just a relatively outstanding outer court disciple with no power or background.

After thinking about it, I'll decide to wait a year before making a decision.

And so today has come.

During summer vacation, Jiang Nannan returned home and happened to ask this older sister to recommend her to Shrek Academy.

Level 23, ten years old—even ignoring the fact that Lu Cheng achieved this in just two years of cultivation, it's enough to make Shrek Academy's outer court take him seriously.

and……

He couldn't wait any longer.

The Xu family... can't wait any longer.

Jiang's mother's condition had been fluctuating for the past two years. She went to see a pharmacist, but he just kept shaking his head. Her condition worsened. Then one day, the pharmacist mysteriously told her that her condition had become so serious that it could only be cured with some kind of Xuanming Divine Pill from the Xuanming Sect.

Lu Cheng then completely understood the deeper meaning revealed in the other person's eyes.

It seems that Xu Sanshi's awakening age is approaching.

"Cough cough cough..."

Jiang's mother gently covered her mouth with a handkerchief, straightened up, and coughed again.

His face was pale, and he picked up a handkerchief, on which was a bright red stain of blood.

"It's gotten worse..."

Lu Cheng took a deep breath. If all else failed, he could use his talent to bind himself to Shrek Academy and have a healing expert there help him, or forcibly break the Xuanming Sect's trickery behind the scenes.

"mom!"

A melodious, bell-like girl's voice rang out.

The door was pushed open.

When Lu Cheng looked again, a beautiful girl stood at the doorway. She had a slender and well-proportioned figure, long golden hair that cascaded down her back like big waves, snow-white skin, and eyes like clear water. A smile appeared on her pretty face, as if everything around her had dimmed.

"sister?"

Lu Cheng smiled, his eyes gentle.

"You've grown taller!"

Jiang Nannan strode over quickly, her long, beautiful legs moving gracefully. Her watery pink eyes surveyed Lu Cheng, and she stretched out her fair, white hand to massage his shoulder, then gestured to show their heights.

"Hmm, not bad..."

Jiang Nannan chuckled, "They're almost in my eyes."

Lu Cheng's lips twitched.

A year and a half later, Jiang Nannan had grown to 1.7 meters tall, half a head taller than him. As expected of an agility-type battle spirit master, she possessed the classic Soft Bone Charming Rabbit skill, with exceptionally long legs that could even rival the leggy Jingwei Ling'er in the simulator.

Jiang Nannan, dressed in the classic Shrek Academy uniform in dark green, greeted Lu Cheng and then turned her gaze to her mother.

With a worried look in his eyes, he asked, "Did the doctor say anything?"

"..."

Jiang's mother hesitated, unwilling to add to the burden on her children.

Lu Cheng, however, went straight to the point and said, "He said he needs a Xuanming Divine Pill."

"The Profound Nether Divine Pill?!"

The girl looked bewildered, hesitant to speak.

Over the past year, she had been frugal and worked hard at Shrek Academy, barely managing to save up a few hundred gold soul coins. But the Xuanming Divine Pill was a priceless treasure, a secret of the Xuanming Sect. Her meager savings wouldn't even be enough to fill a gap in her teeth.

"How could this be..."

The Xuanming Divine Pill is basically only usable by high-level Soul Masters, and it is said to be able to bring people back to life.

It's like having a cold, but the doctor tells you to go to the intensive care unit for observation.

However, Jiang Nannan clearly did not doubt the doctor.

After all, Jiang's mother had visited every medical clinic in Xuanming City, and they all waved their hands, saying they couldn't cure her.

"Don't think too much." Jiang's mother gently stroked Jiang Nannan's hair. "I'm already very satisfied to have watched you grow up and become excellent Soul Masters. I don't care if I live a few more years."

"..."

Jiang Nannan bit her red lips lightly, her eyes reddening.

"You'll be alright..."

……

After dinner.

Jiang Nannan helped her mother to sleep and then went to the small courtyard.

Seeing her younger brother sitting in the courtyard gazing at the moonlight, her beautiful eyes softened again, and she gently walked over, "What are you thinking about?"

"Sister, I'd like you to help me get into Shrek Academy," Lu Cheng said softly, unsurprised.

“Shrek Academy?” Jiang Nannan’s face stiffened, and she hesitated to speak.

This silly younger brother still hasn't given up on this unrealistic idea.

"The admission requirements for Shrek Academy are: under twelve years old and above level fifteen. These are strict requirements. It won't matter who comes. I'll help you..." Jiang Nannan said cautiously.

"What if I achieve that?"

Lu Cheng smiled.

"what?"

Jiang Nannan was taken aback.

"What if I achieve that?"

Lu Cheng's gaze gradually turned solemn. In his palm, a crimson bow slowly emerged. The surrounding temperature rose as the fiery bow appeared, and a cloud of fire was reflected in Jiang Nannan's eyes, along with a sense of shock.

At the same time, two spirit rings rose from beneath his feet.

"Sis, ten years old and level twenty-three, are you qualified?" Lu Cheng flashed his bright white teeth, his smile shining especially brightly under the dark night sky.

"They're qualified."

Jiang Nannan's eyes twitched, and she quickly walked over, clenched her fair little hand into a fist, and smacked Lu Cheng hard on the head.

With a dangerous glint in his eyes, he said, "So... why did you keep it from me and Mom for so long? It made me worry about hurting your pride, and I didn't dare to show my strength in front of you."

"hiss……"

Lu Cheng covered his head, grimacing as he said, "Because I was afraid you wouldn't believe what I said."

“Why wouldn’t you believe that?” Jiang Nannan’s beautiful eyes widened as she glared fiercely at Lu Cheng.

“I was saying that the Xuanming Sect…” Lu Cheng rubbed his head and continued, “The Xuanming Sect has taken a liking to you and wants to help their second young master, Xu Sanshi, awaken his martial soul so that you can become their second young mistress, or a maid or concubine. That’s why they set up this scheme for our mother.”

"..."

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

A look of surprise and anger flashed in Jiang Nannan's eyes: "Xiao Cheng, such a big thing... you can't just say it carelessly."