Chapter 121 – Eastsea Spirit Pagoda
Chapter 121 – Eastsea Spirit Pagoda
“As such, the academy spent a lot of money this time around!” Xie Xie’s voice was full of awe. “It isn’t easy to buy a spot. Most of the quotas are given to the large and influential clans, so it seems that our academy
actually has some influence. I reckon that if Wei Xiaofeng were to know we could enter the spirit ascension platform to cultivate, his intestines would immediately turn green with regret.”
Zhang Yangzi turned around and glared at Xie Xie. “Why do you say so many useless words?”
Xie Xie let out a cold snort. “You still haven’t submitted? We can fight as much as we want in the spirit ascension platform; you can try it for yourself then.”
Zhang Yangzi’s eyes held a cold twinkle in them. He wanted to continue arguing, but Wang Jinxi held his shoulder and reined him in. When he turned around, he saw Wang Jinxi shaking his head in disapproval.
What’s going on with him? Lately, Zhang Yangzi felt something suspicious was happening as Wang Jinxi had been acting quite restless. He had a vague idea that it was related to the suppression Wang Jinxi experienced at Tang Wulin’s hands, but that had happened such a long time ago… Unless, he
still hadn’t recovered from it?
☀
Eastsea’s Spirit Pagoda was incomparable to the one in Glorybound City. This Spirit Pagoda was one of the eighteen great pagodas, collectively known as the Eighteen Pillars of Heaven.
The towering pagoda was visible from kilometers away. It was at least one hundred stories tall, surpassing a height of 400 meters. Even among a forest of skyscrapers, it was tall enough to become a giant landmark.
Spirit Pagoda’s foundation was in the shape of an octagon and covered a large area. The pagoda then narrowed every ten layers until it reached the peak of the spire.
Even by just admiring it from a distance, one could feel its grandeur.
This pagoda branch already looked quite grand; what would the Spirit Pagoda headquarters look like? How majestic would it be?
Tang Wulin had heard from others that the Spirit Pagoda headquarters was situated in the heart of the continent, inside Shrek City. That was the greatest city in the entire federation! As a comparison, the federation’s headquarters was instead located in Bright City, the second greatest city on the continent.
After a long flight of stairs, the group were greeted by Director Long Hengxu. Clearly, the academy had been prepared for them.
When Long Hengxu saw Wu Zhangkong leading the students up the stairs, he quickly walked over and greeted, “Teacher Wu.”
“Director Long,” Wu Zhangkong bluntly called out, his face as wooden as usual.
Long Hengxu said, “Follow me.”
After entering the pagoda’s first floor, they were met with a dazzling sight of the interior. Dark gold stone tiled the floors, creating a beautiful granular pattern. Several obelisks stood tall in the center of the space, propping up a dome over ten meters in diameter. The most shocking thing, however, was
that the dome being held up by those obelisks had a magnificent and colorful mural on it.
The mural was resplendent, the scenery painted on the mural seemingly recounting its characters’ tales.
Wu Zhangkong explained, “This mural portrays the tale of the Spirit Pagoda’s founder, a legendary Soul Master and inventor of spirit souls. It tells of how the Spirit Ice Douluo guided humanity’s Soul Masters in resisting a tide of soul beasts. This is merely a part of the complete mural, that mural having eighteen parts in total.
“The mural within the headquarters depicts the Spirit Ice Douluo battling the strongest Soul Beast God, Di Tian. The Spirit Ice Douluo disappeared after that epic battle, never to be seen since. Yet, it is rumored that he was
victorious, for the Soul Beast God, the Golden-eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian, hasn’t appeared since.”
Although he was only listening to Wu Zhangkong’s narration of the tale,
Tang Wulin’s heart was filled with awe. He could feel the impressiveness of the scene that the mural depicted. Within the soul beast tide, one giant soul beast after another advanced toward the walls of a great city, creating an
atmosphere of extreme terror.
Floating above the city was a person with shining eyes. Surrounding him
were several floating figures. One of them was a beautiful woman in white, another a woman dressed in green. Upon his shoulder was an existence that looked like an ice crystal, a gigantic bear, and an enormous white worm.
Brilliant soul rings revolved around his body. That’s the Spirit Ice Douluo!
Tang Wulin had heard the legend of the Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao in his childhood. He was the bastard child of the White Tiger Duke of Star Luo Empire, so his name was actually Dai Yuhao.
He was a genius from ten thousand years ago. Despite being an ordinary child, he entered the legendary Shrek Academy and, taking one step at a
time, walked the path toward becoming a peak expert, resulting in might that caused the entire continent to tremble. Rumours had it that he had broken through the boundaries of humanity and left for the Divine Realm.
The origin of this rumour was due to the fact that his wife had disappeared soon after he did.
Tang Wulin gazed intently at the Spirit Ice Douluo when the brilliant figure beside the Spirit Ice Douluo caught his eye.
A beautiful woman with a pair of gigantic, radiant butterfly wings floated beside the Spirit Ice Douluo. Despite the numerous companions beside the Spirit Ice Douluo, everyone’s attention would be drawn to this couple.
“Dragon Butterfly Douluo Tang Wutong, wife of Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao. Look, Wulin, isn’t the Spirit Ice Douluo’s wife beautiful!?
Apparently, she was also extremely powerful and possessed a formidable soul fusion skill with the Spirit Ice Douluo. Combined, they transformed
into a supreme existence. In that era, that was the peak!” Xie Xie said as he admired the mural.
“Tang Wutong; it’s so similar to your name, Wulin,” Gu Yue exclaimed in astonishment. “Also, did you notice that Wulin looks rather similar to Tang Wutong? Especially their eyes.”
“No way. The Dragon Butterfly Douluo’s hair and eyes are light blue, while Wulin’s are black. How do they look alike?” Xie Xie said dismissively.
An odd feeling grew within Tang Wulin’s heart as he listened to his two friends converse. There really was a feeling of intimacy in his heart
whenever he looked at the Dragon Butterfly Douluo.
He shook his head in self-mockery. How can I compare myself to the Dragon Butterfly Douluo? I only feel like this because we have similar names, that’s all.
“Alright, let’s go.” Long Hengxu’s voice roused the five students. He
smiled and continued, “I was just like you guys when I first came to one of
the Eighteen Pillars of Heaven. I got used to it after a few more visits though. In any case, every single one of the Eighteen Pillars of Heaven has a mural worthy of admiration.”
Wu Zhangkong said, “Restrain yourselves until you enter the spirit
ascension platform. You’ll only have yourselves to rely on once you enter.” Surprised, Tang Wulin asked, “You’re not entering with us?”
Wu Zhangkong explained, “Only Soul Masters with four rings or less can enter the elementary spirit ascension platform.”
Long Hengxu nodded. “But you can rest assured, we will be watching all of you carefully from the outside. If you encounter a dangerous situation, it
will be your duty to take the initiative to withdraw. We’ll give you the full explanation in a bit.”
With Long Hengxu and Wu Zhangkong in the lead, everyone entered the elevator. Contrary to their expectations, they began to descend instead of ascend.
A faint feeling of weightlessness told them that they were penetrating deep underground. As for how deep, it was impossible to tell.
The Spirit Pagoda was indeed worthy of being called the number one organization on the continent; they possessed both the strongest power, as well as the greatest resources. The amount they spent on engineering such a thing was simply astronomical.
This elevator had no numbers displayed to indicate the time or level, but at least three minutes passed before it gradually came to a stop.
Everyone exited the elevator and entered an expansive hall where 19 staff members were present. Behind them were countless metal passages
Long Hengxu took out a peculiar card and handed it over to one of the staff members. The staff member didn’t utter a single word, simply gesturing for them to follow.
Ten meters down the corridor, they entered another elevator and continued their descent. This time they stopped after 19 seconds, finding themselves in a circular room upon exit.
This room was still made entirely out of metal, but hanging on the wall was a giant soul screen. An image of a green world flickered on the screen. It
seemed to be a jungle.
The staff member turned around and began to speak. “There are five quotas open for entry to the spirit ascension platform. When you can no longer bear the danger, press the emergency distress button and you will immediately return here. Pay attention to what I say next.”
Chapter 122 – Entering
Chapter 122 – Entering
“The spirit ascension platform is the fruit of a millennium years of our Spirit Pagoda’s efforts and knowledge. We had invested an enormous
amount of resources and used our spatial technology to create a different world, therefore, the first thing you need to note is that the spirit ascension
platform is a virtual world. To be precise, it is half virtual and half real. This is because a lot of the virtual data relies on your input. However, it can be
considered purely virtual within the elementary spirit ascension platform, so there is no need to fear for your lives.”
“You can do anything you want in the spirit ascension platform, but your main objective will be to survive. Do your best to survive as long as you can. The longer you survive, the greater the benefits you will reap.”
“Secondly, don’t believe that it is completely safe in there. Although your life will not be in danger as only your brain waves are active in there, in
some extreme circumstances, there is a possibility that your brain waves will be damaged and cause danger to your corporeal body. As such, the moment you face danger beyond your power to deal with, press the
emergency exit button; and you will immediately exit the spirit ascension platform. Understood?”
“Understood.” The five students responded quickly.
The staff member nodded. “As for the rest, you will learn them after
experiencing it inside. Today is the first time you will be inside, so you probably won’t survive too long, but it should leave a deep impression on you. Prepare yourselves mentally and remember this: don’t panic if you run
into a dangerous situation. Soul beasts aren’t that scary if you know how to react properly.”
The five children were filled with anticipation after listening to the staff member’s explanations. Tang Wulin and Gu Yue were especially excited since this was their first time learning about the spirit ascension platform.
They would enter with their brain waves? Just how would that feel?
With a press of a button, five metal boxes came out of the wall. These boxes were laid horizontally, each with a person sized-hollow within it, which made them slightly resemble a coffin.
“Lay down inside.”
The five of them followed the staff member’s instructions and laid down in the metal boxes. The boxes were so cold that it snapped their minds into focus.
The interior was lined with electrodes, which quickly began to stick to their body snuggly.
“We’re going to start now. Prepare yourselves. Relax your bodies and wait for the scan to begin. You may feel some discomfort during the scan, but just bear with it for a moment.”
That was the last piece of instruction the five students received from the
staff member before the five metal boxes had slowly slid back into the wall. They were enveloped in darkness.
A sudden numbness encompassed Tang Wulin’s body and agitated his
excited soul power and blood; it was as if something was tunneling through his body. His body became paralyzed as the numbness grew stronger.
This sort of pain was nothing to Tang Wulin compared to the pain of breaking his seal; in fact, this feeling made him drowsy.
A while later, his body suddenly started trembling, rousing him from his drowsiness. To his surprise, he now stood in a brightly lit place.
The numbness had disappeared along with the metal box, replaced by a metal device that had a big red button. It was attached to the back of his hand.
Is this the emergency exit button? Where is this?
Tang Wulin already had an initial impression of what the spirit ascension platform would be like from Xie Xie’s explanation, but now that he had actually entered, he was utterly shocked. Only now could he understand how much the Spirit Pagoda had poured into their research.
He was surrounded by gigantic trees and large thickets of shrubbery. There wasn’t a single path in sight. It felt like he had entered an ancient forest.
However, what was most astonishing to him was how realistic this place felt. He lightly pinched his own cheeks in disbelief, before examining his surroundings, touching everything, and finally, confirming that it was real.
Heavens! This spirit ascension platform is just too magical!
His heart overflowed with awe. Such a place was simply too magical for him to fathom.
Only after a few moments of admiration was Tang Wulin finally able to calm himself down. In the first place, he was already far calmer than his
peers. After all, his many years of blacksmithing hadn’t been for nothing.
He looked down at his hands, confirming that his bracelets and rings were still there. With this, he concluded that everything on him had been brought
over to this world. Next, he roused his bloodline power, and was relieved to see the golden scales appear.
Everything is the exact same as in reality.
Tang Wulin was not the type of person to make rash decisions, so having heard that the spirit ascension platform wasn’t completely safe, he
concluded that it was probably dangerous instead. It was possible to
encounter an enemy at any moment, just like Wu Zhangkong had mentioned during combat training.
With this being the case, the only thing he could do now was to always be on guard, and to survive for as long as possible.
Now that Tang Wulin had a clear objective in mind, he silently crouched down and surveyed his surroundings. His spiritual power had already reached the Spirit Connection realm, so it was far more sensitive to changes in the external world.
The first thing he felt was the breath of life that permeated the forest. Only this could be considered an authentic ancient forest! Where could one even find such a forest in the modern day federation? The majority of ancient forests had already been cut down by humanity. In fact, it was said that the continent’s greatest forest, Great Star Dou Forest, was only a husk of its former self, left with a meagre one percent of its original area.
So ancient forests are actually so beautiful… The air is so refreshing. Ah, it feels so wonderful here.
Tang Wulin’s eyes were twinkling with excitement as he fully absorbed this wondrous feeling. He felt as if he was back in Glorybound City, in the little park beside his home.
His cultivation speed had always been faster when he had meditated among the Bluesilver Grass in the park back then, and it was also there that he had broken through to rank 10, becoming a true Soul Master.
And now, he was surrounded by a breath of life that was several times
stronger than the one in the little park back home. In fact, there was actually Bluesilver Grass hiding below the shrubbery! The Bluesilver Grass here, however, had flourished much better than the ones he had seen back home. It was extremely difficult for Bluesilver Grass to grow past 15 centimeters in height, yet the grass here had grown well over 30 centimeters in height, reaching up to his calves.
Sitting down from his squat, he gently ran his fingers through the Bluesilver Grass around him. At the same time, he subconsciously released his martial soul. A strand of Bluesilver Grass had quietly appeared among the
surrounding thicket.
The aura of life he sensed grew stronger in an instant, as if all the plants in his surroundings were joyously cheering. Tang Wulin immersed himself in this quiet forest that was brimming with life, feeling everything within.
……
The fifth region of the Spirit Pagoda’s elementary spirit ascension platform.
“What is he doing?” Long Hengxu was pointing at a screen that was displaying Tang Wulin sitting down with his eyes closed. He was leaning against a tree with his mouth slightly curved, a pleasurable smile gracing his face.
No matter how he looked at it, Long Hengxu felt that this child was taking a nap! Tang Wulin had such a wonderful opportunity to enter the spirit
ascension platform, yet, he was taking a nap?
Wu Zhangkong said, “He seems to be contemplating something. Don’t forget, his martial soul is the Bluesilver Grass, and it’s rare to find such lush Bluesilver Grass in the real world. Look, he seems to have comprehended
something; he has already released his martial soul.”
Long Hengxu finally realized what Tang Wulin was doing. “That’s right, this simulation of the Great Star Dou Forest is really suitable for plant-type Soul Masters to cultivate in. It seems that this child’s perception is quite good after all.”
Wu Zhangkong nodded in approval.
Within the class of five, Tang Wulin was not the most talented student. He didn’t have Xie Xie’s twin martial souls or Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi’s soul fusion skill. He didn’t even have Gu Yue’s skillful control. Yet, despite all of this, Wu Zhangkong paid special attention to this child.
Chapter 123 – Zhang Yangzi’s Bad Luck
Chapter 123 – Zhang Yangzi’s Bad Luck
Wu Zhangkong felt that there was something special about Tang Wulin, as if he was a block of unpolished jade. Although Tang Wulin’s cultivation
speed didn’t seem particularly fast, Wu Zhangkong knew that Tang Wulin’s rate of improvement was actually the fastest out of his five students.
Originally, there was an enormous gap between him and the others when he had first entered the academy, but in the last few months, he had drastically changed and now stood on equal footing with his peers. The most crucial
aspects to his success were his tenacious personality, remarkable perception and high spiritual power. If his bloodline power also continued to grow, then perhaps he would be the most outstanding among the five students in the future.
☀
After landing with a jolt, Zhang Yangzi steadied himself and took in his surroundings with eyes full of amazement.
This, this is a forest?
Zhang Yangzi found himself in a vibrant forest filled with the lively
cacophony of insects and songbirds. The overwhelming vitality of the forest went against his dark-attribute martial soul, making him feel uncomfortable and discordant.
After the initial shock, however, he was astounded to discover that the forest’s aura had caused his soul power to circulate more quickly.
I need to prepare myself to fight at any moment.
Without the slightest hesitation, he released his martial soul; a pair of black wings unfurled from his back.
His martial soul was the powerful Shadow Phantasm Eagle, so his soul fusion skill with Wang Jinxi was called the Shadow Eagle Dragon.
Unfortunately, their cultivation was still too shallow and their soul fusion skill incomplete, allowing Tang Wulin to defeat them so quickly at the
Class Promotion Tournament.
That was right, Zhang Yangzi was still unconvinced. He refused to believe he was weaker than Tang Wulin, and the only reason he had lost during the tournament was because he had been unable to display his full power. He truly was bitter about it.
Hmph! You three better not let me find you.
With a flap of his wings, he shot up, just high enough to begin rapidly
climbing a tree. He figured the best course of action for now was to secure a high vantage point and survey his surroundings.
It would be best if he could reunite with Wang Jinxi. With their powers combined, they would mutually augment the other’s strengths.
After transforming his hands into eagle claws, he quickly climbed to the top of the tree. At a height of about ten meters off the ground, his view of the
surroundings drastically increased.
The tree he had chosen was the tallest one in the area, allowing him to view an astonishing scene.
It was an ocean of green as far as the eye could see. There was simply no end to it. With clear skies and boundless greenery, the giant treetops gave
him a feeling of indescribable, vibrant vitality. It was as if this world was simply an endless spring of life.
This really is so lifelike!
He had heard about the spirit ascension platform previously too, but despite his family having the means to send him, he hadn’t been able to enter due to his insufficient strength and young age.
“Huh, what’s that?” Zhang Yangzi gazed at the vast sky.
A large, green bird was soaring high in the skies, but with a flap of its wings, it suddenly veered and headed straight for him.
Such a pretty bird! Zhang Yangzi was moved, but at the same time,
arrogance appeared within his heart. I already have a chance to engage in real combat so early on. Let’s see just how strong the soul beasts are in here.
Two soul rings appeared underfoot while his spirit soul, the Dark Devil Eagle, appeared on his shoulder. Zhang Yangzi pushed off the tree trunk
and used the rebound to spring into the sky. He spread his wings while his second soul ring started to shine.
Second soul skill, Eagle Soars the Sky.
From the very beginning, he had already unleashed his most powerful soul skill. He hadn’t had a chance to use this soul skill during the Class Promotion Tournament as he needed to coordinate with Wang Jinxi and their team. Having lost without being able to display all of his abilities, only the heavens knew how sullen his heart was.
Now that he was in the spirit ascension platform, the first thing he wanted to do now was to vent his frustrations.
His body shone with a brilliant, black radiance, his figure becoming illusory. As the Dark Devil Eagle fused into his body, his wings enlarged
and his speed suddenly tripled. A powerful aura burst from his body, and like a black arrow, he pierced toward the large, green bird.
An eagle’s cry resounded through the sky.
Eagle Soars the Sky increased both his speed and power, combining to
create a powerful attack. Zhang Yangzi had always believed that this attack- type skill was unequalled among his peers. After all, a single use of this
skill consumed over fifty percent of his soul power.
His evaluation of his skill had greatly diminished, however, after
encountering Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw. The tyrannical might of the Golden Dragon Claw was simply too terrifying for him to face.
Furthermore, his skill was a close-combat type, which increased the risk of injury.
The gap between him and the bird rapidly closed before his eyes.
The large, green bird was also frightened by how quickly Zhang Yangzi had reached it. It spread its wings once more and flapped them, shooting out
several green wind blades at Zhang Yangzi.
As the wind blades shot toward Zhang Yangzi, the bird issued a sharp screech, like it was flaunting its power.
Bang! Although the wind blades were smashed apart in the collision of black and green, they had succeeded in stopping Zhang Yangzi’s momentum, forcing him to spread his wings.
This is bad! Zhang Yangzi cried out within his heart. He still wasn’t strong enough to fly with only his wings. He depended on Eagle Soars the Sky to stay aloft for a period of time. When he smashed apart his opponent’s
attacks, it had forced him to halt and start falling.
He quickly glided down with his wings spread. He really was clever. From the bird’s five-meter wingspan, he had deduced that, the bird wouldn’t be able to pursue him any further if he took shelter in the forest.
However, his expression turned ghastly in the next moment.
One green figure after another appeared from the treetops. Wind blades shot at him from all directions from a multitude of large, green birds.
How did things turn out like this? This was the only thought running through Zhang Yangzi’s mind as he pressed the emergency exit button.
Only at that moment did he finally understand the profound look the Spirit Pagoda staff member had given them before they had entered.
Darkness covered his eyes while his surroundings became tranquil. All of the attacks that had been flying toward him disappeared. He felt his body cooling down as light poured into the box.
“Get up.” Long Hengxu spoke without a single trace of happiness.
It was only after he sat up that Zhang Yangzi snapped out of his stupor and realized he was back in the Spirit Pagoda.
The screens in the room switched scenes at that moment, letting Zhang Yangzi know that he was actually the first one out. Upon realization, his
face immediately blushed. He embarrassedly crawled out of the metal box.
Wu Zhangkong remained silent, simply pointing at the chair beside him for Zhang Yangzi to take a seat.
Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Yangzi calmed himself. He was still a bit dazed, a side effect of entering the spirit ascension platform, but he could clearly remember everything that had happened in there.
His gaze suddenly changed when he noticed the flock of green birds soaring in the sky on one of the screens. They seemed to be searching for
something. Isn’t that where I was just now?
There were no less than one hundred birds on screen, covering the clouds and the sun. Their bright cries resonated throughout the skies, bringing more green birds to join their flock.
He swallowed a gulp of saliva when he realized that the flock of birds were actually searching for him! If it had been the real world, he would have
already been dead even if there had been ten of him.
Long Hengxu only spared him a glance before continuing to watch the
events occurring on the screens. Wu Zhangkong didn’t give him any words of criticism either.
True combat experience was best gained when experienced for themselves.
Zhang Yangzi began to ponder over his mistakes. His eyes displayed strong excitement. Apart from being embarrassed, he found that he really enjoyed entering the spirit ascension platform. It was extremely realistic inside, and he was determined to survive even longer next time.
Chapter 124 – Xie Xie’s
Adventures in the Spirit Ascension Platform
Chapter 124 – Xie Xie’s Adventures in the Spirit Ascension Platform
Xie Xie was quietly and cautiously traversing through the forest, shifting from the shadows of one tree to another. Compared to Zhang Yangzi, he was far more vigilant. This was because he had heard countless stories of the spirit ascension platform’s forest when he was a child. He knew that
danger lurked everywhere in this forest. If he wasn’t careful, then he would quickly turn into one of the many corpses that littered the ground.
However, danger also meant opportunity. If he was able to kill a few soul beasts, then his spirit soul would gain some strength in the real world.
His spirit soul was actually a metal spirit soul that had been specially manufactured by the Spirit Pagoda. When he had fused it with his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger, a mutation had occurred. Of course, this mutation was nowhere near as large as the one Goldlight had experienced after fusing with Tang Wulin. Xie Xie’s metal spirit soul had received a small mutation. As long as he had enough spiritual power, he
could absorb two spirit souls and fuse them together as one.
At that time, this was the only hundred year spirit soul, so his family had to pay the equivalent of a thousand year spirit soul for this hundred year spirit soul. Thus, his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger both benefited from this spirit soul fusion. And like his first two soul skills, he
also kept this hidden.
In a certain sense, Xie Xie’s twin martial souls were actually a bit weaker than true twin martial souls. This was because the Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger were originated from the same place and had very little differences between them. As a result, they did not complement one
another, and their powers were only additive instead of multiplicative. The most crucial difference, however, was the fact that Xie Xie needed to obtain soul rings for both of his martial souls whenever he hit a bottleneck preventing him from reaching the next rank. This was completely different from true twin martial souls where only one of them needed a soul ring to
continue advancing; the other one could be saved to upgrade in the future. Naturally, no one else apart from him and his family knew this secret.
Xie Xie’s first spirit soul was extremely compatible with him, but he knew that it would be impossible to find a spirit soul as compatible as his current one in the future. Despite his twin martial souls giving him an advantage in the early stages of cultivation, due to his average spiritual power, his growth would be restricted unless he had enough spiritual power to support spirit
souls for both of his dragon daggers.
The spirit ascension platform was one solution to his problems. The first thing he had to do was upgrade his metal spirit soul. If it reached the purple thousand year level, then it would be able to provide him an additional soul ring. If it reached the black ten thousand year level, then there would be
another one on top of that.
The fewer spirit souls a Soul Master absorbed, the less spiritual power they would need to sustain them. Moreover, if his spirit soul was upgraded, then the soul skills it provided would be upgraded too. This was simply the best method to increase one’s strength.
For this reason, Xie Xie’s anticipation for the spirit ascension platform had also been the highest among the five students.
Even after exploring the forest for a while, Xie Xie had yet to encounter a single soul beast. His steps were light and his breathing weak as he
carefully surveyed his surroundings, just waiting for a soul beast to appear at any moment.
It would be best if a lone soul beast appeared. Even if he could only kill one, his spirit soul would still receive some benefits.
Xie Xie’s eyes twinkled with nervousness and excitement. “Huh?” A strange feeling suddenly washed over his body. He dived forward without the slightest hesitation.
Several dozen lights flew over him, just narrowly missing his head. He stood up with a powerful twist of his body.
This attack…
He was horrified to see dozens of pairs of twinkling scarlet eyes open up on the trees. The attacks had been from them.
Plant-type soul beast, Scarlet Demon Tree. This is bad. These trees appear in large groups!
Compared to Zhang Yangzi, Xie Xie was far more knowledgeable about
soul beasts. At the very least, he wasn’t one to recklessly attack a soul beast he couldn’t identify.
He didn’t have any intention on fighting them. Instead, he rolled to the side and dashed away from them.
Sure enough, the Scarlet Demon Trees shot out rays of light at him just after he moved. Had he been any slower, he would have been turned into a pincushion and died.
So close, so close!
Xie Xie was panting.
“Zizi!” A screech was heard just before a yellow shadow shot straight at Xie Xie.
Xie Xie hastily stopped and slashed out a Light Dragon Blade at his charging opponent while veering off in another direction to escape.
That whip-like yellow shadow twisted in the air and easily avoided the Light Dragon Blade. A gigantic mouse taller than a man dug up from the ground. That yellow shadow was actually its tail. It swung its tail like a javelin piercing toward Xie Xie’s chest.
It was a Longtail Mouse over two meters tall. This was a hundred year Longtail Mouse!
Rather than fear, Xie Xie was filled with joy at the sight of this mouse. He knew that this was a powerful loner-type soul beast that usually preyed on insects, but wasn’t a great carnivore. It could launch shrewd attacks with its fickle tail, and was also equipped with a mouth full of steel-like teeth that
could chew through uncommon metals.
Xie Xie kicked off a tree, suddenly shooting up into the air. He released a Light Dragon Blade at the Longtail Mouse while his left hand waved
slightly in a seamless manner.
The Longtail Mouse swayed a little as it thrusted it’s tail at the Light Dragon Blade. A ray of light flashed on the tip of its tail.
The Light Dragon Blade was split in half, sweeping right past the Longtail Mouse. The mouse was actually surprisingly fast and its leap exceptionally powerful as it quickly caught up to Xie Xie.
Right at that moment, the Longtail Mouse suddenly shrieked in pain. A bloody line burst from its body and its body was splattered.
How could Xie Xie let go of such a good opportunity? He exploded off of a tree trunk and into the air, spinning his body at the same time. With his Light Dragon Dagger as the starting point, he dropped onto the Longtail
Mouse like a drill.
The Longtail Mouse’s body was swallowed by the Light Dragon Storm and turned into a splatter of blood in the blink of an eye.
Xie Xie and the Longtail Mouse’s body landed on the ground at the same time. A ball of light emerged from the hundred year Longtail Mouse’s body and moved to merge with Xie Xie. Xie Xie flicked his Light Dragon Dagger happily, but he knew that he couldn’t stay in the area for long, so he quickly ran off in a random direction.
In this forest of soul beasts, the smell of blood was the easiest way to attract other soul beasts, especially carnivorous soul beasts.
Naturally, he had only been able to kill the Longtail Mouse so quickly because he could launch a sneak attack with his Shadow Dragon Dagger.
His second attack with his Light Dragon Blade had actually been used to mask the Shadow Dragon Blade that had been quietly heading toward the mouse. It had been surprisingly effective, and with his Light Dragon Storm prepared beforehand, he had been able to eliminate his opponent in one go.
Bang, bang, bang! Before Xie Xie even had the chance to run too far, muffled booms resounded from the earth.
Xie Xie was dumbstruck. That sound… Why does it sound so terrifying.
☀
On top of a giant tree, Wang Jinxi was gasping for breath as his enlarged body began to return to normal.
He had just fought a fierce battle; he had met a pack of ten year Wind Wolves earlier. Although they weren’t strong, they were fast and numerous.
There had been over twenty wolves in the pack. If he didn’t have the great strength and sturdy defenses of his transformation, then he likely wouldn’t have made it out of the encounter in one piece.
Unfortunately, his spirit soul didn’t benefit much from the slaughter as the wolves were only ten year soul beasts. HIs spirit soul was a bone spirit
similar to Xie Xie’s metal spirit soul in that it had also been fused directly into his martial soul.
He only had about forty percent of his soul power left, while his physical strength was exhausted. For now, he had to rest and recover.
What he wasn’t aware of, however, was that a large figure was slowly descending toward him.
Why does it seem a bit darker now? A peculiar feeling had crept into the back of Wang Jinxi’s mind. He subconsciously raised his head to look at the sky but was shocked to find a person’s face rapidly descending toward him.
It was a beautiful woman’s face. when she opened her mouth, though, a rows of sinister fangs were exposed. But what was even more terrifying to Wang Jinxi was the fact that this woman’s face was actually on the stomach of a giant spider!
Chapter 125 – Hundred Year
Demon Spider and Thousand Year Soul Beast
Chapter 125 – Hundred Year Demon Spider and Thousand Year Soul Beast
A Man-Faced Demon Spider. This was the soul beast hunting Man-Faced Demon Spider! It was considered a powerful top-tier soul beast. Even at the
hundred year level, it could contend with thousand year soul beasts on equal footing.
Wang Jinxi threw himself away from it without the slightest hesitation.
Even if he’d been in good condition, it was impossible for him to win
against such a powerful opponent. With his weakened strength and spent soul power, his only choice was to flee for his life.
Pu!
Wang Jinxi’s whole body tensed as he felt something coiling around his body. Despite his enormous strength, he was unable to break free.
Even if he wanted to, it was now impossible for him to press the emergency exit button.
A ‘xixisuosuo’ sound emerged from the cold forest. In the next moment, Wang Jinxi felt a sharp pain before his body turned numb and cold from the inside out.
☀
The Spirit Pagoda staff member urgently ordered, “Prepare for emergency treatment.”
Wang Jinxi’s body was shivering when the metal box slid out. The affliction didn’t stop even after the electrodes were pulled off him.
A dozen staff members dressed in white rushed over to him in a flash. One of them took out a needle and stabbed it into Wang Jinxi’s neck, delivering its contents into his bloodstream.
“Is it that Man-Faced Demon Spider again?”
“Yes! That thing is so violent. It didn’t even give this child a chance to press the button. Ah, this child’s luck is truly terrible.”
Wu Zhangkong and Long Hengxu calmly watched on as the white-clothed people busily moved to do their work.
After no less than ten minutes, the leader of the white-clothed group heaved a sigh of relief. “Not bad. This child’s willpower is very strong and he
shouldn’t have any problems now. Just let him rest for a while and he’ll wake up.”
Finished with his explanation, the man left with the rest of the people in white. The scene returned to normal, as if nothing had even happened.
Zhang Yangzi had been flabbergasted since the moment the people in white came in. Wha, what’s going on?
“Teacher Wu, Director Long, is Jinxi okay? Isn’t the spirit ascension platform a virtual place? How did he end up like this…” Zhang Yangzi’s words trailed off as he glanced at Wang Jinxi’s pale face, his previous
excitement now replaced by fear.
The staff member said, “I have already told you; although the spirit
ascension platform is virtual, it still contains a degree of reality. Everything you sense inside of there would be just as if you were feeling it in reality.
So if you’re harmed inside, then you will still feel all of the pain. For
example, if you had been sliced into a corpse by the wind blades of those big green birds, then you would also feel the exact same sensations as a corpse. The sensations would be exceedingly real and would attack your mind.
“Simply said, if someone witnesses their wrist being slit, then they will also feel the gushing of their blood, the sound of it dripping down. Even when the wound closes and they stop bleeding, they will still sense the blood dripping, so their brain will think they’re already dead. After this thought
appears in their brain, they will truly begin to die.
“The spirit ascension platform has this problem, especially so for first- timers like you. Fortunately, the effects will gradually decrease as your
spiritual power increases. By the time you can ignore the effects though, I don’t think you’ll be able to enter the elementary spirit ascension platform anymore and will have to enter the intermediate ascension platform instead. The sensations in the intermediate ascension platform are even more different. Hehe, the intermediate ascension platform…”
Zhang Yangzi’s expression took a turn for the worse at these words. He was truly afraid now. This spirit ascension platform could actually result in a true death!
☀
Gu Yue was wandering about the forest in a daze. The lush forest, the clean air, it reminded her of something she had seen a lifetime ago.
So beautiful. I really like this feeling!
The fact that the Spirit Pagoda had created the spirit ascension platform could be considered nothing short of a miracle.
She continued to head deeper into the depths of the forest. During her travels, she had encountered several soul beasts, but fortunately, they had been weak and easy to deal with. Each time she killed a soul beast, a faint light would radiate from her body.
Her eyes grew wider and wider every time she felt this light.
Amongst the five students, she and Tang Wulin had the least knowledge about the spirit ascension platform.
As she was walking, a bush rustled, then a tall figure suddenly jumped out in front of Gu Yue.
It was a giant bear over three meters tall and covered in light brown fur. This bear had a pair of large claws and glistening yellow eyes.
The beast released a thunderous roar when it saw Gu Yue, then charged toward her.
☀
“Thousand year, a thousand year soul beast appeared. Do you want to warn her?” A staff member looked toward Wu Zhangkong with a questioning gaze.
“Just watch for now.” Wu Zhangkong’s eyes were fixed on the screen.
It was a rarely seen thousand year Crystal Bear. Even in ancient times it would be exceedingly rare.
This thousand year Crystal Bear was a mutated from the same species as the Fear Claw Bear. Only, its mutation made it far weaker than the Fear Claw
Bear.
Although it was weaker than the Fear Claw Bear, the Crystal Bear did possess a special ability. Every single one of its attacks would cause its opponent’s body to crystallize by a fraction, stacking until its opponent eventually shatters from its subsequent attack.
Only with strong soul power and a quick removal of the crystallized areas would one be able to avoid massive losses from a Crystal Bear.
The Crystal Bear also had a weakness; it lacked ranged combat abilities.
Even without two soul rings, Gu Yue was considered the strongest among the five classmates due to her incredible control over the elements.
Furthermore, with her control over the spatial element even Xie Xie’s attacks could be evaded.
The greater the pressure, the greater the growth of a Soul Master. Wu Zhangkong firmly believed in this. He wanted to see just how his only female student would react in the face of a powerful thousand year Crystal Bear.
Just as anticipation filled Wu Zhangkong, the Crystal Bear launched its attack.
☀
Gu Yue wasn’t flustered at all. A single yellow soul ring rose from beneath her feet while her aura strengthened.
First soul skill, Elemental Tide.
Gu Yue’s body grew light as a green glow flashed out. Then, with a flash of silver light, she disappeared from her current position and teleported to
another.
The Crystal Bear’s charge met nothing but air. Unable to stop itself, it ran headfirst into a large tree.
With her back to the thousand year Crystal Bear, Gu Yue ran away. Clearly, she had no intention of fighting the thousand year Crystal Bear. She waved her hands behind her, releasing a tornado. This tornado definitely wasn’t meant to harm the Crystal Bear; after all, its defenses were too stout to be
affected by some wind.
However, this wind was sufficient to stir the leaves on the trees. A gale of leaves fluttered about, obscuring the Crystal Bear’s line of sight. Gu Yue seized this chance to teleport once more, changing her direction then bolting.
☀
“Beautiful. Her response was clever, fast as well,” praised Long Hengxu.
Wu Zhangkong gave a slight nod. He was pleased with Gu Yue’s steadiness in the face of such a terrifying opponent. She’d judged her opponent’s
strength at the very beginning and compared it to her own before quickly choosing how to react. In the end, she’d chosen to flee. Although fleeing was easy, the difficult part was in making such a choice in an instant. This just showed how calm and intelligent Gu Yue was.
He turned to look at another screen, one which had three dots on it. These three dots meant that there were only three people remaining in the spirit ascension platform.
Gu Yue was actually running in Tang Wulin’s direction at that moment. “Yi!” Wu Zhangkong let out a light sound of surprise at this discovery.
☀
Two loud booms put Xie Xie on alert. The origin these booms was fairly close and he could tell it was getting nearer to him.
One had to be truly confident in themself if they were willing to cause such a ruckus within this soul beast forest. Xie Xie didn’t dare to ignore it, so he climbed up a tree with lightning speed before hiding his presence, waiting calmly.
This time, staying still was a better option than escaping for Xie Xie. After all, he’d consumed quite a bit of soul power when he killed that Longtail Mouse.
A giant figure charged madly out of the thickets not too far from him. Xie Xie was startled by its appearance because it was actually running toward him!
The beast stood on two feet and reached a height of over four meters. Its
entire body was covered in metallic scales while a single horn grew from its head. It was actually an extremely ferocious Horned Dragon!
Chapter 126 – The Golden Dragon Claw’s Might
Chapter 126 – The Golden Dragon Claw’s Might
Xie Xie’s mouth felt a bit dry after seeing such a ferocious soul beast. He had seen all the soul beasts he had encountered today in books before.
He had an excellent memory and could clearly remember this two-legged Horned Dragon. It was a dragon-type soul beast of the land dragon variety. It possessed tremendous physical strength and was considered among the top ranks of land dragons. Even in the complexity of this forest, it was able to maneuver around at lightning speed with its leaping ability and jerky motions. Although it lacked any ranged attack abilities, it possessed an unstoppable temperament. As long as it had a prey in its sights, it would go to the ends of the earth to kill it.
Just what kind of luck was this to run into a hundred year Horned Dragon? In the past, Agility System Soul Masters feared this type of soul beast the most. Not only was it quick, its attack, defensive power, and endurance
were all amazing.
Xie Xie had only just recently obtained his second ring. Even at his peak, his efforts would have been meaningless when faced with such an overbearing opponent, much less to say his current condition. Why is this bastard heading straight for me?
Bang! Just as Xie Xie was feeling panicked, the Horned Dragon had reached him and charged headfirst into the tree Xie Xie was hiding in without the slightest hesitation.
A boom resonated throughout the forest as the tree, thicker than two people’s arms wrapped around it, snapped. Xie Xie hurriedly jumped to another large tree. A doubt arose within him. This guy’s front arms seem weak. It shouldn’t be able to climb up here right?
Hope was a beautiful thing, but reality was cruel. After breaking the first tree, the Horned Dragon immediately turned and charged at the tree Xie Xie had found refuge in once again. This time however, it didn’t run into it headfirst; rather, it jumped. It jumped all the way up to Xie Xie, its gaping maws closing toward him.
A golden blade of light landed on the Horned Dragon’s armor of scales, leaving behind a mere centimeter deep white scar. Xie Xie understood now that he was helpless against this beast, so he could only jump to another tree.
The Horned Dragon was both large and agile. By pushing off of a tree trunk with its powerful legs, it was actually able to continue chasing Xie Xie up in the trees. It was extremely fast and didn’t lose a single inch to Xie Xie.
It truly was worthy of being called the nemesis of Agility System Soul Masters!
Xie Xie did not dare to face it in a direct confrontation as he knew that even with his Light Dragon Storm, he would simply be throwing his life away.
This Horned Dragon’s scales was as sturdy as an Armored Dragon, but it was also exceptionally nimble!
He was escaping at full speed, yet the Horned Dragon was actually slowly gaining on him! Meanwhile, Xie Xie’s soul power and stamina was being depleted; he could only run for so long…
Is my only choice left to press the emergency exit button? Xie Xie’s heart was smoldering with his unwillingness; after all, this was his first time in the spirit ascension platform! How could he just let it end in such an unsatisfying way?
“Hou!” The hundred year Horned Dragon’s ear-splitting roar caused Xie Xie to slow down a step as a gale assaulted him from behind.
Xie Xie closed his eyes and moved to slap the button. He didn’t want to relieve the sensation of having his bones broken again.
Right at that moment, he felt something tug at his waist, pulling him to the side. The Horned Dragon crashed into another tree, its attack missing
completely.
Xie Xie secretly rejoiced within his heart; he was familiar with this feeling of being pulled. He stopped himself from pressing the button.
The Horned Dragon was truly stubborn in its pursuit. However, just as it turned to continue chasing Xie Xie, a silver light flew past Xie Xie and whizzed toward the dragon.
“Get lost!”
After that shout, the Horned Dragon’s movements suddenly turned sluggish under the owner of the voice’s aura. Due to its sluggishness the silver light was able to directly smash into its head.
Bang! The Horned Dragon, which stood over three meters tall, was
smashed and sent reeling onto the ground. Only after rolling a few times on the ground was it able to stand up once more.
Although it was only one strike, there had been three booms. It shook its head a few times before looking in the direction the silver light had come from.
Tang Wulin pulled Xie Xie back with his Bluesilver Grass and asked, “Are you okay?” Tang Wulin had actually been nearby, and the Horned Dragon’s heavy footsteps had woken him. He had climbed up a tree to survey what was going on when he saw Xie Xie faced with the Horned Dragon’s onslaught.
It seemed that Xie Xie was actually quite lucky since Tang Wulin was nearby. During Tang Wulin’s meditation, he had grown intimate with the surrounding plants and had been able to clearly detect Xie Xie’s activities from the rejection of the plants. Furthermore, he had been able to vaguely
tell that the plants were rejecting a human, which was why he had been able to reach Xie Xie so quickly.
“I’m fine.” Xie Xie said as he gasped for breath. He had faced a life and death situation just moments ago and now his back was already drenched with sweat. “Be careful. The Horned Dragon is very stubborn and won’t stop at anything once it has identified its prey.”
Tang Wulin laughed. “It seems you forgot that dragon-type soul beasts are the least terrifying to me. I’ll just go compare my strength with it.” Golden scales covered his right arm as he spoke while a dragon’s mighty aura began to emanate from him.
Normally, with its tyrannical nature, the Horned Dragon would have already charged at them, but Tang Wulin’s aura caused it to hesitate.
Its claws were dug into the ground, as if it were waiting for something.
The Heavy Silver hammer he had thrown earlier was retrieved with a pull of the Bluesilver Grass connected to it. Now, with a hammer in each of Tang Wulin’s hands, what did he have to fear from the Horned Dragon?
“I’ll harass it from the side so I’ll have to rely on you to face it head on.” Xie Xie turned into a blur and reappeared in the shadows of a nearby tree. This was to be expected since Agility System Soul Masters excelled in backstabbing rather than frontal confrontations.
Despite Tang Wulin’s dragon aura, the Horned Dragon’s instincts were beginning to take over. After only a slight hesitation, it released a dreadful roar before charging at Tang Wulin. The target of its wrath had already
shifted to Tang Wulin after that hammer strike.
A brilliant light twinkled within Tang Wulin’s eyes as a strand of Bluesilver Grass shot toward a tree branch and firmly coiled around it. With a pull of
his hand, Tang Wulin soared into the air. He somersaulted midair over the Horned Dragon and landed atop its head. With his feet firmly planted, he released a vicious strike with his left arm onto the Horned Dragon.
After experiencing its might once, the Horned Dragon knew just how terrifying this hammer was. It turned its head while raising it, shooting its horn toward Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin didn’t dare ignore such an attack, and so he released his Golden Dragon Claw and evaded the horn while grabbing the dragon’s head.
For a moment, The Horned Dragon clearly became more sluggish after Tang Wulin released his Golden Dragon Claw. Although it was only a moment, its reaction speed had still slowed down.
Even though Tang Wulin’s soul power and physical strength were great, it was no match for the Horned Dragon. However, this was balanced by the Golden Dragon King’s influence over the Horned Dragon.
Pu! The Horned Dragon’s scale armor was strong and its skull sturdy, but in a split second, it was pierced by Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw like it was rice paper.
The hundred year Horned Dragon’s body lost all its strength. It was unable to even cry out as it collapsed on the spot.
A yellow halo emerged from its body and fused into the little snake,
Goldlight, who let out a cry of pleasure as a golden layer of light covered its body after the light merged with it.
Tang Wulin stared at his right hand as it returned to normal. His heart was filled with an unfathomable feeling at the moment. When his Golden
Dragon Claw had made contact with the Horned Dragon’s skull, it had felt like tofu to him, unable to put up the slightest resistance to his tyrannical
strength. It seemed that dragon-type soul beasts and martial souls made
excellent opponents for him. Indeed, his bloodline suppression effect was too formidable. He wouldn’t have had such an easy victory without it!
He made a fist with his left hand and punched the Horned Dragon’s head. A dull thud was heard. The head moved back a bit, but the rebounding force made his fist ache.
Indeed, the Golden Dragon Claw’s crushing effect was extraordinary. He needed to test its effects and limitations further so he could utilise it to its fullest.
In any case, using it for such a short period of time had actually consumed thirty percent of his soul power. This was definitely one of the downsides of using the Golden Dragon Claw. Its consumption rate was simply monstrous. However, without his bloodline power, he likely wouldn’t have been able to unleash an attack of this level.
“So ferocious!” Xie Xie said as he walked over, his face expressing shock. The Horned Dragon had been chasing him to the gates of heaven, yet, it had been crushed in an instant by Tang Wulin.
Chapter 127 – The Trio Versus the Crystal Bear
Chapter 127 – The Trio Versus the Crystal Bear
“If this was a real soul beast, then you would have been able to absorb its hundred year soul ring directly, but too bad it’s not,” Xie Xie said as he gave Tang Wulin a thumbs-up.
Tang Wulin said, “It wouldn’t have been this easy if it wasn’t a dragon-type soul beast.”
Suddenly, a delicate voice called out from the side. “It’s not exactly a dragon. Now hurry up and help me!”
A silver light flashed and a delicate figure appeared not too far from Tang Wulin and Xie Xie. With a green light beneath her feet, Gu Yue reached them with lightning speed.
A howl came from behind her, announcing the giant figure as it rushed out of the thicket.
“Damn, that Crystal Bear is huge…” Xie Xie went wide-eyed at the sight of the bear, while Tang Wulin stood stunned.
The thousand year Crystal Bear was practically no different from a bulldozer as it barrelled through the thicket. Any small trees unfortunate
enough to stand in its way were simply crystallized, then smashed into fine powder. It was simply overbearing.
The silver light flashed again, and Gu Yue appeared right in front of the two. Her face was pale from exhaustion as she mustered her strength one
more time and teleported to hide behind Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin swallowed a gulp. His instincts told him that this bear was far stronger than the hundred year Horned Dragon he had just killed!
Squatting down, Tang Wulin grabbed the stiff Horned Dragon and hefted it up with both arms.
The scales on his right arm began to shine brilliantly when Tang Wulin released a roar and threw the gigantic Horned Dragon corpse at the thousand year Crystal Bear.
……
“Heavens, his strength is insane!” Long Hengxu’s eyes had widened in shock at the scene of Tang Wulin lifting up the Horned Dragon’s corpse.
At that moment, Wang Jinxi awakened from his slumber, his complexion
still deathly pale. He couldn’t help but shudder when he recalled the feeling of the spider’s leg entering his body, and the subsequent chill that had
spread throughout him. The residual sensations Wang Jinxi was
experiencing were far more severe than what Zhang Yangzi went through.
When Zhang Yangzi watched Tang Wulin kill the Horned Dragon in a
single attack, his eyes had already turned dull, for he knew that even with his powerful martial soul and soul skill, he would never have been able to take out the Horned Dragon in one hit. In fact, he doubted he would even be able to penetrate its defences.
Not to mention that now an even more powerful beast had appeared.
A single attack from Tang Wulin’s claw had killed the hundred year Horned Dragon, so Zhang Yangzi could only imagine the horrifying scene of himself receiving the claw’s attack.
Too terrifying. It was simply too terrifying for him to imagine.
During the tests, Tang Wulin’s power had merely been displayed as numbers, but now, Zhang Yangzi could clearly see just how powerful Tang
Wulin was.
He had thrown that giant Horned Dragon’s corpse so casually… It seemed several thousand kilograms worth of strength really was nothing to scoff at.
Will those three really be able to kill a thousand year soul beast? Zhang
Yangzi thought nervously to himself. As he watched the three of them face off against such a powerful soul beast, his grudge against the trio cooled off and he began to cheer for them.
……
“Hou!” The thousand year Crystal bear roared as it grabbed the incoming Horned Dragon’s corpse by the legs. Dark golden crystals formed on the dragon’s legs, creeping up the upper body of the corpse. In but a moment, it covered over half of the dragon’s corpse. The bear lowered its head and threw it down.
Bang! The lower half of the dragon’s corpse shattered into a shower of countless crystal shards.
“Damn, it’s so ferocious. Just what kind of trouble have you brought us, Gu Yue? Why would you provoke something so powerful…? I think it’s
actually one of the strongest thousand year soul beasts in the elementary spirit ascension platform.” Before he finished speaking, Xie Xie had
already been flying toward the bear with his Light Dragon Dagger in hand. He had to prepare to launch a sneak attack at any moment.
Gu Yue was panting for breath as she said, “Who provoked it? It was the one that provoked me, okay?”
Tang Wulin remained silent as the two of them bantered. With Bluesilver Grass attached to his two hammers, he sent them flying toward the bear’s head.
Ah, this big guy is so hard to deal with! It might not be as nimble or as quick as the Horned Dragon, but its attack and defense far exceeded the hundred year Horned Dragon.
This, this is a thousand year soul beast? The thousand year soul beasts that produced purple soul rings in the past!?
Tang Wulin wasn’t scared at all, rather, he was brimming with a desire to battle. After all, this was the spirit ascension platform. They could escape from the battlefield at anytime and there wasn’t anything more satisfying than true combat. He had never encountered a soul beast in the real world, so today could be considered an eye-opener for him.
Bang, bang! The Crystal Bear wasn’t particularly quick as it remained in place and simply blocked the two hammers with a raised arm.
The powerful impact of the two hundred-kilogram hammers knocked into the Crystal Bear, making it stumble back a step. However, the Crystal bear had now become infuriated..
A yellow light flashed on the Crystal Bear’s body as it charged at Tang Wulin with a roar.
Tang Wulin shouted out, “You two retreat! Xie Xie, what is this thing’s weakness?” Although he had also studied soul beasts, Xie Xie was
undoubtedly the most knowledgeable amongst the three. After all, Xie Xie had received a strict education since childhood.
“The Crystal Bear’s skin is as hard as copper and its bones are as hard as iron, but its weak point is its neck. Its neck is the weakest part of its body and all of its nerves are gathered there as well.”
“Got it.” Tang Wulin pulled on a strand of Bluesilver Grass, sending himself soaring into the air and out of the way of the Crystal Bear’s pounce.
It was good that the beast had a weak point since Tang Wulin wasn’t too nimble. And maybe, just maybe, Tang Wulin would manage to defeat it with his Golden Dragon Claw.
In any case, they were in the spirit ascension platform! If they didn’t
experiment with things in here, then where would they test the Golden Dragon Claw?
“You two distract it and I’ll look for a chance to give it a fatal blow.” Tang Wulin shouted from the air.
The thousand year Crystal Bear’s attack was met with nothing but air. It was smarter than the Horned Dragon though. It tore a small tree out of the ground and threw it into the air at Tang Wulin.
With his hammers already back in his hands, Tang Wulin smashed the tree apart, but was sent flying in the air afterward.
The bear made a beeline for him with its arms spread wide open.
Pu! An invisible blade of light struck its neck, sending a wave of pain throughout its body. The bear growled in rage as it turned to look at its attacker.
Xie Xie shouted at the top of his lungs, “Come if you dare!” He slashed with his Light Dragon Dagger and sent out another blade of light flying toward the bear.
Meanwhile, Tang Wulin quickly stopped falling when a green light covered his body. With another tug on the Bluesilver Grass and the aid of the wind element, he soared back into the air.
Over a dozen icicles flew over to provide Tang Wulin with footholds in the air, allowing him to change directions once again.
A halo appeared underneath him as vine after vine of Bluesilver Grass twined around the Crystal Bear’s legs.
Tang Wulin didn’t expect his Bluesilver Grass to halt and bind the Crystal Bear; he had merely hoped that it would be enough to slow the bear down.
However, a bizarre scene appeared.
The Crystal Bear exerted its strength in an attempt to break free of the Bluesilver Grass twined around his legs. Normally, it would have
succeeded, but at that moment, a golden light appeared on the Bluesilver
Grass. Although it was for but a split second, it was enough to halt the bear for a second.
It was only a second before the Crystal Bear broke free from the Bluesilver Grass, but that second was all Tang Wulin wished for.
In that second, Tang Wulin’s soul power hadn’t been depleted like previously. In fact, it hadn’t been consumed at all, as his Bluesilver Grass had grown far more tenacious innately after he absorbed the power of the first seal.
Xie Xie took full advantage of the Crystal Bear’s momentary stillness to turn around and retreat. His retreating speed, with the aid of Gu Yue’s wind element, was simply explosive.
Chapter 128 – Comrades!
Chapter 128 – Comrades!
While Xie Xie retreated, a giant fireball exploded on the other side of the Crystal Bear’s head. Gu Yue was starting her assault from the side.
The three of them stood in a triangle formation, with the Crystal Bear in the center. It stomped furiously, unable to decide which of the three to attack.
“Xie Xie, attack its belly. Gu Yue, attack its eyes.” Tang Wulin loudly instructed as he shot a strand of Bluesilver Grass at a tree branch, pulling on it to quickly fling himself to the Crystal Bear’s rear.
This level of coordination was to be expected after all their time spent
cultivating together. Xie Xie didn’t bother to hide himself at this moment. With a flash of his figure, he brandished his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger, one tangible and the other invisible. He slashed the air, sending a pair of light blades at the Crystal Bear’s belly.
Pu, pu! The Crystal Bear was furious. It may not have known previously which one to target, but now it did.
It immediately took large strides toward Xie Xie.
At that moment, however, blazing fireballs flew into its eyes. Although these fireballs were smaller than the previous ones, the quantity was far greater.
The Crystal Bear raised a paw in front of itself while lowering its head.
When it had received those attacks to its belly earlier, it had already begun to lower its stance. Now, it was forced to hunch in on itself even more.
It was then that Tang Wulin chose to sweep in. The hammer in his right hand was held back while the hammer in his left was positioned in a defensive stance in front of his chest. With a golden brilliance, he released his Golden Dragon Claw as his hammer descended on the Crystal Bear’s neck with an earth-shattering force.
Tang Wulin understood that victory or defeat would be decided by this one move. With his current soul power, he only had enough in him for this one attack. He had to bet everything on this attack;if it didn’t kill the bear, then the trio would be forced to escape from the spirit ascension platform.
Tang Wulin’s attack was accompanied by an ear-piercing whistle as a green wind blade cut through the air and struck the Crystal Bear’s belly. Gu Yue had exploded with strength to match Tang Wulin’s gambit and conceal the sound of his attack.
Considering the fact that they were still nine-years-old and didn’t have any powerful soul skills, what they had achieved so far in this battle was already amazing.
He arrived!
Without the slightest hesitation, Tang Wulin swiped at the bear’s nape with his Golden Dragon Claw.
A crunching ‘kaka’ noise came from the bear’s neck as Tang Wulin tightly gripped it using his Golden Dragon Claw’s crushing effect at its full power. The Crystal Bear’s neck had crushed.
It had to be said that Tang Wulin’s full strength was over a thousand kilograms! And with the added crushing effect, one could only imagine its tremendous might…
However, Tang Wulin discovered that compared to the hundred year
Horned Dragon, the Crystal Bear’s skin was exceedingly tough and had actually put up some resistance that prevented him from completely
crushing its neck. If he didn’t have such immense strength or didn’t attack
the Crystal Bear’s weak point, he feared that the attack likely would have failed.
Is it finished?
Xie Xie stared as the thousand year Crystal Bear fell head first. This sight, in addition to the sound of its neck crunching, were enough to make him jump for joy.
With two soul rings, he had the highest cultivation among them, so the fact that they could actually take down such a powerful soul beast was
something to be proud of.
At that moment, a layer of brilliant yellow light suddenly erupted from the Crystal Bear’s body.
The scope of this light wasn’t too far, only about one meter in radius, but it actually enveloped Tang Wulin completely.
“No—” Gu Yue shrieked as the yellow light immediately crystallized Tang Wulin’s body. His body was frozen in its stance. He gradually began to tip over and fall toward the ground.
Crystal was frail and would fracture into shards upon impact. Tang Wulin was about to be shattered! Although this was the spirit ascension platform, there would still be residual effects after experiencing the trauma of
shattering into pieces! In fact, it might even result in permanent injuries!
Gu Yue appeared beside him with a flash of silver light. She hastily extended her arms out to hold up Tang Wulin’s body.
Not only did Tang Wulin’s crystalized form increase his weight, but he was also still holding onto his Heavy Silver hammers. One could not guess how much he weighed now…
Gu Yue was pushed onto the ground by the crystal Tang Wulin. The thud rang out and gave her a bout of dizziness, but she relied purely on her
physical strength to keep Tang Wulin from falling onto the floor and shattering.
As long as he wasn’t smashed into pieces for a while after the
crystallization, the crystals would gradually recede on their own and vanish.
It was due to this that the most terrifying time was right after being crystallized by the Crystal Bear.
Tang Wulin’s consciousness was blurring, but he felt a stuffiness and a
sharp pain in his chest. He couldn’t perceive his surroundings, but when he looked within himself, he was astonished to find golden thread-like energy that seemed to have emerged from his stifled state to connect throughout his body.
A dark, yellow energy poured into every corner of his body, but was resisted by the golden threads. He knew that these golden threads were not soul power since he had already consumed all of it when he used his
Golden Dragon Claw. He was also certain that the appearance of these golden threads served to alleviate the suffocation he felt.
“Tang Wulin, Gu Yue!” Xie Xie hurriedly rushed over to their side. He
carefully lifted Tang Wulin and pulled Gu Yue, who was trapped beneath him, out.
Gu Yue had her eyes closed, her face like a golden sheet of paper and her breathing weak. She had been injured when the crystallized Tang Wulin fell on top of her.
Xie Xie looked around him. He hesitated slightly, before slapping the exit button on the back of Gu Yue’s hand. In an instant, she turned into a ray of light and disappeared.
Tang Wulin was still covered in crystals, so it was impossible for him to hit Tang Wulin’s button.
Suddenly, the surrounding thicket rustled fiercely. It seemed there were a number of beasts approaching them.
What do I do? Tang Wulin is still crystallized, and I can’t send him back. What should I do?
Xie Xie firmly held his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger as he mulled over his options. He should escape now while he still could,
since his soul power was nearly depleted, but if he left, then the crystallized Tang Wulin would remain here all alone.
Faced with such a dilemma, he didn’t hesitate to choose the harder path. He knelt beside Tang Wulin to conserve what little remained of his strength and began to regulate his breathing. His gaze shone with a resolute light.
His comrade was right beside him, so how could he leave him at such a moment? When he was small, his father had told him that a true man could support both heaven and earth!
He had to be a man who could support both heaven and earth!
Men had to be loyal, face danger head-on, and never abandon their comrades, even at the price of their lives!
This was Xie Xie’s first time encountering a situation like this, and despite the fact that he was like a newborn calf, he wasn’t gutless at all. Rather, he felt himself getting fired up.
One dark green figure after another slowly emerged from his surroundings. There were at least ten of them. They were wolves with dark green fur on their backs, their amber eyes filled with ice-cold ruthlessness. Slowly, they advanced in Xie Xie and Tang Wulin’s direction.
Half of them headed for the remaining Horned Dragon’s corpse while the other half continued advancing towards Xie Xie and Tang Wulin,
surrounding the two.
Green Wolf, a ten year soul beast. Among the ten year soul beasts, it was
considerably powerful, with a violent nature and naturally inclined towards living in packs.
Powerful Green Wolves were able to cultivate to the hundred year level by relying on decaying corpses for food. Frankly speaking, they were
scavengers of the forest.
Xie Xie shifted into a defensive stance with his two daggers and watched the slowly advancing wolves. He shouted at the top of his lungs, “You can have the Crystal Bear’s corpse, but if you attack me, then don’t blame me for being rude!”
He didn’t know whether or not these ten year soul beasts could actually understand his words, but his yelling still made them hesitate for a few moments, and that was enough for him. As long as he could delay them for long enough, Tang Wulin would break free of the crystallization, and then they could escape together.
However, the Green Wolves were clearly far more interested in him than the corpse of the Crystal Bear. They didn’t understand a single word he said
and simply continued to tighten their circle around him. Under the gaze of their grim eyes, Xie Xie’s heart couldn’t help but race anxiously.
I can’t hesitate anymore. I have to take initiative and make the first move.
Chapter 129 – End of the Spirit Ascension Platform Trials
Chapter 129 – End of the Spirit Ascension Platform Trials
Xie Xie slashed out a Light Dragon Blade while sliding to the side, rapidly closing the distance between him and another Green Wolf.
Pu! One of the Green Wolves had their neck sliced open by the Light Dragon Blade, uttering a sad cry as blood sprayed out.
Xie Xie agilely moved toward another Green Wolf, but it opened its mouth and released a green wind blade at him.
Xie Xie responded to this attack by bending his body, completely avoiding the wind blade. With his back bent, he pounced on the Green Wolf. After a sweep of his two daggers, the wolf’s throat was torn open and he arrived at another wolf’s side. With a flick of his wrist, he cut open an artery on the wolf’s neck with his Shadow Dragon Dagger, immediately releasing
another burst of blood. It only took a moment before life ceased to course through the wolf’s veins.
Although his attack had gone according to his plan, causing three wolves to die, the wolves were launching their assault now too. Dozens of wind blades were flying toward him at that moment.
Xie Xie dodged with all his might, but he sustained some injuries on his back and left leg from the wolves he had just engaged with. His jacket was already dyed crimson.
“Bastard!” Xie Xie screamed, then rolled to the side, evading another wind blade as he brandished his two daggers and continued to wage war against this pack of wolves.
He didn’t dare to use a soul skill with the meager amount of soul power he had left. His left leg was injured and proved to be a burden on his speed now, while his entire body was covered in scars and bruises. It had only been a few moments, yet he was already soaked in blood.
The scene of their battle could only be described as one of desperation. For every wolf he killed, multiple wounds were inflicted on his body in
exchange. Despite being completely soaked in blood, he didn’t falter and retreat. From beginning to end, he was moving in circles around the
crystallized Tang Wulin, protecting him from the wolves. With his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger in hand, he continued his reckless defense against the wolves’ attacks.
The dark yellow energy finally receded, and Tang Wulin’s senses gradually began to return to him. The first thing he smelled was the stench of blood.
After a moment, he saw a crimson figure that was barely able to remain standing.
“Wooo!” A wolf howled, drawing an especially large Green Wolf to pounce on the bloody figure.
“I’ll fight you to the death!” Xie Xie’s crazed roar woke Tang Wulin from his stupor.
The Light and Shadow Dragon Daggers scattered at that moment. The Green Wolf landed on Xie Xie and pushed him down. It opened a mouth full of sharp daggers and bit at Xie Xie’s neck.
Bang, bang, bang! A silver light flew over and three booms resounded one after another. The giant wolf cried out in pain as it belatedly realized that its skull had already been cracked open.
Dazed, Xie Xie only felt someone slap the back of his hand, and in the next moment, darkness entered his eyes. He didn’t know what was going on
anymore.
After crushing the skull of the wolf that was on top of Xie Xie, Tang Wulin took in the bitter scene around him, renewing his determination. He didn’t see Gu Yue anywhere and guessed that she had already returned. He hit the button on the back of his hand, and darkness entered his eyes just like the others. After disappearing from the forest, the wind blades shot by the
wolves were met with nothing but air.
Darkness was replaced with light as Tang Wulin quickly shot out of the metal box and shouted, “Xie Xie!”
Tang Wulin squinted his eyes to avoid being dazzled by the sudden presence of light as he searched for Xie Xie.
He saw Zhang Yangzi, the twitching Wang Jinxi and Gu Yue, who was sitting pale-faced. Then there was the open metal box beside him.
Tang Wulin rushed over to the box that Xie Xie was in. “Xie Xie, Xie Xie!” Tang Wulin anxiously called out.
“I, I’m fine. Just a bit sore.” Xie Xie said weakly, as he struggled to open his eyes.
Tang Wulin was finally able to relax now that he knew Xie Xie was alright. A wave of exhaustion and the feeling of the crystal’s suffocation overcame him. His legs lost strength, making him fall onto his butt.
Wu Zhangkong and Long Hengxu stood to the side. Long Hengxu was thoroughly shocked, while Wu Zhangkong remained as unperturbed as usual.
The Spirit Pagoda staff member exclaimed sincerely, “Geniuses! They truly are geniuses worth nurturing! Are you sure these children are only nine- years-old?”
The gaze of the staff member was burning with expectation, especially when he turned his gaze to Tang Wulin, Xie Xie and Gu Yue.
He had watched their whole performance.
The most breathtaking scene was undoubtedly when Tang Wulin had taken down a powerful soul beast in only two strikes. His transformed right hand had clearly possessed strength several times higher than normal. Not only was it able to kill the hundred year Horned Dragon in a single strike, but it
had also been strong enough to crush the thousand year Crystal Bear. If they had been a bit more knowledgeable about the Crystal Bear, then they
wouldn’t have suffered at the end, and their kill would have been considered perfect.
Gu Yue’s performance was equally worthy of admiration. Her coordination with Tang Wulin had been amazing. She had used a variety of elements at optimal moments to aid him, and it was also thanks to her that Tang Wulin hadn’t been harmed at the end. She had actually used her own body to hold up his crystallized form, which weighed over five hundred kilograms, to prevent it from shattering.
The staff member knew that in situations like those, people normally
wouldn’t have the time to consider whether things were real or virtual. The fact that Gu Yue had been able to make such a quick decision to save Tang Wulin meant that even in reality, she would have been just as decisive.
They were only nine-year-old children! With such a strong friendship, how could their coordination not be this deep?
No wonder Eastsea Academy is willing to spend so much money to bring them here. Although they weren’t in the spirit ascension platform for long, they were faced with the greatest obstacles the whole time!
And Xie Xie at the end… Despite knowing he was no match for the wolves, he had stayed behind for the sake of his comrade! He had continued to protect Tang Wulin until the crystallization disappeared and was finally sent out only when Tang Wulin had been freed!
Although one wouldn’t truly die in the spirit ascension platform, the injuries they sustained all felt exceedingly real.
Xie Xie had suffered tens of cuts on his body, yet he had still continued to fight and protect Tang Wulin all the way until the end. During that whole time, he had been minimizing the injuries he sustained while maximizing the number of enemies he killed! He had simply been extraordinary!
This staff member had never seen such outstanding first-time performances from Soul Masters before. Even more so astonishing was the fact that these children only had either one or two rings.
Wu Zhangkong slowly walked over to the five students, his dull voice filling their ears. “From now on, you five are a mini battle squadron. The captain is Tang Wulin, and the vice-captain is Xie Xie. Let’s go.”
Finished speaking, he began leading them toward the elevator.
The five looked at each other in dismay and shock as a single thought entered their heads. Mini squadron?
Wang Jinxi looked at Tang Wulin, then Zhang Yangzi, whose face was unsightly, but more than that, it was full of shame. Before coming here, Zhang Yangzi had been full of ambition and competitiveness, but after witnessing the events in the spirit ascension platform, his ambitions had been completely washed away from his heart.
Without even speaking of his strength, just his actions in the spirit
ascension platform had been severely lacking in comparison with his peers.
Regardless of whether it was Tang Wulin who had killed two powerful soul beasts, the self-sacrificing Gu Yue, or Xie Xie who had fought nearly to the death for his comrade, every single one of them had been remarkable.
When compared with those three, he and Wang Jinxi were simply too lacking.
Wang Jinxi had met his demise after encountering a powerful soul beast, but him? He had simply been courting disaster!
On the road home, the five students were still brooding over the events in the spirit ascension platform. Zhang Yangzi was full of remorse, while Tang Wulin pondered over the situation inside of the spirit ascension platform, the battles replaying over and over inside his mind.
What he was certain about, however, was that their battles in the spirit ascension platform today had been incredibly stimulating.
Tang Wulin had a particularly profound impression. I actually fought with a soul beast! So that’s what it feels like to battle against a soul beast… Even though I know everything was virtual inside of the spirit ascension platform, I can’t help but feel a bit frightened when I recall it. That was the pressure of a battle of life and death. Cultivating in situations like that really is far better!
Chapter 130 – Spirit Soul Evolution
Chapter 130 – Spirit Soul Evolution
Tang Wulin suddenly felt warmth spread from his spine to his whole body. At first, it was so faint that he could barely feel it, but the closer they got to the academy, the more apparent the feeling became. As the warmth diffused into his four limbs and seeped into his bones, he felt exceptionally
comfortable, but at the same time, exhaustion washed over him.
To his side, Gu Yue discovered that Tang Wulin’s entire body was swaying as he stumbled forth. She quickly supported him, worriedly asking, “Wulin, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know, I just feel really sleepy.” With Gu Yue’s support, it was like a switch had been flipped. His entire body went weak and collapsed into Gu Yue’s arms.
Wu Zhangkong halted mid-step and quickly turned around, astonishment coloring his face. The others had also started to notice Tang Wulin’s
abnormal behavior.
In a flash, Wu Zhangkong appeared in front of Tang Wulin, quickly taking his wrist.
Tang Wulin’s skin shined with a golden-blue layer of light as he lay unconscious, his breathing haggard.
“This kind of situation…” When Long Hengxu arrived and saw the state that Tang Wulin was in, he couldn’t help but think of a certain possibility.
His gaze grew rapt with attention.
Wu Zhangkong hefted Tang Wulin onto his back. “He’s fine, it’s just that his spirit soul is evolving.”
“Ah?” All four students exclaimed in unison. Spirit soul evolution?
On their way to the spirit ascension platform, Xie Xie had already explained to Tang Wulin how it was possible to evolve his spirit soul inside of it, but he had only been speaking of a possibility! A spirit soul evolution was so rare that it was like winning a lottery ticket.
The opportunity to enter a spirit ascension platform even once was hard to come by, much less a chance to kill powerful soul beasts. Furthermore, the thousand year Crystal Bear they had encountered today had been an
extremely formidable foe, such that even three-ringed Soul Elders would have found it challenging. In fact, they would have needed at least a team of seven people to defeat it.
In such a situation, everyone who had paid a large price to enter the spirit ascension platform would always dispute over who would land the final strike on the soul beast and reap the rewards. However, either way, they would suffer many casualties fighting against such a powerful soul beast.
Under the shocked stares of everyone, Wu Zhangkong spoke calmly. “His spirit soul is naturally weak, so it’s easier for it to evolve. For every soul beast you kill in the spirit ascension platform, you obtain one-tenth of its cultivation energy. That energy, in turn, will be spread evenly among your soul rings. In other words, if you kill a ten year soul beast, your spirit soul will gain one year’s worth of cultivation energy. If your spirit soul has 110 years of energy, then it will become 111 years of energy. When it
accumulates till it reaches 1000, then it will evolve. Tang Wulin’s spirit soul is only ten years. He gained at least twenty year’s worth of energy from killing the hundred year soul beast, and one hundred year’s worth of energy from the thousand year soul beast. Furthermore, since he only has one soul ring, all of the energy was concentrated into that one ring, allowing him to
evolve his ten year spirit soul into a hundred year spirit soul. As for the rest of you, you will need to kill at least 18 or 19 thousand year soul beasts to
evolve your spirit soul. With this in mind, do your best in the future.”
That was right! Apart from Tang Wulin and Gu Yue, everyone else had two soul rings. This meant that the energy they obtained from killing a soul beast would be split between two soul rings, with each ring receiving five percent of the original! Although there would still be some benefits, it was far harder to evolve their spirit soul!
Not mentioning killing a thousand year soul beast, even if it was just trying to find that many thousand year soul beasts in the elementary spirit
ascension platform, it was already exceedingly difficult! So in the end, there were still benefits to having one ring .
After returning to the academy, Wu Zhangkong silently dismissed everyone to return to their dorms and cultivate. They needed to digest today’s combat experiences, and Tang Wulin would remain muddle-headed until his spirit
soul finished its evolution. An analysis of today’s events was better left for tomorrow.
Wu Zhangkong brought Tang Wulin back to his dorm. The only thing was… Wu Zhangkong stayed, even after dropping Tang Wulin off.
For anyone else, Wu Zhangkong wouldn’t do such things, but Tang Wulin was different. Tang Wulin had a unique, mutated martial soul. Wu Zhangkong had to ensure that Tang Wulin wouldn’t be endangered during his spirit soul’s evolution.
Tang Wulin’s experience this time was a far cry from when he had broken the first seal. As his spirit soul evolved, he felt as if he was soaking in a warm pond. This warmth penetrated into the bones of his body, gently
circulating inside of him. He was completely free of any worries in such a comfortable state. His body was beaten and his spirit exhausted, but his tiredness gradually dissolved under this warmth.
Tang Wulin didn’t even want to open his eyes as he basked in this wonderful feeling.
As he continued to soak in the warmth, the golden halo around his body gradually turned blue.
Strand after strand of Bluesilver Grass began to extend from his palms, surrounding him.
Wu Zhangkong gently twirled a strand of Bluesilver Grass around his finger. He carefully examined it, eyes brightening with astonishment.
Is this really Bluesilver Grass? It wasn’t abnormal for Bluesilver Grass to become vine-like or elastic, but what really amazed him was the fact that he could see energy channels within the Bluesilver Grass.
These energy channels glowed with a faint, golden light. Together with the faint, blue glow of the grass itself, it greatly resembled the golden-blue light that was covering Tang Wulin’s body right now.
Moreover, Wu Zhangkong discovered that the faint, vein lines grew more distinct under the light of the energy channels, as if they were some sort of fine imprint. All of these details were noted under Wu Zhangkong’s careful observation.
Just as I thought, his bloodline is causing his martial soul to mutate again. From what I can see, this should be a very beneficial mutation. He already has his Golden Dragon Claw, which gives him power beyond his rank.
Although it can’t be sustained for long and is restricted to close combat, it’s still a huge boost to his power. The only thing I’m uncertain of is whether or not his bloodline can evolve further. If it can, that would truly be a sight to behold.
Right at that moment, a faint golden light flashed from Tang Wulin’s chest, and Goldlight slithered out. It had grown to be approximately ten
centimeters long, and about as thick as Tang Wulin’s little finger. Although it was still as slender as before, its golden scales were far more eye-catching now.
The scales on its forehead were a different shade of gold. Compared to the other scales on its body, the gold shined dazzlingly. With each breath it took, the scales grew even more radiant, and its previously murky eyes
clearer.
A dim, yellow halo appeared from Goldlight’s body, incomparably stronger than its previous white.
It evolved, it really evolved!
It was a hundred year spirit soul now!
Tang Wulin’s defective spirit soul had evolved to a hundred year spirit soul due to his hard work in the spirit ascension platform and his bloodline’s power! It finally had some value to it.
Wu Zhangkong nodded slightly. Not bad. Tang Wulin has finally made up for his shortcoming. But how will his soul skill change after his spirit soul’s evolution? Will its transformation make him even stronger?
As a teacher, Wu Zhangkong couldn’t be clearer about Tang Wulin’s weak points.
His strong points were obvious; he had innate divine strength, and a bloodline power that allowed him to dominate his peers.
His weaknesses, though, were just as obvious.
When it came down to it, a Soul Master’s strength came from their martial soul. If their martial soul wasn’t powerful, then they wouldn’t be able to walk far on the path of cultivation. Physical strength and bloodline power certainly had their benefits, but there had never been anyone in the entire history of Soul Masters who had climbed to the peak with just these two things.
Tang Wulin wanted to grow stronger, so his martial soul had to grow stronger too. The spirit soul was a part of the martial soul, so any improvements to it would have a significant impact.