First Entry into the Spirit Ascension Platform

Yu Nanyuan, Ji Hongyu, and Yu Zhen took the elevator down from the top floor of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, continuing downward. The entrance to the Spirit Ascension Platform was deep underground.

Across the entire continent, there were only nineteen Spirit Transfer Pagodas that possessed Spirit Ascension Platforms. They were the Eighteen Sky Pillars, including Eastsea City, as well as the Heaven Spirit Pagoda at the Spirit Transfer Pagoda Headquarters.

After all, constructing a Spirit Ascension Platform consumed an astonishing amount of resources, something not every city could afford. This also showed just how prosperous and wealthy Eastsea City was.

The elevator only came to a stop after running for a full three minutes. By Yu Nanyuan's estimate, they had descended to a depth that might have exceeded the height of the Donghai Spirit Transfer Pagoda itself.

Although he had had the opportunity to encounter such things since childhood, this was still his first time entering the underground levels of the Donghai Spirit Transfer Pagoda.

"Ding—" The metal doors of the Soul Guidance Elevator opened, revealing a spacious hall outside. More than a dozen staff members were inside, and behind them lay a series of passageways constructed from special metal.

The staff immediately bowed respectfully to Ji Hongyu and Yu Zhen when they saw them.

"Pagoda Master, Dean Yu."

Unlike Shrek Academy, Donghai Academy and the Donghai Spirit Transfer Pagoda had always maintained a very good cooperative relationship. Many outstanding students who graduated from Donghai Academy chose to work directly for the Donghai Spirit Transfer Pagoda, while the pagoda allocated a certain amount of resources to Donghai Academy.

The cooperation between Donghai Academy and the Donghai Spirit Transfer Pagoda could be described as a win-win arrangement. It was no wonder some of the pagoda's staff treated Yu Zhen, an outsider, with such respect.

Yu Zhen smiled and nodded to several familiar faces. Before outsiders, he always maintained this approachable and gentle image.

As Ji Hongyu led Yu Zhen and Yu Nanyuan into one of the passageways, he instructed the staff, "No need for formalities. Continue with your work. Have Binzhou come over immediately."

"Yes, Pagoda Master!" everyone answered in unison, though their gazes subconsciously gathered on Yu Nanyuan.

"Binzhou?" Yu Zhen raised an eyebrow. Clearly, he knew the Binzhou Ji Hongyu had mentioned.

Ji Hongyu explained knowingly, "Since joining our Donghai Spirit Transfer Pagoda, Binzhou's cultivation has improved rapidly. His Soul Power Level has already broken through to level thirty-nine. You know the characteristics of his Martial Soul. There's no one more suitable than him to accompany Nanyuan into the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform. And with his personality, he won't leak any information about Nanyuan's Martial Soul Ability."

Binzhou's full name was Lu Binzhou. He had graduated from Donghai Academy not long ago and then joined the Donghai Spirit Transfer Pagoda. At only nineteen years old, he had already reached the bottleneck of Soul Ancestor. Though he still lagged behind those top geniuses, across the entire continent, he was considered fairly outstanding among the younger generation of Soul Masters. In the remote Eastsea City, he was more than qualified to be called a genius.

"Lao Ji, why do I feel like there's something more to your words?" The smile on Yu Zhen's face did not fade, and he still looked as amiable as ever. Ji Hongyu had deliberately emphasized how quickly Lu Binzhou's cultivation had improved after joining the Donghai Spirit Transfer Pagoda. Wasn't that clearly hinting at something?

Ji Hongyu laughed heartily, finally letting out a breath of satisfaction.

"Lao Yu, don't get worked up. I was merely stating a fact."

Yu Nanyuan, following behind Ji Hongyu and Yu Zhen, could not help but smile. Given Ji Hongyu and Yu Zhen's status and personalities, they would not stoop to cursing each other in the street, but there would certainly be no shortage of veiled barbs and sarcasm.

After proceeding several dozen meters along the passageway, the three entered another Soul Guidance Elevator. This time, however, it only descended for a little over ten seconds before stopping.

When Yu Nanyuan stepped out of the elevator, he found himself in a circular room. The entire room was made of metal, with only a massive Soul Guidance Screen hanging on the wall. Various images flickered across it, all depicting a verdant landscape—the scene of the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform simulating the Star Dou Great Forest.

Ji Hongyu turned and said seriously to Yu Nanyuan, "Nanyuan, you must have already learned about the Spirit Ascension Platform from your grandfather, so I won't explain too much. If you encounter any danger afterward, press the SOS Signal Device on the back of your hand immediately and leave the Spirit Ascension Platform. Understood? Binzhou will be here shortly. He graduated from the Donghai Academy Advanced Division and is also one of your grandfather's students. Once you enter the Spirit Ascension Platform, he will protect you closely."

"I understand, Grandpa Ji."

Yu Nanyuan replied with a solemn expression.

At that moment, the Lu Binzhou they had been discussing arrived by elevator as well.

"Pagoda Master, Dean." A deep voice rang out as an enormous figure emerged from the elevator. Lu Binzhou was so tall that he could only pass through by bending over and turning sideways. He was at least two and a half meters tall, and even more terrifying was his weight. Judging by the exaggerated amount of fat on his body, he likely weighed over five hundred jin.

Lu Binzhou narrowed his small eyes. He had a kind face and dark skin, looking like nothing more than a harmless, big black fat man.

Yu Zhen smiled and nodded to him, while Ji Hongyu introduced Yu Nanyuan to him.

"This is Nanyuan, Lao Yu's grandson. You'll accompany him into the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform later. Make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Yes, Pagoda Master." Lu Binzhou answered respectfully before looking at Yu Nanyuan with a cheerful smile. "Nanyuan, you should have seen me at Donghai Academy when you were little. My name is Lu Binzhou. If you don't mind, you can call me A Bin."

"Hello, Brother A Bin." Yu Nanyuan gave his habitual flawless smile, then abruptly asked, "Were your grades at the Intermediate Division not very good in the past?"

"How did you know?" Lu Binzhou blinked in surprise. When he had first enrolled in the Donghai Academy Intermediate Division, Yu Nanyuan had not even been born yet. Even when he advanced from the Intermediate Division to the Advanced Division, Yu Nanyuan had only been one or two years old.

"I heard it from some senior students at Donghai Academy." Yu Nanyuan's expression became strange as he vaguely changed the subject. "Let's begin first."

Ji Hongyu pressed a button on the instrument. Two metal cabinets slowly slid out from the wall beside them, each containing a recess shaped like a human body.

"Nanyuan, lie down inside first and get ready. Remember to relax your entire body. With your Spiritual Power strength, you shouldn't experience any discomfort."

Yu Nanyuan and Lu Binzhou lay down inside as instructed. Instrumental suction cups emerged from within the metal cabinets and tightly adhered to certain parts of their bodies.

Yu Nanyuan calmed himself. A numb, tingling sensation came from all the suction cups at once, as though some strange electric current was continuously passing through his body. The Soul Power inside his body was stimulated, generating Soul Power Fluctuations on its own.

As time passed, the tingling sensation grew increasingly intense. After an unknown amount of time, his consciousness seemed to become immersed in darkness.

When his consciousness returned once more, he was shocked to find himself within an ancient forest. The sensation brought by the fresh, moist air was so real. The only thing proving that he was inside the illusory world of the Spirit Ascension Platform was the additional metal device on the back of his hand. A distinct Red Button was set upon it. This was clearly the SOS Signal Device Ji Hongyu had mentioned earlier.

This is the Spirit Ascension Platform. Yu Nanyuan marveled inwardly. It was his first time entering the Spirit Ascension Platform, and he was deeply shocked by it.

Lu Binzhou stood beside him, the smile on his face suddenly vanishing as his aura became steady and composed. He strode forward and shielded Yu Nanyuan behind him.

Within his line of sight, figures darted through the dense forest not far away. They were wolf-type Soul Beasts, each around two meters long, their bodies a faint ink green. Distorted light also existed around their bodies, making their forms seem somewhat illusory.

"Nanyuan, be careful. They're pack-dwelling Soul Beasts—the Netherworld Wolves."

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