Testing Spiritual Power

Tang Wulin had it rough next.

No one knew whether Wu Changkong was getting back at him for being late the day before.

As one of the three uninjured students—and a boy besides—he became Wu Changkong's teaching example.

Through constant real combat, Wu Changkong explained practical techniques and points of caution to the other students. Tang Wulin, meanwhile, was knocked to the ground again and again, enduring strike after strike from the Teaching Whip.

As for why he had not chosen Nan Fusheng? All that could be said was that Tang Wulin was too tough and durable. During their earlier sparring match, Wu Changkong had discovered—

Tang Wulin's defensive power was astonishing. He possessed sufficiently powerful defenses against attacks from those at the same level.

Nan Fusheng's physique was decent as well, but when it came to taking a beating, Tang Wulin was clearly more proficient. Besides, as an example to warn the others, beating Tang Wulin offered better value.

News of Zero Class's establishment quickly spread throughout the academy, and Nan Fusheng's group of six naturally became celebrities.

However, they were all ordered not to reveal Zero Class's teaching methods. After several days of curiosity, the academy returned to calm.

Wu Changkong was only one of their instructors. More guidance soon followed. Unlike the Ordinary Classes, which focused more on theoretical instruction, Zero Class leaned more toward practical combat training.

Just as Dean Yu Zhen had said, the academy gave Zero Class its fullest support. Whether in teaching methods, high-nutrition food, staffing, or facilities, everything was the best available.

On the second day, Tang Wulin no longer had to endure Wu Changkong's Teaching Whip alone, because Wu Changkong added Nan Fusheng to the mix as well.

When Nan Fusheng had watched Wu Changkong deal with Tang Wulin before, he had found it somewhat entertaining. But when the Teaching Whip truly landed on his own body, he finally understood what heart-wrenching pain meant.

Still, under this kind of instruction, his growth was obvious. It was pain and joy intertwined.

Ten days later, Nan Fusheng happily gained three new teammates. Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi had recovered from their injuries and began joining the practical combat sessions. Thus, pitiful screams began echoing through Zero Class.

Wu Changkong had never known the meaning of holding back. When the Teaching Whip came down, the pain truly sank into one's bones! Yet it would not actually injure anyone.

In Wu Changkong's words, only pain could leave the deepest impression.

The only fortunate one was Gu Yue. Perhaps because she was a girl, Wu Changkong was always somewhat gentler when teaching her. Even when the Teaching Whip occasionally landed on her, it only made her feel numb and tingly.

"Today, you will undergo a series of physical tests. Combat Practice Class is suspended for one lesson." As soon as Wu Changkong entered the classroom early that morning, he brought wonderful news for Zero Class.

Everyone was a little afraid of Combat Practice Class now. That sensation of pain was simply too deeply ingrained.

Wu Changkong led the six of them into a room brimming with a sense of technology. The entire interior was covered in silver metal panels. Upon entering, one's first impression was that they had stepped into a silver world.

Rows of instruments they had never seen before were placed throughout the space.

"We'll test Spiritual Power first. Xie Xie, you're up."

Wu Changkong held a form in his hand, ready to record the results.

Xie Xie's Spiritual Power had grown normally. Compared to his previous test, it had increased by two points, reaching thirty-one.

Wang Jinxi went next. Wang Jinxi's Spiritual Power was rather weak, at only eighteen points.

"Wang Jinxi, you must work hard to raise your Spiritual Power. Otherwise, you will be unable to fuse with more Soul Spirits in the future," Wu Changkong said blandly.

Wang Jinxi had always been quiet and reserved. Hearing this, he merely nodded.

Then it was Zhang Yangzi's turn.

"Spiritual Power: forty-one. Not bad. Work hard to break through to the high stage of the Spirit Origin Realm within a year or two."

Tang Wulin was third from last.

Zhang Yangzi had been staring at him the whole time. Among Tang Wulin's group of four, this was the one he resented the most—the one who had broken both his legs. He had always wanted to compare himself with him.

After spending the past few days together, he had also seen that Tang Wulin's abilities mainly lay in his extraordinarily gifted strength, along with that strange mutated right arm.

As for his Martial Soul, it was merely Blue Silver Grass, nothing worth mentioning. Thus, Zhang Yangzi increasingly felt that his defeat that day had been unfair.

For an ability user like this, one who specialized in powerful attacks just like Wang Jinxi, how much Spiritual Power could he have? It certainly would not be very high.

Tang Wulin walked over to the instrument and sat down. The Spiritual Power Tester slowly descended, covering his head.

The test began!

This Spiritual Power Tester was the academy's most advanced model. The scale that displayed Spiritual Power intensity was colored and could change color according to different Spiritual Power levels.

Spiritual Power in the Spirit Origin Realm was white. Tang Wulin's Spiritual Power reading continued to climb, quickly surpassing Wang Jinxi's eighteen points.

It kept rising—twenty, twenty-five, thirty...

Zhang Yangzi stared at the scale in surprise. No way. He was a Power Attack System Battle Spirit Master with only one ring of cultivation, yet he had thirty points of Spiritual Power? In that regard, Jinxi was far inferior to him.

Thirty-five, forty...

Forty-two, forty-three. He had surpassed Zhang Yangzi. And his Spiritual Power was still rising.

Tang Wulin's Spiritual Power finally stopped at sixty-six. Xie Xie, standing nearby, was dumbfounded as well. Only a few months had passed since the previous test,

yet Tang Wulin's Spiritual Power had surged by twenty-two points? Sixty-six points of Spiritual Power had already reached the high stage of the Spirit Origin Realm.

The next to sit in the instrument was Nan Fusheng.

Zhang Yangzi suddenly thought of something. Did Teacher Wu's order have some special meaning? Aside from Xie Xie, who had gone first, the three after him had all gone from lowest to highest.

Mental-type Soul Masters like Nan Fusheng and someone like Gu Yue, who controlled elements, should have a greater need for Spiritual Power. Could their Spiritual Power be even higher than Tang Wulin's?

His question did not last long. The instrument activated, and the scale gave him the answer almost instantly.

Nan Fusheng's Spiritual Power rapidly crossed the white line and entered the yellow range. When Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi watched the reading break through one hundred and continue soaring upward, both of them could not help but gape.

The Spirit Origin Realm represented the beginning of all things and the renewal of everything. From birth, everyone possessed Spiritual Power at the Spirit Origin Realm. It was also the most basic level of Spiritual Power. Spiritual Power in the Spirit Origin Realm could bear yellow Soul Spirits and any Soul Spirits below yellow.

The Spirit Connection Realm meant the mind communicating with the spirit, thoughts arriving wherever intent reached. Upon reaching the Spirit Connection Realm, one had taken the first step into controlling Spiritual Power, truly able to wield one's own Spiritual Power. It could bear two yellow Soul Spirits or one purple Soul Spirit.

This was a leap across a major realm, a qualitative transformation! No wonder the two of them were so shocked. Reaching the Spirit Connection Realm meant Nan Fusheng could already fuse with a purple Soul Spirit.

The two stared at Nan Fusheng in utter disbelief. This guy had not performed particularly well in the Class Promotion Tournament, but his Spiritual Power was truly outstanding! They had never even heard of a Grade One student at an Intermediate Academy breaking through the first major realm of Spiritual Power!

Even graduating from the Intermediate Division of an Intermediate Soul Master Academy after breaking through this realm would count as being exceptionally talented. One of the greatest obstacles to graduating from the Advanced Division of an Intermediate Academy was reaching the Spirit Connection Realm in Spiritual Power. It had prevented countless Soul Masters from graduating successfully!

Yet Nan Fusheng had achieved this breakthrough while still in little Grade One. It was simply unbelievable!

Spiritual Power exceeding one hundred meant entering another level, advancing from the Spirit Origin Realm into the Spirit Connection Realm.

One hundred twenty-five. That was Nan Fusheng's final test result, only six points higher than Gu Yue's previous result. Even Wu Changkong, standing nearby, glanced at the figure with slight surprise.