Entering

Nan Fusheng did not know whether Gu Yue would fly into a rage if she learned Tang Wulin's true identity.

But if the Holy Spirit Cult discovered it, Nan Fusheng dared guarantee that Demon Empress of the Holy Spirit Cult—the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, whose cultivation was nearing a breakthrough to God Level—would definitely fly into a rage. She might even come charging over at all costs to kill him.

Then again, Tang Wulin's identity could indeed serve as a bargaining chip. Nan Fusheng pondered from the side that if he dealt with the Holy Spirit Cult in the future, he could use it to seek benefits.

"All right, let's go." Long Hengxu's voice roused the six students. Smiling, he said, "When I first came to the Eighteen Heavenly Pillars, I was just as curious as you are. After coming more often, that feeling gradually faded. But the murals on every one of the Eighteen Heavenly Pillars are especially worth admiring."

Wu Changkong said, "Focus yourselves. Once you enter the Spirit Ascension Platform, you will only be able to rely on yourselves."

Tang Wulin asked in surprise, "Teacher, aren't you coming in with us?"

Wu Changkong said, "Only Spirit Masters below the fourth ring can enter the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform."

Long Hengxu nodded. "But don't worry. We'll monitor your situation from outside. If you encounter danger, you must take the initiative to withdraw and return. The precautions will be explained shortly."

Led by Long Hengxu and Wu Changkong, they entered an elevator. It did not go up, but down.

The faint sensation of weightlessness told them that they were continuously descending underground. As for how deep underground they were, there was no way to tell.

The Spirit Pagoda truly deserved its reputation as the continent's number one organization. With such immense strength and financial resources, a project like this must have cost an astronomical sum.

There were no numbers in the elevator, but it took a full three minutes before it stopped.

Outside was a spacious hall with more than a dozen staff members. Beyond it stretched passageways made of metal.

Long Hengxu took out a strange-looking card and handed it to one of the staff members. Without saying a word, the staff member merely made a welcoming gesture and led them toward one of the corridors.

After proceeding several dozen meters through the corridor, they entered another elevator. It continued downward, but this time it stopped after only a dozen seconds. When they emerged again, they found themselves in a circular room.

The room was still entirely constructed of metal, but a ring of enormous Soul Guide Screens hung on the walls. Various images flickered across them, all showing a green world that looked like a forest.

The staff member turned around and said, "There are six slots for entering the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform. There is no time limit. When you can no longer endure the dangers inside, press your SOS Signal Device and you will return here. Now, I'll explain the precautions."

"The Spirit Ascension Platform was built by our Spirit Pagoda over a thousand years, drawing upon countless accumulations and foundations and expending nearly all our resources.

It can itself be called another world, one that employs a great many spatial technologies. Therefore, the first thing you must understand is that the Spirit Ascension Platform is not a completely virtual world. Half of it is virtual, and half is real.

That is because much of the virtual data needs real feedback to function. The Primary Spirit Ascension Platform is the purely virtual portion, so your lives will not be threatened."

"Within the Spirit Ascension Platform, you can do anything, but the core objective is survival—strive to survive for as long as possible. The longer you survive, the greater the benefits you gain throughout the process."

"Second, do not think that it is absolutely safe inside and that you need not worry about your lives. Although only your brainwaves are connected, if you suffer intense stimulation, the impact on your brainwaves could still put you in danger.

Therefore, the moment you feel that it exceeds what you can endure, immediately press the SOS Signal Device and leave the Spirit Ascension Platform. Understood?"

"Understood," Nan Fusheng and the other five hurriedly answered.

The staff member nodded. "You can experience the rest yourselves inside. Today is your first entry, so you may not remain for long.

But it should leave a deep impression on you. Children, prepare yourselves mentally. Remember, do not panic no matter what happens. Soul Beasts are not frightening, as long as you respond appropriately."

After listening to the staff member's explanation, the six boys and girls were all eager to give it a try. Even Nan Fusheng was no exception. After all, he had only heard of virtual worlds in his previous life; he had never experienced one himself!

Brainwave connection? What would that feel like?

The staff member pressed a button, and six metal cabinets slowly slid out from the wall beside them. The cabinets lay horizontally, each containing a human-shaped recess. They looked somewhat like coffins.

"Lie down inside."

The six obeyed and lay down. The coldness of the metal sharpened their focus even further.

Instrumental suction cups emerged from all around them and quickly attached themselves snugly to various parts of their bodies.

"We're about to begin. Prepare yourselves. Just relax your entire bodies. During the scan, there may be some minor discomfort. Endure it, and it will pass."

Those were the last words Nan Fusheng and the others heard from the staff member. The six metal cabinets slowly slid back into the wall, and darkness filled their vision.

Nan Fusheng felt waves of tingling spread through every limb and bone at once, as though something was continually passing through his body. The Soul Power and blood within him were stimulated,

producing fluctuations on their own. The tingling grew stronger and stronger until his entire body felt numb.

He did not know how long had passed when his body suddenly jolted. As he instinctively woke from his half-drowsy state, he discovered that everything around him had become bright.

The metal cabinet was gone, and the tingling sensation had completely vanished. Only a metal device resembling an instrument had appeared on the back of his hand, with a distinct red button on it.

An SOS Signal Device?

Where was this?

Though he had been mentally prepared before entering, only after truly coming inside did he deeply understand how astonishing the Spirit Ascension Platform developed by the Spirit Pagoda was.

Thick trees surrounded him, while a vast stretch of shrubs lay ahead. There was no path at all. It felt as though he had entered a primeval forest.

Even more strangely, everything he felt was incredibly real. He lightly pinched his cheek and felt pain. Everything around him also felt entirely real to the touch.

So this was the so-called virtual world!

After his brief astonishment, Nan Fusheng gradually calmed himself. He had merely been curious about what this virtual world, which he had never experienced even in his previous life, was actually like.

Now that he had experienced it, the curiosity in his heart slowly subsided. He subconsciously looked down at his body. His clothes and trousers were still there.

That made sense. If they were not clothed, the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform would not be very friendly to girls.

Raising his hands, Nan Fusheng quietly sensed his abilities. Good, he could still steal as usual, and he could still sense Sefirah Castle.

He did not act rashly. From the staff member's earlier words, he could tell that the Spirit Ascension Platform was not safe. It should be extremely dangerous. He could encounter enemies at any time.

With that in mind, Nan Fusheng first crouched down and silently sensed everything around him. His Spiritual Power had already entered the Spirit Connection Realm, and his perception of the outside world was far stronger than before.

This was a place brimming with the aura of life. This was a true primeval forest! Did the Federation really still have such primeval forests?

As humans continued to harvest them, primeval forests had become fewer and fewer. It was said that the Star Dou Great Forest, once the continent's greatest forest, now retained less than one percent of its original area.

For Nan Fusheng, who had lived in a small county town in his previous life, this sort of primeval forest was something he could at most see on his phone. Even in this life, it was his first time seeing such scenery.

Pulling himself together, Nan Fusheng walked directly to a large tree. Using its trunk and the surrounding shrubs for concealment, he sat down cross-legged and released his Martial Soul.

From the outside, Nan Fusheng looked as though he was cultivating. But at that moment, he was using the perspective of his Soul Spirit: the parasite.

A tiny insect was slowly wriggling up the large tree behind which Nan Fusheng leaned. When it reached the top of the tree, it stopped there without moving.