Entering

If Gu Yue learned Tang Wulin's true identity, would she lose her temper? Nan Fusheng did not know.

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

That said, Tang Wulin's identity could indeed become a bargaining chip. Nan Fusheng pondered this from the side. If he ever dealt with the Holy Spirit Cult in the future, he could use it to seek benefits.

"Alright, let's go." Long Hengxu's voice roused the six students. He smiled. "When I first came to the Eighteen Heavenly Pillars, I was just as curious as you are. After coming here more often, that feeling gradually faded. Still, 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, the only ones you can rely on are yourselves."

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

Wu Changkong said, "Only Spirit Masters below four rings 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 on your own. We'll explain the precautions to you 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 status as the continent's foremost organization. With its 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 finally stopped.

When they exited, they found themselves in a spacious hall with more than a dozen staff members. Beyond it stretched a series of metal passageways.

Long Hengxu took out an unusually designed card and handed it to one of the staff members. Without saying a word, the staff member merely gestured for them to follow, then led them toward one of the corridors.

After walking dozens of meters down the corridor, they entered another elevator. It continued downward, but this time it stopped after only a dozen seconds. When the doors opened 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. All sorts of images flickered across them, all depicting a green world that looked like a forest.

The staff member turned around. "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 created by our Spirit Pagoda over more than a thousand years, drawing on countless accumulations and foundations while consuming nearly all our resources.

"It can itself be called another world, with a large number of spatial technologies employed within it. 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.

"Because much virtual data requires real feedback. The Primary Spirit Ascension Platform is considered 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. Survive, and do your best to survive for as long as possible. The longer you survive, the more benefits you will gain during the process."

"Second, do not assume that it is absolutely safe inside and that you need not worry about your lives. Although only your brainwaves are connected, if you suffer an immense shock, your brainwaves may still be impacted too severely, putting you in danger.

"So, once you feel that something has exceeded the limits of 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 replied.

The staff member nodded. "You can experience the rest yourselves inside. This is your first time entering today, so perhaps you won't last very long.

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

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

Brainwave connection? What would that feel like?

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

"Lie down inside."

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

One suction-cup-like instrument after another emerged around them, quickly attaching to various parts of their bodies with perfect precision.

"We're about to begin. Get ready. Just relax your entire bodies. During the scan, there may be some slight 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 pods slowly slid back into their original positions in the wall, and darkness filled their vision.

Nan Fusheng only felt waves of numbness and tingling spread through every part of his body, as though something were continuously passing through him. The Soul Power and blood within his body were stimulated,

and began to fluctuate on their own. The tingling sensation grew stronger and stronger, making his entire body feel numb.

He did not know how much time had passed when, suddenly, his body jolted. As he instinctively woke from his half-drowsing state, he was astonished to find that everything around him had become completely bright.

The metal pod was gone, and the numbness had vanished without a trace. Only a metal-device-like object had appeared on the back of his hand, with a conspicuous red button on it.

SOS Signal Device?

Where am I?

Though he had been somewhat prepared before entering, only after truly arriving did he deeply understand just how shocking the Spirit Ascension Platform developed by the Spirit Pagoda truly was.

Around him stood thick trees, while a vast stretch of shrubs lay ahead. There was no path at all. It felt as if he had entered a primeval forest.

Even more strange was how incredibly real everything felt to him. He gently pinched his cheek and felt pain. Everything around him also felt completely real to the touch.

So this was the so-called virtual world!

After the brief surprise passed, Nan Fusheng gradually calmed himself. After all, he had merely been curious about what this virtual world, something he had never experienced even in his previous life, was actually like.

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

Right, if they were not wearing clothes, then this Primary Spirit Ascension Platform would not be very friendly to girls.

Raising both hands, Nan Fusheng quietly sensed his abilities. Good. Steal could be used normally, and he could still sense Sefirah Castle.

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

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

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

As humans continued to cut them down, primeval forests had become increasingly scarce. It was said that the Star Dou Great Forest, once the continent's largest 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, he could at most see this kind of primeval forest on his phone. Even in this life, this was his first time seeing such scenery.

Regaining his senses, Nan Fusheng walked directly to a large tree. Using its trunk and the surrounding shrubbery as cover, he sat down cross-legged and released his Martial Soul.

From the outside, Nan Fusheng appeared to be cultivating. Yet at that moment, he was using the perspective of his Soul Spirit: Parasitism.

On the tree Nan Fusheng leaned against, a tiny insect was slowly wriggling upward. When it reached the top of the tree, it stopped there without moving.