Crystal Bear

At this, Zhang Zhenpeng shook his head, his expression calm.

"Don't worry. We tested Wang Zhi's Spiritual Power at the academy earlier. It's enough to accommodate a Thousand Year Spirit."

The staff member nodded and said no more, continuing to watch the screen.

By then, he was already convinced that Wang Zhi was at least a Three Rings Soul Elder.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain such terrifying strength.

None of the Hundred Year Soul Beasts had been able to withstand even a single blow from that summon.

Other than a Three Rings Soul Elder, he didn't think a Soul Master with one or two rings could accomplish something like this.

So he wasn't particularly surprised.

Of course, if he knew Wang Zhi's actual cultivation was only at level fifteen, his expression would be anything but calm.

Meanwhile, inside the Spirit Ascension Platform.

Wang Zhi felt the feedback from the Glow Grass, and a flicker of impatience crossed his eyes.

Six hundred years.

Over the past half hour, thanks to the slaughter carried out by the fifteen Ghost Shadow Ninjas, his Soul Spirit Age had risen from one hundred years to six hundred.

A full five hundred years!

But he still thought it was too slow.

He was still four hundred years short of the thousand-year mark.

This was mainly because the Glow Grass had been only a hundred years old when he bought it.

That was standard practice at the Spirit Pagoda. All Hundred Year Spirits sold to the public were actually around a hundred years old, with very few exceptions.

Wang Zhi sometimes wondered whether the Spirit Pagoda had arranged things this way to sell more expensive slots in the Spirit Ascension Platform.

Whatever the reason, he was now eager to enter the Beginner Spirit Ascension Platform.

Just then, a sudden cry rang out through one of the fifteen views he shared.

Wang Zhi's attention snapped to the image.

In it, Zhou Tian'er was running for her life.

A huge bear was right behind her, in hot pursuit.

Its whole body was translucent, as if carved from crystal, and it gave off a faint glow.

Every step made the ground tremble, and the trees around it toppled as it crashed into them.

A Crystal Bear—a Thousand Year Soul Beast.

Wang Zhi furrowed his brow.

Thousand Year Soul Beasts were generally on par with Three Rings Soul Elders.

Although Zhou Tian'er's Martial Soul was Wood Spirit, giving her a major advantage in a forest environment, she was only level twenty-five. There was no way she could defeat a Thousand Year Soul Beast.

Without hesitation, he issued a command in his mind.

The fourteen Ghost Shadow Ninjas all turned and raced toward Zhou Tian'er.

At the same time, the Ghost Shadow Ninja hiding near her had already made its move.

Zhou Tian'er was in a sorry state.

She'd only wanted to find a few Hundred Year Soul Beasts to practice against. Who would've thought she'd be so unlucky as to run straight into a thousand-year Crystal Bear?

She had no idea what had gotten into the beast. The moment it saw her, it started chasing her, and it still wouldn't give up.

She raised her hand, and a flash of green light flickered in her palm.

The ancient trees around her instantly thrust out countless branches, weaving them into a huge net in front of the Crystal Bear.

Using the branches' spring, she leapt onto the canopy of a nearby tree.

At last, she'd managed to shake it off.

She'd barely breathed a sigh of relief when a deafening roar sounded behind her.

Yellow light blazed across the Crystal Bear's body. It shot forward like a cannonball and smashed into the ancient tree.

Boom!

The massive tree snapped, sending splinters flying.

The canopy beneath Zhou Tian'er's feet shook violently. She lost her balance, and her body plunged downward.

The wind howled past her.

She looked down. Beneath her, the ferocious Crystal Bear waited with its jaws wide open, ready to catch her as she fell.

Zhou Tian'er sighed inwardly.

It looked like her training for the day was about to end.

She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact that would send her out of the Spirit Ascension Platform.

But the expected pain never came.

Her body suddenly jolted to a stop, no longer falling.

A familiar presence enveloped her.

Overjoyed, Zhou Tian'er abruptly opened her eyes.

Wang Zhi's face, tinged with worry, was right in front of her.

"Tian'er Jie, are you okay?"

Wang Zhi asked.

Zhou Tian'er froze for a moment, then wrapped her arms around Wang Zhi's neck and clung to him, making it easier for him to carry her as he moved.

After catching her breath, she teased him.

"If you'd been any slower, I might not have been."

Seeing that she still had the energy to joke, Wang Zhi knew she wasn't badly hurt.

His gaze dropped to the Crystal Bear below.

A Ghost Shadow Ninja was keeping it occupied.

The ninja moved unpredictably around the bear, firing Shuriken from time to time. The Crystal Bear roared in fury, but couldn't shake it off.

Wang Zhi seized his chance, stepped on the Crystal Bear's head, and used it to land safely.

His foot came down squarely on the bear's forehead.

Humiliated, the Crystal Bear flew into a rage. It let out a deafening roar, reared up on its hind legs, and charged straight at Wang Zhi.

The earth shook beneath them.

Its enormous body was like a moving hill. Every step made the ground shudder.

Trees snapped and dirt flew everywhere in its wake.

Even with the giant bear charging straight at him, Wang Zhi's expression didn't change.

He simply said, "Kill it."

As soon as the words left his mouth, another shadow shot out from the nearby bushes.

It was a Ghost Shadow Ninja. As it soared through the air, it flung out several Shuriken, which streaked toward the Crystal Bear.

The bear roared and swung its paw to block them, but one Shuriken curved around its paw at an impossible angle and struck its left eye.

ROAR!

The Crystal Bear let out a piteous scream, its massive body convulsing.

Blood poured from its eye socket. It thrashed its head wildly, trying to escape the pain.

But the two Ghost Shadow Ninjas gave it no chance.

They attacked in perfect coordination, one drawing its attention from the front while the other struck from the side.

Shuriken, kunai, and throwing stars rained down on the beast, leaving wound after wound across its body.

The Crystal Bear's roars grew weaker, and its movements slowed.

At last, its enormous body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Soon, a glow far brighter and denser than that of a Hundred Year Soul Beast rose from its body.

The Glow Grass appeared over Wang Zhi's shoulder. Its leaves danced, instantly drawing the glow inside.

The danger was over.

Zhou Tian'er was still in Wang Zhi's arms when he spoke, sounding helpless.

"Tian'er Jie, I've already taken care of the Crystal Bear."

"We're safe now. Shouldn't you get down?"

Zhou Tian'er froze.

She'd been so caught up in Wang Zhi's embrace and the reassuring presence of his body that she'd forgotten the Crystal Bear had been chasing her.

So when she heard he'd already dealt with it, she was astonished.

"Xiao Zhi, you're incredible!"

"You can even take down a Thousand Year Soul Beast!"

"You really are my little brother!"

She said this with a smug smile, as if she were the one who'd done something impressive.

Then she let go and hopped down from Wang Zhi's arms.