Perfect Jade

As the final wisp of pure spiritual energy halo was greedily absorbed into the body of the Little Black Tiger soul spirit, its pitch-black luster seemed to deepen, and its illusory form solidified just a fraction. It let out a small, satisfied yawn before transforming into a streak of light, re-entering the body of Situ Xuan to fall into a deep slumber for digestion.

Situ Xuan could clearly feel that the origin of the Little Black Tiger was steadily strengthening, and the feedback from their soul connection had become even tighter.

As for himself, the spiritual energy dissipated after the death of these soul beasts was more for nourishing the physical body and recovering consumption for a Soul Master; its direct effect on increasing soul power rank was negligible, far less significant than what the soul spirit absorbed.

But he did not care; the greatest gain from this trip was no longer the increase in soul power rank, but the will sharpened between life and death, the baleful aura that had begun to fuse, and the experience of that mysterious realm of the "Fist of the North Star Secret Technique: Dragon-Turning Breathing Method."

The injuries in his body caused by the battle had mostly healed under the nourishment of spiritual energy and the operation of the Dragon-Turning Breathing Method, and his depleted soul power had recovered by thirty to forty percent.

He stood up and surveyed the forest floor he had turned upside down; the scent of blood was still thick, but that suffocating pressure had already vanished.

"Time to go back."

He whispered to himself, no longer lingering, and decisively raised his wrist, pressing his thumb firmly onto the bright red rescue signal device.

Hum—

A gentle yet irresistible force of space instantly enveloped him, and the surrounding scenery blurred and twisted like a fading oil painting, eventually turning into pure white.

A slight sensation of weightlessness arrived, followed by the feeling of his feet touching solid ground.

The scene before his eyes shifted, and the cold metallic texture replaced the wilderness of the primeval forest.

He was lying in that strangely shaped metal coffin.

Situ Xuan took a deep breath of the air outside, which carried a faint scent of disinfectant, and pushed his hands against the coffin walls, straightening his body with some stiffness.

The exhaustion brought on by long periods of intense mental focus and pushing his body to its limits washed over him like a tide, but he forcibly suppressed it with his powerful will.

He stepped out of the metal coffin and stretched his neck, his joints emitting faint, crisp cracks.

Immediately, he felt several scorching gazes that seemed almost capable of piercing through him.

Looking up, he saw that in the observation room, Long Hengxu, the director of the intermediate department of Eastsea Academy, his homeroom teacher Wu Zhangkong, and several Spirit Pagoda staff members were all gathered in front of the one-way glass, eyes wide, mouths slightly agape, their faces filled with disbelief, shock, and... a kind of astonishment as if looking at something inhuman.

Those gazes, mixed with scrutiny, inquiry, and even a trace of hard-to-detect wariness, were locked firmly onto him, as if he were not a student who had just emerged from the Spirit Ascension Platform, but a fierce beast wearing a human skin, having walked out from ancient baleful energy.

Situ Xuan's brows furrowed imperceptibly.

By nature, he disliked the feeling of being stared at like a monster, especially after experiencing a hearty yet exhausting battle; he craved peace and time to digest his insights more than anything.

"Tsk."

He clicked his tongue in displeasure, the sound appearing exceptionally clear in the silent observation room.

Meeting those gazes, his tone carried a cold hardness that had not yet fully subsided from the slaughter: "Everyone, why are you looking at me like that? Do I have flowers growing on my face, or is there something wrong with me?"

His voice broke the frozen atmosphere of the observation room.

Long Hengxu snapped back to reality, forcing a somewhat stiff smile onto his chubby face as he hurriedly pushed open the door of the observation room and walked out quickly: "No, no! Student Situ, are... are you alright? How do you feel?"

His tone carried undisguised excitement and caution.

Wu Zhangkong also walked out slowly. Although there was still no expression on his eternally frozen handsome face, his ice-blue eyes were as sharp as knives, as if he wanted to dissect Situ Xuan from the inside out. He remained silent, not speaking, but the invisible pressure he exerted was even greater than Long Hengxu's inquiry.

A middle-aged staff member from the Spirit Pagoda also followed out, holding a recording board. His eyes were filled with professional curiosity and shock as he said sincerely: "A talent to be molded, truly a talent to be molded! You... are you really only ten years old?"

The staff member's gaze was somewhat intense, looking at that almost perfect physique and the unique combat techniques displayed in the Spirit Ascension Platform.

He was absolutely a perfect piece of jade!

Situ Xuan did not answer immediately. He looked at the positions of the metal coffins of the other five, and realizing he was the first to wake up, he nonchalantly broke free from the suction cups on his body, stood up casually, and sat on a chair, bored, without answering the staff member's intrusive question.

Seeming to sense the thoughts of the Spirit Pagoda staff member, Wu Zhangkong stepped in front of the staff member who wanted to continue questioning and said seriously: "My student has just experienced a severe battle, so please do not disturb him excessively."

Wu Zhangkong's words were like a cold barrier, slightly blocking the overly enthusiastic Spirit Pagoda staff member. His tall, upright figure stood between Situ Xuan and the staff member intentionally or otherwise, his ice-blue eyes sweeping over the other man with an unquestionable air.

Stung by Wu Zhangkong's cold, sharp gaze, the staff member's heated brain suddenly cleared a bit. Realizing his lack of composure, he hurriedly took a step back in embarrassment, but his eyes still couldn't help but linger on Situ Xuan, and the pen on his recording board moved unconsciously; he was clearly still ruminating on the astonishing data just monitored.

Long Hengxu also reacted and quickly tried to smooth things over, his chubby face full of smiles as he asked Situ Xuan with concern: "Yes, yes, Teacher Wu is right! Student Situ, you just experienced such... er, intense combat, you must have consumed a lot and need to rest! How do you feel? Is there any discomfort in your body? Especially your left arm, that poison..."

He remembered the terrifying toxicity of the Seven-Colored Poisonous Miasma Python and still felt a lingering fear.

Even though he knew that this so-called poison and injury were merely simulations within the Spirit Ascension Platform, these pains would act on the spirit in a very real way. Historically, there had been no shortage of cases where people were left with shadows or even affected their future cultivation due to phantom mental pain.

Situ Xuan leaned lazily against the back of the chair, his eyelids half-closed, feeling the meridians in his body that were now smoother and tougher due to the initial fusion of baleful energy and soul power. The Dragon-Turning Breathing Method was like a trickling stream, silently nourishing every inch of his flesh and blood.

He lifted his left arm and moved his wrist, his tone flat: "It's fine, just a little poison, it's no longer a problem."

A light, offhand remark, yet it made the corners of the eyes of both Long Hengxu and the staff member twitch again.

A little poison?

That was the deadly venom of a thousand-year Seven-Colored Poisonous Miasma Python!

Even if it were a simulated effect in the Spirit Ascension Platform, the pain and the erosion of soul power and spirit were real!

Looking at his relaxed appearance now, it was as if he had only been bitten by a mosquito.