A lone peak howled, shaking a thousand ridges, its proud bearing towering over the surrounding mountains.
Golden eyes tore through the night and set the stars ablaze; an iron tail shattered the clouds and split the heavens.
Winds swept through ten thousand valleys in the wake of a king's aura; thunder from the nine heavens tempered the steel within his bones.
Jagged cliffs became footholds for ascent; the peak of Martial Dao was home.
As the stars shifted and the sun and moon moved on.
Nearly a full semester had passed since Situ Xuan arrived at Eastsea Academy in Eastsea City.
Ever since Zero Class had been established, Eastsea Academy had never failed to provide the promised weekly opportunity to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform.
That also made Situ Xuan more willing to put on a show of fitting in with the team.
At least until he became independent, Eastsea Academy would provide resources, and he would win prestige for it in the upcoming Tianhai Alliance Tournament. It was a fair exchange.
Zero Class had only existed for three months, but with regular access to the Spirit Ascension Platform, where he could release the pent-up aggression in his chest, Situ Xuan's progress had become even more rapid.
From level twelve or thirteen at the start, he had risen all the way to level nineteen Soul Power. If Situ Xuan's enrollment records were not still sitting in Long Hengxu's office drawer, no one would have believed that Situ Xuan was merely an eleven-year-old boy with Innate Soul Power of level three...
"Teacher Wu, do we have to take final exams too?"
In the classroom, Tang Wulin asked in surprise.
"You do."
Wu Zhangkong said calmly, "Your final exams will have two subjects. The first is the Spirit Ascension Platform."
The Spirit Ascension Platform?
Over the past three months, they had entered the Spirit Ascension Platform eleven times. From their initial confusion to their current familiarity, unless their luck was exceptionally bad, they could now survive for at least an hour every time they entered.
The longest record was over three hours, held by Xie Xie.
As for Situ Xuan...
He still maintained his usual style—arrive with a goal, complete it, then withdraw quickly.
"You need to last one hour in the Spirit Ascension Platform to pass the final exam. However, I need to remind you that this time, you will be entering the Spirit Ascension Platform during its riot period."
A mysterious smile appeared on Wu Zhangkong's face as he explained, "The Spirit Ascension Platform has two riot periods every year. At first, these were caused by instability in the energy used to construct it... During a riot period, teams may enter the Spirit Ascension Platform together, though no more than seven people can enter at once. The five of you are just right; you will be teleported in together... If someone leaves the Spirit Ascension Platform during this process, their remaining spiritual energy will be absorbed by the nearest Soul Master. This is a special condition that only appears during the Spirit Ascension Platform's riot period."
Zhang Yangzi said, "So others can steal the spiritual energy from our Soul Beasts, and we can steal theirs too?"
Wu Zhangkong replied flatly, "If you are confident, of course you can steal from others. But I need to remind you that the entry limit for the beginner Spirit Ascension Platform is the peak of three rings. And entering during the riot period comes at a very high cost, so many Soul Masters only come to gamble once when they reach the peak of three rings, hoping to kill more Soul Beasts and advance their Soul Spirits. Therefore, the opponents you will face will be very strong."
Tang Wulin said, "Teacher, don't worry. We'll rely on the strength of the group!"
"Hmm?!"
Opponents?
Very strong?
The moment he heard those keywords, Situ Xuan, who had been absentminded and seemingly detached from everything, immediately caught the scent!
A sharp glint instantly lit his usually placid eyes, like a slumbering ferocious beast catching the scent of prey. His body, which had been lazily leaning against the back of his chair, unconsciously leaned forward slightly, and for the first time, his gaze truly focused on Wu Zhangkong.
"Riot period... peak of three rings..."
He repeated those two phrases softly, his fingertips tapping lightly against the desk without thought, producing faint knocking sounds. There was a suppressed excitement within that rhythm.
To him, the greatest value of the Spirit Ascension Platform had never been that bit of Soul Beast energy. It was a battlefield where he could unleash his strength to his heart's content, test what he had learned, and temper himself at the edge of life and death!
The usual Spirit Ascension Platform, though filled with Soul Beasts, lacked opponents of sufficient caliber. It always left him feeling as though he were scratching an itch through a boot.
Now, hearing that a great number of peak three-ring Soul Masters would flood in, willing to pay any price to advance their Soul Spirits, and that the rules allowed them to fight over the spoils... this was practically a hunting ground tailored for him!
"Entering as a team?"
A faint yet icy curve rose at the corner of Situ Xuan's mouth. "In other words, the six of us will appear together?"
Tang Wulin nodded forcefully. "That's right, Situ! This time, we can fight side by side!"
He was clearly full of anticipation for teamwork.
Xie Xie rubbed his hands together as well. "Hehe, we can finally have a real fight! Let those three-ring guys see how formidable Zero Class is!"
Gu Yue said nothing, but a trace of seriousness showed in her eyes.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi were both nervous and expectant.
Situ Xuan's gaze swept over these four nominal "teammates." The impatience that had risen within him because of the word "team" was now suppressed by his thirst for powerful opponents.
Pieces on the board... if they can be of some use, that would not be bad.
He thought coldly.
In such a chaotic environment, where attacks against one another were permitted, these "teammates" could at least serve as targets to draw fire, or help him clear out the fodder so he could focus on hunting the true "big fish"—those peak three-ring Soul Masters!
"Interesting."
Situ Xuan finally spoke. His voice remained calm, but anyone familiar with him could hear the unusual undertone within it. "When does it begin?"
Wu Zhangkong took in Situ Xuan's reaction and understood.
He knew that for someone like Situ Xuan, only powerful opponents and challenges could truly stir his interest.
"Three days from now. Gather at the Spirit Pagoda on time."
"You have these three days off. You can relax, but make your preparations as well."
Wu Zhangkong said evenly, "Remember, the Spirit Ascension Platform during its riot period is far more dangerous than usual. The danger comes not only from Soul Beasts, but also from other Soul Masters. You are one whole; you share glory and disgrace. If anyone is eliminated early, their remaining spiritual energy will become nourishment for others."
His gaze deliberately lingered on Situ Xuan for a moment, carrying a warning.
Situ Xuan noncommittally shifted his gaze away and looked out the window again, but cold battle intent had already ignited in his deep eyes.
The peak of three rings...
I hope you will not disappoint me too much.
He was already looking forward to using the defeats of those so-called "strong ones" to verify the control he had gained over Malevolent Qi during these past three months, as well as his deeper understanding of the Fist of the North Star.
This time, perhaps he could finally...
Have a little fun!
Before you continue