Testing Spiritual Power

Next, Tang Wulin had it rough. Perhaps it was because Wu Zhangkong wanted revenge for Tang Wulin being late yesterday.

As one of the three uninjured students, and a male at that, he became Wu Zhangkong's teaching example.

Through constant practical combat, Wu Zhangkong explained combat techniques and precautions to the other students. Tang Wulin, meanwhile, was knocked to the ground again and again, enduring repeated strikes from the teaching whip.

As for why Nan Fusheng had not been chosen? Tang Wulin was simply too tough and thick-skinned. During his earlier spar with Tang Wulin, Wu Zhangkong had discovered that Tang Wulin's defenses were astonishingly strong.

Against attacks from opponents at the same level, he had more than enough defensive power.

Although Nan Fusheng had a decent physique as well, Tang Wulin was clearly better at taking a beating. Besides, when it came to making an example out of someone, beating Tang Wulin was more cost-effective.

News of Zero Class's establishment quickly spread throughout the academy, and Nan Fusheng and the other five naturally became celebrities.

However, they were all forbidden from revealing Zero Class's teaching methods. Thus, after a few days of curiosity, the academy settled back into calm.

Wu Zhangkong was only one of their instructors. More guidance soon followed. Unlike ordinary classes, which focused more on theory, Zero Class leaned more toward practical combat instruction.

Just as Dean Yu Zhen had said, the academy gave Zero Class its fullest support. Whether it was the teaching methods, nutritious food, teacher assignments, or equipment and facilities, everything was the best available.

On the second day, Tang Wulin no longer had to endure Wu Zhangkong's teaching whip alone, because Wu Zhangkong added Nan Fusheng to the mix as well.

When Nan Fusheng had watched Wu Zhangkong discipline Tang Wulin before, he had found it rather amusing. But when the teaching whip truly landed on him, he finally understood what it meant to hurt to the core.

Still, under this kind of instruction, his improvement was obvious. It was truly painful yet gratifying.

Ten days later, Nan Fusheng happily gained three new teammates. Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi had recovered from their injuries and began joining the practical combat sessions. Thus, Zero Class became filled with miserable screams.

Wu Zhangkong had never understood the meaning of holding back. When that teaching whip came down, the pain truly pierced to the bone! Yet it would not actually injure them.

In Wu Zhangkong's words, only Pain could carve itself most deeply into a person's memory.

The only lucky one was Gu Yue. Perhaps because she was a girl, Wu Zhangkong was always somewhat gentler when teaching her. Even when the teaching whip occasionally landed on her, it only left her feeling numb and tingly.

"Today, you will undergo a series of physical tests. Practical combat training will be suspended for one class." Early that morning, Wu Zhangkong entered the classroom and brought what was very good news for Zero Class.

Everyone was beginning to fear Combat Practice Class. That pain had simply left too deep an impression.

Wu Zhangkong led the six of them into a room brimming with technological sophistication. The entire interior was covered in silver metal panels. Upon entering, one's first impression was that they had stepped into a silver world.

Machines they had never seen before stood throughout the room.

"We'll begin with a spiritual power test. Xie Xie, you're first."

Wu Zhangkong held a form in his hand, ready to record the results.

Xie Xie's spiritual power had grown normally. Compared with his previous test, it had risen by two points, reaching thirty-one.

Wang Jinxi went next. Wang Jinxi's spiritual power was rather weak, at only eighteen points.

"Wang Jinxi, you must work hard to improve your spiritual power. Otherwise, you won't be able to fuse with more Soul Spirits in the future," Wu Zhangkong said flatly.

Wang Jinxi had always been quiet and reserved. After hearing that, he merely nodded in acknowledgment.

Then it was Zhang Yangzi's turn.

"Spiritual power: forty-one. Not bad. Work hard and break through to the high level of the Spirit Origin Realm within a year or two."

Tang Wulin was third from last.

Zhang Yangzi had kept his eyes fixed on him. Of the four, the one he hated most was the one who had broken both his legs. He had also always wanted to compare himself with Tang Wulin.

After spending the past few days together, he had also realized that Tang Wulin's abilities mainly lay in his extraordinary strength, along with that strange mutated right arm.

As for his Martial Soul, it was merely Blue Silver Grass, nothing worth mentioning. Thus, Zhang Yangzi increasingly felt that his loss that day had been unjust.

How much spiritual power could a power-type Soul Master like Wang Jinxi possibly have? It certainly would not be very high.

Tang Wulin walked over and sat before the machine. The spiritual power tester slowly descended, covering his head.

The test began!

This spiritual power tester was the academy's most advanced model. Its scale, which displayed spiritual power intensity, was colored and could change color according to different levels of spiritual power.

Spiritual power in the Spirit Origin Realm was white. Tang Wulin's reading continued to rise, quickly surpassing Wang Jinxi's eighteen points.

It continued upward—twenty, twenty-five, thirty...

Zhang Yangzi stared at the scale in surprise. No way. Tang Wulin was a Power Attack System Battle Soul Master with only one soul ring, yet he had thirty points of spiritual power? In that regard, Jinxi was far inferior to him.

Thirty-five, forty...

Forty-two, forty-three—he had surpassed Zhang Yangzi. And his spiritual power was still rising.

In the end, Tang Wulin's spiritual power stopped at sixty-six. Xie Xie, standing nearby, was also dumbfounded. Only a few months had passed since the last test.

Tang Wulin's spiritual power had actually surged by twenty-two points? Sixty-six points of spiritual power had already reached the high level of the Spirit Origin Realm.

Next to sit in the machine was Nan Fusheng.

Zhang Yangzi suddenly thought of something. Did Teacher Wu's order have some special meaning? Aside from Xie Xie, who had gone first, the next three had all gone from low to high.

Mental-type Soul Masters like Nan Fusheng, as well as people like Gu Yue who controlled elements, should need spiritual power more. Could the two of them have even higher spiritual power than Tang Wulin?

His question did not last long. The machine activated, and the scale almost instantly gave him the answer.

Nan Fusheng's spiritual power shot past the white line and directly entered the world of yellow. When Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi watched the reading break past one hundred and continue soaring upward, both could not help opening their mouths wide.

The Spirit Origin Realm represented the beginning of all things. From the moment every person was born, they possessed spiritual power at the Spirit Origin Realm; it was the most basic level of spiritual power. Spirit Origin Realm spiritual power could support yellow Soul Spirits and those below yellow.

The Spirit Connection Realm meant that one's mind and spirit were linked, with thought arriving wherever intent reached. Upon reaching the Spirit Connection Realm, one began to grasp the control of spiritual power and could truly wield one's own spiritual power as one wished. It could support two yellow Soul Spirits or one purple Soul Spirit.

The gap between major realms was a qualitative leap! No wonder the two were so shocked. Reaching the Spirit Connection Realm meant that Nan Fusheng could already fuse with a purple Soul Spirit.

The two stared at Nan Fusheng in disbelief. This guy had not performed particularly well in the Class Promotion Tournament, but his spiritual power was truly outstanding! They had never even heard of a first-year student at an Intermediate Soul Master Academy breaking through the first major realm of spiritual power!

Even graduating from the Intermediate Division of an Intermediate Soul Master Academy after breaking through this realm would count as being an exceptionally talented student. One of the greatest obstacles to graduating from the Advanced Division was reaching the Spirit Connection Realm in spiritual power. How many Soul Masters had this once prevented from graduating smoothly?

Yet Nan Fusheng had achieved this breakthrough in his first year. It was simply unbelievable!

Spiritual power exceeding one hundred meant entering another level, advancing from the Spirit Origin Realm into the Spirit Connection Realm.

One hundred and twenty-five. That was Nan Fusheng's final test result, only six points higher than Gu Yue's previous result. Even Wu Zhangkong, standing nearby, glanced at the number with slight surprise.