First Entry onto the Spirit Ascension Platform

A few days later, Wu Changkong, dressed in a sharp outfit, walked onto the podium and spoke slowly: "There is no class today, nor will we conduct combat training. Everyone, follow me to the Spirit Pagoda."

The group followed Wu Changkong in unison as they headed toward the Spirit Pagoda.

"The academy has secured a spot for Zero Class to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform within the Spirit Pagoda for training once every week."

As they walked, the Spirit Pagoda suddenly appeared before their eyes; the magnificent building possessed an inherent, solemn, and imposing aura.

Wu Changkong led Lin Chen, Gu Yuena, and the others inside. No sooner had they entered the door than a tall, upright figure walked over quickly. Long Hengxu had been waiting there for a long time. "Teacher Wu."

"Director Long." Wu Changkong offered a concise greeting.

"Wow! Look at this mural. Is this the legendary Spirit Ice Douluo, the founder of the Spirit Pagoda, Huo Yuhao?"

On the mural, the young man stood tall and proud, his body surrounded by a radiance interwoven with biting ice and snow and vast spiritual power. It was indeed the founder of the Spirit Pagoda, Huo Yuhao.

Lin Chen followed Xie Xie's gaze, his cyan-glazed eyes quietly observing the figure on the mural. As for him, Lin Chen had no particular opinion.

Gu Yuena's purple eyes swept over the mural indifferently. Her expression remained calm as she stood quietly by Lin Chen's side.

Xie Xie then caught sight of an exquisite woman beside Huo Yuhao. He reacted immediately and blurted out, "The one beside him must be the Dragon Butterfly Douluo, Tang Wutong, right? She's truly majestic!"

Tang Wulin looked at Tang Wutong on the mural, his eyes slightly stunned, a trace of inexplicable intimacy rising in his heart.

Lin Chen turned his head to look at Tang Wulin, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Wulin, I've noticed you look a bit like the person on the mural. Your names are also quite similar; you both share the surname Tang, and both have the character 'Wu' in your names."

Xie Xie immediately leaned in, grabbing Tang Wulin's arm, and teased him boisterously: "Hey? Lin Chen, your eyes are sharp. Looking closely, you really do look a bit alike. Could it be that you two are relatives?"

Just as Xie Xie was pestering Tang Wulin, before he could finish his sentence, Long Hengxu coughed lightly to interrupt their chatter: "Alright, put the gossip aside and follow me."

As he spoke, he gestured for everyone to follow, leading the group to a polished alloy elevator door to the side.

Tang Wulin looked at Wu Changkong with some confusion and asked, "Teacher Wu, aren't you coming into the Spirit Ascension Platform with us?"

Wu Changkong's tone was flat: "The Primary Spirit Ascension Platform is only accessible to soul masters below the fourth ring."

Long Hengxu took over the conversation from the side, "The two of us will be guarding the monitoring room outside the Spirit Ascension Platform, keeping an eye on every move you make. If you encounter danger, withdraw immediately."

Upon hearing this, Xie Xie scratched his head: "So that's how it is. I thought Teacher Wu would be coming in to protect us."

The elevator doors closed and moved slowly deep into the underground. After a short while, the elevator opened, and several staff members were waiting at the entrance.

Long Hengxu took out a card. After a staff member took it, they led them further inside.

They arrived at a metal room. The interior was entirely silver-white and minimalist, with no extra furnishings. In the center of the room, six metal pods emitting a cold light were neatly arranged.

After the staff gave them some final instructions, the six of them lay down one by one. As the connection program started, a faint sensation of electric current crawled over their entire bodies, and their consciousness gradually blurred.

Lin Chen opened his eyes and looked around, discovering that he had arrived in a primeval forest. He stretched his limbs and said, "Huh? Am I this lucky? Not a single soul beast? Forget it, this is fine too. I might as well go look for Na'er."

Outside, Long Hengxu's mouth twitched slightly when he saw this. He looked at Wu Changkong and couldn't help but ask, "Teacher Wu, what is Lin Chen doing?"

"He appears to be full of openings, but in reality, he has none." Wu Changkong found a random excuse to brush it off. It seemed that there was nothing in this Primary Spirit Ascension Platform that could threaten Lin Chen.

In another part of the Spirit Ascension Platform, Zhang Yangzi slowly opened his eyes. Wanting to find where Wang Jinxi was, he followed his intuition and activated his Martial Soul Possession.

Zhang Yangzi's feet suddenly lifted off the ground, and he rushed into the sky above the dense forest, hoping to use the high altitude to quickly find Wang Jinxi.

But before he could search carefully, a cyan bird darted out from beside the clouds. Zhang Yangzi's heart tightened; without time to think, he activated his second soul skill, Eagle Strikes the Sky.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yangzi was immediately headshot by the cyan bird and was eliminated on the spot.

Lin Chen stopped in his tracks, muttering to himself, "Why do I feel like something is watching me?"

Suddenly, a purple-black spider web appeared above his head, covering him.

Lin Chen jumped backward, narrowly dodging the attack. He looked up, and an incredibly disgusting human face appeared in his field of vision. "Damn, a Hundred Year Man Faced Demon Spider? Isn't this the 'noble benefactor' of that little brat? Let me have a go at you."

Lin Chen did not hesitate. His soul power surged out, and the first purple soul ring around his body lit up. His first soul skill: Thunderous Might.

Thick, cyan dragon-shaped bolts of lightning lunged toward the Man Faced Demon Spider above his head.

Before it could dodge, its massive body was completely pierced by the lightning, and its form turned into countless fine light spots that slowly dissipated.

The air was filled with an unpleasant burnt smell. Lin Chen frowned: "Ugh, that's disgusting." He then continued to walk deeper into the forest. Not far away, the woodland was a mess, covered in traces of scorched earth from flames.

Without needing to think, these traces were definitely left by Na'er.

In the monitoring room outside, Long Hengxu saw Lin Chen finish the battle cleanly on the screen and couldn't help but say, "He solved it in one move?"

Wu Changkong had no intention of responding to Long Hengxu, continuing to watch the scene on the screen on his own.

A slender, delicate figure appeared before Lin Chen, but before he could call out to greet her, a giant bear covered in a layer of crystals burst out from the bushes nearby.

Lin Chen's heart tightened, and he immediately shouted to warn her: "Na'er, watch out!"

Before his voice faded, he stomped his foot, his figure turning into a cyan streak of light as he charged straight toward Gu Yuena.

Gu Yuena turned her head at the sound, her purple eyes instantly turning cold. A thousand-year Crystal Bear—its brute force was immense, and its defensive power was ridiculously high. If she were alone, a bitter battle would be inevitable.

Gu Yuena flashed and teleported directly to Lin Chen's side. She looked up at the boy beside her; having been together for so long, a single glance was enough to understand what the other wanted to express.

Before the Crystal Bear could launch its charge, Gu Yuena took the initiative, bombarding it with fireballs. The damage wasn't high, but the insult was immense.

The Crystal Bear roared in anger from the harassment of the fireballs and was just about to charge forward when a dull, rumbling sound suddenly erupted from behind, and one large tree after another began to topple.

Lin Chen and Gu Yuena turned their heads to look, only to see a figure frantically weaving through the forest—it was Xie Xie, who had been running for his life.

Lin Chen's face immediately darkened. With a Crystal Bear in front and an unknown soul beast lured by Xie Xie behind, he planned to settle the score with Xie Xie once they got out. He would definitely have to give him a little shock.

Xie Xie saw Lin Chen and Gu Yuena in front and, as if he had found a savior, screamed at the top of his lungs: "Help! Lin Chen, Gu Yuena, there's a Hundred Year Unicorn Dragon chasing me and it won't let go!"