One Million Can Solve an Ancient Problem?

The Confinement Room was pitch-black.

Tang Hao lay on the floor, his body curled into the shape of a shrimp, veins bulging on his forehead as cold sweat ran down his cheeks.

The instant the Golden Dragon Claw pierced through his body, though it had happened inside the Spirit Ascension Platform, the pain had been fed back into his body with terrifying realism—and at one hundred percent.

"Ah—"

Tang Hao gritted his teeth, a low growl forcing its way from his throat.

His clothes were already soaked through with sweat, and he looked as if he had just been fished out of water.

"Not dead..."

Tang Hao panted heavily, his mind racing.

"That academy..."

"Lin Feng..."

"They want to use me as a sparring partner for those little brats."

And an unpaid one at that. No money needed, no items needed, not even his consent.

They had simply dragged him straight from the Confinement Room into the Spirit Ascension Platform, beaten him, then dragged him back again.

A trace of fear flashed through Tang Hao's eyes.

It was not fear of those students, but fear of Lin Feng.

Just how many more methods did that man have?

"This won't be the last time..."

Tang Hao muttered to himself.

"This is only the beginning."

As soon as the words left his mouth, his vision went dark.

His consciousness once again sank into chaos.

That damned feeling had come again.

After some time, the doors of the Virtual Pods opened one after another.

Everyone walked out, each wearing a different expression.

Some were excited, some were exhausted, and some were still savoring the battle from moments ago.

Ning Rongrong took off her helmet and drew in a deep breath.

"It's finally over..."

She thought to herself, her mind still replaying Tang Hao's earth-shaking Clear Sky Hammer.

"That uncle... was so strong."

"If it hadn't been for Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, we probably all would've died there."

Zhu Zhuqing also walked out of the Virtual Pod, her face somewhat pale. She had personally felt Tang Hao's hammer; that force was extremely terrifying, even more terrifying than Tang Wulin's strength.

Fortunately, inside the Spirit Ascension Platform, only the pain feedback after being injured was transmitted. The actual injuries were not fed back along with it.

Wu Zhangkong stood in the center of the hall, his lake-blue long hair giving off a faint sheen under the lights.

His gaze swept over everyone. Only after they had all stood properly did he speak.

"Everyone performed well in this Spirit Ascension Platform assessment."

His voice was not loud, but every person heard him clearly.

"Now, I will announce the contribution point rewards."

Everyone pricked up their ears.

"Tang Wulin's team defeated the final opponent and will receive an additional ten thousand contribution points."

"Together with the whole class's victory reward of ten thousand contribution points, that makes twenty thousand in total."

Tang Wulin nodded, a trace of joy appearing on his face. Obtaining twenty thousand contribution points had truly not been easy.

Xie Xie's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Ning Rongrong's heart skipped faster by two beats.

"Twenty thousand... we got it!"

She cheered in her heart. Mm... though she did not actually know whether twenty thousand contribution points was a lot or a little.

Wu Zhangkong continued.

"The rest of you did not defeat the final opponent, but you participated in the battle, so you will receive the whole class's victory reward of ten thousand contribution points."

Luo Ziyan and the others nodded one after another, their expressions fairly satisfied.

Ten thousand contribution points was not a small amount either.

Wu Zhangkong turned his head again and looked at Wu Siduo, Dai Yun'er, Ye Zhi, and Luo Guixing, who stood on the other side.

"You completed your mission in the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform as well."

"Each of you receives twenty thousand contribution points."

Wu Siduo nodded, the expression on her face still cold.

"The mission in the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform... they completed it too?"

"And it was also twenty thousand contribution points..."

"Looks like the opponents in the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform were at least as strong as the ones on our side."

Wu Zhangkong took a bracelet from his Soul Guidance Device.

It was silver-white all over, a faint luster flowing across its surface. It looked somewhat like the Storage Bracelet they had been issued before, yet not exactly the same.

With a wave of his hand, bracelet after bracelet floated out from his palm and landed steadily in front of everyone.

Everyone took the bracelets and turned them over in their hands, examining them.

Wu Zhangkong's voice rang out.

"On this bracelet is your corresponding information."

"That includes your name, martial soul, current soul power level, and contribution point balance."

"And... the items you can exchange for with contribution points."

"Inject soul power into it, and you can view them."

Ning Rongrong quickly put the bracelet on her wrist and injected soul power into it.

The next second, a screen of light popped out from the bracelet and hovered in front of her.

On the screen of light, lines of text and numbers were densely arranged.

[Name: Ning Rongrong]

[Martial Soul: Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda]

[Soul Power Level: Level 28]

[Contribution Points: 20000]

Ning Rongrong looked at her information, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

"Level 28..."

She thought to herself.

"When I entered the academy, I was only level 26. It's only been a few days, and I've already risen two levels."

"This speed was something I wouldn't even have dared to imagine before."

Her gaze moved downward.

A long list appeared on the screen of light.

[Exchangeable Items]

[Level 2 Soul Guidance Cannon—20000 contribution points]

[Level 2 Shield—20000 contribution points]

...

[Thousand-year soul bone—100000 contribution points]

...

Ning Rongrong read down line by line, her eyes growing wider and wider.

"These things... can all be exchanged for?"

She cried out in shock inwardly. Not only were there all kinds of dazzling Soul Guidance Devices, there were also soul bones, Golden Pearls, and other treasures.

She was just calculating when she suddenly noticed that at the very top of the list, there was a special note.

[Recommended Exchange]

Behind it was a flashing icon, as if specifically reminding her.

Curious, Ning Rongrong tapped that icon.

A new page popped out.

[Silk Tulip]

[Required Contribution Points: 1000000]

[Effect: Can evolve the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, breaking through innate shackles and allowing cultivation up to the realm of a nine-ring Title Douluo]

Ning Rongrong's pupils suddenly shrank.

Her entire body froze.

"O-one million?"

She sucked in a sharp breath.

"How long would it even take to save up that much?"

She only had twenty thousand contribution points right now.

One million was fifty times what she had now.

"This is way too expensive..."

Ning Rongrong bit her lip, her heart bleeding.

But the next second, she glanced again at the line describing its effect.

"It can evolve the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda."

Ning Rongrong's breathing suddenly grew rapid.

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda was the number one support-type martial soul in the world.

But it had a fatal flaw: one could never break through to eight rings in one's lifetime. Seven rings was the limit.

The successive sect masters of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had spent their entire lives unable to solve this problem.

Ning Rongrong had known since she was little that she could only cultivate to seven rings at most in this life. She had originally wanted to look for a way to break through that limitation through Ye Zhi, but she had never expected to find it here.

On the wristband, it was written clear as day that there was something called the "Silk Tulip" that could evolve the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Looking at it this way, being able to solve the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's age-old problem for one million contribution points could hardly be called expensive. It could even be said to be quite cheap.

Ye Zhi had probably evolved her martial soul through this method too, right?

At this moment, Ning Rongrong was practically itching with impatience. How could she obtain more contribution points?