First Visit to the Spirit Ascension Platform / The Wolf Pack

At that thought, Bai Chen's eyes could not help but light up.

Mm, it was indeed worth a try.

Just as he figured it out, Zang Xin had already brought him to a parking lot not far from the Spirit Pagoda.

Looking at the towering structure before him, Bai Chen let out a long breath.

He rarely came here. Seeing it up close, it really was quite impressive.

In a sense, the Spirit Pagoda was the force in the Douluo III Era that came closest to Spirit Hall's position.

In terms of overall strength, it was undoubtedly the Federation's strongest force. In this era, where Soul Beasts were nearly extinct, Soul Spirit technology was simply too important. The Spirit Pagoda, which possessed all authority related to Soul Spirits, could even be said to influence the entire soul master world. Nearly every soul master was constrained by it.

First Entering the Spirit Ascension Platform

Zang Xin brought Bai Chen into the Spirit Pagoda. After showing the relevant documents at the counter, he pulled Bai Chen into an elevator.

A faint sensation of weightlessness washed over them, indicating that they were descending deep underground beneath the Spirit Pagoda.

The elevator had no floor display. Bai Chen and Zang Xin waited a full five minutes before its doors opened again.

Beyond the elevator was a circular hall. Zang Xin displayed the relevant identification once more, and before long, a staff member hurried over and led them toward the depths of the hall.

He tapped the wall, and a cabinet automatically slid out. Inside was a humanoid indentation that looked somewhat like a coffin.

The staff member did not immediately ask Bai Chen to lie down. Instead, he smiled and began explaining the precautions for the Spirit Ascension Platform.

"The Spirit Ascension Platform is a virtual space developed by the Spirit Pagoda at enormous cost. Inside, your safety will be fully guaranteed. At the same time, the longer you remain inside, the greater the benefits you will receive..."

Although everything he said was something Bai Chen already knew, Bai Chen did not interrupt. He listened carefully until the explanation was finished, then lay down inside the "coffin" as instructed.

Bai Chen did not know what the staff member did, but the coffin-like cabinet returned into the wall. A faint numbness flowed into his body, making him feel drowsy.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly felt his body grow lighter. His previously muddled mind instantly cleared, and all the darkness around him vanished in an instant. Bai Chen found himself in a vast forest.

Bai Chen raised his hand and gently clenched his fist, unable to stop a trace of emotion from flashing through his eyes.

Logically speaking, the Spirit Ascension Platform was only a virtual space. His actual body was not within this world.

Yet this sense of realism was so vivid that, if no one had told him beforehand, he definitely would not have believed this world was fake.

It felt no different from the world outside.

Bai Chen did not rush to begin hunting. Instead, he took a leisurely stroll through the Spirit Ascension Platform.

The Spirit Ascension Platform charged by entry count rather than time. Theoretically, the longer Bai Chen stayed inside, the more worthwhile this trip would be.

Although the Tang Sect was paying, there was no need for him to deliberately waste the opportunity, was there?

This was his first time coming here, and he wanted to familiarize himself more with this little world.

Unfortunately, the Soul Beasts in the Spirit Ascension Platform did not seem willing to give him that chance.

A faint rustling sounded. The grass behind Bai Chen trembled twice, and a fiery-red figure shot out from within, springing straight toward him.

As the enemy drew near, a wave of heat rushed at Bai Chen. Clearly, this enemy possessed the Fire Attribute, and its method of attack was a charge.

Judging by the temperature radiating from its body, an ordinary soul master would definitely suffer serious injuries if struck by it.

Its luck was simply terrible.

Bai Chen did not even turn his head. He had already completed Martial Soul Possession, and the Evil God Hook stabbed toward the enemy, piercing straight through it in an instant.

"—"

For an instant, the Soul Beast seemed to let out a scream before immediately going limp.

After its life faded away, the flames wrapped around it slowly dispersed, revealing that it was actually a tiny hedgehog.

Bai Chen did not know its name, but based on how it felt, it was most likely a Ten-Year Soul Beast.

Still, even a mosquito was meat. Bai Chen had not forgotten why he had come to the Spirit Ascension Platform. He was here to test whether it could help him level up. If it could not, then there would be no need for him to keep coming in the future.

Black light flowed as the hedgehog's body shattered instantly. A stream of energy flowed through the Evil God Hook and into Bai Chen's body.

"Mm..."

Bai Chen's expression immediately turned subtle.

To state the conclusion directly, he could cultivate through this method.

After the energy entered his body, he truly felt his Soul Power rise by a small amount.

But was this increase not a little too low...?

Thinking about it carefully, that was only natural.

A real Ten-Year Soul Beast in reality could create a Ten-Year Soul Ring from nothing, while within the Spirit Ascension Platform, it took ten Ten-Year Soul Beasts to increase a Soul Ring's age by ten years.

Moreover, real Soul Beasts had actual bodies and incredibly powerful life force. The Soul Beasts here were merely energy constructs, so their total energy naturally could not compare to that of real Soul Beasts.

Bai Chen had the soul of an adult after all. After a brief moment of disappointment, he quickly calmed himself.

No matter what, being able to level up through this method was a good thing for him.

At the very least, cultivating here did not require him to bear any moral pressure, nor would he encounter any danger to his life. He had nothing to complain about.

Rather than complain about the low quality of the Soul Beasts here, he might as well think about how to devour more of them.

"Ah, look! There's a child here!"

Just then, a startled cry interrupted Bai Chen's thoughts.

Turning around, he saw three boys and girls around thirteen or fourteen years old appear not far away.

Bai Chen raised an eyebrow and quietly withdrew his Martial Soul.

Like the Star Dou Great Forest of the previous two eras, the Spirit Ascension Platform followed the law of the jungle. Here, humans were no less dangerous than Soul Beasts.

In fact, because there was no need to worry about death in the Spirit Ascension Platform, some people behaved even more excessively.

He needed to be careful.

The three clearly had no idea what Bai Chen was thinking. They walked up to him without any guard, and the leading girl asked curiously:

"Little brother, what's your name? Where did the adult who brought you in go?"

Several answers flashed through Bai Chen's mind upon hearing that question. In the end, he slowly lowered his head and said in a deliberately sorrowful voice:

"My name is Tang Wulin. I came in with my older brother. We just encountered a powerful Soul Beast. My brother told me to run first so he could protect me. He stayed behind to hold that Soul Beast back."

"I see..."

Hearing that, a trace of sympathy appeared on the girl's face.

In her view, this child's older brother was clearly no longer in the Spirit Ascension Platform. If he had been capable of dealing with that Soul Beast, there would have been no reason for him to let his little brother escape first.

After thinking for a moment, she asked her two companions:

"Ling Yi, Shao Han, why don't we take him with us?"

"Huh?"

The boy called Shao Han twitched his mouth. He glanced at Bai Chen and said in dissatisfaction:

"Qingyu, this is the Spirit Ascension Platform. We spent a fortune to get in here. There's no reason for us to bring along such deadweight. This isn't the place for you to indulge your saintly kindness."

"Mm, one vote in favor and one against?"

The leading girl was not angry. She nodded lightly, then asked the other girl:

"What about you, Ling Yi?"

Wolf Pack

Ling Yi looked at Bai Chen's adorable little face and recalled what he had just said. Her heart softened as she said:

"I think it would be fine to protect him for a while. It would only take a little effort on our part, wouldn't it?"

"You two... Sigh, fine."

Two votes against one. Although the boy still looked somewhat dissatisfied, he no longer had any grounds to object.

He walked over to Bai Chen, crouched down, and asked bluntly:

"Kid, you're Tang Wulin, right? What's your Martial Soul and Soul Skill? Don't tell me you entered the Spirit Ascension Platform without even a single Soul Ring."

Bai Chen blinked and said:

"My Martial Soul is the Dark Demon Tiger. My first Soul Skill is Scorpion Tiger Hook. It summons a tail with a sharp hook to assist me in battle."

"Oh? That's quite an unusual Soul Skill."

The boy raised an eyebrow without doubting him and said:

"My name is Li Shaohan. Their names are Gu Qingyu and Han Lingyi. Since they both insist on bringing you along, I have nothing more to say. But if you cause trouble, I'll deal with you myself. Understand?"

"Shao Han."

Gu Qingyu interrupted him helplessly. She gave a light cough and said to Bai Chen:

"Don't mind how he acts. He's actually a very nice person, so don't be afraid of him."

"Mm, I know."

Bai Chen nodded and smiled.

"Big brother is only looking out for the sisters, after all. I think big brother is really cool."

Gu Qingyu's eyes widened at his answer. She blinked, then smiled brightly at Li Shaohan.

"Tch." Li Shaohan awkwardly looked away. "Brat, you've got quite a sweet mouth..."

Gu Qingyu said with a chuckle:

"Since it's decided, let's set off. Make sure to protect this child."

"Mm."

"Hmph."

Han Lingyi nodded lightly, while Li Shaohan answered with a cold snort.

Bai Chen shook his head helplessly inside.

It seemed his luck was good. The first group of people he encountered in the Spirit Ascension Platform was actually rather kind.

But their kindness meant nothing to him. If anything, having them around only gave him more concerns.

His efficiency alone was much higher than if he followed them.

The facts proved that he was right.

Afterward, the four of them encountered several more Soul Beasts, but the three older youths joined forces to kill them all, not leaving a single one for Bai Chen.

Among the three, Gu Qingyu was a Soul Elder, while the other two were Soul Grandmasters.

Considering their ages, their strength was already quite good.

After killing another hundred-year-old porcupine, Gu Qingyu let out a breath and said to the other two:

"If the next Soul Beast we encounter is a Ten-Year Soul Beast, can we let Wulin have it?"

The other two both nodded.

To them, killing Ten-Year Soul Beasts only took a little effort, and the gains were very small. Giving one to Bai Chen did not matter.

What they did not expect, however, was that the next thing they encountered would not be a Ten-Year Soul Beast they could casually deal with, but a powerful enemy capable of driving them into desperation.

"Awoo—"

Following a howl, wolf after wolf charged toward them from the distance.

"This is..."

Gu Qingyu's face instantly tightened as she hurriedly said:

"Quick, run!"

Even with a rough estimate, this wolf pack numbered around a hundred.

Even if they were all merely Ten-Year Soul Beasts, such overwhelming numbers were enough to place them in danger.

Moreover, Gu Qingyu had learned about this kind of Soul Beast from textbooks. They were called Wind Demon Wolves, and the size of their packs was closely related to their wolf king's cultivation. A wolf pack of this scale likely had a wolf king with at least a thousand years of cultivation!

Even three against one, defeating a Millennium Soul Beast would not be especially easy for them, let alone with over a hundred underlings surrounding it.

However, it was already too late. When they noticed the wolf pack, the wolf pack had long since noticed them.