Ascension Platform

Led by Wu Changkong's stern yet dependable figure, they passed through a special passage and entered a spacious internal elevator. Once the doors closed, it did not rise but began descending steadily. A faint sense of weightlessness persisted, telling them that they were going deeper and deeper underground. As for how deep, there was no floor display inside the elevator to tell them.

The descent lasted a full three minutes before the elevator gave a slight jolt and stopped.

The doors slid open to reveal a broad hall brimming with a sense of modern technology. Faint data-like light patterns flowed across the silver-white walls. More than a dozen uniformed staff members busied themselves at workstations throughout the hall. At the back stretched several sealed metallic corridors leading in different directions.

Wu Changkong walked over to one of the staff members and handed over an identification card with unusual patterns that glimmered faintly. The staff member took it, quickly verified it with an instrument, then silently made a gesture of invitation before turning to guide them toward one of the corridors.

The corridor ran straight ahead for several dozen meters, ending at another small elevator. They continued downward. This time, the trip was much shorter, stopping again after around ten seconds. When the elevator doors opened, they found themselves in a completely enclosed circular room. Several large soul devices stood in the center, their standby lights blinking.

The staff member who had led them there turned to face the group and began explaining in a clear, even voice. "Welcome to the Eastsea Spirit Pagoda Junior Ascension Platform access area. There is no time limit for your exploration within the Junior Ascension Platform. However, if you feel unable to endure the dangers brought by the simulated environment, or if you encounter an emergency, press the personal distress signal device issued to you and you will immediately return here safely. Now, please listen carefully to the following precautions."

His gaze swept over the seven boys and girls, including Tang Wulin. "The Ascension Platform is a groundbreaking miracle constructed only after the Spirit Pagoda spent more than a thousand years gathering the painstaking efforts, wisdom, and vast resources of countless generations of Soul Masters and pioneers of soul technology. It is not a purely virtual illusion, but a unique world that is 'half virtual, half real,' created using cutting-edge spatial folding and real-data projection technology. Many environmental responses and soul beast behavioral patterns are based on the physical laws and biological data of the real world. The Junior Ascension Platform is its safest area. Its fully virtual damage system ensures your safety, but sensations such as pain and fatigue strive to be realistic in order to provide the closest possible training experience to reality..."

The staff member's orderly explanation made the eyes of the East Sea Academy students shine even brighter. They exchanged excited looks, clearly full of anticipation for this high-tech combat simulation. Tang Wulin, hearing all this for the first time, was somewhat confused. When he heard "brainwave access," his little face turned slightly pale, and a terrifying image of tubes being inserted into his head uncontrollably surfaced in his mind. He instinctively shrank his neck.

At that moment, another staff member stepped forward and spoke quietly with Wu Changkong for a few moments. Wu Changkong nodded, then beckoned Tang Wulin over. "Tang Wulin, come here for a moment."

Tang Wulin hurriedly trotted over. The friendlier-looking staff member crouched down until he was at eye level with him and took out a silver metal ring resembling a wristwatch. "Don't be nervous, little one. In a moment, follow me to a separate access pod on the other side. Come, put this on first."

He carefully fastened the metal ring around Tang Wulin's slender wrist and adjusted it. "Look, this is the distress signal device that uncle mentioned earlier. Remember, if you feel scared, if an injury hurts too much, or if you encounter danger you can't handle, press this red button hard." He pointed at a prominent bump on the side of the dial. "You'll be sent out safely right away. Also, the dial will show your remaining time inside. When the time is up, you'll be automatically teleported out too."

"Okay, okay, I remember. Red button, check the time." Tang Wulin nodded vigorously and curiously touched the cool metal ring.

"Good boy." The staff member smiled and ruffled his hair. "Normally, the junior area is very safe, so don't worry. Once you're inside, don't just focus on being scared. Calm down and carefully sense your surroundings. Choosing a Soul Spirit works both ways. When you encounter a little one that feels especially familiar to you and resonates with your soul power, that means fate has arrived. Forming a contract is simple. As long as both sides are willing, the soul beast will guide the process. You won't have to worry about it."

He led Tang Wulin to a wall on one side of the circular room and pressed several hidden buttons. A faint mechanical whir sounded, and the wall smoothly slid aside, revealing a horizontal metal cabinet with a human-shaped recess inside. It was made of a special material with a soft matte sheen.

"Wow! This is amazing!" Tang Wulin's eyes widened. He forgot his earlier nervousness, leaving only a child's curiosity toward something new.

"Lie down inside. Relax your body and treat it like taking an afternoon nap," the staff member encouraged.

Tang Wulin obediently climbed into the recess and lay flat. Almost the instant he settled down, more than a dozen soft, slightly cool circular suction pads silently extended from the inner walls and precisely attached themselves to his forehead, temples, wrists, ankles, and other areas. The sensation was not uncomfortable. Instead, it gave him a reassuring feeling of being held securely in place.

"The access process is about to begin. You might feel a little strange dizziness or floating sensation, but it'll pass quickly. It's always like this the first time. Relax, little one." The staff member's voice came through the cabinet, somewhat muffled.

"Okay!" Tang Wulin closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The discomfort he had expected did not hit him strongly. He only felt as if his consciousness gently rippled, as though he had briefly sunk into warm water before swiftly floating back up. When he "opened his eyes" again, he was already standing in a lush forest filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, scattering patches of light. The air was damp and fresh, while soft earth and grass lay beneath his feet. Everything was unbelievably real.

Outside the access pod.

Wu Changkong watched the indicator light on Tang Wulin's metal cabinet steadily turn green, indicating "normal access." Yet the cabinet itself produced almost none of the faint energy hum or vibrations common during an ordinary connection. He raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked the staff member beside him, who had yet to leave, "His access process... was unusually stable. Has this access pod been upgraded?"

A proud smile appeared on the staff member's face as he lowered his voice. "Teacher Wu has sharp eyes. That's right, this is the newest experimental model. Thanks to the Darkgold Great Mountain workshop, they recently developed a special material with properties entirely different from previous 'strength-type' alloys. It is extremely flexible and has nearly perfect affinity with spiritual power. Rumor has it that the inspiration for this material came from another 'friendly sparring session' and burst of inspiration between Masters Bi Ji and Zi Ji in the forging field. We used this material to improve the brainwave connection and stabilization systems, nearly eliminating all mental discomfort during access and allowing users to enter the Ascension Platform almost without feeling anything. Of course, the material is too rare, so only this one experimental machine has been successfully made so far."

Wu Changkong nodded in understanding, his gaze sweeping over the quiet metal cabinet. "So today is an exception?"

"Precisely." The staff member smiled. "After all, he is a friend personally brought here by Mr. Huo, and he's such a young child having his first experience. Our supervisor specially approved the use of the best one for him, hoping he would have a perfect first experience. I'll leave things here to you, Teacher Wu." Having completed the handover, the staff member turned and went to attend to other matters.

Inside the Ascension Platform, Tang Wulin's exploration.

After the initial shock passed, Tang Wulin began carefully making his way through the vast forest. He remembered the staff member's advice and tried his best to calm himself and sense everything around him.

He encountered a Ten-Year Wind Spirit Monkey that lightly leaped across the branches and cast him a curious glance. His soul power stirred for an instant, but that liveliness did not seem to suit his Blue Silver Grass martial soul. He discovered a Ten-Year Moonlight Mushroom that glowed faintly under the moonlight. When he tried to approach it, he could sense a gentle life aura, yet he always felt something was missing. He even saw a pack of Ten-Year Gale Wolves racing past in the distance, but the restless aura they gave off made him hesitate to approach.

"Whew... I'm so tired." Time passed bit by bit. Tang Wulin ran until he was drenched in sweat and leaned against a large tree to rest. There were still about two hours left before the designated end time. He felt tired, but he was also becoming anxious. Was there really no suitable one? He did not want to waste this precious opportunity Uncle Huo had fought for, nor did he want to disappoint his father, mother, and Na'er.

After resting for a while, he gathered his spirits and explored in another direction. Along the way, he encountered several small-scale "attacks" from ten-year soul beasts. Relying on the nimble movements and calm judgment he had trained at Mang Tian Studio, he got through them without much danger. Yet the "feeling" he had been waiting for never appeared.

Just as he was about to give up and sprawl flat on a patch of soft grass, staring blankly at the sky broken into fragments by the canopy, something unexpected happened.

A cold, slick sensation slid across his arm.

"Ah!" Tang Wulin jolted in fright, abruptly sitting up and violently shaking his arm.

Yet that thing did not come off. Looking closely, he saw a small snake with a body the deep yellow of thick soil and fine, smooth scales slowly winding its way up his forearm. It eventually curled docilely around his wrist. Its triangular head lifted slightly, and a pair of golden vertical pupils quietly "watched" him. Its forked tongue flicked gently, yet it showed no intention of attacking.

Once the fright passed, Tang Wulin became strangely calm. Not only did he not feel afraid, he sensed an indescribable steadiness, solidity, and faint feeling of familiarity from the little snake's cold body. It was as though the soul power flowing within him was producing a subtle resonance with the snake's aura.

He tentatively extended a finger and gently touched the little snake's head. Rather than avoiding him, it rubbed against his fingertip.

"You..." A thought came to Tang Wulin, and he softly asked, "Would you... be willing to become my Soul Spirit?"

The earth-yellow little snake quietly watched him for two seconds, then slowly nodded. It loosened its coil and crawled up Tang Wulin's arm before gently pressing its cold forehead against the space between his brows.

In an instant, a warm, heavy stream of energy surged into Tang Wulin's mind through the point of contact. It was not overbearing. Instead, it carried a sense of acceptance and fusion. At the same time, a clear thought appeared directly in his heart—Contract established.

Immense joy welled up in Tang Wulin's heart. He closed his eyes and wholeheartedly guided this newborn power. He could "see" the earth-yellow little snake turn into a solid beam of light, slowly sink down, and merge with the vortex of soul power at his dantian. A faint yellow ring appeared beneath him. As energy was continuously absorbed and transformed, the ring's color grew brighter and its outline clearer.

This process lasted about an hour. When the final trace of energy had been completely absorbed, the yellow hundred-year soul ring finally solidified completely, hovering steadily beneath his feet and radiating a soft yet solid glow. The little snake's phantom coiled affectionately around his right arm like a unique tattoo, yet it retained its own independent spirit.

"Yeah! I did it! I succeeded!" Tang Wulin jumped and bounced around the forest clearing in delight, waving his arms as his excitement became impossible to describe.

Just then, the signal device on his wrist gave a light series of beeps, reminding him that time was up. The forest before his eyes began to ripple and blur like water.

Spirit Pagoda, access hall.

Tang Wulin sat up from the special metal cabinet and rubbed his eyes. After a brief daze, overwhelming joy flooded him. He impatiently rushed out of the access pod before the staff could even fully remove the suction pads.

"I... I have a soul ring!" His little face flushed red with excitement. With a thought, he raised his right hand, and his Blue Silver Grass martial soul appeared. A bright yellow soul ring rose steadily beneath his feet, pulsing slowly. At the same time, the earth-yellow little snake's phantom coiled around the Blue Silver Grass vines, lifting its head and flicking its tongue with lifelike vigor.

"Congratulations, little brother!"

"Not bad! A hundred-year Soul Spirit, and such a high degree of compatibility too!"

"Looks like East Sea Academy has another little genius in its future!"

Several East Sea Academy students who had completed their assessments before Tang Wulin immediately gathered around him, offering congratulations one after another with sincere enthusiasm. The tall girl who had earlier said she would "look after him" gave his shoulder a firm pat. "Not bad, kid. You found such a good one all by yourself! Big sis was right about you!"

Wu Changkong stood a short distance away, watching Tang Wulin surrounded by students and too excited to speak coherently. A nearly imperceptible softness crossed his stern face. He walked forward, and the students automatically made way for him.

"The Soul Spirit is called the Thick Earth Snake. It is steady and resilient, possesses a degree of earth-element affinity and enhanced defense, and is highly compatible with your Blue Silver Grass martial soul. It is a good choice." Wu Changkong's voice remained flat, but his appraisal made Tang Wulin's eyes shine even brighter. "For your first entry into the Ascension Platform, independently finding and successfully absorbing a hundred-year Soul Spirit is a satisfactory performance. Let's go. Your family should be waiting."

Outside the Spirit Pagoda, parking lot.

Huo Yuhao had received word long ago and was waiting by the car with Tang Ziran, Lang Yue, and Na'er. From afar, Tang Ziran and Lang Yue saw Wu Changkong leading a group of students and that blue figure rushing toward them, and they immediately took several anxious steps forward.

"Dad! Mom! Na'er! Uncle Huo! Look! I have a Soul Spirit! A hundred-year Soul Spirit!" Tang Wulin rushed over like a gust of wind. Without even pausing to catch his breath, he summoned his martial soul and soul ring, while the Thick Earth Snake's phantom lifted its head proudly beside them.

The bright yellow soul ring, the solid snake-shaped phantom, and the unrestrained, pure joy and pride on Tang Wulin's face instantly brought tears to Tang Ziran and Lang Yue's eyes.

"Good! Good! Good child!" Tang Ziran said "good" three times in a row as he hugged his son tightly. Then he immediately turned toward the approaching Wu Changkong and gave him a deep bow. "Teacher Wu! Thank you so much! Without your permission and care, Wulin would never have had such an opportunity! Our whole family will remember this kindness in our hearts!"

Lang Yue hurriedly followed with a bow of thanks, her voice choked with emotion. "Thank you, Teacher Wu! The child has caused you trouble!"

Wu Changkong made a slight gesture to stop them, his tone calm but earnest. "Mr. Tang, Mrs. Tang, there is no need for such formality. The child seized his own opportunity. His foundation and temperament are not bad, and he remained fairly composed within the Ascension Platform. If he has the chance to enter a Soul Master academy in the future, I hope he continues to work hard."

"Definitely! Definitely!" Tang Ziran promised repeatedly.

At that moment, the East Sea Academy students also cheerfully bade Huo Yuhao farewell. "Boss Huo, we'll head back with Teacher Wu to write our reports! Remember what you promised—our group is coming to your shop in a few days. Save us seats and serve your best grilled fish!"

"No problem. There'll be plenty." Huo Yuhao agreed with a smile, then nodded to Wu Changkong. "Teacher Wu, thank you for your hard work."

After watching Wu Changkong leave by car with the students, Huo Yuhao turned to the still-excited Tang family of four and asked, "The Soul Spirit matter is settled, so it's worth celebrating. What would you like to do next? Walk around Eastsea City and see the sights, or eat and rest first? You decide."

Tang Ziran exchanged a glance with his wife, suppressing their excitement. After thinking it over, he said, "Mr. Huo, we truly have you to thank for this. We... would like to wander around as a family, see what Eastsea City is like, and find somewhere outside for a simple meal. We won't take up more of your time. Do you have other matters to attend to?" He could tell Huo Yuhao seemed to have other plans.

Huo Yuhao did not stand on ceremony and nodded. "Yes, I do need to pick up a friend tonight. The event she attended should be ending around now. How about this? I'll take you to Eastsea Pearl Plaza, the largest commercial district in the city center. There's plenty to eat and see there, so you can look around as you please. I've already arranged a place for you to stay above my grilled fish shop. I gave you the address and keys earlier. Once you're tired from walking around, just head over and rest. It's convenient."

"This... how could we possibly accept that? You're spending more money to arrange lodging for us..." Lang Yue said apologetically.

"It's no trouble, and it's close to the academy, so it's convenient." Huo Yuhao opened the car door. "Get in. I'll take you there. I need to go pick someone up too. That girl is probably getting impatient waiting."

The car carried the richly rewarded Tang Wulin, along with Tang Ziran, Lang Yue, and Na'er, all brimming with gratitude, toward the bustling commercial district. Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao wondered how Demon Spirit's event was going. Turning the steering wheel, he drove in another direction, toward the convention center hosting a grand event for the gaming world. The city's neon lights gradually came alive, illuminating each person's different journey home and expectations.