Intermediate Ascension Platform

Before long,

Ziyang and the others entered a room. This was the entrance to the Intermediate Ascension Platform.

The room was more spacious than expected. Its four walls were silver-white metal, polished smooth enough to reflect people's figures.

On one wall was a soul-guide display screen identical to the one at the entrance of the Junior Spirit Ascension Platform.

Leng Yaoyu stood by the window with her back to them. She only turned around after hearing their footsteps.

Today, Ziyang wore red clothes and a red hat.

Na'er walked in front, dressed in a white skirt, her face still carrying that lively, energetic smile.

Gu Yue followed at the back, her steps light as her curious gaze swept over the surroundings.

When Leng Yaoyu saw the three of them approach, her gaze paused on Ziyang for a moment. The corner of her mouth seemed to twitch, but she said nothing.

"Today is Gu Yue's first time entering the Intermediate Ascension Platform, so I'll remind you again."

"You are ultimately only Three-Ring Soul Elders. Your targets should primarily be Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. If you encounter a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, avoid it if possible."

The three answered in unison.

Just as they were about to enter the Ascension Platform, Na'er noticed something different about Ziyang today. She tilted her head, her silver eyes drawing close as a fragrant scent washed over him. "Ziyang, what happened to your eyes today?"

Ziyang froze for a moment and looked toward the smooth, mirrorlike wall beside him.

In the reflection, one of his eyes was glowing pink.

He blinked, but the glow did not vanish.

"Why isn't it red? If it were red, I could at least say I'd awakened my eye powers."

Covering his face with one hand, Ziyang spoke with embarrassing melodrama. Still, when he woke up today, he had felt a bellyful of inexplicable irritation.

I'll vent a little on the Soul Beasts in the Ascension Platform later.

Leng Yaoyu had naturally noticed Ziyang's change long ago, but after sensing him, she found that his body had not been affected in the slightest.

"Let's go. Enter the Intermediate Ascension Platform first," she urged.

Ziyang nodded and lay down in the simulation pod. The lid slowly closed, like the jaws of some enormous beast.

His vision abruptly went dark. Darkness surged over him, as though he were sinking into a deep-sea trench.

When he opened his eyes again, the three of them had arrived in a forest.

The forest here was denser than that of the Junior Spirit Ascension Platform. The treetops intertwined high above, forming an endless green canopy that shattered the sky into fragments.

Ziyang rose to his feet and scanned the area. Na'er and Gu Yue had landed roughly ten steps away on either side of him, both vigilantly watching their surroundings.

"Come out! My Soul Pokémon!"

Ziyang shouted. Then the light around him distorted, and two figures stepped out of the void.

Austin Griffin's three heads curiously surveyed the surroundings.

The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was slightly larger than Austin Griffin was at present. Dark purple patterns flowed over its jet-black fur. At the end of its tail was an enormous Evil God Hook, curved like a crescent moon and radiating a chilling, heart-pounding coldness.

"In the Intermediate Ascension Platform, we're more likely to encounter Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, and we may even run into Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. Gu Yue, don't stray from the group."

Ziyang reminded them again. As for Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, with the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger around, he truly was not worried at all.

The three began exploring. Dead leaves crunched beneath their feet as light filtered through gaps in the foliage, casting mottled patches across the ground before them.

The roars of Soul Beasts occasionally echoed from deep within the forest, distant and indistinct, like thunder rolling in from another world.

They had not walked far when

the birds in the canopy suddenly took flight, forming a shifting shadow overhead.

Ziyang halted and said, "Something big is coming. Be careful."

As soon as he spoke, a Millennium Vajra Bear burst out of the bushes.

It was even larger than expected, muscles rolling beneath its fur like a moving mountain of flesh. It raised a forepaw, the wind from its swing tearing through the air as it struck straight toward Gu Yue at the rear.

But the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger moved faster. Its tail swayed behind it, slicing through the air with a faint hiss.

The Evil God Hook lashed out like a black bolt of lightning, accurately piercing the Vajra Bear's chest.

The Thousand-Year Soul Beast's movements came to an abrupt halt. Its forepaw remained suspended in midair as the light in its eyes rapidly dimmed.

The next moment, it transformed into spiritual energy and poured into the three of them.

Looking at the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, Na'er could not help saying, "This Dark Demon Evil God Tiger is getting stronger and stronger. If we let it out in the future, who could possibly beat it?"

"And whose Soul Spirit do you think it is?" Ziyang replied with a confident smile.

Na'er glanced at her own White Dragon Soul Spirit. "Can't you try a little harder? Look at it! Then look at yourself!"

Seeing this familiar comparison to someone else's child, Ziyang blinked and nearly burst out laughing.

He looked at the two yellow and one purple Soul Rings beneath Gu Yue's feet and asked, "Gu Yue, you have three rings now. Can you handle three Millennium Soul Rings?"

"I've eaten spiritual herbs. Three Millennium Soul Rings won't be a problem." Gu Yue glanced at her Soul Rings. They had all been condensed using her own power.

"If there's no problem, then today's task will be to help you raise them to Millennium Soul Rings." Ziyang casually spoke after guessing at Leng Yaoyu's intentions.

The three continued exploring deeper into the forest.

The light grew dimmer, and the canopy became denser. Soul Beast auras occasionally swept past from the sides, only to quickly retreat after sensing the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's presence.

Na'er walked beside Ziyang, her eyes shining. With the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger here, they were practically without rivals in this Intermediate Ascension Platform.

Even without the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, they still had the White Dragon. Taking on Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts with Thousand-Year strength was not much of a problem either.

They had not gone much farther when they saw a huge Soul Beast ahead. Its fur gleamed with a metallic luster, and every step made the ground tremble slightly.

It was a Millennium Iron Armored Dragon.

Na'er's eyes lit up. Finally, it was her turn to act.

Without waiting for Ziyang to speak, she volunteered herself and charged forward with the Silver Dragon Spear in hand. Like a hurled meteor, she tore through the stagnant air of the forest.

The Iron Armored Dragon raised its head, its pupils reflecting the approaching silver light. It let out a roar, the sound waves shaking through the forest and knocking down countless leaves in a shower of green.

It raised a foreclaw, aiming straight for Na'er's head.

Gu Yue attacked at the same time. Standing where she was, she crossed her hands before her chest. Her Soul Rings spun and abruptly shone brightly.

Elements gathered at her fingertips. Wind and snow intertwined, forming an invisible shackle.

At the instant the Iron Armored Dragon swung its foreclaw, it was pinned in place.

It was only a moment of control.

But that was already enough.

Na'er's Silver Dragon Spear pierced the Iron Armored Dragon's throat. The spear tip passed through a gap in its scales, plunged into flesh, and burst out through the back of its neck.

Dragon-type Soul Beasts were directly suppressed by Na'er's bloodline. How difficult was it for one to resist?

It crashed to the ground, making the earth tremble once more.

Na'er pulled out her Dragon Spear. The Iron Armored Dragon's corpse dispersed into spiritual power and flowed into the three of them.

The spiritual power split into nine portions, making the efficiency somewhat disappointing.

"Killing Thousand-Year Soul Beasts is a little too slow..." Na'er glanced at Gu Yue, her tone somewhat helpless.

"It's fine. Any Soul Beast we encounter won't be too low in age." Ziyang smiled.

Suddenly, something in the forest seemed to be rapidly approaching them.