The entrance to the Spirit Ascension Platform was much closer than Ling Luochen had imagined.
She followed behind Tang Wulin, passing through several buildings filled with a sense of technology, finally stopping in front of a completely silver-white building.
She had originally thought that the Spirit Ascension Platform would be a place similar to the Star Dou Great Forest—with mountains, water, trees, and grass, where Spirit Beasts roamed and danger lurked.
But now...
This was clearly a building.
A building filled with a sense of technology, exactly like the virtual space they usually used for training.
Tang Wulin turned back and looked at her with a smile. "Let's go, Sister Luochen."
Ling Luochen snapped out of it and followed his lead.
The two passed through the light gate, the scenery before them changing as they arrived in a spacious hall.
Dozens of silver-white pods were neatly arranged in the hall. Each pod was about three meters long and one and a half meters wide, streamlined throughout with a soft glow on its surface.
Virtual pods.
Ling Luochen recognized these things. During her month and a half at this academy, she had often used such things for virtual training. Every time she entered, all five senses were fully activated, and her physical data was completely replicated, as if she were in the real World.
"The Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform uses these too?" She couldn't help but ask.
Tang Wulin nodded. "Yes, the academy's Spirit Ascension Platform is essentially an application of virtual technology, it's just that there are Spirit Beasts inside."
As he spoke, he walked to a virtual pod and pressed his hand on the cover. The cover slid open, revealing the soft padding and dense sensing interfaces inside.
"Sister Luochen, choose this one. We're in team mode, so we'll appear in the same place after entering."
Ling Luochen nodded, walked to the virtual pod, and lay inside.
The cover slowly closed, and the view before her fell into darkness.
A few seconds later, light shone.
Ling Luochen opened her eyes and found herself standing in a dense forest. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
It was exactly the same as during virtual training.
She looked up and saw Tang Wulin standing not far away, observing their surroundings.
"Sister Luochen." Tang Wulin walked toward her, just about to say something.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Several figures lunged out from the surrounding bushes!
Ling Luochen's pupils constricted slightly, and her body instantly entered a combat state.
There were five Spirit Beasts, wolf-like in size, grayish-blue all over, with eyes glowing a ghostly green. They surrounded the two of them, baring their teeth and letting out low growls.
Wind Wolves around a thousand years old.
Ling Luochen quickly judged the opponent's strength. Over a thousand years was not much of a threat to a Five-Ring Soul King.
Boom!
A golden figure had already dashed out. Tang Wulin's speed was astonishingly fast. He exerted force with his feet, leaving a small pit in the ground. His right hand reached out, and in an instant, his five fingers were covered in a layer of golden scales.
Golden Dragon Claw!
Pfft—
One Azure Wind Wolf didn't even have time to react before its head was pierced by the golden claws. Tang Wulin twisted his wrist, flinging the corpse away, and without stopping, charged toward the second one.
The second Azure Wind Wolf finally reacted, opening its bloody mouth as a blue wind blade shot out from it!
Tang Wulin didn't dodge or avoid it, using another Golden Dragon Claw to resolve it again!
The third Azure Wind Wolf tried to flee, but after only two steps, its hind leg was entangled by Blue Silver Grass. Tang Wulin pulled hard, and the Azure Wind Wolf flew back, torn in half by his claw in mid-air.
The three thousand-year Spirit Beasts seemed to have no defensive power at all in front of Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw and were easily taken down.
Ling Luochen was quite shocked witnessing this scene. This Tang Wulin was truly powerful; his moves were simple, and he hadn't even used a Spirit Ability, yet he had directly taken down three thousand-year Spirit Beasts.
Ling Luochen withdrew her gaze and looked at the two Wind Wolves in front of her.
Seeing that Tang Wulin's side was invincible, they turned around and pounced toward her.
The corners of Ling Luochen's lips curled up slightly.
She was no pushover.
With her Ice Staff in hand, Spirit Power surged!
An icy blue light shot out from the tip of the staff, turning into countless tiny ice crystals in the air, instantly enveloping the two Wind Wolves. The ice crystals fell on them, quickly condensing into a thin layer of frost, slowing their movements.
Ice Staff — First Spirit Skill.
The Ice Staff swept across, and several ice blades shot out, hitting the heads of the two Wind Wolves.
Just like that, Ling Luochen also instantly dealt with two thousand-year Spirit Beasts, but... there was nothing to be proud of. After all, she was already a Five-Ring Soul King; fighting thousand-year Spirit Beasts was indeed a bit like bullying them.
All five Wind Wolves were dealt with.
Ling Luochen put away her Ice Staff and looked at Tang Wulin. Tang Wulin was also looking at her, smiling and giving a thumbs up. "Sister Luochen, impressive."
Ling Luochen's lips curled up slightly. Although she knew she couldn't compare to Tang Wulin, her mood was still good hearing his praise.
As the battle ended, the five streams of energy split into two parts and entered their bodies respectively, turning into a warm current.
Ling Luochen could feel that energy surging within her body, finally gathering at the center of her eyebrows. It seemed she could mobilize this energy, and with a thought, the energy followed her consciousness and surged toward her First Spirit Ring.
The First Spirit Ring — Ice Staff — was originally a hundred-year Spirit Ring. Now, under the infusion of that energy, Ling Luochen clearly felt its years increasing.
Ling Luochen opened her eyes, feeling the changes in her First Spirit Ring, and stood stunned on the spot.
Over three hundred years.
Her First Spirit Ring had increased by over three hundred years!
Just like that?
Her First Spirit Ring had increased by over three hundred years?
She looked up at Tang Wulin in disbelief. "It... it just increased like that?"
Tang Wulin couldn't help but smile seeing her shocked expression.
"It's normal. The Spirit Beasts in the Spirit Ascension Platform are essentially energy bodies. After being killed, their year-based energy condenses into light orbs, which can be absorbed to increase the years of your Spirit Rings." He paused, his tone becoming serious. "But Sister Luochen, there's something I have to remind you. The absorption limit is related to Mental Force and physical strength. If you exceed the limit and force the absorption, it will be dangerous."
Ling Luochen nodded upon hearing this. "I understand."
She wasn't greedy.
Now that she had also started learning a Secondary Profession, she could slowly accumulate Contribution Points and improve over time; she could come back to this Spirit Ascension Platform again in the future.
Moreover, as Ling Luochen felt the abundant power within her body, an indescribable emotion welled up in her heart.
"Let's go, continue."
Tang Wulin turned and walked toward the depths of the forest.
Ling Luochen took a deep breath and followed.
In the time that followed, the two encountered several more waves of Spirit Beasts, some two thousand years old, some three thousand, and even a giant Spirit Beast close to five thousand years old.
Tang Wulin still maintained that "overpowering with brute force" combat style, his Golden Dragon Claw sweeping through everything, and his thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor controlling the field flawlessly. Ling Luochen stayed behind him, using ice-type Spirit Abilities for support, control, and damage output. Their cooperation became increasingly seamless.
Every kill yielded more or fewer energy orbs.
Ling Luochen injected part of that energy into her First Spirit Ring and part into her second.
Soon, both her first and second Spirit Rings had broken through to the thousand-year level. This feeling was quite wonderful, making her feel light-headed.
In this Spirit Ascension Platform, in just half an hour, she had actually gained such a huge improvement, even more than her improvement over several years. After all, she had genuinely increased the power of her Spirit Abilities, which made Ling Luochen feel that her days at the original Shrek Academy were lived in vain.
And the most incredible thing was that the Contribution Points required for this academy's Spirit Ascension Platform were much cheaper compared to other things in the bracelet.
She couldn't even help but start thinking—
If she stayed here, as long as her Mental Force and physical strength were sufficient, could she keep stacking the years of her Spirit Rings?
Stack them to ten thousand years?
Stack them to a hundred thousand years?
As soon as this thought popped up, Ling Luochen quickly shook her head, tossing it out of her mind.
No, no.
Can't get carried away.
Must be cautious.
"Sister Luochen?" Tang Wulin noticed Ling Luochen's somewhat dazed look and couldn't help but ask. "Continue forward?"
Ling Luochen looked up at the boy standing in the sunlight, revealed an uncontrollable smile, and then nodded. "Okay."
Not enough, she could still absorb more!
...
Meanwhile, in the Dean's Office.
[Ding!]
[Detected that key figure Ling Luochen's recognition of Shrek Academy is a Monster Academy has increased!]
[Congratulations to the Host for receiving the reward: Special Student — Ouyang Zixin (Four-Ring Soul Ancestor)!]
[Congratulations to the Host for receiving the reward: Level 7 Team × 1 (A team of fifty, including Level 7 Mecha Manufacturers, Level 7 Mecha Repairmen, Level 7 Mecha Designers, and Level 7 Soul Engineers)!]
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
2 Reviews = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.