Chapter 69: Three Monsters and Seven Despairing Kids!
It had been a whole year since the time Jiang Chen had accidentally kissed the Snow Empress—only to be kicked half to death for it.
Since then, Class Zero had made incredible progress. Except for the three anomalies—Jiang Chen, the Snow Empress, and Gu Yue—whose soul power rose however they pleased, the others' combat experience and cultivation levels had also skyrocketed.
The Federation and the Spirit Pagoda had truly gone all out for this class. Each year, the Federation allowed them to claim a thousand-year spiritual item, including ones worth up to five million Federation credits—like the Thousand-Year Dragon Scale Fruit—and other rare treasures unseen on the market. Meanwhile, the Spirit Pagoda gave them unlimited access to the Spirit Ascension Platform, a privilege normally reserved for internal VIPs.
It was obvious: ever since Shrek Academy had left the Federation, both the Pagoda and the government were working together to establish an advanced academy to replace it.
And Class Zero divisions in various cities were being prepared to scout the most exceptional talents.
Soon, the plan would unfold fully.
"Jiang Chen, you're too arrogant!"
During a sparring match where Gu Yue and Jiang Chen were supposed to lead the Class Zero team of seven against another squad, Gu Yue lost her patience halfway through and turned on Jiang Chen instead.
"Hey! What did I do?!"
Startled, Jiang Chen spread his black wings and darted into the air. By now, his soul power had reached rank forty-nine.
In an instant, the two of them were blasting each other—an explosion of multi-elemental chaos dazzling enough to blind the spectators.
Wu Zhangkong rubbed his temple and sighed.
He should probably create a separate class just for these three maniacs.
They were still children—and already rank forty-nine!
Were they even human at this point?
(Answer: We are definitely not human!)
No surprise, really. Even when the other seven worked together, they couldn't land a single effective hit on the trio.
"Alright, gather up," Wu Zhangkong said with a clap.
"Next month's the Tianhai Tournament. Start getting ready. You three will participate in the three-man division, and the other seven will compete in the team tournament."
Xie Xie raised a trembling hand. "Uh… Teacher, we're only second-years. Isn't that a bit… early?"
The Federation's eighteen Tier-One cities were divided into five regional sectors—east, west, south, north, and central.
The eastern cities jointly hosted the Tianhai Tournament, a grand event where top students from numerous academies showcased their power. Held once every three years, the champions would qualify to represent the region in the prestigious Federation-wide tournament held every five years.
"But—uh—we're only ten…" Xie Xie sputtered, "…and the youth bracket's for ages eleven to fifteen! Isn't that… not fair?"
He proudly considered himself a genius, sure—but fighting opponents five years older? That was suicidal. Those extra five years of training made a world of difference.
Unless…
Xie Xie's eyes darted to Jiang Chen, Gu Yue, and the Snow Empress.
Yeah—unless you were one of them.
Those three were walking abominations.
"Teacher," he asked weakly, "you're sure we're going to compete… not just watch, right?"
Wu Zhangkong gave him a cold look. "Tang Wulin's already been nominated by the Blacksmith Association for the forging competition. The schedules won't conflict. You'll all enter the youth division—team and squad events. Forget the solo tournament; your focus is on group battles. And your goal—"
He paused pointedly. "—is to win the championship."
"WHAT?!"
Everyone froze—mouths gaping.
They all knew what the Tianhai Tournament was, and now they were expected not just to fight but to take first place?
"Teacher," Xie Xie said carefully, "if those three monsters are in our team… maybe, maybe there's a chance. But if it's just us seven?"
He didn't even need to finish. Everyone knew.
Rank forty-nine Soul Sects versus a bunch of twenty-something-level kids—unfair didn't begin to cover it.
At best, Wang Jinxi was level thirty-one after training with Tang Wulin's group fusion technique. The rest hovered around twenty-seven to twenty-eight.
Tang Wulin himself was only rank twenty-three.
Seven people, zero support-types.
What—just rush the enemy head-on and pray?
With Jiang Chen's trio, at least victory was conceivable.
Without them? Forget it.
Wu Zhangkong's expression hardened. "You will give this your all. The Federation and the Spirit Pagoda invested heavily in you. Show them their resources weren't wasted. The result itself means little compared to your effort. Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Louder!"
"UNDERSTOOD!" ×7
Satisfied, he nodded. "Good. Follow me—we're heading to the Virtual Combat Arena."
"Virtual… Combat Arena?" the students echoed.
Wu Zhangkong explained, "A collaboration between the Tang Sect and the Spirit Pagoda. A constructed space that simulates historical titans for you to fight. In there, you can choose from various eras—battle the young Sea God, the adult Sea God, even the Title Douluo-level Sea God."
He himself had once faced it back when he was with the Tang Sect.
Though he hadn't stayed long—after all, one typically only joined Tang Sect after graduating from Shrek Academy's inner court.
He'd been expelled before that.
Now, though, he had long made peace with the Spirit Pagoda. After all, everything was for the Federation's future.
And the arena's rewards were worth it—tremendously so.
Victories yielded mystical pills, upgrading elixirs, rare heavenly treasures, and soul bones, some reaching the hundred-thousand-year level.
After millennia of coexistence between spirit beasts and humans, soul beasts frequently contributed soul bones as a gesture of goodwill—sometimes even from Sea Soul Beasts or the Life Lake of the Star Dou Forest.
The greatest prize, however, caught everyone's attention.
The tenth-ranked among the ancient Ten Great Beasts—a three-hundred-thousand-year soul spirit, now sealed within the Spirit Pagoda itself.
Challenge it successfully, and you could contract it.
A three-hundred-thousand-year spirit soul…
enough to drive any soul master mad with desire.
Countless prodigies had joined the Pagoda just for a chance to fight in that arena, because entry required membership.
Jiang Chen glanced at the war beast's profile and smiled faintly in reminiscence.
Back when he had seized fragments from the shattered God Realm to create his own, what had become of the original Spirit Ascension Platform?
As repayment to the Spirit Pagoda, Jiang Chen had personally "persuaded" the ancient beast once known as Yao Ling—a three-hundred-thousand-year creature wielding control over time and space—to sacrifice itself for the future of all spirit beasts.
"Persuaded," of course, through a very heartfelt lecture.
Deeply "moved," Yao Ling had benevolently offered its body as material for rebuilding the Spirit Ascension Platform—now remade from divine fragments and its own remains.
A new Sanctum was born—one built from a piece of the God Realm itself and the time-space prowess of a fallen beast.
Thus, the Spirit Pagoda's new Spirit Ascension Platform was forged.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/LightKira10