Fang Yang gave a slight nod, his gaze calm as he addressed the Spirit Pagoda attendant.
"And what about our session quota? How is it counted now?"
The attendant immediately bowed, voice reverent.
"My Lord Fang Yang, this incident does not count against your allotted sessions. You and your companions retain full access."
He paused, then added quickly, "We've already prepared a new Platform sector for you—you may restart the trial immediately."
"Of course," he continued, "if you require rest or adjustment, we can arrange that as well…"
Fang Yang turned to Wu Zhangkong, silently seeking his teacher's input.
Wu Zhangkong's emerald eyes flickered with thought—then he gave a faint nod.
"Then let's begin again," Fang Yang said, his tone unhurried.
The attendant exhaled in relief and spun toward the control console.
"Activate Platform One immediately—priority access for Lord Fang Yang!"
Under the attendant's swift coordination, Fang Yang's group of six re-entered the Spirit Ascension Platform.
As the familiar dizziness washed over him, Fang Yang closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, dappled sunlight danced across his cheeks, and a breeze—laden with the scent of grass and leaves—brushed his ears.
The simulated Star Dou Forest had been perfectly restored, as if the cataclysmic explosion had never occurred.
"I'll need to be more careful this time," Fang Yang murmured, and began cautiously exploring the ancient woods.
—
Meanwhile, Gu Yue also re-entered the Platform.
Her eyes were distant, the dense foliage and fresh air making her feel as if she'd stepped into another world.
To her, the Spirit Pagoda's creation was nothing short of a miracle.
"It's so beautiful… I love this feeling," she whispered, fingertips tracing the delicate veins of a leaf.
As she walked, she encountered several spirit beasts—none strong.
Each fell easily to her masterful elemental control.
With every kill, a faint, shimmering energy seeped into her body.
Suddenly—bushes ahead rustled violently.
A towering figure lunged into view.
A three-meter-tall bear, its fur a mix of brown and yellow, its massive paws gleaming with crystalline luster.
Its amber eyes locked onto Gu Yue with predatory focus.
ROOOAR!
The Thousand-Year Crystal Bear let out an earth-shaking roar and charged without hesitation.
"A… Thousand-Year Crystal Bear?"
Wu Zhangkong's eyes widened slightly in the observation room.
This beast was an extremely rare mutant—even in antiquity, sightings were scarce.
How did it appear in the Platform?
Though related to the Terror Claw Bear, this variant was a weakened mutation, inferior in raw power.
Its unique ability?
Any creature it struck would begin crystallizing—and a second hit would shatter them to dust.
Only overwhelming soul power could resist the crystallization.
Otherwise, victims had to amputate the affected limb immediately to survive.
Yet Crystal Bears had a fatal flaw: no ranged attacks—only close combat.
Facing the bear's charge, Gu Yue remained utterly calm.
Her yellow soul ring flared—her aura surging.
"First Soul Skill: Elemental Tide!"
Wind energy swirled around her—her body grew light as a feather.
Then—silver light flashed.
Space distorted—Gu Yue vanished.
CRASH!
The Crystal Bear slammed into empty air, its massive frame splintering a giant tree in half, wood chips flying.
Rather than fight, Gu Yue turned and fled.
Her hands swept gracefully behind her— miniature tornadoes spiraled from her palms.
These weren't meant to attack—the bear's hide could shrug off such force.
Instead, the cyclones swept up fallen leaves, forming a natural smokescreen.
"Excellent judgment—truly sharp," Long Hengxu nodded approvingly.
Wu Zhangkong's eyes gleamed with quiet praise.
What he admired most was Gu Yue's unshakable composure under threat—her instant assessment of enemy strength, her flawless execution of evasion and misdirection.
Using the leaf barrier as cover, Gu Yue triggered spatial teleportation again.
In a flicker, she changed direction, rapidly widening the gap.
—
Elsewhere, the others fared very differently.
Wang Jinxi met his destined nemesis: a Hundred-Year Man-Faced Demon Spider.
The moment their eight-eyed gazes locked, Wang Jinxi's blood froze solid.
The spider dived from the canopy, forelimbs glinting like blades.
Before he could press the emergency beacon—
a spider leg pierced his shoulder.
"AAAAAAAAH!"
Agony tore from his throat. The neural shock triggered critical distress.
Technicians had no choice but to initiate emergency extraction.
As the saying goes: Where there's a crouching dragon, there's always a hidden phoenix.
Zhang Yangzi had been eliminated even earlier.
The moment he entered, the arrogant boy climbed a tree and launched an unprovoked attack on a passing azure bird.
Not only was his strike effortlessly deflected—he provoked an entire flock.
Countless wind blades—each as large as cartwheels—rained down like hail, nearly shredding him to pieces.
Only his last-second activation of the emergency signal saved him from dismemberment.
In contrast, Xie Xie performed with remarkable discipline.
Leveraging his knowledge of spirit beasts and cautious approach, he navigated the Platform with ease.
He had high hopes for this trial—every move calculated, every step deliberate.
—
Just then, Fang Yang sensed something.
His blood surged violently.
His second purple soul ring blazed.
"Second Soul Skill: Annihilation Crash!"
He shot forward, right fist wreathed in annihilating flame, striking straight ahead.
At that exact moment—silver light flashed.
Gu Yue teleported behind him, landing silently at his back.
ROOOOAR!
The earth trembled as the colossal beast finally revealed itself.
The Thousand-Year Crystal Bear plowed through the forest like a runaway bulldozer—bushes flattened, ancient trees toppled.
Worse—every shattered trunk instantly crystallized, then crumbled into sparkling dust.
Fang Yang's flame-wreathed fist met the Crystal Bear's charge, a head-on collision!
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