The Spirit Ascension Platform of the Spirit Pagoda was not located atop the tower—but deep beneath the earth!
Led by Long Hengxu and Wu Zhangkong, Fang Yang's group entered a custom soul-guided elevator.
As the doors sealed shut, they felt themselves descending.
Inside, soft blue soul-guided light pulsed on the control panel, displaying their ever-increasing depth.
After three full minutes, a faint tremor signaled their arrival.
The doors slid open—revealing a vast underground chamber.
Dozens of Spirit Pagoda staff bustled at their stations, backed by metal corridors stretching into the distance.
Long Hengxu stepped forward, presenting a special access card to a attendant.
"Donghai Academy—six-person team. Requesting Elementary Spirit Ascension Platform clearance."
The attendant swiped the card. A green light flashed.
"Clearance confirmed," he gestured. "This way, please."
They passed through the metal corridor into a circular chamber, its walls lined with giant soul-guided screens, displaying the Platform's interior in stunning detail:
- Primordial jungles thick with ancient trees
- Raging rivers carving through canyons
- Sheer cliffs vanishing into mist—every leaf, every ripple rendered in hyper-realistic clarity.
"Attention!" the attendant's voice turned grave.
"Six slots for the Elementary Spirit Ascension Platform. Time unlimited. If you face unsurvivable danger—press the emergency beacon to return safely."
He listed the critical rules:
"One: Your core objective is survival. The longer you endure, the greater your gains.
Two: Do NOT assume absolute safety. Though only your brainwaves are connected, extreme trauma inside can still cause real neural damage.
At the first sign of overwhelming danger—EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. Understood?"
"Understood!" Fang Yang's group replied in unison.
The attendant pressed a console button.
With a mechanical hum, six silver-gray pods slid from the walls—sleek, human-shaped capsules etched with intricate soul-guided circuits.
"Enter."
One by one, they lay inside. The cold metal sharpened their focus.
As the attendant activated the neural link, suction pads adhered to their bodies.
A strange tingling wave spread through them—
and consciousness faded into darkness.
…
Fang Yang awoke to the scent of damp earth and ancient foliage.
He stood in an endless primordial forest.
Sky-piercing trees blotted out the sun, their trunks so wide it'd take six men to encircle them.
In the distance, unfamiliar spirit beasts roared, their cries echoing through the silent woods.
"Is this… the Star Dou Forest of ten thousand years ago?" Fang Yang whispered in awe.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappling the forest floor.
Every leaf vein, every breeze—painfully, perfectly real.
According to briefing data:
- Elementary Platform = Star Dou Forest outskirts
(Max spirit beast: 3,000 years; common: 10–100 years)
- Intermediate Platform = Inner regions
(Max: 30,000 years; common: 100–1,000 years)
- Advanced Platform = Core zones
(Common: 1,000–10,000 years; not open to the public)
Fang Yang advanced cautiously—then froze.
Ahead, a herd of snow-white Soft Bone Rabbits grazed peacefully—
20–30 of them, each glowing with faint pink halos.
"A Soft Bone Rabbit herd?"
A spark of excitement lit Fang Yang's eyes. His lips curled into a smile.
Hehehe!
In the monitoring room, staff stared at the screen, amazed:
"This kid's lucky! Soft Bone Rabbits on his first step—free gains!"
"Not so fast…" Wu Zhangkong's emerald eyes narrowed with deeper insight.
As if on cue—Fang Yang struck.
A sinister flame erupted in his palm.
Behind him, a deep purple soul ring blazed, the air rippling with heat.
"First Soul Skill: Fire Lotus Explosion!"
A delicate fire lotus spun toward the herd.
On impact—KABOOOOOM!
A typhoon of flames engulfed the clearing, vaporizing the rabbits.
But before the smoke cleared—a white blur shot from the inferno, lunging at Fang Yang's back!
Fang Yang's monstrous spiritual perception saved him—he sidestepped instinctively.
"A… thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit?!" His pupils contracted.
This rabbit was larger, its pink aura denser, crimson eyes blazing with fury.
FLASH!
A pink beam of charm energy shot from its eyes.
"Charm!"
Fang Yang snorted coldly.
His spiritual power surged—an invisible shield repelling the charm completely.
The attendant gasped. "His spiritual power blocked a thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit's charm?!"
Wu Zhangkong said nothing—but his focus intensified.
"Interesting," Fang Yang chuckled.
He launched another flame—but this time, the rabbit glowed golden.
"Invincible Golden Body?!"
Fang Yang froze.
Teleportation. Charm. Golden Body.
This wasn't just a rabbit—it was a MONSTER!
"Then try THIS!"
His eyes hardened.
Left hand: Xuanhuang Flame—earthy yellow, mountain-steady.
Right hand: Myriad Beast Spirit Fire—crimson, swarming with beast phantoms.
The two flames swirled together, radiating apocalyptic energy.
The rabbit's ears shot up—muscles coiling—as it activated its Golden Body again.
"BUDDHA'S WRATH FIRE LOTUS!"
Fang Yang hurled the dual-colored fire lotus.
Space warped in its wake.
At the rabbit's feet—NUCLEAR DETONATION!
BOOOOOOM!
A deafening blast ripped through the forest.
The shockwave incinerated every tree within a kilometer, leaving a mushroom cloud rising from ground zero!
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