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"A spirit soul of over five thousand years..."
"This is way too powerful."
Tang Wulin's face was etched with shock. This was five hundred times the power of his own ten-year defective spirit soul, the Little Grass Snake. He knew Xie Xie was strong, but he hadn't expected the gap to be a literal mountain.
Even Wu Changkong, who was driving the academy car, felt a flicker of surprise. While a thousand-year soul was expected for a genius, five thousand years at age nine was a different beast entirely. To endure such a soul, one didn't just need a strong physique—they needed mental force nearing the Spirit Sea Realm.
This boy is a monster even by Shrek's standards, Wu Changkong thought. He felt a pang of disappointment; he had hoped to recruit these children for the Tang Sect, but it was clear Xie Xie was already deeply entrenched in the Spirit Pagoda.
"There's nothing to be surprised about. You'll all reach that level eventually," Xie Xie said with a dismissive wave. He wasn't being arrogant; he knew that in the original timeline, Tang Wulin eventually evolved his rings far beyond this. For Xie Xie, whose mental force was already firmly in the Spirit Sea Realm, five thousand years was just the beginning.
"A hundred-year level would be enough for me," Tang Wulin muttered, thinking of his empty wallet. A hundred-year soul cost a million credits—money he'd have to forge for years to earn.
Gu Yue sat in the back, her gaze fixed on Xie Xie. Her two-thousand-year soul suddenly felt insufficient. I need to close the gap, she thought. Perhaps if I team up with him today, I can create more opportunities to 'interact' with him. A faint, predatory smile touched her lips.
"Gu Yue, what's wrong?" Xie Xie asked, noticing the change in her expression.
"Nothing," she snorted, quickly turning her head away to hide her satisfaction.
"Brother Xie Xie, I want to reach a thousand years today too!" Xu Xiaoyan chimed in, squeezing Xie Xie's hand.
"I'll take you there, Xiao Yan."
"Hehe, Brother Xie Xie is the best!"
Gu Yue watched the exchange and thought: Childish little human.
Donghai Spirit Pagoda.
The group arrived at the massive, spire-like landmark. Director Long Hengxu was already there, waiting with a formally dressed man.
"Teacher Wu! Let me introduce Lord Jiang Liu, the supervisor of the Spirit Ascension Platform," Long Hengxu said respectfully.
"Donghai Academy, Wu Changkong," the teacher replied flatly.
Jiang Liu's gaze swept over the students, but when he saw Xie Xie, his professional mask shattered. "Young Master Xie?" He walked over quickly.
"Uncle Jiang," Xie Xie greeted him with a smile.
Long Hengxu was stunned. "You two know each other?"
"Young Master Xie is our most distinguished guest," Jiang Liu explained. "He's practically a fixture here. I didn't realize he had joined Class Zero."
Jiang Liu led them to the basement, a high-tech chamber filled with shimmering metallic capsules.
"The Spirit Ascension Platform is a semi-virtual world," Jiang Liu explained. "Your consciousness enters a virtual forest filled with Spirit Beasts. By defeating them, your Spirit Soul absorbs their energy, increasing its age. If you are in danger, press the emergency button on your waist to disconnect."
"You will be randomly teleported," Wu Changkong added. "Try to find each other. Good luck."
Xie Xie climbed into a capsule and closed his eyes.
The Virtual Forest.
When Xie Xie opened his eyes, he was surrounded by towering, ancient trees. The air felt real, the scent of damp earth and pine needles filling his lungs.
"Back home," he murmured. He had been here dozens of times. His goal today was simple: find thousand-year beasts and push his rings even higher.
"I didn't expect you to be here too. Shall we go together?"
Xie Xie turned to see Gu Yue walking toward him with a confident smile. It was a stroke of immense luck—or perhaps divine intervention—that they had spawned at the same coordinates.
"Sure. Let's go," Xie Xie agreed.
Gu Yue beamed. Heaven is on my side, she thought. Taking him down is only a matter of time.
They moved deeper into the forest. For Gu Yue, every three-hundred-year beast was a target, but Xie Xie didn't even pause for them. He moved with a singular purpose toward the high-energy zones.
"Gu Yue, there's a decent one ahead," Xie Xie said calmly.
"Then let's—"
Before she could finish, Xie Xie vanished. His aura reappeared hundreds of meters away in a blur of blue light.
Gu Yue's smile froze. He didn't even wait for me? "Damned Xie Xie!" she hissed. She summoned the wind elements, her body becoming a streak of green as she chased after him. When she finally caught up, she found him standing over a pile of dissolving pixels.
"You... already finished?"
"Yeah. A 1,300-year Earth Devil Spider," Xie Xie said, his ring glowing with a faint purple light as it absorbed the essence. "It added 130 years to my soul."
"Next time, wait for me," Gu Yue said, trying to keep her voice flat. "My control would make the hunt easier."
Xie Xie looked at her, and though he said nothing, his expression clearly screamed: Why would I need help to kill something that takes three seconds?
"Don't look at me like that!" Gu Yue snapped. "Who goes into a hunt with a partner and then leaves them behind? If you keep this up, Xie Xie, you won't have any friends!"
Xie Xie shrugged. He wasn't here to make friends; he was here to become a god.
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