Chapter 122 - Entering
“The spirit ascension platform is the fruit of a millennium years of our Spirit Pagoda’s efforts and knowledge. We had invested an enormous amount of resources and used our spatial technology to create a different world, therefore, the first thing you need to note is that the spirit ascension platform is a virtual world. To be precise, it is half virtual and half real. This is because a lot of the virtual data relies on your input. However, it can be considered purely virtual within the elementary spirit ascension platform, so there is no need to fear for your lives.”
“You can do anything you want in the spirit ascension platform, but your main objective will be to survive. Do your best to survive as long as you can. The longer you survive, the greater the benefits you will reap.”
“Secondly, don’t believe that it is completely safe in there. Although your life will not be in danger as only your brain waves are active in there, in some extreme circumstances, there is a possibility that your brain waves will be damaged and cause danger to your corporeal body. As such, the moment you face danger beyond your power to deal with, press the emergency exit button; and you will immediately exit the spirit ascension platform. Understood?”
“Understood.” The five students responded quickly.
The staff member nodded. “As for the rest, you will learn them after experiencing it inside. Today is the first time you will be inside, so you probably won’t survive too long, but it should leave a deep impression on you. Prepare yourselves mentally and remember this: don’t panic if you run into a dangerous situation. Soul beasts aren’t that scary if you know how to react properly.”
The five children were filled with anticipation after listening to the staff member’s explanations. Tang Wulin and Gu Yue were especially excited since this was their first time learning about the spirit ascension platform.
They would enter with their brain waves? Just how would that feel?
With a press of a button, five metal boxes came out of the wall. These boxes were laid horizontally, each with a person sized-hollow within it, which made them slightly resemble a coffin.
“Lay down inside.”
The five of them followed the staff member’s instructions and laid down in the metal boxes. The boxes were so cold that it snapped their minds into focus.
The interior was lined with electrodes, which quickly began to stick to their body snuggly.
“We’re going to start now. Prepare yourselves. Relax your bodies and wait for the scan to begin. You may feel some discomfort during the scan, but just bear with it for a moment.”
That was the last piece of instruction the five students received from the staff member before the five metal boxes had slowly slid back into the wall. They were enveloped in darkness.
A sudden numbness encompassed Tang Wulin’s body and agitated his excited soul power and blood; it was as if something was tunneling through his body. His body became paralyzed as the numbness grew stronger.
This sort of pain was nothing to Tang Wulin compared to the pain of breaking his seal; in fact, this feeling made him drowsy.
A while later, his body suddenly started trembling, rousing him from his drowsiness. To his surprise, he now stood in a brightly lit place.
The numbness had disappeared along with the metal box, replaced by a metal device that had a big red button. It was attached to the back of his hand.
Is this the emergency exit button?
Where is this?
Tang Wulin already had an initial impression of what the spirit ascension platform would be like from Xie Xie’s explanation, but now that he had actually entered, he was utterly shocked. Only now could he understand how much the Spirit Pagoda had poured into their research.
He was surrounded by gigantic trees and large thickets of shrubbery. There wasn’t a single path in sight. It felt like he had entered an ancient forest.
However, what was most astonishing to him was how realistic this place felt. He lightly pinched his own cheeks in disbelief, before examining his surroundings, touching everything, and finally, confirming that it was real.
Heavens! This spirit ascension platform is just too magical!
His heart overflowed with awe. Such a place was simply too magical for him to fathom.
Only after a few moments of admiration was Tang Wulin finally able to calm himself down. In the first place, he was already far calmer than his peers. After all, his many years of blacksmithing hadn’t been for nothing.
He looked down at his hands, confirming that his bracelets and rings were still there. With this, he concluded that everything on him had been brought over to this world. Next, he roused his bloodline power, and was relieved to see the golden scales appear.
Everything is the exact same as in reality.
Tang Wulin was not the type of person to make rash decisions, so having heard that the spirit ascension platform wasn’t completely safe, he concluded that it was probably dangerous instead. It was possible to encounter an enemy at any moment, just like Wu Zhangkong had mentioned during combat training.
With this being the case, the only thing he could do now was to always be on guard, and to survive for as long as possible.
Now that Tang Wulin had a clear objective in mind, he silently crouched down and surveyed his surroundings. His spiritual power had already reached the Spirit Connection realm, so it was far more sensitive to changes in the external world.
The first thing he felt was the breath of life that permeated the forest. Only this could be considered an authentic ancient forest! Where could one even find such a forest in the modern day federation? The majority of ancient forests had already been cut down by humanity. In fact, it was said that the continent’s greatest forest, Great Star Dou Forest, was only a husk of its former self, left with a meagre one percent of its original area.
So ancient forests are actually so beautiful… The air is so refreshing. Ah, it feels so wonderful here.
Tang Wulin’s eyes were twinkling with excitement as he fully absorbed this wondrous feeling. He felt as if he was back in Glorybound City, in the little park beside his home.
His cultivation speed had always been faster when he had meditated among the Bluesilver Grass in the park back then, and it was also there that he had broken through to rank 10, becoming a true Soul Master.
And now, he was surrounded by a breath of life that was several times stronger than the one in the little park back home. In fact, there was actually Bluesilver Grass hiding below the shrubbery! The Bluesilver Grass here, however, had flourished much better than the ones he had seen back home. It was extremely difficult for Bluesilver Grass to grow past 15 centimeters in height, yet the grass here had grown well over 30 centimeters in height, reaching up to his calves.
Sitting down from his squat, he gently ran his fingers through the Bluesilver Grass around him. At the same time, he subconsciously released his martial soul. A strand of Bluesilver Grass had quietly appeared among the surrounding thicket.
The aura of life he sensed grew stronger in an instant, as if all the plants in his surroundings were joyously cheering. Tang Wulin immersed himself in this quiet forest that was brimming with life, feeling everything within.
……
The fifth region of the Spirit Pagoda’s elementary spirit ascension platform.
“What is he doing?” Long Hengxu was pointing at a screen that was displaying Tang Wulin sitting down with his eyes closed. He was leaning against a tree with his mouth slightly curved, a pleasurable smile gracing his face.
No matter how he looked at it, Long Hengxu felt that this child was taking a nap! Tang Wulin had such a wonderful opportunity to enter the spirit ascension platform, yet, he was taking a nap?
Wu Zhangkong said, “He seems to be contemplating something. Don’t forget, his martial soul is the Bluesilver Grass, and it’s rare to find such lush Bluesilver Grass in the real world. Look, he seems to have comprehended something; he has already released his martial soul.”
Long Hengxu finally realized what Tang Wulin was doing. “That’s right, this simulation of the Great Star Dou Forest is really suitable for plant-type Soul Masters to cultivate in. It seems that this child’s perception is quite good after all.”
Wu Zhangkong nodded in approval.
Within the class of five, Tang Wulin was not the most talented student. He didn’t have Xie Xie’s twin martial souls or Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi’s soul fusion skill. He didn’t even have Gu Yue’s skillful control. Yet, despite all of this, Wu Zhangkong paid special attention to this child.