Why was his martial soul a useless Blue Silver Grass? Why was his innate soul power only at rank three? Tang Wulin couldn't figure it out. But instead of being discouraged, he strengthened his resolve. What was so scary about a so-called useless martial soul? He firmly believed that as long as he worked hard, he was destined to become a powerful soul master.
"Are you okay?" Gu Yue noticed Tang Wulin's unusual expression.
"N-no, I'm fine," Tang Wulin denied.
"Teacher, what's today's lesson?" Gu You asked. Although he was familiar with the general plot, he couldn't quite grasp the exact timing of events.
"Follow me," Wu Zhangkong said as he walked ahead. "Starting today, you'll have one day every week to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform for training. Treasure this opportunity—it was specially arranged for you by the academy with allocated funds."
Gu You nodded in understanding, but Tang Wulin was puzzled. Spirit Ascension Platform? What was that?Gu Yue was slightly surprised, while Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Xie Xie all looked shocked.
Xie Xie exclaimed in admiration, "The academy is really generous! It looks like joining Class Zero was definitely the right choice!"
Tang Wulin asked in a low voice, "What is the Spirit Ascension Platform?"
Gu You looked at him in disbelief. "You don't even know about the Spirit Ascension Platform? That's a great place!"
Although it was Tang Wulin's first time speaking with Gu You, his personality was naturally cheerful. "Tell me quickly, I really don't know."
Gu You explained, "Across the Douluo Continent, only large cities have the resources to support a Spirit Ascension Platform. There are only eighteen in the entire continent. It's the best place for soul masters to train."
This alone showed how wealthy East Sea City was. After all, constructing a Spirit Ascension Platform consumed an astronomical amount of resources, and not every city could afford to support one.
"The Spirit Ascension Platform was created by the Spirit Pagoda organization as a training ground for soul masters. It allows soul masters to enhance their personal strength while experiencing the charm of the ancient soul master era. I'm not sure of the exact mechanics, but I heard that when it was first built, more than ten Titled Douluos participated, along with a large number of top-tier researchers. The Spirit Pagoda invested an immense amount of resources to complete it."
"Originally, the Spirit Ascension Platform was meant to help the Spirit Pagoda further research artificial soul spirits, aiming to enhance their levels and create even stronger spirit souls. However, the experiment only partially succeeded. While the Spirit Ascension Platform did help with soul spirit evolution, the effects were inconsistent."
"Having already invested so much, the Spirit Pagoda couldn't just let it go to waste. So, after further development, the Spirit Ascension Platform became a unique training ground. Simply put, it's a fusion of the most advanced soul technology and the wisdom of soul masters and researchers. When a soul master enters, it's like stepping into another world. It's not particularly dangerous because the platform provides protection, but it allows for battles against soul beasts, improving combat experience. Some particularly lucky soul masters even manage to refine and enhance their spirit souls within the platform, achieving spirit ascension. I don't know the specifics, though—I've only heard about it and have never been inside myself."
Hearing this, Tang Wulin's curiosity intensified. The Spirit Ascension Platform could enhance spirit souls?
"How does the enhancement work?" he asked.
Gu You chuckled. "It's simple! Whether it's a spirit soul or the traditional method of directly absorbing a soul beast's spirit ring, their power and evaluation are based on the soul beast's years of cultivation. Spirit ascension increases the spirit soul's cultivation age. Your current spirit soul is only at the ten-year level, so the chance of an upgrade is pretty high. If you can train in the Spirit Ascension Platform regularly, you'll definitely have the opportunity to boost it. It should at least reach the hundred-year level. Plus, a hundred-year spirit soul grants two soul skills instead of just one, meaning you wouldn't have to buy another spirit soul when you reach rank twenty. That would save both mental energy and money! After all, you'll need to save money to unlock and understand your bloodline's seal."
Tang Wulin was stunned, his heart burning with excitement. If he could elevate his spirit ring to the hundred-year level, his Blue Silver Grass would naturally become stronger!Although he possessed the Golden Dragon King bloodline, his true martial soul was still Blue Silver Grass. If he could enhance his spirit ring, his soul skills would also improve. Additionally, a hundred-year spirit soul granted two soul skills, so he wouldn't need to buy another one when he reached rank twenty. That meant saving both mental energy and money—especially crucial since he needed to set aside funds for unlocking his bloodline's seal.
"What are the requirements to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform?"
"Two things: money and a slot!" Xie Xie suddenly chuckled mischievously.
The moment money was mentioned, Tang Wulin felt a pang in his heart. The path of a soul master was inseparable from wealth! Fortunately, he had his forging skills; otherwise, he wouldn't even know how to sustain his training.
"How much does it cost?"
Before Gu You could answer, Gu Yue interjected, "The Spirit Ascension Platform has different levels. The entry fee for the primary-level platform is around 500,000 federal credits per session. However, the bigger challenge is obtaining a slot. Each Spirit Ascension Platform has a strict monthly quota. For the primary-level platform, there are only 1,000 slots per month. Considering that the total number of soul masters in the continent exceeds one million, you can imagine how scarce these slots are. The mid-tier and high-tier platforms have even fewer slots because they consume even more resources, and their costs multiply exponentially."
Wu Zhangkong listened silently to his students' discussion, feeling somewhat impressed that today's youth were so knowledgeable. Perhaps it was time for him to start paying more attention to current events. The school prohibited the use of soul communicator devices, and students weren't allowed to use them either unless they left campus. Even then, ordinary soul communicators cost thousands of credits, which younger students couldn't afford. Even for wealthy families, parents wouldn't let their children have them since cultivation and studies took priority. This was an accepted truth across the world.
Still, some mischievous students would occasionally sneak out at night or during class to visit internet cafés.
"So, the academy is making a major investment!" Xie Xie sighed in admiration. "Getting a slot is no simple task. Most slots are pre-allocated to major families or influential organizations. It looks like our academy has a deep foundation. If Wei Xiaofeng found out we got to train in the Spirit Ascension Platform, he'd probably regret leaving Class Zero!"
Zhang Yangzi turned and glared at Xie Xie. "Why do you talk so much nonsense?"
Xie Xie snorted. "Not convinced? We can fight in the Spirit Ascension Platform. You can try me there."
Zhang Yangzi's eyes flashed coldly. He was about to retort when Wang Jinxi pressed a hand on his shoulder. Zhang Yangzi looked up at him, and Wang Jinxi shook his head.
What was going on with him? Zhang Yangzi felt a bit confused. Wang Jinxi had been acting strange lately, ever since he was suppressed by Tang Wulin's martial soul. But it had been several days now—was he still not over it?
The East Sea Spirit Pagoda, known as the "Sea Tower," was a branch of the Spirit Pagoda organization. Named after the sea, it symbolized an everlasting legacy.
From a great distance, the towering structure could be seen. It stood over a hundred stories high, reaching more than a thousand meters. Among the skyscrapers of East Sea City, it was a true landmark.
(End of Chapter)