Thank you to our new Patrons: mark74497, Charlie Puente-Duany, Anime fan123456, DeathClan1980, Leroy, Drake Blazer, Mridk, Jose, Destin Woods and Isaiah! Your support means the world to me <3 We are up to Chapter 290: A Three–Way Standoff on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! It's called Douluo: Martial Soul White Tiger, I Am the White Emperor of Heaven! As always, Patrons will have unrestricted access to all of my stories including futures ones!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The three of them required far more than just five thousand years' worth of spirit power.
As for Tang Wulin, it was hard to say. Xu Yuan wasn't sure about his current situation.
With the bloodline power of the Golden Dragon King, Tang Wulin definitely had the opportunity to bear four black ten-thousand-year soul rings. However, he currently only had one soul spirit, Gold Light. This meant he had the chance to break through to Soul Elder with just a single soul spirit. A spirit sea-level spiritual power could carry a ten-thousand-year soul spirit, provided there were no other soul spirits present.
(T/N: Gold Light is his Grass Snake spirit soul that eventually evolves, a.k.a Gold Song)
Tang Wulin was one of the few who could meet this condition.
This time, his requirement was over five thousand years' worth of spirit power. Xu Yuan guessed that Tang Wulin might be planning something like this, so his demand would definitely exceed five thousand years' worth of spirit power.
As for Gu Yue, Xu Yuan didn't know how much her spiritual power had grown to by now—it might have already broken through to the Lingyuan Realm.
At this stage, Gu Yue's spiritual power growth resembled Schrödinger's equation; its speed couldn't be predicted normally.
If she required over five thousand years' worth of spirit power, it was likely that her needs wouldn't stop at just five or six thousand.
As for Xu Yuan himself, the more spirit power, the better. The amount of spirit power provided by a single trip to the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform would absolutely not push him to his limit.
Among the three, Xu Yuan and Tang Wulin had previously forged for their classmates, so it was natural for their classmates to help them out without any issues.
As for Gu Yue…
She belonged to the Spirit Pagoda, and her teacher was Leng Yaozhu, the vice-tower master and Phoenix Douluo. In the future, if any of the students needed help—whether in acquiring soul spirits or securing Spirit Ascension Platform qualifications—they could seek her assistance.
"In fact, aside from Wulin and Gu Yue, I also need a significant amount of spirit power. If you've completed your tasks and boosted your soul spirits to the required level, feel free to team up with me."
After Xu Yuan conducted a unified inquiry, the class had a general understanding of everyone's needs. With clear requirements, finding teammates became much easier.
---
The Next Day
Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong led the first-year Class One students to the Spirit Pagoda in Shrek City.
The sight of over a hundred students entering the Spirit Pagoda was quite spectacular, causing quite a stir within the tower.
However, soon after, a high-ranking official from the Spirit Pagoda stepped forward to stabilize the situation.
The person who arrived was none other than Gu Yue's teacher and the vice-tower master of the Spirit Pagoda, Leng Yaozhu.
Leng Yaozhu's gaze swept across the first-year students of Shrek Academy. When her eyes landed on Gu Yue, a smile appeared, and she nodded slightly before continuing her scan. Her gaze lingered on Xu Yuan for a long while.
She sighed inwardly.
Indeed, he looked very familiar.
Xu Yuan also noticed Leng Yaozhu's gaze and detected the subtle fluctuations in her expression. His heart stirred slightly.
"Could she possibly recognize me?"
Xu Yuan didn't think the fluctuation in Leng Yaozhu's gaze was simply admiration for a genius. He could clearly sense a hint of reminiscence in her eyes.
And the only thing Xu Yuan could think of that would evoke such memories in her was likely his late father.
Recognizing him but showing no surprise…
While Xu Yuan pondered, Leng Yaozhu briefly exchanged words with Wu Zhangkong and then led them to the Spirit Ascension Platform area.
"If you're curious about what happened to your father back then, come see me with Gu Yue after the ascension is complete." Leng Yaozhu's voice echoed in Xu Yuan's ear.
Xu Yuan remained silent and continued to follow along.
His father's matter?
After years of cultivation, Xu Yuan had found immense joy in the process and had many expectations for his future.
But he had never forgotten the vengeance for his father.
Leng Yaozhu, as the vice-tower master of the Spirit Pagoda, undoubtedly knew something about what had happened back then. Moreover, she wasn't aligned with figures like Qiangu Dongfeng. Xu Yuan felt there was a good chance of learning the truth about his father's past from her.
Upon hearing Leng Yaozhu's words, Xu Yuan's heart stirred slightly.
What exactly happened back then?
"Unlike the Spirit Ascension Platforms in other Pillar Cities, Shrek City's platform is the headquarters. Due to Shrek City's influence, the amount of spirit power invested here is significantly greater, the internal space is larger, and the number of participating soul masters is higher. Even for the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform, during the two turbulent periods each year, there are five hundred spots available per event."
Listening to Leng Yaozhu's explanation, Tang Wulin was deeply shocked.
He remembered when he was in Eastsea City, the Beginner Spirit Ascension Platform during the turbulent period only had three hundred spots.
For the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform, both the number of spots and qualification requirements should logically be stricter.
But here, in the Spirit Pagoda headquarters of Shrek City—even in the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform region—a total of one thousand spots were available annually for the turbulent periods?
Then what about the Beginner Spirit Ascension Platform?
There were likely at least two thousand spots available here annually during the turbulent periods, right?
And these were all during the turbulent periods.
During normal times, the number of spots here would undoubtedly be even higher.
Of course, correspondingly, soul masters without sufficient skill would absolutely avoid attempting spirit ascension here, fearing they'd just be throwing money away.
"One by one, proceed to the corresponding rooms and enter the Spirit Ascension Platform," Wu Zhangkong instructed, pointing to the many rooms in front of them. The more than a hundred students behind him began searching for their assigned rooms.
Each room could accommodate up to seven people.
Once inside the equipment pods, all devices were connected, and the assessment officially began.
The Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform was modeled after the mixed zones of the former Star Dou Forest. Inside, most of the soul beasts were thousand-year beasts, with occasional appearances of ten-thousand-year beasts.
In Shrek City's Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform, the number of thousand-year soul beasts was the only one among all Intermediate Spirit Pagodas that fully replicated the conditions of the original Star Dou Forest.
The entire space almost replicated thirty percent of the original Star Dou Forest's area, and the density of soul beasts inside was completely based on the original Star Dou Forest's conditions.
The Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platforms in other cities were much smaller in size, replicating only slightly more than ten percent of the original area, with slightly lower soul beast densities.
However, the levels and proportions of soul beasts remained consistent.
Feeling the surrounding natural atmosphere, Xu Yuan was also deeply impressed.
This was his first time visiting Shrek City's Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform.
"It feels so real."
Xu Yuan wondered if the Advanced Spirit Ascension Platform was no longer a virtual space but an independent, real-existing small dimension.
"Class President, what do we do next?"
This time, a total of three people were acting with Xu Yuan: Fang Yuan, Wu Siduo, and Ye Xinglan.
Because Xu Lizhi's food-based abilities were highly beneficial, Xu Yuan assigned him to another team. With his Recovery Meat Bun, he could greatly enhance their endurance, allowing them to use their soul skills more freely without worrying about stamina.
"All three of you can absorb one thousand years' worth of spirit power, so let's first complete the task. Whoever reaches their absorption limit first will step back and let others handle the final blow."
"Understood."
None of Fang Yuan, Wu Siduo, or Ye Xinglan objected to Xu Yuan's instructions.
"Our target is around three-thousand-year soul beasts. Since the Spirit Ascension Platform has just opened, hunting soul beasts of this age range offers the best cost-to-benefit ratio."
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.