Gold slithered forth, merging into one strand. The vine transformed instantly, turning brilliant gold and as hard as steel. It speared forward like a lance, piercing straight through the ape's third eye and into its brain.

Ray collapsed.

Darkness flooded the edges of his vision as sweat poured from his body.

At the same moment, an overwhelming torrent of energy surged into him.

This absorption was different from any before.

The energy has split into two.

One portion flowed into Gold, which absorbed it greedily. The other rushed directly into Ray's brain, causing the stabbing pain that tore through his consciousness.

He let out a muffled groan and lost consciousness.

Alfred appeared beside him in a flash, his face ashen.

Only now did realization strike him like ice.

This was a ten-thousand-year soul beast.

Even at the lower bound, the spirit energy it contained far exceeded what Ray should have absorbed.

Ray's spirit soul had already reached roughly thirteen hundred years. Absorbing the energy of a ten-thousand-year Three-Eyed Demon Ape meant taking in at least another thousand years' worth of spirit energy.

Worse still, this beast possessed terrifying spiritual power.

In the spirit ascension platform, absorbing such energy was equivalent to enduring a spiritual assault.

Alfred's eyes darkened with rare anxiety.

He had miscalculated.

During the spiritual clash, his own mind had been shaken, and in that brief lapse, he had allowed Ray to absorb energy beyond his limits.

Now, nothing could be done.

Once spirit energy absorption began, no one could interfere. Even a Title Douluo would be powerless.

Alfred could only stand there, waiting.

And praying.

*

Dizziness came in endless waves.

Ray felt nothing else. No pain, no touch, no sound. Only chaos.

After an unknown amount of time, a sliver of awareness surfaced.

He opened his eyes.

He was floating in a pitch-black void.

Then the pain arrived.

It exploded inside his head, drilling so deeply that his entire being trembled.

"W-where… am I…?"

As his voice echoed, the darkness slowly faded. Pale gold light emerged, spreading across the void.

Gold appeared before him, growing brighter.

With it, the pain intensified.

It became so unbearable that Ray felt a desperate longing for release, even if that release was death.

Cracks began to form in the golden space around him.

An idea struck like lightning.

Is this… my spiritual world?

"Grandpa Mel!" he screamed in terror.

The cracks widened.

A sigh echoed through the space.

Golden radiance condensed, forming the vague silhouette of a long-shafted weapon.

Brilliant golden light streamed from it, flowing into the cracks.

The fractures slowed.

Then, inch by inch, they began to heal.

Warmth spread through Ray's mind, soothing the agony, mending what had been on the verge of collapse.

"My strength is limited," Grandpa Mel's voice resonated. "You absorbed far more energy than you could endure. I was forced to expend power to save you."

"You will survive… but the next seal will be far more dangerous. The pressure will be several times greater than it should have been."

"Do not do this again. If my power is exhausted, breaking a seal will cost you your life."

The golden light faded.

Darkness returned.

*

Ray awoke to an overwhelming dizziness.

His body felt frozen, heavy as lead. He could not move, could not lift his head. Even opening his eyes took every ounce of his strength.

It's cold…

That was his first clear thought.

Sensation slowly crept back, but his limbs remained numb and unresponsive, as though they no longer belonged to him.

The haze slowly lifted from his vision.

The first thing Ray saw was Alfred.

His teacher's white robes were torn and stained, hanging loosely from his body. He stood there leaning on the Skyfrost Sword as though it were a walking staff, his posture rigid yet unwavering. His long hair was completely disheveled, strands falling messily around his face. It was a sight Ray had never seen before.

Yet even in this state, Alfred stood straight.

Looking past him, Ray's heart trembled. More than a dozen soul beasts circled the area at a distance, their gazes cautious and hostile, while several corpses already lay scattered on the ground, blood seeping into the soil.

He's…

He's been protecting me…

Are we still inside the spirit ascension platform?

"T-Teacher…" Ray whispered weakly.

Alfred's body stiffened. He turned around sharply.

Ray's condition made his breath hitch. Thin trails of blood seeped from Ray's eyes, ears, nostrils, and lips, staining his pale face.

"You're awake?" Alfred rushed to his side.

The icy calm in his eyes shattered, replaced by burning self-reproach and relief tangled together. Ray didn't notice any of it. His consciousness was still drifting, barely anchored.

"Mn…" Ray murmured.

"We're leaving," Alfred said decisively.

He exhaled deeply, as though a mountain had finally been lifted from his chest. As long as Ray was alive, everything else could be dealt with.

Alfred struck the exit button on the back of Ray's hand, then pressed his own.

A beam of light descended.

The two vanished.

*

The glass chamber opened with a soft hiss.

Ray lay completely still inside, his mind even more muddled than before. Leaving the spirit ascension platform hadn't eased his condition; if anything, the discomfort felt heavier. His body felt swollen, unresponsive, as though it no longer belonged to him.

Alfred stepped out of the neighboring chamber and immediately hurried over. He lifted Ray out of the container with care.

Ray was like a lifeless doll in his arms. His limbs hung limp, utterly devoid of strength. Alfred dressed him methodically before changing himself, then hoisted Ray onto his back.

"He absorbed too much spirit energy," a Spirit Tower staff member said cautiously. "Should we arrange an inspection?"

Alfred shook his head. "No need. I can handle it. He'll recover once he wakes."

"Very well," the staff member replied. "Once you leave, he will no longer be under the Spirit Tower's responsibility."

Alfred nodded and left without another word.

He had originally planned to return to West Ocean City immediately, but that plan was abandoned. Ray needed time to stabilize the massive influx of energy. Any delay in adjustment could leave behind lasting damage.

They found an inn nearby.

Ray fell asleep the moment he was placed on the bed.

Alfred also sat down heavily. His face was pale, his breathing shallow. This trip into the intermediate spirit ascension platform had been far more dangerous than he had anticipated.

Very few beasts there could threaten him.

And yet, they had encountered one.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape's true terror lay not in its strength, but its spiritual attribute and intelligence. Even so, defeating it had not been the hardest part.

The real mistake was made afterward.

His own mind had been shaken by the spiritual clash, and in that moment of rebound, he had allowed Ray to absorb spirit energy far beyond his limits.

If it hadn't been Ray…

Alfred didn't allow the thought to finish.

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