Instantly, something extraordinary happened.

Golden scales surfaced along Ray's right arm. At the same time, black scales appeared on Volt's right arm. Though fainter, they were unmistakably real.

Volt felt his power explode upward, but his soul power also began draining at an alarming rate.

"My strength is skyrocketing," he exclaimed, "but my soul power is being consumed rapidly!"

Ray's heart skipped. That felt eerily familiar.

The black scales continued spreading up Volt's arm, creeping toward his shoulder and torso. His soul power couldn't sustain the transformation. The scales halted, leaving behind dark vein-like patterns along his left hand.

Ray compared them to his own golden veins. Volt's were simple, crude lines. His own formed a complex, interwoven pattern.

Alfred inhaled sharply. "This isn't simple amplification… it resembles a soul fusion. Ray can temporarily push your power to its peak. The cost is soul power, but the overall combat strength increases dramatically."

He looked at Ray intently. "Your martial soul… no, your power… is extremely invasive."

Ray scratched his head, embarrassed. He hadn't noticed anything like this with Raziel Phoenix.

"Teacher," he asked, "why doesn't this affect Raziel Phoenix? His martial souls are dragon-related, too."

Alfred shook his head. "Daggers shaped like dragons are not true dragons. If his martial soul were genuinely dragon-type, the influence would be far stronger. On the bright side, this also means he isn't suppressed by you."

Volt let out a bitter laugh. "Dragon-type martial souls are already top-tier. Ray, if others knew about this ability, they'd say you were defying the heavens."

Ray's eyes lit up. "Teacher, if I cultivate alongside multiple dragon-type Soul Masters, could the amplification stack and increase my cultivation speed even more?"

Alfred shook his head. "Impossible. When you connected with Volt, you felt distracted absorbing that foreign energy, didn't you?"

Ray nodded. "Yes… But it wasn't too difficult."

Alfred's gaze sharpened slightly.

"That's precisely the problem."

Alfred said calmly, "That is because your spiritual power has already reached the Spirit Connection realm. With your current level, you can still dual cultivate with a dragon-type Soul Master, but once the number increases, it becomes too distracting. It is similar to spirit soul fusion. The stronger your spiritual power, the more spirit souls you can support. However, guiding foreign energy into your body also consumes spiritual power. Even if your spiritual power becomes extremely high, the number of people you can cultivate with at the same time will still be limited."

Ray scratched his head in embarrassment. In the end, cultivation really had no shortcuts. Still, cultivating with Volt was undeniably faster than cultivating alone, and the benefits were mutual. In fact, Volt gained even more from it than he did.

"I will rearrange your living quarters," Alfred continued. "At night, Ray, you will connect to Volt with a strand of Silverfalls Vine. That way, you can meditate together without issue. From tonight onward, the two of you will cultivate together. If anything unusual happens, report to me immediately."

"Yes," both of them replied in unison.

Alfred nodded and left.

"I'll head back too," Ray said, waving goodbye.

"Wait," Volt suddenly called out.

Ray turned back, puzzled. "What is it?"

Volt hesitated, then spoke with a strange expression. "After cultivating with you, I feel… submissive when I see you. I don't know why. Does that seem strange to you?"

Ray laughed. "How is that strange? Our cultivation speeds increase together, so it's natural that you feel closer to me. Don't overthink it. I'm going now."

He waved again and left.

Neither of them noticed that as Ray walked away, a faint golden pattern briefly flickered on Volt's forehead. The lines were shallow, but their shape faintly resembled the markings on Ray's body.

Ray was in an excellent mood. It was still early, so he washed up and headed to the field for his morning run.

The fact that he and Volt could complement each other through cultivation was a good thing. They were classmates, after all, and would be cultivating together for the next five years.

As he started running, a familiar figure appeared on the track.

It's her.

Uriel had also noticed him. She waved lightly, then continued running.

This time, Ray didn't deliberately approach her. He kept his own pace, quietly watching the energetic, youthful figure ahead of him.

He liked this feeling. Appreciating something beautiful made one's heart lighter, didn't it?

Run, eat, then attend class.

Ray arrived last again.

There was nothing he could do about it. His appetite had grown terrifyingly large, and he needed more time than others to eat his fill.

Ever since absorbing the Golden Dragon King's power, Ray's appetite had become legendary within the academy. One of the things he loved most about joining Class Zero was the free access to the first window. With his consumption rate, Aaron constantly felt a headache coming on, but Ray's outstanding performance in the Class Promotion Tournament left him with no excuse to complain.

"Today, we're going to the Spirit Tower," Alfred announced.

Spirit Tower? For what?

None of them needed spirit souls right now.

The five students were confused, but Alfred offered no explanation.

Leaving the academy during class hours felt strange, yet the sense of privilege was unmistakable.

As they walked, Alfred explained, "From now on, you will cultivate on the Spirit Ascension Platform once a week. Treasure this opportunity. The academy paid a heavy price for it."

Spirit Ascension Platform?

Ray and Lily looked puzzled, while Barbara, Volt, and Raziel Phoenix wore expressions of awe.

Raziel Phoenix couldn't hold back. "Wow! The academy really splurged this time. Joining class zero was totally worth it!"

Ray leaned closer and whispered, "What's the Spirit Ascension Platform?"

Raziel Phoenix stared at him. "You don't know? That place is amazing!"

"Then tell me," Ray urged.

Raziel Phoenix explained enthusiastically, "Across the Xynnar Continent, only major cities have Spirit Ascension Platforms. There are just eighteen in total. They're the best cultivation sites for Soul Masters.

"They were created by the Spirit Tower. When Soul Masters enter, they gain experience, improve strength, and even experience fragments of the ancient Soul Master world. I don't fully understand how it works, but I heard more than ten Soul Overlords and countless top researchers participated in its creation. The Spirit Tower poured an absurd amount of resources into it.

"Originally, it was meant to help upgrade artificial spirit souls. That part wasn't as successful as expected, but they discovered something else. The platform became a unique cultivation realm. You enter another world, but you're protected. The danger isn't too great, and you can fight soul beasts to gain combat experience. If you're lucky, your spirit soul might even be upgraded."

Ray's heart stirred. "Upgrade spirit souls?"

Raziel Phoenix nodded. "Yep. Instead of absorbing higher-level soul beasts directly like in the past, upgrading a spirit soul increases its cultivation age. But the higher the age, the harder it is. Since you only have a ten-year spirit soul, you actually have a decent chance. If you spend enough time on the platform, it might even reach a hundred years."

Ray's breathing quickened.

If Gold reached the hundred-year level, his Silverfalls Vine would strengthen as well. He would gain two soul skills and wouldn't need to buy another spirit soul at rank twenty. That would save both money and spiritual power. And right now, money mattered more than ever.

"What do you need to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform?" Ray asked.

"Two things," Raziel Phoenix replied with a grin. "Money and space."

Ray's heart sank slightly.

"How much money?"

"About five hundred thousand federal coins for one entry to the elementary platform," Raziel Phoenix said casually. "And space is even rarer. Only a thousand slots are available each month. With over a million Soul Masters across the continent, you can imagine the competition. The intermediate and advanced platforms are even worse. Fewer slots, higher costs, and crazier demand."

Ray sighed inwardly.

Money and cultivation truly walked hand in hand.

Good thing… I can forge.

"So the academy really spent a fortune this time!" Raziel Phoenix exclaimed, awe dripping from his voice. "Buying a slot isn't easy at all. Most quotas go straight into the hands of big clans and powerful organizations. The fact that our academy can secure spots means it definitely has some clout. If Ares found out we get to cultivate in the Spirit Ascension Platform, his guts would turn green with regret."

Barbara turned around sharply and shot Raziel Phoenix an irritated glare. "Why are you always talking nonsense?"

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