Raziel Phoenix snorted coldly. "Still refusing to admit defeat? Fine. Once we're inside the Spirit Ascension Platform, we can fight to our heart's content. Try it then."

A glint of cold light flashed through Barbara's eyes. He was about to retort when a hand pressed firmly onto his shoulder.

Volt shook his head slightly, silently stopping him.

Barbara frowned. Something felt off. Recently, Volt had been acting strange, restless in a way that was hard to describe. Barbara vaguely suspected it had something to do with Ray. But that incident had already happened a while ago… Could it be that Volt still hadn't recovered from it?

*

West Ocean City's Spirit Tower was on a completely different level compared to the one in Ironspire City.

This was one of the Eighteen Great Spirit Towers, revered across the continent as the Eighteen Pillars of Heaven.

The towering structure could be seen from kilometers away. Over a hundred floors tall and rising more than four hundred meters into the sky, it stood like a divine needle piercing the heavens.

Even among clusters of skyscrapers, it dominated the skyline without rival.

The base of the pagoda was octagonal and vast, narrowing slightly every ten floors as it rose upward, finally converging into a sharp spire.

Even from afar, its magnificence pressed down on the soul.

If this was already so imposing, what would the Spirit Tower headquarters look like?

Ray recalled hearing that the headquarters was located in Central City, the heart of the continent and the greatest city in the entire federation. Compared to that, even Bright City, the federation's political center, only ranked second.

After climbing a long flight of stairs, they were greeted by Director Aaron, who was clearly waiting for them.

When he saw Alfred leading the students over, Aaron immediately stepped forward. "Teacher."

"Director Aaron," Alfred replied flatly, his expression as cold as ever.

"Follow me."

The moment they stepped onto the first floor of the Spirit Tower, they were struck by a dazzling sight.

Dark gold stone paved the floor, forming intricate granular patterns that shimmered faintly under the light. Massive obelisks rose from the ground, supporting a dome more than ten meters across. Yet what truly stole everyone's breath was the mural painted across that dome.

It was vibrant, majestic, and alive.

The mural seemed to tell a story, each figure and scene flowing into the next as if recounting an epic from a distant age.

Alfred explained calmly, "This mural depicts the legend of the Spirit Tower's founder, the Spirit Ice Sovereign. It tells of how he led humanity's Soul Masters in resisting a massive tide of soul beasts. What you see here is only one section. The complete mural has eighteen parts in total."

His voice grew heavier. "The mural in the headquarters portrays the Spirit Ice Sovereign's final battle against the strongest Soul Beast God, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Cain. After that battle, the Spirit Ice Sovereign disappeared, never to be seen again. But Cain has also not appeared since. Thus, it is believed that the Spirit Ice Sovereign was victorious."

Even just listening, Ray felt his heart pounding.

Within the mural, countless colossal soul beasts surged toward towering city walls, their presence suffocating. Above the city floated a man with radiant eyes, surrounded by several companions. A woman dressed in white, another in green, an icy, crystal-like existence, a gigantic bear, and a massive white worm. Brilliant soul rings revolved around them like stars.

That… is the Spirit Ice Sovereign.

Ray had heard his legend countless times as a child.

Orion Starlight, the illegitimate son of the White Tiger Duke of the Llyne Empire.

An ordinary boy from ten thousand years ago who entered Central Academy and climbed step by step to the very peak, becoming an existence that shook the entire continent. Rumors claimed he broke through the limits of humanity and ascended to the Divine Realm.

That rumor stemmed from one fact: his wife disappeared shortly after he did.

Ray's gaze lingered when a figure beside the Spirit Ice Sovereign caught his eye.

A breathtaking woman with enormous, radiant butterfly wings floated beside him. Among all the figures, the attention of anyone who looked would inevitably be drawn to this pair.

"Dragon Butterfly Sovereign Fiona Magnolis," Raziel Phoenix said excitedly. "Spirit Ice Sovereign's wife. Ray, look at her! Isn't she beautiful? They say she was insanely powerful, too, and together they had an unparalleled soul fusion skill. When they joined forces, they became the absolute peak of that era!"

Lily blinked in surprise. "Fiona Magnolis… Ray, her name sounds so similar to yours. And don't you think they look a bit alike? Especially the eyes."

"No way," Raziel Phoenix scoffed. "Her hair and eyes are light blue. Ray's are black. How is that similar?"

Ray felt something stir quietly in his heart.

For some reason, when he looked at the Dragon Butterfly Sovereign, he felt a strange sense of familiarity… almost intimacy.

He shook his head lightly, mocking himself.

How could I compare myself to someone like her? It's probably just because of the similar names.

"Alright, let's move on," Aaron said, smiling. "I was just as stunned as you when I first visited one of the Eighteen Pillars of Heaven. You get used to it after a few times. Every Spirit Tower has murals worth admiring."

Alfred added coldly, "Save your focus for inside the Spirit Ascension Platform. Once you enter, you'll only have yourselves to rely on."

Ray blinked. "You're not entering with us?"

"Only Soul Masters with four rings or below can enter the elementary Spirit Ascension Platform," Alfred replied.

Aaron nodded. "Don't worry. We'll be monitoring everything from outside. If things get dangerous, you must withdraw immediately. You'll receive detailed instructions soon."

Led by Alfred and Aaron, the group entered an elevator.

Instead of ascending, it began to descend.

A faint sensation of weightlessness told them they were traveling deep underground. How deep, none of them could tell.

The Spirit Tower truly lived up to its reputation as the continent's number one organization. The resources and engineering required for something like this were beyond imagination.

The elevator displayed no floors. After roughly three minutes, it finally slowed and stopped.

They stepped out into a vast hall where nineteen staff members stood in silence. Behind them stretched countless metal corridors.

Aaron took out a peculiar card and handed it to one of the staff. Without a word, the staff member gestured for them to follow.

After walking ten meters down a passage, they entered another elevator and descended again. This time, it stopped after nineteen seconds.

They emerged into a circular chamber made entirely of metal.

A massive soul screen hung on the wall, displaying a vivid green world. Dense forests stretched endlessly across the image, like a living jungle.

The staff member finally spoke. "Five quotas are open for entry into the Spirit Ascension Platform. When you can no longer endure the danger, press the emergency distress button. You will be immediately extracted and returned here."

His gaze swept across them, sharp and serious.

"Now listen carefully to what I'm about to say."

"The Spirit Ascension Platform is the crystallization of over a thousand years of effort and knowledge from the Spirit Tower," the staff member said solemnly. "We invested immeasurable resources and combined them with advanced spatial technology to construct a world apart. The first thing you must understand is this: the Spirit Ascension Platform is a virtual world."

He paused, then corrected himself. "More accurately, it is half virtual and half real. Much of what exists inside relies on data generated from your own minds. However, within the elementary Spirit Ascension Platform, it can be regarded as entirely virtual. You do not need to fear for your lives."

"You may act freely inside, but your primary objective is survival. Survive for as long as you can. The longer you endure, the greater the rewards you will receive."

His tone hardened. "That said, do not assume it is completely safe. Although only your brain waves are active inside, under extreme circumstances, damage to your brain waves may still affect your physical body. Therefore, the moment you encounter danger beyond your ability to handle, press the emergency exit button. You will be extracted immediately. Understood?"

"Understood," the five students replied in unison.

The staff member nodded. "Everything else will be learned through experience. This is your first entry, so you likely won't last very long. Still, it should leave a deep impression. Remember one thing: do not panic. Soul beasts are not as terrifying as you think, as long as you respond correctly."

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