Anticipation surged through the five children. Ray and Lily were especially excited. This was their first true exposure to the Spirit Ascension Platform.

Entering with only their brain waves… what would that feel like?

With a mechanical hum, five metal pods slid out from the wall. They lay horizontally, each shaped to fit a human body. In the dim light, they resembled metallic coffins.

"Lie down inside."

They followed the instructions and lay down. A chilling cold seeped into their bodies the moment they made contact, instantly sharpening their focus.

The interior walls were lined with electrodes that quickly adhered snugly to their skin.

"We will begin shortly. Relax your bodies and wait for the scan. You may feel some discomfort. Endure it briefly."

Those were the final words before the pods slowly slid back into the wall. Darkness swallowed Ray whole.

A sudden numbness flooded his body, stirring his excited blood and soul power. It felt as though something invisible was drilling through him. His body stiffened, then became completely paralyzed as the sensation intensified.

Compared to the agony of breaking the Golden Dragon King's seal, this was nothing. In fact, the numbness made him feel drowsy.

Some time later, a violent tremor ran through his body, snapping him awake.

When his vision cleared, he found himself standing in a brightly lit world.

The metal pod was gone. In its place, a small metal device was attached to the back of his hand, bearing a large red button.

So this is the emergency exit…

Ray slowly looked around.

His breath caught.

Towering ancient trees stretched skyward, their canopies blotting out the sky. Thick shrubs and tangled undergrowth filled every direction. There was no path in sight.

An ancient forest.

What shocked him most was not the scenery, but how real it felt.

He pinched his cheek. Pain flared.

He touched the bark of a nearby tree. Rough. Solid. Alive.

"This is unbelievable…" he murmured.

Only now did he truly grasp the scale of the Spirit Tower's investment.

After the initial shock faded, Ray forced himself to calm down. Years of forging had tempered his mind. He checked himself quickly. His bracelets and rings were still there. When he roused his bloodline power, golden scales surfaced without issue.

Everything is the same as reality.

Recalling the warnings, he immediately heightened his vigilance. Danger could strike at any moment. Survival came first.

Lowering himself into a crouch, Ray spread his spiritual perception outward. Having reached the Spirit Connection realm, his senses were keen and responsive.

What he felt first was life.

Vast, overflowing, vibrant life permeated the forest.

So this is what a true ancient forest feels like…

Such places were almost nonexistent in the modern federation. Even the legendary Forest of Lamos was said to be reduced to a mere fragment of its former self.

The air was fresh, rich, and soothing.

Hidden beneath the shrubs, he spotted Silverfalls Vine.

But it was different.

The blades here reached over thirty centimeters high, brushing against his calves. In the outside world, Silverfalls Vine rarely grew taller than fifteen centimeters.

Unable to resist, Ray sat down and gently brushed his fingers through the grass. At the same time, he released his martial soul.

A strand of Silverfalls Vine emerged quietly.

In that instant, the surrounding aura of life surged. It was as if the forest itself responded, plants trembling with joy.

Ray closed his eyes, immersing himself in the harmony of the forest.

The sensation reminded him of the small park back in Ironspire City, where he used to cultivate among the grass. That was where he had first broken through to rank ten.

But this place… this place was far richer.

*

Elementary Spirit Ascension Platform, Fifth Region.

"What is he doing?" Aaron asked, pointing at a screen.

On it, Ray sat with his back against a tree, eyes closed, lips curved in a faint, contented smile.

No matter how one looked at it, he seemed to be taking a nap.

Alfred said calmly, "He's contemplating. Don't forget, his martial soul is Silverfalls Vine. It's rare to find an environment like this in reality. Look closely. He's already released his martial soul."

Realization dawned on Aaron. "That makes sense. This simulation of the Forest of LamosForest is extremely suitable for plant-type Soul Masters. His perception is quite sharp."

Alfred nodded slightly.

Among the five students, Ray was not the most eye-catching. He lacked twin martial souls, soul fusion skills, or extraordinary control.

Yet, for some reason, Alfred's gaze lingered on him longer than the others.

This child… was different.

Alfred had long sensed that there was something different about Ray, as though he were an uncut gemstone buried beneath layers of dust. On the surface, Ray's cultivation speed did not appear exceptional, but Alfred knew better. Among the five students, Ray's overall improvement rate was the fastest.

When Ray had first entered the academy, the gap between him and the others had been enormous.

Yet in just a few short months, he had chased them down step by step, until he now stood on equal footing with his peers. His tenacity, sharp perception, and astonishingly high spiritual power were the core reasons behind this transformation. And if the mysterious bloodline power within him continued to awaken and mature, then Alfred believed that Ray might one day surpass them all.

*

Barbara landed with a jolt, instinctively spreading his wings to steady himself. Once his feet touched the ground, he froze.

A forest?

Lush greenery stretched endlessly in every direction. Insects chirped, birds sang, and the air was filled with a dense vitality that almost seemed to pulse.

To Barbara, whose martial soul carried the dark attribute, this environment felt strangely oppressive, as if it rejected his very presence.

Yet after the initial discomfort passed, he realized something shocking.

His soul power was circulating faster.

This place… it actually helps cultivation?

His eyes sharpened instantly. "I need to stay alert."

Without hesitation, he released his martial soul. A pair of pitch-black wings unfurled from his back, radiating a sinister aura.

Shadow Phantasm Eagle.

Together with Volt's Bone Dragon King, it formed the Shadow Eagle Dragon soul fusion skill. Unfortunately, their cultivation had been too shallow, their coordination too immature. That was why Ray had crushed them so decisively in the Class Promotion Tournament.

Barbara clenched his fists.

I still don't believe I'm weaker than him.

In his heart, he was convinced that the loss had come from circumstance, not inferiority. He hadn't been able to fully unleash his strength, and that bitterness had been festering ever since.

"Hmph. You'd better pray I don't run into you three."

With a powerful flap of his wings, he shot upward and latched onto the trunk of a towering tree. His plan was simple: gain a vantage point, observe the terrain, and search for Volt. Together, they would be far stronger.

Transforming his hands into sharp eagle claws, he scaled the tree with ease. At nearly ten meters above the ground, his vision opened wide.

What he saw left him momentarily breathless.

Green.

An endless ocean of green stretched to the horizon, treetops rolling like waves beneath a clear sky. The vitality here was overwhelming, as if the world itself were alive and breathing.

So real… It's exactly like the legends described.

Barbara had heard of the Spirit Ascension Platform before. His family even had the means to send him, but his age and strength had never met the requirements. This was his first time.

His gaze suddenly locked onto the sky.

"Hm?"

A large green bird glided high above, its wings wide and graceful. Then, with a sudden beat of its wings, it changed direction and dove straight toward him.

What a beautiful soul beast.

At the same time, arrogance surged in Barbara's chest.

Perfect. Let's see how strong the soul beasts here really are.

Two soul rings rose beneath his feet as his spirit soul, the Dark Devil Eagle, appeared on his shoulder. He kicked off the tree trunk, shooting into the air, while his second soul ring blazed with light.

"Second soul skill… Eagle Soars the Sky!"

Dark radiance enveloped his body as his form turned hazy and indistinct. The Dark Devil Eagle fused fully into him, his wings swelling in size as his speed suddenly tripled. With a piercing cry, he became a black streak slicing through the sky.

This was his strongest attack-type soul skill, one that consumed over half of his soul power in a single use. In Barbara's mind, it was unrivaled among his peers.

That belief, however, had already cracked after encountering Ray's Golden Dragon Claw. That tyrannical strength still haunted him.

The distance between him and the green bird vanished in an instant.

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