It was with Silverfalls Vine that he ascended step by step, eventually breaking through the limits of humanity and becoming a god.

In the past twenty thousand years, aside from the founder of the Spirit Tower, no one else had achieved godhood.

Thus, Silverfalls Vine was never truly weak. It only depended on who wielded it.

The radiance surrounding Ray gradually faded.

Little Gold opened its mouth in a lazy yawn, lowered its head, and slipped back into Ray's body.

With the evolution complete, Ray fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The evolution of a spirit soul brought sweeping changes. Not only did the martial soul improve, but the Soul Master's entire body benefited as well. Strength, speed, soul power, reaction speed, and bodily resilience all increased in varying degrees.

*

The evolution lasted a long time and drained Ray completely.

When he finally woke up the next morning, he felt indescribably refreshed.

What a good sleep!

Ever since breaking the first seal of the Golden Dragon King, he had always felt an uncomfortable sense of swelling throughout his body. Now, that sensation was gone, replaced by a lightness and ease he had never felt before.

His soul power had clearly increased. Although he hadn't reached Rank 15 yet, this progress would have taken far longer through ordinary cultivation.

I really gained a lot from yesterday…

"You're awake?"

The sudden voice startled him.

Ray turned his head and saw Alfred sitting cross-legged on a chair beside his bed.

"Teacher, you—" Ray froze for a moment before memories from the previous night came rushing back. Realization dawned on him, and warmth surged in his chest. He hurriedly got out of bed.

Alfred met his gaze calmly. "Wash up and go eat breakfast. Your spirit soul has evolved. After that, we'll test the changes to your soul skill."

With that, he stood up, patted Ray's shoulder once, and left.

Spirit soul… evolved?

Ray stood there blankly.

Spirit soul evolution!

His spirit soul had always been a thorn in his heart. Every time he saw his classmates' hundred-year spirit souls, his chest would ache. Compared to them, his own ten-year spirit soul felt unbearably inferior.

When Raziel Phoenix mentioned the possibility of spirit soul evolution inside the spirit ascension platform, Ray hadn't dared to take it seriously.

But Alfred would never lie to him.

With a flash of light, his Silverfalls Vine appeared, and a halo rose beneath his feet.

The once-white soul ring now glowed with a gentle yellow hue.

Yellow.

A hundred-year soul ring!

Little Gold slithered out and settled onto Ray's shoulder. He lifted his hand, and it obediently slid into his palm.

Ray stared at it, his expression turning distant.

Not long ago, this little thing had brought him nothing but despair. A defective spirit soul that had cost three years of hard-earned savings. Back then, he had nearly collapsed under the weight of that hopelessness, surviving only through sheer stubbornness.

And now—

That same source of pain had become a source of joy.

Gold was no longer trash.

As a hundred-year spirit soul, it could provide two soul skills. That meant he wouldn't need to purchase another spirit soul for quite some time. More money saved, more resources for breaking the second seal.

Ray let out a long breath.

It felt as though a vast road had opened before him.

"Bind!"

At his command, strands of Silverfalls Vine shot out, instantly binding everything in his room.

He immediately sensed the difference.

The grass was thicker, tougher, and consumed noticeably less soul power than before.

As he activated his soul skill, a golden hue identical to Gold's color appeared in his perception.

This had never happened before.

"Gold, what's this? You—"

Before he could finish speaking, Gold suddenly leapt forward and fused directly into the strands of Silverfalls Vine.

In the next instant, several strands turned gold, their surfaces covered in fine, scale-like patterns.

This is…

Fusion?

Spirit soul, and martial soul—fused together!

Ray's breath caught.

Gold isn't defective anymore. It can actually support me in combat now!

When he tugged on a golden strand, he immediately felt the difference. It was not only tougher but far stronger than ordinary Silverfalls Vine. It felt like an extension of his body, like an extra limb.

Though it couldn't compare to his right arm covered in golden scales, it was only slightly weaker than his left arm.

This is the power of a hundred-year spirit soul!

With this level of strength, Bind will be completely different from now on.

A wide grin spread across Ray's face as he rushed out of his room.

The sky was still dim, dawn only just breaking. After splashing water on his face, he sprinted toward the training field like a whirlwind.

It evolved. My spirit soul evolved!

I'm the same as everyone else now. I have a hundred-year soul ring too!

The wind rushed past him, carrying away the lingering gloom in his heart.

This evolution didn't just increase his strength. It gave him peace.

His soul power circulated more smoothly, and his bloodline power and martial soul seemed to harmonize in a way they never had before.

Standing at the dormitory entrance, Uriel watched him run wildly across the field, arms stretched wide, and couldn't help but stare in surprise.

What's wrong with him?

A smile crept onto her lips. This kid is really interesting.

After running for a while, Ray finally noticed her and slowed to a stop.

"Good morning, senior sister!" he called out cheerfully.

His eyes sparkled, cheeks flushed with excitement, brimming with youthful energy.

Uriel blinked. "Why are you so happy today, junior brother?"

Ray laughed. "Nothing much. I just made a breakthrough in cultivation, so I'm really happy."

She smiled warmly. "That's great. Keep it up. This is how kids should be. Don't always look so gloomy like a little old man. You're only ten, after all."

Kid?

Ray froze, awkwardness flooding his heart.

So… I'm just a child to her.

By the time the sun had fully risen and he reached the dining hall, Ray's body was burning with warmth. The free gourmet food at the first window soothed his wounded pride.

After all, a good mood was good for cultivation too.

Alfred stood at the lectern, his expression as indifferent as ever. His gaze swept across the five students before he spoke flatly, "Tell me your thoughts on yesterday's experience in the spirit ascension platform."

Volt and Barbara both looked haggard. Dark circles clung stubbornly beneath their eyes.

The reasons, however, were very different.

Barbara hadn't slept because of depression. Volt hadn't slept because of terror.

The image of the Man-Faced Demon Spider descending from above, that icy, soul-freezing chill crawling into his body… it replayed endlessly in Volt's dreams. In that moment, he had truly felt death closing in. The fear had carved itself deep into his heart.

Raziel Phoenix didn't look much better either. After yesterday's brutal battle, his sleep had been plagued by nightmares of wolves leaping at him one after another. He hadn't been able to enter a calm meditative state at all and had even fallen off his bed in the middle of the night.

In stark contrast, Lily looked exactly the same as always.

And Ray?

He was the only one in visibly high spirits. With his spirit soul having evolved, it would have been strange if he weren't happy.

Seeing that no one was eager to speak, Alfred said coldly, "We'll go by yesterday's order of elimination. Barbara, you go first."

"Yes!" Barbara stood up hurriedly, his face flushing with embarrassment. "My performance yesterday was terrible. Teacher, I was wrong."

Alfred waved a hand dismissively. "I don't need apologies. That was your life you were gambling with. What I want is reflection. If yesterday had been a real soul beast forest, there wouldn't even be a corpse left of you. Perhaps not even bones. So tell me, what did you learn?"

Barbara swallowed and forced himself to speak. "The spirit ascension platform is too realistic. When I first entered, I couldn't feel anything fake about it at all. I climbed a tree to look around and thought that with my martial soul, I could move freely in the air."

He clenched his fists. "At the beginning, that wasn't wrong. My real mistake was arrogance. I underestimated my opponent and acted impulsively without carefully observing my surroundings. That led to me being surrounded and eliminated almost instantly."

Taking a breath, he continued, "Next time, I'll prioritize survival above all else and stay cautious. Only by living longer can I gain more benefits."

He sat down, shoulders stiff.

Alfred neither praised nor criticized him. His gaze shifted. "Volt."

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