After becoming Leng Yaozhu's disciple, Jing Shaoyu didn't find much in his daily life that seemed different. Their master-disciple relationship hadn't been made public, so aside from the two of them, only a few close figures knew of it—namely, the Spirit Pagoda Master of Eastsea City, Ji Changming, and Ouyang Jian, the city lord who had always looked out for him.
Ouyang Jian wasn't displeased at all by Jing Shaoyu's apprenticeship with Leng Yaozhu. In fact, he was thrilled. With Jing Shaoyu's adoptive mother, Jing Ziyuan, being an administrative officer of Eastsea City, having this kind of connection only brought benefits.
After spending three relaxing days at home, Jing Shaoyu was finally pulled out of his house by Leng Yaozhu.
"Teacher, is this your car?" Jing Shaoyu stared in surprise at the bright red convertible parked by the roadside.
"Less talk, get in," Leng Yaozhu instructed coolly.
"Alright!" Jing Shaoyu quickly hopped into the passenger seat. Before he even settled in, Leng Yaozhu had already hit the gas, and the car shot down the highway like an arrow, disappearing from view in mere moments.
"Teacher, where are we headed?" Jing Shaoyu asked as he noticed them driving out of Eastsea City.
"The Spirit Pagoda Headquarters," Leng Yaozhu replied, one hand on the wheel and the other casually resting on the window.
"Wait, what?" Jing Shaoyu blinked. "But didn't we agree I wouldn't join the Spirit Pagoda for now? Why are we going to the headquarters?"
Leng Yaozhu and Jing Shaoyu had previously agreed that he wouldn't be officially inducted into the Spirit Pagoda. He had no plans to join any organization just yet, and Leng Yaozhu herself preferred to delay his entry to avoid disrupting certain plans she had in mind.
"Going to headquarters doesn't mean you're joining," Leng Yaozhu said with an eye roll. "Relax, I know what I'm doing."
"Oh, okay," Jing Shaoyu replied, relaxing back into his seat.
Eastsea City, one of the Spirit Pagoda's "Eighteen Pillars," was connected to the Spirit Pagoda's headquarters in Shrek City by a direct highway that passed through the former Star Luo Empire's capital, Star Luo City. However, Leng Yaozhu showed no interest in sightseeing, ignoring Jing Shaoyu's hints about stopping there as they drove on without pause.
By the next evening, they had arrived at Shrek City. Instead of entering the city itself, Leng Yaozhu took a detour around the outer wall, leading them straight to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters.
Nestled to the north of Shrek City and backed by the renowned Star Dou Forest, the headquarters towered above with its iconic Eightfold Pagoda design. The tallest structure on the continent, it reached high into the sky, with the top completely out of sight from the ground.
Leng Yaozhu parked in the underground garage beneath the Spirit Pagoda headquarters. She then grabbed Jing Shaoyu's arm, prompting a surprised look from him as she guided him back.
Before he knew it, he was leaning backward, his body pulled toward her, though instead of falling, he found himself stabilized against her, her delicate scent filling his senses.
"We're here," her voice came from behind.
He blinked in confusion, regaining his balance and standing straight, looking around the room. He found himself in a high-tech laboratory filled with cutting-edge equipment.
"Teacher, where is this?" he asked.
"My workshop," Leng Yaozhu replied, moving toward a device in the corner. "Come over here; I need to run a quick assessment on you."
"Alright." Jing Shaoyu obediently lay down on the metal platform, following her instructions.
He noticed a metal bar, glowing faintly with blue-purple light, slowly rising from beneath him. It began a steady ascent, scanning him from head to toe, and finally paused at his forehead, making him feel slightly drowsy.
"All done; you can get up now," Leng Yaozhu's voice brought him back. He sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes to shake off the sleepiness.
Staring at the data on the display, Leng Yaozhu's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"A-Yuan, you're quite the prodigy," she praised. "Even at your age, my own stats didn't look this good."
Jing Shaoyu looked over her shoulder to see his data on the screen:
Bone Age: Ten years, one month, and seven days.
Soul Power: Level 29 (36.75%).
Body Strength: Equivalent to 8,366 years.
Soul Spirit Level: Purple (3,334 years).
Mental Power: "Spirit Touch" level (472 points).
"Good!" Leng Yaozhu clapped her hands with satisfaction. "Follow me now. Before you hit Soul Elder level, we should max out your soul spirit's level within your body's capacity."
"Sounds great!" Jing Shaoyu nodded, thrilled at her plan.
"Over here, A-Yuan," Leng Yaozhu motioned to a pair of metal recliners against the wall. "Lie down in this cabin."
It was only when he approached that he realized they were access pods. "Wait… is this the pod for an Advanced Ascension Platform?"
He lay down as instructed, watching as Leng Yaozhu pressed a button on the pod's left armrest, causing a transparent cover to descend, encasing him within a soundproof space. He could only make out her words by reading her lips: "Stay where you are once you're inside."
With a faint sense of anticipation, his consciousness faded.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in an ancient, dense forest, its towering trees alive with vibrant energy. Everything felt both vividly real and oddly surreal.
"This place…" Jing Shaoyu muttered.
"This is the Advanced Ascension Platform," Leng Yaozhu's voice came from behind him. He turned to find her wearing an entirely different outfit.
Instead of her elegant red dress, she now wore a casual white tracksuit, her scarlet hair tied up in a high ponytail, exuding the energy of a lively young girl.
"Advanced… Ascension Platform?" he echoed, snapping out of his daze.
"That's right," Leng Yaozhu nodded, pulling him by the hand and guiding him forward. "The Advanced Ascension Platform is one of the Spirit Pagoda's core assets, the original platform design, with the highest security. It's normally off-limits unless special authorization is granted.
"Only three pagoda masters can authorize access, or one of them must escort you personally. The environment here replicates the Star Dou Forest's inner regions down to every last detail. And every soul beast here has a real-life counterpart with over 50,000 years of cultivation."
"That's incredible!" Jing Shaoyu exclaimed. The Ascension Platform's reputation had always been impressive, but he hadn't realized it could be this intense.
"Two 50,000-year soul beasts should be enough to push your soul spirit to its limit," Leng Yaozhu explained with a smile. "Get ready—your teacher's pretty efficient!"
"Understood!" Jing Shaoyu nodded.
They traveled about five to six kilometers before encountering their first soul beast.
Just like the Star Dou Forest's core region, every soul beast here had its own territory and didn't roam without reason.
The first soul beast they encountered was a Bright Saint Tiger with exactly 50,000 years of cultivation. Upon seeing them, it roared, challenging the intruders in its domain.
"Well, well, seems I wasn't mistaken. You're perfect, little kitty!" Leng Yaozhu chuckled with delight. She leaped gracefully, landing atop the tiger's head. Her palm gently touched the tiger's head, releasing a golden flame that blossomed into a radiant rose, swallowing the tiger whole.
Before Jing Shaoyu's astonished gaze, the 50,000-year-old Bright Saint Tiger crumpled within the glowing, fiery rose.
"A-Yuan, come here," Leng Yaozhu called out, her eyes twinkling with pride as she beckoned him forward. "Absorb this big kitty's energy. It should push your soul spirit up to a five-star purple level."
Awed by her power, Jing Shaoyu approached her and asked, "Five-star purple soul spirit? What does that mean?"
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