Chapter 70: A Nighttime Conversation

Aside from Gu You, the most dazzling display was undoubtedly Tang Wulin's feat of slaying a powerful soul beast. His right hand, transformed into a golden dragon claw, clearly possessed strength beyond his current level, allowing him to overpower and kill the hundred-year Twin-Footed Unicorn Dragon.

Moreover, Xie Xie cooperated seamlessly with the golden dragon-clawed youth.

As for the others, they were all among the top talents of their age group.

No wonder, no wonder the East Sea Academy had spared no expense to send them here. Their time in the Spirit Ascension Platform wasn't particularly long, but this single experience had already proven invaluable.

The Spirit Ascension Platform staff thought to themselves.

Wu Zhangkong stepped forward and addressed the six students in a calm tone, "From today onward, the five of you will form a combat squad. Tang Wulin is the captain, Xie Xie the vice-captain. As for Gu You, I have other arrangements for him. Let's go."

After speaking, he took the lead and headed toward the elevator.

The five remaining students exchanged bewildered glances. A squad? And Gu You was somehow an exception, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Wang Jinxi glanced nervously at Gu You, while Zhang Yangzi's face darkened, though it was mostly due to shame. Before coming here, he had been eager to prove himself, but after witnessing the events in the Spirit Ascension Platform firsthand, that competitive spirit had all but vanished. Originally, he thought Tang Wulin's ability to defeat an enemy beyond his level was already impressive, but now, Gu You—a true prodigy—had emerged.

Not to mention individual strength, even his composure and decision-making in the Spirit Ascension Platform far outstripped theirs.

Wang Jinxi had at least been overwhelmed by a powerful soul beast, but what about himself? His own failure was entirely self-inflicted.

On the way back, the six of them were still immersed in their experience in the Spirit Ascension Platform. Some, like Zhang Yangzi, were filled with regret, while others, like Tang Wulin, replayed the battle in their minds, analyzing the events. Even Gu You found himself dwelling on his absurd choices during the battle, feeling deeply humiliated.

Without a doubt, the Spirit Ascension Platform's debut battle had been an eye-opening experience for all of them.

Tang Wulin, in particular, felt the impact deeply. So this was what fighting soul beasts was like! The sensation of battling soul beasts was completely different from anything else. Even knowing that everything in the Spirit Ascension Platform was an illusion, he couldn't suppress the fear that had crept into his heart. The life-or-death pressure was overwhelming, proving just how effective this kind of combat training was.

On the soul-powered bus ride back, Tang Wulin suddenly noticed a warmth spreading through his body. The sensation originated from his spine—subtle at first, barely noticeable—but as they neared the academy, it intensified, spreading through his limbs and making him feel incredibly comfortable. Along with this comfort came an overwhelming drowsiness.

Seated next to him, Xie Xie suddenly noticed Tang Wulin swaying. Alarmed, he quickly reached out to steady him. "Tang Wulin, are you okay?"

"I… I don't know… I just feel really sleepy…" Tang Wulin muttered. The moment Xie Xie touched him, it was as if a switch had been flipped. His body suddenly went limp, and he collapsed.

Xie Xie cried out in surprise, watching helplessly as Tang Wulin's head slumped toward him…

Wu Zhangkong stopped walking and turned back, his eyes narrowing in concern. The others also noticed something was wrong.

In a flash, Wu Zhangkong appeared beside Tang Wulin, grasping his wrist.

By now, Tang Wulin had nearly drifted into unconsciousness. Faint gold and blue lights flickered across his skin, his aura fluctuating wildly.

"This condition…" Dragon God Douluo Long Hengxu, who had rushed over, suddenly thought of a possibility. His expression turned serious.

Wu Zhangkong lifted Tang Wulin onto his back and stated, "He's fine. His soul spirit is evolving."

Evolving?

On the way here, Xie Xie had told Tang Wulin that the Spirit Ascension Platform had the potential to evolve soul spirits, but the chances were incredibly low. Hunting soul beasts was extremely difficult—even a hundred-year soul beast could overwhelm an inexperienced Soul Elder—and the energy absorbed was only a fraction of the defeated beast's age.

However, this time, Tang Wulin had incredible luck. He had absorbed the leftover energy from the Crystal Bear defeated by Gu You, allowing him to easily ascend to the next level.

The others couldn't help but envy him—this was an extraordinary stroke of fortune.

Still, the main factor behind his evolution was the low initial age of his soul spirit.

Gu You, watching with an expression of disbelief, couldn't help but scoff internally. If he wanted to upgrade his own soul rings, he could do so anytime. He simply needed to find Leng Yaozhu, shamelessly beg her to take him into a higher-level Spirit Ascension Platform, kill a few hundred ten-thousand-year soul beasts, and his first two rings would instantly turn black.

After returning to the academy, Wu Zhangkong gave no further instructions, merely telling everyone to return to their dorms and cultivate. He also asked Gu You to come to his room for a private discussion.

As for Tang Wulin, Wu Zhangkong brought him back to his own room.

Tang Wulin was different from the others—his martial soul had undergone a unique mutation, and Wu Zhangkong needed to monitor him closely to ensure that his soul spirit's evolution proceeded safely.

—

Under the moonlit sky, Gu You and Wu Zhangkong sat facing away from each other on the dormitory balcony.

"You're from Shrek Academy, aren't you?" Wu Zhangkong speculated. Other than that prestigious academy, he couldn't think of any place capable of producing a prodigy like Gu You.

"As you wish," Gu You replied indifferently.

"Then why did you come to East Sea Academy?" Wu Zhangkong was puzzled. Shrek Academy was the number one academy on the continent, boasting unparalleled teachers and resources.

"I don't know. I just didn't want to stay in that godforsaken place." Gu You's voice was casual.

If other Shrek students had heard this, they probably would've cursed him outright. However, Wu Zhangkong was different. After Long Bing's death, he had distanced himself from Shrek Academy, though he never forgot the kindness the academy had shown him.

"Do you think all evil soul masters are bad people?" Wu Zhangkong suddenly asked, gazing at Gu You. The young man had personally fought against evil soul masters and likely had a great deal of experience dealing with them.

"Not necessarily." Gu You shook his head. "What's this nonsense about good and bad people? Every person has their own thoughts and personalities. Take a single question—it originally has only two answers: yes or no. But those with different perspectives will find a way to create a hundred different answers."

Wu Zhangkong was momentarily stunned by Gu You's words. Was there really no such thing as good or evil? Perhaps all that existed was injustice in one's heart and dissatisfaction with fate.

"Teacher Wu, I've heard about your story," Gu You continued. "Because of my talent, I trained in Shrek's inner court from a young age. There was an old man who would always tell me stories—many of them were about you. He complained that you had disappeared for years without sending a single letter, even calling you ungrateful. I suspected there was more to the story. I originally came to East Sea for a change of pace, and I never expected to run into you on my first day. At first, I thought it was just someone with the same name, but after a few conversations… I now know that you are indeed the very person from those stories…"