Chapter 65: Duskgold Eyes

Days passed by as Xiu Ye enjoyed a normal routine of lessons, teaching, blacksmithing and cultivating.

"Today we will be going to the Spirit Pagoda." Apart from his lectures, Wu Zhangkong's words were always concise.

The six students sank into confusion, but Wu Zhangkong didn't bother to explain.

Right now, class zero is undergoing class lessons and the training sessions was programmed to be much later on in the morning around 10-11 am. So Mu Xi wasn't in the class.

In Xiu Ye's honesty, Mu Xi would have already done a forced transfer into class zero, what with most of her time spent in it, but it just wasn't possible, yet.

The class was created only for new students with outstanding talents that far exceeds the average students.

Mu Xi is a genius beyond her peers, that is true, but the school term had already started and the numerous paperworks to be signed to transfer her would take a while.

Xiu Ye and the others walked out the academy accompanying their teacher. Although leaving the academy while classes were still in session made them feel weird, all six class zero students felt superior.

Wu Zhangkong explained as they walked. "From now on, you will all cultivate in the Spirit Pagoda's spirit ascension platform once a week. You must treasure this opportunity; the academy fought hard to allocate some funds for this."

As the others were excited about the journey into Spirit Pagoda, specifically the Spirit Ascension Platform, Xiu Ye felt slightly nervous but slowly calmed down as he was going there with his friends and teacher Wu. He wouldn't be going there feeling defenseless and helpless like last time.

Oh Xiu Ye wasn't afraid, don't get him wrong. He's strong, ridiculously so compared to others his age, but he wasn't so arrogant and confident that he's strong enough to fight against the world. He knew that with the weapons he could conjure, he could kill a Titled Douluo even if he/she used a Battle Armor, but then comes his weakness: his body and soul power.

Sure, he can kill a Titled Douluo, but what happens if a Titled Douluo was a Attack Agility System Soul Master that can move in the void or move at a speed beyond light, time and space were to attack him? His body wouldn't survive an attack from such an individual, much less react on how he died.

Xiu Ye hid most of his powers to try and make an enemy underestimate him. Most of them would expect him to have flames as hot as the sun, skills with the weapons at a inhumane level and other strange techniques that equals to a soul skill.

They would certainly not expect a weapon capable of ignoring their every defense and soul power, and kill them; by slicing through their lines of death. Or a weapon capable of making three miracles.

Xiu Ye knew that he couldn't hide his powers and weapons forever, it was inevitable with the dangers the world has. Until then, he would try his best to improve his base form and get rid of his weaknesses.

....

The Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda looked as sophisticated and impressive as always. People going in and out of the large pagoda building, which, the ancient Seven Treasured Pagoda Tile clan should have a patent for the inspiration of the building.

Xiu Ye and the others followed behind Wu Zhangkong as they walked up a flight of stairs to the building, the boy noticed two familiar figures talking to each other by the advanced doors of Spirit Pagoda.

'Is that, director Long Hengxu and big sister Shu Lengwei? Huh, is this a coincidence?'

When Long Hengxu saw Wu Zhangkong leading the students up the stairs, he quickly walked over and greeted, "Teacher Wu."

"Director Long," Wu Zhangkong bluntly called out, his face as wooden as usual.

Long Hengxu said, "Follow me."

Shu Lengwei's eyes observed the students when her gaze landed on Xiu Ye, wide-eyed, she gasped and pointed her right index finger at him. "You!"

Everyone's eyes turned towards where she pointed at.

Xiu Ye chuckled and waved his hand. "Hi, big sister Shu!"

Shu Lengwei smiled as she walked towards him. Her left hand patting his head. "You little devil, I was beginning to think that you wouldn't come back here anymore. Where were you anyway?"

Xiu Ye shrugged his shoulders. "School."

Shu Lengwei blushed, embarrassed of asking for such an obvious question, and pouted at him. "It was a rhetorical question."

Wu Zhangkong and the others stared at them, confused.

"Do you guys know each other?" Tang Wulin was the one who asked the pressing question.

"Hm? Oh, I went here before, a couple months ago, and sister Shu here was my guide."

Shu Lengwei smiled and waved her hand. "Hi! You guys must be his classmates and teachers. My name is Shu Lengwei, I'm here to help guide you all into the building and the way to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform. Come, follow me." She nodded towards Long Hengxu and began entering the building. The latter and the others soon followed behind her.

Just like before when Xiu Ye first entered the building, they come across the mural of the Ice Spirit Douluo, Huo Yuhao, fighting against a horde of soul beasts. While Shu Lengwei started explaining the history about the mural to the students, Xiu Ye's attention was on the man in the mural.

Seeing that face on the mural, Xiu Ye would always sense a feeling of danger. Danger of the unknown past and the man himself, despite being only a painting, Huo Yuhao's eyes seem to stare at him and into his soul; knowing all of his secrets, past and future. Just how powerful was he, that even as a painting, he could send off a feeling of dread?

They all entered the soul elevator and began going down towards Spirit Ascension Platform floor. Shu Lengwei had started talking to Xiu Ye about normal stuff, like what was his doing in school, and he would reply with the simple truth. After questioning him, she would start talking to Tang Wulin and the others and they would simply answered back.

Not long after, the soul elevator came to a stop and opened up to reveal a male staff member of Spirit Pagoda waiting for them. He didn't say anything except nod towards Shu Lengwei, turned around, and started walking. Everyone exited the elevator and entered an expansive hall where 19 staff members were present. Behind them were countless metal passages.

Long Hengxu took out a peculiar card and handed it over to one of the staff members. The staff member didn't utter a single word, simply gesturing for them to follow.

Ten meters down the corridor, they entered another elevator and continued their descent. This time they stopped after 19 seconds, finding themselves in a circular room upon exit.

This room was still made entirely out of metal, but hanging on the wall was a giant soul screen. An image of a green world flickered on the screen. It seemed to be a jungle.

The staff member turned around and began to speak. "There are six quotas open for entry to the spirit ascension platform. When you can no longer bear the danger, press the emergency distress button and you will immediately return here. Pay attention to what I say next."

Xiu Ye tuned out what he said next as he had already been told about what to do in the Spirit Ascension Platform the last time he was here.

Unnoticed by him however, was a soul camera stationed by the entrance of the room was zooming its lens at him.

"... remember to press the emergency button when you want to get out of a dangerous situation. Understood?"

"Understood!" The students responded quickly.

The staff members looked at each other, then to Shu Lengwei, who nodded, with a press of a button, six metal boxes came out of the wall. These boxes were laid horizontally, each with a person sized-hollow within it, which made them slightly resemble a coffin.

"Lay down inside."

The six of them followed the staff member's instructions and laid down in the metal boxes. The boxes were so cold that it snapped their minds into focus.

The interior was lined with electrodes, which quickly began to stick to their body snuggly.

Xiu Ye lied down on the box with a practiced ease, his eyes closing shut as he waits for the connection into platform to be established.

"We're going to start now. Prepare yourselves. Relax your bodies and wait for the scan to begin. You may feel some discomfort during the scan, but just bear with it for a moment."

That was the last piece of instruction the five students received from the staff member before the five metal boxes had slowly slid back into the wall. They were enveloped in darkness.

Xiu Ye felt a sense of numbness all around his body, his soul and spiritual power became agitated; his inner world trembling in one moment before it all stopped and he opened his eyes to a world of nature and wonder that the modern world of today wouldn't have. He looked down on his hand to see a familiar emergency button.

'Everything looks to be in the right order. Alright. First things first, find the others and regroup. I would try to help them increase their spirit souls' cultivation age, but experience of surviving in this environment would come foremost for their growth. These kids can have combat experience against soul masters in the real world, but not soul beasts and while in an ancient forest as well.' While thinking, Xiu Ye spread out his spiritual power to sense any soul beasts and more preferably his classmates nearby. Unfortunately, all he could sense were soul beasts.

'I think I'll just step back for this one and just watch. Let them grow stronger and have the spotlight, while I fade to the background and not get bothered by Spirit Pagoda. I don't need my spirit soul to age up just yet, Ryūjin Jakka had told me that my body could only handle to about 6 thousand years of cultivation age and even then, it might cause some soul power deviation from absorbing and compressing a huge amount of soul power into my body. I have to research about heaven and earth treasures and what their purposes, as soon as this day is done.'

Xiu Ye stopped in his tracks. His body tensed, the air around him changed.

He looked over his shoulder, his eyes flashed a glint of orange, his right hand up and ready to summon the Crimson Yang Sword.

Behind him, several meters away from him, a pair of duskgold eyes burned with a ferocious light.

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