After inquiring about Xu Xiaoyan's plans, Luo Yanglu led her thoughtfully into the room used to enter the Ascension Platform.
Once Xu Xiaoyan had settled into the corresponding apparatus, Luo Yanglu walked over to Wu Zhangkong's side and watched the soul tool screen on the wall, observing the situation inside the Ascension Platform together with him.
Seeing him approach, the corner of Wu Zhangkong's mouth twitched slightly. "An actual Soul Spirit from the Quarantine Zone broke out and is chasing Xie Xie."
The general public knew nothing about the Quarantine Zone, but given his status, he naturally was aware of it.
"That's Yuhao's Evil Eye Tyrant."
Seeing the scene on the screen, Luo Yanglu was equally speechless. "How did Xie Xie end up running to the edge of the Quarantine Zone? Just ahead is the Evil Eye Tyrant's territory."
Because Huo Yuhao had gone to school, his Evil Eye Tyrant had been placed into the Ascension Platform.
Perhaps because it had been a while since it had visited an environment like the Star Dou Great Forest, the Evil Eye Tyrant had been in high spirits, brawling with several actual Soul Spirits and earning the right to guard the Quarantine Zone after battling one of its guardian Soul Spirits.
Now, the area up ahead was all its territory, and Xie Xie running over there... was in for a bout of teasing.
***
"Wah, stop chasing me!"
Xie Xie bolted and leaped wildly through the forest, weeping internally as he glanced back at the bizarre creature with a single eye surrounded by tentacles.
How was he so unlucky? He had only just entered, yet he had already run into this terrifying ten-thousand-year Soul Beast!
Wasn't the strongest Soul Beast simulated in an Elementary Ascension Platform supposed to be a thousand-year Soul Beast?
What was worse, this Soul Beast was terribly wicked. It had chased him for ages without attacking, leaving him reluctant to eject immediately and tempted to struggle a bit longer.
"What did you run over here for?" Huo Yuhao's helpless voice rang out, bringing a look of pleasant surprise to Xie Xie's face.
Looking toward Huo Yuhao, who had appeared in a tree without him noticing, he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Boss, save me!"
Huo Yuhao did not answer. Under Xie Xie's terrified gaze, he flashed forward in an instant, appeared before the Evil Eye Tyrant, and patted its tentacles.
"That's not how you help, Boss! That's a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast—"
Seeing the Evil Eye Tyrant pause in its tracks and stand docilely beside Huo Yuhao without any hint of attacking, Xie Xie's words trailed off, his expression going blank.
*You have such a good temper? Were you just chasing me for fun all along?*
*You should have said so earlier!*
"It's my Soul Spirit, the Evil Eye Tyrant. No need to be afraid."
Huo Yuhao turned his head and fixed Xie Xie with a stare. "Speaking of which, how did you end up here? Didn't Teacher Luo's safety instructions say not to come this way?"
"...I was just a little curious."
Xie Xie walked forward awkwardly and pointed toward a Quarantine Zone marker in the distance.
"Teacher Luo said not to enter if we saw that kind of marker. I just thought I'd peek from outside to see what was in there, but then this guy charged out."
Curiosity killed the cat; he knew he was in the wrong, so please stop glaring at him with that death stare!
Besides, strictly speaking, he hadn't entered—the Evil Eye Tyrant had chased him out.
Huo Yuhao withdrew his gaze and communicated with the Evil Eye Tyrant using spiritual power, learning that Xie Xie wasn't lying.
In the Evil Eye Tyrant's own words: humans were more interesting than Soul Beasts and had richer emotions; scaring them was quite fun.
Huo Yuhao was speechless.
*Evil Emperor, come take a look! Your descendant has gone weird!*
Noticing Huo Yuhao staring at it, the Evil Eye Tyrant extended a tentacle and began fawningly kneading his shoulder.
In front of Huo Yuhao, how would it dare reveal its true nature?
The Evil Eye Tyrant did not know Huo Yuhao's full story, but over the past three years, the aura of death it occasionally felt from him was unmistakable.
This was not someone it could afford to mess with!
"Is this the ten-thousand-year Soul Spirit the Spirit Pagoda provided you?"
Knowing that the Soul Beast before him was an actual Soul Spirit, Xie Xie was no longer afraid. He walked curiously up to the Evil Eye Tyrant and poked one of its tentacles.
As Soul Spirits integrated into human society, human trust in them grew by the year; in the eyes of some humans, Soul Spirits were even more trustworthy than people.
Xie Xie was not that extreme, but he still placed great trust in Soul Spirits, not to mention this was Huo Yuhao's.
*So the Spirit Pagoda really does assign ten-thousand-year Soul Spirits? Boss Yuhao has one, and Gu Yuena probably does too. When will I get mine? It'd be great if I could find a handsome partner when the time comes.*
Xie Xie secretly envisioned the future.
"All right, head back. When the time comes, I'll come pick you up." Huo Yuhao gave the Evil Eye Tyrant a few instructions, telling it to return to guarding the Quarantine Zone and not to wander off.
He had come over precisely to communicate with the Evil Eye Tyrant. After all, it could provide cover for him when he awakened the other Soul Spirits, and he still needed to think about how to arrange things with it. Bumping into Xie Xie had been purely coincidental.
***
Outside, seeing the Evil Eye Tyrant persuaded away by Huo Yuhao, Wu Zhangkong completely relaxed. Shifting his gaze from Huo Yuhao and Xie Xie to another figure, his brows furrowed slightly as he observed her direction of travel.
Entry points into the Ascension Platform were randomized, yet Gu Yuena somehow seemed to be closing in on Huo Yuhao's position. A coincidence?
A moment later, watching Gu Yuena and Huo Yuhao converge, Wu Zhangkong was certain it was no coincidence.
Luo Yanglu also raised an eyebrow in secret. Recalling the morning's situation, he pondered whether he should ask Hua Yichen to coordinate in advance with Heavenly Phoenix Crown's side.
Even if it might just be him overthinking, being prepared was always better than leaving things to chance.
***
Inside the Ascension Platform, seeing Xie Xie head off to battle simulated Soul Beasts, Huo Yuhao used spiritual power to bring down a rushing pack of hundred-year Flame Lions, watching balls of yellow energy drift toward him.
Gu Yuena, who had just arrived, did much the same, continuously hurling elements from her hands to assault simulated Soul Beasts, drawing clusters of spiritual energy toward herself.
The co-ruler of Soul Beasts, pummeling Soul Beasts without an ounce of emotion.
"This spiritual energy is ultimately just simulated immortal spiritual qi, carrying a mere trace of its qualities. For us, it serves little purpose."
After clearing out the surrounding simulated Soul Beasts, Gu Yuena glanced at the spiritual energy gathered on her body and shook her head helplessly.
"Not necessarily," Huo Yuhao said, glancing toward the core of the Ascension Platform.
That was where the Advanced Ascension Platform was located.
Seeing this, a look of surprise appeared on Gu Yuena's delicate face, and she continued communicating via voice transmission:
"Yuhao, you aren't thinking of using that fragment, are you? With the energy of Douluo Star, recreating the God Realm is impossible."
Huo Yuhao smiled. Instead of answering, he asked, "Di Tian must know the truth about this place by now, right? Has he never thought of utilizing it?"
"No." Gu Yuena shook her head. "After all, it is merely a fragment. It cannot help him."
Inside the Sea of Spirit, Tianmeng Iceworm and the Ice Empress were somewhat bewildered. "Yuhao, what kind of riddle are you two speaking in? What fragment? What immortal spiritual qi?"
"Brother Tianmeng, there are many ways to raise the age of a Spirit Ring, but the spiritual energy of the Ascension Platform can elevate the age of a Soul Spirit—and endlessly so. Even after being absorbed, it regenerates again. What do you think its true nature is?" Huo Yuhao asked in return.
"...Are you saying it's related to gods?" Tianmeng Iceworm asked in surprise.
"That's right. The true nature of the Ascension Platform is actually... a fragment of the God Realm!"
Chapter 71