Thank you to our new Patrons: Emil Pedersen, Zhandos Kauzhanov, J L, Caio Cainel Buchalla, reece campbell, SilverWolf, Melon, Sam Olsen, Thomas Gill and P Tydd! Your support means the world to me <3 We are up to Chapter 155: The Paper Spirit Soul on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! It's called Douluo: Martial Soul Seven Kill Sword, The Sword Opens Heaven's Gates. As always, Patrons will have unrestricted access to all of my stories including futures ones!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Xing Yu's expression was dazed.
At this moment, as he watched Xu Yuan maneuver the standard yellow-grade mecha to practice spear techniques on the training ground, a surge of motivation unexpectedly welled up within him.
Yes!
This is how mechas should be used!
Xu Yuan's philosophy on mechas, along with his innate talent in learning mecha control under this philosophy, thrilled Xing Yu.
Xu Yuan practiced the heavy spear technique three times.
Each time was different.
The more he wielded the spear through the mecha, the more dominant and overwhelming power infused his strikes.
"This—this is what spear techniques are all about!"
What use are so-called ultimate skills and flashy techniques compared to my all-out strike?
Xu Yuan's spear momentum evolved, growing increasingly oppressive.
Xing Yu watched this scene, deeply moved and awestruck.
This was a true genius.
First year, Level 45.
This was already a height that even Xing Yu himself had never reached during his time.
Though Xu Yuan's talent might be slightly inferior to Wu Changkong's, Xing Yu was still a solid inner court disciple. Like Xu Yuan, he had also begun studying mechas while in his first year, maintaining a balance between advancing his mecha skills, battle armor crafting, and cultivation.
Under these conditions, he still managed to become a battle armor master before the age of 25.
To be precise, he became one at the age of 22.
But standing before Xu Yuan, he couldn't help but admit that his own talent truly wasn't anything remarkable.
"Junior Xu Yuan, that's enough for now. Your control over the mecha isn't yet proficient," Xingyu called out, stopping Xu Yuan.
He didn't let Xu Yuan continue practicing.
It was Xu Yuan's first day handling a mecha. If he delved too deeply into mastering spear techniques at this stage, it could hinder his future learning of mecha control, causing his movements to become rigid and overly reliant on memorizing the motions of this particular spear technique.
Xu Yuan didn't stubbornly insist on continuing either.
It wasn't that he believed rigidity would affect his future learning—it was that he had already absorbed what he needed to understand.
His insights were more conceptual and will-based, rather than focused on mere spear techniques.
"Senior Xing Yu, thank you for today."
"It's all because of your natural talent." Xing Yu waved his hand dismissively, sighing in admiration.
After just one mecha control lesson, Xu Yuan's spear techniques had become even more refined.
---
Sea God Island
Even Yun Ming noticed changes in his disciple's recent training.
"Little Yuan, your spear techniques have changed."
"That's right, Master. I studied mecha control today and gained new insights into spear techniques."
"Oh?" Yun Ming nodded knowingly, refraining from further comment.
Mecha technology had its upper limits locked by the current era.
But he wouldn't stifle Xu Yuan's interest because of that.
Strictly speaking, mechas were limited by the times, not by their inherent potential.
"Before the improvement of heavenly-forging technology and the emergence of at least three divine craftsmen on the continent simultaneously, there won't be any true god-level mechas crafted entirely from heavenly-forged metals. And without a true god-level mecha, the amplification mechas provide to soul masters can't surpass that of battle armor." Yun Ming gave Xu Yuan some simple advice but didn't dissuade him from pursuing mechas. "You can continue studying mechas. I'm aware of Mu Ye's path of fusing mechas with battle armor—using heavenly-forged metals for the core components, transforming them into weapons that integrate further with battle armor for enhanced synergy. You can explore that path as well."
---
Time passed
A brief week felt like an entire month to Xu Yuan.
Even though his study schedule in the outer court drastically reduced his cultivation time, his research in the dream realm never ceased. For every day spent, he dedicated at least five days' worth of time in the dream realm.
Over the course of the week, except for two days when Xu Yuan relaxed his mind, he effectively spent nearly a month in the dream realm.
---
Grade 1 Class 1
Wu Changkong surveyed the atmosphere of the class and sighed in relief.
It wasn't the worst-case scenario of lifelessness. On the contrary, he saw fighting spirit in the eyes of Wu Siduo, Gu Yue, and Tang Wulin.
Luo Guixing, Xu Yucheng, Yang Nianxia, and Zheng Yiran—the four prodigies from the Youth Genius Rankings—also showed no signs of discouragement. Each seemed to harbor their own plans, ready to unleash them soon.
The other students became even more lively.
When the gap between you and others is small, you feel unwillingness, thinking about surpassing them and proving yourself.
But when the gap becomes too vast, you're left deeply impressed by their abilities.
"The final preparation time begins now. Shortly, I'll arrange for you to enter the venue for this election," Wu Changkong announced.
His gaze swept across the hundred or so students in the classroom.
After a quarter-hour, Wu Changkong led Grade 1 Class 1 out of the classroom and toward the main teaching building.
They arrived at a spacious circular hall.
The hall was just large enough to accommodate their group of a hundred. Clearly, it wasn't designed for combat matches.
"Shortly, you'll enter a virtual space similar to the Spirit Ascension Platform—you've all entered the Spirit Ascension Platform before," Wu Changkong reminded them briefly.
Xu Yuan extended his spiritual power to observe the layout of the hall.
"Shrek Academy has thoroughly developed this virtual space technology." Xu Yuan never doubted that.
The Colosseum, the Soul Arena, the illusory spaces testing human nature—and now this room.
Shrek likely had many such virtual spaces for student evaluations and cultivation.
"I'll need to study this technology thoroughly in the future."
Xu Yuan had a need for this technology.
The dream realm was his soul skill and a small core of his current abilities. If he could develop it in the direction he envisioned, it would undoubtedly become the foundation of all his future techniques.
Transforming virtual into reality.
In truth, the dream realm wasn't entirely illusory. It was constructed from spiritual power, not part of the physical world.
After obtaining his third soul skill, Xu Yuan could use the dream realm to convert real-world energy into illusory forms within the dream realm, proving that his dream realm had the basis to shift between virtual and reality.
Currently, relying on his soul skill, he had only achieved the step of converting external energy from reality into virtual.
Next, he aimed to further develop it, striving to make the dream realm transform from virtual into reality.
If he could develop it himself, that would be ideal. If not, he might have to rely on Yao Yao after she reached ten thousand years to grant him a fourth soul ring, hoping to obtain a similar soul skill.
But this introduced too much uncertainty and would waste a soul ring slot.
The third soul ring had opened the door to conversion between virtual and reality. Moving forward, Xu Yuan hoped to complete this development on his own.
---
After Shen Yi operated on the wall, elliptical pods emerged and split open.
"Each of you choose one to enter. You'll then find yourselves in a forest. The forest is limited in size and will serve as your evaluation site," Shen Yi explained briefly before urging the students to enter.
Xu Yuan watched as groups of classmates chose nearby pods, waiting until the last moment before selecting one for himself and stepping inside.
After fastening his seatbelt and the pod's hatch closing, darkness enveloped him.
Dizziness overwhelmed him.
As Xu Yuan's consciousness faded and returned, he found himself in the forest Wu Changkong had described.
"This is a world close to reality, similar to the Spirit Pagoda!"
Based on experience, Xu Yuan knew that the stronger the reaction upon entering, the more realistic elements existed within the virtual space.
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.