The group followed the corridor, moving deeper into the main teaching building.
This building was truly enormous. If one wanted to familiarize themselves with everything here, Gu You estimated it would take at least a month or two.
Everyone was led into a spacious circular hall.
However, something seemed off—the hall's overall size appeared somewhat cramped for their group of over a hundred people. At the very least, it didn't seem large enough for them to fight in.
"Shortly, you will enter a virtual space. I believe most of you have experienced the Ascension Platform before—this is similar. Now, everyone step back beyond the white circle on the floor."
Shen Yi walked over to a wall. No one knew exactly what she did, but the intricate soul formation-like patterns on the wall lit up. Soon after, the ground split open, and numerous egg-shaped pods emerged before unfolding.
Each of these oval-shaped pods stood about 2.5 meters tall, with a diameter of roughly 1.2 meters. When they opened, they revealed cockpit-like interiors.
"Each of you, pick one and get inside. Shortly, you will appear in a forest—its boundaries are limited, so you'll encounter others fairly quickly. Those who wish to team up should choose pods that are close to each other. You have three minutes to complete this process. Once inside, fasten your seatbelts."
Gu You's first thought was: This is very advanced.
Shrek Academy's virtual reality technology was certainly not inferior to that of the Spirit Pagoda.
Not long after he entered, tiny specks of starlight illuminated the interior, creating an illusion of being in the night sky. A gentle energy enveloped him, and the egg-shaped simulator began to rotate.
Then, he felt himself firmly standing on solid ground again. As his vision cleared, he realized—just as expected—he was now in a dense forest.
The vegetation was lush, greatly obstructing visibility.
Gu You quickly darted to a large tree and crouched in a thicket, his eyes flashing with purple light.
First, he would observe—silently.
But then—Damn! What was that?
Gu You rubbed his eyes. He had just spotted a humanoid beast—and wasn't that Yang Nianxia? With his martial soul activated, his body had tripled in size! And it wasn't just fat—it was strong fat, the kind of muscle that could rival a T-Rex.
Gu You couldn't help but grumble.
"What did you see?" Xie Xie asked curiously. He was well aware of Gu You's godly eyes that could perceive all.
"Nothing." Gu You composed himself and commanded, "Follow me!"
He moved swiftly, staying low as he approached Yang Nianxia's position.
He wanted chaos. He wanted a battle. There was no way he would just hide in a place like this.
Roar!
A deafening dragon's roar erupted from Gu You, shaking the entire forest.
Yang Nianxia stood in a relatively open patch of underbrush, looking around in confusion. With his large stature, he was an obvious target.
As soon as the dragon's roar sounded, his body trembled.
But even faster than the roar, a shadow flashed towards him. It was eerie—at first, there was only a shadow on the ground, yet no figure in sight.
Then, just as the shadow reached Yang Nianxia's back, it suddenly rose into a human form. A thin wire swiftly wrapped around Yang Nianxia's neck, and the person behind him yanked it tight.
His throat was suddenly constricted, and the attacker, who was leaner, practically hung onto his back, pressing their feet against him for leverage.
It was clear—Yang Nianxia had been paralyzed by the attack. The person behind him was a sensitive attack-type Battle Soul Master, and their strength was undeniable. Three soul rings gleamed around them, with the second one flashing brightly.
It was the perfect opportunity—Gu You wouldn't waste it. His first soul ring, Invisibility, activated.
A massive purple dragon head materialized above Yang Nianxia and the assassin-like attacker.
Before either of them could react, the dragon head crashed down.
In an instant, both of them were eliminated.
"You dare harm him!"
Suddenly, three figures emerged from the underbrush nearby—two men and one woman. All of them had the same two yellow, one purple soul ring configuration.
The girl on the right had a jade-green snake coiled around her arm, exuding a sinister aura.
A thousand-year soul skill activated in an instant.
Emerald Emperor's Venom!
A spray of poisonous liquid shot from the snake's mouth at an incredible speed. Even though it hadn't made contact yet, nearby plants were already withering from its corrosiveness.
Gu You simply pointed his finger at the girl.
A surge of destruction burst forth, wiping everything to nothingness—erasing even the simulated reality itself.
Gu You felt the immense, boundless power of destruction within him. This wasn't just regular Extreme Destruction—this was true divine destruction. And this was only the strength from absorbing two of the Golden Dragon King's seals!
If he were to absorb all the seals, just how powerful would he become?
By the time Tang Wulin and the others arrived, they could only cover their mouths in shock at the sight before them.
Meanwhile, all around them, sounds of battle continued to intensify—roars, cries, and chaos echoed from every direction.
The entire first-year class of 101 students was fighting for just three positions. The fierceness of this battle could only be imagined. These students were all prodigies, all brimming with ambition. No one would pass up the chance to prove themselves in this match, to leave a strong impression on their mentors.
"Senior brother, Gu You has grown even stronger," Shen Yi remarked as she watched the large monitor wall displaying various battle scenes.
"His growth is beneficial to all of us," Wu Zhangkong replied. "This child has an excellent nature. On the surface, he may seem cold and distant, but deep down, he is quite sentimental. However, his actions are often too extreme. He still lacks true hardship.
"But if he experiences enough trials and tribulations, his heart will undoubtedly mature. When that time comes, he will truly be worthy of being the strongest on the continent."
In a distant part of the forest, a patch of underbrush suddenly parted as someone stumbled out.
His entire body was covered in blood—evidently, he had just endured a fierce battle.
Behind him, a pair of white wings extended, though they were different from Yue Zhengyu's Holy Angel wings. These lacked feathers and were instead covered in white fur with black markings.
Clouds follow the dragon, winds follow the tiger.
The markings resembled those of a tiger martial soul—yet with wings. Was it a Winged Tiger?
Just as this figure burst out of the underbrush, three others emerged in pursuit.
Among them, the leader was the most striking. His entire body was shrouded in darkness, a swirling black aura concealing even his face.
Compared to the imposing Winged Tiger, he seemed much less...
(Chapter End)