Douluo: I have too many clones

Chapter 757 The Platform of Ten Thousand Beasts

With Gu Yuena's stunning appearance, the atmosphere of the martial arts contest for marriage instantly became even more heated.

Soon, guided by the staff, the Soul Masters who came to participate in the test today lined up in neat rows and began to enter from one side, one by one coming to the first large Soul Guidance Device.

The staff member's clear instructions came through the loudspeaker: "Please note that the electronic cards you received earlier will be used for recording this test. The score will be recorded in real time for each test completed."

"Only those who score more than 60 points can enter the elimination stage. The test consists of ten stages, the first of which is a soul power test."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes were focused on the rare, large-scale soul power testing device.

Compared to common testing instruments, its advantages are self-evident—it can complete soul power detection at the fastest speed and with the highest accuracy, which undoubtedly saves valuable time for large-scale testing.

The first Soul Master stepped forward, and a soft white light membrane poured down from the top of the instrument, enveloping his body like flowing water. After about three seconds, the light membrane quietly dissipated, and he was asked to step aside. The electronic card in his hand had automatically recorded his Soul Power data, but it was not made public.

This practice of protecting the privacy of Soul Masters was unanimously approved by the participants. Before the elimination rounds began, no one wanted to reveal their cultivation level too early, so as not to be at a disadvantage in the subsequent competition.

Nan Fusheng was at the front of the line, moving forward step by step with the flow of people. When he arrived at the soul power testing device, the staff politely gestured for him to proceed, and he naturally stepped onto the testing platform.

In an instant, a soft light enveloped his entire body. He remained expressionless, yet he subtly sensed the energy changes of the testing device.

He could clearly sense wisps of soul power coming from all directions, slightly stimulating his body, and his own soul power produced a certain degree of stress response under this stimulation.

Clearly, this instrument accurately determines a Soul Master's cultivation level by capturing and analyzing the effects of these stress responses.

Nan Fusheng did not conceal his soul power, allowing the test to proceed normally. A few seconds later, the electronic chip on his wrist vibrated slightly. Looking down, the small screen outside the chip clearly displayed the number "seven points".

A thought flickered in his mind: a total score of 60 out of 100 was considered passing, meaning the maximum score should be 100. This was somewhat similar to the assessment rules of Shrek Academy.

However, he was quite surprised that he only got seven points with his level 80 Quasi-Soul Douluo cultivation. He didn't know what standard the Spirit Pagoda used to score.

Just as Nan Fusheng was pondering, a deep male voice sounded from behind him, as if it had seen through his doubts: "This first test is scored based on cultivation level."

"Although the threshold for the martial arts tournament to find a husband is Soul Emperor, in reality, to ensure advancement to the elimination rounds, one must at least have the cultivation of Soul Saint. After all, the difference in combat power between a Soul Master with a Martial Soul True Body and one without one is like heaven and earth."

Nan Fusheng turned his head upon hearing the voice and saw that the speaker was a middle-aged man of medium build with broad shoulders, who looked as solid as a stone block.

Nan Fusheng asked in confusion, "May I ask who you are?" He was quite certain that he had never seen the other person before, and that the other person was not his clone.

However, in his perception, this person had no ill intentions; on the contrary, he felt a strange respect for him, which puzzled him.

The middle-aged man smiled kindly and said, "Greetings, Governor Fusheng. My name is Ao Wuchang, and I am a follower of Lord Fors."

Nan Fusheng looked at him with some surprise, "Are you a follower of Fors?"

No way, that salted fish actually has followers?
Ao Wuchang nodded slightly, and then, as if afraid that Nan Fusheng would overthink things, explained, "I once fought against Lord Fors and was easily defeated. After that battle, I clearly recognized the gap between myself and Lord Fors."

"I believe that if anyone can lead the Spirit Pagoda to a higher level in the future, then that person will be none other than Lord Fors. That's why I chose to work under him. My main purpose in participating in the competition is to hone my skills; I didn't really intend to participate in the martial arts contest to find a husband."

"I see." Nan Fusheng nodded, then asked, "You just said that the first test was based on cultivation level. I'm at the seventh ring cultivation level, but I only got seven points. How is the full score calculated?"

Ao Wuchang said, "The Soul Power Testing Instrument can not only measure a Soul Master's Soul Power, but also scan the Soul Master's bone age to see if it meets the standards. A six-ring Soul Emperor is six points, a Soul Saint is seven points, a Soul Douluo is eight points, and a Title Douluo is nine points."

As he spoke, he showed Nan Fusheng the electronic chip in his hand. Eight points, meaning that Ao Wuchang's cultivation level was that of a Soul Douluo.

He continued, "However, if a Soul Master's bone age is under forty and their cultivation level reaches Title Douluo in the testing device, they will receive an extra ten points."

Nan Fusheng nodded knowingly. Cultivation level determines the score, while age is a bonus.

Ao Wuchang continued, "There's one more thing I need to remind you of. In this martial arts tournament for marriage, although it's officially stated that a score of 60 or higher will qualify you for the elimination rounds..."

"But in reality, if you get zero in any of the ten assessments, you will be automatically eliminated. I hope you don't make a mistake."

Nan Fusheng nodded slightly. "Thank you for the reminder."

After saying that, he stepped towards the second stage. He came to participate in this martial arts contest to find a husband not only for fun, but more importantly, to see the Ten Thousand Beasts Platform.

I remember when he said he wanted to participate in this martial arts contest to find a husband, Gu Yuena was very enthusiastic in urging him to go inside the Beast Platform and experience it.

(P.S.: To avoid being accused of padding, the author will not write about these levels and will simply omit them.)
The second stage tests speed and predictive ability.

In this round, Nan Fusheng relied on his powerful mental perception to get a perfect score of 10.

The third challenge is a strength test.

Considering that he had never shown a particularly strong strength attribute, Nan Fusheng scored seven points.

The fourth stage is the Martial Soul Test, which scores participants based on a comprehensive measurement of their Martial Soul.

Originally, the Time Insect Martial Soul looked quite ordinary, but when Nan Fusheng displayed his time-attribute Soul Skill, it immediately gained a perfect score.

The fifth test, a mental strength test, scored 10 points.

Sixth stage, second career test, seven points.

In the seventh challenge, the mech piloting test, Nan Fusheng, with his exceptional mental strength, easily piloted the mech to perform several difficult maneuvers, earning a perfect score of 10.

After passing seven rounds, Nan Fusheng's score reached 61 points, which meant he was qualified to participate in the knockout stage.

Level 8!
According to the staff, the eighth, ninth and tenth levels are all comprehensive quality assessments. Compared with the previous levels, the overall difficulty of the assessments has increased, and more emphasis is placed on evaluating the Soul Master's all-round abilities.

In the center of the eighth arena stood a massive soul tool device. This device was the most conspicuous presence in the entire stadium—over eighty meters tall, its shape resembling a miniature spirit transmission tower, its body shimmering with a faint aura of energy, mysterious and majestic, like a silent behemoth awaiting the soul masters' challenge. Guided by staff, Nan Fusheng stepped into this tower-shaped soul tool. The interior was spacious, with stable energy fluctuations, echoing the grandeur of its exterior.

The staff member's voice came through the loudspeaker: "Next, you will be teleported to a place similar to the Spirit Ascension Platform. The teleportation will be random. Once inside, try to survive as long as possible. There, you will encounter powerful soul beasts. The longer you survive, the higher your score will be."

A device similar to an ascension platform?
Nan Fusheng's eyes flickered, and he asked, "What's the name of this device?"

"This is the newly developed Beast Platform, with Miss Gu Yuena as the lead researcher!"

The staff member's tone carried a hint of pride, "Training inside will bring you unexpected benefits. Therefore, the eighth level can be considered a reward for all participants in the martial arts contest for marriage. You'll understand once you go in."

The Beast Platform, so this is what it is!
Following the staff's instructions, Nan Fusheng walked to a door emitting a soft glow, took a deep breath, and stepped inside. His figure was instantly swallowed by the light and disappeared.

The surrounding space was distorted and fluctuating, and although the fluctuations were intense, they were very linear.

Nan Fusheng possesses the uniqueness of the "gate" and is extremely sensitive to spatial power, easily recognizing that it is a high-end spatial teleportation method.

This feeling reminded him of his experience when he entered Dragon Valley in the Star Luo Continent. The distortion and reorganization of space flowed through his body, but it did not bring discomfort. Instead, it was like a strange baptism.

With a distorted light and shadow, Nan Fusheng's body suddenly felt light, and a sense of weightlessness instantly overwhelmed him, with the sound of wind whistling past his ears.

He immediately released his soul power, forming a soft protective membrane to stabilize his body and suspend him in mid-air before looking down.

The sight before him startled him slightly—it was a world brimming with life.

The dense forest stretched as far as the eye could see, with towering trees reaching into the clouds and sunlight dappling through their branches and leaves; in the distance, one could vaguely see rolling mountains and shimmering lakes, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees and faint energy fluctuations.

Is this the Platform of Ten Thousand Beasts?
Nan Fusheng tried to sense his own condition and found that his body was normal, his soul power was flowing smoothly, his mental power was not suppressed in any way, and he could fully exert all his abilities.

It seems that the rules of this small plane are already quite complete.

"Good, safe landing."

With a gentle release of his soul power, Nan Fusheng landed steadily, his feet sinking into the soft moss without making a sound.

"Chirp!!"

Just then, a loud and sharp bird cry rang out not far overhead. Nan Fusheng looked up abruptly and saw a ball of blue light rushing towards him like lightning, its speed astonishing.

"Okay, I take back what I said earlier, it's not entirely safe."

A sense of helplessness flashed through Nan Fusheng's mind, but his body reacted immediately. He didn't want to confront this unknown soul beast head-on, so he slightly turned his body and, with exquisite movement, dodged the blue light at the last second.

A flash of blue light streaked across Nan Fusheng's chest, carrying a sharp force, before slamming violently into the towering tree behind him.

"boom--"

Several towering trees, each as thick as a person's embrace, were snapped in half in an instant, their broken trunks scattering wood chips like exploding green bombs.

The azure light, carrying an aura of destruction, did not pause for a moment. It transformed into a sharp streak of light and shot into the sky, drawing an elegant yet dangerous arc in mid-air before swirling down again. Its emerald green eyes were fixed on Nan Fusheng on the ground, as if it had locked onto its only prey.

Nan Fusheng immediately released his mental energy to carefully investigate the attacker's true form.

It was a huge bluebird, magnificent and extraordinary, with a wingspan of about five meters. Its entire body was blue-green, as if it were carved from jade, and it shimmered with a warm luster in the sunlight.

Its emerald green eyes gleamed with ferocity, its steel claws beneath its belly gleamed eerily and were incredibly sharp, and even the edges of its wings were like blades, exuding a dangerous aura.

"This is... a Jade Bird?" Nan Fusheng was filled with surprise.

Information about the Jade Bird is not very detailed in the records of the Soul Master world, but every piece of information carries a distinct label: this soul beast has a violent and fiery temperament and can be called a practitioner of "violent aesthetics" in nature. No matter what kind of creature it faces, it will attack without hesitation.

In stark contrast, this fierce spirit beast adheres to the habits of a herbivore, feeding on fruits and seeds from the forest. This contradictory nature makes it exceptionally unique in the spirit beast lineage.

What's even more astonishing is that the Jade Bird and another dangerous plant-type soul beast, the Thunderous Hell Vine, share a striking similarity in some respects: they both possess the attribute of "self-destruction."

According to ancient records, when the Jade Bird cultivates to the level of 100,000 years, it will encounter a bottleneck that is almost insurmountable. At this stage, its body will undergo a peculiar change, gradually becoming completely jade-like, and eventually turning into a huge piece of jade.

This type of jade is of extremely high quality, with a warm and lustrous texture and a translucent color. It was regarded as a treasure in ancient times and was sought after and collected by many nobles, becoming a symbol of status and prestige.

The reason why the Jade Bird eventually went extinct was not because it was destroyed by human hunting or environmental destruction like most extinct soul beasts, but because of its extremely irritable personality.

This personality not only makes them hostile to other creatures, but they also often attack each other within their own species, leading to constant internal strife and making reproduction extremely difficult.

Over time, due to the combined effects of self-depletion and stagnation in reproduction, this race, which once dominated the continent, inevitably perished and became a speck of dust in the long river of history.

To summarize in textbook terminology, the Jade Bird is a typical "self-destructive species," and its extinction can be seen, in a sense, as an inevitable result of its species characteristics.

Nan Fusheng's deep understanding of the Jade Bird stemmed not only from book knowledge, but also from his successful cultivation of a group of these ancient soul beasts during his management of the Dragon Valley Small World.

Like the Thunderous Hell Vine, although the Jade Bird cannot break through the 100,000-year limit due to its "self-destruction" attribute, this does not mean that it is weak.

On the contrary, the Jade Bird, with its "ice-like skin and jade-like bones," possesses top-tier physical attributes among bird-type soul beasts, and its strength is astonishing.

What makes them even more troublesome is that they are born with a rudimentary grasp of spatial power, which allows them to often transcend spatial limitations when launching attacks, appearing like ghosts in unexpected locations, making them impossible to defend against.

It can be said that the entire body of the Jade Bird is a perfect killing weapon.

(End of this chapter)