Douluo Continent III Haotian Wulin

"Quickly, check his mental state first!"

"Doesn't this child recognize the Dark Gold Devilclaw Bear? Why didn't he press the distress signal?"

"Neural feedback is still escalating, disconnect immediately!"

The anxious voice seemed to travel through a thick curtain of water, reaching my ears intermittently.

Tang Wulin's consciousness gradually emerged from the darkness.

Hearing was the first thing to recover.

Then came a wave of coldness and numbness that spread throughout my body.

The feeling wasn't intense, but it was very strange. It was as if his body was still frozen in the moment when it was sliced ​​horizontally by the dark gold claws, with an invisible gap separating his upper and lower body.

But as he regained consciousness, the rift began to close rapidly.

The numbness subsided.

My fingers regained feeling.

A real and steady heartbeat could be heard from my chest.

"Click—"

The sound of metal scraping against metal rang in my ears.

The sealed hatch slowly opened to both sides, and blinding light streamed down through the gaps.

Tang Wulin subconsciously narrowed his eyes.

came back.

I'm fine.

This was the first thought that popped into his mind.

But then he felt a sense of doubt.

Just now, he was clearly cut open at the waist by the Dark Gold Terror Claw.

Even if the injuries sustained in the Ascension Platform don't actually carry over into reality, the intense pain and nerve shock that are enough to deceive the brain shouldn't disappear so easily.

When Wang Jinxi was first pierced by the human-faced spider, it took him a long time to recover.

Xie Xie was just torn apart by the Dark Gold Terror Claws; the situation will only get worse.

However, apart from feeling somewhat empty, Tang Wulin did not experience any obvious physical discomfort.

Even the pain left only a vague impression.

"How is it?"

Wu Changkong's face appeared above the hatch.

His face remained expressionless, but his gaze was deeper than usual as he carefully observed Tang Wulin's eyes.

Several staff members of the Spirit Pagoda gathered around.

One of them held a silver-white probe, first lingering near Tang Wulin's forehead for a moment, then touching his shoulders, arms, waist, abdomen, and legs in turn.

A faint chill emanated from the tip of the probe.

"Can you feel anything here?"

"have."

"How does it feel?"

"cold."

"What about the left leg?"

"Yes."

The staff tested a few more locations, then looked down at the instrument data.

"The patient is conscious, has full physical sensation, and although mentally weak, there is no obvious disorder."

His tone carried a hint of incomprehension.

"Recovered so quickly?"

Tang Wulin raised his hand, held onto the edge of the metal cabin, and slowly sat up.

A feeling of dizziness followed.

It wasn't a physical injury, but rather the weakness resulting from a significant depletion of mental energy. It felt like I hadn't had a proper rest for several days, and even the lights in front of me seemed somewhat unsteady.

But apart from that, everything is normal.

"Teacher, I'm fine."

After confirming that he could move his hands and feet freely, Tang Wulin climbed out of the metal cabin and landed steadily on the ground.

Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and Gu Yue were already waiting on the side.

Wang Jinxi's face was still somewhat pale, but he was much calmer than when he had just left the Ascension Platform.

Zhang Yangzi was holding his forehead; the aftereffects of the injury to his soul had clearly not completely disappeared.

Gu Yue stood next to Tang Wulin's metal cabin.

Seeing him sit up on his own, her tense shoulders relaxed a little.

"I'm fine."

Tang Wulin said to her.

Gu Yue only hummed in response, but her gaze lingered on his waist and abdomen for a moment, as if to confirm whether that area was truly undamaged.

Suddenly, a rapid instrument alert came from the other side.

Tang Wulin's heart tightened, and he immediately turned around.

That was the metal cabin where Xie Xie was located.

Several staff members were busy around the cabin. Some were adjusting the mental connection device, some were stimulating Xie Xie's limbs with a weak electric current, and others were constantly observing the neural feedback curves on the display screen.

"How's Xie Xie?"

Tang Wulin walked over quickly.

Wu Changkong stood beside him and said calmly, "He is conscious."

Upon hearing just those four words, Tang Wulin felt a sense of relief.

Wu Changkong continued, "He barely avoided the head at the last moment, but the mental feedback from his body being cut open has not completely subsided."

"I am currently experiencing confusion in my limbs, and the feedback from the left and right sides of my body is inconsistent. It will take time to recover."

"It will not leave permanent damage."

Tang Wulin breathed a sigh of relief.

If you suffer severe injuries inside the Ascension Platform, the most important thing is to stay conscious.

As long as the mind doesn't collapse, bodily sensation and mobility will gradually recover. After all, the physical body wasn't actually injured; what remains is merely a residual reaction in the brain caused by being deceived by a virtual injury.

He walked to the metal compartment and looked down.

Xie Xie's face was deathly pale, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

My body occasionally twitches slightly, and the frequency of the twitching is noticeably different on the left and right sides. When one arm is tense, the other side seems to be completely out of control.

This is the normal reaction that should occur after being cut open by the Dark Gold Terrorclaw.

But what about yourself?

Tang Wulin subconsciously looked down at his waist.

He was clearly cut open as well.

Why are there almost no other aftereffects besides mental weakness?

Is it really because they are physically stronger?

Or was it because of the sudden surge of scorching power within his body at the very last moment, when the Golden Dragon Claw collided with the Dark Gold Terror Claw?

Especially the fleeting golden light between his brows.

Tang Wulin remembered it very clearly.

But this is clearly not a problem that can be figured out right now.

Wu Changkong was also looking at him.

Tang Wulin recovered too quickly, faster than anyone could have imagined.

Ke Wu Chang Kong didn't press the matter in front of the Spirit Pagoda staff; he simply kept it in mind.

"It's good that everyone is alright."

He said it calmly.

"Wu Lin".

Xie Xie's weak voice came from inside the cabin.

Tang Wulin lowered his head.

"What's wrong?"

Xie Xie's lips moved, and he managed to force a smile.

"Thanks."

Tang Wulin was stunned for a moment.

"What are you thanking me for? I didn't even have time to save you."

"Not to save me."

Xie Xie slowly rolled his eyes downwards, indicating his chest.

"It was you who made the Thousand-Refined Titanium Vest."

"When the Dark Gold Terrorclaw came down, the shoulder armor plate blocked it for me."

"Although it only blocked for a moment, the direction of the claws was off."

"That's how I had a chance to get my head out of the way."

Xie Xie became breathless after saying just a few words.

"Otherwise, if they cut directly into the head, it probably wouldn't be as simple as just lying there for a while."

Tang Wulin then realized what was happening.

Inside the Ascension Platform, all he saw was Xie Xie's body being instantly torn apart by the dark golden claw light.

The titanium vest ultimately proved its worth.

It cannot stop the Dark Gold Terror Claw.

Even the finest refined titanium can be easily torn apart by such a top-tier sharpness.

However, when Tang Wulin made the vest for Xie Xie, he specially reinforced the connection between the shoulders and neck, and left enough room for the shoulders to move.

The moment the armor plate was cut open, the trajectory of the claws was slightly altered.

It was just a fleeting moment.

It's just a very small offset.

However, for agility-based Soul Masters, this instant is enough to make a reaction.

"As long as it works."

Tang Wulin let out a soft breath.

Those five vests weren't made in vain.

Even if they can't directly confront powerful soul beasts, at least they can have a better chance of survival in the most dangerous situations.

"You cheated."

Wu Changkong's cold voice suddenly rang out from behind.

Everyone froze at the same time.

Tang Wulin turned around.

Wu Changkong was holding a badly damaged Yuntai vest in his hand.

The shoulder armor plates were completely cut open, and the chest structure also suffered large cracks due to the power of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw, with several connecting buckles broken.

Without a doubt, this was Xie Xie's.

The staff took off his vest when they checked him just now.

A hint of embarrassment immediately appeared on Tang Wulin's face.

"Teacher Wu, this shouldn't be considered cheating, right?"

"You only told us to go into the Ascension Platform and stay there for an hour, but you didn't say we couldn't wear the protective gear we made ourselves."

"Moreover, my main concern is that everyone might encounter a situation like Jin Xi's last time, so..."

Wu Changkong handed him the vest.

Tang Wulin quickly caught it.

Wu Changkong's gaze fell on the broken edge of the vest, and he asked calmly, "You've already been able to consistently complete the Thousand Refinements?"

Tang Wulin was taken aback.

"Yes."

"Did you design the extension and stress-relief structure of Yuntai yourself?"

"The teacher taught me some things, and the specific dimensions were adjusted according to everyone's fighting habits."

Wu Changkong paused for a moment.

"Well done."

Just as Tang Wulin was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard him continue, "Everyone else got full marks in the first subject of the final exam."

"Tang Wulin".

"As the team leader, he took the lead in carrying extra equipment and induced his teammates to cheat collectively."

Tang Wulin's heart jumped.

Xie Xie lay in the cabin, trying his best to turn his eyes toward Wu Changkong.

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi also watched him nervously.

Wu Changkong remained expressionless.

"Your grades—"

"Ninety-nine points."

"what?"

Tang Wulin was stunned.

Ninety-nine points?

What's the real difference between this and a perfect score?

For a moment, he couldn't tell whether Wu Changkong was punishing him or praising him.

Zhang Yangzi shouted loudly, "Long live Teacher Wu!"

Wu Changkong gave him a cold glance.

Zhang Yangzi's voice abruptly stopped.

"Don't be too happy too soon."

"There's a second subject in the final exam."

"You're only truly done with the exam if you pass the second subject."

The lively atmosphere that had just started to pick up immediately subsided a bit.

Staff continued to use instruments to stabilize Xie Xie's neurofeedback.

To be precise, it involved stimulating his muscles and nerves with extremely weak electrical currents to help his brain reaffirm that his body was still intact.

The feeling of being cut open is a severe form of psychological trauma.

Even though Xie Xie had a strong will, it took him more than an hour to recover before he was finally able to sit up.

His complexion was still not very good, and his movements were somewhat uncoordinated; when he walked, his left and right legs always seemed to be out of sync.

However, at least they are now able to move around freely.

The condition of the others has also basically stabilized.

Tang Wulin looked at everyone and suddenly remembered something.

He walked to Wu Changkong's side and took out a card from his storage space.

"Dance teacher."

"I still have one more qualification to enter the Ascension Platform during the riot period."

Wu Changkong looked at the card in his hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Where did it come from?"

"Given to me by the Blacksmiths' Guild."

Tang Wulin did not hide anything.

To be precise, it was an extra invitation card that Mu Chen gave him after he completed three days of forging training.

The five spots allocated by the college for the final exams do not conflict with this card.

"Can I go in one more time?"

Tang Wulin asked seriously.

"My spiritual power hasn't reached its limit yet. If I go in further, perhaps the little ant's soul can continue to grow stronger."

Wu Changkong looked at him for a moment and shook his head.

"No need."

Why?

"It's meaningless."

Wu Changkong calmly said, "The riot did not maintain the same intensity from beginning to end."

"As time goes by, the number of soul beasts inside the Spirit Ascension Platform, their activity frequency, and their aggressiveness will continue to increase."

"When you entered, the riots had only just begun."

"Going in now would only lead to a more chaotic environment."

"Given your current condition, it would be difficult for you to survive long if you went in alone."

Tang Wulin looked down at the card in his hand.

"But it's good to absorb more spiritual energy."

"The premise is that you have time to absorb it."

Wu Changkong said, "If you re-enter now, you will most likely encounter a high-intensity attack before your body can digest the spiritual energy."

"The unabsorbed spiritual energy will eventually dissipate."

"On the contrary, they will have to endure another mental shock."

As he said this, his gaze lingered on Tang Wulin's face for a moment.

"You've just taken an unnecessary risk."

"Don't use the fact that you won't truly die on the Ascension Platform as a reason to gamble with your mental endurance."

Tang Wulin remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

"I see."

Wu Changkong said, "Leave the card."

"The qualification for the riot period is not tied to this time and can be saved for the next riot period."

"It's quite valuable in itself. If you don't want to use it, you can get a good price for it at an auction."

Tang Wulin carefully put the card away again.

He originally intended to return to the Ascension Platform immediately to continue pushing his soul's age limit.

I only realized now that I was too hasty in having this idea.

Ascension is not simply a matter of stuffing spiritual power into the soul.

Environment, time, physical condition, and mental resilience are all indispensable.

"Teacher Wu, I have another idea."

Tang Wulin lowered his voice.

"It's about this absorption of spiritual energy."

"We've discovered that when a one-ring Soul Master absorbs spiritual energy at the Spirit Ascension Platform, because they only have one Soul Ring, the spiritual energy isn't dispersed. If one's physical and mental strength are strong enough, is it possible...?"

He had barely finished speaking when Wu Changkong raised his hand to stop him.

Tang Wulin was taken aback.

Wu Changkong did not answer, but instead glanced at the Spirit Transmission Tower staff who were tidying up the equipment not far away.

"We'll talk about it when we get back."

Tang Wulin suddenly realized what was happening.

They absorbed a large amount of spiritual energy using the venomous silk of the human-faced demon spider, which was an extremely rare occurrence.

Furthermore, my conjecture about the concentrated spiritual ascension in the first stage may touch upon the deeper laws governing the operation of the Spirit Ascension Platform and the evolution of the soul.

It was inappropriate to say these things in front of the Spirit Pagoda staff.

"Yes."

Xie Xie was eventually carried back to the academy by Tang Wulin.

Although he had regained consciousness, his body control was still somewhat disordered. He would sway to one side after taking a few steps, as if his left and right sides of his body had not yet fully reconnected.

Staff at the Spirit Pagoda estimated that this condition would take at least a day to completely disappear.

Fortunately, it won't leave any serious damage.

As for whether Xie Xie has any psychological trauma, only Xie Xie himself can answer that.

"What kind of trauma could I possibly have?"

Xie Xie lay on Tang Wulin's back, his tone still relaxed.

"I didn't even get a good look at what it looked like before it was cut off."

"To have a nightmare, you need to see a face first, right?"

"That's good."

Tang Wulin smiled.

Xie Xie, however, was somewhat unconvinced.

"But this is so unfair."

"We were both cut open, so why are you acting like nothing happened after you came out?"

Tang Wulin shook his head.

"I don't know either."

"It might be related to physical strength."

He thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Your body is indeed too weak."

"How about we run together every morning from now on?"

"If your physical condition improves, you'll recover faster if you encounter this situation again next time."

Xie Xie immediately replied, "Okay."

"It just so happens that we met the senior student together."

Tang Wulin paused in his steps.

"What do you mean, 'encounter with a senior student'?"

"Don't talk nonsense."

Xie Xie lay on his back, laughing so hard his shoulders were shaking.

"I run every morning at the same time, and I always run into the same pretty senior. What else could you call that but a chance encounter?"

Gu Yue, who was standing to the side, turned her head.

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi also showed expressions of curiosity.

Tang Wulin's face felt slightly flushed.

"There are always a lot of people jogging in the college in the morning."

"Isn't it normal to run into upperclassmen?"

He spoke earnestly, but his steps unconsciously quickened.

A familiar figure also appeared in my mind.

Ouyang Zixin.

Lately, he has been running into her almost every morning during his jog.

At first, it was just a nod and a greeting.

Later, we would occasionally run side by side for a while and chat about things at the college.

Nothing special.

But gradually, Tang Wulin got used to seeing that figure on the track in the early morning.

Sometimes, even when she wasn't there, after he finished running a lap, his gaze would still unconsciously drift towards the entrance.

He couldn't quite explain that inexplicable sense of loss.

"Go back and get some rest."

Upon arriving at the academy, Wu Changkong stopped in his tracks.

"A summary meeting will be held tomorrow, and the explanation of the second exam will be given."

"Tang Wulin, after you take Xie Xie back to his dorm, come to my room."

"Yes."

Tang Wulin first carried Xie Xie back to his dormitory and let him lie down to rest. After confirming that there were no new abnormalities in his body, he turned around and went to Wu Changkong's residence.

The door was not closed.

Tang Wulin tapped twice lightly.

"Come in."

Wu Changkong stood by the window, his white robes appearing particularly aloof in the twilight.

Tang Wulin entered the room and closed the door.

Before he could speak, Wu Changkong said, "Wu Lin, remember one thing."

"From now on, whether you are on the Ascension Platform or inside the Spirit Transmission Tower, if you discover any abnormalities related to souls or the rules of ascension, do not speak them out on the spot."

"Let's get out of there first."

"Tell me when you get back."

Tang Wulin nodded.

"Yes, teacher."

But he was still somewhat puzzled.

"If there really is a problem with the Ascension Platform, shouldn't we inform the Spirit Transfer Tower?"

Wu Changkong turned around.

Her icy blue eyes gazed at him silently.

"Who told you that it necessarily has to be a problem?"