Chapter 71

The Spirit Transmission Tower headquarters, Spirit Spirit Tower.

The Spirit Spirit Tower is not a true tall tower, but one of the one hundred and eight Spirit Transmission Towers—a virtual world similar to the Ascension Platform.

At the entrance stands a hall several hundred meters in diameter, its ceiling shaped like a triangle, floating above it a pale golden gem.

Before the magnificent golden-glowing gate, the girl stands rigid, her ponytail neatly bound; light falls upon her handsome, martial face, revealing stubbornness and determination.

“Star Unicorn…”

Ye Xinglan clenched her fists, her expression carrying an indescribable complexity.

She was born into the Star Holy Sword family; though the Ye family is not among the top-tier Soul Master factions—their patriarch is merely a Super Douluo and a Three-Character Doukai Master—they maintain close ties with Shrek Academy, sending elite disciples every generation to train and grow there.

The Star God Sword is a mutated evolution of the Star Holy Sword, appearing occasionally during clan members’ martial soul awakenings, just like the Star Wheel Ice Staff of the Xu family of East Sea City.

Ye Xinglan was undoubtedly fortunate—the Star God Sword is far stronger than the Star Holy Sword—but she would also bear greater responsibilities at a young age.

At age nine, upon strong recommendation from the Star Holy Sword family, Ye Xinglan entered Shrek Academy through a special channel, bypassing the official enrollment period, much like Mu Xi.

Both the Ye family and Shrek Academy understood: throwing Ye Xinglan into Shrek meant training her to become a core member, destined to one day become a Elder of the Sea God Pavilion.

It was a mutually satisfying deal: Shrek Academy gained a super genius, while the Star Holy Sword family hitched a ride on the world’s number one academy.

If you won’t sacrifice the child, you won’t catch the wolf; an unstable Star God Sword is better off joining Shrek Academy—after all, her blood still flows with Ye family lineage, and nothing can change that.

The Ye family’s elite harbor a final goal: to have Ye Xinglan become the next Sea God Pavilion Master after Cloud Ming, the Titled Douluo, so they can turn into greedy in-laws and use familial ties to pressure her into transferring Shrek’s resources to their own clan.

Shrek Academy has been passed down for twenty thousand years; beneath its Golden Ancient Tree lie countless treasures, and even a single scrap of its leftovers could lift an entire family to a new tier.

As a child, Ye Xinglan did not understand what an exchange of interests meant—she only knew to obey her family elders and Shrek teachers, dedicating everything in her life to guarding ten-thousand-year glory.

Until two years ago, on a night by the Sea God Lake, the resonance of Dao and Sword Intent moved her heart; quietly, a shadow took root within her, and she developed a desire to join the Spirit Transmission Tower.

With excitement and trepidation, Ye Xinglan sent a Soul Tool communication to her parents seeking their approval—but was met with a furious scolding.

Since the day she entered Shrek Academy at nine, her path was already sealed; the Ye family permits her to join only the Tang Men, which shares the same breath as Shrek Academy—Spirit Transmission Tower, War God Hall, and such? Don’t even think about it.

Ye Xinglan tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep—she realized she had been openly priced, packaged and sold to Shrek Academy by her own family.

Yuan En Yehui left the Titan family after her mother’s death, fearlessly joining the Spirit Transmission Tower; Ye Xinglan never endured such a crushing blow.

The love her family gave her was not enough to let her act freely as herself; the hatred was not strong enough to make her abandon everything and flee—this dull, knife-cutting pain, neither love nor hate, was more tormenting than either.

Due to the rarity of the Star Unicorn, the Spirit Transmission Tower demanded exorbitant terms, but the Ye family was willing to offer only half the resources, giving Ye Xinglan just one chance to enter the tower, casually telling her to find strong teammates to join her.

The tower allows a maximum of seven per team, provided their ages differ by no more than three years; Ye Xinglan is cold and silent, with barely any friends.

Xuan Na Yueye are both Spirit Transmission Tower disciples; only she is the exception. Perhaps if she asked directly, the four of them would agree to accompany her.

Ye Xinglan received a full set of Divine Base Alloy One-Character Doukai; Zhao Xuanzhen never mentioned a single coin—now to ask him and his people for help would leave her forever in debt.

She loosened her clenched fists, sighed softly, lowered her head to gaze at her shoe tips, as if two ears had grown behind her head, drooping pitifully, like a little dog with no one to care for it.

“Xinglan.”

A familiar, gentle voice came from behind; Ye Xinglan turned in surprise, meeting a pair of deep, jet-black eyes—and three other gazes, each smiling warmly at her.

Zhao Xuanzhen, Na’er, Gu Yue, Yuan En Yehui.

Her eyes suddenly stung; her usually cold starry eyes shimmered with tears, a hard lump lodged in her throat, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

“We’re here to help Yuan En enter the tower, Xinglan—can you lend us a hand?” Zhao Xuanzhen said.

“Thank you… thank you all…”

The girl’s voice trembled uncontrollably; Yuan En Yehui had no need to enter the tower—it was merely Zhao Xuanzhen preserving her dignity.

They exchanged glances, all smiling kindly.

“We’re a team—saying thanks makes us distant.”

“Help each other.”

“Walk together.”

“Come on—let’s enter the tower together.”

Ye Xinglan’s eyes shone brighter than ever; she knew she would forever risk her life for these four friends, and nodded firmly:

“Yes—let’s enter the tower together!”

Golden light spread, five figures walked in a line, vanishing into the golden gate.

The next instant, the crisp clack of high heels echoed through the chamber; Leng Yaoju’s eyes gleamed with amusement as she let out a light, mocking hum: “Three-pronged trident turned into a five-pronged fork—the team’s growing bigger.”

“But your side seems full of pretty girls—how young are you? Such a mischievous little thing…”

…

The light and shadow gradually solidified; the Spirit Spirit Tower unveiled its mysterious veil.

A vast octagonal hall, surrounded by eight metal doors; the five immediately entered battle alert. Gu Yue suggested: “Zhao Xuanzhen, there’s no recovery time in the tower—let’s split into groups. One group fights, the other two rest, conserving strength for increasingly powerful soul beasts.”

Zhao Xuanzhen nodded, adopting Gu Yue’s suggestion: “Before encountering strong enough opponents, we split into three groups: Xinglan and Yuan En together, Na’er and Gu Yue together, and I go alone—we rotate in turns.”

No sooner had he spoken than pairs of blood-red beast eyes flared behind the eight metal doors; massive wild cattle charged out—dozens from each door, nearly a hundred in total.

The Spirit Tower’s first trial: the wild cattle herd—one thousand-year wild cattle leader, the rest all hundred-year soul beasts.

“We’ll go first!”

Ye Xinglan and Yuan En Yehui spoke in unison—they needed to fuse soul spirits, so they intended to bear more of the burden.

A hundred wild cattle panted heavily, their eyes blood-red, their iron hooves shaking the earth as they charged toward the two girls.

Ye Xinglan gripped the Star God Sword; its blade poured forth sword light like

Titan ape embodiment—Yuan En Yehui swelled into a three-meter-tall giant, slamming his fists together as air exploded with muffled thunder; he pushed off the ground and launched skyward, the earth collapsing into a deep crater as his entire body shot downward like a cannonball toward the bison herd!

Yuan En Yehui had no objection to using a soul spirit to breach the tower—after all, neither method cost her anything, and breaching the tower was a perfect chance to test her combat skills.

The punch’s wind sheared with sonic booms, smashing straight into the lead bison’s skull; blood mist exploded as its skull and half its spine were crushed to powder.

Before the shockwave faded, three bison behind were flipped over by the air blast; the thunder of iron hooves merged with the crisp crack of snapping bones as Yuan En Yehui executed a classic tornado sweep—her arms like pillars of heaven, sweeping through the enemy ranks, the bison’s famed copper sinews and iron bones snapping like dry grass, hot blood spraying like a crimson downpour.

The Star God Sword angled toward the heavens, its aura climbing steadily; under the clarity of her soul consciousness, Ye Xinglan’s Star God Sword intent seemed to evolve once more. The charging bison appeared as countless intersecting stellar trajectories—her eyes blazed with starlight as the Star God Sword carved intricate, arcane arcs through the air.

In an instant, a thousand and hundred starlight sword qi descended, weaving a dense, impenetrable net of starlight; the bison’s roars cut off abruptly, their horns shattered, iron hooves shattered, flesh peeling away like petals.

It was a one-sided massacre—Yuan En Yehui smashed the last thousand-year bison chieftain into the air, and Ye Xinglan seized the opening, cleaving it cleanly in two with the Star God Sword; the Titan Ape’s furious roar mingled with the Star God Sword’s ringing chime, shaking the heavens and earth.

“First level of the Soul Spirit Tower cleared. Choose a thousand-year bison soul spirit. Ten seconds to decide whether to absorb.”

A cold, emotionless electronic voice echoed suddenly; a golden light gate rose from the ground, before which floated the spectral image of a bison.

The five entered the light gate one after another, arriving in an identical hall—eight metal doors again.

The wolf howls were mournful and distant, emerald-green eyes flickering; the Wind Demon Wolves' grayish-black manes bristled erect, drool dripping from their fangs burning black holes into the ground.

Ye Xinglan and Yuan En Yehui adjusted their soul power on the spot; the next opponents to appear were two Silver Dragon King half-forms.

The wolf pack was stronger in cultivation and far more disciplined and tactical—they did not charge immediately, but cautiously closed in from all sides, slowly surrounding the center.

Na’er and Gu Yue stood at the center of the wolf circle like two quietly burning flames; Na’er held her spear in one hand, the Silver Dragon Spear’s blade icy cold, the dragon patterns coiled along its shaft awakening in her palm, emitting clear, resonant dragon roars.

On the other side, Gu Yue’s body pulsed with seven-colored auras, elements bowing like subjects awaiting their queen’s decree.

“Sixty-four.” Na’er spun a beautiful spear flourish, a mocking smile curling her lips, “Dare you compete? Whoever kills more tomorrow accompanies Zhao Xuanzhen to the Ascension Altar.”

“Childish.”

Gu Yue sneered, then subtly traced a blazing white line with her fingertip—obliterating a Wind Demon Wolf!

Flames sounded the battle horn—the wolf pack lunged!

“You cheated!”

Na’er scolded Gu Yue for breaking the rules, sweeping her spear like a silver dragon’s tail; wherever the Silver Dragon Spear passed, air split into countless silver fractures.

One Wind Demon Wolf leapt into the air—its fangs had not yet touched the spear tip when it was shredded into blood mist by the razor-sharp spatial force; the crisp crack of bones mixed with the wolves’ howls as crimson blood blossoms erupted across the second level of the Soul Spirit Tower.

Compared to Na’er’s pure spatial attribute, Gu Yue’s battlefield was a carnival of elements.

Earth erupted with rock spikes, pinning the wolves midair; ice arrows rained through their grayish-black hides; wind blades shredded their claws; fire waves incinerated their remains. Gu Yue’s elemental control was exquisitely precise—every speck of soul power moved like a perfectly meshed gear.

Shadows suddenly fell from the sky—a wolf three meters tall, its fur as black as the abyss, with two grotesque, monstrous heads bulging from its neck!

The wolf pack’s leader—the Wind Demon Two-Headed Wolf!

The Wind Demon Two-Headed Wolf possessed high battle intelligence, hiding among the pack until now—when it struck, it did not target Na’er, the close-combat specialist, but ambushed Gu Yue within her elemental torrent!

Both wolf heads roared, wind-formed fangs stabbing toward Gu Yue’s back; Na’er’s pupils contracted—Silver Dragon Spear tore through the airwaves, racing toward her—but it was half a breath too late.

“Idiot, who asked you to save me?”

The wolf fangs pierced only a lingering afterimage. Space twisted—Gu Yue teleported directly above the Wind Demon Two-Headed Wolf, hands clasped in a circle, light and dark elements converging.

Light element burned to its extreme, dark element annihilated and devoured—the two wolf heads had no time to scream before being obliterated by the light-dark force. Gu Yue landed lightly, glancing at Na’er, who looked heartbroken, face saying, “I told you I wouldn’t save you.”

With the Wind Demon Two-Headed Wolf fallen, the wolf pack lost its core—crumbling, they were slaughtered indiscriminately by the Black and White Pair.

Wind blades struck before the Silver Dragon Spear, piercing the final Wind Demon Wolf’s skull; Gu Yue declared proudly, “Thirty-two each—but the Wind Demon Two-Headed Wolf counts as two, so I won.”

“Who said that!”

Na’er fumed, retorting, “We never agreed the Wind Demon Two-Headed Wolf counted as two! We both killed thirty-two—it’s a tie!”

“Cheater.”

“You… I haven’t even called you out for cheating yet!”

As the Black and White Maidens bickered, the electronic voice sounded again—this time offering the choice of a thousand-year Wind Demon Two-Headed Wolf soul spirit.

The Wind Demon Two-Headed Wolf did not meet their needs; the five continued ascending the tower. In the next few levels, they took turns demonstrating their strength, swiftly clearing eleven levels and entering the twelfth—where the metal doors slowly reduced from eight to one.

A fierce aura seeped from behind the metal door; a serpent over thirty meters long slithered out, its entire body shimmering golden, its golden scales dazzlingly brilliant.

Four-thousand-year Golden Dragon Serpent!

Offspring of a Golden Dragon and a golden serpent, possessing metal-manipulation abilities and three-quarters the brute strength of a Golden Dragon of the same level!

Its thirty-meter body crushed the earth as the Golden Dragon Serpent raised its head, its golden eyes blazing brilliantly, scales reflecting radiant light, edges razor-sharp. Its mouth gaped open, jaws splitting to its torso, a stench-laden gale spewing metal shards—like a furious Golden Dragon heralding death’s arrival!

Zhao Xuanzhen stepped forward for the twelfth level; his robes fluttered as he gathered a swirling Taiji diagram in his palm—black and white qi entwined and rose; the Golden Dragon Serpent’s gaping maw swallowed toward him, fangs flashing golden light—yet at the moment it struck the Taiji diagram, yin-yang forces halted it dead.

Yin and yang rotated—the Golden Dragon Serpent was violently thrown backward, its half-body crashing into the ground; dust exploded skyward, cracks spiderwebbed across the earth, the entire twelfth level of the Soul Spirit Tower groaning in agony.

“Roar—”

The Golden Dragon Serpent roared in fury, its metal essence transforming into golden arrows that shot forth, slicing through the air with a wailing shriek like ghosts weeping.

Zhao Xuanzhen moved like a phantom, charging forward without hesitation toward the Golden Dragon Serpent, dark gold lethal light blooming at his fingertips. The Golden Dragon Serpent sensed the razor-sharp edge of the Dark Gold Dread Claws, coiling its body, scales standing erect, golden elemental energy solidifying into a full-body armor of pure gold!

“BOOM!!!”

The Golden Dragon Serpent carried a trace of Golden Dragon blood, believing its physical might could withstand the Dark Gold Dread Claws. Yet the golden armor shattered like cloth; the claws swept across its neck, and time seemed to freeze.

Those golden bestial eyes reflected the cold, human face—human-like terror flashed for an instant, then froze into lifeless gray-white. The serpent’s head fell, its cut surface smooth as a mirror; the headless body collapsed limply, golden scales dimming slowly in the dust.

Zhao Xuanzhen retracted the Dark Gold Dread Claws that had instantly slain the Golden Dragon Serpent, gazing at Ye Xinglan, who was regaining soul power where she stood, and said gently:

“That mutated Starry Unicorn’s cultivation base is roughly four thousand five hundred years—hard to say whether it’s stronger or weaker than the Golden Dragon Serpent. This one was surely placed by the Spirit Transmission Tower specifically to block you.”

“Mm!”

Ye Xinglan’s eyes shimmered; without the help of her four excellent teammates—Xuan, Na, Yue, and Ye—she would never have survived eleven battles to face the Golden Dragon Serpent.

Passing the terrified soul of the Golden Dragon Serpent, the four stepped into the thirteenth level of the Soul Spirit Tower.

Shortly after, a majestic unicorn emerged from the metal door, its body covered in white-gold fur, shimmering with starlight as it glowed. Its shoulder and neck lines were sharply defined, its long tail lifting motes of luminous dust; its folded wings, white as snow, edged faintly with gold.

The Starry Unicorn!

(End of Chapter)