The towering ancient trees surged upward with incredible speed, their trunks becoming as hard as steel, while their sprawling roots erupted from the ground like massive serpents!
Resilient vines, now alive with deadly intent, rapidly extended several times their original length, wrapping around everything nearby.
The weeds on the ground transformed into razor-sharp blades, spreading wildly. Flowers spewed out hallucinogenic or highly toxic pollen and spores.
In an instant, the entire forest came "alive," brimming with violent aggression.
This sudden upheaval shattered the delicate balance of the Spirit Ascension Platform.
Roar—! Screech—! Hiss—!
Countless thousand and ten-thousand-year spirit beasts that had been dwelling or hiding in this area were startled awake. They sensed a fatal threat.
Territorial instincts, predatory drives, and the overwhelming pressure of the domain plunged them into extreme fury and chaos.
The earth quaked, giant trees toppled, and frenzied spirit beasts surged toward Gu La's location like a flood breaking through a dam.
Flames, frost, lightning, venom, wind blades… all manner of soul skill lights flashed and collided madly throughout the forest.
Thousand-year spirit beasts charged in packs, while ten-thousand-year beasts roared as they advanced. An unprecedented spirit beast rampage erupted violently within Gu La's Boundless Forest Sea domain.
Amidst the storm, Gu La stood firm like a rock in the midst of a raging tempest, unmoving.
With both hands raised slightly, his spiritual force acted as an invisible conductor, precisely controlling the rampant army of plants within the domain.
Countless resilient vines coiled around charging spirit beasts like nooses, sharp grass blades sliced through their armor, toxic spores corroded their senses, and massive trees swung their branches like battering rams…
He was not attacking indiscriminately. His spiritual force acted as the most precise sieve, locking onto spirit beasts with pure soul power and compatible attributes amidst the chaotic tide, leaving them for Qing Liuli to study.
As for those with wood attributes, plant-based traits, thick hides, or robust vitality—especially the heavily armored ones—they became his primary targets for "elimination."
Boom!
A massive Groundsplitting Demon Bear, its body covered in stone-like shell, was tightly bound by several thick ironwood roots. It was then engulfed by the shadow of a giant man-eating flower, dissolving into pure energy particles that Gu La quietly absorbed to enhance the years of his own spirit souls, particularly the Sun Elf spirit soul, which was only at 20,000 years.
Hiss-hiss-hiss!
A pack of swift "Gale Wolves" was shredded by the rapidly growing sawtooth grass, then enveloped by a cloud of toxic spores, collapsing with wails before also transforming into energy.
Even a powerful ten-thousand-year Ghost Vine Treant was overwhelmed under the suppression of the Boundless Forest Sea domain. Controlled by countless similar vines manipulated by Gu La, it was entangled, overpowered, and eventually assimilated by the domain.
Gu La was like a cold, methodical reaper, leveraging the rules of the Spirit Ascension Platform and the absolute advantage of his domain to efficiently "hunt" spirit beast projections, converting them into nourishment to increase the years of his soul rings.
Within the domain, the war between plants and spirit beasts was brutal. The clash of energies and the roars of spirit beasts echoed ceaselessly.
---
Outside, in the Spirit Ascension Platform monitoring room.
On the massive light screen, the terrifying scene in that section of the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform was displayed clearly. Energy readings skyrocketed, and alarms blared incessantly.
"Alert! Alert! Abnormal energy surge in Zone C7! Large-scale spirit beast projection rampage! Energy intensity exceeding thresholds!"
"Is a Soul Sage using battle armor against the rules? How else could this be happening?!"
"It's that Gu La! The disciple brought by Vice Tower Master Leng Yaozhu. Isn't he only a Soul King? He feels stronger than a Soul Sage activating their True Body!"
"Quick! Should we forcibly intervene? Terminate his trial?"
The Spirit Engineers responsible for monitoring were pale-faced and flustered. This level of chaos severely disrupted the normal operation of the Spirit Ascension Platform and might even damage the expensive simulation core.
However, Leng Yaozhu, who had been silently standing at the back of the monitoring room with her arms crossed, simply observed with a detached gaze.
Her exquisite face showed no trace of emotion. Watching the figure calmly commanding the endless forest amidst the chaotic tide of beasts on the screen, the corners of her lips curved ever so slightly.
"No need to intervene." Leng Yaozhu's cool voice rang out, carrying an authority that brooked no argument. "Let him continue."
"But… Vice Tower Master, this energy fluctuation…" one senior Spirit Engineer anxiously interjected.
"Resources are meant for those who are qualified and capable."
Leng Yaozhu's gaze swept over the panicked Spirit Engineers, a hint of disdain in her eyes. "As long as he doesn't dismantle the Spirit Ascension Platform, a bit of energy loss is something the Spirit Pagoda can afford. My disciple has the right to be this… indulgent."
The monitoring room fell silent. The Spirit Engineers exchanged glances, ultimately lowering their heads.
With Vice Tower Master Leng's words, who dared to object? They could only watch the hellish forest battlefield on the screen with bated breath.
---
At the edge of the central area of the rampage.
Qing Liuli was not directly impacted by the chaos of Gu La's domain. Her Mind Leap soul skill proved invaluable.
Whenever rampaging spirit beasts were driven or attracted near her by the domain, or when energy aftershocks approached, she could instantly teleport away like a ghost, thanks to the tiny flame embedded in the minds of spirit beasts or nearby plants.
She even used this teleportation to precisely appear beside thousand-year spirit beasts suppressed by the domain, confused, or injured, closely observing and recording changes in their soul energy under extreme conditions.
"Concealed Calamity!"
She activated her fifth soul skill again, attempting to influence a Phantom Panther severely wounded by vines and gripped by panic. She guided its fear to a critical threshold, observing the subtle restructuring of its soul energy as it neared collapse.
"So, under fear, the 'resilience nodes' that form the energy core of virtual spirit beasts become abnormally active. Is this one of the reasons why thousand-year spirit souls are more stable than century ones and better able to withstand emotional shocks?"
Wisdom gleamed in Qing Liuli's eyes as her recording instruments worked furiously.
The earth-shattering rampage triggered by Gu La had become a rare "laboratory" for Qing Liuli, who needed vast samples and data from extreme environments.
Under the protection of her two ten-thousand-year soul skills, she moved like a seabird in a storm—unscathed and steadily probing the core challenge of artificial thousand-year spirit soul technology: how to perfectly balance the depth of life imprints with the stability of energy structures?
Within the Spirit Ascension Platform, one side showcased Gu La commanding the forest sea, inciting a beast tide, and ruthlessly harvesting; the other side revealed Qing Liuli utilizing the chaos, teleporting precisely, and conducting meticulous research.
Under Leng Yaozhu's tacit approval of their "indulgence," the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform of the Spirit Pagoda became a stage where the two disciples fully displayed their strength and wisdom.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)