Hiss—ow! That hurts!
In his dorm room, Nan Fusheng opened his eyes and couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath, making a modest contribution to the warming of the Federation's climate.
"Are top-tier soul beasts this temperamental? Didn't even give a warning before attacking? Then again, they're beasts—can't expect them to think like humans."
Nan Fusheng began to summarize his latest trip to the Spirit Ascension Platform, reviewing his condition while possessing the Greenbird and checking if there were any oversights. Inevitably, he thought back to the moment his bird body was sliced into pieces.
"Getting killed isn't a big deal—but I need to figure out whether that Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear acted out of rage, or whether it sensed something unusual about the bird I was possessing."
This was Nan Fusheng's first time performing a deep parasitic possession on a non-human. He needed to understand every limitation of his first soul skill, or risk facing situations in the future where even crying wouldn't help.
After mulling over the matter, Nan Fusheng decided to set it aside for now. He'd just test it again during his next visit to the platform. In truth, this experience had given him a deeper understanding of both the Spirit Ascension Platform and his soul skill.
First, the Spirit Ascension Platform—Nan Fusheng was now certain that the beasts within weren't entirely virtual. Maybe they were spiritual beings, or maybe they were half-real, half-illusion, but he was sure that the soul beasts possessed actual souls.
As for his first soul skill, it was essentially a simplified version of the Sequence Four pathway: "The Parasite".
It allowed him to possess other living creatures—even microorganisms, though currently he lacked the capability to parasitize something so small.
He definitely couldn't possess inorganic matter either. Perhaps once he became a True God, that would change—but for now, not a chance.
Which meant that the soul beasts inside the Spirit Ascension Platform were not mere illusions or constructs—otherwise, they wouldn't be susceptible to parasitism.
Then there was his actual first soul skill—one he had been deliberately concealing from others.
Superficial possession aside, when deep parasitism occurred, it broke down into three distinct states:
Complete Override: He could fully erase the target's consciousness and take over total control of the body.
Coexistence: He could hide within the target's soul, letting the host consciousness remain dominant while being able to seize control at will.
He could subtly influence the target's emotions, but ran the risk of resistance.
However, due to the deep connection, he shared full emotional and cognitive feedback with the host.
If the target ever felt rebellious thoughts, Nan Fusheng would sense them immediately.
Soul Fusion: In this state, he and the target's soul would merge.
Though the resulting being was still technically his avatar, the fusion would affect their personality.
The stronger the original soul, the more it would influence the final personality. Weaker targets would be dominated.
However, Nan Fusheng would always remain the core—that would never change.
These were the insights he gained while controlling the Greenbird. He could choose to kill, coexist with, or fuse with the bird's soul, and each came with its strategic implications.
That night, Nan Fusheng thought deeply about everything he had discovered.
The next morning, because he'd been up thinking so much, his mind couldn't fully focus during cultivation, so he left the dorm early.
It was still barely dawn, the sky just beginning to lighten. After freshening up, he walked toward the academy track, hoping for a peaceful stroll.
But as soon as he arrived, he spotted Tang Wulin sprinting wildly around the field, arms flailing at full speed.
Honestly, he looked... a little unhinged.
Soul spirit evolution was certainly something worth celebrating, but seeing Tang Wulin flailing like a maniac, Nan Fusheng couldn't help but silently pause his steps before stepping onto the track.
Eventually, a familiar pink silhouette appeared on the edge of the track, and only then did Tang Wulin begin to calm down.
Nan Fusheng paid no attention to Tang Wulin's energetic interaction with the senior girl. He just turned and headed toward the cafeteria for breakfast, then made his way to class.
"Tell me how you each felt about yesterday's Spirit Ascension experience."
Wu Zhangkong stood behind the lectern, calmly addressing the six students in the classroom.
Zhang Yangzi's eyes were noticeably dark-circled—clearly, he hadn't slept well. Wang Jinxi looked the same, though for very different reasons.
Zhang Yangzi was upset, but Wang Jinxi had been traumatized by nightmares—after being devoured by the Man-Faced Demon Spider, in one of the most gruesome ways possible, the poor kid still hadn't recovered.
Xie Xie didn't look great either. Despite having escaped major injuries thanks to Nan Fusheng's support, the intense physical strain of the battle had taken a toll.
It hadn't felt so bad at the time, but once he'd gone to bed, his mind kept replaying images of green wolves leaping toward him.
He couldn't concentrate on meditation and had rolled out of bed in shock before midnight.
Tang Wulin, by contrast, looked completely energized. His soul spirit had evolved—what could be more exciting?
As for Nan Fusheng and Gu Yue, they appeared calm and composed, with no obvious emotional changes.
"We'll go by order of retreat from the platform yesterday," Wu Zhangkong said. "Zhang Yangzi."
"Yes, sir," Zhang Yangzi replied awkwardly, rising to his feet. "Yesterday... my performance was awful. Teacher Wu, I was wrong."
Wu Zhangkong waved him off.
"You don't owe me an apology. Your life is your own. Yesterday, you still had the chance to admit your mistake. But if this had been a real soul beast forest, you'd be dead, body and all.
Speak about how you felt—either about the platform, or about yourself."
Zhang Yangzi's facial muscles twitched with embarrassment.
"The Spirit Ascension Platform... it felt too real. I couldn't sense any part of it being fake.
So when I first got in, I was incredibly curious. I climbed trees to get a better vantage point.
My martial soul lets me glide a little, so I thought that from the treetops, I'd be able to fly in multiple directions and survey the surroundings more easily."
"So, at first, I didn't do anything wrong. My mistake was underestimating the enemy and being arrogant.
I didn't properly assess my environment, acted rashly, and became the center of attention, which got me eliminated."
"Next time I enter the platform, I'll be a lot more cautious. I'll try to last longer."
With that, he sat down again.
Wu Zhangkong didn't comment. He turned to Wang Jinxi.
"And you?"
Wang Jinxi forced a bitter smile.
"Teacher Wu… I can't remember much else. Just… the face that dropped down from above.
That cold—it felt like it froze my soul. It's become a nightmare that just won't leave me alone.
I don't even know what I'll do if I run into it again next time.