In a moment, you'll be entering a virtual space. It should feel familiar—similar to the Spirit Ascension Platform you've all been to. For now, everyone step outside the white circle on the floor.
Following Shen Yi's instructions, the entire Class One backed up, leaving the center of the circular hall empty.
Shen Yi walked toward the wall and performed some unknown operation. The wall lit up with glowing Soul Tool patterns. Immediately afterward, the floor split open, and several egg-shaped pods rose from below, each cracking open to reveal a cockpit inside.
Each oval pod stood about 2.5 meters tall, with a diameter of roughly 1.2 meters. They looked very peculiar.
"Each of you, pick one and sit inside. In a moment, you'll find yourselves in a forest. The forest area is limited—you'll easily encounter other students.
If you want to cooperate with someone, choose pods that are close together. You have three minutes. Once inside, fasten your safety harness."
After hearing this, Nan Fusheng casually selected a pod and climbed in. The moment he buckled the harness, the lid closed shut over him. Darkness fell.
Moments later, points of starlight flickered inside, as though he were drifting through a night sky. A gentle energy wrapped around him, and the pod began to rotate.
A wave of dizziness struck, and then—solid ground beneath his feet. Nan Fusheng quickly regained clarity.
He stood in a dense forest. With his spiritual perception, he could sense several auras nearby.
He didn't bother to hide. Instead, he strolled boldly through the woods. After all, he wasn't interested in becoming Class President. With his current spiritual power, no one could sneak up on him unnoticed—at least, no first-year could.
So he kept walking, unhurried. Strangely, despite his blatant movements, no one attacked him.
Until—three auras rushed straight toward him, openly and without disguise.
"Oh? Interesting. So they've spotted me."
Nan Fusheng narrowed his eyes but made no move to evade. After all, this was just a virtual battle. And his strength wasn't weak—even a projection of him was more than enough.
A crisp female voice rang out:
"Oh? Just one person? Zheng Long, Zheng Hu—finish him."
Three figures emerged from the undergrowth: two boys and a girl. The girl spoke, clearly the leader of the group.
She was striking—her beauty rivaled Xu Xiaoyan's, but her demeanor was far prouder. Most eye-catching was her hair: shoulder-length and dark green, matching the eerie green of her pupils. A jade-green serpent coiled around her right arm, and her entire presence radiated a sinister aura.
"Yes, Miss."
The two boys were of medium build and plain in appearance—but they looked exactly alike. At her command, the twins darted forward. Their first soul rings lit up, their bodies emanating a poisonous aura.
Their faces took on a greenish tint, their forms flattening as they slithered across the ground. From their mouths, two streaks of green light shot at Nan Fusheng.
But he showed no panic. He simply used his Gate's teleportation ability, swallowing the twin beams of poison. He didn't bother returning the attack—poison attribute. Soul Masters often had high resistance to their own toxins. For all he knew, they could even absorb it back.
Seeing their attack neutralized, the twins didn't flinch. Their steps only quickened, sliding closer like serpents. The aura of poison grew heavier, turning nearby plants black and shriveled. Fear radiated from the very forest.
"Hmph. To dare approach me so boldly—I have to admit, you two are quite brave."
The moment Zheng Long and Zheng Hu closed in, ready to strike, Nan Fusheng's calm words reached their ears.
Before they could process his meaning, their bodies suddenly felt unbearably heavy. Their limbs stiffened, and their movements slowed. Even their thoughts grew sluggish.
"Not good—it's a trap!"
By the time they realized, it was already too late. Both boys lifted their feet involuntarily. At their toes, translucent green spikes had formed.
In the next instant, their legs swung—and each kicked straight at the other's throat.
Bang!
Both collapsed instantly. A sickly green glow spread across their necks. Even poison-based Martial Souls weren't immune to toxins of the same origin.
But worse than the venom was the direct physical blow. Their bodies dissolved into light before the poison even spread.
"You—!"
The girl, Zheng Yiran, froze. From her perspective, her twin cousins had charged Nan Fusheng normally. But as they drew near, they had suddenly turned on each other—striking fatally, as though they'd become mortal enemies.
Impossible. Zheng Long and Zheng Hu were twins, bound by blood and always in sync. They would never betray one another.
Which meant—it was the enemy's doing.
"You're a Spiritual-type Soul Master!"
Her expression turned grave. This opponent was a dangerous one. Of course, no one who entered Shrek Academy could be ordinary. The ability he displayed must have been a type of illusion, tricking the twins into killing each other.
"Yes." Nan Fusheng admitted it openly, without hesitation.
For indeed, his third soul skill was a spiritual ability.
It came from his third Soul Spirit: Spirit Insect.Third Soul Skill: Spirit Threads — weave spiritual power into threads to control others. The skill can either manipulate a target's actions or erase their soul, turning them into a puppet. These puppets retain full access to their abilities from life.