The next morning, the members of Class Zero gathered early. Lin Xiuran still felt a bit unaccustomed—after all, he had just joined Class Zero and was immediately facing the final exam, without even a chance to acclimate.
Wu Changkong didn't waste words. He led the four of them out of the Academy. This time, they didn't walk—they boarded a bright Soul-Conducting bus, heading straight for the outskirts of the city.
"Teacher Wu, can you at least tell us what the exam content is today?" Xie Xie asked with a smile.
Wu Zhangkong glanced at him. "You'll know when we get there. It's somewhat like the Ascension Platform, but not exactly the same."
"Oh," Xie Xie nodded.
Lin Xiuran didn't mind. Although it was a direct final exam, he was confident. He was no longer the same as before.
Still, going to the outskirts carried some unease. Fortunately, it was on the far side of East Sea City, separated from the urban center.
They disembarked from the bus in the suburbs. Wu Zhangkong led them into a massive park, known as the East Sea Technology Park.
The park featured vast greenery and various uniquely styled buildings, most made of metal. Each had its own characteristics.
Lin Xiuran wasn't too surprised. Although Wu Zhangkong said nothing, he already had some understanding of the exam content, so he was mentally prepared.
The park was huge. They walked for a good half-hour before Wu Zhangkong led them into a smaller inner section.
At first, they saw an open green area, followed by a small building. Compared to the surrounding structures, this building seemed rather small—almost disproportionate.
At the entrance, there was no nameplate. A deep blue building with a mirrored exterior, seemingly constructed from glass panels, reflected light beautifully from different angles.
There were no guards at the entrance, only a deep-blue glass door tightly shut.
Wu Zhangkong walked straight up and pressed his right hand on the glass.
A bright blue light flashed at his palm, and a projection appeared, accompanied by a playful voice: "Yo, long time no see! Little Zhangkong of Donghai."
Wu Zhangkong said coldly, "Open the door."
The voice sighed helplessly. "You're still so boring."
A soft "ding" sounded, and the glass doors silently slid open.
Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue were all stunned, clearly shocked by the mention of Wu Zhangkong's name.
Lin Xiuran's attention was different. From this single door, he could see the advanced level of technology here.
This involved AI. Currently, technology in Douluo Continent was roughly equivalent to their past world. Yet this AI had capabilities like human-level functions—extremely rare even on Douluo Continent.
If his memory was correct, this place likely belonged to the Tang Sect.
Inside, the floor was white, the walls deep blue, and soft white lights illuminated the area. Everything was clean and refreshing, yet still deserted. A floating circular metal platform appeared, holding four metal bracelets.
The four of them put on the bracelets as instructed. According to Wu Zhangkong, these were identity verification devices.
Wearing them ensured they wouldn't be treated as intruders. Otherwise, the facility's defense system could destroy them.
It sounded alarmist, but it was terrifyingly real. The lack of guards likely stemmed from confidence in the defensive system.
Wu Zhangkong remained silent as he led them further in, eventually arriving at another deep-blue glass door. A blue light swept across it. This time, no AI voice appeared. The bracelets flashed once and then returned to normal.
Behind the door was a corridor, twisting several times. After passing another glass door, a flash of light appeared. Wu Zhangkong, walking at the front, suddenly vanished.
"Spatial technology?"
Without a doubt, this was the spatial technology still in development across the continent. Yet here, it was already in practical use—at least one phase ahead of the Federation.
"Keep moving forward."
Wu Zhangkong didn't reappear, but his voice echoed clearly throughout the room.
The four followed the location where he vanished. Suddenly, Lin Xiuran felt his body enveloped by a strange energy. In the next moment, he appeared somewhere else.
This space was deep blue, with crystal ceilings and floors. The walls were silver-white metal, with strange refracted light.
Wu Zhangkong and the others appeared here as well.
Wu Zhangkong went to the wall and performed some operation. The wall split open, revealing a large screen filled with strange symbols. A keyboard popped up. His hands moved over it like a flurry of raindrops striking banana leaves.
"Identity confirmed: Little Zhangkong of East Sea."
"Test difficulty: medium. Number of participants: four. Ten-second countdown."
"Ten—"
"Nine—"
"What the… it's starting already?"
Xie Xie immediately complained. Before anyone could respond further, four blue lights shot down from above, landing on the four of them. In a flash, they vanished.
Lin Xiuran barely had time to react before the enveloping sensation returned. Unlike the Ascension Platform, this time it affected their bodies rather than consciousness.
Dizziness and weightlessness struck simultaneously. Lin Xiuran quickly stabilized, gathering his wind element beneath his feet to move lightly through the space.
The surrounding space was black, with only the ground underfoot giving him a tangible sense of touch.
"Welcome to the Hall of Heroes. Initial trial: advanced difficulty.
Name: Lin Xiuran, Age: 10."
"Test requirement: Stage One, survive thirty seconds."
Lin Xiuran frowned slightly, still processing. In front of him, a light shimmered, forming a figure.
Big powder-blue eyes, long curled eyelashes, a slender body, flowing powder-blue hair, and a pristine white dress accentuating her flawless face—like a goddess descended to the mortal world.
(Chapter End)