28 The Spirit Ascension Platform

Sheng Feilong's daily schedule changed after meeting Bao Li and Bao Zha. It became more packed and although he only learned reading Mecha Blueprints from Bao Zha for one or two hours a day, Sheng Feilong now understood why Jian Wang complained so much about training in his secondary profession in addition to going to the Academy and training with Song Weihan.

Every morning, when Sheng Feilong got ready, he would leave the house together with his father, and attend the Intermediate Academy. After about 4 months, the classes routine and schedule became more relaxed for him. Sheng Feilong would attentively learn there and attend the mandatory physical training and mock combat classes, usually passing with flying colours together with Jian Wang and Jian Shiguan, causing the teachers to sigh as they know they're not the ones who taught those three.

After school, either Sheng Lingtian or Jian Wushuang would pick the three of them up and bring them over to the Spirit Pagoda, where they then follow through Song Weihan's training. They would meditate and cultivate with Song Weihan's occasional corrections, then train their Spirit Power before continuing to train their control over both of those powers. Lastly, they would fight a team battle against Song Weihan.

Although their Soul Power ranks had increased, with Sheng Feilong reaching rank 26, Jian Wang reaching rank 21 and obtaining his second Soul Ring, and even Jian Shiguan reaching rank 15, they still couldn't force Song Weihan to use Soul Power above rank 20, much less any of his Soul Skills. Song Weihan would simply overpower them with his exceptional combat experience and control over his own Soul Power, forcing the children to go past their limits instead.

When their training battles finished, Sheng Feilong, Jian Wang and Jian Shiguan would usually be left laying on the training hall's floor, gasping from breath with bruises all over their bodies before they recuperated using Soul Power and discussed the battle with Song Weihan afterwards. Jian wang and Jian Shiguan were then dismissed, while Sheng Feilong would remain behind to talk a bit with his Master and then leave for the Bao brother's Mecha Workshop.

Bao Li would mostly just scoff at Sheng Feilong and then sent him to Bao Zha, who always seemed ecstatic when Sheng Feilong came. Bao Zha would gladly teach Sheng Feilong how to read the different blueprints, how they work in conjunction with other parts and sometimes even send Sheng Feilong out to help low ranked Mecha Makers when they had problems with the blueprints. Like that, Sheng Feilong slowly learned about the workings of the different parts of Mechas and by now, he could already understand fourth ranked blueprints without a problem.

Bao Zha had tried to get Sheng Feilong to strive to become a Mecha Designer instead of a Maker on multiple occasions but alas to no avail. After being turned down a few times, Bao Zha gave up and focused on having Sheng Feilong get more practical experience, giving him tasks to produce small components for Mechas and other machinery, of which he quickly got the knack, surprising Bao Li more than Bao Zha.

A week later, Bao Li had Sheng Feilong take the examination to become a rank 1 Mecha Maker. Sheng Feilong happily agreed and began the examination on the same day. It was mainly just creating a few machine parts from the blueprints he was handed, a discussion with Bao Li about his knowledge of Mechas and machinery and then a correction of blueprints that had a few functionality mistakes purposely made.

Sheng Feilong passed without a hitch and Bao Li handed him his certification; a small metal badge with the caricature of a Mecha on it, the symbol of the Maker's Association, as well as a single bronze star to signify his rank. Afterwards, Sheng Feilong was assigned to a small team of 3 Mecha Makers and 1 Mecha Designer to work with and gain more practical experience. The four adult men were shocked to have a ten years old kid join them, but after Bao Li explained the situation, they were more than happy to have Sheng Feilong work with them.

The team's leader, Feng Chao, who's also the team's Mecha Designer, showed Sheng Feilong their workshop. Sheng Feilong was a bit surprised as they had a personal workshop but after Feng Chao's explanation, Bao Li seemed even more weird. Apparently every team would have their own, tidy workshop where they would create all their machinery, but Bao Li refused to make his own and instead persisted on using the back of the hall while maintaining it's down-the-road-mechanic's-garage look.

Like that, Sheng Feilong's routine shifted again. After his training with Song Weihan, he would leave for the Bao brother's Mecha workshop, where he would practise with Bao Zha and later with Bao Li, before he then met up with Feng Chao and his team to work on their projects. With this new schedule, Sheng Feilong would usually get home only after the sun set and he was able to truly understand Jian Wang's trouble's; both of them barely had any free time to stent by now!

A few days later, another piece of exciting news came to Sheng Feilong's ears. Their teacher had announced that, in two weeks time, the school would select students to go to the Spirit Pagoda's Spirit Ascension Platform elementary level! Sheng Feilong was incredibly excited, because he knew what the Spirit Ascension Platform was. He had once asked Song Weihan why people only used 100- or 100-years-old artificial Spirit Souls when they first chose their Spirit Souls and the answer was precisely the Spirit Ascension Platform.

Originally, the Spirit Ascension Platform was used as a step in the Spirit Pagoda's research into artificial Spirit Souls. They hoped that it would be able to upgrade artificial Spirit Souls, and hence manufacture even stronger Spirit Souls. After completion, however, they discovered that it was only a partial success. Although the Spirit Ascension Platform could upgrade Spirit Souls, it's effects weren't as great as they expected, and it's nature wasn't too clear.

After making such a large investment, the Spirit Pagoda couldn't discard the product. After another period of development, the Spirit Ascension Platform became a unique place. After entering the Spirit Ascension Platform, a Soul Master will feel as if they had entered a whole different realm, yet they would still be protected by the Spirit Ascension Platform. The danger inside isn't too high, but Soul Masters can battle with Soul Beasts to increase their combat experience and even absorb the beast's power's to increase the strength of their Spirit Souls, potentially even upgrading them from the 100-years-old level to the 1.000-years-old level or even further!

The teacher then told them that the number of entries into the Spirit Ascension Platform was limited. Every month, only a total of 1.000 entry tickets were given out and of those 1.000, the Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy only obtained a total of 30 each year and those had to be allocated between all three of their grades, meaning that there's only a total of 10 for the first years like Sheng Feilong and the others. The teachers would review the students performances, their attitude and most importantly their talent and then decide who would obtain a ticket. The only reason they were told about that beforehand was to make sure no one complained about it being unfair.

Many of the students, including the likes of Jian Wang and Xiao Yuewu, were quite restless about this new information. Sheng Feilong didn't really care too much about it, as he was sure that he'd be selected anyways. That wasn't because of arrogance, but confidence in his own abilities. Still, he too was nervous about the whole situation.

Later that day, after their usual training with Song Weihan, Jian Wang and Jian Shiguan left and Sheng Feilong followed his Master to his office for the first time in a few weeks. They, again, talked a bit about Song Weihan's research as well as Sheng Feilong's training with the Bao brothers. Sheng Feilong told Song Weihan about the school's preparation to go to the Spirit Ascension Platform. He took a moment longer and asked Song Weihan for entry tickets for Jian Wang, Jian Shiguan and himself.

Song Weihan didn't look surprised by Sheng Feilong's request and was inwardly quite proud that his disciple asked not only for himself but also for his friends to obtain tickets. Still, he carefully thought the matter through and answered Sheng Feilong with a frown.

"The distribution of tickets for the Spirit Ascension Platform doesn't lie with me. I could apply to obtain a few, but I'll have to give the Pagoda a list of participants along with their talents and the reason I gave them those tickets. It isn't a problem to get you in, as you're my disciple, and Little Wang's talent also easily qualifies him for me to give him one, but Little Shi's talent isn't up to par and I can't just give one to her. She'll have to go through the regular procedure with the school."

Sheng Feilong looked a bit disappointed when he heard that Song Weihan couldn't get tickets for all three of them.

"Isn't there a way, Master? You know how hard Shiguan works, so even if her talent isn't that great, shouldn't her effort be rewarded?"

Song Weihan smiled bitterly; he knew it would come to something like that.

"Of course I know that, but the Pagoda's management doesn't. It just my word isn't enough to get someone with the Bluesilver Grass Spirit Soul, who barely reached rank 15 after more than 4 years of strict training an free of charge entry to the Spirit Ascension Platform. The resources spend for it to operate are shouldered solely by the Spirit Pagoda and every entry ticket is worth more than 500.000 federal coins. And that's just for the elementary level; tickets for the intermediate or advanced levels easily cost several if not dozens of times more."