https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-512-Throngs-of-People-The-Demon-King-s-Arrival-/12957564/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-514-The-Heart-of-the-Wind-Stands-Tall-The-Stirring-Dragon-Bamboo-/12957566/
Chapter 513: The Fiery and Thriving Soul Heart!
Chapter 513: The Fiery and Thriving Soul Heart!
The pungent smell of blood permeated the air, seeping through the crevices of the bones.
A chilling wind seemed to blow from within, carrying an indescribable sense of spiritual oppression.
For the first time in her life, Yin Yin felt a suffocating breath.
The spiritual pressure wasn't just a game rule that prevented her from summoning her companion beast; it was a tangible force that left her unable to connect with her beast companion space and summon even the most basic of pets.
Although her companion beast lacked combat power, summoning it provided some psychological comfort.
But now, she had nothing.
In this dimly lit train, which seemed to never stop, but in reality, only a few minutes had passed since boarding, Yin Yin felt as if she was on the brink of death.
Not to mention the ubiquitous mechanisms around her, the mere sound of the train doors opening and closing was enough to push her to the brink of collapse, despite her relatively strong mental fortitude.
This was the unique aspect of the Soul Heart.
In this extraordinary world on Blue Star, ghosts and other supernatural beings were not uncommon.
Among every hundred beast tamers, there were six or seven who specialized in necromancy.
Under such circumstances, expecting to scare beast tamers with the mere presence of necromancy was akin to a madman's dream.
However, the Soul Heart was different.
All the necromancy beast companions within the Soul Heart were merely tools and mediums. Even if they weren't necromancy companions, whether they were jungle predators or insect companions, the underlying principle remained the same.
The true specialty of the Soul Heart was its use of the power of the Shadowland to oppress the tamers' spirits and provide psychological suggestions in specific environments.
Even on the vast Blue Star, where beast tamers were prevalent, not all unconventional methods were useless.
This time, the Soul Heart's recent expenditures and the professional assessment during the occupation exam had prompted Su Ping to go to the Imperial Capital and witness the Ghost Dragon breeding base and several other beast companion bases primarily focused on necromancy. This experience highlighted the importance of experts in this field.
Through various channels, they had hired specialists in this area.
Undoubtedly, this money was well-spent.
Su Ping's expectations for the difficulty were met as evidenced by Yin Yin's performance at this moment.
On this bloody train, there didn't seem to be any deadly traps or scenarios where a ghost appeared and players were immediately prompted to die, losing both their lives and money.
However, at this moment, Yin Yin felt that she might as well just die.
The situation before her eyes created a complex psychological conflict within her, making her want to continue but also afraid to do so.
The human spirit is indeed mysterious.
The instinctive resistance to fear or 'terror' often attracts humans to explore the very thing they fear.
And finally, as Yin Yin persistently sought death, she opened the bloody train's bathroom and washed her face.
As the faucet gushed out a stream of bloody liquid, a phantom appeared, and the Red-Eyed Wraith, the strongest ghost companion in the Soul Heart's plot, emerged.
Instant death elimination was triggered.
Yin Yin, not only failed to clear the Soul Heart, but she was eliminated even before understanding the first vein of the plot.
There were far too many players like Yin Yin.
The majority were ordinary people, and the Soul Heart was a place of calculated risks. Many times, it required multiple attempts, and unless one was extremely cautious, they wouldn't discover the hints and would naturally be eliminated.
This outcome was in line with Su Ping's expectations for the difficulty.
It shouldn't be too challenging, but it also shouldn't result in significant losses.
Although the Soul Heart didn't aim to make a fortune from this aspect, it also shouldn't lead to substantial losses.
Su Ping turned his head.
Bai Cang had no idea how much time had passed.
Su Ping finally spoke up and asked, "How is this Soulscape-themed setup achieved?"
The 'Land of Sighs' from that time probably couldn't achieve this effect, right?
Hearing the question, Bai Cang quickly replied, "It's the work of a teacher named Lu Cheng, whom we hired previously. His rank isn't high, but his expertise in this field is exceptional. He has a certain level of understanding in the study of spiritual energy and necromantic energy."
"What you're experiencing is the intangible pressure of spirit energy, which is achieved by Lu Teacher using a special elite-level companion beast called the 'Terror Imp.' By having the Terror Imps continuously supply energy to the Land of Sighs, this effect is created within the Soulscape."
"To maintain this effect, twenty Terror Imps are required to work in shifts. It's quite an investment, but as you can see, the results are impressive."
"Terror Imps?"
Su Ping raised his eyebrows, recalling that there were too many companion beasts in the world for him to know them all.
His knowledge of necromancy was limited to those he had encountered.
He was more familiar with higher-ranked beasts, but the sheer number of lower-ranked companion beasts and their various evolutionary branches made it a chaotic mess.
The Terror Imp was a prime example.
"That's right, Terror Imps. They are unique companion beasts originating from the Cherry Nation and the southeastern islands. Although Loong Kingdom has imported some, their numbers are limited. However, for the Soul Core Sanctuary, obtaining them wouldn't be a problem."
Bai Cang spoke with a hint of pride.
But soon, he understood Su Ping's intention, having spent some time with him and becoming familiar with his thought process. He quickly explained, "Terror Imps are spiritual necromantic companion beasts, and only exist at the elite rank. They are corporeal necromantic beasts with weak primary abilities, capable only of inducing fear.
Su Ping nodded, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Back in the imperial capital, while researching the 'Dream Entry' skill, he had contemplated the various extensions of dreams.
The spiritual frequency of entering dreams and the terrifying skill of killing in dreams, which could have real-life repercussions, sparked his curiosity.
At that time, Su Ping had considered harnessing the power of fear.
However, many of these ideas remained just that—ideas—without any substantial progress. With no significant advancements even after so long, there was little point in pursuing other avenues.
Now, these so-called Terror Imps had rekindled Su Ping's memory of that time.
He decided to put some effort into this aspect after Old Liu's recent progress.
However, the immediate priority wasn't Dream Entry; instead, he should focus on Qian Yi's breeding.
Qian Yi was stuck at the racial limit and couldn't progress much further.
The little guy's combat power remained unmatched, but his rank was the biggest hindrance, causing a growing gap with Xiao Qing.
Su Ping was aware of the little guy's impatience.
Moreover, his own rank had advanced too quickly.
The Sky Tomb had restrictions, preventing entry beyond the Sovereign Rank.
Although the Sky Tomb mark currently had little effect on him, he genuinely wanted to investigate what Charles and the Sky Tomb were up to.
Additionally, the breeding of the Origami Beasts to the Sovereign Rank was nearly complete.
The Sky Tomb's special beast force of Origami Beasts would return to the Northern Province after Qian Yi helped breed the Heptagram Elemental Body.
However, the evolution of ordinary Origami Beasts had shown progress, and although Qian Yi was special, Su Ping believed they could follow a similar path.
He had some confidence in this.
After all, Qian Yi still had immense potential.
Su Ping stood up and said, "The most crucial thing is to control these placed necromantic companion beasts and ensure no accidents occur. The medical team should be on standby."
"Rest assured, the players' wristwatches have a backup of the Shadowy Phantom's howling simulation, which will automatically trigger in case of danger."
Su Ping nodded and turned to leave.
The Soul Heart was a sensation.
Not only in Jianghai, but with the increasing buzz and some minor leaks, and most importantly, the extravagant rewards, many young beast tamers from neighboring provinces were also keenly following the progress of the Soul Heart.
However, not many could afford to come.
On Blue Star, airplanes were a genuine luxury, and it wasn't common for people to fly to Jianghai from other provinces just to experience the Soul Heart.
But in Linzhou, especially at the newly opened Jianghai Academy, it had undoubtedly sparked a huge craze.
Especially among the Necromancy students.
In just a few days, Su Ping had received multiple complaints from Qin Erlong.
The Dean of the Necromancy department had filed reports, claiming that students were skipping classes and extracurricular expeditions, and not participating in skill training sessions.
Moreover, during classes, many students were discussing clues and hints.
As soon as class ended, these Necromancy students would rush to the Soul Heart.
Where was the student discipline? Su Ping could only sigh helplessly and make a phone call, promising one thing.
His first lecture would be held in the Necromancy department, focusing on beast taming techniques and the attempts and processes he had used to discover the Origami Beast's evolution.
With such a big move, the Dean had no objections. Not only that,
On the day of the lecture, the Dean announced within the department that the student who completed the Soul Heart the fastest would receive an extra 300 credits as a reward!
This news spread even to netizens from other provinces, sparking various reactions.
Some claimed that Jianghai Academy was pandering to the Heart of All Souls and Su Ping, even selling out their students.
Others argued that it was a form of edutainment, and the exploration of the Soul Heart's Necromancy aspects would benefit Necromancy beast tamers, as modern beast taming should incorporate such elements.
The debate and arguments raged on.
However, the more it was debated, the more the popularity of the Soul Heart soared.
On the other hand, locals in Linzhou paid little attention to these online disputes.
Of course, the current Soul Heart represented resources and credits, and even non-Jianghai Academy students were filled with curiosity and enthusiasm, vowing to complete the quest and unlock the hidden ending within seven days.
Indeed, news of the hidden ending had been indirectly leaked by 'interns' of the Heart of All Souls, and it also proved that the ending was not yet fully discovered.
In just a few days, a long line had formed outside the Soul Heart.
The admission fee seemed insignificant, and one might even argue that it was a loss-making venture.
However, in reality, the calculation wasn't that simple. The Heart of All Souls had comprehensive supporting facilities, and consumption in one area often led to consumption in other areas.
During this time, with the official opening of Jianghai Academy, the flow of customers and consumption, especially the high-consumption areas like Cloud Heart, Water Heart, and the core Wood Heart, had seen profits increase several times over in just a few days.
Moreover, the admission fee would fluctuate with changes in the Soul Heart's 'plot event' in the future.
For now, it was just a trial run.
The commotion outside the Soul Heart had no impact on the inner core breeding rooms.
This was a design consideration, ensuring both areas were completely undisturbed.
Not just the Soul Heart, but the entire Heart of All Souls, was designed this way.
Although Su Ping was within the Heart of All Souls, the external noise and customer flow had almost no impact on his daily life.
As time passed, the Soul Heart's mysteries were gradually unveiled.
Finally, the first person to complete the Soul Heart, who had been watched by many, finally appeared.
On this very day, Su Ping had just received the news and was about to go and see for himself. After a full five days, the first person to complete the Soul Heart finally emerged,
But what he didn't expect was that another matter, which had also dragged on for several days, finally showed some progress.
It was Meng Yao's Wavebreaker, which had finally found a suitable distance and reliable coordinates in Xi Lake to anchor.
(End of Chapter)
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