He Was Indeed Somewhat Interesting

Her gaze fell on Chen Li, calm and unruffled, yet it seemed to carry tangible weight, as though it intended to see straight through him, inside and out. She was not looking at a living person so much as assessing a peculiar object that had just been presented to her—one that might or might not prove useful.

"Reporting to Your Majesty the Pope, yes." Chen Li's answer was concise and clear. "I was indeed born into the Dust Family of the Star Luo Empire and was once its heir. However, because my Martial Soul is unusual and I cannot absorb soul rings, I was expelled from the Dust Family. I no longer have any connection to the Dust Family of Star Luo. They could not wait to cut ties with me." Chen Li stated the facts in an even tone.

"Mm." Bibi Dong gave a slight nod and turned her gaze to Yue Guan.

Yue Guan spoke at the appropriate moment, his voice echoing through the hall. "Your Majesty, his situation is indeed rare. He possesses Innate Full Soul Power, and his Martial Soul is a mutated Lightning Martial Soul with an incomparably pure and domineering origin. However, it may be that his Martial Soul's rank is too high... It even rejects all external soul ring energy."

Bibi Dong's gaze returned to Chen Li, the scrutiny in her eyes growing heavier. "I naturally trust Elder Yue Guan's judgment. A top-tier mutated Martial Soul, Innate Full Soul Power, yet unable to absorb soul rings..."

She paused, her slender fingers holding the scepter lightly brushing over the cold gemstone embedded in its shaft. An unreadable gleam flashed through her pale violet eyes.

"Spirit Hall welcomes talent from all quarters, but it also has its own rules. Even with Elder Yue Guan's recommendation, we must verify your aptitude and character, confirm that you are truly worth cultivating, and determine whether you genuinely possess a sense of belonging to Spirit Hall."

Her voice was not loud, yet it carried unquestionable authority. "Yue Guan says your Martial Soul is powerful. Then let me see for myself what is so special about this top-tier Martial Soul of yours, one that cannot have soul rings attached to it."

An invisible pressure quietly spread with her words. It was not the pressure of Soul Power, but the spiritual interrogation born of someone long accustomed to holding supreme authority.

She was waiting for Chen Li's response, as well as a sufficiently convincing display.

Chen Li did not waste words. He directly extended his hand and mobilized the Soul Power within him with all his strength.

Crackle! Snap!

The sound of violent currents exploded! Blinding blue-white lightning burst from every pore of his body, instantly enveloping him in a constantly leaping sphere of lightning. Electric serpents danced wildly, arcs scattered in all directions, and even the polished obsidian floor beneath his feet was scorched with faint burn marks by the escaping electricity.

Behind him was no concrete form, only a mass of pure lightning that twisted endlessly as though it possessed life.

At times, it churned like an enraged dragon; at others, it erupted like a storming pool of thunder, radiating a heart-stirring aura of destruction and supremely pure elemental fluctuations. The air throughout the hall seemed to turn hot and dry, thick with static electricity.

Bibi Dong sat upon her throne, leaning forward slightly as a trace of surprise flashed through her pale violet eyes.

She had seen countless powerful Martial Souls, but this was the first time she had witnessed one so pure, so close to the very origin of lightning itself.

"Very pure... No, supremely pure." Bibi Dong's voice remained steady, but the scrutiny in it deepened. "Elder Yue Guan was right. I have seen many Lightning Martial Souls, but one like yours, almost completely free of impurities... is indeed special."

She keenly sensed that when Chen Li's lightning erupted at full force, the Martial Soul origins deep within her body—both the Death Spider Emperor and the Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor—gave a faint tremor.

It was not fear, but the instinctive vigilance one felt when faced with power of the same level.

With a thought, Chen Li drew in the lightning surrounding him and condensed it in his palm, forming a docile ball of lightning that nevertheless contained terrifying energy.

"As Your Majesty the Pope can see, my Martial Soul might be fairly good. But the problem is that it rejects all soul rings. I cannot obtain soul skills or increase my level through normal means." He spoke plainly of his predicament.

Bibi Dong swept her gaze over the ball of lightning and leaned back against her chair, resuming her posture of absolute control. "The peculiarities and difficulties of a Martial Soul are themselves part of a soul master's path."

"Being unable to absorb soul rings... though rare, does not necessarily mean there is no solution." Her tone carried a confidence that seemed only natural. "Spirit Hall has experts who specialize in Martial Soul theory and soul ring compatibility. I will arrange for them to work with you and find a solution."

Then her tone shifted. Her scepter tapped lightly against the floor, and her gaze fell upon Chen Li's face with almost tangible force. "However, before resources are invested, there are certain matters that must be made clear."

"Please speak, Your Majesty the Pope." Chen Li dispersed the lightning in his palm and listened attentively.

"You were born into the Dust Family of Star Luo and were once the heir of a great imperial clan." Bibi Dong's voice revealed neither pleasure nor anger, yet every word was clear.

"Since you have joined Spirit Hall, Spirit Hall's interests must become your highest principle. If, in the future, Spirit Hall's will requires you to stand against the Star Luo Empire, or even against your former family... what will you do?"

The question was sharp and direct—the ultimate test of loyalty.

Chen Li raised his head without the slightest attempt to evade her gaze. There was calmness in his eyes, but also resolve. "Reporting to Your Majesty, from the moment they saw me as trash and drove me from my home, the Dust Family and the Star Luo Empire became my past."

"My future is tied only to my own choices. If that day truly comes, my position will stand only with Spirit Hall, which gave me a new opportunity." His answer contained no grand oath, yet it was all the more calm and genuine for it.

"Very good." Bibi Dong nodded slightly. She was neither surprised by the answer nor especially satisfied with it; she simply accepted it as a matter of reality. "Remember what you said today. Attend me..."

A servant quickly appeared at the side entrance.

"Take him away to register him and enter his name into Spirit Hall's soul master registry. Arrange accommodations according to the standards of a Core Disciple Reserve." This standard was not the highest, but it exceeded that of ordinary disciples, demonstrating preliminary approval and a certain allocation of resources.

"Then notify Lor Diarra of the Martial Soul Research Institute. Have him assign personnel to take charge of Chen Li's Martial Soul compatibility research."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The servant bowed and accepted the order.

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Pope." Chen Li bowed once more, his attitude respectful. He understood that this was only the beginning. The research was both an opportunity and an observation, while the reserve status was more of a label. But this platform was exactly what he needed.

Following the servant out of the hall, Chen Li's figure disappeared beyond the doors.

Silence returned to the hall. Only Bibi Dong remained upon the throne, along with Yue Guan, who toyed with a phantom chrysanthemum.

"Your Majesty the Pope." Yue Guan spoke at the appropriate moment, knowing that Bibi Dong had kept him behind because she had something to say.

"He is indeed somewhat interesting." Bibi Dong's gaze seemed to remain fixed in the direction Chen Li had left, her voice returning to its absolute calm. "His Martial Soul's potential may truly be as extraordinary as you said. But he is only somewhat interesting."