Shattered Soul Ring

The awakening ceremony continued.

Among the subsequent children, two more individuals with Innate Full Soul Power appeared. Both were royal Dai family disciples named Dai Ran and Dai Dongze, and their Martial Souls were the top-tier White Tiger.

However, with Chen Li's astonishing lightning Martial Soul, the Golden Eye Tiger, having already made an appearance, their spotlight seemed to have been significantly diminished.

Finally, all the children completed their awakenings.

As descendants of the empire's top noble families, the talent of this batch of children was exceptionally high. The lowest among them had a Soul Power Level of six, which would already be considered genius in the outside world.

"Chen Li, Dai Ran, Dai Dongze, the three of you, follow me," Ancestor Dai Fu called out, his voice echoing throughout the hall. "The rest of you will be arranged by your family elders. Your talents are also extraordinary; cultivate diligently and do not let down the expectations of your family and the empire."

Under the gaze of numerous envious, jealous, and complex looks, Chen Li and the other two followed Ancestor Dai Fu out of the villa's main hall.

Dai Fu led the three directly to the heavily guarded Imperial Royal Soul Beast Breeding Forest, located in the far outskirts of Star Luo City.

This place housed a large number of Soul Beasts, ranging from several hundred to ten thousand years old, exclusively for the royal family and core noble descendants to safely acquire Soul Rings.

The process of selecting Soul Rings for Dai Ran and Dai Dongze was swift.

Both possessed the White Tiger Martial Soul, their targets were clear: tiger-type Soul Beasts. Under Ancestor Dai Fu's guidance, they each selected and killed a Gale Tiger and a Golden Eye Tiger, both around three hundred years old, successfully absorbing yellow Soul Rings. Their Soul Power stabilized at level eleven, and they obtained their first Soul Rings.

When it was Chen Li's turn, Ancestor Dai Fu pondered for a moment. "A pure lightning-attribute Martial Soul, excelling in offense and speed. Among tiger-type Soul Beasts, there are also lightning-attribute branches..."

His spiritual power swept across a specific area like a tide, quickly locking onto a target. "That one. A Thunder Pattern Tiger of about three hundred years old. Its attributes are compatible with yours."

He raised his hand and gently pressed down in the direction of the distant animal pens.

An invisible yet heavy pressure, like a mountain, descended from hundreds of meters away.

The Thunder Pattern Tiger in the pen, which had been quite majestic with faint electrical sparks flickering around its body, suddenly let out a terrified whine. Its limbs went weak, and it collapsed to the ground, blood seeping from its nose and mouth, its eyes unfocused. It was on the verge of death.

The terror of a Titled Douluo, even just a precise suppression of a sliver of their aura, was far beyond what a hundred-year-old Soul Beast could withstand.

"Go, kill it, and then absorb the Soul Ring," Dai Fu instructed, his tone as casual as if he were asking Chen Li to pick a fruit.

"Yes."

Chen Li walked up to the collapsed Thunder Pattern Tiger.

With a thought, blue and white electricity rapidly condensed in his palm, extending and taking the form of a blade about a foot long, dazzling and crackling with sound.

Without hesitation, he aimed the lightning blade at the Thunder Pattern Tiger's vital spot and thrust it precisely.

The Thunder Pattern Tiger's body trembled, and it completely lost its life.

A bright yellow Soul Ring slowly condensed and rose from its corpse.

Chen Li sat down cross-legged and, following the absorption methods taught in the past few days, used his own Soul Power to guide the yellow Soul Ring above his head. He then slowly lowered it, fitting it onto his body. Simultaneously, he concentrated his mind, attempting to communicate with the residual Soul Beast origin and Soul Power within the Soul Ring, integrating it into his Rumble-Rumble Fruit Martial Soul.

The process was smooth at first. The Soul Ring settled steadily, and surging Soul Power began to pour into his body.

Chen Li could feel his Soul Power churning...

However, the moment the Soul Ring came into contact with his body and attempted to establish a stable connection channel...

An unexpected change occurred!

The previously steadily rotating yellow Soul Ring suddenly began to tremble violently!

The light on its ring body flashed erratically, and faint, teeth-grinding cracking sounds emanated from within, as if something was shattering from the inside.

Chen Li felt an extremely clear sense of repulsion and disgust from his Rumble-Rumble Fruit!

The next moment!

Bang!

With a soft sound, the yellow Soul Ring, carrying the cultivation of a three-hundred-year-old Soul Beast, exploded before everyone's eyes without any warning!

It wasn't a natural dissipation after absorption, but rather, as if it were burst apart by internal power, it shattered into countless tiny golden light particles. These particles then transformed into wisps of light golden mist, quickly dissipating into the air, vanishing completely.

"What?!"

"The Soul Ring... shattered?!"

"Failed to absorb? How is that possible!"

Dai Ran and Dai Dongze's eyes widened as they watched the scene in disbelief. They had just successfully absorbed their Soul Rings and knew that while the process required caution, as long as the attributes were roughly compatible and the Soul Power Level could be endured, failure was almost impossible.

Moreover, this was a Soul Beast personally selected by an Ancestor, with perfectly matched attributes!

Ancestor Dai Fu's face, which had always been calm and undisturbed, showed clear astonishment and solemnity for the first time.

He flickered and appeared beside Chen Li, placing a hand on Chen Li's shoulder. The pure Soul Power of a Titled Douluo instantly probed into Chen Li's body, examining it carefully.

After a moment, he withdrew his hand, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.

"Martial Soul origin is intact, Soul Power channel is clear, and the body shows no damage or rejection reactions..." Dai Fu murmured to himself. "The Soul Ring's energy was... failed to be absorbed by your Martial Soul origin during the final fusion stage?"

He had lived for over a hundred years, presided over countless awakenings, and witnessed all sorts of prodigies and eccentrics, yet he had never seen, nor even heard of, such a situation!

A top-tier Martial Soul with Innate Full Soul Power was unable to absorb a hundred-year Soul Ring? This was a direct violation of the ironclad rule of the Soul Master system on the Douluo Continent!

Dai Fu's gaze fell upon Chen Li again, shifting from initial admiration to deep doubt and scrutiny.

This Chen family kid's awakened lightning Martial Soul seemed to be more than just simple. Was this strange characteristic of being unable to absorb Soul Rings a fatal flaw, or... did it hide some mystery beyond ordinary comprehension?

Chen Li narrowed his eyes, a thought, like lightning in the darkness, flashed through his mind.

Could it be... ordinary Soul Rings aren't worthy of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit? Is that why it instinctively rejected it?

If that's the case... wouldn't his seemingly heaven-defying golden finger become a useless piece of trash that can't be upgraded?

Chen Li's heart sank slowly.

The path seemed to be blocked.

But perhaps, he just hadn't found the right key yet.

Guardian Dave watched Chen Li, who remained silent but whose gaze quickly shifted from initial bewilderment to profound depth, and slowly spoke, his voice carrying unprecedented seriousness:

"Chen Li, this situation of yours... I've never seen anything like it. Come back to the city with me first. I need to go back and consult various ancient texts about this matter."

Under the personal escort of Guardian Dave, Chen Li returned to the grand and imposing mansion of the Chen family in Star Luo City.

The Guardian didn't say much, merely briefly informed the Chen family of the situation before gracefully departing.

However, the news of the Chen family's legitimate son's earth-shattering Martial Soul awakening being unable to absorb a Soul Ring spread like wildfire through the social circles of the Star Luo Empire's upper echelons that very night.