Golden Generation

"Go. The Permission Token and the specific regulations for Core Disciples will be delivered to your residence later." Bibi Dong waved a hand, signaling the end of the meeting. "Yue Guan, you will handle the follow-up matters."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Yue Guan bowed to accept the order.

Chen Li bowed once more, then followed Yue Guan out of the grand yet oppressive Palace of the Pope. As sunlight fell over him again, he touched the Heart of Illusory Thunder at his neck and sensed the Purple Soul Ring hidden within him, his gaze sharp and resolute.

Six months later, Spirit City, Core Disciple residential district.

Inside a simply furnished yet exceptionally refined meditation chamber, the air was permeated with a faint scent of ozone.

Chen Li sat cross-legged on a specially made insulated cushion. His body crackled as countless fine, lively blue-white arcs of electricity, like living spirit serpents, coiled and leaped across every inch of his skin and even through the tips of his hair.

The lightning did not burst outward violently. Instead, it flowed in a highly restrained, cyclical rhythm, as though undergoing some profound tempering and resonance.

Within his body, Soul Power surged like a rushing river of thunder, racing through meridians that had been widened and strengthened time and again before finally crashing through an invisible barrier.

Chen Li's tightly shut eyes flew open. A flash of pure violet lightning flickered deep within his pupils before they quickly returned to calm.

"Level twenty..."

He slowly exhaled a long breath, within which faint sparks of electricity could be seen.

After three months of intensive cultivation and piled-up resources, he had finally risen steadily from level eighteen to level twenty, reaching the threshold for obtaining his second Soul Ring.

Over these three months, he had not relaxed in the slightest. During the day, he used his Core Disciple permissions to practically live in Spirit Hall's various simulated cultivation grounds and soul beast training arenas. Officially, he was honing his combat techniques, testing his martial soul's characteristics, and stabilizing his first Soul Ring. In truth, he had quietly hunted and collected a large number of Soul Rings through repeated training and research.

At night, he returned to the meditation chamber to temper his Soul Power through meditation, while repeatedly washing over his body with his own lightning to forge his muscles and bones. He thoroughly digested and absorbed the immense energy brought by his thousand-year first ring, making his foundation incomparably solid.

Naturally, none of this would have been possible without Spirit Hall's full support.

As the miracle worker who had obtained a thousand-year first ring and drawn the attention of both the Pope and Chrysanthemum Douluo, the resources he received far exceeded those of ordinary Core Disciples.

Various medicinal herbs that aided cultivation, high-energy food, and permission to consult certain non-core texts had all played a crucial role in his rapid progress over the past three months.

He rose to his feet and stretched his body. His joints immediately let out a series of crisp crackles like popping beans, a sign of abundant vitality and powerful muscles and bones. With a thought, he summoned the system panel visible only to him:

[Host: Chen Li]

[Martial Soul 1: Logia Type · Rumble-Rumble Fruit]

[Soul Ring 1: [Thousand-Year Soul Ring (Quality: Excellent)] (Upgradeable)]

[Soul Skill 1: Lightning Strike - Law Breaker]

[Effect: Releases an extremely condensed, deep-violet lightning bolt with the "magic-breaking" property. This lightning possesses extremely strong penetration and destructive power against energy shields, soul skill defenses, and barrier effects. It can greatly weaken or even directly pierce such defenses of the same level. It also has additional disruptive effects against elemental and mental-type soul skills.]

[Martial Soul 2: Paramecia · Munch-Munch Fruit]

[Soul Power: Level 20]

[System Status: Standby (Please explore the world and find the next check-in point)]

His gaze swept over the word "Upgradeable," and Chen Li's heart stirred.

Over the past three months, the number of raw Soul Rings stored in the system space had increased considerably. However, he had not rushed to upgrade his first Soul Ring. He planned to obtain his second Soul Ring first, then understand the upgrade rules for using higher-year Soul Rings as the primary material before making an overall plan.

After closing the panel, Chen Li pushed open the door to the meditation chamber.

The area where he now lived was located at the heart of Spirit Hall's inner city, adjacent to the highest-grade comprehensive training grounds. Morning sunlight spilled across the polished stone paths, while the sounds of clashing Soul Power and shouted calls already rang through the air.

Several figures at the edge of the training grounds stood out in particular.

A young girl was the first to notice Chen Li. Her long black hair was smooth and supple, and though her figure had not fully matured, her proportions were already exceptionally well-balanced. Her brows and eyes carried a natural charm and liveliness.

She waved at Chen Li, her voice clear. "You're a little late today, Chen Li!" She was Hu Liena, the personal disciple of Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong.

"Hu Liena, aren't you being a little too friendly with this kid?" Beside her, a remarkably burly youth with short fiery-red hair like burning flames crossed his arms. He shot Chen Li a displeased glance and muttered.

Faint flame patterns could be seen across his exposed skin, while even his eyes were dark red. A scorching aura radiated from his body. This was Yan, whose martial soul was the Flame Lord, the Golden Generation's most domineering existence in both offense and defense.

On the other side stood a silver-haired youth over six feet tall, his lean figure silent and still. His complexion was somewhat pale, and his features were exceptionally handsome, bearing a slight resemblance to Hu Liena's. Strange red butterfly patterns lay at the corners of his eyes, while his crimson pupils were calm as water.

He looked at Chen Li, his tone flat yet carrying invisible pressure. "Watch the time, Chen Li. You're five minutes late." This was Xie Yue, Hu Liena's older brother. His martial soul was the Moon Blade, and he was the leader of the Golden Generation as well as the one with the highest Soul Power among the three.

Hu Liena, twelve years old, level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, martial soul: Demon Fox.

Xie Yue, twelve years old, level thirty-one Soul Elder, martial soul: Moon Blade.

Yan, eleven years old, level twenty-six Soul Grandmaster, martial soul: Flame Lord.

These three were the undisputed standouts among Spirit Hall's younger generation. Known as the Golden Generation, they were Spirit Hall's absolute future pillars and trump cards.

They also lived in this core district and often cultivated together.

Over the past three months, Chen Li had gradually come into contact with them because of his unusual performance. Occasionally, they trained together in basic physical conditioning or sparring.

"Sorry. I was making a breakthrough just now, so I was delayed a little." Chen Li walked over and nodded to Xie Yue, his tone neither humble nor overbearing. He knew that Xie Yue had a rigorous personality and demanded strict training discipline.

Hu Liena studied Chen Li curiously. She could sense that his aura had become more solid and restrained than it had been three months ago. "Looks like you've improved quite a bit. You broke through to level twenty... not bad."

She had heard of Chen Li's strange condition that prevented him from absorbing ordinary Soul Rings, and she knew that both the Pope and Elder Ju attached great importance to it.

Yan snorted and looked at Chen Li with a hint of provocation. "Hey, kid, you've got pretty good luck. But now that you're level twenty, don't get stuck again. Want my Flame Lord to roast a few suitable soul beasts for you to try?"