Three Thousand Years

Yan's gaze towards Chen Li underwent a drastic shift from hostility to gratitude within mere seconds.

He couldn't help but want to give Chen Li a thumbs-up. You've got guts, kid!

Of course, he held back.

But his eyes, which had been filled with hostility towards Chen Li, now quietly held a hint of... fervent approval.

"I want to complete this cultivation alone," Chen Li said, not noticing Yan's complex change in expression. He continued, his tone calm and firm.

"Constantly training in the Martial Soul Hall can make one accustomed to comfort. No matter how realistic the simulated environment is, it's still controllable. True growth can only be achieved through combat on the edge of life and death."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, I want to take this opportunity to participate in some practical combat competitions outside. Whether it's the Great Soul Arena or trials organized by folk hunting soul master teams, only in an uncertain environment can one see their true limits."

This was the excuse he had long prepared. It was reasonable, impeccable, and perfectly concealed his true objective.

Xie Yue nodded slightly, offering no objection. Having experienced solo training outside before, he understood what Chen Li was saying.

Hu Liena continued to watch him, remaining silent.

Yan, meanwhile, was already calculating in his mind: Hu Liena was rejected, she'll definitely be unhappy;

When she's unhappy, will I have a chance?

Should I go over and comfort her a few words now? No, that's too obvious;

But if I don't show any concern, will she think I don't care about her? Damn it, this is harder than fighting.

Amidst this subtle atmosphere, a clear, cold voice came from behind everyone.

"You may."

Everyone was slightly taken aback.

Bibi Dong.

At some unknown point, Bibi Dong had gracefully arrived at the edge of the training ground.

Her steps were unhurried, her golden dress flowing with restrained radiance in the morning light. Her scepter tapped the ground lightly, emitting crisp, rhythmic clicks. Her exquisitely beautiful face was devoid of any expression, her pale purple eyes calm and placid, as if she were merely taking a post-meal stroll and happened to pass by.

However, the distance from the Palace of the Pope to the Core Disciple training ground spanned an entire hill and three layers of guard checkpoints.

No one just happened to pass by here.

"You may go out alone to hunt for a Soul Ring," Bibi Dong's voice was devoid of inflection, as if issuing a commonplace command. "But there is one condition."

Chen Li bowed respectfully, "Please state it, Your Majesty."

Bibi Dong's gaze fell upon him, pausing for a moment.

"Every time you arrive at a city, every time you pass by a branch of the Martial Soul Hall, you must leave a record of your whereabouts." Her tone was indifferent, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Your Soul Power Level, general location, and whether you've encountered any special circumstances – this information needs to be regularly transmitted back to the main hall."

She didn't say this was to monitor you, nor did she say it was a lack of trust in you.

But the meaning was clear.

You can fly. But the leash must be in my hands.

Chen Li looked up, meeting those pale purple eyes for a brief moment.

He didn't hesitate.

"I obey, Your Majesty."

His reply was calm and concise, without any hint of reluctance or any attempt to bargain.

Bibi Dong nodded slightly and said nothing more.

She turned, the hem of her golden dress sweeping an elegant arc across the ground.

A servant silently opened the palace doors, and sunlight poured in from outside, casting a hazy golden halo around her retreating figure.

She left just like that, without lingering for another moment, as if she had only come to utter that one sentence.

Inside the training ground, there was a brief moment of silence.

Xie Yue withdrew his gaze from the direction the Pope had disappeared and looked at Chen Li, a hint of depth in his eyes.

Hu Liena leaned against the stone pillar, still silent. She gazed at Chen Li's profile, her expression complex.

As for Yan, his heart was currently experiencing its third rollercoaster ride.

The Pope personally came to set rules for Chen Li, what did that signify?

It signified that the Pope had been paying attention to this kid all along!

The Pope's attention! Even for their Golden Generation, they didn't get to have the Pope personally assign them tasks every day!

This kid... what was his background, exactly?

His gaze towards Chen Li had evolved from hostility -> gratitude, then further into a mixed state of hostility -> gratitude -> apprehension.

Chen Li paid no mind to these gazes.

He simply raised his hand and instinctively touched the Heart of Illusory Thunder at his neck.

A cool sensation transmitted through his fingertips. The gem lay dormant beneath his palm, perfectly disguising the purple Soul Ring within his body as a bright yellow, hundred-year-old one.

He looked in the direction the Pope had departed, and deep within his eyes, a faint flicker of lightning lay quiet yet sharp.

A month later, Star Dou Great Forest.

Chen Li crouched on a thick branch more than ten meters above the ground, his figure blending into the dappled shadows of the trees.

His dark, fitted clothing was torn in several places, crudely stitched with rough thread—mementos from his battle with a two-thousand-year Blood Pattern Spider a few days prior. A newly scabbed scratch marked the outside of his left arm, a parting gift from a Thunder Claw Sable that had counterattacked as it died three days ago.

But his eyes were deeper, calmer, and sharper than they had been a month ago.

In the system space, the number of Soul Rings was steadily increasing.

Over 170 Ten-year Soul Rings, more than 60 Hundred Year Soul Rings, most of which were [Inferior] and [Flawed], with the occasional [Common] one. These were the fruits of his sleepless efforts over the past month.

It wasn't enough.

To forge a second Soul Ring that the Rumble-Rumble Fruit would recognize, he needed at least one Thousand-year Soul Ring of [Good] quality or higher as the main material, supplemented by a sufficient number of Hundred Year Soul Rings as nourishment.

He needed more.

And at this moment...

Hee-lyyyy!!!

A sharp cry, like ripping silk, echoed from below the tree, interrupting Chen Li's thoughts.

It was a Purple Thunder Demonic Steed.

Its entire body was covered in fine, deep purple fur that shimmered with a metallic coldness under the sun. Where its four hooves touched the ground, tiny purple arcs of electricity danced through the grass like living things. Its deep purple beast eyes were now fixed intently on Chen Li in the tree.

This wasn't a chance encounter.

It had tracked him down actively.

Chen Li narrowed his eyes, a thin layer of lightning already condensing in his palm.

He was no stranger to the Purple Thunder Demonic Steed.

Over the past month, he had hunted three of them, with cultivation levels ranging from 800 to 1,600 years. They were an extremely troublesome type of lightning-attribute Soul Beast, possessing incredible speed, keen senses, and a certain resistance to the attacks of fellow lightning-attribute Soul Masters.

But this one before him...

The color of its fur, the intensity of the arcs dancing around its hooves, and the unreserved, territorial pressure emanating from its beast eyes...

Three thousand years.

At least three thousand years.

"Tsk."

Chen Li let out a soft click of his tongue.

His goal had always been Soul Beasts below two thousand years, building steadily, accumulating materials, and avoiding recklessness.

This was his survival rule for his first month in the Star Dou Great Forest.

But now, this Purple Thunder Demonic Steed clearly wasn't going to give him a choice.

It had come for revenge.