Without the fixed patterns and boosts of soul skills, this was merely the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's most fundamental control and shaping of lightning, yet it contained the pure, violent might of natural thunder!
Go!
With a thought from Chen Li, the Thunder Spear transformed into a dazzling streak of light and shot through the air at a speed no slower than the Thunder Saber-toothed Tiger's charge!
Wherever it passed, the air was ionized with a faint scorched smell, while the tiny branches and leaves along its path withered, blackened, and shattered!
The Thunder Saber-toothed Tiger seemed to sense the deadly threat as well. Its charge slowed slightly, while the ferocity in its eyes intensified. It gathered all its lightning around its head, attempting to meet the attack head-on!
However...
Screech!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a soft yet teeth-grating sound of penetration.
The highly condensed lightning spear sliced through the Thunder Saber-toothed Tiger's defensive layer of lightning as easily as a hot knife through butter. It then plunged precisely through its gaping maw and burst out through the back of its neck!
The Thunder Saber-toothed Tiger's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt. Its massive body slid several more meters due to inertia before crashing to the ground. Its limbs twitched a few times, then it fell completely silent.
The electric glow on its body quickly dimmed and dispersed. Only the charred wounds around its mouth, nose, and the back of its neck continued to emit wisps of smoke.
A glowing White Soul Ring slowly emerged from its corpse.
Chen Li's expression remained calm, as though he had merely done something insignificant.
He walked over to the soul beast's corpse and looked at the White Soul Ring, a trace of curiosity flashing through his eyes. He extended a finger again and lightly touched the edge of the soul ring.
Buzz...
The exact same scene as before unfolded.
The White Soul Ring trembled violently. Its inner structure seemed unable to withstand some invisible scrutiny or rejection, instantly collapsing into scattered motes of light that soon vanished into the air without a trace.
"Just as I thought, it still won't work." Chen Li withdrew his hand and murmured to himself, having long expected this result. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit's pickiness—or rather, rejection—of soul rings had nothing to do with their age. It seemed to be a fundamental incompatibility.
[Ding!] [Obtained Ten-year Soul Ring ×1 (Quality: Inferior)]
There were already many such soul rings in the system space: nearly a hundred Ten-year Soul Rings, dozens of Hundred Year Soul Rings, and even one purple Thousand Year Soul Ring.
All of them had failed to be absorbed, and now lay quietly within Chen Li's system space.
"Interesting..."
A voice carrying a hint of laziness and surprise, somewhat androgynous in tone and impossible to identify as male or female at first, suddenly came from above without warning.
!!!
In that instant, the hairs all over Chen Li's body nearly stood on end! His heart clenched violently, as though gripped by an invisible hand!
Who was that???
His ion sensing field had remained active the entire time. Within a radius of thirty meters, aside from rustling grass and small creatures, he had not detected a single humanoid target with a strong life force or Soul Power fluctuation!
Where had that voice come from? When had its owner appeared?
He abruptly looked up, his sharp gaze sweeping like lightning toward the source of the voice—a thick ancient tree to his front right that would require several people to encircle. On one of its horizontal branches, seven or eight meters above the ground—
Someone had appeared there at some unknown time, without making a sound.
A person dressed in clothing so extravagant that it could even be called excessive.
He wore a crimson ceremonial robe with an impeccable cut, embroidered with intricate and exquisite chrysanthemum patterns in gold and silver thread. Beneath the faint light filtering through the forest leaves, it reflected a lavish gleam.
Most eye-catching of all was the gemstone on his chest. It was as large as an infant's fist, dazzling and radiant, with golden light flowing through it as though it contained a tiny sun.
Yet even more striking than his attire was his appearance.
His skin was fair and delicate like a baby's, and his features were breathtakingly alluring. His peach blossom eyes shimmered with a charm and playfulness that transcended gender. Reclining lazily against the branch, he looked down at Chen Li below with great interest.
What alarmed Chen Li the most was that, within his ion sensing, that spot was still completely empty!
It was as if the man were only an illusion, or perhaps... his very existence had surpassed the limits of Chen Li's current crude sensing method!
Soul Emperor? Soul Sage? Soul Douluo?
Or... a Titled Douluo?!
A terrifying thought flashed through Chen Li's mind. His perception could sense Chen Ran's aura—that of a Soul King—but anything above that was beyond his ability to detect.
But... Chen Ran's gaze kept sweeping over him...
To possess such means, allowing Chen Li to remain completely unaware, and to have such a distinct and unique temperament...
"Kid, before asking others, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" The man in the tree spoke again, his voice retaining that unique quality. He raised a well-maintained finger with neatly rounded nails and lightly tapped his chin. The amusement in his eyes deepened, as though he had discovered an exceptionally interesting toy.
Chen Li's thoughts raced as he forcibly suppressed the raging turmoil in his heart. The other party's strength was unfathomable; concealing anything or provoking him would be far from wise.
He took a deep breath and quickly calmed himself, meeting those bewitching peach blossom eyes with a steady gaze.
"Chen Li." He clearly stated his name, while his mind rapidly compared the man before him with the images and intelligence from his past-life memories.
That appearance, that attire, that strange and unfathomable method of arrival, along with that faint, lingering aura that seemed capable of making even flowers and grass bow their heads...
Yue Guan!
An elder of Spirit Hall, a level ninety-five Titled Douluo, bearing the title Chrysanthemum!
He oversaw Spirit Hall's punishments and held an exalted position. As Pope Bibi Dong's right-hand man, his strength and methods were far beyond anything Chen Li could begin to fathom!
Why had he appeared in this remote border mountain range? Was he merely passing by, or...?
Chen Li maintained a calm exterior, but fine sweat had already seeped across his back.
He knew that the strange phenomenon of being unable to absorb soul rings had likely been fully seen by this Chrysanthemum Douluo, whose martial soul was an exotic flower and whose perception might be extraordinarily sharp.
How he responded next could make the difference between heaven and abyss.
"Chen Li... Chen..." Yue Guan leaned against the branch and softly repeated the name, a thoughtful glint passing through his bewitching peach blossom eyes.
The surname Chen was not common on the Douluo Continent, but neither was it unheard of. It was usually associated with certain ancient soul master families.
Even Chen Xin, one of the two guardian sect Douluo of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda... shared that surname.
Which Chen did he belong to? That would determine Yue Guan's attitude toward him.
Below, Chen Li had already retracted the lightning radiating from his body. Standing straight, he faced the figure in the tree and spoke clearly and steadily. "Chen Li of the Dust Family of the Star Luo Empire pays respects to Chrysanthemum Douluo, your excellency."
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