"Star Luo Empire, Dust Family—they only cared about results. They judged me useless and cast me aside with a single kick. But I knew my own body, my own martial soul! It was absolutely not worthless!
"Since they had abandoned me, convinced that I could find no path... then I would find one! I would travel to the ends of the earth and scour ancient texts and secret techniques until I found a way to make my martial soul accept me, absorb soul rings, and continue growing stronger!"
Chen Li's eyes became exceptionally bright, burning with a mixture of resentment, stubbornness, and longing for power.
"I will become strong—strong enough to make every last one of them see what kind of future they had cast away today! Strong enough that... I alone will decide my fate!"
These words were half genuine resentment and ambition, half carefully calculated design.
Chen Li knew Spirit Hall's ways. He knew they were happy to recruit talented individuals dissatisfied with the established order of the two great empires, especially those from the opposing side.
A youth who harbored grievances toward the Star Luo Empire, possessed unusual talent, and had an unyielding will was undoubtedly someone worth investing in and winning over.
He needed to demonstrate his value, and he also needed a sufficiently powerful new backer and resource platform. Spirit Hall was undoubtedly the most ideal choice at present—if they were truly interested in him.
Sure enough, after Yue Guan finished listening, a brilliant light flared in his bewitching peach-blossom eyes, and a satisfied, meaningful smile curled across his lips.
"You have ambition! And you are interesting!" Yue Guan's voice carried an alluring, bewitching quality. "Since the Star Luo Empire and your family are blind to true gold, why not... consider joining our Spirit Hall?"
He leaned forward slightly, the gemstones on his red robes refracting scattered glimmers of light. "Spirit Hall governs the world of soul masters. Our foundations run deep, our collections of books are as vast as the sea, and we have countless extraordinary individuals. Above all, we have the wise leadership of Your Majesty the Pope, who cherishes talent most of all—especially special talents like you.
"The soul ring issue troubling you may be a dead end elsewhere, but within Spirit Hall, by gathering the wisdom of many and consulting ancient records, we may not be unable to find a solution."
Yue Guan's gaze drifted over Chen Li as his thoughts raced.
An abandoned child from a great Star Luo Empire clan, carrying a top-tier mutated martial soul suspected to possess an ultimate lightning attribute, mature and resilient beyond his years, and estranged from—perhaps even resentful toward—his former faction...
This was practically the ideal template for Spirit Hall to recruit talent! If he could be cultivated, not only would Spirit Hall gain a future powerhouse with limitless potential, but his origins could also become a card to use against the Star Luo Empire on certain occasions.
Moreover, such a peculiar martial soul—if its mysteries could be thoroughly studied, or even... if its bloodline could be continued—would be of extraordinary significance to Spirit Hall.
He watched Chen Li and waited for his answer, as though he had already seen a unique sapling about to be transplanted into Spirit Hall's most fertile soil.
The woods were silent, disturbed only by the soft rustle of wind passing through the treetops. Meeting Yue Guan's gaze, countless thoughts flashed through Chen Li's mind. At last, he slowly spoke, his voice clear and resolute:
"Spirit Hall... can truly help me find a path to keep moving forward?"
The meaningful smile on Yue Guan's face did not fade at Chen Li's hesitant question. Instead, it deepened, as though he had long expected the child to ask it.
He did not directly answer yes or no. Instead, he lightly brushed nonexistent dust from his luxurious red robe, his bearing elegant and composed.
"A path has never been something others pave and lay at your feet, little fellow. If you want better opportunities, you must fight for them yourself." Yue Guan's voice carried the calm detachment of one who had seen through the ways of the world, yet it was also filled with unquestionable confidence.
"What Spirit Hall can offer you is a broader platform than the Dust Family of the Star Luo Empire—or even most places in the Heaven Dou Empire—along with richer resources and... more possibilities for unraveling the mysteries surrounding you. That much is beyond doubt."
He paused, his bewitching peach-blossom eyes fixed on Chen Li. His words were simple, yet as heavy as a thousand pounds. "What the Star Luo Empire can give you, Spirit Hall can give you better. What the Star Luo Empire cannot give you, Spirit Hall... may be able to give you an entirely new path."
This was not extravagant temptation, but calm confidence founded upon absolute strength and deep foundations.
Just as he stood there, without deliberately releasing any pressure, the weight of a Titled Douluo naturally revealed itself. He believed in Spirit Hall's strength just as he believed his Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum martial soul could stand proudly above all other flowers.
Facing Yue Guan's gaze, the scales in Chen Li's heart had long since tipped.
Nuoding City and Yu Xiaogang might be able to offer theoretical clues, but what Spirit Hall offered were tangible resources, protection, and a powerful force capable of solving his problems.
More importantly, the next trigger point for his dormant [Strongest Sign-in System] was highly likely to be within Spirit Hall—the place that represented the pinnacle of power and mystery in the soul master world of Douluo Continent. If he could not trigger a sign-in there, then there would likely be very few places left in this world where he could do so.
"I believe you." Chen Li took a deep breath. The hesitation in his eyes completely faded, replaced by a clarity and resolve that did not match his age. "Therefore, I hope to join Spirit Hall. I want to become stronger. I want to control my own fate, instead of living as worthless trash that has been defined and discarded by others."
"Very good." The smile on Yue Guan's lips became more genuine, but it was soon joined by the scrutiny of one in a position of power. "Brat, remember this: joining Spirit Hall means that from now on, Spirit Hall's will and interests come first. Your former identity and grudges must all be placed behind them. Do you... understand?"
His tone was not harsh, yet it carried an invisible force of restraint. Before accepting Chen Li, he was drawing a clear boundary—especially for a child like Chen Li, whose background was complicated and whose mind was mature beyond his years.
"I understand." Chen Li answered without the slightest hesitation, his voice clear.
To him, the identity of Dust Family heir had long become shackles and humiliation. Yet before he could live for himself, he needed a powerful new beginning and a place to belong. Spirit Hall was currently the choice that best suited his needs.
"Heh heh heh... Good that you understand. In that case, this old man will give you a lift, so you do not end up feeding the soul beasts in these mountains." Yue Guan let out a peculiar chuckle, apparently quite satisfied with Chen Li's good sense. He said no more and casually flicked his right sleeve.
A gentle yet irresistible surge of Soul Power instantly enveloped Chen Li, lightly lifting him from the ground. In the next second, Yue Guan's figure shifted slightly and transformed into a blurred streak of red light, shooting into the sky with Chen Li and swiftly vanishing above the vast forest sea of the Horag Mountain Range.
Wild winds howled past his ears, while mountains and rivers sped backward beneath him.
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