He whipped his head toward Li Wen, disbelief filling his eyes as though he suspected he had misheard.
"You... agreed?" Blood Edge's voice carried a barely perceptible urgency, seeking confirmation.
"Yes, Chief Instructor." Li Wen met his gaze openly, calm now that the dust had settled. "I hesitated before because there were things I couldn't let go of. But today is different."
He did not mention the Willingness Power Avatar, but Blood Edge could clearly sense the certainty and relief in his voice.
"Good! Good! Good!" Blood Edge said it three times, a dazzling smile spreading across his face. His eyes shone with joy and relief. "This will be the wisest decision you've ever made! Li Wen, with the talent you've shown—especially your peerless gifts in the Primordial Spirit domain—and your potential in the Time Law, becoming a true core member of the Source Network is no pipe dream. Neither is receiving the organization's strongest backing and enjoying tremendous freedom!
"The core of the Source Network is a completely different world from the inner ranks you knew before!"
He was overjoyed.
Discovering and successfully recruiting a prodigy like Li Wen was worth far more than all his achievements over the past several decades combined.
It meant not only that the Source Network would reward him more richly than he could imagine.
It also meant that, for the long years ahead, someone who might become a titan of the Source Network would remember him as the one who had shown him the way.
In his excitement, Blood Edge even seemed a little impatient.
He turned his wrist, and a metal scroll etched with intricate dark-gold patterns appeared in his palm, along with a special rune pen that glimmered with starlight.
"There's no time to lose. This is the Soul Contract Scroll