"Young friend... no, honored Soul Master," Ma Xiunuo said, his attitude turning exceptionally solemn and warm. "I am Ma Xiunuo, a steward at the Nuoding City Spirit Hall Branch. You said you're eighteen and your Soul Power has already reached level thirty?"
Qian Renxue gave a slight nod. "Yes."
"Hiss..." Though he had been mentally prepared, hearing her confirm it with his own ears still made Ma Xiunuo suck in a sharp breath.
An eighteen-year-old Soul Elder! In a little place like Nuoding City, that was simply unheard of!
"A genius! A true genius!" Ma Xiunuo was so excited that even his beard trembled. His former air of authority had vanished without a trace, replaced by the rapturous delight of discovering an uncut jade.
"Quick! Please come with me to the testing room! I hope you'll forgive us for keeping you waiting!" He personally stepped aside to lead the way, his posture low and deferential.
Qian Renxue didn't refuse. This was one of the reasons she had come here.
Calmly following Ma Xiunuo, she headed toward the testing room in the inner hall.
Left behind in the main hall were a crowd of people staring in stunned silence, along with the clerk, who had slumped in his chair and was still overwhelmed by fear.
They entered a relatively spacious testing room, its walls set with black crystal orbs. Ma Xiunuo carefully shut the door, cutting off the view from outside.
"Please, honored Soul Master." Ma Xiunuo gestured toward the crystal orb in the center of the room. His manner remained respectful, and his eyes brimmed with anticipation and a trace of barely perceptible curiosity.
He was very curious: what kind of Martial Soul did this young person, with such terrifying talent, possess?
A Light Dragon? He had never heard of such a powerful dragon-type Martial Soul.
Qian Renxue walked up to the crystal orb.
She had no intention of revealing the full extent of her Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring or her Emperor War Dragon Martial Soul here. It would be far too shocking and would inevitably draw the attention of Spirit Hall's upper echelons, running counter to her current goal of concealing her identity and searching for the truth.
She slowly raised her right hand, her thoughts stirring slightly.
A dazzling golden light gathered in her palm, instantly illuminating the entire testing room!
The radiance was so pure and sacred, carrying an air of supreme majesty, that Ma Xiunuo felt his soul tremble. It was as if he were standing face-to-face with a deity!
Though it was only a vague, fleeting illusion of a majestic dragon's head, formed from pure light energy,
it didn't fully reveal the War Dragon's form, but the terrifying pressure and vast power of light contained in that fleeting glimpse were already enough to leave Ma Xiunuo, a well-traveled old steward, struck as if by lightning, his mind completely blank!
"Th-this is the Light Dragon Martial Soul?!" Ma Xiunuo's voice was filled with utter shock.
The pressure radiating from that fleeting glimpse of a dragon's head alone far surpassed that of any top-tier Martial Soul he had ever seen! This was no ordinary dragon!
The purity and nobility of that light even made him instinctively think of the sacred aura radiating from the Angel God Statue enshrined in Spirit Hall! No, it seemed even more... more domineering!
Qian Renxue ignored Ma Xiunuo's loss of composure and placed her hand on the black crystal orb used to test Soul Power.
Hum—!
The black crystal orb instantly burst into dazzling white light!
The radiance was so brilliant that it nearly lit the entire testing room as brightly as day!
The beam of light inside the crystal orb shot upward without the slightest obstruction, instantly passing the mark for a Soul Grandmaster before finally stopping steadily at the very top—level thirty!
"Th-thirty! A level-thirty Soul Elder, just as you said!" Seeing the brilliant beam, Ma Xiunuo trembled with excitement, and tears nearly spilled from his eyes.
To witness the birth of such a young and gifted Soul Elder was the pinnacle of his career, for a steward who had spent half his life toiling in a small city!
"A genius! A peerless genius! Honored Soul Master, your... your future is limitless!" Ma Xiunuo was so flustered he could barely speak. He gazed at Qian Renxue with fervor and awe.
He was now absolutely certain that the "Light Dragon" Martial Soul of this plainly dressed young man was of the legendary top tier—and might even be... the beginnings of a god-level Martial Soul!
"Can I register and collect the stipend now?" Qian Renxue withdrew her hand. The crystal orb's light immediately dimmed, and the testing room returned to its normal brightness.
"Of course! Of course!" Ma Xiunuo came back to his senses and nodded like a bobblehead, his respect now ten times greater than before.
He personally fetched the Soul Master registration form and carefully handed it to Qian Renxue to fill out. He also prepared, at the fastest possible speed, a new badge marking her as a Soul Elder and a heavy purse.
Inside were fifty gleaming Gold Soul Coins, a one-time grant from Spirit Hall for a level-thirty Soul Elder.
"Honored Soul Master, this is your Soul Elder badge and this month's stipend: fifty Gold Soul Coins. Please keep them safe." Ma Xiunuo presented them with both hands, his manner almost reverent.
He hesitated, but in the end couldn't help speaking, his tone full of earnest sincerity. "Your talent is utterly astonishing. Staying in Nuoding City would be a waste!"
"I wonder... I wonder if you'd consider joining Spirit Hall? With your aptitude, I could recommend you to the Spirit Holy Hall in Heaven Dou City—or even to Spirit City headquarters—right away!"
"You'll receive the finest resources and training. Becoming a Titled Douluo someday would be no empty boast!"
His eyes brimmed with anticipation, as if he could already see the boundless glory that would come from making this recommendation.
Qian Renxue accepted the badge and Gold Soul Coins and put them in her pack without even looking at them.
As for Ma Xiunuo's invitation, she merely glanced at him.
"Join Spirit Hall?" The faintest curve seemed to touch her lips, so fleeting that it might have been an illusion. "I'm not interested for now."
With that, she didn't linger. She turned, pushed open the door to the testing room, and walked steadily out of the Nuoding City Spirit Hall Branch, the worn-out pack on her back.
Steward Ma Xiunuo stood dazed in place, staring at the figure disappearing through the doorway, his thoughts in turmoil.
She'd refused... She'd so flatly refused Spirit Hall's invitation! Who exactly was this mysterious "Ye Yang"?
No, he had to report this. There wasn't a single weak dragon-type Martial Soul. If he failed to report it and was held responsible later, he wouldn't be able to escape the blame.
After getting the funds, Qian Renxue turned her attention to Nuoding Academy.
At the same time, elsewhere, the daily morning court session began in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Inside the resplendent halls, the atmosphere was solemn. The civil and military officials stood in rows on either side, while Emperor Xue Ye sat upon his lofty throne, his face calm and imposing without a hint of anger. His gaze swept slowly across those below.
Ye Yang, under the identity of Xue Qinghe, stood beside Emperor Xue Ye, bored out of his mind. Attending morning court for the first time was somewhat novel, but it seemed no different from anything else. It wasn't interesting.
Then he glanced toward a spot in the corner.
There, Xue Beng was glaring at him with a face full of venom.
"Those with matters to report, step forward. If there are none, the court is dismissed," the eunuch standing nearby announced in a shrill voice.
As soon as the words fell, Xue Beng dropped to his knees with a thud.
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