Notebook, activate!

Lu Chen did not reveal his second Martial Soul, which likewise had a purple Soul Ring attached, and only controlled the Azure Dragon to manifest.

With the Notebook and Chat Group around, practically everyone who ought to know his true strength and talent already knew.

To prevent certain people from losing control and attacking him, causing widespread changes to the original timeline, it was better to reveal less on the surface.

I mean you, Tang Hao!

In any case, the Spirit-Suppressing Spear's first Soul Skill could conceal its Soul Ring when used passively. Even without that 50% sharpness boost, it would still be more than enough in these early stages, where fights were just babies brawling.

"This is a thou... thou... thou..."

"Yes, Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, my first Soul Ring really is a thousand-year ring."

Watching Ma Xiunuo shake all over as though having a seizure, unable to finish those few words even after so long, Lu Chen felt exhausted on his behalf and kindly finished for him, volunteering an explanation:

"I was so excited after awakening my Martial Soul that yesterday, I begged Grandpa to take me to the mountain behind the village to test it out."

"Then, for some reason, a gravely injured Soul Beast of an unrecognizable species came looking for us. It seemed determined to die and actually signaled for me to kill it and absorb its Soul Ring."

"And I really did sense a familiar fluctuation from it, so..."

Ma Xiunuo finally recovered at this point. Right now, he really wanted to give Lu Yun a vicious kick in the backside.

That infuriating grin earlier, and the way he only told me half the story-so this was where he was lying in wait for me?

"So you tried absorbing this thousand-year Soul Beast's Soul Ring, and actually succeeded?"

"That makes sense. Lu Yun has plenty of experience in this area. With him there, even if the absorption failed, he could interrupt it in time."

"An unknown Soul Beast, a familiar fluctuation... it was very likely an undiscovered dragon-type Soul Beast. Is its body still there?"

Meeting Ma Xiunuo's expectant gaze, Lu Chen shook his head with "a face full of regret."

"After I absorbed its Soul Ring, its body turned to ashes and scattered."

"Grandpa said this was extremely rare. Even he couldn't identify what kind of Soul Beast it was."

"Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, Grandpa said you're very knowledgeable. Do you have any ideas?"

Lu Yun, you set me up!

Looking at the innocent thirst for knowledge in Lu Chen's eyes, Ma Xiunuo only felt his feet itching even more.

Picking up a yellow crystal ball from the desk beside him, Ma Xiunuo walked up to Lu Chen and held it out. "Pour your Soul Power into this and let me see what level you've reached. In theory, you should be level eleven..."

Before he could finish, the brilliant light radiating from the crystal ball left Ma Xiunuo unable to say another word.

"Level 15 Soul Power?!"

As though unable to believe what he was seeing, Ma Xiunuo rubbed his eyes with his free hand and said in shock:

"How could this be?"

"Could the Soul Ring he absorbed have been so powerful that it increased his Soul Power too? But a leap of four levels..."

"Was it thanks to that unknown Soul Beast?"

Ma Xiunuo racked his brains, but in the end, he could only attribute it to that unknown Soul Beast.

Actively seeking death, making a Soul Master feel a sense of familiarity toward it, its body disappearing completely after its Soul Ring was absorbed-with so many things defying common sense piled together, a massive increase in Soul Power almost seemed normal instead.

Forget it. With something like this happening to little Chen, those two old Lu brothers should take it even more seriously than I do. With them around, what do I have to worry about?

With that thought, Ma Xiunuo put away the crystal ball and picked up a form he had prepared earlier, filling in Lu Chen's information in detail. Once he had finished everything, he looked up at Lu Chen and said with a smile:

"All right, little Chen, your advancement assessment has concluded perfectly. From now on, you are an honorable Soul Master of Spirit Hall."

"But you still need to attend Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, so Grandpa Ma Xiunuo prepared this especially for you."

As he spoke, Ma Xiunuo rubbed his fingers together, revealing another document beneath the sheet that originally listed him as a Soul Master affiliated with Spirit Hall.

On the second document, the words "Heaven Dou Empire" stood out clearly in Lu Chen's affiliation field.

"On the surface, you're still a Soul Master of the Heaven Dou Empire, and the empire will issue your monthly Soul Master allowance. Xiao Wu's situation should be the same in the future."

"During your next six years in Nuoding City, come to Grandpa Ma Xiunuo if you run into any trouble. Understand?"

Seeing the care in Ma Xiunuo's eyes, Lu Chen nodded.

Expressions might deceive, but the system's affection panel would not.

[Ma Xiunuo: 70 (harmonious)]

Perhaps it was because of his friendship with Lu Yun, or perhaps this old man, who had devoted his entire life to Spirit Hall, truly regarded Lu Chen as Spirit Hall's future hope.

Ma Xiunuo's affection had already broken through the 70-point mark, placing him directly within the special category of familial affection.

To this old man who genuinely cared for him, Lu Chen said earnestly:

"I understand, Grandpa Ma Xiunuo. Thank you for your concern. I'll visit you often."

"Haha, that would be wonderful~"

After the Soul Master advancement assessment ended, Lu Chen took Xiao Wu around the Nuoding Spirit Hall Branch. An attendant found them and asked them to visit the chief deacon's office.

Following the attendant's lead, the two made their way to an office at the very center of the third floor.

Here, Lu Chen finally met the theoretically strongest person in this city, the highest authority of the Nuoding City Spirit Hall Branch-

Li Feng.

With the Wind Hawk Martial Soul, he was a level forty-nine Soul Ancestor, a powerful old man just one step away from breaking through to become a level 50 Soul King and leaping into the ranks of Spirit Hall's Purple-Robed Bishops.

However, limited by his innate Soul Power and age, he might take that step tomorrow, or he might never take it in his lifetime.

At this moment, Ma Xiunuo and Lu Yun were both sitting on the sofa, each holding a cup of hot tea and chatting merrily with Li Feng, who sat behind his desk.

Seeing Lu Chen and Xiao Wu enter, Li Feng's eyes could not help lighting up.

What a handsome boy!

What a beautiful little girl!

One has innate full Soul Power and twin Martial Souls, and the other also has innate full Soul Power...

Marveling at Lu Chen's and Xiao Wu's talents, he cast a rather improper look at Lu Yun, an undignified grin spreading across his elderly face.

His meaning was obvious-

You old rascal, you certainly moved fast!

Your speed and eye for picking up a grandson and granddaughter-in-law are both second to none~

After all, when he learned that Lu Yun had picked up both Lu Chen and Xiao Wu, his eyes had turned green with envy. I've lived for over seventy years. Why have I never once stumbled upon such good fortune?

It was worth mentioning that Xiao Wu's earlier reason for being in Dragon Soul Village really did not hold water, so Lu Yun had already reworked her story into that of an orphan from another country fleeing her enemies.

Li Feng did not care about any of that, either. They were joining Spirit Hall, so who cared whether they were from the Heaven Dou Empire?

As for her enemies...

With Lu Tian's strength and influence, whether those enemies would dare come looking even if they found out was another question entirely.

After sharing a sumptuous dinner, Lu Chen gained another honorary grandfather with 70 points of familial affection.

Unable to withstand Li Feng's enthusiasm, the three were promptly put up in guest rooms at the Nuoding City Spirit Hall Branch.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed and circulating the Azure Emperor Spirit-Calming Art, Lu Chen had already begun replacing sleep with cultivation.

With his Soul Power and spiritual power replenishing him, sleep was no longer necessary.

And while cultivating, Lu Chen did not forget his earlier plan-

To spoil the tangled love and grudges between Bibi Dong, Liu Erlong, and Yu Xiaogang.

Notebook, activate!

Bibi Dong, Liu Erlong, prepare to tremble~