Chapter 4: The Best Choice

The process of absorbing the spirit ring went smoothly for Li Chang'an. His innate talent was genuine, absorbing a spirit ring of several hundred years with his innate full soul power was nothing difficult.

By the time he opened his eyes again, morning had passed, and it was already noon.

The middle-aged Spirit Saint stood guard nearby. Seeing that Li Chang'an had awakened, he immediately approached to ask what spirit ability he had gained. This was the main purpose of his mission: to evaluate whether Li Chang'an had any real potential.

Naturally, Li Chang'an had no intention of hiding his abilities. After all, he had nothing to his name right now. With his noble birth and talent, if he could win the favor of the Heaven Dou Emperor, he would surely receive abundant resources for cultivation.

As the saying goes, it's best to stand under a big tree to enjoy the shade.

Although the Heaven Dou Empire appeared weak in the original story, in reality, its cultivation resources wouldn't lose out to those of any sect. In fact, they might even surpass them in some aspects. After all, it was a vast empire with countless resources.

If Li Chang'an demonstrated his talent, the Heaven Dou Empire would surely provide protection and generous resources to cultivate him before he fully matured.

Why not join the Spirit Hall or a sect like the well-regarded Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect instead?

First, he had no connections there.

Joining those major forces wasn't as simple as just showing up. Even if he did join, how could he be sure they would trust him and provide resources for his growth? There were too many uncertainties.

Second, as a noble of Heaven Dou Empire, his identity was too sensitive, making it difficult to gain the trust of others.

Of course, if Spirit Hall's Pope Bibi Dong or a titled Douluo elder offered to take him as a disciple, then joining Spirit Hall would naturally be a wise choice. The same applied to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—if Sword Douluo accepted him as a disciple, he would be guaranteed a place in the sect's core.

But since none of those opportunities existed, joining the Heaven Dou Empire was undoubtedly his best option.

Even if the empire seemed like a sinking ship full of holes, it was still a massive power. In an environment with few high-level spirit masters, a noble-born genius with remarkable talent would undoubtedly be highly valued by the Heaven Dou Emperor.

Li Chang'an didn't know what rewards the emperor would offer to win him over, but they were sure to be substantial. After all, gaining the loyalty of a young genius required more than empty promises.

…

"First Spirit Ability: Sword Qi!"

Li Chang'an gripped his Jade Scaled Sword. The yellow spirit ring revolving around him lit up, and as he swung his sword, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.

A dense wave of sword qi, as thin as strands of hair, shot forward in a sweeping arc.

"Shhhhhh!!!"

Like a red-hot iron poking through wax, the hair-thin sword qi easily pierced through the massive tree trunk ahead. The thick tree, several meters wide, didn't stand a chance.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of fine holes riddled the massive trunk, and green smoke began to rise as the wounds corroded.

After unleashing this attack, Li Chang'an's face turned slightly pale, clearly showing the significant amount of spirit power he had expended.

Don't be mistaken into thinking this "sword qi" was merely an energy projection formed by gathering spirit power on the sword, similar to a basic application of a tool spirit. Such a notion would be entirely wrong.

First, releasing sword qi in this manner wasn't something an ordinary sword spirit could do. Anyone who thought otherwise underestimated the complexity of this ability.

Li Chang'an's sword qi, enhanced by his spirit ring, wasn't just a projection of raw spirit power—it was a fundamentally different type of energy, imbued with penetrating power and poison. Without the spirit ring, he would have no way to unleash such a potent ability.

Exhaling softly, Li Chang'an glanced at the middle-aged Spirit Saint, who was still examining the densely perforated tree with wide eyes. "My first spirit ability allows me to release sword qi. The number of sword qi strands depends on how much spirit power I use. I can release a single strand or, as you just saw, unleash a wave of sword qi at once.

"Moreover, the released sword qi isn't just sharp and highly penetrating—it's also imbued with poison."

The Spirit Saint approached the tree and closely observed the fine holes, through which the scenery on the other side was clearly visible. The sword qi had cleanly pierced through the several-meter-thick tree.

More astonishingly, the sword qi carried poison, which had caused the pierced areas to corrode rapidly.

He could already imagine that in future battles, Li Chang'an would be able to unleash countless strands of sword qi with a wave of his hand. Even a slight graze could lead to severe poisoning.

Terrifying!

The Spirit Saint stared in awe at the pale-faced boy. From his perspective, this first spirit ability's power was enough to break through a Spirit Elder's defensive ability. How could such penetration and poison come from a mere first spirit ring?

What the Spirit Saint didn't know was that Li Chang'an had hidden some details. He hadn't revealed all the changes his martial spirit had undergone after absorbing the spirit ring. After all, the talent he had displayed so far was more than enough to attract attention. It was wise to keep a trump card for himself.