Chapter 510: Soul Hall

Though they were of the same clan, Lei Xuan looked down on Baleng’s branch, but he wouldn’t go so far as to oppress them.

"Let’s go, Mu Xuan. The elders are waiting," Lei Xuan said coolly, his mind on other matters.

With that, he started walking into the distance.

"Mm." Li Yang, the Thunder Star Beast, nodded and followed.

"Huh? He’s from our branch. Which clansman is he? I don’t even recognize him."

"I don’t recognize him either."

Just then, Shi Lan and the others also saw the Thunder Star Beast, Li Yang, and their eyes filled with confusion.

Judging by the three black stripes on the tail of Li Yang’s Thunder Star Beast form, he was clearly from the same branch as them.

No one present was a fool. They subconsciously felt that Lei Xuan’s change in attitude was because of this person from their branch.

"Chief Baleng, who is this young man?"

"How come we’ve never seen him before?"

As this thought crossed their minds, they quickly asked the elder, Baleng.

Their branch had few members, and the elder Baleng was always kind to them, so they weren’t afraid. They treated him more like a respected senior.

Looking at the crowd gathered around him, the elder Baleng chuckled and said, "That’s Mu Xuan. He’s about to go to the plaza to have his Talent tested."

"Have his Talent tested? Is Mu Xuan’s Talent very strong?"

"Chief Baleng, can we go watch too?"

Hearing Baleng’s words, the group quickly asked.

They had also guessed that this Mu Xuan’s Talent must be very strong.

Their branch was too weak and had no geniuses, so they were often bullied. They yearned for a peerless genius to appear in their branch, one who could lead them to rise and stop others from daring to bully them.

"Of course. Let’s all go and watch," the elder Baleng said with a cheerful laugh.

"Great!"

The entire group made their way toward the plaza.

From the distance, a roaring clamor of voices could be heard, carrying all the way to where they were.

"Mu Xuan, that’s our clan’s plaza over there. The once-in-a-millennium Talent detection is currently underway," said the elder Baleng.

Li Yang nodded, his gaze also turning toward the distance.

’Once the Talent detection is over, I should be able to receive the full support and cultivation of the Thunder Star Beast clan,’ Li Yang thought to himself.

As he was thinking this, the elder Baleng beside him continued, "However, before we enter the plaza for the Talent detection, we need to make a trip to the Soul Hall next to it."

"The Soul Hall? What kind of place is that?" Li Yang asked, a little puzzled.

"Haha, Mu Xuan, don’t worry. The Soul Hall is just a place to verify identities," the elder Baleng explained. "We Thunder Star Beasts have heaven-defying lifespans and are born at the World Realm. This makes us easy targets for powerful experts seeking to create clones. So, for any members who have been living outside the clan, we have to use the Soul Hall for a check. It can easily determine if a member has been soul-enslaved or has become a clone nurtured by another life form. Only after passing the Soul Hall’s inspection can you truly be considered part of our clan and receive our training."

"I see." Li Yang nodded. His face was calm, but his heart instantly plunged into a panic.

This Thunder Star Beast body of his was precisely such a nurtured clone.

’It really wasn’t going to be that simple. To receive the powerful Thunder Star Beast clan’s training, I actually have to get my identity verified!’

Li Yang’s heart sank.

Before this, his contact with the Thunder Star Beasts, being brought here, and being about to have his Talent tested... the entire process had been incredibly smooth. Neither Lei Xuan nor the elder Baleng had suspected him in the slightest. They didn’t doubt that he might be a clone created by some powerful expert.

In the past, even before his World Tree clone had undergone any mutations, Soul Ink had told him to nurture a Thunder Star Beast clone. This meant that any expert who possessed a World Tree, no matter who they were, could nurture a Thunder Star Beast clone!

But neither Lei Xuan nor the elder Baleng had mentioned it at all. They had no suspicions whatsoever. Li Yang had been a bit puzzled before, wondering why they trusted him so completely and didn’t suspect him of being an expert’s clone.

He never expected the catch to be here!

The Thunder Star Beast clan’s Soul Hall could actually detect whether someone was a clone or had been soul-enslaved!

The elder Baleng said with a smile, "Go on in, Mu Xuan. You just have to stay in the Soul Hall for ten seconds. If your identity is normal, the Soul Hall won’t react at all."

"Alright." Li Yang nodded and walked directly toward the Soul Hall.

At a critical moment like this, he absolutely couldn’t show the slightest hesitation. If he did, his identity would definitely be questioned.

So, Li Yang had to brace himself and go through with the test.

’This is the heart of the Thunder Star Beast clan’s territory. There must be a Dominator-level expert overseeing it! There’s no way I can escape. The only way is to enter the Soul Hall, and if there’s even the slightest strange reaction, I’ll self-destruct immediately!’

At that moment, countless thoughts raced through Li Yang’s mind.

His Thunder Star Beast clone had basically no particularly precious treasures on it, only some cultivation resources. Even if it self-destructed, he wouldn’t feel the loss too keenly.

After all, the World Tree could easily resurrect it again.

’The only loss would be forfeiting the training from the Thunder Star Beast clan!’

The Thunder Star Beast clan was so powerful. If he could receive their dedicated training, his rate of progress would be incredibly fast.

However, the Thunder Star Beast clan was merely icing on the cake for Li Yang. Even if he lost this opportunity, he would feel regret at most, but not too much remorse.

Given enough time, he could still grow strong on his own!

’I won’t overthink it. The worst-case scenario is the Thunder Star Beast clone committing suicide and losing the clan’s training.’

Li Yang looked ahead, took a deep breath, and began to walk with large strides toward the Soul Hall.

The reason Li Yang didn’t self-destruct beforehand was that he still held onto a sliver of hope.

His Thunder Star Beast clone had also practiced the Cultivation Technique from within the mysterious small sword. Not to mention anything else, its soul alone had been elevated to the peak of the World Realm!

Perhaps it could evade the Soul Hall’s detection!

How powerful was the Cultivation Technique from within the mysterious small sword? It had given Li Yang all sorts of powerful trump cards that others could not hope to match.

Of course, the possibility was extremely small, but the probability was not zero.

With Li Yang’s personality, he would never give up until the very last moment.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but in reality, only two or three seconds had passed. Finally, Li Yang arrived before the entrance to the Soul Hall.

Entering it would decide his fate!

This was truly one step from heaven, one step to hell.

Having arrived, Li Yang didn’t hesitate and stepped directly inside.

HUMMM...

The moment he entered, Li Yang’s Thunder Star Beast clone felt a strange fluctuation wash over it. A peculiar energy seemed to emerge within the palace, entering his body and attempting to probe his soul.

Under this probe, Li Yang felt his soul become extremely uncomfortable, and the strange energy seemed as if it was about to erupt.