Jing Hongchen: Can I Have Them All?

"Looks like Hall Master Jing isn't that foolish after all."

Jing Hongchen:

If it weren't for the force behind you that I'm wary of, I'd have torn that arrogant mouth of yours apart!

"However, Hall Master, you guessed one thing wrong. The force behind me does intend to make a deal with you, but I don't represent myself. I'm merely the messenger," Jin Tianming said with a smile. "Coming here to study Soul Tools was my own idea, not theirs."

Jing Hongchen said nothing. He simply sat there, stroking his chin as his gaze remained fixed on Jin Tianming. It was as though he wanted to see through the boy completely. This was the first time he had encountered such a youth. Truly...

"What kind of deal?" Jing Hongchen asked curiously. If a deal could be made, he was still willing to trade.

"I need a Rank 9 Soul Engineer to be my teacher."

"Is that your request, or the request of the force behind you?" Jing Hongchen asked, somewhat baffled by the answer.

Jin Tianming shrugged. "Those people said to let me do as I pleased."

Jing Hongchen: ???

"Are you sure?"

Jing Hongchen simply did not believe a young man's words. If that was all he wanted, then what had been the point of saying so much earlier?

Seeing Jing Hongchen's disbelieving expression, Jin Tianming thought for a moment before saying, "They need some advanced Soul Tools, especially Space Soul Tools. They also need two Rank 9 Soul Tool bombs."

Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen shot to his feet, staring intently at Jin Tianming as he asked word by word, "Do you know what you're saying?"

The earlier request was still acceptable, but what the hell were two Rank 9 Soul Tool bombs?

Did he really think Rank 9 Soul Tools were so easy to trade?

He felt that he had been completely fooled by this boy.

Seeing Jing Hongchen so agitated, Jin Tianming calmly took a sip of black tea before answering, "Of course I know. But doesn't Hall Master Jing want to hear the conditions offered by those people behind me?"

"Let's hear them."

Jing Hongchen forcibly suppressed his anger and sat back down. He vaguely felt that the boy before him was completely incompatible with him.

"One Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone, or helping you advance to Rank 95 and become a Super Douluo. Or perhaps you want your grandson or granddaughter's Martial Soul to undergo a leap in evolution. They said you may choose whichever you wish!"

Jin Tianming stated the terms he had prepared in his mind. There was no rush, anyway. When the time came, he could just let the main body worry about it.

Tian Mucheng: Thanks a lot!

Hall Master Jing was so shocked by those terms that his mouth hung open. He almost could not believe his own ears.

He forcibly suppressed his excitement and calmly asked, "How am I supposed to believe you? And what do you mean by a leap in Martial Soul Evolution?"

Jin Tianming did not immediately answer Hall Master Jing's question. Instead, he pushed his teacup forward and said, "There's no more black tea."

"..."

Jing Hongchen took a deep breath and poured Jin Tianming another cup of black tea.

"Thank you."

Jin Tianming accepted the tea, blew on it, and took a sip before saying, "A Martial Soul leaping into evolution means evolving into a dragon. No matter what Martial Soul it is, as long as those people approve, they have a way to grant it a dragon's blessing and evolve it into a Martial Soul related to dragons."

"Then what about your Martial Soul?"

Back in the cafeteria, Jing Hongchen had clearly seen the golden scales on Jin Tianming's body. That Dragon Might was unquestionably from a True Dragon Martial Soul!

Where on Douluo Continent were True Dragon Martial Souls most common? Dragon City in the Heaven Dou Empire, especially the force known as the Heavenly Dragon Gate.

But the boy before him definitely did not come from there. Jing Hongchen had experienced the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul before, but compared to the boy's Martial Soul, it was utterly insignificant and not even qualified to be compared.

"Of course it's True Dragon bloodline," Jin Tianming answered. His pride would not allow anyone to belittle his Martial Soul.

Jing Hongchen nodded to show that he understood, though he clearly did not believe Jin Tianming. "Then how am I supposed to trust you or the force behind you?"

Jin Tianming took out a Soul Bone from somewhere and placed it on Jing Hongchen's table. "You'll only be able to receive this once I become a Rank 9 Soul Engineer, but those people wanted to earn your trust, so consider this Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone a deposit."

"A Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone." Jing Hongchen picked it up and examined it. "What Soul Beast did this Soul Bone come from?"

"The right arm Soul Bone of a Ten Thousand Year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear from one of the Ten Great Fierce Beasts. It suits your grandson, Xiao Hongchen, very well."

Jin Tianming answered while looking at the Soul Bone, his eyes filled with memories. In order to hunt the seventh soul ring for the third Dragon Slave, Moxie and Xiao Xue had nearly died in the Star Dou Great Forest.

A Ten Thousand Year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was enough to rival a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. If Moxie and Xiao Xue had not been utterly loyal Dragon Slaves, they would have fled long ago instead of risking their lives to hunt the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear.

Jing Hongchen sucked in a cold breath. The distrust he had maintained until now vanished completely.

This was a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, and one from the race of Xiong Jun, one of the Ten Great Fierce Beasts.

He himself only possessed one or two Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones. The rest were either Thousand Year Soul Bones or nothing at all. Otherwise, he would not have remained stuck at Rank 94.

Yet the force behind Jin Tianming had casually produced a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, and one from the race of a Ten Great Fierce Beast at that. It was truly shocking.

Moreover, it suited his grandson perfectly. Xiao's Martial Soul was the Three-legged Golden Toad, and the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear also possessed the Gold Element. It really was an exceptionally good fit.

That Martial Soul leaping into evolution Jin Tianming had mentioned earlier... if Xiao and Meng's Martial Souls underwent evolution, then the future of the Hongchen Family...

He did not even dare imagine it.

"Student Jin, can I choose them all?" Jing Hongchen asked tentatively. Children had to make choices. Adults wanted everything!

"What do you think?"

Jin Tianming stared at Jing Hongchen with a half-smile. He wanted everything? He was dreaming.

"It seems this old man was indeed too greedy." Facing Jin Tianming's half-smiling expression, Jing Hongchen put away the Soul Bone and coughed a few times to ease the somewhat tense atmosphere. "May I ask what status Little Friend Jin holds within the force behind you?"

With such talent, he had to be at least some sort of holy son, like the heir of the Sea God Pavilion.

"Me?" Jin Tianming began to think. He had never really considered that question. After a moment, he answered, "I am His future guardian."

"Guardian???"

God Realm

Sea God Temple

A man stood quietly there, overlooking everything on Douluo Star. He had water-blue hair that fell all the way to his feet and often wore a luxurious blue robe, making him appear exceptionally "ice pure and jade clean."

This man was Tang San, who had become the Sea God ten thousand years ago, known as the Ice Pure Jade Tang Buddha!

"Strange. Why has the fortune of the Sun Moon Empire changed slightly?" Tang San noticed a minor change in the Sun Moon Empire's fortune. Though puzzled, he did not think much of it. Such a small shift in fortune was nothing significant. His gaze fell once more upon the Star Luo Empire.

He looked at the dense power of fortune above the Star Luo Empire and fell silent for several seconds before muttering, "Why has Douluo Continent actually nurtured two Children of Fortune this time? Huo Yuhao and his younger sister, Huo Yutong. How strange."

"But that's fine. When the time comes, I'll have Xiao Qi turn both Children of Fortune into her own people. One can become her good sister, and the other her good husband. I truly am a good father!"

Thinking of his grand plan spanning ten thousand years, he could not help but praise his own wisdom.

As expected of Tang San! How could a mere Douluo Plane possibly outplay him?...

"Is this fortune?" Back in the dormitory, Jin Tianming sat on his bed and looked at the fortune coiling around his palm, finding it incredibly novel.

Just as he was about to hand the fortune over to the main body, he sensed that something was wrong with the main body's life force. He hurriedly connected to Mo Yan's Sea of Consciousness and asked, "What happened to you?"

Mo Yan quickly connected with Jin Tianming, but her response was somewhat hesitant.

"Well..."

"Spit it out! Don't act like a girl!"

Mo Yan: I fucking am a girl!

She could not be bothered to pursue that any further and explained the entire sequence of events to Jin Tianming.