Sun Moon Hall of Worship, Kong Deming

Late at night

Sun Moon Empire, Hall of Worship

Jing Hongchen arrived here at this time. After hesitating for a moment, he still walked inside. Although the academy had produced such a genius and he had made a deal with him, he did not believe he could make that genius—or the force behind him—value him so highly.

There was only one elderly man in the Hall of Worship at the moment. He was intently studying a new type of Soul Tool. He might have known Jing Hongchen had entered, or he might have pretended not to know.

Seeing the old man studying the Soul Tool, Jing Hongchen chose to wait. The old man before him was the foremost figure of the current Hall of Worship, the former Hall Master of Mingde Hall. He possessed a quarter of the imperial bloodline, and even the current Sun Moon Emperor had to respectfully call him Ancestor.

Most importantly, every Rank 9 Soul Engineer in the Sun Moon Empire had received his guidance, including Jing Hongchen himself.

He was Kong Deming, Hall Master of the Sun Moon Empire's Hall of Worship, the Silver Moon Douluo.

After a long while, the old man slowly raised his head and looked at Jing Hongchen, who had been standing there for quite some time. Teasingly, he said, "Little Jing, what wind brought a busy man like you here?"

"Old Kong." Jing Hongchen addressed him respectfully and told Kong Deming half of what had happened today. However, he chose to conceal the matter of Martial Soul Evolution.

Everyone had selfish motives, Jing Hongchen included. He had only that grandson and granddaughter. As their grandfather, what was wrong with securing some benefits for them?

What Sun Moon Imperial Family? How could it be more important than his own family?

"Radiant Gold Ancient Dragon, possessing Extreme Power and a Gold Element close to Extreme Gold. Rank 26 at ten years old, with a thousand-year second Spirit Ring and a hidden force behind him."

Kong Deming was left stunned by what Jing Hongchen told him. He did not even react when the carving knife in his hand fell to the floor.

After taking a moment to recover, Kong Deming looked at Jing Hongchen and probed, "Hall Master Jing, do you think their ability to help others break through to Rank 95 is real?"

"I think it is." Facing Kong Deming's question, Jing Hongchen voiced his thoughts. His purpose was to drag this man into it; otherwise, he would not feel at ease with the deal he had made!

Kong Deming was an old fox himself. How could he not see through Jing Hongchen's little scheme? That brat definitely still had something hidden from him, but it did not matter.

If they really could break through to Rank 95, then he could give that little fellow a little more of those Soul Tool materials and other things.

"Tomorrow, bring that little genius to see me. I would like to see what a genius capable of rivaling Shrek's monsters is like."

After hesitating again and again, Kong Deming decided to take a day off tomorrow and personally inspect this genius. If he could establish a long-term partnership with the force behind him, it would be a wonderful thing.

He had been stuck at Rank 94 for far too long.

Rank 95 was now his dream, and the necessary path toward researching a Rank 10 Soul Tool Device. Otherwise, researching a Rank 10 Soul Tool Device would be difficult!

Jing Hongchen nodded in agreement. As for what he was thinking, only he himself knew.

"Then, Old Kong, I'll be leaving first."

"Go."

Kong Deming stared at Jing Hongchen's departing back, seemingly lost in thought.

After leaving the Hall of Worship, Jing Hongchen walked down the deserted streets with an unpleasant expression. He had only wanted to drag Kong Deming into this, yet he had ended up shooting himself in the foot.

Now things were troublesome. Jin Tianming was going to meet Kong Deming tomorrow, and what he had concealed today might be exposed.

Just as Jing Hongchen was considering how to handle tomorrow, he sensed danger approaching. He immediately turned around, summoned his Martial Soul, and activated his Rank 9 Soul Tool shield.

But it was already too late. That person's claw had seized Jing Hongchen by the throat.

Jing Hongchen clearly saw the person before him and the nine Spirit Rings around him: white, yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black. Though the Spirit Rings were not the optimal configuration, this man was still a genuine Titled Douluo.

But why had this man been able to evade his senses and launch a sneak attack from behind?

This was something Jing Hongchen could not understand. They were both Titled Douluo. No fluctuations of Soul Power should have been able to escape the other's perception. Even if he had reached his level through drugs, he should still have sensed it!

Instead, he had only noticed after being ambushed.

Damn it! Jing Hongchen cursed inwardly, though he maintained a calm facade as he asked, "Your Excellency, is there perhaps some misunderstanding between us?"

"There is no misunderstanding. You are already dead."

Moxie withdrew his Shadow Dragon Claw. When Jing Hongchen immediately retreated and pulled out a Soul Tool Cannon to aim at him, Moxie's expression remained completely unchanged. He merely gave him a cold glance and warned:

"My Young Master will be in your care from now on. If anything happens to him, it will not be stray cats and dogs like me who come next." With that, Moxie's figure swiftly vanished into the darkness, disappearing before Jing Hongchen's astonished eyes.

"He disappeared?" Jing Hongchen released his Spiritual Power to scan the surroundings again. After discovering that there truly was no trace of that Titled Douluo, he fell silent for a long time.

What he had just experienced was simply too surreal.

A Rank 93 Titled Douluo had suddenly appeared, grabbed him by the throat, then released him and left after saying some incomprehensible words.

"What a freak!" Jing Hongchen cursed under his breath, but he still silently put away the Soul Tool Cannons around him. He already knew the answer. The Young Master that Titled Douluo spoke of was Jin Tianming. His Spirit Rings may not have been optimally configured, but that stealth Soul Skill that even Titled Douluo found difficult to detect was truly too absurd!

Jing Hongchen stood there for a long while before finally leaving the deserted street.

He would not reveal what had happened today to anyone else. He vaguely felt that the Titled Douluo's words carried another meaning.

Inside the dormitory.

After receiving Moxie's response, Jin Tianming asked curiously, "How was it?"

Because the Holy Lord had used a secret technique to help Moxie break through to Rank 93, further advancing his Concealment Technique, Jin Tianming had allowed Moxie to go frighten Jing Hongchen.

"Lord Golden Dragon, the technique bestowed by the Holy Lord is a divine skill!" Moxie answered honestly. He was not exaggerating; only after he entered Jing Hongchen's shadow did that old man notice him.

"What about the Dragon Transformation Technique?"

What Jin Tianming was more curious about was the Dragon Transformation Technique within the secret art. It allowed one to transform into a dragon freely without releasing one's Martial Soul, showing that it was far from ordinary.

Hearing this, Moxie fell silent for a moment before answering truthfully, "Lord Golden Dragon, Dragon Transformation is likely only useful below the Titled Douluo level. After reaching Titled Douluo, I can transform freely without even summoning my Martial Soul."

"I see." Jin Tianming rested his chin on one hand while tapping the table with the other. Dragon Transformation could temporarily strengthen one's body to a certain extent. He was considering whether he could rely on this Dragon Transformation Technique and the strength of the Radiant Gold Ancient Dragon to absorb a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring as his third Spirit Ring.

His second Spirit Ring was not merely a thousand-year ring. It was a genuine Five-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring; those people simply had not examined it carefully enough.

Moxie quietly remained at his side without disturbing Jin Tianming's thoughts.

"Moxie, you can go rest."

After thinking for a while longer, Jin Tianming allowed Moxie to leave. Next, he wanted to quietly study Soul Engineer knowledge on his own.