"Honestly, although I've lived in the human world for quite some time, I've spent most of my life in the forest and know very little about human etiquette and customs. On top of that, the conflict between humans and Soul Beasts has always made me more curious about humans than fond of them. I'm also obsessed with researching genetics, pharmacology, souls, and the like, so I neglected socializing. As a result, I hardly have any friends."
"Back then, Kong Dehan had just reached level seventy and couldn't see through my true identity. He saved me simply because he wanted to hunt the Evil Eye Tyrant for its Soul Bone! He also wanted to befriend me and win me over to serve the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family! I'm not bragging, but even after starting over as a human, my talent as a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast still ranked among the very best on the entire Sun Moon Continent! At the time, I was supposedly only in my thirties, yet I'd already reached the level of cultivation you humans would call level sixty-something!"
"Kong Dehan didn't know I was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast back then, but we became friends because we shared so many interests and had so much to talk about. I told him my name was Cang Ming, named directly after my true form. Although Kong Dehan knew of the Cangming Turtle Soul Beast, it wasn't unusual for a Beast Martial Soul to take the form of an existing Soul Beast. He was simply surprised that I had such a top-tier Martial Soul. After all, you know what the quality of most Martial Souls among Sun Moon Empire Soul Masters is like."
"To let me focus on my research, Kong Dehan used his influence to grant me the land beneath our feet and had a research institute built here, so I could work without outside interference. In return, I had to provide him with much of the research and many of the results I produced. The names of their creators, however, had to remain strictly confidential."
"Later, as we gradually came to trust one another—and once Kong Dehan reached level ninety and it became impossible to keep it from him—I confessed that I was a Soul Beast. Kong Dehan was so shocked he couldn't speak, but our deep friendship helped him accept everything before long. He even helped conceal my identity."
"Although I occasionally left this place to visit human cities for one reason or another, I was never in any danger. The Sun Moon Empire had only eleven or twelve ninth-rank powerhouses in total, and most of them were concentrated in the Ming Capital."
Hearing this, Xu Mochen suddenly understood. Then, as if a thought had struck him, he did his best to suppress his excitement and asked respectfully, "May I ask, senior: those few anonymous books I've read about Martial Souls and biological genetics, such as Origin of Martial Souls and Natural Gene Decoding, and those unclaimed invention patents, like Spirit Medicine Nutrient Solution and Mind-Clearing and Heart-Calming Agent—were they all your work?"
At that, Cang Ming gave a helpless glance at Kong Dehan, who was smiling beside him, and replied modestly, "You mean those little things? They're not worth mentioning. I told Old Kong back then to find anyone to put their name on my invention patents and books. My main reason for devoting myself to research was simply my own interest and a desire to contribute to this world—and, as a small gesture of gratitude for Old Kong's protection and support."
"But that usually open-minded Old Kong was stubborn beyond belief when it came to this! He insisted on using my name. If I wouldn't let him, he'd leave the researchers' names blank! He said that, in his eyes, even if someone else had researched something but never published it, taking that knowledge and proclaiming it as your own was shameless theft and deceit, even if the researcher didn't mind!"
"If such a thing were discovered, no matter how noble the culprit's status, they'd be cast into the abyss in the academic world of the entire Sun Moon Empire, condemned to eternal infamy!"
After a pause, Cang Ming continued explaining, "Actually, you've hidden your Martial Soul very well. I have to say, the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King truly is remarkable. It didn't just change the appearance of your Martial Soul and conceal your cultivation; it even managed to disguise your Soul Power and aura flawlessly! If I hadn't met the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King, then judging only by the Soul Power fluctuations and aura you give off, I probably would have mistaken your Martial Soul for the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon."
"But unfortunately, there are some things you can't conceal. Namely, the aura you project! Someone with a god-level Martial Soul and the bloodline of a divine beast can hide every trace of divine power perfectly, yet still unconsciously radiate the might and presence unique to a god-level powerhouse through their every gesture and expression!"
"It's a noble presence that comes as naturally as breathing! No one can imitate it by any other means, and no method can easily conceal it! I've only ever sensed that same noble presence and invisible might in one other senior besides you—and that senior was your ancestor, the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King!"
"My true form, the Cangming Turtle, is a Soul Beast highly sensitive to Soul Power, auras, and imposing presences! So, without meaning to boast, no one on the Sun Moon Continent today can match me at discerning and judging such things!
"Not only have I met your ancestor, I've also met other owners of the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon Martial Soul. I have to say, your presence and bearing are exactly the same as that senior's. Those are qualities that owners of the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon Martial Soul could never possess!
"Since you're that senior's descendant, it was only natural to deduce the true nature of your Martial Soul. And why did I conclude that you'd inherited the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King's legacy? Naturally, because I once learned a great deal about your family's secrets from the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King and Kong Dehan! The ancient ruins left behind by the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King were among them!
"Unless something unexpected happened, after you awakened the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King Martial Soul, even if none of you knew what it was, its displayed abilities would have made it clear that it surpassed the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon. That would surely have aroused the suspicions of people in the know, like Kong Dehan, and they would have taken you to the ancient ruins passed down by your family to try their luck!
"And after waiting tens of thousands of years for a descendant with the talent to meet its requirements, the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King certainly wouldn't let this opportunity pass! So, with your talent, there was an excellent chance you'd receive the opportunity to inherit its legacy!"
"And now, the profound technique you've displayed for concealing your Martial Soul has only confirmed my judgment! I've heard of this secret technique only from the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King. The conditions for learning the technique it created are that either your true form or your Martial Soul must be a pure-blooded Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon—and that it must teach you personally!
"None of the Sun Moon Empire's emperors in previous generations had anything beyond the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon Martial Soul, so they naturally couldn't have passed down this Martial Soul concealment technique. That means we can be almost certain your technique came from the central ancient ruins inherited by your family. Whether the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King recognized you and passed on its legacy is obvious!"
"Senior, your insight is truly remarkable. I'm in awe." At this point, Xu Mochen could only clasp his hands and bow. Cang Ming had clearly displayed exceptional ability, whether in skill, insight, or knowledge! If the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family could really recruit someone like him, the benefits to the empire would be unimaginable!
As he spoke, Cang Ming slapped his forehead and said apologetically, "Look at me, getting so old and muddleheaded that I left you two waiting outside for so long. Please, come in and we can talk. This is the sitting room. Take a seat on the sofa over here while I go brew some tea."
With that, he went to get things ready. Kong Dehan simply sat in the wide sofa and closed his eyes to rest. Xu Mochen, meanwhile, looked around the room with curiosity. This was the sitting room, and its decor was very simple. Apart from the necessities and furniture, there was almost nothing else. It was clear he had little interest in material things. Trying to win him over with material incentives probably wouldn't work.
In fact, once Xu Mochen learned that this man had written and invented those famous works and creations of the Sun Moon Empire, he had completely abandoned the idea of testing the man's knowledge! In order to create Artificial Soul Rings, he'd spent the past year searching for all sorts of information. Of all the references he'd found, Origin of Martial Souls and Natural Gene Decoding had helped him the most.
They described in detail much of the knowledge he urgently needed, giving him a certain understanding of the cultivation system across the entire Douluo Continent. Unfortunately, he had never found the author of those books. He'd asked around, but to no avail. Even when he asked Kong Dehan, Kong Dehan only gave vague answers and claimed he didn't know.
He'd searched to the ends of the earth, only to find what he sought without lifting a finger: the great expert he'd been looking for was the very man Kong Dehan had recommended to him! As for testing him? He'd better not embarrass himself.
A short while later, Cang Ming brought over three freshly brewed cups of steaming tea. The rich fragrance of medicinal herbs rising from them seemed to fill Xu Mochen's body and mind with a long-forgotten sense of ease, as if all his fatigue had vanished.
"Medicinal tea! This is definitely top-grade medicinal tea!" Xu Mochen knew exactly what that refreshing fragrance meant! Even the tribute tea served to the imperial family probably wasn't this miraculous! He could be sure the tea leaves had been developed and grown by Cang Ming himself.
Xu Mochen gently lifted the teacup, made from pinewood, and took a small sip. In an instant, a warm current spread through every limb and bone in his body, as if he'd taken a hot bath and then steamed himself in a sauna. The comfort was indescribable, and even the Soul Power within him seemed to have undergone a certain degree of refinement!
"Excellent tea! Truly excellent tea! This is the first time I've ever tasted such wonderful medicinal tea!" Xu Mochen couldn't help praising it again and again.
"This tea is called Green Jade Spirit-Nurturing Tea. It's a new variety I cultivated and grew myself. It has benefits such as regulating the breath and replenishing the blood, nourishing the spirit and calming the soul, quenching thirst, and preserving youth and prolonging life. If you like it, I can give you some."
"Just don't expect much. This tea can only grow here. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth elsewhere is too thin to support its growth, and the yield is low, so I don't have much on hand."
Cang Ming shrugged as if it were no big deal, then said, "But back to the point. You came to see me because you want to find a way to create Artificial Soul Rings together, right? I still don't have much confidence in that, but since you've received the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King's legacy, I imagine you've built up a decent store of knowledge, haven't you?"
"Then first, tell me how much you know about the cultivation system of Martial Souls. Don't bring up things like the ideal Soul Ring age ratios, the classification of Martial Soul types, or basic Soul Beast illustrated guides. Even children at the beginner academies should know those."
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