The Hongchen Siblings

The Goddess of Life explained:

"These forging hammers were forged from a single piece of Gold of Life."

"The handles were made from branches of the Life Ancient Tree. Then I nurtured them with my God King divine power and spiritual power until they fit the hammerheads perfectly, like extensions of your own arms."

Seeing the shock in Ji Jing's eyes, she continued:

"They are not only divine tools for Forging, but also formidable weapons in battle. Now, they belong to you. Give these one-of-a-kind divine tools a name."

Ji Jing reached out and cautiously grasped the hammer handles floating in the air.

They felt smooth and warm in his hands, heavy yet perfectly suited to his grip, as if they were parts of his body.

The immense power of life and creation within the hammerheads flowed through the handles and into every part of him, filling him with a comfort and strength he had never felt before.

He sensed the vast divine power within the hammers. After a moment's thought, a glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes, and he said solemnly:

"Life lies in creation, and destruction is the beginning of new life. These are gifts from you, representing the pinnacle of life and creation. I'll call them... the Hammer of Creation."

"The Hammer of Creation..."

The Goddess of Life murmured the name, then nodded with satisfaction.

"A good name. I hope they help you overcome every obstacle in the mortal world."

After giving Ji Jing her advice, the Goddess of Life's phantom dissolved into specks of green light and quietly vanished. The immense aura of life in the room faded with her.

Ji Jing couldn't bear to put down the Hammer of Creation. He ran his hands over it lovingly.

Tang San had yet to formally teach him Forging, but the surging power emanating from the divine hammers in his hands, along with their blood-bonded sense of familiarity, made him eager to find a place to test them out.

With a thought, he stowed the Hammer of Creation in his Storage Soul Tool, then opened the door and left his room, planning to check out the hotel's private training grounds.

But the moment he stepped out, he saw two people standing in the corridor, apparently waiting for him. As soon as he appeared, both pairs of eyes turned toward him.

Ji Jing stopped in his tracks.

A brother and sister stood there, both striking in their own way.

The older brother had a peerlessly handsome face, fair skin, and features so delicate they seemed almost otherworldly. His beauty was so androgynous it was hard to tell whether he was male or female.

His sister had an exceptionally rare head of wine-red hair, like the finest aged wine, gleaming alluringly beneath the lights.

Her eyes were a clear blue, like sapphires set in jade—bright and captivating.

Since arriving in this world, Ji Jing had never met the Hongchen Siblings and didn't recognize them.

In his hazy memories, what stood out most about the Hongchen Siblings was their signature white hair in the comic. He couldn't connect the wine-red-haired girl before him with that image at all.

However, this was the top floor that Shrek Academy had booked. The fact that these two were here, apparently waiting for someone, put him on his guard.

He stopped and looked at them calmly. "May I ask who you're looking for?"

When the androgynous-looking boy saw Ji Jing, his eyes lit up, and he started forward.

But before he could speak, his sister shoved him aside.

Meng Hongchen's eyes shone even brighter than her brother's, as if she'd discovered a priceless treasure. She darted over to Ji Jing in a few quick steps, beaming as she greeted him warmly.

"Hello! I'm Meng Hongchen. I've heard so much about you, Ji Jing!"

As she spoke, Meng Hongchen openly held out her fair hand.

Ji Jing was a little surprised. He raised an eyebrow, then politely reached out and lightly took her fingertips in his. He nodded. "Hello."

At that moment, Xiao Hongchen, who'd been pushed aside, came over with an annoyed look and called her out.

"What do you mean, 'I've heard so much about you'? I only just asked some sleazy-looking guy for his name."

"Shut up!"

Meng Hongchen glared at her brother and retorted without a hint of shame, "Asking a handsome guy's name for your little sister is what an older brother is supposed to do!"

Xiao Hongchen's mouth twitched. He decided not to argue with his lovestruck sister.

He edged Meng Hongchen aside and stood in front of Ji Jing. His expression returned to one of seriousness and confidence as he held out his hand.

"Ji Jing, my name is Xiao Hongchen. I watched your matches today, and I'm looking forward to testing myself against you in the arena."

Ji Jing was a little surprised.

He knew that the siblings weren't bad people at heart; they were simply on a different side from the protagonist of the original story.

Besides, he hadn't come down to the mortal world to devote himself to Shrek. There was no harm in making a friend.

With that in mind, Ji Jing smiled warmly and shook Xiao Hongchen's hand firmly.

"In that case, I'm looking forward to that day too."

"Then I'll see you in the arena."

Xiao Hongchen let go and nodded to Ji Jing in greeting.

"Brother, why are you in such a hurry? I haven't even had a chance to chat with him!"

Meng Hongchen tugged at Xiao Hongchen's arm in protest.

"Let's go. We came to scout our opponent, not for you to make friends."

Xiao Hongchen wasn't swayed. He practically dragged his reluctant sister away.

Ji Jing watched them leave with a faint smile, then turned and went back to his room.

Before long, Wang Dong returned.

Ji Jing went into the kitchen attached to the suite and used the fresh ingredients provided by the hotel to make her a simple but tasty dinner.

After the meal, he got to his feet when he saw how satisfied Wang Dong looked.

"Where are you going?"

Wang Dong keenly sensed that he was about to head out.

"To stretch my legs."

As he spoke, Ji Jing put on his jacket.

"Get some rest. I'll be back in a little while."

Before Wang Dong could ask anything else, he opened the door and left.

After leaving the hotel, Ji Jing quickly made his way to a secluded, uninhabited spot.

With a thought, his third Soul Ring lit up. He gave a low shout.

"Flying Fire Meteor!"

In an instant, blazing Soul Power burst from his back, condensing into two radiant trails of flame.

The force lifted him off the ground, granting him the ability to fly.

Without hesitation, he activated his Soul Skill repeatedly. The trails of flame behind him flashed twice in succession.

"Triple Amplification!"

As his Soul Power drained rapidly, the fiery trails behind him swelled dramatically, and his flying speed instantly multiplied to its limit.

He became a red shooting star, tearing through the night and racing toward the outskirts of Star Luo City.

Before long, he had crossed several kilometers and landed deep in a dense, uninhabited forest.

The night breeze brushed the treetops with a rustling sound. Insects chirped all around him, making the forest seem quiet and secluded.

Ji Jing deactivated his Soul Skill and landed steadily.

His powerful spiritual power spread like a tide as he carefully searched the area for several kilometers, making sure there were no Soul Masters or powerful Soul Beasts nearby.

"This distance should be enough."

He thought to himself.

He'd already made plans for anything unexpected that might happen.

Ordinary people wouldn't be able to find him. Even if some clueless powerhouse happened upon him, he could just beat them until they knew better, as long as they were only curious.

But if they grew greedy and tried to rob him, he wouldn't mind adding another cold corpse to the forest.

With that thought, he didn't hesitate any longer.

After putting on a mask, he flipped his hands, and the Hammer of Creation appeared in them.

Just holding the hammers made Ji Jing feel power coursing through his entire body.

He took a deep breath, spread his feet, settled into a solid stance, and slowly raised the hammer in his right hand.

He didn't use any Soul Power. First, he wanted to test just how astonishingly destructive the divine hammers could be through sheer physical strength alone.