"Indeed, Grandfather didn't do enough."
Kong Deming let out a soft sigh, his voice tinged with guilt.
"Ever since you were born, I've devoted all my energy to researching Soul Tools and rarely paid you any attention. Looking back now, I truly owe you both a great deal."
He reached out and gently patted Xu Tianyao on the shoulder.
"Tianyao, you're my grandson, and I'm your grandfather. We're family. You don't need to be so formal with me from now on."
At that, Kong Deming changed the subject. Whether he wanted to make it up to Xu Tianyao or had some other reason, his expression gradually grew serious.
"Tianyao, the reason I ended my seclusion early this time was to help you solve the problem of being unable to cultivate your Sun Moon Martial Souls at the same time."
"Now that I've explained everything to you, come with me."
"I'll show you something."
Kong Deming knew this very well.
For a child so precocious he was practically a prodigy, empty talk about family affection meant very little.
Some things couldn't be made up for with a few words of concern.
Only concrete action could truly bring them closer.
And right now, helping Xu Tianyao overcome the greatest flaw of his Twin Martial Souls was undoubtedly the most worthwhile thing he could do.
Hearing this, Xu Tianyao's heart leaped with joy.
The heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled, at least halfway.
Just as he'd thought: Kong Deming wouldn't have summoned him if he didn't already have a solution.
Xu Tianyao followed Kong Deming deeper into the laboratory.
At last, he had the chance to see Kong Deming's Soul Tool laboratory for himself.
And what he saw left him utterly awestruck.
He'd thought the area outside was already enormous, but only when they ventured farther in did he realize that this underground research base was far grander than he'd imagined.
Broad metal corridors stretched downward, one level after another.
Bright Soul Guidance Lamps were embedded in both walls, illuminating the entire passage as if it were broad daylight.
Every so often, he caught sight of Soul Tool instruments of intricate construction and unknown purpose.
This place was less an ordinary laboratory than a hidden underground kingdom of Soul Tools.
After an unknown length of time, Kong Deming finally stopped in front of a massive metal door.
The door stood several meters tall, covered in densely engraved Soul Tool patterns. A single glance was enough to make anyone feel a powerful sense of oppression.
Kong Deming took a disk-shaped Soul Tool from his robes and pressed it against the center of the door.
A soft hum rang out.
In an instant, the entire door seemed to come alive.
Countless Soul Tool patterns lit up at once, blue-gold light spreading across the surface like flowing water.
Then, amid a deep mechanical rumble, the heavy door slowly slid open to either side.
The muffled sound echoed through the chamber as its doors slowly swung open.
The sight beyond finally came into Xu Tianyao's view.
The chamber was vast and empty. There were no mountains of research materials, nor rows upon rows of Soul Tools.
There was only one thing inside: a Soul Tool device so enormous it was breathtaking.
It was a gigantic metal ring more than ten meters in diameter.
Countless intricate Soul Tool patterns covered its surface, crisscrossing one another to form a vast, complex energy network.
A specially made seat hung in the center of the ring.
Two crystals, each a different color, were set into the ring's upper and lower ends.
One was fiery red, the other deep blue like the sea.
The two colors reflected each other, as if the sun and moon hung in the sky together.
Even from the doorway, the sight gave Xu Tianyao a feeling unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
He couldn't help holding his breath.
Could this be the device Kong Deming had spent decades of painstaking effort creating specifically for the Sun Moon Twin Martial Souls?
Before he could ask, Kong Deming began explaining of his own accord.
His gaze fell on the enormous ring, and his aged face brimmed with undisguised pride.
"Tianyao."
"This Soul Tool embodies a lifetime of my blood, sweat, and tears."
"In my heart, it holds a place equal to the Silver Moon Divine Light Shield."
"From a certain point of view, it's the true gift I wanted to leave to the Empire."
As he spoke, Kong Deming slowly walked over to the device and ran his hand across the cold metal ring. His eyes burned with the fervor of a father looking at his child.
"It's called the Sun-Moon Dual Coexistence Device."
Then he picked up a palm-sized ring from a nearby control panel.
The ring was made of interwoven red and blue metals.
Sun patterns and moon patterns entwined around each other, lending it an exquisite, mysterious appearance.
"And this is its core auxiliary device."
"In short, the Sun Moon Ring."
Kong Deming walked over to Xu Tianyao and personally put the Sun Moon Ring around his neck.
Then he instructed him, "Once we start it, the ring will connect your body to the entire device."
As he spoke, Kong Deming pointed to the seat in the middle of the ring.
"Tianyao, go sit down and fasten your seat belt."
"Then press the activation button on the Sun Moon Ring."
"After that, do exactly as I tell you."
Perhaps worried that Xu Tianyao was nervous, Kong Deming added, "Don't worry. Your grandfather won't hurt you."
Even so, Xu Tianyao could still sense Kong Deming's urgency in his quickening speech.
It was the feeling of a scholar who had spent decades on his research, finally arriving at the moment when he could verify his results.
Excitement. Anticipation. And even a hint of apprehension.
Xu Tianyao slowly walked over to the seat and looked at the immense, mysterious device before him.
Then he lowered his head and touched the Sun Moon Ring around his neck.
His heart was a tangle of emotions. He truly couldn't imagine it.
In this era, the Sun Moon Empire had already managed to build such an advanced Soul Tool device.
Its technological level was enough to crush the rest of Douluo Continent.
After taking a deep breath, Xu Tianyao sat in the seat.
Click. The seat belt locked automatically.
Then, following Kong Deming's instructions, he pressed the activation button on the Sun Moon Ring.
The next moment, a deep, weighty rumble rang out.
The entire ring began to rotate slowly.
At first it moved at a crawl, but as energy continued to pour in, it spun faster and faster.
The fiery red crystal and deep blue crystal at the ring's upper and lower ends lit up at the same time.
Blazing red and blue light became two torrents of energy, surging along the countless Soul Tool patterns.
From a distance, it looked as if a blazing sun and a bright moon had both been awakened.
The red and blue lights intertwined, bathing the entire chamber in an unreal glow.
Terrifying waves of energy spread outward like a rising tide.
Just then, Kong Deming came to Xu Tianyao's side, his expression more solemn than ever.
"Tianyao."
"Remember, you must relax."
"No matter what happens, don't resist the energy guiding you."
"If anything goes wrong, I'll stop the experiment immediately. I won't let you be put in any danger."
Before you continue