Helping Jing Hongchen Break Through

When he opened his eyes again, he was already sitting on the sofa in the room, while Jing Hongchen stared at him with a look of wariness.

"Grandfather, it's alright now."

Hearing his grandson's familiar voice, Jing Hongchen's taut nerves finally relaxed.

He let out a long breath; just moments ago, Electrolux had merely swept a glance at him with those gray eyes, yet it had made him feel a terrifying pressure that was nearly suffocating.

His spiritual power was not considered outstanding among Titled Douluos, and had he not been wearing a ninth-level Soul Tool for defense against spiritual attacks, he likely would have fallen into a coma.

"It's good that you're alright." Jing Hongchen's voice still carried lingering fear. "Next time... you won't let him come out as he pleases, will you? That fellow is simply too terrifying."

Xiao Hongchen rubbed his brow and gave a wry smile.

"I won't. I have opened a second sea of consciousness now; without my permission, he cannot control my body."

Only then did Jing Hongchen completely relax. His gaze swept over his grandson, and he suddenly frowned.

"When you fused with that blade, your body expelled quite a few impurities. Go wash up; you smell of sweat."

Xiao Hongchen looked down and realized his clothes were stained with gray-black grime, and a faint, fishy stench lingered in the air—the remnants of the impurities forcibly expelled from his body by the Gold of Life.

He stood up with a bitter smile.

"Understood, I'll go take a shower."

In the bathroom, hot water washed over his body.

Xiao Hongchen stood under the showerhead, letting the warm water rinse away the filth.

His physical fitness and bodily strength had increased several times over. Every joint seemed to have become incredibly flexible; when he turned his head back, his neck could twist nearly one hundred and eighty degrees, and when he lifted his right leg backward, he could easily kick his own head.

It was quite eerie, you know.

Beyond that, the circulation of soul power within his body had become smoother than ever before, and his vitality and spiritual power had also increased significantly. It was as if his entire being had undergone a complete rebirth.

After rinsing off, Xiao Hongchen did not rest immediately; instead, he sat cross-legged on the bed and entered a state of deep meditation.

Ten days later, the morning sun spilled into the room through the curtains.

Xiao Hongchen slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of stale air.

The effect of this meditation exceeded all expectations; his soul power had broken through from the late stage of rank 46 directly to rank 48!

"Woo-hoo!" Xiao Hongchen let out a long whistle. Fusing with the Gold of Life was truly a wonderful thing.

"Cough, cough."

A familiar cough came from his side. Xiao Hongchen's whistle stopped abruptly; Jing Hongchen was sitting on a chair by the bed, guarding him.

"Grandfather? Have you been keeping watch here the whole time?"

Jing Hongchen did not answer, merely pouring a cup of warm tea from the table and handing it over.

As Xiao Hongchen took it and lowered his head to drink, a warm current flowed through his heart.

He decided to channel a portion of the Gold of Life's vitality to Jing Hongchen.

"Have you thought this through?" Electrolux's aged voice echoed in his mind.

"The vitality of the Gold of Life can indeed prolong life and heal hidden injuries for someone of his age. But you have just completed the fusion, and the Eye of Life is not yet stable. Channeling vitality now will take a significant toll on you."

Xiao Hongchen did not hesitate in the slightest.

Electrolux was silent for a moment. "Then do it."

"Grandfather, how long have you been stuck at rank 93?"

Jing Hongchen's brow twitched slightly, but he did not answer.

He had remained at the peak of rank 93 for nearly a decade; even with the accumulation of time, he should have broken through long ago.

But nine years ago, his son and daughter-in-law had died in an accident at the laboratory. This had dealt a massive blow to him, just as he had firmly established himself as the Hall Master of Mingde Hall and was busy securing profits for the Hongchen Family.

Coupled with the medicinal dregs deposited deep in his meridians from taking pills in his youth and the unique constitution of the Sun Moon Empire people, it was reasonable that he could not break through.

Furthermore, Xiao Hongchen remembered that in the original story, Jing Hongchen's cultivation did not advance a single step in the following decade, and even regressed.

Yes, the Hongchen Family was as glorious as it was tragic in the end.

Not only was "Experimental Subject No. 1" and a vast amount of rare metals and blueprints stolen by Huo Yuhao, but his grandson was later beaten to the brink of death by the cheating Huo Yuhao. Though he managed to save his life, the entire Mingde Hall and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy were destroyed in the Great Ming Capital Explosion, and he was eventually dispatched to Tian Dou City, completely removed from the center of power.

Xiao Hongchen reached out and grasped the hand his grandfather had resting on his knee.

"What I fused with during this time is called the Gold of Life. It can grant a soul master pure vitality," he said softly.

"I know your body carries many old injuries in every sense, so I will transfer a portion of the Gold of Life's vitality to you."

Jing Hongchen did not speak. He looked at the hand his grandson was holding.

Xiao Hongchen closed his eyes.

A thin, cyan ray of light lit up at the center of his forehead, and then a verdant carving knife—or rather, the Blade of Life's Watch—slowly emerged from the newly opened vertical eye on his brow.

Under Xiao Hongchen's control, the gentle vitality flowed out from the Blade of Life's Watch, passing through their joined hands and into Jing Hongchen's body.

That vitality nourished Jing Hongchen's meridians, slowly healing the hidden injuries he had accumulated over half a lifetime.

It was unknown how much time had passed before Xiao Hongchen finally let go.

His complexion was a shade paler than before, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his temples.

Jing Hongchen's transformation was even more pronounced.

Although he had already regained his youth upon breaking through to the Title Douluo rank, fixing his appearance to that of a man in his prime, his vitality was now even more vibrant. It was not merely a youthful look, but a surge of life force radiating from within; his lifespan had increased by at least twenty years.

At the same time, a thick wave of soul power surged out from Jing Hongchen's body. Level ninety-four!

Jing Hongchen opened his eyes.

An irrepressible joy appeared on his face. How many years had it been? He had finally taken another step forward.

He did not say thank you, but simply reached out and patted Xiao Hongchen on the shoulder.

Xiao Hongchen was also incredibly excited; his grandfather's strength was his own strength, after all. The previous Jing Hongchen had been capable of trading blows with Xuan Zi and Du Busi.

Now, with his hidden injuries gone and his vitality fully restored, Jing Hongchen's endurance in a prolonged battle had increased by at least thirty percent. It would be very difficult for even Xuan Zi to defeat him completely.

"Then, Grandfather, I'll head out first."

Xiao Hongchen intended to leave his grandfather some space to fully experience his new state. Besides, he hadn't eaten for over a week, and after his recent actions, his stomach was already growling with hunger.

He trotted over to open the hotel room door and began to feast ravenously in the dining area.

Just as he was about halfway full, a white figure sat down across from him.

"Whose pig has escaped?"

Xiao Hongchen didn't need to look to know that Meng Hongchen was teasing him.

He raised his head and looked expressionlessly at the silver-haired girl sitting opposite him, who was resting her chin in her hands.

"I feel sorrow for your sharp tongue."

"How inexplicable. Then I feel sorrow for your arrogance, denseness, gluttony, laziness, narcissism, and for the fact that you broke my flight Soul Tool and claimed you were 'helping me test its maximum efficiency'..." Meng Hongchen blinked, then changed her tone, "...I feel sorrow for all of that."

"You're invincible, Meng."

Xiao Hongchen was speechless; he hadn't expected his younger sister to be so naturally gifted at this.

"You're the one who's invincible. You made us wait for ten whole days! Do you know how Guyi and I spent those ten days?"

"How did you spend them?" Although Xiao Hongchen didn't really want to know, he followed her lead and asked anyway.

"We had no choice but to endure the pain of being unable to return to the academy and had to tour every single attraction in Star Luo City. Ah, how tragic."

Meng Hongchen clutched her chest with both hands and tilted her head back, her long silver hair cascading down as she spoke with the tragic flair of a stage actress.

"...Doesn't that sound quite fulfilling?"

"Fulfilling, my foot." Meng Hongchen poked at her plate with her chopsticks. "Without my brother there to carry things, it wasn't fun to shop at all."

The corner of Xiao Hongchen's mouth twitched.

So the point wasn't the sightseeing, but the lack of a pack mule.