Meeting Kong Deming

Xiao Hongchen was awakened by a knock at the door.

"Master, it is time to wake up."

The voice was soft, tinged with a hint of restraint; it was Nana.

Hmm, I would have preferred it if she were standing by the bedside to wake me.

Xiao Hongchen sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes, and replied, "I know."

After finishing breakfast, Xiao Hongchen headed to Mingde Hall as usual; even though it was a holiday, the tasks had not ceased.

He pushed open the door to Xuan Ziwen's laboratory, and the moment he stepped inside, A figure lunged directly at him.

"Xiao Hongchen!"

Xuan Ziwen grabbed him tightly by both arms with such force that Xiao Hongchen nearly lost his footing.

"What is it this time, my Teacher Xuan?"

"It's done!"

Xuan Ziwen's voice exploded in his ears, filled with irrepressible ecstasy.

"The Sealed Milk Bottle, the Sealed Milk Bottle that doesn't leak Soul Power—it's done!"

"Teacher Xuan, let go first—"

"Do you know what this means?" Xuan Ziwen didn't hear a word he said, his eyes shining brightly. "The entire system of Soul Masters will be rewritten. Before long, even ordinary people will be able to use Soul Tools..."

"Teacher Xuan, I only care about whether the research on the Humanoid Soul Tool can progress further."

Xuan Ziwen's endless stream of words came to an abrupt halt.

"It can."

He spoke each word clearly, his tone unprecedentedly solemn:

"Once the sealing technology is perfected, the issue of energy loss can be solved at its root, which is precisely the greatest bottleneck for the long-term operation of Humanoid Soul Tools."

He turned and walked to his desk, picked up the Level 5 Sealed Milk Bottle, and placed it in front of Xiao Hongchen.

Xiao Hongchen took the small bottle and examined it in his hands.

The material of the bottle was unique, and there was a layer of nearly invisible, fine patterns at the seal. He channeled his Soul Power to probe it, and there was not the slightest sign of the energy inside dissipating.

"The concept of sealing you gave me earlier provided me with great inspiration; it was only on that foundation that I was able to complete it successfully."

"So," Xuan Ziwen stood opposite him, his expression earnest, "this patent for the Sealed Milk Bottle will be jointly held by us. Don't refuse; it is what you deserve."

Xiao Hongchen felt a touch of emotion; what a good teacher. Although this item was of little use to him now, he still nodded:

"Very well, thank you, Teacher Xuan."

Even without his help, Xuan Ziwen would have been able to figure it out in a few years, though it would have just been a few more years of taking the long way around.

"Also, we are going to visit Elder Kong right now."

Xuan Ziwen straightened his collar, his expression turning serious.

"This Sealed Milk Bottle technology is of great use to his research direction. You guessed correctly; he primarily researches portable Humanoid Soul Tools, which is the complete opposite of the large-scale Humanoid Soul Tools that Mingde Hall focuses on."

Xiao Hongchen raised his eyes: "Elder Kong of the Worship Hall?"

"You actually know of him?" Xuan Ziwen glanced at him with some confusion and tucked the small bottle away. "He is my master, the person closest to being a Level 10 Soul Engineer. Your grandfather has also received his guidance. Before this thing is taken out, it must pass his inspection. And,"

He paused and looked at Xiao Hongchen:

"You will have to meet him sooner or later, so it might as well be today."

Xiao Hongchen did not ask further and stood up:

"Then let's go."

The two left the laboratory and headed toward the Worship Hall.

Kong Deming.

He had long wanted to meet the man known as the "Father of Soul Engineers."

The achievements of this old man were an unavoidable presence throughout the history of the Douluo Continent. The life-bound Soul Tool he would later complete, the "Silver Moon Divine Light Shield," possessed power sufficient to rival a Level 99 Taotie Douluo; it was an epoch-making Level 10 Soul Tool.

But what Xiao Hongchen wanted went beyond that.

What turned in his mind was his own Humanoid Soul Tool, which was still stuck in the conceptual stage.

If he could take his Humanoid Soul Tool a step further and create Battle Armor ahead of time, that would be the best choice.

This thought had been entrenched in his mind for a long time, polished over and over again every so often. The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, yet the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was missing.

And Kong Deming might just be able to provide him with some inspiration.

Xuan Ziwen brought him to the imperial palace.

The Worship Hall was located in a corner of the palace, specifically used to protect the Emperor.

It was just a mystery how, decades ago, they had allowed the current Emperor to launch a coup.

Led by Xuan Ziwen, Xiao Hongchen passed through layers of security checks before finally arriving in front of the door at the deepest part of the Worship Hall.

Xuan Ziwen stopped in front of the door, straightened his collar, looked back at Xiao Hongchen, and lowered his voice:

"Once we go in, answer whatever he asks. Don't try to hide anything; he can see right through you at a glance."

Xiao Hongchen nodded.

Only then did Xuan Ziwen raise his hand and knock three times.

There was a moment of silence from within.

"Come in."

The room was very bright.

Bookshelves lined the walls, piled high with scrolls and various types of Soul Tool components.

In the center sat a large desk, behind which sat a tall, silver-gray-haired old man. He was looking down at something, holding a thin carving knife in his hand with steady, meticulous movements.

At just a single glance, Xiao Hongchen could feel the man's power. He looked unremarkable, yet he possessed an inexplicable aura.

Both were level-94 Rank 9 Soul Engineers, but while Jing Hongchen radiated a sharp aura, Kong Deming possessed a reassuring steadiness. In terms of cultivation realm, his grandfather was quite a bit behind Elder Kong.

Kong Deming looked up.

"It's little Xuan and the boy from the Hongchen family, is it? What is it?"

Although they had never met, the Hongchen family's signature silver hair and the resemblance to Jing Hongchen allowed him to guess Xiao Hongchen's identity.

Xuan Ziwen stepped forward, gently placed his achievement on the corner of the desk, his voice unable to hide his excitement:

"Teacher, the Sealed Milk Bottle, it's finished."

The carving knife in Kong Deming's hand paused.

He set the knife down, picked up the bottle, turned it over in his palm, and channeled his Soul Power to probe inside.

The energy remained perfectly still, without the slightest bit of leakage.

His brows twitched slightly. He turned the bottle twice in his hand, carefully examined the structure of the sealing layer, and remained silent for a moment before speaking:

"Very ingenious."

He raised his eyes to look at Xuan Ziwen, his tone steady but carrying a hint of genuine approval:

"Well done. You finished much earlier than I anticipated."

Xuan Ziwen stood straight, his expression hiding an irrepressible joy, yet he still said earnestly:

"Teacher, although I completed it, the key concept was provided by Xiao Hongchen."

He stepped half a pace to the side, signaling for Xiao Hongchen to come forward.

"Furthermore, he has also made a major breakthrough in the research of self-recovering milk bottles and can already guarantee recovery within one year."

"I brought him here this time because I wanted him to discuss Humanoid Soul Tools with you. His way of thinking is extraordinary, and he should be able to provide you with a different perspective."

Only then did Kong Deming shift his gaze entirely to Xiao Hongchen, examining him carefully.

Xiao Hongchen did not shy away and cupped his hands in a salute:

"Elder Kong."

"Sit."

The two took their seats, and Xiao Hongchen first explained his thought process regarding the milk bottle.

"The younger generation is truly formidable; young people's minds are so active."

Kong Deming nodded repeatedly.

The praise made Xiao Hongchen blush a little; after all, this wasn't his original creation, but merely a summary of the experiences of his predecessors from his past life.

"Now, let's get to the main topic," Kong Deming said, looking at Xiao Hongchen. "What is it you want to discuss with me regarding Humanoid Soul Tools?"

Xiao Hongchen gathered his thoughts and spoke:

"I want to use a Humanoid Soul Tool as my life-bound Soul Tool."