Meng Hongchen's Secret Observation

Jing Hongchen said, "Once Grandpa finds information on Ye Guyi, I'll tell you."

Meng Hongchen nodded repeatedly and urged Jing Hongchen, "Then Grandpa, make sure you find out quickly."

Then Meng Hongchen happily left the study with her brother.

After Meng Hongchen left, Jing Hongchen sat in his chair and let out a long sigh. "A grown daughter can't be kept at home."

After learning that Wang Chen liked another girl, the first thing his granddaughter thought of was not beating Wang Chen up, but blaming him, her grandfather.

This really was...

Jing Hongchen felt helpless as well. He was the dignified dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, the master of Mingde Hall, a figure admired by countless people.

Yet when it came to handling his granddaughter's love life, nothing seemed to go smoothly.

No matter how calculating, cold, or domineering he was toward others, before his grandson and granddaughter, he was merely an ordinary old man.

Jing Hongchen sighed deeply and said helplessly, "Forget it, forget it. My granddaughter is grown now; I can't control her anymore. Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. Whatever happens in the future, let them handle it.

All I can do as their grandfather is keep them safe. As for what the future holds, that depends on the young people themselves."

Jing Hongchen sat silently in his chair for a long while before finally coming to terms with everything. From now on, he no longer intended to interfere in his granddaughter's love life. He would let things take their natural course.

"Steward," Jing Hongchen called.

"Master." The steward, a man in his fifties, hurried into the study. He had followed Jing Hongchen since he was fifteen, and had now been by his side for a full forty years.

He understood Jing Hongchen extremely well, and he keenly sensed that Jing Hongchen's mood today was very different from usual.

Jing Hongchen looked at the steward who had followed him for most of his life and fell silent for a moment. In the end, he said nothing, merely instructing, "In three days, give the young miss the information on that little girl named Ye Guyi."

The steward nodded in understanding. Gathering intelligence took time. If he gave it to her immediately, the young miss would certainly realize that the family had known about this matter long ago but deliberately kept it from her. That would definitely make her angry.

Seeing that Jing Hongchen seemed somewhat tired, the steward said with concern, "Master, if you are tired, why not go out and relax?"

"You are thoughtful," Jing Hongchen said. Then he waved his hand, signaling for the steward to withdraw.

The steward cupped his hands in salute and slowly left.

After all that commotion, it was already night.

In Meng Hongchen's bedroom, she lay on her soft bed, her thoughts wandering endlessly.

Meng Hongchen thought, Once Grandpa finds out where Ye Guyi is, I'll ask her what her relationship with Wang Chen Gege is.

No, I can't ask her directly. What if Ye Guyi lies? I need to observe them secretly and see what exactly is going on between her and Wang Chen Gege.

If she and Wang Chen Gege merely met by chance or are simply friends, then I'll pretend nothing happened.

But... what if Ye Guyi and Wang Chen Gege really are together? What should I do?

At that thought, a trace of sorrow appeared on Meng Hongchen's delicate face.

But her eyes soon turned resolute.

Wang Chen Gege and I have known each other since we were little. Even if that Ye Guyi used shameless methods to seduce Wang Chen Gege, Wang Chen Gege must like me more.

I will definitely win Wang Chen Gege back!

The Sun Family, Southeast District, Mingdu.

Pig-like screams rang out from within a spacious room.

"How did I, Sun Jing, end up with a son like you? Huh? You're really something. Who taught you? Who gave you the courage to interfere in the Hongchen Family's private affairs?"

"And where did you get the nerve to clash with the Wang Family's young master?"

"You little bastard, one day you're going to get me killed!"

Sun Yu, who had just gone to the Hongchen Family to lodge his complaint, was currently stripped naked, hung up, and beaten by his father, Sun Jing.

Sun Jing swung his belt like a raging storm, beating Sun Yu until he wailed loudly.

"Dad, I know I was wrong. I won't dare do it again. Please spare me." Tears streamed down Sun Yu's face as he continually begged his father for mercy.

A beautiful middle-aged woman beside them pleaded with Sun Jing, "Honey, stop hitting him. Yu'er knows he was wrong. He's our only son. Don't beat him to the point of injury."

Sun Jing glared at his wife in anger. "Shut up! You spoiled this brat rotten. I'm busy with affairs every day and have no time to discipline him. Look at what you've turned him into! Today, I'm going to make sure he learns his lesson."

After saying that, Sun Jing threw the belt to the floor, pulled out a whip from his Storage Soul Tool, and viciously began lashing Sun Yu.

"Ahhh! It hurts so much! Mom, Mom, make Dad stop! If he keeps hitting me, I'll die! Boohoo!" Sun Yu had lived a pampered life and had never suffered such a beating. Tears and snot immediately flowed down his face, leaving him in a miserable state.

Seeing this, Sun Yu's mother was heartbroken. She immediately stepped in front of Sun Yu and shielded her son.

Then she roared at Sun Jing, "Go ahead and hit him! If you want to hit our son, hit me first!"

"Damn it!"

Seeing his wife stubbornly protecting their son, Sun Jing resentfully hurled the whip onto the ground and stomped his feet several times.

Looking at the welts covering Sun Yu's body, Sun Yu's mother immediately took out medicinal ointment for treating injuries from her Storage Soul Tool and applied it to his wounds.

"Son, does it hurt?"

Sun Yu cautiously glanced at his father and did not dare speak.

Sun Jing noticed his son's gaze and snorted. "Look at that cowardly face of yours. You cry your eyes out over this little bit of pain.

When your father was young and served in the army, I fought those Star Luo Empire scum in the Mingdou Mountain Range. I suffered dozens of injuries, big and small.

The worst one was when my stomach was cut open and my intestines spilled out. Your father did not so much as groan."

Listening to his father, Sun Yu grumbled inwardly, There he goes again with the same old story. Being your son is eight lifetimes' worth of bad luck for me.

But he only dared think it. On the surface, he still wore a pitiful expression.

Sun Jing came from the military and admired tough, unyielding men most. Seeing his son's pathetic appearance, his anger flared up again.

"You never cultivate diligently. Your head is filled with nothing but little girls. You have no ambition at all.

Having no ambition would be one thing, but you don't even have the sense to read the situation. Even if you can't read the situation, you could at least use your brain.

Provoking Wang Chen would have been one thing, but you absolutely should not have gone to the Hongchen Family.

Were you trying to use the Hongchen Family to deal with Wang Chen? Is the Hongchen Family so easy to use?

Who do you think you are? Do you understand the situation? Do you understand the relationship between the Hongchen Family and the Wang Family? You dared go to the Hongchen Family based on just a few rumors?

If the Hongchen Family gets unhappy, it will be your death day.

This time, the Hongchen Family merely sent someone to question you. Next time, they may very well come for your head!"

Sun Jing looked at Sun Yu with disappointment and said, "Starting today, stay obediently at home. You are not allowed to go anywhere. Cultivate properly, and don't take even half a step outside the house. If you dare go out and cause trouble again, I'll act as if I never had a son like you."

"I'm only forty-one this year. At worst, I'll have another one!"

With that, Sun Jing turned and left.

Leaving behind only the dumbfounded Sun Yu and his mother.

Meanwhile, at Wang Chen's Home.

After finishing dinner, Wang Chen was sitting cross-legged on his bed, cultivating.

He had already reached the peak of Soul Grandmaster. He was only separated from Soul Elder by a thin layer of paper.

Wang Chen focused completely as he circulated the Meridian Opening Skill again and again. Under the impact of his Soul Power, the Soul Elder bottleneck grew increasingly fragile. It was now like a thin sheet of paper, as if it could be torn apart at any moment.

Wang Chen immersed himself in cultivation. Heaven and Earth Origin Qi continuously gathered around him under the effect of his cultivation method. Fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he clenched his teeth and threw all his strength into breaking through the fragile bottleneck.

As time passed, the Soul Power within Wang Chen surged like raging tides, wave after wave crashing against that final obstruction.

Suddenly, an intense fluctuation of Soul Power erupted from his body. The ornaments in the room trembled slightly from the force.

Wang Chen abruptly opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed through them as an aura more powerful than before spread from his body.

Level thirty, achieved!

Wang Chen ended his cultivation and slowly opened his eyes.

At that moment, he could clearly feel that he had become stronger. His Soul Power had increased, and with Soul Power reinforcing his body, he had become lighter and more powerful.

Most importantly, after breaking through level thirty, he could absorb his third Soul Ring.

Once he absorbed the third Soul Ring, his physique, Soul Power, Soul Power quality, and all other aspects would receive a considerable boost.

More importantly, after gaining his third Soul Ring, his Secret Art, Ring Tempering, would become even more powerful.

There was no small gap between a hundred-year yellow Soul Ring and a thousand-year purple Soul Ring. After using Ring Tempering then, Wang Chen's combat strength would increase significantly once more.

However, Wang Chen did not intend to head to a Soul Beast gathering ground now to hunt Soul Beasts and absorb his third Soul Ring. He wanted to wait until he absorbed the Gold of Life and used it to strengthen his body before absorbing his third Soul Ring.

Because once his body became stronger, he would be able to absorb a Soul Ring with a higher age.

A high-age Soul Ring contained more Soul Power and would certainly raise Wang Chen's Soul Power by more than one level. By then, he could at least reach level thirty-two.

Moreover, high-age Soul Rings provided stronger enhancements to physique, attributes, and other areas as well.

Therefore, compared to immediately going to a Soul Beast gathering ground to hunt a Soul Beast and absorb a Soul Ring of around two thousand years,

Wang Chen did not mind waiting a few more days. After all, if he waited a few days, he might be able to absorb a Soul Ring over five thousand years old.

Compared to such enormous benefits, waiting a few days was nothing.

Besides, even if Soul Masters did not absorb Soul Rings, it would not affect their Soul Power cultivation at all. There was no loss whatsoever.

Wang Chen thought to himself, The Soul Devouring Carving Knife needs to be purified as soon as possible.

But it shouldn't be a problem. Little angel Ye Guyi may seem a bit proud, but she apparently isn't very smart.

If she were smart, she would not have thought that having Shangguan Wei'er, the leader of the Ordinary Alliance, supporting her from behind meant she could expose her Angel Martial Soul before so many Evil Soul Masters at the Titled Douluo and Super Douluo levels in the original work.

With some effort, I should soon become friends with Ye Guyi and then talk her into helping purify the Soul Devouring Carving Knife.

Wang Chen stroked his chin and looked at the bright moon outside the window. He immediately decided to first think tonight about how to quickly get closer to a proud young girl like Ye Guyi.

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.

Ye Guyi's home.

After seven days of effort, Wang Chen had successfully become familiar with Ye Guyi, relying on the good first impression he had gained from helping her escape Sun Yu's harassment,

as well as his maturity beyond his age, handsome appearance, and interesting personality.

He could even enter Ye Guyi's home now. The two could be considered friends.

At that moment, Wang Chen and Ye Guyi were sparring.

Ye Guyi did not use her Soul Skills during the battle. She fought only with Soul Tools and Soul Power, clearly unwilling to reveal that her Martial Soul was the Angel Martial Soul, the nemesis of Evil Soul Masters.

This was the identity Ye Guyi showed to outsiders: a third-class close-combat soul engineer with an unremarkable Martial Soul.

With a flick of her wrist, a third-class close-combat Soul Tool longsword appeared in Ye Guyi's grasp.

Her Soul Tool sword was about 1.1 meters long, with a blade only three centimeters wide. It radiated a dazzling golden light. Three stars were engraved upon the sword, and its three Core Arrays were all within the hilt.

Ye Guyi pointed the sword at Wang Chen and slashed down cleanly and decisively. The blade swayed lightly through the air, instantly transforming into a hazy field of sword shadows.

Wang Chen's gaze sharpened as his Spiritual Power concentrated to its limit. His powerful Spiritual Power gave him stronger perception, allowing him to easily capture the trajectory of Ye Guyi's blade.

Wang Chen gripped his Soul Tool spear and gave it only a simple swing. Not only did he block Ye Guyi's blade, but he also used the spear's reach advantage to strike at Ye Guyi's lower abdomen.

As the saying went, an inch longer meant an inch stronger. In close combat, the advantage of a spear was undoubtedly greater than that of a longsword.

Seeing this, Ye Guyi quickly sidestepped, using the speed advantage of a Three-Ring Soul Elder to evade Wang Chen's attack.

The moment she retreated, Ye Guyi immediately advanced. The longsword in her hand swept upward, driving straight toward Wang Chen's chest.

Wang Chen hurriedly held his spear horizontally and blocked the fierce strike. The clear sound of metal clashing rang out as sparks flew.

The two exchanged blow after blow, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Ye Guyi secretly marveled at Wang Chen's strength. She could clearly feel that her cultivation was stronger than his, that she was faster than him, and that she possessed greater strength.

Yet Wang Chen relied on his superb techniques to fight her evenly.

Ye Guyi's impression of Wang Chen changed greatly. What had initially been "unable to fight" had become "highly skilled, a battle genius."

Meanwhile, in a corner not far away, a beautiful and delicate figure secretly watched their every move, a faintly melancholy look in her eyes.

That person was Meng Hongchen, who had come in secret to observe Ye Guyi...