What is Sought and What is Entrusted: Heading to the Treasure Pavilion

After everyone had finished their simple meal, Jing Hongchen finally spoke at an unhurried pace. Only then did they get to the main matter.

There was weariness from days of constant travel between his brows, yet his eyes remained as sharp as ever.

There were too many matters to sort out in such a short time. Fortunately, Yue Hongchen had emerged from seclusion, and the burden on his shoulders would be considerably lighter from now on.

Yue Hongchen had learned from Yi Hongchen everything that had happened while he had been in seclusion condensing his soul core, and he had now caught up with the situation.

He only regretted that he had not succeeded in leaving seclusion sooner. He sat quietly to one side, waiting for assignments. He would take on whatever task came his way; being able to share even part of Jing Hongchen's burden would be enough.

Jing Hongchen looked at Yan Hongchen first, his gaze carrying a hint of apology. "Little Yan, there's news about the item you wanted. It has merely ended up in the Star Luo Empire. I heard its last appearance was at the Star Luo Auction House. I'll need to wait a while longer, until it shows itself again."

Yan Hongchen was not surprised. It was highly likely that the Spirit Devouring Carving Knife had made its way to the Star Luo Empire. His expression remained calm, and his tone gentle. "It's all right, Grandpa. I'm not in a hurry. As long as we can get our hands on it, waiting a little is no problem. I still need to obtain my third soul ring before I can try using it anyway, so there's no rush."

He had other considerations in mind. He was still unsure whether soul masters with metal-attribute martial souls, such as Jing Hongchen, could absorb the Gold of Life after the Spirit Devouring Carving Knife had been purified.

If they could not, he could use the power of water solubility to share some with his family. Even if it only removed the side effects of medicinal residues within their bodies, it would still be a good thing.

Jing Hongchen nodded and turned to Liu Yueming. He took several jade bottles from his storage device and arranged them one by one on the table.

"Yueming, I found some things for you based on the second spiritual sea concept Little Yan proposed." His fingers lightly tapped across the jade bottles.

"Spirit-Gathering Sea-Condensing Pills, along with some medicinal herbs to replenish and nourish spiritual power. There are also a few Soul-Raising Pills, for the children."

He explained, "As the name suggests, Spirit-Gathering Sea-Condensing Pills can gather enormous amounts of free spiritual power within a short period, compressing and condensing it into an initial spiritual sea. Yueming, since you are rebuilding your spiritual sea, you are essentially walking that path again. This pill will be most useful to you."

He then looked at Yan Hongchen. "Although Little Yan has already opened a spiritual sea, this pill will also be useful to you. It can help gather and stabilize the spiritual power that is still dispersed within your spiritual sea, reinforcing your foundation."

Finally, he looked at Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen. "The two of you haven't reached that level of spiritual power yet, so taking it would be useless. The Soul-Raising Pills suit you better. It won't be too late to take Spirit-Gathering Sea-Condensing Pills when you are close to becoming Soul Kings."

He pushed the jade bottles toward the four of them. Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen received one bottle each, while Liu Yueming and Yan Hongchen received two each. Every jade bottle bore a small label, the handwriting neat and clear at a glance.

Then he took out another storage ring and handed it to Liu Yueming. "The herbs are inside. Keep them for now."

Liu Yueming accepted the ring, placed it on her finger, and gently curled her hand around it. "Thank you for your trouble, Father," she said softly.

Jing Hongchen waved it off, then turned back to Yan Hongchen and finished the last matter he had to address. "As for the Evil-Eyed Tyrant you mentioned, I've made inquiries through some private channels."

"There are indeed traces of one in the Evil Forest, but its cultivation is a little too high—between forty-five thousand and fifty thousand years."

Yan Hongchen calculated silently. He knew what private channels Jing Hongchen meant. The Holy Spirit Church was entrenched in the Evil Forest, while the first two generations of Mingde Hall masters, Kong Deming and Ye Xishui, had countless ties to that side.

The Evil-Eyed Tyrant's cultivation was indeed too high. The age of his third soul ring could not be lower than that of his second, but the Evil-Eyed Tyrant's physical body was not particularly strong. What he needed now was to strengthen his body. He valued spiritual power greatly, but at present, it was his physical strength that needed to catch up.

Moreover, the Evil Emperor was not as easy to reason with as the Snow Empress. The Snow Empress could be negotiated with and traded with, but the Evil Emperor might not be. If he wanted an Evil-Eyed Tyrant's soul ring, he could only kill it.

He made up his mind. Return-to-Origin Body Forging and Phantom Sea Condensing Truth had to be cultivated. There were not many affairs to handle during this period, making it a perfect time to enter seclusion for a while. Once the next Soul Fighting Tournament ended, there would be far more matters waiting for him.

"Understood, Grandpa." Yan Hongchen raised his head, his gaze earnest. "There is one more thing. I wonder if Grandpa can provide me with some special cultivation resources? I have another use for them, but it isn't convenient for me to explain."

By the end, Yan Hongchen's tone was both sincere and faintly apologetic. He was hiding too many things, leaving him in a passive position for now. He could only take things slowly. Even he did not know when the opportunity to turn passivity into initiative would finally arrive.

Jing Hongchen looked into Yan Hongchen's eyes. They held a depth utterly at odds with his age, like a bottomless well.

He suddenly recalled that when the adults had named this child Yan, they had hoped he would live a peaceful, tranquil life and bear fewer burdens. But things had gone against their wishes...

After a moment of silence, Jing Hongchen reached out and gently pressed Yan Hongchen's shoulder, his palm warm and steady.

"All right. We won't ask." His voice was not loud, but every word was clear. "Once we finish talking, I'll take you to the treasure vault. If there's nothing in there that you want, then even if Little Yan wants a star from the heavens, Grandpa will have Ye Yulin accompany this old man to knock one down for you."

Yan Hongchen knew Jing Hongchen was exaggerating. Ye Yulin, the Starry Sky Douluo, was on the same level as Jing Hongchen. Asking him for such a favor was possible, but it would mean owing him one.

Hearing Jing Hongchen say that, the rest of the family naturally asked no more questions. Warmth rose in Yan Hongchen's heart, and he gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Grandpa."

Jing Hongchen waved his hand and turned to Yue Hongchen, his tone becoming solemn. "Yue, now that you've broken through to become a Titled Douluo, I've also gathered some information on soul beasts for your ninth soul ring."

He took out several illustrated scrolls from his storage soul tool and handed them to Yue Hongchen. "Take a look and see which one you want. When the time comes, I'll discuss it with Ye Yulin. In terms of focused long-range attacks and breaking through soul beast defenses, Yi and he are better at it. I'll send some additional manpower to assist us, and we'll make the trip together."

Listening from the side, Yan Hongchen understood. Xiao Hongchen's combat style had been learned from Jing Hongchen. The two were excellent at large-scale long-range battles, but in one-on-one combat, Jing Hongchen still needed to create distance before he could fully exert his strength.

If Yue Hongchen's ninth soul ring was to match a high-level soul beast with both metal and earth attributes, such soul beasts would possess extremely high defenses. Only the main range of the Jingyang Mountains in the Sun Moon Empire had them; otherwise, they would have to travel to the Star Dou Great Forest. Calling Ye Yulin along was indeed a sound plan.

Long-range single-target attacks, area attacks, close-range heavy offense, defense, plus some support personnel—the lineup should be sufficient. The previous journey to the Far North had been a special case. This time, Jing Hongchen would bring more people, making things much safer.

Upon hearing this, Yue Hongchen rose to his feet and cupped his hands in a deep bow toward Jing Hongchen. "Thank you, Uncle."

Jing Hongchen hurriedly reached out, supported his arm, and helped him upright. His voice carried a trace of emotion. "No need for thanks. It is only a pity that I have yet to fulfill the inheritance of my elder brother's branch. I haven't found you a suitable wife, nor let you leave behind descendants... I have still failed my elder brother."

His voice dropped, and a flash of sadness passed through his eyes. Jing Hongchen's elder brother had died in an accidental experiment many years ago, after which Yue Hongchen had been raised by him.

Now that Yue Hongchen had become a Titled Douluo, bringing glory to the family was certainly a good thing. Yet the bloodline's inheritance was close to ending, and that had always remained a thorn in Jing Hongchen's heart.

Yue Hongchen straightened, his gaze open and calm, a comforting smile on his lips. "It's all right, Uncle. Becoming Titled and bringing glory to our family is enough."

"Don't you already have three grandchildren to carry on the line? I believe the Hongchen Family will flourish in your hands."

Jing Hongchen felt somewhat better upon hearing that and said no more. Someone like Liu Yueming was indeed difficult to find—someone who could broadly maintain the family's inheritance while also observing the principle that close relatives could not marry.

Although the Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad was a toad martial soul, Liu Yueming had openly admitted the shortcomings of this martial soul. Fortunately, she herself was an unusual exception unaffected by them, and her potential was now limitless. He only hoped Liu Yueming would recover soon and that Meng Hongchen's problem could also be resolved.

For the final matter, Jing Hongchen looked at the three children. "As for enrolling you in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy—if I make you transfer students this year, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep up with the curriculum. Once next year's Soul Fighting Tournament is over, the new round of enrollment will begin. I'll arrange for the three of you to enter then. How does that sound?"

Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Yan Hongchen exchanged glances, then nodded together. Since Jing Hongchen had arranged it that way, they would follow his decision. None of them had any objections.

Seeing that everything had been arranged, Jing Hongchen stood and stretched his slightly stiff shoulders.

"From here on, you three children and Yueming should cultivate well and recover properly. We'll handle everything else." He looked at Yan Hongchen. "Little Yan, I'll accompany you to the treasure vault. You should all get some rest early."

Yue Hongchen and Yi Hongchen rose as well. They had fought earlier and felt thoroughly invigorated, but they were tired now too.

Liu Yueming's mental state had never been particularly good, and the amount of time she could remain awake each day was limited. She needed to rest early.

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen looked at each other. There was not much they needed at present. They would only have access to more things once they became Soul Elders, so there was no need to hurry.

Jing Hongchen led Yan Hongchen through several corridors and along a dark passage hidden between walls before stopping in front of an inconspicuous iron door.

He pressed several spots on the door. Faint mechanical sounds came from within the walls, and the iron door silently slid open.