The Matter of Taking a Disciple Concludes, Subsequent Trials

Yan Hongchen blinked, deciding it was better to make things clear first. He bowed slightly, his tone sincere yet restrained. "Grandpa Kong, if you truly want to take me as your disciple, I should say this first: I won't achieve much in the field of soul tools. At most, I'll become a practical-control soul engineer..."

Kong Deming naturally understood what Yan Hongchen meant. Practical-control soul engineers leaned toward combining the traits of soul tools and soul masters; they were not pure soul tool researchers.

He himself had already reached the ceiling of that path, yet had still failed to break through to become a Super Douluo. It was one of his greatest regrets. How could he possibly allow his disciple to repeat the same mistake?

"If you truly become Grandpa Kong's disciple, then as your master, I will not let you walk the old path again." Kong Deming's gaze was calm and resolute. "I, too, was once a martial soul genius of the Sun Moon Empire. I possessed twin martial souls: the Moon and the Sun."

Jing Hongchen's heart jolted at those words. Elder Kong had twin martial souls as well? That was a secret known to very few. Elder Kong had remained secluded for too long; both his secrets and strength had become mysteries. Even Jing Hongchen had never heard of this.

Yi Hongchen and Liu Yueming exchanged a glance, both sighing inwardly at the same time. The events they had experienced and secrets they had heard over the past two years surpassed everything from the rest of their lives combined. Yet time and again, they had been unable to intervene or offer any help.

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen sat off to the side, practically fading into the background. The two looked at each other and saw a trace of helplessness in the other's eyes. They were even less capable of helping.

Kong Deming spoke calmly, as though he were merely stating something insignificant. "The Moon and the Sun were always talents hidden within me. However, due to the innate shortcomings of the Sun Moon Empire's soul master cultivation system, there were flaws in one's physique. Cultivating twin martial souls together was exceedingly dangerous; there had been precedents of people exploding and dying. Thus, for all these years, I only focused on the Moon martial soul and the path of soul tools. My second martial soul, the Sun, has never been given a soul ring."

He looked at Yan Hongchen, his eyes carrying a few more traces of scrutiny and expectation. "But body martial souls are somewhat different. If you cultivate your body martial soul first, that may actually be better. It can raise your body's limits, and then when you add rings to the other one, you may perhaps break through to a realm beyond anything this old man can imagine."

Yan Hongchen fell silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts before slowly speaking. "I understand Grandpa Kong's good intentions. But the Body Sect will not let the matter of my body martial soul go, so I can only make plans for that later. Still, I am a citizen of the Sun Moon Empire and a member of the Hongchen Family. My first martial soul symbolizes my identity; my second martial soul will be my strongest trump card in the future."

He raised his head, his gaze open and composed. "I'm fortunate that I was able to cultivate the Phantom Water Spirit Toad martial soul first. Whether it was the deal with the Snow Empress in the Extreme North that allowed us to escape, or treating my mother's illness and injuries..."

"As for injuries to the sea of spirit, only I may be capable of doing it. I have never regretted that choice. If Grandpa Kong is willing to take disciples, you can consider my brother and sister instead. I can provide them with the same assistance I showed just now, and it won't affect anything."

As Kong Deming listened, he nodded to himself. This child had a clear mind. He knew what he wanted, and he knew what he did not want.

He noticed the information hidden in Yan Hongchen's words. His deal with the Snow Empress had actually concerned the cultivation of his martial soul. Leaving the Extreme North unharmed was no easy feat; there had to be a price. Yet Kong Deming had not expected the price to be this.

And injuries to the sea of spirit... Kong Deming had rarely heard of anyone capable of treating such wounds. Basically, once something went wrong with one's sea of spirit, it was extremely difficult to resolve. Yet Yan Hongchen claimed he could do it. That was well worth investigating.

As the head of the Consecration Hall and commander of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Corps, he used the Silver Moon Divine Light Barrier to unleash powerful combined attacks. The mental damage inflicted upon the soul engineer corps beneath him was immense. If this problem could be solved, it would certainly be a good thing.

"Your martial soul can resolve mental injuries?" Kong Deming leaned forward slightly, his gaze focused. "Explain in detail. Grandpa Kong believes this is worth researching."

Yan Hongchen shook his head, speaking unhurriedly. "It is merely a conclusion inferred by the Snow Empress. I only have the possibility of possessing such an ability. What I showed you just now is still only the result of my current research: combining water fluctuations with spiritual fluctuations to give it a weak mental soothing effect. Right now, it can only make my mother feel a little better."

"But I only have two rings at present, and my experience is limited. Besides, if there were soul beasts capable of healing mental injuries that even the Snow Empress had never seen, and if she herself did not have some stubborn mental ailment that was difficult to eliminate, how could she possibly have taken an interest in me? Otherwise, we would have perished in the Extreme North long ago."

He paused, then continued, "There are not many soul beasts I know of that possess both spiritual and water attributes. I asked my grandfather to gather information on the Evil Eye Tyrant because I also want to hunt their soul rings and gain more insights from them. Combining the two will require more time and gradual progress. This is an unknown field."

Kong Deming listened quietly to the end, his gaze resting on Yan Hongchen's face for a long time. This child was only a little over seven years old, yet he had already gone through so much. Though Kong Deming had never raised a child, an indescribable emotion welled up within him—heartache mixed with admiration.

He took an exquisite soul tool necklace from his robes. Its chain was as slender as silk, glimmering with a faint silvery-white sheen. The pendant was a crescent-shaped piece of silver metal, its surface flowing with delicate lines of light, as though condensed from moonlight.

He held the necklace out to Yan Hongchen. "The Moon martial soul makes a soul master somewhat stronger in spiritual power. I once used the power of my martial soul to nurture a piece of rare metal, then later designed and crafted it into this soul tool."

"Though its rank is not high, bathing in moonlight will help speed up spiritual recovery. Whether or not I take you as my disciple, since I have let you call me Grandpa, I will naturally protect you. You are also a genius of the empire. Take it."

Yan Hongchen froze slightly. One could not refuse a gift from an elder. He accepted the necklace with both hands. It felt warm and smooth in his palm, yet faintly cool, as if he were holding a small piece of moonlight.

He looked up, hesitation lingering in his eyes. "Thank you, Grandpa Kong. But... can I let someone else use this?"

Kong Deming saw through his thoughts at once. This child's heart was filled entirely with his family.

He had planned soul rings for Yi Hongchen, treated Liu Yueming's injuries, and even wanted to give the opportunity of apprenticeship to his brother and sister. He always placed himself last. If Jing Hongchen had any needs at the moment, Kong Deming believed Yan Hongchen would have made arrangements for him as well.

"Since I gave it to you, you may do with it as you please. Grandpa Kong will not interfere." Kong Deming's tone softened, carrying the kindness unique to an elder. "However, Grandpa Kong still hopes that you will take better care of yourself. Don't push yourself too hard..."

Yan Hongchen sighed in relief and carefully put away the necklace. He already had someone in mind. This item could not be more suitable for Liu Yueming.

He now had the Spirit Devouring Carving Knife in hand, and he could use it once it was purified. As for opening a second sea of spirit, he needed to search through the Phantom Water Fleeting Life Record. If that truly failed, it would not be long anyway. Once he got Electrolux on board, he could begin immediately.

Kong Deming withdrew his gaze and returned to the main subject. "As for taking disciples..."

He glanced at Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen. The two children sat properly, their eyes holding a hint of nervousness as well as expectation. In terms of talent and aptitude, they were also pillars of the empire, and both were quite well known throughout the Sun Moon Empire.

Yan Hongchen had said that his martial soul fusion skill with Xiao Hongchen could combine their talents into one. If the main body leaned toward Xiao Hongchen, then taking Xiao Hongchen as his disciple was not impossible.

But Xiao Hongchen's temperament... arrogant and embarrassingly theatrical. Kong Deming had heard of it. He might not wish to add to Yan Hongchen's burdens, but as for Xiao Hongchen, Kong Deming felt it was not impossible for him to inherit the legacy of the natal soul tool—but he would need to be tempered first!

As for Meng Hongchen, he could not favor one over the other. If accepting disciples truly caused discord among the siblings, then it would be best for him not to accept any of them.

Kong Deming pondered for a moment before slowly speaking. "I can refrain from setting a trial for you, A-Yan, but I will not take disciples right now either. If I am truly to take your brother and sister as disciples, then I may have to be stricter. Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to convince myself to accept all three of you at once."

He looked at Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, his gaze holding both scrutiny and expectation. "Since you believe in them, then I hope they will not betray your trust. If they pass, then this old man can take all three of you as disciples together. If not, I trust that you will still carve out a place for yourselves."

He rose to his feet, his silver robes gleaming softly beneath the lights. "It is getting late. As for this trial, I still need to give it some thought. Once I decide upon something suitable, I will inform them."

He turned to Jing Hongchen. "Hongchen, I will trouble you to cooperate with my people in investigating Zhang Lexuan's matter. I will not disturb you further. We will discuss the rest at the Consecration Hall."

Jing Hongchen hurriedly stood and led his family in a respectful bow. "We bid Elder Kong farewell."

Kong Deming's figure faded away soundlessly like moonlight. He did not leave through the door or the window. He simply vanished into thin air within the living room.

Everyone only felt a faint spatial ripple sweep past them before he was gone without a trace. This was a characteristic of both the Silver Moon Divine Light Barrier and the Moon martial soul. The former possessed formidable spatial power, while the latter was among the finest when it came to intangibility and movement.

Jing Hongchen straightened and let out a long breath. He knew that the coming period would be busy once more.

But being busy was good. It would strengthen his relationship with Kong Deming, and securing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring for his son would make it worthwhile.

As for the matter of apprenticeship, that would depend on Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen's efforts. Even if they were not accepted as disciples, this connection alone was already enough.

He turned to look at the three children. "It's late. Get some proper rest. Your academy life begins next, and you'll have to attend for at least five months before you get a break."

Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Yan Hongchen nodded in understanding. Before leaving, Yan Hongchen gave the necklace to Liu Yueming and told her to pay closer attention to herself and speak up if she felt unwell.

Liu Yueming nodded in agreement. She would be more careful. There was no need for them to worry so much about her; Yi Hongchen was still there, and they only needed to focus on studying properly.

Outside the window, moonlight flowed like water, spilling silver-white across the ground. A new life was about to begin.