Cabbage Rooting Up a Pig

After cultivation ended, they ate specially prepared medicinal meals to replenish what their bodies had expended.

Xiao Hongchen ate listlessly, looking far worse than Meng Hongchen beside him.

Because Ming had left early, Xiao Hongchen's competitive spirit had pushed him to slightly exceed his limits and speed up his Body Forging Method cultivation. The result was that he was left utterly drained afterward.

"Xiao, you really do not need to push yourself so hard. With your talent, if you cultivate step by step and supplement it with the Body Forging Method, reaching Level 20 by age nine and adding a Millennium Soul Ring will not be difficult."

Kong Ming'an could not help reminding his friend.

"I know..." Xiao Hongchen inexplicably felt a headache coming on. "...I just do not understand."

Innate Full Soul Power, a top-tier Martial Soul with the bloodline of a Divine Beast—the Three-legged Golden Toad—and a Martial Soul talent like Metal Control, naturally suited to the path of a Soul Engineer...

From the time he awakened his Martial Soul until two months ago, Xiao Hongchen had considered himself the greatest genius of Sun Moon, destined to become renowned across the continent.

That was no empty boast. He truly had that potential!

But ever since he had gone out with his Grandfather Jing Hongchen to broaden his horizons two months ago, he had started questioning his life.

What the hell was this guy in front of him supposed to be?! Huh?!

At first, he had thought this guy was like him—exceptionally talented, with the same Innate Full Soul Power.

But when they first met a month ago, he had challenged him to a duel. After this guy beat him so badly with pure physical strength that he could not get back up, he learned during their conversation...

This guy had only 0.5 levels of Innate Soul Power!

With a soft sigh, Xiao Hongchen looked at Kong Ming'an.

He could tell that Ming's Body Forging Method was at least several times more effective than his own. At the same time, the pain his body endured was also several times greater than theirs.

But... looking at Kong Ming'an, who stood before him as though nothing had happened, then at his own powerless hands, Xiao Hongchen could not help but speak.

"Even now, I still do not really believe that your Innate Soul Power is only 0.5 levels..."

"The level of Innate Soul Power has nothing to do with intelligence."

"Intelligence..."

Xiao Hongchen murmured the word unconsciously, mulling it over, but only felt an itch in his brain. It was strangely hard to describe.

Meng Hongchen blinked, her expression turning a little odd.

Ming'an... was he saying Brother had no intelligence?

Her Ice Blue eyes lifted, and Meng Hongchen naturally met Ming's gaze. Then, with curiosity and a questioning look in her eyes, she blinked.

Kong Ming'an paused, then blinked as well. A faint smile touched his lips as he quietly nodded in response.

Meng Hongchen's eyes brightened, but she unconsciously turned her gaze aside slightly and coughed softly to keep from laughing.

Her Brother really did seem to be rather brainless sometimes...

Mm... she could not laugh, or Brother's self-esteem would be damaged again.

Xiao Hongchen, whose head had finally stopped itching, noticed his Sister and Ming exchanging looks.

"?!!"

Something was wrong! Very wrong!

I treated you as a rival! And you were hitting on my sister?!

In an instant, blazing fighting spirit ignited once more in Xiao Hongchen's eyes!

Kong Ming'an: "..."

Wait... had this guy taken the wrong medicine again?

With blazing fighting spirit burning within him, Xiao Hongchen headed off to cultivate without delay after lunch.

Body Forging Method in the morning, meditation cultivation in the afternoon, Soul Tool studies at night, and meditation replacing sleep.

Xiao Hongchen instantly packed his schedule full and resolved to challenge Ming again after obtaining his Second Soul Ring!

Watching Xiao Hongchen hurry away, Kong Ming'an's mouth twitched. He unconsciously looked at Meng Hongchen beside him.

"Your brother...?"

Miss Meng unconsciously rubbed her forehead.

"It is fine. This is normal for him. He should get better after a while..."

Miss Meng spoke helplessly, though she clearly was not surprised by it. Then she turned to Ming.

"Come on, Ming'an. You promised to take me along for research today. You are not allowed to go back on your word."

As she spoke, Miss Meng very naturally reached out and grabbed Ming's hand. Without another thought, she dragged him toward the Laboratory.

Not long after, Xiao Hongchen turned around and saw his Sister dragging Ming away at top speed.

"???"

The cabbage was rooting up the pig?!

While Xiao Hongchen was still questioning his life, the "cabbage and pig" had already arrived at the Laboratory.

The Laboratory was brightly lit and fully equipped. Since it had once been occasionally used by Ming's Grandfather, its standards were exceptionally high, with every facility designed to Rank 9 Soul Engineer specifications.

Meng Hongchen looked around curiously, but did not stare for long. After all, she had often visited her Grandfather Jing Hongchen's Laboratory as a child.

Most of the facilities were much the same, but Meng Hongchen soon noticed the cages stacked neatly beside the Experimental Bench, as well as the snow-white Soft Bone Rabbits within them.

"What are these...?"

"Materials."

Kong Ming'an remained calm as he silently observed Miss Meng's changing expression.

Though it sounded somewhat strange, he truly wanted to personally cultivate an "assistant."

The vast majority of research results could never be achieved by one person alone. In other words, having assistants would make things much easier for him.

For example, if he had had several assistants capable of keeping up with his pace during the initial framework-building stage of the Body Forging Method—

Then his so-called "three months of difficult exploration" might have been shortened directly to one month. That would have been a leap in efficiency, and it was difficult for him not to take it seriously.

During the Body Forging Method research period, he had simply been too busy to look for assistants.

Now, however, he had some free time to select assistants, and his Grandfather had conveniently sent him two playmates.

Thus, after a month of spending time together, Miss Meng had naturally become a Reserve Team candidate for his "assistant."

As for Xiao Hongchen... he was more suited to carrying out practical experiments. Research, on the other hand... was asking a bit too much of him.

Now, he was observing Miss Meng's basic qualities.

Under Miss Meng's puzzled gaze, he slowly walked forward and casually removed a completely snow-white Soft Bone Rabbit from one of the cages.

His Breeding Farm had not yet matured, so he had paid someone to capture this Soft Bone Rabbit from the Soul Beast Forest. It was clearly stronger and more lively than the "specimens" he had seen before, with a trace of intelligence in its eyes.

As though it sensed some threat, the Soft Bone Rabbit began struggling violently, trying to escape Ming's grasp.

Kong Ming'an ignored it completely and directly twisted its neck to the right, ending its Life.

"This..."

Miss Meng was somewhat confused. Yet in the next moment, a Luminous White Soul Ring, radiating soft light and faint Soul Power fluctuations, slowly rose from the Soft Bone Rabbit's corpse, and then...

A hand gently grasped it and held it aloft.