Jingyang Mountain Range

"Elder Kong is usually very strict. The last time I went to the Hall of Virtue, I heard him scolding someone. Even Grandpa didn't dare say a word. It's really amazing that you got him to personally take you as a disciple."

Meng Hongchen spoke without restraint, completely forgetting that her grandfather was right there.

Jing Hongchen gave a light cough upon hearing that. Amusement appeared in Xu Tianming's eyes. He had not expected Meng Hongchen to have such a personality—she was far too familiar with people too quickly, the kind known as a social terror.

"Teacher is very kind to me."

"That's only because it's you."

Xiao Hongchen said from the side.

Xu Tianming looked at the brother and sister. "You both broke through to Rank 20 at eight years old. There aren't many people like that in all of Mingdu. Teacher must have noticed your talent as well."

Meng Hongchen froze slightly.

She had heard no shortage of praise before, but most of it was about her exceptional talent and boundless future, spoken by adults with expectation and scrutiny in their voices.

When Xu Tianming said it, however, his tone was utterly casual, as though friends were simply chatting about something. He made the comment, then let it pass.

A faint blush rose to Meng Hongchen's cheeks.

"Your Highness, you really know how to talk."

"I'm only telling the truth."

"Then say a few more things!"

Xiao Hongchen reached out and held down his sister, who had sprung to her feet.

"Sit down."

"Brother, why are you holding me back?"

"If you pounce on him again, His Highness will have to dodge."

Xu Tianming smiled. He could understand Xiao Hongchen. Having a younger sister like this truly took effort.

After the vehicle left Mingdu, the tall buildings outside gradually dwindled, replaced by vast fields and low hills. The Soul Tool vehicle picked up speed, its wheels producing a steady hum as they rolled over the official road.

After leaning by the window and watching the scenery for a while, Meng Hongchen turned back around.

"Your Highness, what kind of soul beast do you want for your first Soul Ring?"

"Teacher didn't specify. We'll leave it to luck."

"You need to hunt a soul beast that suits you. Since you have a Sun Martial Soul, you should look for a fire-attribute or light-attribute soul beast, right?"

"That's what I think too. Whether we can find a suitable one still depends on luck."

"We definitely can."

Meng Hongchen waved her fist.

"I'll keep an eye out for you when the time comes. My eyesight is excellent."

"Then I'll have to trouble you."

"It's no trouble, no trouble at all."

Xiao Hongchen sat in his seat and watched his sister's excited expression without saying anything.

He could tell that Xu Tianming was measured in both word and deed. He did not pressure others just because he was a prince, nor did he deliberately lower himself to curry favor with anyone.

He was like a cup of room-temperature water—neither too hot nor too cold, just right. Being around someone like him felt very comfortable.

What Xiao Hongchen did not know was that the Seventh Prince was calculating matters in his heart as well.

Xu Tianming understood his father's intentions. That was why he had come to hunt for Soul Rings with Jing Hongchen. Nominally, they were merely traveling the same way, but in truth, it was meant to bring him closer to the Hongchen family.

The Hall of Virtue was the Sun Moon Empire's foremost Soul Tool research institution, and Jing Hongchen was Kong Deming's disciple. His standing among Soul Engineers was extremely high.

His father had only recently ascended the throne and needed to win over the various factions. The matter of the Holy Spirit Cult could not be brought into the open, and drawing the attention of the former Three Douluo Kingdoms too early would be unwise. Thus, winning over the Hall of Virtue was equivalent to adding another safeguard to the new emperor's throne.

Xu Tianming himself had no objection. Being born into the imperial family meant that many things were beyond his control. Even small matters like making friends were not entirely up to him. In a few years, even his marriage would likely be decided by his father.

Before he had enough influence of his own, there was nothing wrong with following arrangements for the time being. Besides, Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen were not difficult people to get along with.

One was lively and energetic, while the other was proud but knew his limits. Both were kind-hearted people his own age, far better than his older brothers, who had become conceited after gaining the status of princes.

Xu Tianming watched the fields race backward beyond the window as he considered his first Soul Ring.

His Sun Martial Soul possessed three attributes: Ultimate Fire, Ultimate Light, and Ultimate Destruction. Therefore, his criteria for choosing a Soul Ring should differ from those of an ordinary Sun Martial Soul.

Perhaps he could use the power of the Star Core.

The Soul Tool vehicle crossed the plains and headed toward the rolling mountain range in the distance. The interior was very quiet.

Meng Hongchen leaned against the window and yawned. Xiao Hongchen rested against his chair with his eyes closed, while Jing Hongchen sat in the foremost seat, still meditating with his eyes shut.

After traveling north from Mingdu for most of the day, the Soul Tool vehicle finally stopped at the foot of a sprawling mountain range.

The Jingyang Mountain Range.

"Senior Brother, aren't we going straight to the Evil Demon Forest?"

After getting out of the vehicle, Xu Tianming looked up at the endless mountains in the distance. The Sun Moon Empire's largest soul beast gathering ground was the Evil Demon Forest. Together with the Star Dou Great Forest and the Far North Icefield, it was known as one of the continent's three great soul beast gathering grounds.

He had heard of it many times and had originally thought that they would go there to hunt Soul Rings. Jing Hongchen stepped out of the vehicle as well, his silver-white hair drifting softly in the mountain wind.

"The Evil Demon Forest lies in the northwest and is too far from Mingdu. A round trip would take at least ten days. Besides, most of the soul beasts there lean toward dark attributes, which do not suit any of your Martial Souls. Going there would only waste time."

He pointed at the mountain range ahead.

"Jingyang Mountain is different."

The Jingyang Mountain Range stretched across the northern side of the Sun Moon Empire's central plains. It was the nearest large-scale soul beast habitat to Mingdu. Its mountains extended for hundreds of li, its main peak rising into the clouds. Ancient trees towered throughout the mountains, streams crisscrossed the land, and different vegetation zones spread from the foothills to the mountainsides.

Unlike the Evil Demon Forest, the Jingyang Mountain Range's greatest characteristic was its abundance of metal-attribute and spiritual-attribute soul beasts. Many metal veins lay beneath its foothills, and nearly half of the Sun Moon Empire's highest-quality Soul Tool materials came from here.

The mineral veins were abundant, and even the spiritual energy of heaven and earth carried a strong metallic aura. Thus, many metal-attribute soul beasts lived and reproduced here. Xiao Hongchen's Martial Soul was the Three-Legged Golden Toad, a pure metal attribute. Hunting for Soul Rings in the Jingyang Mountain Range was like a fish in water for him.

Fire-, light-, and ice-attribute soul beasts were also plentiful in the Jingyang Mountain Range. Xu Tianming's Sun Martial Soul and Meng Hongchen's Vermilion Clear Ice Toad could both find suitable soul beasts here.

More importantly, the Jingyang Mountain Range was the empire's most thoroughly developed hunting ground.

After years of exploration and organization, the distribution map of soul beasts in the mountain range was already highly complete. It contained detailed records of the soul beast attributes in every region, their approximate age ranges, and more. Following the map was far more efficient than searching other hunting grounds.

Jing Hongchen said nothing more and took the lead into the forest.

"Follow me. Don't stray too far from my side."

He was tall and walked quickly. The three young children had to jog behind him just to keep up.

Meng Hongchen ran while looking around on both sides, her large aqua-blue eyes brimming with curiosity. Xiao Hongchen walked silently beside his sister, his short white hair glimmering faintly beneath the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Xu Tianming walked at the back, surveying his surroundings.