I Want to Introduce You to Someone

Ye Chenxing leaned back in Lin Jiayi's large, comfortable office chair, surveying the surroundings.

Metal-textured walls, seamlessly fitted flooring, and the soul-tool screens on the desk, their faint light flowing across their surfaces.

He could not help sighing. "If I'd opened my eyes to this scene right after crossing over, I probably wouldn't have realized I was on the Douluo Continent."

At the same time, aside from Heroic Spirit Summoning and imitating the royal family's martial souls, this was another reason he had come here.

The level of technology.

It could not be helped. As someone from Azure Star who had enjoyed twenty-first-century modern civilization, why would he pass up a soul-tool metropolis to go play tribal warfare in the original Three Douluo Kingdoms? That would just be asking for trouble.

Besides, his top priority now was turning resources into tangible gains. If he wanted to accumulate strength quickly, he had to lean on a powerful backer. Looking across the entire continent, there were only four top-tier factions worth his attention.

The Noumenon Sect? Their rules only accepted Noumenon Martial Souls, and the threshold was locked down tight. Pass.

Shrek Academy? He had just offended them. Going back would be walking into a trap. Pass.

The Holy Spirit Cult? Thinking of those evil soul masters who performed blood sacrifices, Ye Chenxing immediately shook his head. He did not consider himself a good person, but he would never associate with those anti-human lunatics.

What was more, if he really joined the Holy Spirit Cult, he feared the Angel God beside him would be unable to restrain the Angel Holy Sword in her hand.

When it came to irreconcilable conflicts in this world, angels and evil soul masters would definitely rank among the top three.

That was also why he had insisted that Qian Renxue disguise herself as having a Bright Swan Martial Soul. Aside from the small amusement of paying tribute to Xue Qinghe, evil soul masters were the main reason.

If the Holy Spirit Cult learned that the Six-Winged Angel representing ultimate light had reappeared, they would certainly go mad and spare no cost to erase her.

If Qian Renxue went all out, relying on the Angel Martial Soul's suppression of evil soul masters and darkness attributes, she might be able to hold down the two ultimate powerhouses, Death God Douluo Ye Xishui and Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao.

But if the Holy Spirit Cult mobilized in full force, even ants could kill an elephant—let alone a vicious pack of wolves. No matter how strong Qian Renxue was, she would inevitably be overwhelmed and dragged into a bitter battle.

Most importantly, his greatest enemy still hung over his head—the Tang God-King in the God Realm.

Thus, the Sun Moon Empire truly was his best choice for now.

Bang!

The sound of the door opening interrupted Ye Chenxing's thoughts. A round figure seemed to teleport, kicking up a gust of wind as it instantly charged in front of him.

It was Jing Hongchen, master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall and a Rank Nine Soul Engineer.

Looking at the white-haired, red-eyed youth before him, whose bearing seemed detached from the mundane world, Jing Hongchen's charging steps slowed slightly as realization dawned on him.

With a face like that, it was no wonder his proud granddaughter had been so flustered today, even tossing a girl's reserve to the winds.

That eye-catching appearance and composed demeanor—this was definitely the boy.

Having confirmed his target, Jing Hongchen no longer cared about maintaining the dignity of a hall master. He rushed forward in a few strides, staring at Ye Chenxing as though he were a peerless, rare Rank Ten soul tool.

"Your Highness! You... good! Wonderful!"

Jing Hongchen's voice trembled slightly from extreme excitement.

The Sun Moon Empire's royal family had been passed down for over ten thousand years. Every ruler had dreamed of breaking through the shackles preventing the Sun Martial Soul from reaching the "ultimate" level, yet all of them had failed in the end.

But now, ultimate fire and ultimate light—two miracles that defied the common sense of the entire continent—had appeared before his eyes at the same time!

Jing Hongchen's mind was already frantically calculating the future. More than anyone, he understood that as long as they firmly tied this royal bloodline of boundless potential to the Illustrious Virtue Hall's chariot and tailored the finest soul-tool technology for him...

What foundation did Shrek Academy have to fear? The Sun Moon Empire's crushing unification of the continent was practically inevitable!

Seeing the plump old man before him flushed with fanaticism, so excited that he could not even speak coherently and could only gasp for breath, Ye Chenxing awkwardly tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Hall Master?"

Lin Jiayi hurried over from behind with Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, slightly out of breath. Seeing the scene before them, he could not help calling out.

Jing Hongchen's mind, intoxicated by wild joy, finally cooled down a little.

He suddenly realized that he, the dignified master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, had actually lost his composure so badly before a teenage boy. It was utterly improper!

"Ahem!" Jing Hongchen's old face reddened. He quickly straightened up, pretended to adjust his collar, forcefully suppressed the fervor on his face, and replaced it with a stern, imposing expression.

Taking a deep breath, he said in a low voice, "Your Highness, hearing is false, seeing is believing. Even with Jiayi and this most advanced testing device as proof, this old man still wishes to see... your martial soul with his own eyes."

Hum—

With an exceedingly faint resonant buzz, a sun abruptly rose in Ye Chenxing's palm.

Though Ye Chenxing had deliberately restricted its range, that ultimate light, pure without the slightest impurity, and that ultimate fire, seemingly capable of instantly burning even a soul to ashes, still flooded the entire office in an instant.

Jing Hongchen, who stood closest, bore the brunt of it. Even with the deep cultivation of a Titled Douluo protecting him, the hair at his forehead curled slightly under the terrifying heat.

"Hiss—" Jing Hongchen sharply sucked in a breath, his pupils abruptly contracting.

It really was ultimate fire! Not only that, there was also that flawless ultimate light! A Dual-Ultimate Mutated Sun Martial Soul—throughout the Sun Moon Empire's history of more than ten thousand years, this was an unprecedented miracle!

He had seen the Sun Martial Soul released countless times in his life, but this time was different. It was as if he could see the Sun Moon Empire's future flickering within that sun.

Jing Hongchen clenched his fists so hard his nails nearly dug into his flesh before barely suppressing the urge to throw back his head and laugh wildly. He waved a hand, signaling Ye Chenxing to retract his martial soul, then paced anxiously back and forth through the office with his hands behind his back.

His mind frantically weighed the gains and losses.

If... if this peerless genius before him were merely a commoner with no background, or even an ordinary noble's child, Jing Hongchen would absolutely pour all the Illustrious Virtue Hall's resources into him without hesitation and raise him into the future pillar of the hall!

By then, the Illustrious Virtue Hall's standing in the empire would become forever unshakable, perhaps even surpassing imperial authority.

But unfortunately... he possessed that martial soul! He was a direct descendant of the royal family!

This highly sensitive identity turned what should have been a perfect "heaven-sent miracle" into a super bomb capable of detonating the entire Sun Moon court at any moment.

Jing Hongchen knew all too well what the imperial palace was like now. Though Crown Prince Xu Tianran was crippled, his methods were ruthless and his ambitions vast. The other princes were no easy opponents either, and the struggle for succession had long reached a fever pitch.

At a time like this, if they pushed a "legitimate bloodline" with a Dual-Ultimate Sun Martial Soul into the spotlight, or forcibly tied him to the Illustrious Virtue Hall's chariot... what would the crown prince think? What would the emperor think?

The Illustrious Virtue Hall would instantly be dragged into that bottomless vortex of imperial power struggles. One misstep could even bring catastrophic disaster upon the entire Hongchen Family!

"We can't let him get dragged in... We absolutely cannot let the Illustrious Virtue Hall wade into the muddy waters of the imperial succession struggle because of this boy!"

Jing Hongchen gritted his teeth fiercely, abruptly halting as determination flashed through his eyes.

He needed to protect this outstanding seedling capable of overturning the continent's balance while keeping the Illustrious Virtue Hall out of it.

Looking across the entire Sun Moon Empire, there was only one person who could simultaneously ignore imperial power struggles, suppress court opposition, possess absolute authority, and earn even the reigning emperor's utmost respect.

Jing Hongchen turned to Ye Chenxing. An exceptionally complicated smile appeared on his plump face. "Your Highness, your talent and your identity alike... are far too shocking. Though this old man is the master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, I cannot cover the sky with one hand in the Sun Moon Empire."

He paused, his tone becoming incomparably solemn and reverent.

"To let you cultivate in peace without being dragged into those filthy struggles in the palace, this old man has decided to introduce you to someone."

Jing Hongchen took a deep breath and spoke each word clearly.

"The true stabilizing pillar of the Sun Moon Empire, the number one soul engineer of this age—this old man's teacher, master of the Sun Moon Empire's Hall of Consecration, Kong Deming!"

Half an hour later.

After listening to Jing Hongchen's animated, nearly incoherent account, Kong Deming slowly opened his eyes.

The elderly man, who had long ceased to show his emotions, now had stormy waves raging in those once placid eyes. His withered fingers trembled faintly. After a long while, he finally squeezed out a few muttered words.

"Ultimate martial soul...!"

"The martial soul our Sun Moon Empire has sought for nearly ten thousand years, the shackles generations of former emperors exhausted their hearts trying to break... have actually appeared..." Kong Deming's voice rose higher and higher, carrying an uncontrollable trace of wild joy and desolation. "Good! Excellent! At last, ultimate attributes no longer favor the original Three Douluo Kingdoms, no longer favor Shrek! Heaven blesses the Sun Moon Empire! Heaven blesses the Sun Moon Empire!!"

Seeing his teacher lose composure so thoroughly, Jing Hongchen stood respectfully to the side, scarcely daring to breathe.

After his excitement subsided, Kong Deming suddenly turned his head and fixed Jing Hongchen with a piercing gaze. His tone carried unquestionable authority. "Hongchen, you must use every last bit of the Illustrious Virtue Hall's foundation to give this child the highest possible level of training! Give him whatever he needs. You must not allow the slightest mishap to befall him!"

"Teacher, I naturally understand that." Jing Hongchen revealed a troubled expression. After hesitating briefly, he still forced himself to say, "But his martial soul is a Mutated Sun, which proves that he is a direct royal descendant who has been living outside. The current emperor's methods are ruthless. If he learns that a descendant of the former emperor possesses such talent, I'm afraid..."

Hmph!

A cold snort exploded through the secret chamber like thunder, making Jing Hongchen's eardrums ache.

Kong Deming's expression darkened as he rebuked him without mercy. "Hongchen, you truly are becoming more foolish with age! Has being a hall master made you lose your brain?"

"When the current emperor ascended the throne and used those underhanded methods to purge the former dynasty's bloodline, this old man never interfered or questioned it once. Do you think this old man would now stand by and watch him target the future pillar of our Sun Moon Empire just to shield him?!"

Cold sweat instantly soaked Jing Hongchen's back. He could only lower his head sheepishly. "Teacher's lesson is correct."

He could not help feeling ashamed. In the entire Sun Moon Empire, only the old patriarch before him would dare disregard the imperial court so brazenly and openly criticize the emperor's methods.

After all, one-quarter of Kong Deming's blood was royal. As the master of the Consecration Hall, his status transcended all others. To him, it was enough that the realm bore the name Sun Moon; he did not care who sat upon the dragon throne. What he cared about was only the Sun Moon Empire's stable inheritance and the future of soul-tool technology.

"This Dual-Ultimate Sun Martial Soul, as long as it grows steadily, will surely be invincible in this age!"

Kong Deming took a deep breath, an intimidating gleam flashing in his eyes. "An emperor with ultimate combat strength! The humiliation of our forebears being renamed shall certainly be washed away!"

At this point, Kong Deming's tone softened somewhat. "Since he returned to the Sun Moon Empire at such a time, whether he wishes to avenge those ancestors of his who were purged or, like this old man, become the stabilizing pillar suppressing the empire, this old man can let him do as he wishes! As long as his roots are in the Sun Moon Empire and his heart belongs to the empire, even if he wants to punch a hole through Ming Capital's sky, this old man will cover for him!"

"Go, bring him here." Kong Deming waved his sleeve, rare urgency entering his voice. "This old man wishes to personally meet this child."

"...Yes!"

Jing Hongchen agreed aloud, but inwardly, he could only think—this was bad!

Before coming here, he had had a perfect plan. His original intention was to use Kong Deming as a great tree to shield them from the storm and deter the royal family. Then, taking advantage of Kong Deming's long-standing habit of not accepting disciples, he would naturally take Ye Chenxing under his wing.

But he had still underestimated the allure of the unprecedented dual ultimates. He had directly ignited this old patriarch's long-dormant desire to nurture talent, despite his years of secluded cultivation!

Judging by Kong Deming's manner, how could he merely want to meet the boy? He clearly intended to personally take him as a disciple and raise him as his successor! How could Kong Deming possibly trust such a heaven-defying talent to Jing Hongchen's instruction?

My peerless disciple... Jing Hongchen inwardly wept.

But facing his teacher's command, he would not dare say no even if he had ten times the courage.

Helplessly, Jing Hongchen could only frantically console himself inwardly.

Fine, fine. Even if I can't take him as a disciple, there are other ways... This boy has already charmed Meng'er so thoroughly. If the two of them can get together, it would still keep the benefits in the family! Once he becomes my Hongchen Family's grandson-in-law, that result doesn't seem bad either?

Thinking of this, Jing Hongchen finally felt a little better. He respectfully bowed. "Yes, Teacher. I will arrange your meeting with Young Master Ye at once."

"This matter is of great importance."

Kong Deming put away his earlier emotions, his expression becoming incomparably solemn. "His talent and identity must, for now, be known only to a very small number of high-ranking people. Before I arrange a reasonable identity and foolproof protection for him, not even the slightest word must leak out."

"Rest assured, Teacher."

Jing Hongchen solemnly promised, "Aside from Jiayi and me, only Xiao'er and Meng'er were in the confidential testing room today. As for those lower-level personnel who operated the instruments, they are all trusted members of my Hongchen Family. They will not leak a single word to the outside world."

Kong Deming nodded slightly. "Go make the arrangements. Bring that child here as soon as possible."