This Child Was Fated to Be My Disciple, Kong Deming Restored His Glory, and the Five Spirit Kings Who Loved His Smile (4K)

"Sorry for the trouble, Master Kong. Your student is well."

The librarian respectfully gave a disciple's salute and said with tears of gratitude, "Working in the academy library, I get to see these young students blooming in the prime of their lives every day. It almost lets me imagine I'm still young myself."

"The once-mighty commander of the empire's Third Soul Engineer Corps, the thunderously hot-tempered Artillery Head Zhang Bin, has actually become somewhat peaceful."

The old man sighed with emotion. "Little Bin, your talent for soul engineering was actually only a shade below Ziwen's, and leagues above Zheng Zhan's inflexible wooden head.

"If you hadn't fallen into the Star Luo Empire's ambush on the Mingdou Mountain Range battlefield, where the White Tiger Duke Dai Hao severely damaged your meridians and caused your already unstable soul power to collapse and regress, you could have become a Level 9 Soul Engineer."

When the old man spoke of the renowned Level 9 Soul Engineer, Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan, he made him sound like a lump of rotten mud barely fit to plaster a wall.

Anyone from the Sun Moon Empire who heard this would surely shout, "Hold it!" A Level 9 Soul Engineer couldn't be insulted lightly-watch your arrogance, you old geezer! Yet Zhang Bin looked as though this were perfectly reasonable.

Because the old man before him truly had that right. Even if he pointed at Zheng Zhan's nose and called him an idiot, Zheng Zhan would have to swallow it, smile along, and urge the elder not to damage his health by getting angry.

Within Sun Moon territory, there was only one Master Kong: Silver Moon Douluo Kong Deming, the white jade pillar holding up Sun Moon's heavens, the purple-gold beam spanning the empire's seas!

Kong Deming was revered by the Sun Moon Empire as the father of modern soul guidance, the Soul Engineer closest to godhood.

With Silver Moon Douluo's illustrious achievements, he should have stood far above the world, accepting the worship of later generations. Instead, he chose to step down from his pedestal and open his doors to share his knowledge.

Almost every high-ranking Soul Engineer of the Sun Moon Empire's middle generation had received Kong Deming's guidance. Even today, he remained willing to advise Mingde Hall's researchers and lead them through the fog ahead.

Decades of tirelessly teaching the younger generations had left Kong Deming's pupils flourishing throughout the land.

Mingde Hall Master Jing Hongchen, Starry Sky Douluo Ye Yulin, Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan, Fire Phoenix Douluo Luan Feng... all these famous Level 9 Soul Engineers of the Sun Moon Empire were Kong Deming's students and respectfully called him Master Kong.

Level 8 Soul Engineers such as Xuan Ziwen and Zhang Bin were undoubtedly unremarkable among Kong Deming's host of household-name students. Thus, his special visit to Zhang Bin moved the latter immensely.

Hearing his respected teacher lament his fate, Zhang Bin chuckled and said freely, "Why bring up old history, Master Kong? Your student won't be able to advance any further in this lifetime. Rather than hide at home as a useless cripple, I might as well join the academy and become a librarian.

"You devote yourself to researching Level 10 Soul Tools in the empire's Offering Hall, while I manage the academy library. We're both doing our part for the country."

"Quite right. That's the spirit." Kong Deming laughed. "For once, you've seen things clearly. A Level 8 Soul Engineer serving as a librarian is quite the waste of talent, and Little Jing can't keep you in line either. Coming late, leaving early, slipping away halfway through work-you really live like an immortal.

"When you have some free time, why not find a female teacher and get married? Will this old man get to drink at your wedding before he dies?"

"Please stop teasing me..."

Zhang Bin scratched his head awkwardly. Before his teacher, the iron-blooded tough guy who shed blood but never tears softened into a student who hadn't finished his homework.

"Master Kong, something earth-shattering happened at the academy yesterday."

Really unwilling to endure the old man's marriage nagging, Zhang Bin's eyes shifted as he changed the subject. "An ultimate martial soul has appeared on the Douluo Continent once again! After ultimate fire, ultimate wind, and ultimate wood, the Douluo Continent has produced its fourth ultimate Soul Master-ultimate metal!

"Heaven has opened its eyes and blessed Sun Moon! The ultimate metal wielder has enrolled in our Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!"

"Ultimate metal?!"

The intervention of Shrek's ultimate fire-wielding dean had been the turning point of the first continental war, so the Sun Moon Empire understood the power of ultimate martial souls all too well. Kong Deming's first reaction was excitement. A moment later, he forcibly suppressed his wild joy and demanded sternly:

"Throughout the Sun Moon Empire, everyone cultivates with medicinal supplements. Their effects have seeped deep into our hereditary makeup. How could that support a descendant awakening an ultimate martial soul? Are you making fun of this old man?"

"I wouldn't dare!" Zhang Bin hastily explained, "I was drinking with Old Lin last night, and once his tongue got thick, he spilled every last secret!

"You're right. The ultimate metal wielder isn't of Sun Moon blood. He's an immigrant from the Douluo Three Kingdoms who obtained a Permanent Imperial Residence Permit. He passed the accelerated assessment yesterday, so today is his second day at the academy.

"He's incredible! The moment he unleashed his martial soul, the Hongchen Family youngster who'd awakened a divine beast bloodline went pale with shock. Then, despite his opponent's resistance, he invaded the gold element within the rare metals and turned his opponent's own soul tools against him!"

"The natural enemy of Soul Engineers!"

Old ginger was indeed the spiciest. From Zhang Bin's description alone, Kong Deming's analysis struck the nail on the head. "Ultimate metal naturally counters every metal attribute.

"As long as he holds a position, high-altitude detectors, Eyes of Fear, floating cannons... independently operating soul tools would probably become his weapons in an instant.

"To fight ultimate metal, Soul Engineers would have to guard their weapons tightly and prevent it from invading their bodies."

"And that's not all! Ultimate metal has an enormous advantage over the three ancient ultimate martial souls: he can devour rare metals to accelerate his cultivation. He's only eleven, but he's already a rank-forty-two Soul Ancestor and a Level 4 Soul Engineer!"

Zhang Bin poured everything out like beans from a bamboo tube. "Old Lin told me that he probably wanted to absorb the finest rare metals produced in the Sun Moon Empire and gain access to advanced soul guidance technology, so he resolutely threw his lot in with us.

"He's even willing to stand against Shrek Academy and help the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy win two Soul Master Tournaments!"

"An eleven-year-old Level 4 Soul Engineer... the younger generation is formidable." Kong Deming nodded slightly. "The ultimate metal wielder has made the most important move of his life correctly.

"The Douluo Three Kingdoms' soul guidance technology develops slowly, and their rare-metal deposits are no match for Sun Moon's either. The Sun Moon Empire can give him everything he wants."

Zhang Bin nodded vigorously. "Personally, I believe that if we devote the strength of the entire nation to cultivating him, becoming a Limit Douluo will be just around the corner!

"Hall Master Hongchen intends to take him as his final disciple. He specifically told Old Lin to seal off the news so the empire's Level 9 Soul Engineers wouldn't swarm over to fight for him!"

"How dare he!!!"

Silver Moon Douluo slammed the table. The resounding bang echoed through the quiet library, giving the nearby Sun Moon students engrossed in their studies a tremendous fright.

"Today he dares conceal ultimate metal; tomorrow he'll dare usurp the throne and declare himself emperor!"

First slap on an accusation, then demand allegiance-Kong Deming instantly unleashed the old generation's tactics.

What a big, fat toad, with a whole stomach full of schemes!

"Little Bin, this old man finds Little Jing's actions inappropriate. The Hongchen Family has gained a divine beast bloodline, so their resources will inevitably favor the Three-Legged Golden Toad. They aren't suited to shoulder the burden of nurturing ultimate metal."

Kong Deming shot Zhang Bin a meaningful sidelong glance. "In recent years, I've increasingly felt my strength falling short of my wishes, and I suddenly realized something important. You all call me Master Kong, true enough, but I've never taken a genuine heir to my legacy...

"For the empire's long-term interests, ultimate metal ought to be taught by an experienced, highly respected elder whose soul-tool craftsmanship is unfathomably profound, lest this once-in-a-thousand-years talent be wasted..."

"Who else could that be but you? Rest assured, Master Kong! Your disciple has always been your most loyal subordinate!"

Zhang Bin immediately gave a crisp military salute to declare his loyalty, spectacularly tossing Jing Hongchen to the back of his mind. Rubbing his hands like a fly, he invited Kong Deming into the office chair.

"Please sit down and rest, Master Kong. My administrator privileges let me access student records. I'll pull up the ultimate metal wielder's student ID photo right away."

After a flurry of tapping, an unfiltered, high-definition headshot of Lin Qing appeared on the soul-tool screen. Zhang Bin considerately moved two steps away to avoid blocking his teacher's view.

Kong Deming took a closer look and said in realization, "Lin Qing... so it's him.

"He happens to enjoy reading my early works. Heaven has ordained this in the unseen-this child is fated to be my disciple."

With that, Kong Deming abruptly stood and rotated his wrists and shoulders, as though warming up in advance.

"Won't you stay a little longer, Master Kong?"

"I have a little private business with Jing Hongchen."

Kong Deming spoke with an affable smile.

Taking a disciple could wait. His first priority was to restore Silver Moon's imposing glory and ruthlessly suppress that fat toad's growing ambitions!

Kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, and tell those restless students and grandstudents to get out of the way and stay there!

The academy library, early evening.

Lin Qing turned a page and glanced up inadvertently, his gaze falling upon the golden figure opposite him.

With her brilliant golden eyes lowered, Ye Guyi sat in quiet serenity, her fingertips resting against the edge of a page. Her tightly furrowed brow suggested she had encountered something she couldn't understand. A few seconds later, her long lashes trembled slightly, as though understanding had dawned.

Warm sunlight brushed across her holy, flawless face. Her expression of focused thought looked particularly gentle, as though all the world's clamor had been shut away a thousand miles distant.

Then, Miss Angel unconsciously shifted her reading posture. Her delicate hand cradled her pale cheek, and an exquisite collarbone showed at her uniform's neckline, as though carefully traced by a painter's fine brush. The sunlight paused briefly before sliding down along the fabric's edge, following perilously steep contours and curves breathtaking in the interplay of light and shadow.

Lin Qing lowered his head and continued turning pages.

A little later, Ye Guyi raised her head from her confusion, balanced her pen between her delicate nose and upper lip, and stared at the ceiling with nothing left to live for.

These books were awfully conscious of intellectual property protection. Her brain couldn't steal a single thing from them.

Stretching her stiff spine, Ye Guyi swept her gaze across the piles of books on the table before it settled on the boy's face opposite her.

Lin Qing was writing with his head lowered, flecks of light reflected in his silver-gray eyes. Sunlight struck him from the side, dividing his face into sharply defined light and shadow. He looked so authoritative that he hardly seemed real.

After reading Jing Hongchen's dry, tedious works, then looking at the radiant Lin Qing, Ye Guyi suddenly found herself agreeing with Meng Hongchen. She silently shifted her gaze away and turned to the next page as though nothing had happened.

From afternoon until night, the two roamed the ocean of knowledge. Only when closing time arrived did they reluctantly leave the library.

The long night stretched ahead, a bright moon hanging overhead. They walked together along a stone path, exchanging insights on soul engineering.

"I don't get it," Ye Guyi said indignantly. "I'm making soul-cannon shells, not soul shields. Why does the book insist on adding a Soul Tool Stabilizing Core Array? Why can't I engrave nothing but Explosive Arrays and push the blast power to its limit?"

Lin Qing smacked his lips. "Nice idea. Cover them in Explosive Arrays, and if a shock wave comes along one day, the shells in your warehouse will have a sensitive-skin flare-up. One big explosion will send your own teammates flying free."

"...Oh. Now I get it."

Miss Angel realized how absurd her question was and secretly rejoiced that she had never tried developing her own shells before.

After more than half a day of self-study, Lin Qing had identified and filled gaps in his knowledge. Kong Deming's writings covered an immensely broad range, and he read them with rapt fascination, marveling that Kong Deming truly deserved his reputation as a giant in the soul-guidance field.

Ye Guyi, meanwhile, was like Nüwa patching the heavens. She had initially thought she would be following Confucius, reviewing the old to learn the new, only to end up like Columbus discovering a new continent. Her previous learning had leaked wind through holes everywhere, and now all those gaps had come knocking.

"We'll stay at Zhanghua Garden for two days over the weekend. We can have one-on-one private lessons, and I'll give you some special tutoring."

"Mm-hmm! Three months, two people, one miracle!"

Ye Guyi brimmed with motivation. The Holy Angel's powerful pride wouldn't allow her to fall behind her companion!

Neither of them would return to the dormitory tonight, nor would they get a room at the Rose Hotel. They headed straight for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's Mimicry Training Grounds.

Through "108 Essential Things New Students Must Know," they had learned just how extravagantly lavish the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's Mimicry Training Grounds were. With mines at home to bankroll them, the academy spent recklessly, constructing simulated environments suited to all sorts of attributes.

The grandest and most magnificent of these was called the Metal World. It used the Sun Moon Empire's abundant rare metals to create an energy field. Deep underground stood a Level-Nine Soul Tool Furnace, constantly converting rare metals into gold-element energy and transmitting it to the surface.

By comparison, the Mimicry Training Grounds for light-attribute Soul Masters were rather unimpressive. Their supportive effects were inevitably inferior to those of the Golden Tree at the center of Shrek Academy's Sea God Island.

However, for the Holy Angel, moving to the Sun Moon Empire to develop had its own unique advantage.

The Holy Spirit Cult's Evil Soul Masters.

As Lin Qing remembered it, there was a Holy Spirit Cult Branch in Mingdu, and its leader seemed to be an Evil Soul Saint.

Sooner or later, the Green Garment Duo would wipe out that Holy Spirit Cult Branch. Two good deeds a day-those who knew, knew. Ye Guyi would gain soul power feedback by slaying Evil Soul Masters, while Lin Qing would confiscate the evil cultists' estates and cleanse their filthy, ill-gotten wealth.

"Let's part ways here."

They reached a fork where their routes no longer led in the same direction.

After waving goodbye to Ye Guyi, Lin Qing didn't continue toward the Metal World. Instead, he said calmly, "You've been following us since we left the library. If you still can't bear to show yourselves, you'll lose your chance."

Their supposedly covert tailing exposed, five figures slowly emerged: two boys and three girls, their faces black as the bottoms of pots.

Lin Qing had some impression of one of the girls. She was a student in Class 1, Year 5, and spent lessons staring at Xiao Hongchen with a lovestruck smile, her gaze bouncing like little pink hearts.

"If you have something to say, say it," Lin Qing said indifferently.

"Because you showed up, Brother Xiao stopped smiling!" the girl from his class said through gritted teeth.

"Brother Xiao's proud, arrogant smile is a treasure of this world that we protect with our lives!"

"We are the Five Spirit Kings who love his smile! We will never let anyone defy our brother!"

As that thunderous slogan landed, Lin Qing barely kept a straight face.

Five brain-dead Xiao Hongchen fans, with intelligence rivaling a fully grown banana!