Jing Hongchen sensed a strange atmosphere between her two grandsons and granddaughters, especially the odd, hesitant expression on Xiao Hongchen's face, which made Jing Hongchen involuntarily narrow her eyes.
Something's not right, not even 90% right.
Before he could even ask, Meng Hongchen leaped up from the sofa and announced loudly in a very proud tone:
Grandpa, I'm in love!
"Oh." Jing Hongchen nodded, then immediately widened her eyes. "Huh? Meng, say it again?"
"I said, I'm in love!" Meng Hongchen giggled, ran to Jing Hongchen's side, and hugged his arm. "Grandpa, is it really necessary to be so shocked?"
"Of course I'm shocked! Meng, how come you've fallen in love while participating in a competition?" Jing Hongchen keenly sensed something was wrong. "You didn't fall for that brat from Douluo Three Kingdoms during the competition, did you?"
Moreover, after learning what had happened, Jing Hongchen also noticed the touch of spring in Meng Hongchen's eyes, a spring that belonged only to a woman after she had grown up.
Cardiac arrest.
"You actually gave yourself away?!" Jing Hongchen was shocked, then her anger surged instantly. " Xiao Hongchen! What kind of work are you doing? You couldn't even keep an eye on your own sister?!"
His Jing Hongchen granddaughter, whom he had raised for over ten years and who was as beautiful as a flower, was actually taken by that blond-haired guy from Douluo Three Kingdoms!
My heart aches so much I can't breathe...
"Grandpa, do I look like someone who can keep a dream in check?" Xiao Hongchen said with a helpless bitter smile, then looked at Meng Hongchen, who was clinging to Jing Hongchen, Meng Hongchen a resentful gaze.
It was only thanks to Jing Hongchen being held by Meng Hongchen that Xiao Hongchen was able to receive a beating from her grandfather.
"Is that a reason?" Xiao Hongchen trying to make excuses for herself, Jing Hongchen was even more furious. "Your sister is still young, and you just watch her get deceived, and you say you can't protect her? You..."
"Grandpa, actually, it seems like the dream wasn't a complete lie..." Xiao Hongchen muttered softly.
"Still dare to talk back? What do you mean you weren't deceived? You gave yourself away and you still say you weren't..." Jing Hongchen slapped her hand away from Meng Hongchen's embrace and was about to give Xiao Hongchen a recollection of their childhood.
Then the room lit up with red and blue lights, and two intense Soul Power fluctuations of extreme cold and extreme heat suddenly erupted.
Jing Hongchen fell silent.
The three of them stared at each other, wide-eyed.
Looking at the top-grade Soul Bone in Meng Hongchen's left and right hands, Jing Hongchen's blood pressure began to slowly drop, and his chubby face, which had turned as red as dirt, gradually cooled down.
"Did that kid give it to you?" Jing Hongchen asked.
"Yes, Brother Ming gave them to me!" Meng Hongchen smiled as she hugged the two Soul Bone to her chest, her face full of happiness.
Seeing Meng Hongchen's lovestruck expression, Jing Hongchen had nothing to say. His vision was indeed higher than Xiao Hongchen's. Just the strong fluctuation of Soul Power alone meant that these two Soul Bone were at least 100,000 years old, not to mention the extremely oppressive ice and fire attribute power.
Ultimately, what Jing Hongchen feared was that Meng Hongchen would be deceived and that her beloved granddaughter would be harmed, not that she truly couldn't stand seeing Meng Hongchen looking for objects.
She is, after all, a girl, and once she grows up, she will have to get married someday. As long as the boy Meng Hongchen likes is willing to treat her sincerely, no matter how reluctant Jing Hongchen is, he cannot stop her from pursuing her love.
He offered two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone right off the bat; at least for now, that kid certainly seems very sincere.
Xiao Hongchen said about not being deceived seems to be true... No wonder Xiao's tone was a bit sour when he said that.
"Let me see." Jing Hongchen reached out and took the two Soul Bone from Meng Hongchen's hand.
The moment Jing Hongchen obtained the Soul Bone, he was astonished. Only after personally handling them did he realize that the power of these two Soul Bone far exceeded his imagination and was definitely not something that ordinary Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone could possess.
Of course, he could only sense the purer and more powerful attribute power, as well as the complete Soul Power fluctuations that had not been absorbed. The evil aura that Ming Zhao hid in the origin of the Soul Bone was something that Jing Hongchen was not capable of detecting.
"It is indeed Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, and not just any ordinary Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. Its attribute power is incredibly strong." After briefly sensing it, Jing Hongchen returned the two Soul Bone to Meng Hongchen.
He looked at his granddaughter with a complicated expression, unable to understand for a moment. Was it really true that carefree people were more likely to encounter good fortune?
"Of course, Grandpa! Brother Ming told me that these two Soul Bone have the attributes of Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Fire!" Meng Hongchen's tone was full of pride as she praised her boyfriend in front of her parents, as if she wanted to prove her judgment.
He said that as long as I absorb these two Soul Bone, my Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad Martial Soul will become stronger, Martial Soul attributes will reach near-maximum, or even directly become maximum, and the Martial Soul itself will also have a chance to evolve!
"He wasn't lying about that." Jing Hongchen nodded.
Absorbing a Soul Ring or a Soul Bone strengthens one's Martial Soul. In this era, this theory is nothing new; it's common knowledge.
There are few theories about how to evolve a specific Martial Soul, and only large and powerful Soul Master families have the ability to explore this.
Just like Bei Bei, he clearly knew that Radiant Heavenly Dragon Horse could help him transform his Martial Soul into the Radiant Sacred Dragon.
While other Martial Soul may lack such a systematic and mature theory, it is generally accepted that absorbing the Soul Ring Soul Bone of Soul Beast of the same origin that is compatible with one's own Martial Soul Martial Soul whose attributes and bloodlines are superior to one's own martial soul will induce a benign mutation in the Martial Soul.
Given that Meng Hongchen possesses both ice and fire attributes, this Soul Bone's extreme yet complementary attributes can indeed enhance Meng Hongchen's own attributes and may even induce her Martial Soul Evolution.
Thinking about it this way, the blond-haired boy in Jing Hongchen's heart seemed even more sincere.
"Alright, Grandpa's getting old, I can't control you all much anymore." Jing Hongchen shook his head. "You've all grown up and have your own ideas. Just keep your eyes open so you won't regret your choices later."
Afterwards, Jing Hongchen also heard from Meng Hongchen that Ming Zhao was coming to Mingdu to find her, and that Ming Zhao was a lone traveler, not a member of any faction, and would probably settle down in Mingdu.
Jing Hongchen didn't believe it directly, but if it were true, that would be perfect. It would be like finding a son-in-law with a generous dowry for Meng Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen wouldn't have to marry far away.
Although she didn't say it, Jing Hongchen was undoubtedly very satisfied.
They were also looking forward to meeting the mysterious Zhao Ming that Meng Hongchen had mentioned.