"R-Really okay?"
Meng Hongchen's voice was as soft as a feather brushing the surface of water, and her silver ponytail trembled slightly with her rapid breathing.
Her slender fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt, causing the expensive silk fabric to wrinkle in layers.
Toji looked at the little girl in front of him, whose face had turned red from her neck to the tips of her ears in an instant, and couldn't help but reach out and ruffle her satin-like silver hair:
"Of course, but..." He deliberately dragged out the words, watching Meng Hongchen immediately hold her breath in tension, and said with a smile, "The cultivation process will be a little painful, are you afraid?"
"I'm not afraid of pain!" Meng Hongchen blurted out, then realized her lapse in composure and hurriedly lowered her eyes.
Her thick eyelashes trembled like startled butterfly wings, yet they couldn't conceal the sparkling joy in her eyes.
She secretly glanced at Toji's sharply defined profile out of the corner of her eye, her heart pounding as if it would burst out of her chest.
"As long as you're not afraid of pain."
Toji Erdao.
He planned to teach Meng Hongchen his Qi and Blood Cultivation Technique.
Of course, this wasn't taught for nothing, and he definitely held back some things, only teaching Meng Hongchen the first three stages.
Once Meng Hongchen tasted the benefits of this cultivation technique, she naturally couldn't resist it. Most importantly, Meng Hongchen could completely win over Jing Hongchen and, incidentally, make Jing Hongchen owe her a huge favor.
His cultivation technique was quite powerful; it was the only technique that could improve one's physical body, and he was the only body cultivator on the Douluo Continent. This technique was priceless, worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.
There was no other way; in order to satisfy Jing Hongchen and significantly improve Meng Hongchen's strength in the shortest possible time, this was the best solution.
"When will it start?" Meng Hongchen's voice grew softer and softer, the last few words almost becoming breathy whispers.
"Now."
Behind him, Xiao Hongchen clenched his fists in frustration. "I want to learn too!"
"You?" Toji glanced at him. "Your attitude isn't good enough, your practical experience is lacking, and your mentality is problematic. You'd better straighten out your attitude."
"For you, cultivating your mind is more important than cultivating your physical body right now."
Xiao Hongchen: "... Why the discrimination?"
"Blame it on your rudeness, for saying I was an old man from the start." Toji laughed.
He preferred the sensible and well-behaved Meng Hongchen Xiao Hongchen.
This is a choice that anyone would know how to make.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Meng Hongchen sat cross-legged in meditation indoors, her silver hair covered in ice crystals, wearing only thin clothes, and her exposed skin was tinged with blood red.
Xiao Hongchen looked at his younger sister nervously, not forgetting to ask:
Is she about to break through to a higher level?
"Yes."
Toji was also somewhat surprised by Meng Hongchen's talent.
Even with her help, Meng Hongchen managed to reach the first stage within a month, breaking through her own limits.
"I wonder how Zhang Lexuan's training is going." Toji seemed to be thinking of that girl again.
"She only reached level 19 not long ago, and a month has passed, and she's about to break through to level 20?" Xiao Hongchen's eyes widened.
"That's right."
"So fast! At this rate, she's really going to overtake me!" Xiao Hongchen felt a sense of crisis and became very nervous.
At the same time, Meng Hongchen gritted his teeth, and fine blood mist burst forth from his body.
"Ah! Meng, what's wrong? Are you alright?!"
Toji quickly stopped Xiao Hongchen, who was about to run forward:
"Are you trying to kill yourself? Bleeding is normal. This is a crucial moment for her breakthrough, so don't disturb her!"
Xiao Hongchen finally quieted down.
A moment later, Meng Hongchen's breakthrough gradually stabilized, and she opened her eyes with a slight tremor in her eyelashes.
She raised her hand and gently clenched it, discovering that her strength had increased considerably.
Her skin shimmered with a jade-like luster, and beneath her slender arms lay an explosive power.
"This..." She looked at her hands in disbelief, and at the same time, she realized that she was already level 20!
"I... I've become Soul Grandmaster?"
Meng Hongchen murmured.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough in cultivation." Toji stepped forward to offer his congratulations.
Thank you, teacher!
Meng Hongchen jumped up excitedly, and with that momentum, she suddenly leaned closer to Toji and lightly pecked him on the cheek.
"This is a thank-you gift from the students!"
After saying that, he ran away like a startled deer, leaving Toji standing there dumbfounded.
"Where are you going?" Xiao Hongchen chased after him.
"I want to tell Grandpa the good news about my breakthrough!" Meng Hongchen said with a grin.
When Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen came before Jing Hongchen to explain the matter, he checked Meng Hongchen's current condition.
His physical strength has increased by at least five times compared to before, and his Soul Power cultivation has also successfully broken through to level 20.
Jing Hongchen was puzzled.
Even if Soul Master breaks through to the Soul Grandmaster, the improvement wouldn't be this great, especially in terms of strength. He's even stronger than Xiao Hongchen.
No, this is already very close to becoming Soul Elder of the Power type.
Meng Hongchen is clearly not good at power-type attacks.
After checking Meng Hongchen's condition, Jing Hongchen breathed a sigh of relief and turned her gaze to Toji:
I owe you another favor.
"The patriarch's favor is priceless; I've gained another advantage," Toji joked with a smile.
Jing Hongchen laughed, "If you could earn like this every day, I'd be happy too, hahaha. No wonder His Highness the Crown Prince recommended you to me, you're truly extraordinary."
"Next, we'll be going to acquire Soul Ring. Hall Master, would you mind if I took her to the Far North?" Toji continued.
Upon hearing that he was to go to the Far North, Jing Hongchen hesitated:
" The Far North? Isn't that a bit too much trouble?"
"Master, your granddaughter's Martial Soul is the Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad, a king among the crevices of the Far North, and a top-grade ice-attribute poison. Obtaining her Soul Ring in the Far North is the best choice."
"And, after we return from the Far North, I'll give you another surprise."
Upon hearing Toji's words, Jing Hongchen magnanimously waved his hand and agreed to the matter.
"Okay, then I'll be waiting for your surprise."
After spending this time together, Jing Hongchen had come to trust Toji completely.
"Come back safely, Xiao. You can come with me on this training trip too," Jing Hongchen said to Xiao Hongchen.
"Huh?" Xiao Hongchen's face immediately fell. "Grandpa, it's just that Meng is going to get Soul Ring. What good training opportunities would I have if I went with her? I'd rather stay here and study Soul Tool diligently, cultivate properly, and try not to be surpassed by Meng."
Jing Hongchen's expression turned serious. "Your teacher reported this to me. Do you know why your cultivation level has increased so quickly? It's because of your mindset."
"Go out and explore more. Take advantage of your youth and gain more experience to improve yourself. When you come back, I'll take you to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy to take classes and personally teach you about Soul Tool."
Xiao Hongchen was overjoyed:
"Okay, I'll go right away, thank you, Grandpa!"