Last night, the sky had still been thick with dark clouds, but no rain had fallen.
The weather cleared the next day, and the morning sunlight streamed through the window into the room.
Warm sunlight spread through the room and soon crept to the bedside.
Kong Xuan reached up and rubbed his eyes, then, with them only half open, realized that the morning sunlight was shining on his face.
He sat up in bed and looked over at his younger sister, who was still asleep on the other side.
Clenching his fists and feeling the strength filling his body, strength he had never possessed before, Kong Xuan could clearly sense the improvement in his physique.
He had no idea how long they had held out last night, but evidently, both of them had succeeded in their first session of "Whale Rubber body tempering."
Although Kong Xuan had been extremely careful getting out of bed, he still woke Kong Ling.
Kong Ling, whose body was likewise brimming with strength, clearly felt no drowsiness either. She got up with him to wash up.
When the two sat down at the dining table, they found that breakfast was unexpectedly delicious. It did not seem to be one of Kong Deming's nutritious breakfasts.
Seeing their surprised looks, Kong Deming smiled. "Cultivation requires a balance between work and rest, and the same principle applies to eating. Today, we'll only have three meals, all of them ordinary food."
Although they were not particularly hungry, faced with a table full of delicious food, the siblings could not help eating a little more.
Kong Deming said nothing more, letting the two children indulge their appetites.
When the siblings finished eating, Kong Deming placed two small boxes in front of them.
Under their surprised gazes, he said, "These are gifts for you. Open them and take a look."
Kong Ling picked up the small, elongated box in front of her and lifted the lid. A necklace lay inside.
The necklace was silver throughout, studded with gemstones that shimmered with a faint silvery-blue radiance. Its centerpiece was a piece of crystal-clear jade, within which a nebula seemed to swirl.
The box in Kong Xuan's hands held an identical necklace.
Kong Deming explained, "This is a Level 9 defensive Soul Tool I made. It's called the Starlight Guardian."
"The necklace is forged from mithril and star steel. Each link is set with a soul-conducting gemstone, forming a miniature defensive soul formation. It will activate automatically when you suffer a fatal attack, and it can withstand a full-force strike from a Titled Douluo below Level 95."
"The pendant is a piece of deep-sea fallen star jade. By channeling Soul Power into it, you can activate a healing shield that slowly heals your own injuries and those of your teammates. It also has a purification effect that can dispel conditions such as dizziness and poisoning."
Listening to Kong Deming's explanation, Kong Xuan stared at the defensive Soul Tool with shining eyes.
Wearing an automatically triggered defensive Soul Tool like this was the same as having an extra life!
Beside him, Kong Ling wore much the same expression, her eyes full of delight.
What she cared about was not the defensive Soul Tool's functions. She simply liked the necklace's design.
She was a girl, after all, and girls always liked pretty things.
Looking at the two children with their shining eyes, Kong Deming rose. "Keep these necklaces on from now on. I'm giving you both the day off today, so get some proper rest."
With that, Kong Deming turned and left the room. He still had many matters to attend to today.
Before long, Kong Deming appeared inside the Worship Hall. He was waiting for someone.
"Teacher!"
Only upon hearing that voice did Kong Deming, who had been resting with his eyes closed, open them.
Xuan Ziwen strode in from outside. His silver robe was somewhat disheveled, and he looked travel-worn.
Kong Deming asked, "Has everything been taken care of?"
Xuan Ziwen nodded. "As you instructed, Teacher, the message has been sent out from the Worship Hall. Every Soul Engineer academy throughout the empire will receive the order within three days."
The Worship Hall was not a superior authority over these Soul Engineer academies. The two could be said to belong to entirely different systems.
However, the Worship Hall held a very special position in the Sun Moon Empire, one that could be said to stand above many other powers.
Thus, even the empire's emperor had to carefully weigh any order issued by the Worship Hall. After all, its reputation as the nation's protector was no empty claim.
Seeing his teacher's serious expression, Xuan Ziwen could not help asking, "Teacher, are you preparing to come out of seclusion?"
As the master of the Worship Hall, Kong Deming wielded immense power.
Yet he usually immersed himself in Soul Tool research rather than "pointing fingers" at the empire's development.
This time, however, Kong Deming had issued a nationwide order in the Worship Hall's name. To Xuan Ziwen, this was naturally unlike his teacher's previous style.
Kong Deming did not directly answer his disciple's question. Instead, he asked, "Why do you ask?"
Without even thinking, Xuan Ziwen replied, "Teacher, you ordered Soul Engineer academies everywhere to awaken the Martial Souls of nearby children of the appropriate age free of charge, and to offer free enrollment to those with outstanding talent. Doesn't that mean you intend to carry out a reform?"
Xuan Ziwen looked at his teacher with burning eyes, as though he had long been waiting for this day.
Kong Deming's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he marveled at his disciple's rich imagination.
Still, he had to admit that Xuan Ziwen had guessed a few things correctly.
Kong Deming then asked, "A reform? What kind of reform do you think it is?"
Hearing his teacher pose another question like this, Xuan Ziwen became even more convinced that his earlier guess had been correct.
He took a deep breath and, this time, thought for a moment before answering. "Judging by the specifics of your order, Teacher, this search for geniuses is primarily based on Innate Soul Power and Martial Soul strength. So I think you want to promote the development of Soul Masters within the empire."
Kong Deming smiled at that. "Since even you can see that, I imagine plenty of others will understand my intentions too."
Xuan Ziwen's expression froze. He felt that his teacher's words sounded rather "unpleasant."
That was looking down on him a little, making it sound as though he was far worse than everyone else.
For Xuan Ziwen to have caught Kong Deming's eye and been accepted as his disciple, becoming a Level 7 Soul Engineer at such a young age, his talent naturally far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Thus, Kong Deming had no intention whatsoever of belittling his disciple's talent. He was referring to political sensitivity, an area in which his disciple had always been slow on the uptake.
"The empire's Soul Tool development far surpasses that of the Douluo Three Kingdoms. But why did we lose that great war back then? Because we lacked true powerhouses!"
"Whether you're a Soul Master or a Soul Engineer, everything still has to be founded on Soul Power. We've become far too reliant on Soul Tools. This situation must change!"
After witnessing the talents of the two grandchildren he had "picked up," he knew he could not teach them.
Since then, he had been thinking about a solution, finally bringing about this reform that would sweep across the entire nation!
He did not merely intend to nurture Kong Xuan and Kong Ling. He intended to start nurturing an entire generation!
After all, even powerhouses needed companions alongside them as they grew.
But then Xuan Ziwen said, "But Teacher, Soul Tools are our greatest strength right now. We've always lagged behind the Douluo Three Kingdoms in Soul Master cultivation. Doesn't this decision of yours mean pitting our weakness against their strength?"