Kong Deming's gaze sharpened slightly, and he reached out to take the letter.
Kong Deming carried one-quarter of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial bloodline, and thanks to his existence, the Kong Clan's standing had risen like a boat on a rising tide.
However, the Kong Clan had few members, and not a single member of its younger generation had caught Kong Deming's eye.
Barring any surprises, once Kong Deming died, the Kong Clan's standing would plummet a thousand fathoms.
Now, Kong Deming also wanted to know just what gave Shiquan Junior Soul Engineer Academy the confidence to write to him directly.
He opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. There was not much written on it, and he read it all in a couple of glances.
Standing to one side, Xuan Ziwen saw his teacher abruptly rise to his feet. He had been as unruffled as drifting clouds moments before, yet now he could barely even control his Soul Power.
A powerful presence spread outward from Kong Deming, but it vanished in an instant without spreading beyond the room.
"Teacher? What's wrong?"
Xuan Ziwen could not help asking. For it to provoke such a reaction from his teacher, the contents of this letter had to be extraordinary.
Kong Deming glanced at his disciple and handed over the letter without any reservation.
After reading the letter, a trace of shock flashed through Xuan Ziwen's eyes as well. "Teacher, if it really is the Sun Martial Soul, then even if she isn't your blood relative, she must carry the imperial bloodline!"
In Fang Sheng's letter, the main focus of his description was Kong Ling. It was precisely her Sun Martial Soul and surname that had made him believe she had a connection to Kong Deming.
Kong Deming stepped out from behind his desk and said, "None of that is the main point."
Xuan Ziwen was taken aback at first, then seemed to understand what his teacher meant.
Kong Deming continued, "The most important thing is that both siblings mentioned in the letter have innate full Soul Power!"
When assessing a Soul Master's talent, aside from the strength of their Martial Soul, one had to look at their innate Soul Power.
And whether it was their Martial Souls or their innate Soul Power, Kong Xuan and Kong Ling were both one-in-tens-of-millions rarities.
As long as the information about them was true, even if they had no blood ties to Kong Deming, he would not let these two geniuses slip past him.
"I'm going to Shiquan City right now. Ziwen, notify everyone that tomorrow's meeting is canceled."
With that, Kong Deming strode outside. He already could not wait to meet those two little geniuses.
The dean's office at Shiquan Junior Soul Engineer Academy.
A space had been cleared beside Fang Sheng's desk.
A small blackboard stood at the front, near the bookcase, with two small desks and chairs opposite it.
The siblings, Kong Xuan and Kong Ling, were sitting obediently in their chairs, listening attentively to Fang Sheng's lesson.
Today, Fang Sheng was not explaining any details of cultivation or knowledge about Soul Beasts. Instead, he was teaching them to read.
In the middle of his lesson, Fang Sheng suddenly stopped. He looked around, a solemn, wary expression appearing on his face.
When his gaze turned toward the window, however, he froze on the spot.
Kong Xuan followed Fang Sheng's gaze. Through the window, he could see a figure in the air above the academy!
There was no Flying Soul Tool on his back. He stood suspended in midair entirely on his own.
Titled Douluo!
Those words instantly surfaced in Kong Xuan's mind.
On the Douluo Continent, without the aid of Soul Tools, only Titled Douluo could fly apart from Soul Masters with flying Martial Souls.
And now, a Titled Douluo had appeared in the air above Shiquan Junior Soul Engineer Academy.
After seeing the figure outside, the wariness on Fang Sheng's face faded, replaced by an excited smile, for he had recognized the visitor.
He was just about to go out to greet him, but before he could move, the figure in the air outside the window vanished into thin air!
Then, under his astonished gaze, he suddenly felt a fluctuation of Soul Power before him, and a tall figure appeared out of nowhere.
The man wore a bright yellow robe and held his hands behind his back. Merely standing there, he exerted an invisible pressure on those around him. He was none other than the man who had just been in the air outside the window.
Fang Sheng had heard that some powerful Titled Douluo could command the power of space.
Clearly, what the man before him had just used was a spatial ability.
Fang Sheng hurriedly stepped forward and bowed. "Fang Sheng, dean of Shiquan Junior Soul Engineer Academy, greets Your Eminence Silver Moon."
Indeed, the visitor was Kong Deming, the Silver Moon Douluo and master of the Sun Moon Empire's Worship Hall!
After reading Fang Sheng's letter, he had set off that very night and finally reached Shiquan City the following afternoon.
Kong Deming looked at Fang Sheng and asked, "You've met me before?"
As master of the Worship Hall, Kong Deming had always lived in seclusion and rarely ventured out. By all rights, someone of Fang Sheng's Soul King level should not have recognized him.
Fang Sheng hurriedly replied, "When I was studying in Mingdu, I had the good fortune to see Your Eminence."
Although Fang Sheng was already over sixty, Kong Deming had been a Titled Douluo back when he was a boy.
Kong Deming nodded, then turned his gaze to the side.
Behind the specially made little desks, Kong Xuan and Kong Ling were also looking up, their gazes meeting Kong Deming's in midair.
Kong Deming took a few steps, then actually crouched before them, bringing his eyes level with theirs.
"Children, release your Martial Souls."
As he spoke, Kong Deming was also observing the siblings before him.
Kong Xuan's eyes were clear, and he seemed to possess a composure beyond his years.
Kong Ling, on the other hand, looked somewhat frightened and flustered, her gaze repeatedly darting toward her older brother. Still, this was normal behavior for a child her age.
Although he had never met the man before him, Kong Xuan already had a guess about his identity.
He first glanced at his younger sister beside him, giving her a reassuring look, then smiled and nodded at her.
Then Kong Xuan simply extended his left hand, and the Atlas Spear appeared in his grasp, incandescent white light shimmering along its crystalline length.
Sensing the sharp presence emanating from the spear, even Kong Deming could not help his heart giving a jolt.
Although this was his first time seeing this kind of spear Martial Soul, he was already certain that it was an absolutely top-tier Tool Martial Soul!
After seeing her older brother's actions, Kong Ling followed his example and extended her left hand.
As a small orange-red sun rose in her hand, the temperature inside Fang Sheng's office abruptly climbed considerably.
Seeing Kong Ling's Sun Martial Soul with his own eyes, Kong Deming was essentially certain of their identities. After all, the inheritance of a Martial Soul could not be faked.
His expression instantly softened, and he asked gently, "Have you never met your parents?"
Kong Ling looked timid and did not answer the question, merely keeping her eyes on her older brother.
Kong Xuan reached into his collar and tugged on the red cord around his neck, pulling out a green jade plaque.
"Grandpa Village Chief found us in the mountains and brought us back to the village. We've never met our parents. This jade plaque was the only thing we had on us."
Kong Xuan showed the jade plaque to Kong Deming and continued, "Grandpa Village Chief said the character on it is 'Kong,' so my sister and I should have the surname Kong."
Upon seeing the jade plaque, Kong Deming became completely certain of the siblings' identities. They were indeed members of his Kong Clan!
A hundred years ago, before he had become a Titled Douluo, a great calamity had befallen the Kong Clan, and many clan members had either died or fled.
And the jade plaque Kong Xuan had shown him was an heirloom of the Kong Clan.
He thought that Kong Xuan and Kong Ling were probably descendants of the clan members who had fled back then.
After him, talent in the Kong Clan had withered away, yet now two geniuses with innate full Soul Power had appeared. Heaven truly was watching over his Kong Clan!
Suppressing his excitement, Kong Deming looked at the siblings with a touch more tender affection. "My name is Kong Deming, and I'm an elder of your family. Although I don't know who your parents are, you can call me Grandpa."