"A God-Given Soul Ring?!"
Kong Deming's pupils contracted slightly as he murmured those words, his shock beyond measure.
It seemed that all the world's fortune lay on the Douluo Continent, so no one in the history of the Sun Moon Continent had ever become a god, and naturally, there were no legends of anyone attaining godhood.
However, after the Sun Moon Continent joined with the Douluo Continent, legends about gods had spread over as well.
Naturally, Kong Deming knew of the so-called "God-Given Soul Ring."
But to ordinary people, this term was far from common.
Thus, Kong Deming did not suspect in the slightest that this was an excuse Kong Xuan had casually invented to deceive him.
He took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself, no longer even in the mood to continue examining Kong Xuan's physical data.
Walking up to Kong Xuan, he asked with a serious expression, "Xuan'er, are you saying this is a God-Given Soul Ring?"
Kong Deming did not doubt Kong Xuan's words, but this God-Given Soul Ring was clearly less than five hundred years old. Didn't that seem a little beneath the dignity of a "god"?
Kong Xuan was not actually a six-year-old child, and he had already guessed what puzzled Kong Deming.
He nodded and said earnestly, "Yes, Grandpa. And as my Soul Power increases, the Soul Ring's age will increase too."
"Gasp!"
Kong Deming sucked in a breath of cold air. Although Kong Xuan's words were bizarre, only this would live up to the name "God-Given Soul Ring"!
Kong Deming's mind was a jumble now. Only after a long while did he ask again, "Xuan'er, which god bestowed this God-Given Soul Ring on you? And how did you encounter this god?"
According to information from the Douluo Three Kingdoms, obtaining a God-Given Soul Ring should require taking part in a Divine Examination.
Kong Deming knew the course of Kong Xuan's life very well. There should have been no way for him to come into contact with a god.
"I don't know which god it was either. The god appeared in my mind on the night I awakened my Martial Soul, and then I had my first Soul Ring."
This was where Kong Xuan could use his age to his advantage. Because he was young, he could gloss over many things with vague explanations.
A trace of disappointment flashed across Kong Deming's face at this. From the sound of it, Kong Xuan did not seem to have received the legendary Divine Examination.
But Kong Xuan's next words made his expression turn excited once again.
"But the god said that when my Soul Power breaks through to level twenty, they will appear again and help me condense my second Soul Ring. Once I grow into a Titled Douluo, I can receive their inheritance."
The sliver of hope Kong Deming had originally held had now become reality through Kong Xuan's words. One could even say the goal had been exceeded.
He had originally thought that receiving even a little of a god's favor would be wonderful. He had never expected that Kong Xuan could actually receive a god's inheritance in the future.
What was this?
This was a path to godhood!
As long as Kong Xuan grew up without mishap, he would have a very good chance of becoming a god, just like Shrek Academy's forefather, Sea God Tang San!
A god was about to emerge from his Kong family!
A god was about to emerge from the Sun Moon Empire!
Kong Deming's breathing grew noticeably heavier, and his gaze burned as he looked at Kong Xuan.
At that moment, within Kong Xuan's Sea of Consciousness, Yun Ming had been watching the show all along.
Then his slightly teasing voice rang out. "Looks like you thought up these explanations long ago."
Faced with this teacher who could be said to know him inside out, Kong Xuan answered much more sincerely, "There was no other choice. A God-Given Soul Ring is the most suitable explanation."
Yun Ming laughed. "Then you could say that raises my status."
Kong Xuan replied, "Teacher, a Quasi-God is still a god."
Yun Ming raised an eyebrow at that. "Hmm, that's not wrong."
"With your supreme-grade Tool Martial Soul and innate full Soul Power, Xuan'er, as long as nothing unexpected happens, becoming a Titled Douluo in the future is set in stone!"
Kong Deming's expression was earnest as he narrowed his eyes and said, "With Grandpa here, I'll make certain your road to becoming a Titled Douluo is clear of all obstacles!"
He had already made up his mind to raise the "protective measures" around Kong Xuan to the highest level.
At Kong Deming's promise, Kong Xuan nodded solemnly. "I also believe I can become a Titled Douluo in the future."
He showed nothing on the surface, but inwardly, joy was already blooming.
Telling him about the God-Given Soul Ring was not merely an explanation; he also hoped to receive more attention.
Ever since coming to this world, Kong Xuan had never really felt secure. Even after becoming Kong Deming's grandson, he had still felt something was missing.
Now things were settled. In Kong Deming's eyes, Kong Xuan was a future god!
Kong Xuan's importance in his heart had suddenly risen to an unimaginable height.
At this point, both of Kong Xuan's objectives could be considered achieved.
The surprise of the God-Given Soul Ring left Kong Deming beside himself with joy. However, being over a hundred and fifty years old, he naturally would not wear his delight on his face like a young person, and he soon regained his usual composure.
His purpose today was to test Kong Xuan's and Kong Ling's physical data. He had not forgotten that.
Kong Xuan stepped off the testing Soul Tool, and Kong Ling followed his example and stepped onto it.
Soon, lines of data appeared before Kong Deming's eyes again.
"Physical strength: level nine."
"Physical resilience: level eight."
"Soul Power fluctuations: level ten."
"Mental fluctuations: level twelve."
Kong Ling and Kong Xuan had grown up in a small mountain village. Having enough to fill their stomachs was already good, and proper nutrition was naturally too much to ask for.
Thus, although both possessed innate full Soul Power, their physical fitness lagged somewhat behind their Soul Power levels.
However, when he saw that Kong Ling's mental fluctuations had already reached level twelve, a smile involuntarily appeared on Kong Deming's face.
Some talents could not be affected by one's surroundings.
"Compatible Soul Ring: three hundred and eighty-four years."
The final piece of data was clearly the maximum age of the Soul Ring Kong Ling could currently acquire.
The data displayed by the testing Soul Tool was not necessarily accurate, but it certainly had value as a reference to some extent.
After Kong Ling stepped off the Soul Tool, Kong Deming told the two of them, "The most important thing for you next is to improve your physical fitness."
He then looked specifically at Kong Ling. "Especially you, Ling'er. Only after your constitution grows stronger can you fuse with an older Soul Ring. The goal I've set for your first Soul Ring is six hundred years!"
In fact, Kong Deming had originally set a goal of five hundred and fifty years for Kong Ling's first Soul Ring. But after the "baptism" of the God-Given Soul Ring, he felt he could be a little bolder.
Kong Ling had never had much of an opinion of her own. She accepted all of Kong Deming's arrangements and nodded her little head. In truth, she still did not understand what a six-hundred-year first Soul Ring meant.
"Grandpa, actually, Ling'er has a secret that only the two of us know."
Kong Xuan suddenly interjected, drawing Kong Deming's gaze.
He could already imagine Kong Deming's shocked expression after hearing what he would say next.
Thus, before he spoke, Kong Xuan's heart was full of anticipation too.
"Grandpa, actually, Ling'er has another Martial Soul!"