Grow Strong, Then Grow Stronger

Jing Hongchen had been busy lately.

During this time, because of his research into certain Soul Tools, he still came home for lunch and dinner every day, but he stayed for less and less time on each visit. He spent most of his time at Mingde Hall, doing who knew what.

Sometimes, when he came back in the middle of the night, Bao Liang would see the light in his study burning late into the night. Then he would leave again before daybreak, with two dark shadows always lingering beneath his eyes.

Even the usually carefree Meng Hongchen couldn't help asking, "Grandpa, have you been very tired lately?"

"It's all right. Grandpa will be fine once this busy spell is over." Jing Hongchen smiled and patted her head. "Be good, Little Meng, and focus on your cultivation."

Bao Liang had a vague guess. Based on the original story, Grandpa Jing should have started developing the Humanoid Soul Tool long ago.

He had probably hit a bottleneck and could only keep working through the details, a painstaking task.

Bao Liang understood, but he said nothing.

Still, whenever he saw how exhausted Jing Hongchen looked, Bao Liang would sigh inwardly. The illustrious master of Mingde Hall, a rank ninety-three Titled Douluo, had worn himself down like this for a Humanoid Soul Tool. He really was giving it his all.

Unfortunately, Huo ended up picking the peaches of his labor.

Still, that was only natural. After all, Jing Hongchen believed in firepower above all else: the bigger, the better.

It was just a pity that Bao Liang's Ultimate Flame was still too weak. Once it had grown strong enough, he might be able to help.

Besides, to put it plainly, what guy could say no to piloting a Gundam? And he might even get a custom suit of armor to wear along the way.

That evening, Jing Hongchen came home for a rare dinner, then set down his bowl and chopsticks and prepared to rush back to Mingde Hall. By the look of it, he planned to spend the whole night on his research.

Bao Liang seized the opportunity and quietly blocked his path the moment he stepped through the front gate.

"Grandpa Jing."

Jing Hongchen stopped. "Hmm? Little Bao Liang, what is it?"

"The cold poison in Sister Meng's body..." Bao Liang looked up at him, keeping his voice very low. "You know about it, don't you?"

The smile slowly faded from Jing Hongchen's face.

After a moment's silence, he nodded helplessly.

"I do."

The light in the study was dim and yellow.

Jing Hongchen sat behind his desk, rubbing his fingers over a teacup. He remained silent for a long time.

The tea in the cup had long since gone cold, but he hadn't drunk it. He simply turned the cup by its rim, over and over, as though gathering his thoughts.

Bao Liang didn't rush him. He stood quietly across from him.

"Meng's cold poison-I've examined it with my Soul Power after she fell asleep, and I've secretly checked it with Soul Tools many times as well," Jing Hongchen finally said. "Unless something unexpected happens... Meng is unlikely to live past twenty-five."

Bao Liang's pupils contracted sharply.

Though he had long suspected as much, actually hearing that number made his heart feel as if someone had seized it. Even his breathing stopped for an instant.

Twenty-five.

For a seven-year-old girl, that should have been the most brilliant time of her life. Yet from Jing Hongchen's lips, it was the end of Meng Hongchen's life.

"I've never told Xiao or Meng," Jing Hongchen said, his voice growing heavy. "Telling them would do nothing but make them afraid."

"Then... is there a way?" Bao Liang's voice was a little tight.

"There is." Jing Hongchen raised his eyes. "Find the legendary Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and obtain the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot inside it. Otherwise, there is no other way."

He paused and looked at Bao Liang, his tone suddenly growing a little lighter. "But that was before. Now we have you."

"Me?"

"Yes." Jing Hongchen nodded. "Ever since the night you all officially began cultivating with your ultimate attributes, I've checked your bodies with Soul Tools after you fell asleep every day and recorded the results, just in case."

"And the results are this: Xiao's Martial Soul is growing purer, Meng's cold poison is being burned away, and your foundation is being tempered continuously."

"Every day."

Bao Liang was stunned.

So that was it.

No wonder Jing Hongchen came home for lunch and dinner every day. It wasn't just to eat; it was his unfailing daily "checkup time."

An illustrious Titled Douluo, he worked himself to exhaustion at Mingde Hall during the day, yet still worried about the three children's health at night. He checked them one by one and wrote everything down in a notebook, day after day, never missing a single one.

"Every day..." Bao Liang murmured the words again, suddenly feeling a little warmth in his heart.

"Grandpa Jing, you're amazing. You secretly checked our bodies every day, and I never even noticed."

"With your level of Soul Power, it would be strange if you had noticed," Jing Hongchen snorted.

"Hehe." Bao Liang scratched his head, then turned serious. "Grandpa Jing, if... if you're willing to believe me, I'll obtain those two Immortal Herbs in the future and put an end to Sister Meng's cold poison for good.

"We just need to wait."

"Wait for you to grow stronger?" Jing Hongchen raised an eyebrow.

"Wait for me to grow stronger." Bao Liang nodded.

Jing Hongchen looked at him silently for a long time. At last, he smiled. "All right, Grandpa believes you.

"Whatever you need, just ask."

"Then when the time comes, Grandpa Jing, don't complain if this kid opens his mouth as wide as a lion," Bao Liang said with a grin.

"Go ahead and ask. We'll see whether Grandpa can afford it." Jing Hongchen laughed at him.

Just then, Bao Liang suddenly seemed to remember something. "By the way, Grandpa Jing, how did you learn about the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and even things from ten thousand years ago?"

Jing Hongchen gathered his thoughts before speaking. "That's actually because Grandpa once took in a descendant of the Dugu Family from the Douluo Continent." Jing Hongchen continued, "Grandpa heard what happened back then, along with some other old stories, from him.

"He also had something called the Immortal Herb Catalogue. Supposedly, his ancestor obtained it from the belongings left behind by someone called Chrysanthemum Douluo."

"The Immortal Herb Catalogue..." Bao Liang's eyes lit up.

Bao Liang knew all too well how useful that thing was.

The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, the Infernal Delicate Apricot, the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew... those legendary Immortal Herbs were all recorded in the Immortal Herb Catalogue.

With it, he wouldn't be completely in the dark when he entered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

After all, who knew how much was missing from the book Tang San had left behind?

He'd be a fool to believe Tang San hadn't kept anything to himself!

"Mm." Jing Hongchen nodded. "In a couple of days, once Grandpa gets through this busy spell, I'll bring it for you to see."

With that, Jing Hongchen got up and left.

Mingde Hall was waiting for him to spend the night there.

The study fell quiet.

Bao Liang stood where he was, watching Jing Hongchen's retreating figure disappear into the night. Then he looked down at his own palm.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well... the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass... the Infernal Delicate Apricot...

He gently clenched his fist.

Sooner or later, he would personally carry each of those things to Meng Hongchen.

When that time came, he wanted to watch that little girl who smiled all day grow up healthy and strong, become the most dazzling Titled Douluo in the entire Sun Moon Empire, and never again have cold poison chasing after her.

And in a corner outside the study, a small figure had been standing there for who knew how long.

Xiao Hongchen listened to the conversation between his grandpa and Bao Liang inside the room-cold poison, twenty-five years old, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, the Infernal Delicate Apricot...

His fists clenched, then loosened.

All this time, something so deadly had been hidden inside his little sister.

And he, her older brother, had only just found out.

Grandpa had kept it from him, Bao Liang had kept it from him, and his sister herself was completely unaware. Like a fool, he had known nothing.

Xiao Hongchen silently turned away from the corner, returned to the Mimicry Cultivation Environment his grandpa had prepared for him, and began cultivating frantically.

The metal element surged and boiled under the searing heat of the Ultimate Flame, tempered and compressed again and again.

Grow stronger... he had to grow stronger.

Then... grow even stronger!

Strong enough to protect his sister, strong enough that he would no longer have to watch helplessly as the cold poison tormented her, strong enough that one day he could join Bao Liang in carrying those two Immortal Herbs to Meng.

The light in that cultivation room remained lit deep into the night.