"Hahaha, good, good, good! I've lived for decades and never seen such a marvel. Tianxi, you've truly given me a huge surprise, hahaha—"
Jing Hongchen laughed heartily, the corners of his mouth unable to suppress their upward curve.
"The world is full of wonders, Dean. You've seen one today," Xu Tianxi replied with a smile. He opened and closed his right hand, and the Black Tortoise Shield transformed into a mysterious golden halo before dispersing into soul power light points, flowing back into his body.
Feeling the powerful surge of strength as the Black Tortoise Shield returned to its place, Xu Tianxi, its master, couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. It was no wonder Jing Hongchen was so delighted; he himself felt the Black Tortoise Shield was now much stronger than his Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes.
Holding the Black Tortoise Shield, he felt an unshakeable power, like a mountain standing firm. Even without a Soul Ring, relying on just one innate ability of his Black Tortoise Martial Soul, he was confident he could, at some cost, defeat any Soul Master below the Soul Emperor rank.
Unless his Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes underwent a Second Awakening or even a Third Awakening, their quality would remain far inferior.
Although Jing Hongchen didn't fully grasp the extent of the Black Tortoise Shield's power, he understood the combination of Twin Martial Souls and an Ultimate Divine Beast Martial Soul.
This meant invincibility. As long as Xu Tianxi could cultivate normally to the Titled Douluo realm, he would be fearless against veteran Super Douluo. If he cultivated to Super Douluo and filled the Soul Rings for both Martial Souls, he could rival a Limit Douluo!
Coupled with Xu Tianxi's formidable Soul Engineer talent, Jing Hongchen felt his brain was overloading. He couldn't imagine how powerful Xu Tianxi would become in a few decades, but becoming the continent's number one was a certainty.
This level of potential surpassed his imagination, and even Jing Hongchen was unsure how to proceed with his future training.
Calming down from his elation, Jing Hongchen pondered for a moment and said, "Tianxi, your situation must be kept a secret. From now on, I will arrange the highest level of protection for you. I will also seek out a highly respected elder to discuss your future cultivation plan. Until then, no one must know."
With that, Jing Hongchen's gaze fell upon Xiao Hongchen. "Especially you, Xiao. You tend to be loose-lipped. From now on, you must keep this strictly confidential."
Xiao Hongchen let out an "Oh" and quietly lowered his head.
Fine, his worries from over a year ago had come true. Xu Tianxi had surpassed him and taken his top spot in his grandfather's heart.
But this guy, Old Xu, apart from occasionally interacting too much with Meng Meng, had no other major flaws. If he wanted to take the top spot, he wanted to take it. He, Xiao Hongchen, wouldn't compete anymore; he'd just lie down.
"Huh? Teacher Xuan, you're here too? Tianxi and Xiao said you were going to give your report and record it?"
As Jing Hongchen rushed to the Hall of Worship to pay his respects to the Sun Moon Empire's Sea Stabilizing Divine Needle, Kong Deming, he unexpectedly saw someone he didn't particularly want to see.
Xuan Ziwen seemed to be in a good mood. He poured a cup of fragrant tea for Kong Deming, who was seated comfortably in a Grand Preceptor's Chair, before cheerfully responding to Jing Hongchen's question.
"That's right, I'm here to report and record with Teacher. Is there any more suitable place than Teacher's?"
Jing Hongchen's forehead twitched with two black lines. For some reason, he felt Xuan Ziwen's words were pointed.
At this moment, Kong Deming, seated steadily in the Grand Preceptor's Chair, slowly raised his eyes, seemingly puzzled. "Hall Master Hongchen, do you have any objections to Ziwen's words?"
"No, no, of course not. It's great that Teacher Xuan is here."
In front of Kong Deming, Jing Hongchen couldn't express any further thoughts about Xuan Ziwen. After exchanging a few pleasantries about the elder leader's health, Jing Hongchen got straight to the point.
"Old Man Kong, I'm here to discuss the cultivation of a student. He's a genius who excels in both Soul Master and Soul Engineer fields. Even I'm unsure how to—"
"Hmm, I've heard Ziwen mention this person several times. He's that genius from the Douluo Three Kingdoms you found in the Ming Dou Mountain Range last year, right?" Kong Deming interrupted Jing Hongchen with a smile, as if he had expected this.
"Yes, yes, yes, it's that kid Tianxi. It's even better that you've heard of him," Jing Hongchen replied joyfully.
Kong Deming raised his hand slightly, his smile clearly indicating his good mood. "Body Martial Soul, top-tier Soul Engineer talent. He has a promising future and is highly likely to reach your level. Ziwen and he gained quite a bit from their trip to the Star Dou Great Forest. I'm quite fond of this child."
Xuan Ziwen proudly puffed out his chest and grinned as he introduced his gains. "Tianxi helped me expel most of the medicinal residue from my body this time. My cultivation path is much smoother now, and I expect to break through to Titled Douluo within three years, or even sooner."
It was impossible for a seasoned Soul Engineer to cultivate seriously. Xuan Ziwen's expected breakthrough meant he would heavily rely on elixirs in the coming years to force his way to rank 90. He had come to seek resources from Kong Deming.
Jing Hongchen made a "speak" gesture with his finger and shook his head. "Old Man Kong, if it were only this, I wouldn't have dared to disturb you. Tianxi's gains from this trip were immense. He not only absorbed a lot of life energy but also awakened a hidden Second Martial Soul."
As he finished speaking, Kong Deming's and Xuan Ziwen's expressions froze instantly, and the air seemed to still.
A second later, Kong Deming's eyes shone with brilliance. "Are you saying he has Twin Martial Souls?"
"Yes," Jing Hongchen nodded.
Kong Deming was overjoyed, stroking his beard and smiling. "Excellent! As expected of a descendant of my Kong lineage, he actually possesses the talent for Twin Martial Souls like me. His evaluation must be raised another level. He has the potential to reach my current level in the future!"
Having cultivated to Kong Deming's level, he knew well that to become a Level 10 Soul Engineer, one needed the cultivation of a Super Douluo. Otherwise, the Soul Guided Devices he created couldn't be used. Even he had to divert his precious time from Soul Guided Device research to cultivate his Soul Power.
Xu Tianxi's first Martial Soul was of the spirit type, which had even greater potential than his own had!
Jing Hongchen whispered, "Old Man Kong, his second Martial Soul is extraordinary—"
"What are you saying? When have Twin Martial Souls ever been ordinary—"
"His second Martial Soul is a Divine Beast Martial Soul with ultimate attributes, and its power is unlike anything I've ever seen!"
"What did you say?!"
Kong Deming suddenly stood up from his Grand Preceptor's Chair. The usually calm and placid expression on his face was disturbed, and his serene, god-like eyes shot out sharp, blade-like glints as he stared at Jing Hongchen's mouth.
Ultimate Martial Souls, this was the eternal pain of the Sun Moon Empire!
In the Holy War over four thousand years ago, the Sun Moon Empire could have defeated the allied forces of the Three Great Empires. Shrek intervened, and the Dean of Shrek at that time was an owner of an Ultimate Fire Martial Soul, undoubtedly the strongest person on the continent in terms of combat power.
If not for the overwhelming strength of that Dean of Shrek, the Sun Moon Empire might not have lost to the allied forces of the Three Kingdoms.
"Absolutely true, not a word of falsehood!" Jing Hongchen met Kong Deming's scrutinizing gaze, enunciating each word with great force.
"His ultimate attribute is Ultimate Water, and his Divine Beast bloodline is the Black Tortoise bloodline passed down from his father's family—"
After hearing Jing Hongchen's words, even Kong Deming, whose composure was usually as steady as a rock, felt a sense of daze. To think that in their Sun Moon Empire, a barren land that produced a soul master genius only once in a century, such a peerless celestial blossom would suddenly appear?
The top soul master genius the Empire had longed for for so long had arrived just like this?
"This child is perfect in every way, but I still have one final concern: by coming here, could it be that his family and Shrek are working together to set up a trap for us, to pull a big one—"
After detailing Xu Tianxi's talent, Jing Hongchen's expression turned worried as he spoke of his concerns.
"Foolish! Jing Hongchen, Jing Hongchen, how have you become more timid as your cultivation increases?"
Before Jing Hongchen could finish, Kong Deming unleashed a scolding.
With a low hum, Kong Deming gave Jing Hongchen a look as if he were an idiot and angrily said, "Use that brain of yours, stuffed full of scrap rare metals, to think about how much guts his family and Shrek would need to send someone like this to us as a mole!"
"I have a general understanding of the powerhouses in the Douluo Three Kingdoms and Shrek. I can absolutely guarantee that even in the history of Shrek Academy, you absolutely cannot find a genius with more terrifying talent than him. Give him a few decades, and he'll be another invincible Titled Douluo!"
"To put it bluntly, letting him come here is actually delaying his soul master cultivation. Who would be stupid enough to place a future strongest person in the world under the enemy's nose as a mole? Especially when he's still a child."
The Martial Soul Hall gave a like to Kong Deming's words and rewarded him with a BiBi Dong.
Jing Hongchen was so scolded that he didn't dare to lift his head, meekly agreeing. Xuan Ziwen, standing beside him, felt immense satisfaction in his heart.
To think that Hall Master, you old man, would have a day like this.
Kong Deming slightly lifted his upper jaw, his brow furrowed with arrogance. "Hmph, even if he is a mole, if Shrek isn't afraid of him never returning, would I, old man, be stingy with some resources?"
"Ziwen tested his blood, and he is indeed a descendant of my Imperial Family. His maternal great-grandfather used to call me 'Uncle' before he passed away."
Jing Hongchen repeatedly agreed. Only when Kong Deming's pressure slightly lessened did he raise his head again and cautiously say, "Old Man Kong, I've come this time to request some top-tier resources for him. Are the Ninth Grade Pill Refining Furnace and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures here available—"
"Give them all, give them all! I'll give you a letter of introduction. Take whatever Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures you fancy from the National Treasury, and bring some for your grandchildren too. You've been wanting this for a long time, haven't you?"
Kong Deming carelessly scribbled a note, stamped it with his seal, and handed it to Jing Hongchen. He then casually asked, "By the way, I heard you've been wanting to take him as your disciple for quite some time?"
Not good!
Jing Hongchen's face stiffened. He nodded and smiled, "Yes, but your disciple has always wanted to compete with me, and Tianxi was fully focused on his soul engineering studies before, which caused this delay—"
"Although I hold multiple positions and have many affairs, I can still make time to teach students. Old Man Kong, don't you think Teacher Xuan is a bit—"
"This matter is simple. You two stop arguing. His title will be under my name, but it will be kept secret from the public to avoid drawing the attention of those with ulterior motives."
Kong Deming settled the matter with a decisive statement, waving his hand casually.
"I'll also be researching soul guided devices during this period and won't have time to visit him. In the meantime, Ziwen, as his senior martial brother, will guide him, how about that?"
Jing Hongchen's face immediately turned green as he gritted his teeth, "Old Man Kong, isn't Xuan Ziwen already your closed-door disciple?"
"I have many doors here. Ziwen closes the left door, and Young Master Xu closes the right door. Both are closed-door disciples. Do you have any problems?" Kong Deming asked calmly.
"...None." Jing Hongchen sat to the side dejectedly, like a rooster that had lost a fight.
He knew it. Once Xu Tianxi displayed talent beyond his teaching capabilities, he wouldn't be able to keep this disciple.
Alas—what a loss.
In the middle of the night, a dejected Jing Hongchen returned to the academy's office. To his surprise, someone was already there. One was Xu Tianxi, and the other was a blue-robed youth he had never seen before. Just sitting there, a chilling aura emanated from him.
A powerful Titled Douluo, or perhaps even a Super Douluo! Jing Hongchen's sense of alarm surged.
Xu Tianxi stood up and introduced Xiao Changfeng beside him to Jing Hongchen: "Dean, this is my Senior Martial Uncle, the president of the Black Tortoise Merchant Guild, Xiao Changfeng."
Jing Hongchen: "???"