Chapter 62 – The Path to a New Legacy
Xiao Qiang was stunned for a moment. That sudden remark just now oddly reminded him of a certain blond loser from another world.
That guy's line about "killing your father and asking you to call him father" was honestly pretty messed up, but when Jing Hongchen said something similar, it didn't come off as wrong. In fact, it felt completely normal.
"Teacher or father—both are elders," Xiao Qiang thought to himself. Jing Hongchen clearly didn't mean it literally; he just wanted to close the distance between them. There was nothing wrong with that.
"You don't need to be surprised. That earlier appearance of mine was just to shock others. This is my original look," Jing Hongchen explained, noticing Xiao Qiang's lingering stare and mistaking it for unfamiliarity.
"Oh, by the way, teacher—I've made another breakthrough."
As he spoke, Xiao Qiang activated his Sharingan, and his martial spirit flared to life. Four deep-black spirit rings emerged beside him—each one radiating a powerful aura. These were the results of Tianmeng's upgrades to his spirit rings, and now was the perfect time to explain the enhancement of his soul skills.
"Ten-thousand-year soul rings! And all four of them!" Jing Hongchen exclaimed in shock. "What on earth happened?"
"After I fused with the Ice Jade Scorpion, some of its energy overflowed. I instinctively channeled that excess power into my existing spirit rings, and they transformed. As for the fourth ring—I acquired it after hunting a soul beast."
"You mean to say that excess energy turned your original spirit rings into ten-thousand-year ones?" Jing Hongchen was having a hard time believing his eyes, even though he could clearly see it.
"Of course." Xiao Qiang nodded and demonstrated by casting Mental Detection and Mental Sharing.
Instantly, the range and clarity of the skills exceeded all previous records. Jing Hongchen could feel firsthand just how much more potent Xiao Qiang's abilities had become.
"Not only did he obtain a second martial soul and a first soul ring surpassing 50,000 years, but even the rings of his primary martial soul are now all above ten thousand years…" Jing Hongchen's thoughts raced.
He realized that only one person in history had ever achieved something remotely comparable—Tang San, more than ten thousand years ago. Even the other Shrek Seven Devils, who ascended to the God Realm, hadn't reached this level. Most of them had only one martial soul, after all.
But Xiao Qiang had two. And both were terrifyingly powerful. Every one of his soul rings was at the ten-thousand-year level or above.
This was no ordinary genius—this was a godlike talent. And now, he was part of the Hongchen family.
It wasn't just about adding a future Titled Douluo to their ranks. More importantly, it was about bloodline. According to Xiao Qiang, all of these enhancements stemmed from his Sharingan martial soul. That meant the Sharingan's potential was even more staggering than Jing Hongchen had originally imagined.
And then there was the Ice Jade Scorpion—its martial soul alone was priceless. Jing Hongchen, as the Master of Mingde Hall and a top figure in the Sun Moon Empire, fully understood what Xiao Qiang was hinting at.
Even if the Sharingan couldn't be directly passed to the next generation, there was precedent for bloodline inheritance. Take the ancient clan that wielded the Panlong Stick: their ancestor once encountered a true dragon, and the power of that encounter shaped their martial spirits for generations. It sustained their strength across ten thousand years.
If Xiao Qiang's martial soul could be passed on, even imperfectly, their descendants might still inherit the Sharingan—or at the very least, the Ice Jade Scorpion. That would ensure the Hongchen family's strength for generations to come.
And when it came to pairing Xiao Qiang with someone worthy… his own granddaughter came to mind.
Meng.
She was obsessed with looks—and Xiao Qiang's appearance was clearly top-tier. In terms of strength and talent, there was no one else in the Sun Moon Empire who could match him. Even Xu Tianzhen, the only princess of the royal family, fell short in comparison.
Meng wouldn't refuse him. She couldn't.
And yet…
It did feel a little like selling his granddaughter. Jing Hongchen rubbed his temple, feeling a rare twinge of guilt.
"Xiao Qiang," he said carefully, "please take care of my granddaughter."
Directly arranging a marriage might backfire and push the boy away. That wasn't what Jing Hongchen wanted. So he chose to take the subtle approach—one step at a time.
"Don't worry, Teacher. Senior Sister Meng is a kind person. I'll take good care of her," Xiao Qiang answered seriously.
Jing Hongchen smiled warmly. "Good. I feel reassured hearing you say that. If you ever encounter problems—big or small—just come to me. I'll do everything I can to help."
"Actually, Teacher, there's something I do need your help with."
"Oh?" Jing Hongchen raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"It's like this—when I fused with the Ice Jade Scorpion, I realized something. Although I already had the soul bone, I shouldn't have been able to absorb a beast with power far beyond 50,000 years. So, I started thinking—is it possible to normalize the fusion of super-specification soul rings?"
Jing Hongchen's eyes gleamed. "You're saying… your fusion method can be controlled?"
"In theory, yes. But I'll need to run experiments to confirm its safety and consistency."
"Then just tell me what you need. As long as it's within the Sun Moon Empire, I can get it for you."
"I don't need much—just a variety of spirit beasts at the ten, hundred, and thousand-year levels. Also, I'll need a few low-level spirit masters who are in need of spirit rings. But we should keep this under wraps. Let's wait until I've fully mastered the method before making it public."
"Understood. But are you sure about the timing? This might delay your personal cultivation."
"That's exactly the problem, Teacher," Xiao Qiang explained. "Ever since awakening the ultimate martial soul, my training speed has dropped. At this rate, even with hard work, I might only gain two levels a year—maybe even less."
He took a deep breath.
"In my case, burying my head in cultivation isn't the best path anymore. But if I can normalize the process of absorbing high-level spirit rings, the overflow energy alone could help me improve faster than any training method."
"I see." Jing Hongchen nodded slowly. "That makes sense. Leave everything to me. You go and rest for now—I'll prepare all the necessary materials and personnel before noon tomorrow."
"Thank you, Teacher."
Xiao Qiang cupped his fist respectfully. Everything was going according to plan.
Once the soul spirits were perfected and Huo Yuhao was under his control, Xiao Qiang could use the research to establish his own force—a faction with real power, influence, and control over resources in the Sun Moon Empire.
Now, the only question was—what should he name this force?
A force built on wisdom and spirit rings…
Maybe something like—
Wisdom Ring Hall?