Wang Chen couldn't help but feel surprised at how amiable Jing Hongchen was being. In the past, Jing Hongchen would always look at him with disdain — never once giving him a pleasant expression.
There was even one time when he saw him meeting with Meng Hongchen, and the old man's face was so long it looked like Wang Chen owed him several million gold soul coins.
Now, the entire atmosphere had changed, and for a moment, Wang Chen actually felt a bit uncomfortable with it.
But soon, he understood why Jing Hongchen's attitude toward him had changed so drastically — clearly, the man had already learned something about his strength.
As the saying goes: thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west — never look down on the youth who's yet to rise.
Wang Chen was no longer that weak, helpless Grand Soul Master from back then.
After three years of cultivation and growth, he had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
His power far surpassed anyone of his generation; with his secret techniques, he could even beat down peak-level Contra experts like Wang Yan.
His true strength was already close to that of a Titled Douluo. Even if only part of his power were revealed, it was enough to make him the greatest prodigy the Sun Moon Empire had ever seen.
With such talent and such strength, he was more than worthy of Meng Hongchen — even the Emperor's daughter wouldn't be beyond his reach.
Finding such an exceptional grandson-in-law was nothing short of a blessing for Jing Hongchen.
If he didn't treat Wang Chen well and somehow let this young man slip away — or worse, get snatched up by some other powerhouse — Jing Hongchen would regret it for the rest of his life.
So, his suddenly kind and doting attitude was only natural.
When a man becomes strong, everyone around him becomes "good."
Wang Chen said, "Grandpa Jing."
Jing Hongchen smiled kindly and said, "Chen'er, don't just stand there. Sit down. Treat this place as your own home."
Wang Chen modestly declined twice, but Jing Hongchen immediately pretended to get angry, huffing and glaring.
"Sit down! Or do you want your grandpa to beg you to sit?"
After Wang Chen sat down, Jing Hongchen ordered the servants to bring out refreshments, fruit, and drinks. Then, the two of them began chatting casually.
Meng Hongchen sat nearby, smiling sweetly as she watched her grandfather and Wang Chen talk. Her heart was full of joy.
Since she was young, she had always admired her grandfather. Now, seeing him treat the man she liked with such warmth made her indescribably happy.
After chatting for a while, Jing Hongchen finally got to the main topic.
Of course, the reason he had called Wang Chen over wasn't just to make small talk — he wanted to secure the relationship between Wang Chen and his granddaughter.
Before Wang Chen's talent and power became too well-known, he wanted to make sure no shameless ninth-level Soul Engineers came trying to steal him away.
Jing Hongchen smiled and said,
"Chen'er, I heard from Lin Jiayi that your performance during the Mingde Hall examination was outstanding — you even defeated Ji Juechen. Truly remarkable. Among the younger generation of the Sun Moon Empire, I doubt anyone can match you now."
As the Dean of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, Jing Hongchen knew Ji Juechen extremely well — he had always been very optimistic about Ji Juechen's potential.
He was the one who had personally admitted Ji Juechen into Mingde Hall ahead of the standard requirements. He had also studied Ji Juechen's rapid cultivation speed and discovered that, despite having only innate soul power of rank three, the young man had developed terrifyingly fast thanks to his unique sword intent.
Jing Hongchen knew that Ji Juechen's "Soul-Into-Sword" method was something that couldn't be replicated — it was a cultivation path meant only for Ji Juechen himself.
So when he heard from Lin Jiayi that Wang Chen not only understood Ji Juechen's sword intent but had surpassed him in strength —
Jing Hongchen immediately had a guess about why Wang Chen's power had grown so explosively over the past three years.
He suspected that Wang Chen had most likely taken a cultivation path similar to Ji Juechen's Soul-Into-Sword.
If that were true, then Wang Chen's astonishing growth made perfect sense.
After all, even someone like Ji Juechen — whose innate soul power was only level three — could cultivate as fast as a genius with innate full soul power.
For Wang Chen, whose innate soul power was level nine, his progress would naturally be much faster.
Jing Hongchen thought to himself:
"Ji Juechen's 'Soul-Into-Sword' method requires one to understand their martial spirit on a profound level. Only by fully comprehending it can one refine the martial spirit into a pure energy state for cultivation — the difficulty is immense.
"Ordinary soul masters only use their martial spirits mechanically; they know the how, but not the why.
"Only at the Soul Sage level — after gaining the Martial Soul True Body — can one begin to understand their martial spirit more deeply.
"Only after reaching the Titled Douluo level can one truly comprehend it completely.
"And for Soul Engineers, who focus primarily on soul tools, this understanding is even weaker.
"So Ji Juechen's cultivation method is something ordinary soul masters could never achieve.
"Probably only a sword-obsessed maniac like him could do it. But now… it seems there's another."
Jing Hongchen looked at Wang Chen — handsome, upright, and composed — and couldn't help feeling impressed by the young man's extraordinary gift.
Wang Chen simply smiled modestly and said,
"Grandpa Jing, you flatter me. I was just lucky. Ji Juechen is very strong — I only managed to win by a narrow margin."
Jing Hongchen thought to himself,
"Excellent, excellent. Such talent, and yet so humble. If it were anyone else, they'd be strutting around boasting endlessly by now.
"But this one stays modest — very good, very good. If word of his strength spreads across the empire, those ninth-level Soul Engineers would be lining up to steal my granddaughter's fiancé!"
The more Jing Hongchen looked at Wang Chen, the more satisfied he became. He almost wanted to marry them off immediately, but since they were both still too young, he held himself back.
Stroking his beard, Jing Hongchen said,
"Chen'er, will you be continuing your studies at Mingde Hall, or returning to the Wang Family to cultivate?"
Naturally, Wang Chen had no intention of staying at Mingde Hall. Though it was an excellent place, it was also full of surveillance devices, and he had far too many secrets to risk exposure.
He replied,
"I plan to return to the Wang Family to continue cultivating. Mingde Hall indeed has the best Soul Engineers and facilities in the empire, but with my current level, I've reached a bottleneck in the field of soul tools.
"For now, I want to focus on soul power cultivation — and for that, the Wang Family is a more suitable environment."
Hearing this, Jing Hongchen's eyes flashed with approval. He patted Wang Chen's shoulder and said,
"Good. A young man with clear goals — that's what I like to see.
"Soul power cultivation is the foundation. No matter how strong a soul tool is, without sufficient soul power to support it, it's nothing but an empty shell.
"Since you've decided, then give it your all."
After saying that, Jing Hongchen took out a purple-gold card from his storage soul tool and handed it to Wang Chen.
"This is a small meeting gift from Grandpa. Buy whatever you need with it.
"If you ever run short, just tell me. And if there's a rare resource you want, don't hesitate to ask — I still hold some influence in the Sun Moon Empire."
Wang Chen looked at the card — it represented ten million gold soul coins — and couldn't help marveling at Jing Hongchen's wealth and generosity.
To hand out ten million gold soul coins just like that… it truly showed how rich the man was.
If Wang Chen weren't already the Patriarch of the Wang Family, he might have been tempted. Ten million gold soul coins was no small amount — enough to buy a fine ten-thousand-year soul bone.
Wang Chen said politely,
"Grandpa Jing, this is too much."
But Jing Hongchen was firm, refusing to take no for an answer. He shoved the card directly into Wang Chen's hand.
"What I, Jing Hongchen, give — I never take back. If you don't want it, throw it away."
Seeing the old man so insistent, Wang Chen had no choice but to accept it. After all, rejecting it would only embarrass him.
Fine, he thought, I'll just consider it part of Meng'er's future dowry.
Though that was his inner thought, outwardly Wang Chen smiled politely and said,
"Thank you, Grandpa Jing."
Seeing Wang Chen accept the gift, Jing Hongchen said,
"Remember, with Grandpa Jing behind you, all you need to do is focus on your cultivation.
"As for the Wang Family's situation — if things go badly for your clan, it may be a disaster for them, but to me, it's a small matter."
Wang Chen was startled. Though Jing Hongchen hadn't said it outright, he understood perfectly what the old man meant.
If the Second Prince, whom the Wang Family supported, were to lose the struggle for the throne, Jing Hongchen was offering to step in and protect them.
Wang Chen was genuinely moved — Jing Hongchen had given him wealth, offered resources, and now even promised protection.
Of course, he knew the old man's generosity stemmed from his recognition of Wang Chen's talent — but that was fine.
A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. After all, who in this world was truly without motive?
Wang Chen bowed and said respectfully,
"On behalf of the Wang Family, I thank you, Grandpa Jing."
Jing Hongchen smiled. The time for benefits had passed — now came the real purpose.
This young man was too extraordinary; Jing Hongchen had already decided he had to make him his grandson-in-law.
Better to claim the treasure early before others discovered it.
Clearing his throat, Jing Hongchen said,
"Chen'er, you and Meng'er have been close since childhood.
"I've watched you grow up, and I trust you completely with her.
"When Meng'er reaches adulthood, the two of you will be engaged. Do you agree?"
Wang Chen's eyes widened in disbelief.
So that's why the old man's been treating me so well — he was waiting for this moment!
Beside him, Meng Hongchen blushed bright red, her heart overflowing with joy.
Still, as a young lady, she couldn't just nod eagerly. Her big blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Wang Chen, her lips curling into a shy smile.
This was the first time she'd ever seen her usually composed, mature Brother Wang Chen so caught off guard.
Blinking her long lashes, she teased softly,
"Brother Wang Chen~ say something~"
Wang Chen looked at her, then at the proud, scheming old man across from him.
What else could he say?
If he refused, he'd be cutting ties with the entire Hongchen Family right then and there.
So he nodded.
"Grandpa Jing, I'm willing. Please rest assured — I'll take good care of Meng'er.
(And in the future, I'll make sure to bleed this sly old man dry of gold coins.)"
.........
After chatting for a while longer, Jing Hongchen said,
"All right, you youngsters go enjoy yourselves. I won't keep you."
Hearing that, Meng Hongchen immediately stood up, grabbed Wang Chen's hand, and said cheerfully,
"Grandpa, we'll be going then!"
Jing Hongchen watched the two leave and thought with satisfaction,
"Wang Chen must be overflowing with gratitude toward me right now.
"I'll make sure to continue showing him kindness — that way, even if other ninth-level Soul Engineers try to win him over, he'll still stand firmly with the Hongchen Family."
After leaving Jing Hongchen's private domain, Meng Hongchen held Wang Chen's hand excitedly.
"Brother Wang Chen, Grandpa treats you so well! He's never been so kind to anyone else before."
Then she blinked mischievously and said,
"So, Brother Wang Chen, we're engaged now… does that make me your fiancée?"
Wang Chen chuckled, pinching her soft cheek.
"You're that eager to marry me already?"
Meng Hongchen pouted adorably.
"Of course! I've been waiting for so long."
As they chatted, Meng Hongchen held Wang Chen's hand, excitedly telling him all the latest news and gossip from the academy.
Wang Chen simply enjoyed the peaceful time together.
After all, he had spent years cultivating without rest — a rare moment of relaxation like this was a welcome change.
As evening fell, Meng Hongchen reluctantly held Wang Chen's hand and said softly,
"Brother Wang Chen, are you going back to the Wang Family?"
Wang Chen nodded.
"Meng'er, I'll come visit you when I can."
Hearing that, a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes, but she quickly smiled again.
"Then you must visit often! Otherwise, I'll miss you."
Wang Chen smiled and patted her head.
"Don't worry."
Meng Hongchen nodded, then stood on tiptoe and gave Wang Chen a light kiss on the cheek. Her face turned bright red as she said,
"Brother Wang Chen, travel safely."
But one kiss wasn't enough.
Before Wang Chen could react, she kissed him again — this time on the lips.
Smack… slurp…
After a long moment, their lips parted.
Meng Hongchen held onto Wang Chen's arm, reluctant to let go.
Wang Chen stroked her soft hair gently and said,
"Meng'er, be good."
After saying their goodbyes, Wang Chen turned and left the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, heading back toward the Wang Family.
...
Once home, Wang Chen immediately entered a meditative state. Sitting cross-legged in his cultivation chamber, he replayed everything that had happened at the academy — especially Ji Juechen's "Soul-Into-Sword" cultivation method.
He thought to himself,
"Ji Juechen's cultivation technique must be incredibly profound. If I can master it, my strength will surely reach a new height."
With that thought, Wang Chen focused his consciousness, diving into the depths of his soul and entering the Black Book, beginning his study of Ji Juechen's Soul-Into-Sword.