MTLNOVEL Chapter 42: Meng Hongchen
Luan Yu didn't stop the white-haired boy's move. After all, the Gold Devouring Beast had been stunned by Jing Hongchen, and it wasn't their target in the first place.
The white-haired boy sat cross-legged and released his three-legged golden toad martial soul, accompanied by a yellow soul ring.
He began to absorb the Gold Devouring Beast's soul ring.
Unlike the white-haired boy, who couldn't wait to absorb the soul ring and ignored Luan Yu and the others, the white-haired girl, who had let down her guard, observed Liuxing and the rest of the group.
Her eyes lit up as she stared at Liuxing and muttered, "Wow, what a cute little brother."
The corner of Liuxing's mouth twitched, and he subconsciously took a step back, positioning himself in front of Liuying.
He secretly smacked his tongue, thinking, 'What's going on here? Is this for real? She doesn't look very old!'
Jing Hongchen observed the behavior of his grandson and granddaughter and shook his head helplessly.
One was absent-minded, and the other seemed to have a tendency toward infatuation at such a young age. 'They certainly have interesting futures ahead of them,'
Luan Yu frowned. She decided not to hold back any longer and spoke in a deep voice, "Jing Hongchen, I don't care about that Gold Devouring Beast, but the Blazing Crow is what we spotted first."
Of course, Luan Yu knew she was being somewhat unreasonable.
Although her team had discovered both soul beasts first, it was Jing Hongchen who had subdued them.
However, for the sake of Xu Tianzhen's soul ring, she had to at least try to claim it.
As a last resort, she didn't want to give up the Blazing Crow.
It was simply too suitable for Xu Tianzhen, and as the team leader, she felt a sense of responsibility to secure it.
Of course, this was only because the other party was Jing Hongchen.
They were acquaintances, and even if there was a dispute, it wouldn't escalate into violence.
At most, they might negotiate or offer some compensation.
Jing Hongchen smiled and shook his head. "You're still as impatient as ever. It's just a hundred-year soul beast. Although it has the bloodline of a divine beast, I don't need it. You can take it."
Jing Hongchen didn't care much about a hundred-year soul beast.
He was quite familiar with Luan Yu, and her sister was a soul master of the same level as him.
There was no need to strain their relationship over something so trivial. By giving it to her, he could earn a favor.
Luan Yu nodded and said, "Alright, thank you. I owe you one."
Although they had discovered the Blazing Crow first, it was Jing Hongchen who had subdued it.
His willingness to hand it over was a gesture of goodwill, and Luan Yu appreciated it.
After all, even a hundred-year soul beast with a divine beast's bloodline wasn't something one would easily give up.
Under the suppression of Luan Yu's soul power, Xu Tianzhen stepped forward and swiftly ended the Blazing Crow's life.
A yellow soul ring emerged from its corpse. Xu Tianzhen sat cross-legged, and a golden sphere of light appeared above her head, radiating a scorching aura. She released her soul power to draw the Blazing Crow's soul ring toward her.
When Jing Hongchen saw the golden sphere of light above Xu Tianzhen's head, his pupils contracted in surprise. He turned to Luan Yu and asked, "The Sun Martial Soul? Is she a direct descendant of the royal family?"
Luan Yu spread his hands and said, "This is Princess Xu Tianzhen."
Jing Hongchen nodded in understanding. As the master of Mingde Hall, he was well-acquainted with the direct descendants of the royal family.
Xu Tianzhen, who had awakened her innate soul power and inherited the Sun Martial Soul, was someone they had learned about as soon as the news broke.
Then, he turned his gaze to Liuxing and the others. Seeing how young they were, he guessed they had only recently awakened their martial souls. With a hint of surprise, he asked, "Are they all full of innate soul power as well?"
The corners of Luan Yu's mouth curled up as she nodded proudly. "That's right. These two are my children, Liuxing and Liuying. Come and greet Grandpa Hongchen. And this one," she gestured to the third child, "is from the Shangguan family, Ye Guyi. You can call him Grandpa too."
"Grandpa Hongchen!" Liuxing, Liuying, and Ye Guyi stepped forward and greeted respectfully.
After all, Jing Hongchen was one of the three great soul masters of the Sun and Moon Empire, standing at the pinnacle of the empire's soul master hierarchy.
"Good, good, good," Jing Hongchen said with a warm smile. "The new generation of our Sun and Moon Empire is truly remarkable. You are all the future pillars of the empire."
Jing Hongchen didn't mind the titles. He looked at the three children, then glanced at his own granddaughter and grandson, who was currently absorbing the soul ring, as well as Xu Tianzhen. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
He had initially thought that his grandson and granddaughter were the most outstanding geniuses of the new generation in the Sun and Moon Empire.
If not for the need to lay a solid foundation, his eight-year-old grandson and granddaughter would have already obtained their second soul rings and been on their way to becoming Soul Elder.
But today, he had unexpectedly encountered four more children with full innate soul power, all around the same age as his grandchildren.
He could already envision the day when these six children would grow up and represent the Sun and Moon Empire in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, defeating Shrek Academy and finally shedding the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy's long-standing reputation as the "second best."
As for whether these children would join the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, Jing Hongchen had no doubts.
After all, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was the second-ranked academy on the continent, the top academy in the Sun and Moon Empire, and the cradle of Mingde Hall.
Who in the empire wouldn't want to join such a prestigious institution?
"Hello, little brother! My name is Meng Hongchen. What's yours?" The White-haired girl, Meng Hongchen, had somehow made her way over to Liuxing, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
'Sigh, another one who's taken an interest in me!' Liuxing thought helplessly.
This wasn't the first time someone had shown such enthusiasm.
Aside from Ye Guyi, it seemed like most of the peers he knew were like this.
"Hello, Sister Meng. My name is Liuxing," he replied politely. He believed in the principle of not being rude to someone who was being friendly.
Meng Hongchen's attitude was warm, and she didn't overstep any boundaries. Besides, she was undeniably beautiful, and Liuxing, like anyone else, couldn't help but appreciate that.
Liuying, however, felt a strange discomfort as she watched Meng Hongchen chatting with Liuxing.
This feeling hadn't arisen with Nan Qiuqiu, Ye Guyi, or even Xu Tianzhen.
It was as if something precious to her was being taken away. She stared at Meng Hongchen's delicate features, and a spark of determination ignited within her.
'This is an enemy!' Liuying thought. 'An unprecedented rival! I can't let my guard down. I need to act!'
"Hello, Sister Meng. My name is Liuying," she said, stepping forward boldly, her voice firm.
Meng Hongchen pursed her lips slightly but managed a polite smile. "Hello, Liuying. Are you and Liuxing brother and sister?"
"No," Liuying replied without hesitation. She had a strong feeling that admitting to being Liuxing's sister would be the end of everything.
Meng Hongchen raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You're not siblings? But you look so alike! And your names sound so similar."