Chapter 22: The Awakening and the Bond
When Tian Meng's spiritual power merged into Xiao Qiang's spiritual sea, a majestic and boundless energy instantly erupted. Xiao Qiang's spiritual sea, which had already reached its peak, began to surge wildly. The tremendous influx of power caused it to evolve into a deeper, vaster domain—a spiritual abyss.
At the same time, the shock from Tian Meng's spiritual force caused a strong resonance within Xiao Qiang's brain. The origin of his soul, stored within the brain, received a powerful stimulus. This stimulation, which bypassed emotional triggers, directly activated a transformation that should have required intense emotions: the evolution of the Sharingan.
Xiao Qiang's Sharingan, which previously had only two tomoe, suddenly gained a third. In that moment, his eyes evolved into the three-tomoe Sharingan.
In the world of Naruto, the advancement of the Sharingan isn't just an optical enhancement. Each evolution brings comprehensive improvements: enhanced physical abilities, sharper pupil power, and a more profound control over chakra.
But this was not the Naruto world.
In the Douluo Continent, the strength of a martial soul is closely tied to one's innate soul power and physical fitness. Thus, the unexpected evolution of Xiao Qiang's Sharingan brought an undeniable boost—not just in pupil power but also in his overall soul power.
Tian Meng, currently in control of Xiao Qiang's body, immediately sensed the change. The moment the Sharingan evolved, everything around him seemed clearer. Things that were once hazy became sharp and vivid. Even the rare metal before him, which had been difficult to analyze, was now seen in complete detail without the need for spirit detection.
With the Sharingan now strong enough to replace mental probing, Tian Meng stopped using any spirit skill. This saved a considerable amount of spiritual energy, allowing him to channel that power into more complex tasks—such as completing the soul battle array on the bottle.
Although crafting a level-5 soul guide remained difficult, it no longer felt impossible. The odds of success had drastically improved.
Time passed steadily, and the intricate array gradually took shape. With precise control over Xiao Qiang's hand, Tian Meng finally carved the last line of the array into the bottle. As the last stroke was etched in, both Xiao Qiang and the onlooking Jing Hongchen let out a deep breath.
"I did it. Please inspect the result, Dean," Tian Meng said through Xiao Qiang's mouth.
Xiao Qiang handed over the bottle, and the moment he did, his body could no longer endure the strain. His soul power and mental strength had been drained to their absolute limits. With his task complete, Xiao Qiang fainted. Jing Hongchen stepped forward in time to catch him.
"Well done. Go and retrieve the medicine prepared for the promotion to the sixth ring," Jing Hongchen ordered calmly. "And remember—what happened today must remain confidential."
"Yes, thank you for the promotion," replied Wang Heng, still stunned by what he had witnessed.
He wanted to say more, to express his gratitude, but Jing Hongchen was already walking away, carrying Xiao Qiang out of the assessment hall himself.
Three hours later, Jing Hongchen sat at the head of Mingde Hall, a thick file of documents in hand. It contained every bit of information his people had gathered about Xiao Qiang.
"Hall Master, this boy… he's a little strange," an elderly assistant beside him spoke in a low tone. "He awakened his martial soul at the age of six, but ever since then, his behavior has been a little different. Now, after his outstanding performance in the assessment, it seems clear—this child is hiding something."
"Little thoughts?" Jing Hongchen chuckled. "Everyone has little thoughts. What matters isn't how many secrets someone holds, but whether their talent is real—and whether they can truly be one of us."
He set the file down on the table, his gaze sharp. "Xiao Qiang was born and raised in the Sun-Moon Empire. He isn't some soul beast in disguise, nor is he a spy from another faction. Interrogating him over every secret will only push him away. If he's willing to offer his talents to our Empire and align himself with the Hongchen family, that's all that matters."
The old man bowed slightly. "Yes, Hall Master."
Jing Hongchen waved his hand, dismissing him. "When he wakes up, send him to me. Since he chose to join the Hongchen family, there's no reason not to cultivate him to the fullest."
"Yes."
Once the old man had left, Jing Hongchen picked up the document one last time, then calmly tossed it into a nearby brazier. The fire quickly consumed the papers.
"You want resources?" he murmured to himself. "That's fine. Mingde Hall has never lacked resources."
"You're awake? Good news—Brother's plan was a complete success!"
The moment Xiao Qiang opened his eyes, he heard Tian Meng's jubilant voice in his mind.
"…Plan? What plan?" Xiao Qiang mumbled, still dazed.
"Don't play dumb. I mean the plan to showcase your talent so they'd start investing in you!" Tian Meng explained proudly. "Look at the medicinal bath you're soaking in—at least fifteen rare herbs are in there. And none of them are inferior to that beast blood fruit you took before."
"As expected of Brother Tian Meng," Xiao Qiang smiled faintly. "Flawless planning. It's just a shame I can't absorb much from such a luxurious bath."
"Hmph, maybe you can't, but don't forget—you've got me! Just because you're limited doesn't mean I am. Watch closely."
With a snort, Tian Meng took over partial control, guiding Xiao Qiang's body to absorb the medicinal power through his skin. Though skin absorption wasn't very efficient under normal circumstances, under Tian Meng's precise control, it far outperformed traditional soaking.
Xiao Qiang estimated that the medicinal bath was at least five times more effective than usual.
After soaking for a while, Xiao Qiang got out and used a crystal orb to test his soul power. It had risen from level 33 to level 35.
To some, this might seem unremarkable. But Xiao Qiang understood what it meant—he had already advanced eight levels in under a year. Gaining two more in such a short time was still an incredible result.
If Mingde Hall continued to provide him with such resources, reaching even greater heights wouldn't be a problem.
When the bath was finished, Xiao Qiang pressed a button near his bed. Soon after, several maids entered and helped him into a new set of clothes.
The new outfit wasn't ordinary—it was crafted from high-grade materials, typically reserved for nobility of the Sun-Moon Empire. Simply put, Jing Hongchen had personally raised Xiao Qiang's status. From a commoner, he now stood equal to an earl of the Empire, thanks to his alignment with the Hongchen family.
No matter one's background—so long as they followed Jing Hongchen, they could rise to power and nobility.
"Xiao Qiang," Jing Hongchen said directly upon meeting him again, "are you willing to become my disciple?"
There was no ceremony. No roundabout test. He cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Xiao Qiang didn't hesitate. "Disciple Xiao Qiang pays respects to Teacher."
He knelt and bowed in a single fluid motion. This wasn't just respect—it was strategy.
Binding himself to Jing Hongchen was a carefully planned step. It was the best move he could make at this point. There was no need to pretend otherwise.
"Good." Jing Hongchen nodded with approval. He then handed over a sleek black soul guide. "Take this. It contains 30,000 cubic meters of space and can store living creatures. Inside you'll find a Shui Han carving knife—seventeenth rank. There's also a red card loaded with 30 million gold soul coins. Use it to purchase whatever you need. Lastly, this token proves your status as my personal disciple. It will grant you special rights and privileges within the Empire."
Xiao Qiang accepted the soul guide with both hands, stunned for a moment.
This… this was it?
No elaborate test of loyalty? No motivational speech? No baiting with promises of the future?
You're just going to give me all this?
For a second, he couldn't help but mentally compare this treatment to the stingy attitude of a certain other academy.
Well… Mingde Hall was definitely different.