After waking up in Mingde Hall, the first thing Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong saw was Xuan Ziwen tending to them. From him, Jiang Shengyu learned what had happened earlier.
When he heard that this was Mingde Hall, a place within Peerless Tang Sect, he was genuinely shocked—but quickly regained his composure.
Compared to the fact that he had split in two, transmigration didn't seem like such a big deal.
Under Xuan Ziwen's guidance, the two were brought before Kong Deming. Standing in front of the man destined to become a Level 10 Soul Engineer, Jiang Shengyu couldn't help but feel the pressure. He was worried that Kong Deming might sense something strange about him.
Noticing the identical tension on both their faces, Kong Deming smiled reassuringly.
"Relax. I'm not going to scare a pair of little kids. I just have a few questions."
Jiang Qingtong remained silent, not saying a word. Jiang Shengyu stepped forward and positioned himself protectively in front of her.
"You can ask me," he said.
For now, Jiang Shengyu's mental power wasn't strong enough to allow both bodies to move independently. To avoid exposing his secret, he had to focus entirely on controlling his male half.
As for Jiang Qingtong, he decided to present her as a quiet, introverted girl.
Kong Deming didn't suspect anything. In fact, he admired Jiang Shengyu's instinct to protect his "sister."
After a brief pause, Kong Deming asked,
"I want to know your names, where you're from, your family's martial soul heritage, and—most importantly—why you were able to gain soul rings without killing soul beasts."
Jiang Shengyu had already anticipated these questions while Xuan Ziwen was filling him in earlier.
Making up a background would be risky. With Kong Deming's status in the Sun-Moon Empire, it would be easy for him to verify any claims. If he found out they were lying, who knew how he'd react?
So—there was only one way out.
Pretend to have amnesia.
Faced with a boy who remembered nothing but his name, Kong Deming fell silent.
If they really had no memory of their past, why could they still recall their names? Most likely, they were just unwilling to share. But really—what could two six-year-old children possibly be hiding?
Even if one of the original three nations of the Douluo Continent had sent spies, they wouldn't send children this young—let alone to infiltrate the Evil Demon Forest, where he had seen the siblings die and come back to life with his own eyes.
Kong Deming thought for a while but chose not to press the matter.
Xuan Ziwen looked at his teacher.
"Master, these kids have been through so much. Why don't we let them stay here in Mingde Hall?"
Kong Deming didn't respond right away. Instead, he turned to the siblings and said gently,
"Shengyu, Qingtong—show me your martial souls."
Jiang Shengyu nodded slightly. Behind them, a crescent moon like rippling water and a crystal lotus carved from mirrored prisms appeared. Each martial soul was accompanied by a single purple soul ring, pulsing rhythmically with energy.
"Shengyu, demonstrate your soul skill," Kong Deming said.
Soul skill?
Jiang Shengyu frowned slightly and closed his eyes, trying to connect with the crescent moon behind him.
As his spiritual energy flowed into the soul ring, it lit up immediately. Gentle waves spread outward, and from within the crescent moon, a jet-black flame surged out, burning around him like ink turned to fire.
The sheer heat distorted the air, making both Kong Deming and Xuan Ziwen instinctively tense up.
"What terrifying heat! Even I can feel it—it's that powerful!" Kong Deming clicked his tongue, clearly amazed. "What's this soul skill called?"
Jiang Shengyu opened his eyes, staring in shock at the black flame coiling around him. The moment he activated the skill, the name of it had appeared in his mind—but he could hardly believe it.
Under the watchful gazes of Kong Deming and Xuan Ziwen, Jiang Shengyu hesitated for a long moment before whispering,
"First Soul Skill—Void Devouring Flame…"
Impossible!
Void Devouring Flame… How could that exist in the world of Douluo?
And now it was… his soul skill?
"Void Devouring Flame, huh? Excellent! Excellent!" Kong Deming exclaimed.
"I originally thought your martial soul was similar to my own Silver Moon. But this… this is something else entirely. Never mind what this fire can do—just its temperature alone puts it above all other fire-type martial souls I've ever seen!"
As someone with vast knowledge and experience, Kong Deming had encountered many fire-based martial souls, but none of them had ever reached this level at just the first ring.
Jiang Shengyu calmed himself. He understood—his version of Void Devouring Flame was a far cry from the true thing.
But even so, it was already terrifying.
After Jiang Shengyu retracted his martial soul, Kong Deming turned to Jiang Qingtong and spoke softly:
"Your turn, Qingtong."
Jiang Qingtong took a deep breath, shifting her focus to her own body. She closed her eyes, trying to sense her soul skill. But as time passed, a strange expression slowly formed on her face.
Kong Deming noticed, but didn't interrupt.
Eventually, Jiang Qingtong opened her eyes and said,
"My… my soul skill is called Imprint."
"Imprint?" Xuan Ziwen asked. "You mean like imprinting someone's soul skill?"
Jiang Qingtong shook her head.
"No… I can imprint their martial soul."
"Their martial soul?"
Kong Deming and Xuan Ziwen were stunned.
In the blink of an eye, Kong Deming appeared in front of her, his voice gentler now:
"Explain, little one."
Jiang Qingtong described the details of her soul skill.
In simple terms, she could completely replicate another person's martial soul, including all of its soul skills. After imprinting, she could use the copied martial soul as if it were her own, soul skills and all.
There was, however, one major limitation: the imprinted martial soul could not be discarded, only overwritten. And currently, she only had one chance to imprint.
Even with that restriction, the potential of this ability left both master and student visibly excited.
Unprecedented.
They had never heard of such a martial soul or soul skill before.
Xuan Ziwen beamed.
"Then you have to be very careful choosing your target martial soul! Don't rush into it."
Kong Deming was even more straightforward:
"Shengyu, Qingtong—if you're willing, I'd be honored to take you as my disciples. Within twenty years, I can guarantee you'll reach Title Douluo. I'll personally equip each of you with at least seven Level 9 Soul Devices!"
Even in the Sun-Moon Empire, known for its soul devices, Level 9 Soul Devices were priceless. Kong Deming's offer showed just how determined he was to keep the two siblings under his wing.
They didn't need to kill soul beasts to gain soul rings. Whether this was a one-time phenomenon tied to their martial soul awakening, or true of all their future soul rings, Kong Deming had already made up his mind:
He would make sure both of them gained at least one hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
Having made his decision, Kong Deming stood silently beside Xuan Ziwen, waiting for the children's response.
Jiang Shengyu didn't hesitate. He dropped to his knees and bowed deeply.
"Master, please accept me as your disciple!"
Once he knelt, Jiang Qingtong followed and knelt beside him.