"Your Highness, do you know what you're saying?" Jing Hongchen's voice was low, edged with anger.
Wei Xuan smiled faintly. "Of course I do. Hall Master Hongchen, do you think I'm wrong?"
"The first half, no. But what you said about it being not worth it—that's a grave mistake."
"Taking pills may cause one's Soul Power to become hollow, yes, but it also grants higher Soul Power levels, allowing a Soul Engineer to create stronger Soul Tools."
"With stronger Soul Tools, any lack in combat strength can easily be compensated for—and even surpassed."
"Take yourself for example. I'm confident you'll reach Level 8 before you turn fifteen. But if you focused only on cultivating Soul Power, do you think you could reach Soul Douluo by then?"
"Not even Soul Douluo—Soul King would be uncertain! And tell me, who's stronger: a Soul King or an eighth-tier Soul Engineer?"
"Pills allow us to surpass natural limits. Isn't that worth it?" Jing Hongchen countered.
Wei Xuan's tone remained calm. "That's merely choosing short-term growth over long-term development."
"Using pills consumes one's innate potential. Eventually, it creates a bottleneck that can never be surpassed. Over ninety-nine percent of Soul Engineers become permanently stuck because of their early reliance on medicine."
He paused, then added, "No—ninety-nine percent is too generous. It's closer to a hundred. That remaining fraction only seems different because their bottleneck lies higher, but they too will never progress further."
Jing Hongchen's body trembled, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How… how do you know that?"
He knew full well Wei Xuan was right. Pills brought undeniable side effects—eventually stagnating one's cultivation entirely.
"Simple deduction," Wei Xuan said. "All medicine is partly poison. No matter how refined the quality, side effects remain—and these particular pills are far from pure."
He glanced at the pills in his hand and shook his head slightly. "Their quality's too low. The backlash will be severe."
Jing Hongchen sighed. "There's no helping it. If one wants quick results, one must pay the price. There's no such thing as a free meal."
Wei Xuan nodded lightly, understanding his meaning. Still, his thoughts wandered elsewhere—plans forming silently in his mind.
Changing the topic, he said, "Regardless, I'll take the path of a pure Soul Master. I won't rely too much on pills."
He didn't deny their usefulness. If refined properly, one or two could still be taken safely. But rather than fixing these, he preferred to test whether he could craft true cultivation pills—the kind from the Immortal Realm, meant to enhance rather than hollow out.
"But that'll slow your progress," Jing Hongchen said worriedly. "It could even hinder your breakthroughs in Soul Tool creation."
"Besides, our Sun and Moon Empire isn't good at training Soul Masters. If you insist on this route, you'll lack proper guidance—it'll be far harder for you."
Wei Xuan remained unfazed. "Don't worry. My Soul Master level won't limit my progress in Soul Tool development."
"As for guidance, I don't need it. My understanding of cultivation is my own. No one can teach me my path."
Though this world's cultivation system differed from the Immortal Realm, the essence remained the same—different roads leading to the same summit.
Even without a teacher, his past life's knowledge would carry him to the peak once more.
Jing Hongchen stared at him in surprise, seeing the steady conviction in his eyes. For a long moment, he said nothing—then finally nodded. "The pills are yours. Whether you use them or not is your choice."
The road must be walked by oneself; he could not force Wei Xuan to walk his.
Perhaps for someone like Wei Xuan, walking both paths—Soul Master and Soul Engineer—would be best.
Wei Xuan nodded. After a pause, he asked, "Hall Master Hongchen, do you know who refined these pills?"
"Huh? Why do you ask?" Jing Hongchen was puzzled.
"I just find them interesting. I'd like to see how they were made."
"You really are a curious one," Jing Hongchen chuckled. "I know a few alchemists. I'll introduce you sometime."
Wei Xuan smiled. "Then I'll trouble you for that."
"By the way," he added after a moment, "have you ever thought about improving your Soul Engineer students' combat ability?"
"Combat ability?" Jing Hongchen looked thoughtful. "You think they're weak?"
"Not think—know. I've seen some of their sparring. Honestly, they're terrible. Full of openings."
He wasn't exaggerating. Their craftsmanship was admirable, but their fighting was… tragic.
"You can see their flaws that easily?" Jing Hongchen asked, surprised.
"They're obvious. Hard not to notice," Wei Xuan said with a shrug.
Jing Hongchen was silent for a while, then sighed. "I've noticed that too. But changing it… isn't easy."
"It's not that hard," Wei Xuan said casually. "Have them fight more. Strengthen their Soul Power through real battle—it'll improve naturally."
"That's easy to say," Jing Hongchen sighed again. "They all pour their time into research. None care about fighting. The trend's too deep-rooted to change overnight."
"Actually, combat training would help their research," Wei Xuan said.
Jing Hongchen raised a brow, intrigued. "Go on."
"Combat experience reinforces their Soul Power, reducing the hollowness caused by pills. With firmer foundations, breakthroughs come easier. That helps their Soul Tool crafting too."
"Plus, real battle teaches them their tools' strengths and weaknesses—allowing targeted improvements. It's beneficial all around."
Jing Hongchen nodded slowly, impressed by the clarity of Wei Xuan's reasoning.
"I'll arrange more combat lessons," he said after a pause. "You've convinced me."
"They must also understand why it matters," Wei Xuan added. "Otherwise, new classes alone won't change anything."
"You have a plan?" Jing Hongchen asked, curious about Wei Xuan's calm confidence.
Wei Xuan smiled faintly. "I do. But not yet. It'll take a few years."
"Oh?" Jing Hongchen leaned forward, eager. "Tell me."
"Later," Wei Xuan said with a hint of mischief. "Even if I told you now, you wouldn't believe me."
"You little rascal! How do you know I wouldn't?" Jing Hongchen grumbled, half exasperated, half amused.
Just as he was about to press further, a crisp young voice rang out from outside.
"Grandpa!"
Wei Xuan instinctively prepared to slip away, while Jing Hongchen's face softened into a gentle smile.
A young girl entered, her long wine-red hair cascading down her back, blue eyes bright, and pink dress swaying as she ran in, beaming. "Grandpa! I became a second-level Soul Engineer!"
Her gaze fell on Wei Xuan, and her smile widened. "Ah! Brother Wei Xuan's here too! Great!"
"Oh? Mengmeng became a Level 2 Soul Engineer? Wonderful!" Jing Hongchen laughed heartily, clearly pleased.
He opened his arms, expecting her to rush in for a hug—
But she veered aside at the last second, running straight toward Wei Xuan for an embrace.
Wei Xuan sidestepped smoothly. "Miss Meng, men and women should maintain propriety," he said solemnly. "No hugging."
She puffed her cheeks. "What? You were supposed to call me 'little sister,' not 'Miss Meng'!"
"Fine, fine—little sister," Wei Xuan said helplessly.
Meng Hongchen was older than him, yet she insisted on being called little sister.
"Hehe, that's better!" she said cheerfully, tongue playfully sticking out.
"Brother Wei Xuan, I'm a Level 2 Soul Engineer now!" she said proudly, holding up her badge.
"To reach Level 2 before nine years old… that's impressive," Wei Xuan said with mock amazement.
"Of course! I'm a genius!" Meng Hongchen grinned, her dimples showing.
"You silly girl," Jing Hongchen scolded gently. "Do you only see your Brother Wei Xuan? Did you forget your grandpa's here too?"
"Nooo, I came for you first! I just got excited when I saw Brother Wei Xuan!" she said sweetly, grabbing his arm affectionately.
Jing Hongchen tapped her head lightly, then exchanged a helpless glance with Wei Xuan—both smiling wryly.
"Where's your brother?" he asked. The twins were rarely apart.
"He's spying in the lab again," Meng Hongchen said with a mischievous grin. "Probably getting caught right about… now."
Sure enough, moments later, a middle-aged man appeared at the door, holding a young boy by the collar.
The boy had similar blue eyes and red hair, wearing a fitted white uniform that made him look sharp and proud.
He didn't struggle, only frowned slightly, clearly used to the situation.
Seeing him, Jing Hongchen sighed and rubbed his forehead, while Meng Hongchen stifled a laugh.
"Such a Soul Tool fanatic," Wei Xuan said with amusement.
"Hall Master," the man said respectfully, setting the boy down. "Young Master Xiao Hongchen was spying again, as per your orders I've brought him here."
"I wasn't spying!" Xiao Hongchen protested. "I'm going to join Illustrious Virtue Hall sooner or later anyway! What's wrong with watching what I'll be doing every day?"
The man said nothing; this wasn't the first time he'd heard that excuse.
"Leave us," Jing Hongchen said helplessly. The man bowed and departed.
"I told you not to sneak around!" Jing Hongchen scolded. "You're lucky you're my grandson. Anyone else would've been punished already."
Xiao Hongchen pouted. "I was just getting a head start! And besides—he's not even an official Soul Engineer yet, but he can enter the lab. Why can't I? My talent's no worse!"
"Can you compare yourself to His Highness?" Jing Hongchen's tone sharpened. "You're getting too arrogant."
"Yeah," Meng Hongchen chimed in. "Brother Wei Xuan's talent is way higher than yours."
Wei Xuan sighed inwardly. Why am I getting dragged into this again?
Xiao Hongchen's face reddened. "He's just got a better memory! When it comes to actual crafting, he's not better than me!"
Ever since Wei Xuan had been admitted into the Illustrious Virtue Hall at just over three years old, Xiao Hongchen had felt both envy and jealousy burning within him.
(End of Chapter)