Douluo Continent: I possess astonishing wisdom as I control energy!

He glanced instinctively at his side—

Beside him, Xu Tianzhen sat upright and proper. No way!

On the surface, she pretended to listen obediently to her elders, but in reality, all her attention was on Kong Ming'an. One of her small hands was quietly trying to tug at his pocket with minimal effort, her target clear:

That damn metal recording disc!

Her movements were careful, and she tried her best to maintain an innocent expression that said, "I didn't do anything," but her shimmering purple eyes and slightly puffed-up cheeks completely betrayed her.

Kong Ming'an's lips twitched slightly involuntarily.

This feels really strange.

Xu Tianzhen's behavior, in principle, already demonstrates a severe lack of boundaries and is enough to make people unhappy.

However, the very fact that she acted so directly, even somewhat clumsily, coupled with her "soberly resigned princess" theory and her current obsessive focus on stealing, made it difficult for Kong Ming'an to feel any ill will towards her.

Perhaps this is what they mean by two negatives making a positive? This thought inexplicably popped into his mind.

Kong Deming took in the subtle interactions between the two, his eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't point it out. Instead, he continued the previous topic and said earnestly:

"For you, a marriage alliance is always an extra layer of insurance."

"You're more capable than this old man, while none of His Majesty's many princes are any good. Hmm, Xu Tianran is passable, but he's scheming, too controlling, and prone to extremes."

"If Xu Tianran were to ascend to that position in the future, and I were no longer around, given your indifferent nature, he would inevitably become wary and suspicious of you, and then test you until..."

"Until you cross my bottom line?" Kong Ming'an finished his old man's unfinished sentence.

"It seems you have a clear understanding of yourself." Kong Deming nodded slightly, then spoke:

"At that time, there may be another bloody storm. If you have ideas, don't worry too much, just sit on that throne. My only requirement is that the emperor after you must be your child with Tianzhen, to ensure the continuation of the Sun and Moon royal bloodline."

These words were spoken calmly, yet carried immense weight, and the air in the pavilion seemed to freeze for a moment.

Xu Tianzhen, who was working hard to "commit the crime," suddenly froze, and her fingers, which were rummaging through her pockets, instantly withdrew.

Not a buddy? !

How could she possibly listen to such words?!

What "bloodshed," what "that position," what "unbroken bloodline"—this is completely beyond the scope of her policy of "being content to be a tool for a marriage alliance, cultivating feelings in advance, and incidentally finding a backer"!

She instantly sat up straight, her small face tense, her eyes darting around, looking left and right but not daring to look at Kong Deming and Kong Ming'an. She wished she could turn into a pillar in the pavilion or disappear into a crack in the stone slab under her feet. Her face was filled with tension that said, "I didn't hear anything," "I don't exist," and "Don't kill me."

Kong Ming'an glanced at the anxious girl beside him, then looked at his old man with a hint of helplessness.

Kong Deming understood, but he just smiled.

It seems his grandson truly doesn't reject innocence. Kong Deming's expression showed a hint of satisfaction, then he naturally changed the subject.

With a flick of his wrist, a thread-bound book of special material, which looked quite old, appeared in his hand. On the cover were two simple and elegant characters in ink: "Kong Family Genealogy".

"Alright, now that this matter is settled, there's no need for further discussion." He pushed the family genealogy towards Kong Ming'an. "This is what you asked me to look up over a year ago. I had Zhou Ping's son go back to the Kong family's old residence to organize everything, and it was indeed fruitful."

“Indeed, as you said, there is a long-lost collateral bloodline in the Heavenly Soul Empire that is related to a woman from the Kong family who married out many years ago.”

Kong Ming'an calmly accepted the family genealogy, not immediately flipping through it, but simply asking, "What if there are any descendants?"

"If there are any descendants, and they are willing, then bring them back; if they are not willing, then there is no need to force them."

"But what if their descendants inherit a martial soul?"

Kong Deming's eyes sharpened. "Either bring them back or kill them. The Sun and Moon's inherited martial spirit cannot be allowed to roam outside."

"Okay, I understand. I'll call you if we encounter any enemies we can't beat."

"Hmm?" Kong Deming frowned, realizing something. "There really is one?"

"Yes, at Shrek Academy."

Kong Deming frowned even more deeply.

If it were anything else, it would be fine, but if it were Shrek Academy, it would be easy for one thing to affect the whole situation.

"Don't worry, I'll go see if I can dig it up." After storing the family genealogy in his storage soul tool, Kong Ming'an gave his old man a reassuring look, then stood up.

"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

"Fine, you decide for yourself," Kong Deming said, his tone slightly helpless.

Kong Ming'an nodded, then turned and left.

Xu Tianzhen, who was still trying to remain invisible, was taken aback upon seeing this. She glanced at Kong Ming'an, who had left, and then at the imposing Kong Deming. She quickly stood up and gave a somewhat flustered bow.

"Grandpa Kong, I'll take my leave now!" After saying that, she almost tiptoed and quickly chased after Kong Ming'an.

Hurriedly catching up with Kong Ming'an, Xu Tianzhen resumed her anxious look, as if afraid of losing him, keeping a half-step behind him, her eyes occasionally glancing at the pocket that might contain "evidence," hesitant to speak.

Kong Ming'an naturally noticed her gaze and found it inexplicably amusing.

With a slight thought, he used his soul communication device to check the real-time status of Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen.

"They're all cultivating," Kong Ming'an muttered to himself, abandoning the idea of ​​going to find them.

Suddenly, Kong Ming'an stopped and turned around.

Xu Tianzhen, who was following closely behind him, almost bumped into him. She quickly braked, looked up at him, her purple eyes filled with confusion and a little nervousness.

Looking at the girl before him, Kong Ming'an felt a surge of interest. He leaned down slightly, looking directly into Xu Tianzhen's bright eyes, and asked:

"Isn't it boring to stay in the palace all the time?"

"Huh?" Xu Tianzhen didn't react for a moment, and subconsciously replied, "It's alright..."

A slight smile appeared on Kong Ming'an's lips.

"Would you like to go out for a walk?"

Xu Tianzhen blinked.

"what?"

Chapter 28 Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce

Shrek City, top floor of the "Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce" headquarters, president's office.

The interior was quiet and elegant, filled with a faint scholarly atmosphere and the scent of expensive spices.

Suddenly, the space rippled like water, and a gray door exuding an aura of holiness and death appeared out of thin air, then was silently pushed open.

Kong Ming'an took a step forward, his expression as calm as ever.

Following closely behind him, Xu Tianzhen cautiously peeked out, her eyes filled with tentative curiosity.

Looking around the office, so different from the style of the Sun and Moon Empire, she suddenly turned her head to look at the gray door behind her that was slowly disappearing, her eyes filled with undisguised shock.

"We...we weren't just in Mingdu, were we? Is this really Shrek City?"

Her voice was dazed; this kind of rapid, thousand-mile movement was completely beyond her comprehension.

"See for yourself."

Kong Ming'an spoke casually, but pointed to the huge floor-to-ceiling window beside him.

Xu Tianzhen stepped forward, looking down at the street with a hint of curiosity. Unlike the metallic feel and soul-guided radiance of Mingdu, the street below appeared more ancient and profound, filled with an aura of historical depth.

The streets were bustling with activity, and occasionally you could even see students in Shrek Academy uniforms going in and out of the buildings beneath her feet, each with a different expression on their face.

Once again, Xu Tianzhen felt slightly dazed.

They didn't actually end up in Shrek City, did they?!

In her mind, even a titled Douluo couldn't possibly carry someone across such a long distance so easily, right?

And it's a direct route from Mingdu to Shrek City!

What if it wasn't a person crossing, but a level-nine fixed-position soul-guided bomb? Given how easily she crossed just now, it would have been quite an effort, wouldn't it?

What if it weren't crossing over to Shrek City, but instead to the Sun and Moon Palace?

Xu Tianzhen's expression turned serious. Her quick thinking made it easy for her to think of another layer, and her expression subtly changed.

"How is this done?"

"It's just a simple use of space."

Kong Ming spoke calmly.

The principle is actually very simple: it uses the undead demiplane as a transit station.

After entering the Undead Demiplane from Mingdu, trigger the Shrek City gate opening mechanism using a pre-set device. Then, exit through the gate to directly reach Shrek City.

This method consumes little resources, has virtually no limit on teleportation distance, and is exceptionally stable. Aside from its somewhat long wind-up and recovery times, making it difficult to use in combat, it has virtually no drawbacks.

This method, developed by Electrolux after a few simple trials following an idea provided by Kong Ming'an, is quite effective.

Xu Tianzhen looked at the person and couldn't help but complain in her heart.

What a simple trick! With just this simple trick, she felt she could unify the entire Douluo Continent!

Xu Tianzhen pursed her lips, not delving into the matter further. She knew her limits; the more you knew about certain things, the more likely you were to run into trouble.

She and her fiancé didn't have much trust to begin with, so she decided to treat this trip as a vacation.

Without making a sound, Xu Tianzhen stood in front of the French windows, her big eyes wide with curiosity as she looked outside quietly.

Kong Ming'an didn't disturb her; he simply walked to his desk and pressed an inconspicuous button on the surface.

A moment later, there was a gentle knock on the office door, which was then pushed open.

A woman walked in. She was wearing a well-tailored black work uniform that accentuated her slender figure, and her demeanor appeared slightly aloof at first glance.

Her long chestnut hair was neatly tied back, and a pair of exquisite half-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Behind the lenses, her eyes were intelligent and calm.

However, upon seeing the person in front of the desk, that slightly cold demeanor vanished, replaced by a gentle warmth similar to that of a friendly older sister next door.

"President, you've arrived." Her voice was gentle and pleasant, carrying a natural respect and closeness.

"Sister Orange." Kong Ming'an nodded slightly in response.

Xu Tianzhen, who was standing to the side, was immediately drawn to the woman who entered.

She turned around, her eyes slightly narrowed, as if she had sensed something. She subconsciously straightened up, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Ju Zi and Kong Ming'an with a hint of scrutiny.

Kong Ming'an glanced at her, then introduced her:

"She is Ju Zi, the vice president of the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce, responsible for all affairs of the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce in the Douluo Three Kingdoms."

"Sister Orange, she's Tianzhen. She came to Shrek City with me this time."

Kong Ming'an spoke calmly. Long ago, he had begun implementing a talent recruitment plan, targeting those characters in the original work who possessed exceptional potential or talent.

As for the oranges, he discovered them while selecting core members of the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce.

Compared to the other candidates, gaining Orange's loyalty was a piece of cake.

A promise to help her take revenge on the White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire, and an identity that could prove he was right and possessed this ability, were enough to make this woman work for him to the death.

No matter how you look at it, this deal is a sure thing.

Ju Zi keenly noticed Xu Tianzhen's scrutinizing gaze. In response, she simply adjusted her glasses and then gave Xu Tianzhen a polite smile and nod.

Without asking any further questions, she turned to Kong Ming'an, her expression becoming serious.

"President, so what am I now?"

"Let's proceed as usual," Kong Ming'an said, sitting down in a businesslike manner.

Orange nodded slightly and began her report:

"Chairman, the Chamber of Commerce has been operating well recently. Last month's net profit increased by 35% compared to the same period last year, mainly due to the rare soul-guiding materials and high-precision parts transported through the 'Transfer Station,' which are currently in short supply in the Three Kingdoms market."

"At the same time, the mining of various rare mineral veins in the Three Kingdoms continued. With the help of the 'transfer station,' the Three Kingdoms of Douluo were completely unaware of our resource transfer activities."

"In addition, the 'Enlightenment Project' has added seventeen new civilian Soul Masters and Soul Masters this quarter, all of whom have signed agreements. Furthermore, the infiltration of Shrek Academy is proceeding as planned, and three insiders have already entered the core disciple circle."

Orange spoke at a steady pace and with clear logic. Even without any documents in hand, she effortlessly recited accurate figures for all matters, clearly indicating this wasn't her first time giving a report.

"Regarding the recruitment of Shrek Academy graduates, we recently successfully persuaded one Level 5 Soul Master and two Soul Emperors to join the Chamber of Commerce. According to our investigation, the willingness of Shrek Academy graduates to join our Chamber of Commerce has significantly increased."

"In addition, five teachers from Shrek Academy's outer court, specifically the Martial Soul Department, have already partnered with us to sell enrollment slots. Evidence regarding this has been sealed and is available for review at any time."

"The headquarters of the Mingmeng Daily has been initially established. At the same time, we have also secretly controlled or supported three small newspapers with different focuses, thus initially forming a dissemination network."

"In addition, as you have instructed, we are currently mixing in some solid dirt on Shrek Academy while reporting on ordinary news and gossip from various countries every day."