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Chapter 32: Yang Ping'an
🕑 Added 2024-10-03 05:08:28 +0000 UTCThe next day at breakfast, Father brought home a young boy. The boy looked a bit sad, his face pale, likely still immersed in the grief of losing his mother.
"Son, this is Yang Ping'an. He's a few months younger than you and will be living with us from now on."
"Ping'an, this is my son, Yang Podi. Treat this place as your home from now on. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. You'll be studying alongside my son."
"Podi, Ping'an, you two are brothers now, so get along well."
And just like that, our family gained a new member, Yang Ping'an.
After breakfast, the two of us went to the training grounds.
Yang Podi was the first to speak: "Hello, I'll introduce myself again. My name is Yang Podi, Martial Soul: Breaking Soul Spear, Soul Power: Level 12."
The young boy spoke as well: "Hello, I'm Yang Ping'an. Martial Soul: Breaking Soul Spear, Soul Power: Level 8."
Yang Podi nodded: "We're both from the Breaking Clan, and now we're family. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Starting today, you'll train with me."
"Every morning, I'll be here practicing spear techniques. In the mornings, we'll attend classes together. In the afternoons, I study medicinal knowledge for a while, but since you're not a Soul Master yet, you can't learn that. So, you'll return to your room and cultivate your soul power. After my studies, we'll do weighted mountain climbing together."
"Young Master, I'll be in your care from now on."
"Ping'an, there's no need to call me Young Master anymore. Just call me Big Brother or Brother Yang. It'll feel more natural that way since we're all part of the Breaking Clan."
"Alright, Big Brother, I'll be in your care."
"Ping'an, now that we're family, there's no need for formality. Whether it's about cultivation or life, you can ask me anything."
"Alright, Big Brother."
And so, Yang Podi gained a little follower, Yang Ping'an.
At first, Yang Ping'an still seemed sad because of his family's passing, but after some time, he began to cheer up.
However, this also marked the start of Yang Podi's troubles. Every day, he had to deal with the endless questions of a six-year-old, which frustrated him, but he couldn't refuse or brush them off—after all, the boy called him Big Brother.
One morning, while Yang Podi was practicing the spear thrust technique, Yang Ping'an also started practicing the Breaking Soul Spear techniques.
"Big Brother, why does it feel like your spear technique is different from my Breaking Soul Spear techniques?"
"Ping'an, what I'm practicing isn't the Breaking Soul Spear techniques. These are some spear techniques I came up with myself. I'm just starting out."
"Big Brother, I feel like there's something off about you."
"Ping'an, I usually carry weights on me. Except during medicinal baths, I never take them off, no matter what."
"Big Brother, can I wear weights too?"
"Ping'an, you're still young. If you want to carry weights like me, it's best to wait until you become a Soul Master. Your body might not handle it right now."
"Big Brother, today's weight training feels a lot more exhausting than usual. Do you feel the same?"
"Ping'an, the weights should be the same as usual. Are you feeling sick? Maybe you should have my dad take a look?"
...
And so, the two of them continued training and studying together, with Yang Podi's father occasionally offering guidance.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two years had passed. Yang Podi was now eight and a half years old, standing about 1.5 meters tall. Aside from his still slightly childish face, his body had grown much stronger, with muscles more defined than those of a bodybuilder.
His appearance was average, not particularly handsome—he would blend into a crowd—but his gaze was sharp, and his expression determined. Years of spear practice had given him an aura of unstoppable force. His black hair, though not long, had a somewhat flowing quality.
Sometimes, when looking in the mirror, though he didn't have the charm of a pretty boy, he considered himself a spirited young man.
Over the past two years, many things had happened within the Breaking Clan. First, his grandfather Yang Wudi and great-uncle Yang Wushuang both broke through to the Soul Douluo level, with only half a year separating their breakthroughs.
His grandfather Yang Wudi's eighth soul ring reached 60,000 years and came from a fierce Flower-Spotted Tiger, greatly enhancing his attack power. He even obtained a 60,000-year right arm soul bone, a priceless treasure. Even within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Clear Sky Clan, such a soul bone would be considered an heirloom.
Fortunately, only the leaders of the four single-attribute clans and Yang Wushuang were present during the soul beast hunt, so the news didn't leak.
According to Yang Wudi, this soul bone would be reserved for future leaders of the Breaking Clan. As for whether he himself had used it, no one knew for sure—not even Yang Podi.
Great-uncle Yang Wushuang's eighth soul ring reached 55,000 years from a powerful Strength Gorilla, which significantly boosted both his strength and attack power. In terms of raw strength, it even surpassed Yang Wudi. Unfortunately, he didn't obtain a soul bone.
Perhaps influenced by Yang Podi, both elders chose strength-type soul beasts for their eighth rings, greatly enhancing their attack and power.
The Breaking Clan now boasted two Soul Douluo, making it a formidable force within the Heaven Dou Empire. Though they were still far from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they were not much weaker than the Elephant Armored Clan, one of the lower four clans. In terms of top-tier strength, it was likely that Yang Wudi and Yang Wushuang could take on the Elephant Armored Clan's leader, Huyan Zhen, in single combat.
Moreover, the Breaking Clan was known for its fierce warriors, all focused on offensive soul rings, making them almost invincible at the same rank. Even Soul Douluo hesitated to provoke them, making the Breaking Clan a small but respected power.
As for larger factions, they generally left the Breaking Clan alone. After all, the clan was also infamous for its use of poisons. If pushed too hard, they might resort to underhanded tactics, which was a deterrent even to the strongest clans.
Yang Podi's father, Yang Zhentian, had reached level 76 in these two years, while his mother, Niu Jinfeng, had reached level 68, on track to become a Soul Sage within two years.
His little follower, Yang Ping'an, despite having a somewhat awkward personality, trained diligently. Whether it was physical conditioning or cultivating soul power, he kept up with Yang Podi. Now, he had obtained his first soul ring and recently broke through to level 16, making him a rare talent.
The youngest in the family, Yang Tianyue, was now two years old and had grown incredibly cute. However, she didn't behave like a typical girl. Even at two, she loved running around, chasing cats, and teasing dogs, causing chaos in the clan. She also resembled her mother, so it was likely she'd grow up to be a tomboy.
As for the elders of the Breaking Clan, most had advanced by two or three levels, though none had broken through yet. However, their overall strength had increased significantly, and within five years, there might be several more Soul Douluo, though some might hit the bottleneck at level 79. This would depend on their luck and opportunities.
The Breaking Clan was thriving.
