Gravity Training, Battle with Tang San

After Gula returned home, he cooked a pot of sweet potato porridge and ate his fill. Once his hunger was satisfied, he shut the door and headed out of the village.

At noon, wisps of smoke curled up from the village, and the road was empty.

Gula walked along the road. With no pedestrians to worry about, he summoned his Martial Soul.

"Martial Soul Possession."

As the thought fell, the Groudon Martial Soul possessed him. Gula's body, which was only a little over a meter tall, suddenly swelled. His skin turned red, taking on a rocky texture, thick and solid.

The greatest change was in his hands. Groudon's claws manifested there, their sharp talons harder and keener than blades, capable of easily tearing through metal and rock.

Gula recalled the memories shared by his clone and awkwardly struck a fitness pose, held his breath, focused his mind, and mobilized his energy.

About three seconds later, crimson Soul Power flowed within his body. His muscles tightened, and a special protective structure formed from energy filled the spaces between his cells.

On Gula's body, this appeared as a flash of red light. His muscles bulged slightly, and his strength and defense both increased.

The Bodybuilding Technique consumed energy to strengthen muscles, enhancing Physical Attack and defense. It was a relatively basic boosting move in the Pokémon World.

Having verified his guess, Gula was not surprised at all.

"It's just as I thought. Even after Groudon became a Martial Soul, it can still use the moves it learned. It's just that I only have the memories and haven't personally experienced them. If I want to master them proficiently, I'll still need to use the Martial Soul to make my body develop muscle memory."

"And, just like Pokémon learning moves, there are level restrictions. I'm limited by my Soul Power level, so some overly powerful moves, such as Eruption, Earthquake, Precipice Blades, and others, can't be used right now."

Understanding dawned in Gula's heart, but fortunately, he had plenty of time to cultivate.

Activating the Gravity Field, Gula controlled gravity to evenly press down on every inch of his muscles and skin, attempting to use Gravity Control to temper his physique.

A God-level Martial Soul was indeed powerful, but if he relied on his talent arrogantly like Qian Renxue, neglected daily cultivation, and failed to deeply excavate his own potential, sooner or later he would squander that talent and allow latecomers to catch up and surpass him.

Gula would not make the mistake of becoming arrogant and complacent. Following the memories instilled by the title "Person of Cultivation," he trained while adjusting his training plan according to his own condition.

God-tier Cultivation Techniques included most of the knowledge and skills of the Pokémon World, especially all knowledge related to Pokémon. By applying the relevant principles to the human body, they could be used directly with only slight adjustments.

Compared to physical rewards like move discs and Viridian Power, Gula felt that this all-encompassing cultivation knowledge was the most precious reward to him, letting him avoid many detours.

"The fighting skills of Fighting-type Pokémon temper muscles and train the body. Psychic Techniques train Viridian Power and energy control. Giovanni's Training Manual of the Earth..."

With his clone existing, Gula had long since learned how to split his focus. While training his body, he was also circulating a Meditation Method.

This was not the Meditation Method of Douluo Continent, but one from the Pokémon World, used by Psychics to train their psychic abilities and enhance their control over them. It could even reach the point of Future Sight and altering reality.

Gula did not know whether Groudon had psychic potential, but as a Super True Human, a Soul Master, and a Pokémon, his Spiritual Power definitely would not be weak. There was a very high chance he could train psychic abilities.

"Psychic power, Viridian Power, plus the potential within my body, and the Fighting-type Aura Power... It's just like the essence, energy, and spirit in fantasy novels. Even without a Martial Soul, I could still become a Trainer who punches Kyogre and kicks Rayquaza."

Gula set a lofty ambition.

Detected that the host is full of fighting spirit. Mission issued: Become a Psychic, become an Aura User!

Reward: 1,000 Mall Points, Legendary Pokémon Exchange Coupon ×2.

Gula glanced at the panel. After seeing the reward, his heart remained completely calm, and he even felt like laughing a little.

Just from the system's name, he knew the game he had played was extremely pay-to-win.

Every week, dozens of paid features rotated in, and backstabbing players was practically routine. All kinds of suffocating operations existed solely to make players spend money.

Even as a V7 player, Gula had not enjoyed playing it. He would have had to grind rewards nonstop for a year just to exchange for a modified Pokémon released the year before last.

The name Legendary Pokémon Exchange Coupon sounded domineering, but in reality, accumulating a powerful Legendary Pokémon required at least forty or fifty coupons. Add Evolution Stones on top, and it took eighty or ninety before one could exchange for a real Legendary Pokémon.

And that was only a castrated version. It would only be complete after exchanging for its Exclusive Skill and Exclusive Equipment, and who knew when they might release some Evolutionary Form in the future.

"Still, two Legendary Pokémon Exchange Coupons are enough to exchange for an ordinary Gardevoir. Should I exchange for one when the time comes?"

Gula was somewhat tempted.

But after thinking it over carefully, his clone had plenty of ordinary Pokémon. Even if he wanted to see Gardevoir with his own eyes, he could wait until Groudon's injuries had recovered.

By then, what Pokémon would he not be able to see?

Sweat ran down Gula's forehead as he stared at the distant sky. "For Gardevoir! Work hard!"

His shout startled a flock of birds into flight. Gula had already run up the mountain, frog-jumped his way to the summit, used Viridian Power to heal himself a little, then sat cross-legged on the mountaintop to cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

One month later.

The rear mountain.

Tang San had extraordinary talent in martial arts and quickly learned the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer. After hearing about Gula's Gravity Training method, he set aside time every day to train with Gula.

Today, Tang San had a different idea.

"Brother Gu, after becoming Soul Masters, we still haven't exchanged blows. Want to spar today?"

Tang San knew Gula's strength surpassed his, but fighting had never been decided by strength alone. Otherwise, everyone could simply compare strength to know the winner and loser, and there would not be so many conflicts in the world.

Gula raised an eyebrow and looked at Tang San's small frame. Even though Tang Hao had money now, and Tang San's food this month had ensured proper nutrition, his body was still very thin.

By comparison, Gula could absorb earth energy to grow. His physique was a full size sturdier than his peers, making him look around ten years old. He was a head taller than Tang San, and the two were not even in the same weight class.

"You sure?"

After a slight pause, Tang San sensed the disdain, and the stubborn competitiveness in his bones flared up. Dissatisfied, he said, "Don't look down on me. My teacher also taught me quite a few Self-Created Soul Skills. Who wins and who loses is still uncertain."

"Heh."

Gula smiled lightly, tossed aside the towel he had been using to wipe his sweat, and pointed to the grass beside them. "Sure. Just don't run back crying after you lose."

Tang San said nothing, standing ready, prepared to show Gula what he was capable of.

"I'm coming!"

Gula took one step forward, leaving a shallow pit beneath his foot as he shot more than ten meters away in an instant.

Tang San stepped with the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, his figure shifting unpredictably like a phantom, drifting like a falling leaf as he dodged Gula.

As he retreated, Tang San's hands turned the color of Mysterious Jade. He moved to Gula's side and struck out with a palm.

Mysterious Jade Hand.

Gula seemed to have expected it. He raised his hand to block, red Soul Power clinging to his arm as he stopped Tang San's palm, then turned and pressed in close, throwing a punch.

The combat technique he cultivated was clean and efficient, pursuing absolute effectiveness, a combination of strength and speed.

Tang San had not expected Gula's reaction speed to be even faster than his own. By now, it was already too late to dodge, so he had no choice but to summon his Blue Silver Grass martial soul.