The Past of His Parents

How did Yang Wudi feel after hearing Yang Ming's words? Shocked! Heartsick!

He was shocked by Yang Ming's rebellious thinking, shocked by his extraordinary insight, by how he had not been bound by the prevailing beliefs of the Soul Master World.

What troubled him was this: if the Breaking Clan truly changed its tradition of pursuing all-offense Spirit Rings, would it still be the Breaking Clan? Yang Wudi was struggling inwardly.

After Yang Ming saw Grandfather's shocked expression turn into one of conflict, he guessed Yang Wudi's concerns and stated his own beliefs firmly.

"If the Breaking Clan loses the courage to break convention and forge the future, then it will no longer be the Breaking Clan!!!"

Afterward, Yang Ming continued with his proposed solution.

"Grandfather, you don't need to worry about the later Spirit Ring combination either. I've already thought it through."

"And the first four inherited soul skills of our Breaking Clan are quite excellent. We only need to move the defensive counterattack-type 'Zhen' Spirit Ring to the third ring and place the Soul Power-enhancing 'Hun' Spirit Ring in the first-ring position. Our predecessors have already tested this, so there's no need for further experimentation!"

After hearing Yang Ming's improved plan, Yang Wudi involuntarily began working it out in his mind. What if his first four Spirit Rings had been as Yang Ming envisioned? The 'Zhen' soul skill could help Soul Breaking Spear Soul Masters escape control and offered a certain degree of defense. It was highly useful, but its hundred-year age limit somewhat restricted its effectiveness after reaching Soul Saint. If adjusted to a thousand-year Spirit Ring, it could indeed remain useful; the 'Hun' soul skill's overall enhancement of Soul Power would never become outdated for a Soul Master, making it excellent as well. Only one of the first four soul skills, the 'Bao' soul skill, had been replaced, yet the upper limit had truly become higher.

Once Yang Wudi understood all this, his doubts were swiftly swept away. Yes! If the Breaking Clan did not even dare to make such a beneficial change, then it truly would have reached its end! It was not that Yang Ming's ideas were especially profound; people of this era had simply had their thoughts constrained by the beliefs of their time. Now that Yang Ming had raised the matter, Yang Wudi quickly figured out every key point. His mood brightened, and he burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha."

After laughing, Yang Wudi praised Yang Ming with satisfaction.

"Good!"

"Worthy of being my, Yang Wudi's, grandson!"

Seeing Grandfather return to normal, Yang Ming sighed in relief and continued explaining his ideas for his First Soul Ring.

"The Soul Breaking Spear is like that, and my Atlas Spear is even more so. Therefore, what I need from my First Soul Ring is something that affects the enemy's judgment of my spear's trajectory."

"A Bewildering Trace Beast would likely grant me a spatial distortion skill, while an Ethereal Python would most likely grant me a spatial breakthrough skill. Both Soul Beasts suit spear-type Martial Souls quite well, and these two kinds of soul skills can still be used after reaching Soul Saint. It's just that... both kinds of Soul Beasts are rather difficult to find."

After hearing Yang Ming's reasons for choosing those Spirit Rings, Yang Wudi thought of Yang Ming's already formidable talent with the spear. He felt that these two soul skills truly matched spear techniques exceptionally well, and he made the decision.

"Then it's settled. We'll choose these two kinds of Soul Beasts!"

After they finished discussing the Spirit Rings, Yang Wudi noticed that the exceptionally intelligent grandson before him had a mixture of longing, pain, and conflict on his face. At last, Yang Wudi sighed. As if he had finally made up his mind, he took a pair of rings from his robes and handed them to Yang Ming.

The rings were noble and elegant in appearance, their surfaces meticulously carved with exquisite patterns resembling two majestic phoenixes. Each ring had a dazzling gemstone set at its center—one Emerald Green and the other transparent.

Yang Ming accepted the rings and looked at Grandfather in confusion.

"These are?"

Yang Wudi spoke with nostalgia and sorrow.

"These are your parents' Storage Soul Tools, as well as their tokens of love: Phoenix Seeking Phoenix!"

Upon hearing that, Yang Ming looked at the two rings in his hand, and grief welled up within him.

Seeing his grandson's expression, Yang Wudi spoke unusually gently.

"These were your parents' most precious possessions. I didn't give them to you a few years ago because you were too young, and I was afraid you would lose them. Now that your Martial Soul has awakened, I'll leave this pair of rings in your care from now on!"

Yang Ming lowered his head without speaking. His medium-length hair concealed his expression.

Not long afterward, Yang Ming raised his head. His eyes were slightly red, and his voice caught as he asked.

"Grandfather, can you tell me now about my parents' past and exactly how they died?"

Yang Wudi looked into Yang Ming's eyes, then thought of Yang Ming's personality, talent, and the oath he had sworn yesterday in the Ancestral Hall. He knew he could no longer keep it from him. Yang Wudi gathered his thoughts and nodded.

"Fine, I'll tell you!"

"It began Nine Years Ago."

"Your mother, back then... she was a little spoiled, a little playful, and never took cultivation seriously. She often slipped out on her own to have fun."

When Yang Wudi spoke of his beloved daughter, his tone softened considerably. Hearing about his mother also made Yang Ming feel a little better.

"One time, your mother left the clan and went to Heaven Dou City for some sightseeing. She happened to arrive during the Heaven Dou Auction House's annual grand auction. Wanting to join in the excitement, she attended the auction."

"At that auction, your mother took a liking to a pair of rings—the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix in your hands—and wanted to buy them!"

"But Phoenix Seeking Phoenix was not only an extremely high-grade Storage Soul Tool; because of its exquisite appearance, it was also beloved by the nobles attending the auction. Your mother had not brought much money with her that day, so she ultimately lost the bidding to a young wastrel from Heaven Dou City, who bought them for a higher price!"

"However, although she had failed to obtain the rings, your mother did not care too much. She had originally planned to leave once the auction ended."

"But who could have expected that the young wastrel had bid on the rings only because he had taken a fancy to your mother's beauty!"

At this point, Yang Wudi's tone became somewhat hostile and disdainful.

"After the auction ended, your mother had barely stepped out of the auction house when that wastrel surrounded her with his men. He said that as long as she followed him, he would give her the rings and grant her wealth and glory."

"But how could your mother possibly submit to a wastrel just for a pair of rings? She immediately tried to leave."

"And how could that wastrel possibly let her go so easily? He directly ordered his subordinates to seize your mother by force!"

A cold glint appeared in Yang Ming's eyes as well. Yang Wudi did not elaborate and simply continued.

"Because that wastrel was the son of the Heaven Dou Minister of Political Affairs, the pedestrians did not dare meddle. But just then, a fool suddenly stepped out from the roadside."

Mentioning that man still made Yang Wudi somewhat angry. It was that little bastard who had run away with his Little Cotton-padded Jacket. However, when he looked at Yang Ming and considered that the man had left him such an outstanding grandson, what little anger Yang Wudi had quickly vanished.

"That person was your father. Your father had been studying at Canghui Academy then and happened to pass by. He saw your mother being harassed, and his sense of justice surged forth. He stepped in to stand up for her."

When Yang Ming heard this, it felt rather familiar. A hero rescuing a beauty—just like in storybooks! But his father and mother soon proved through their strength that they were not so conventional.

"Your father was already a Soul Elder at the time and defeated quite a few lackeys. But unexpectedly, the wastrel had also brought along a Soul Ancestor bodyguard. Once that Soul Ancestor bodyguard acted, your father quickly fell into a disadvantage."

"Seeing that your father could no longer hold on, your mother directly revealed her Soul Breaking Spear. The Clear Sky Sect was close to Heaven Dou City, so anyone in Heaven Dou City with even a little discernment could recognize the Soul Breaking Spear Martial Soul. Upon seeing it, the Soul Ancestor bodyguard hurriedly stopped. But since he did not know your mother's exact identity, and no actual losses had been caused, he wanted to compensate her with some money and settle things peacefully. Your mother refused, while that wastrel did not take it seriously. The two sides parted on bad terms!"

Yang Ming's father had wanted to play the hero and save a beauty, but he had ended up being the one rescued. Yang Wudi even used this to lecture Yang Ming.

"From now on, cultivate properly. Strength is the foundation that gives you the confidence to do anything!"

Yang Ming felt a little awkward at Grandfather's pointed words and could only agree. Yang Wudi continued with the later events.

"But in the end, that minister also discovered your mother's identity. He personally brought his wastrel son to the Breaking Clan to apologize while carrying thorns on his back. If that minister had not been ruthless enough to leave behind an enormous compensation—including that pair of Phoenix Seeking Phoenix rings—and personally break one of his son's legs on the spot, I would have killed that brat right then!"

Yang Wudi sounded somewhat regretful when he spoke of it.

"After that, your parents fell in love, got married, and had you!"

"And then..."

"Came that great war of that year!"

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