(Beautiful Xiao Wu)
[No one could match your agility. Your opponents couldn't even touch the hem of your clothes.]
[At the finals, you performed a series of pole vaults, easily leaping over the Spirit Hall Golden Generation and claiming the championship!]
[You became an idol across the continent, surrounded by beautiful women!]
Tang San's eyes widened further and further.
Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo was that powerful?
[To pursue greater strength, you went to the Capital of Slaughter.]
[The Capital of Slaughter: once you entered, there was no way out, and not even your bones would remain.]
[But you used a series of pole vaults to easily leap across Hell Road!]
[You acquired the Divine Slaughter's Domain!]
Tang San sucked in a sharp breath.
He'd just made it through that so-called Hell Road like that?
[After leaving the Capital of Slaughter, you went to Sea God Island and passed the Nine Trials of the Sea God—the Sea God's successor!]
Tang San's heart raced.
Becoming a god! He really could become a god!
[First Trial: Cross the doubled Sea God's Light and climb the three hundred and thirty-three steps.]
[Divine pressure weighed on you like a mountain with every step. Time limit: one year.]
Tang San furrowed his brows.
How was he supposed to pass that?
[Since every one of your Soul Rings came from Lone Bamboo, your body was exceptionally sturdy! With the boost of your Lone Bamboo Martial Soul Avatar, you performed a super pole vault—]
[One vault, and you reached the summit!]
Tang San: ...
That worked too???
[Years later, you possessed eighteen ten-year Lone Bamboo Soul Rings! Eighteen white Soul Rings shocked the entire continent! People called you—Pure Bamboo Douluo!]
[With eighteen tiers of consecutive pole vaults, you leaped straight into the Divine Realm! At twenty-five, you became Pure Bamboo God!]
[Yu Xiaogang wept bitterly: "I, Yu Xiaogang, taught a god!"]
[Simulation ended.]
[Congratulations, host. You have received the simulation rewards—]
[Permanent 5% increase to cultivation speed!]
[Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul evolved into Blue Silver Emperor!]
[Obtained a rare Soul Bone: Two-and-a-Half-Year Chicken Claw Left Leg Bone (automatically absorbed)!]
Tang San's eyes flew open.
First reaction: His cultivation speed had increased?! Permanently?!
Second reaction: Blue Silver Emperor? His Blue Silver Grass had evolved?! It wasn't a useless Martial Soul anymore?!
Third reaction: A Soul Bone?! The legendary Soul Bone, even rarer than a Soul Ring?! He had one now?!
He looked down. His left leg glowed faintly, and a warm force seeped into his bones.
He had really absorbed a Soul Bone.
Tang San took a deep breath.
These rewards were way too incredible!
A 5% increase in cultivation speed meant half a month more training each year. Over sixty years, that added up to two and a half years of extra practice!
His Martial Soul had evolved into Blue Silver Emperor, its quality now at the peak!
From now on, anyone who called Blue Silver Grass useless would have to answer to him!
And this Soul Bone—its name was a little strange, something about a chicken claw... But it was a Soul Bone, all the same!
Something plenty of powerful experts didn't have!
I'm invincible!
Tang San trembled with excitement.
Then only five words remained in his mind—
The Grandmaster had led me astray!!!
All that "if there's a better choice, don't choose a ten-year Solitary Bamboo" and "the Mandala Snake suits you better" was complete nonsense!
The Simulator had clearly shown that the Grandmaster should have taken him to the bamboo grove and pointed at a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo, saying, "This is perfect for you!"
Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo! Pole vaulting! Eighteen consecutive jumps with Twin Martial Souls! Pure Bamboo Douluo!
That was the path Tang San was meant to follow!
And now?
He glanced at the Mandala Snake Soul Ring floating nearby.
It didn't matter!
Tang San sprang to his feet.
He would go back and absorb a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo Soul Ring right now!
And from this moment on, he wouldn't leave a single Lone Bamboo untouched!
"Xiao San?" The Grandmaster was startled. His lips had turned purple, and his face was deathly pale. "Did something go wrong while you were absorbing the Soul Ring?"
"No!" Tang San clenched his fists, his gaze resolute. "Teacher, where's the bamboo grove we passed when we came in?"
"The bamboo grove?" The Grandmaster stared at him. "Why are you asking?"
"I have something urgent to do!" Tang San turned and ran. "You don't have to wait for me!"
"Xiao San! Stop! The Soul Hunting Forest is dangerous—"
The Grandmaster's voice fell behind him.
Tang San used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, darting between the trees.
Soon, he found the bamboo grove.
The emerald-green bamboo swayed in the breeze. One stalk stood out in particular: a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo, jade-green from end to end, with long, slender joints.
That's the one!
Tang San quickly chopped down the Lone Bamboo, sat cross-legged, and began absorbing its Soul Ring.
The white Soul Ring slowly rose and merged into his body.
He'd successfully absorbed it!
First Soul Skill acquired: Pole Vault!
He did it!
Tang San opened his eyes and jumped up, thrilled.
"First Soul Skill—Pole Vault!"
A jade-green bamboo pole appeared out of thin air in his hand. He planted it on the ground and vaulted into the air!
Three meters! Five meters! Ten meters!
Tang San traced a graceful arc through the air and landed securely at the other end of the bamboo grove.
"Hahaha! This is fun!"
He vaulted with the bamboo pole again, then once more, as happy as a child.
Meanwhile, deep in the bamboo grove.
A burly shadow stood behind a tree, his expression slowly freezing.
Tang Hao.
He stared at his bouncing son, fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
I painstakingly tossed you a four-hundred-year Mandala Snake Soul Ring, and you didn't absorb it?
I secretly protected you all this way, and you ran back to absorb a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo?
And you're pole vaulting?
Tang Hao's forehead throbbed with bulging veins.
He took a deep breath, forcing down the urge to rush out and beat Yu Xiaogang into a pulp.
"What sort of brain does Xiao San have... and who did he inherit it from?"
"And that Yu Xiaogang! Some Grandmaster, my ass!!"
In the distance, Tang San vaulted again.
"First Soul Skill! Pole Vault!"
Tang Hao closed his eyes.
Fine.
He's my son.
Outside Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Lin Jiang leaned against the wall, happily examining his system panel.
Suddenly, the screen flickered—
[Congratulations, host! Tang San's simulation rewards have been returned a hundredfold!]
[5% cultivation speed increase × 100! You have gained a 500% increase in cultivation speed!]
[Martial Soul evolution × 100! Your Lizard Martial Soul has evolved into the Golden Dragon King!]
[Two-and-a-Half-Year Chicken Claw Left Leg Bone × 100! You have obtained a 250-year Tyrant Dragon Left Leg Bone (automatically absorbed)!]
[Calculating Subversion Value...]
[Subversion Points gained: 78]
[Current Subversion Points: 78]
Lin Jiang froze for a second.
The next moment—
"Hahahahahaha!"
He nearly jumped on the spot.
Five times the cultivation speed! Wasn't this just cheating?
His Martial Soul had evolved straight into the Golden Dragon King!
Clearly, it was a god-level Martial Soul!
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon could move aside!
And that Soul Bone—
Lin Jiang looked down at his left leg. The 250-year Tyrant Dragon leg bone might have a low age, but with the Simulator at his disposal, he could definitely raise it!
"Heh, Little Scumbag really came through." Lin Jiang grinned from ear to ear.
Just then—
A group of people came out through the academy gates.
At the head was a boy of twelve or thirteen, with a stern face, his chin slightly raised. There was something oddly familiar about the way he walked—
Wait.
That face, that bearing, that pretentious air...
Lin Jiang narrowed his eyes.
Why did he look so much like a young Yu Xiaogang?
Beside him was a girl with short green hair and a graceful figure. Her arms were crossed, and she wore a cold expression.
Two lackeys followed behind them, clearly professionals at playing the audience.
They were Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, Yu Feng, and Osler.
Lin Jiang was just about to slip away unnoticed when Yu Tianheng spotted him.
"Hm?"
Yu Tianheng furrowed his brows, fixing his gaze on Lin Jiang.
A six-year-old kid in grubby homespun clothes was squatting by the academy wall.
The corner of his mouth curled up.
"What trash dares squat outside our academy?"
Before you continue