"Dad, Dad..."
The call in his ears pulled Yu Tianqing back from his wandering thoughts.
Yu Tianqing came back to himself, lowered his head, and smiled, hiding the worry in his eyes. "What is it, son? Did you run into something you didn't understand while meditating?"
Yu Changge shook his head and looked at Yu Tianqing with utmost seriousness.
"Dad, I've already mastered meditation. I want to truly begin cultivating. I absolutely won't give up."
He paused before continuing, "Does the clan have any teachers proficient in theory? And teachers who teach close combat? I want to learn from them."
Yu Changge understood very clearly that although he was a transmigrator and now had the support of three Hextech augments, he would never be arrogant enough to think he already fully understood the rules of the Douluo Continent.
After all, the original novel had only revealed the tip of the iceberg. The habits of different soul beasts and the theoretical knowledge behind Soul Ring combinations, for instance, were an immensely vast and complicated field.
Many details in the original work had only been skimmed over, leaving no deep impression on him at all.
But to survive in the real Douluo Continent, theoretical knowledge was absolutely paramount for both preserving one's life and growing stronger.
Yu Tianqing was slightly stunned by his son's request, then fell into thought.
He felt that letting his son study theoretical knowledge was not a bad thing.
Since his son's cultivation potential was destined to be limited, if he could thoroughly master theory, perhaps he could become a respected scholar in the future.
He might even stay in the clan as a theory teacher. At the very least, that would be a respectable path.
As for close-combat ability...
Yu Tianqing secretly sighed. In truth, he did not hold any hope for it at all.
His son's Martial Soul was a Pig. Judging by its manifestation, it was undoubtedly a pure External Beast Martial Soul.
The greatest drawback of an External Beast Martial Soul was that it could not undergo Martial Soul Possession like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
In other words, this Martial Soul offered almost no enhancement whatsoever to a Soul Master's physical attributes.
This had already been proven by Yu Xiaogang.
In such a state of virtually zero enhancement, it was inferior to even ordinary Weapon Martial Souls in close combat.
Even if his son trained hard in hand-to-hand combat and learned some close-quarters killing techniques, without powerful physical strength to support them, what use would those fighting skills be when he faced powerful Soul Masters capable of Martial Soul Possession or thick-skinned soul beasts in the future?
They would be nothing more than flashy but useless moves.
Yet when Yu Tianqing met his son's gaze, filled with longing and determination, the words of refusal reached his lips but would not come out.
In the end, Yu Tianqing sighed. His large, rough hand ruffled his son's hair as he agreed.
"Alright. Since you want to learn, your dad will naturally teach you everything I know. Over the next few days, I'll make time to look around the clan and find a scholar proficient in theory to teach you."
Yu Tianqing paused. "As for close-combat techniques, there's no need for an outsider. Your dad will teach you himself!"
Having received his father's approval, Yu Changge smiled.
By afternoon, the sunlight was just right.
To teach his son, Yu Tianqing had deliberately finished all the duties assigned by the clan ahead of schedule and returned early to the small courtyard of their home.
A spacious patch of open ground had already been cleared in the middle of the courtyard. Yu Tianqing wore a neat training outfit, his hands clasped behind his back, standing as steady as a mountain.
"Changge, come here," Yu Tianqing said.
Yu Changge quickly walked up to his father, stood firmly before him, and watched Yu Tianqing with focused eyes.
Looking at his son, Yu Tianqing spoke sternly. "Your Martial Soul is unusual. It cannot possess your body and provide attribute enhancements, so your physical foundation will be much weaker than that of Beast Martial Soul Soul Masters at the same level."
"To make up for that disadvantage, I'll teach you a self-defense technique: Dragon Roaming Rock-Crushing Hand!"
"This physical technique is fierce and domineering. Not only can it protect you and fend off enemies, but more importantly, practicing it will temper your body."
"After your daily physical training, your mother will prepare a special medicinal bath for you. Train your muscles, bones, and skin externally; absorb medicinal power internally. Keep at it day after day like this."
"By the time your Soul Power reaches level ten, your physical strength should be enough to support absorbing a First Soul Ring of two or three hundred years."
Yu Tianqing had already put the best possible spin on those words, and there was some consolation in them.
He knew better than anyone that Yu Changge's "Pig" Martial Soul provided virtually no improvement to his physical abilities.
From birth, he lacked a huge amount of the attribute support enjoyed by orthodox Beast Martial Soul Soul Masters.
Among Soul Masters, the currently known upper limit for a First Soul Ring was a little over four hundred years. That record belonged to their Clan Head, Yu Yuanzhen.
After all, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul was the number one Beast Martial Soul on the continent, and its enhancement to a Soul Master's body was naturally greater than most.
But given Yu Changge's special External Beast Martial Soul, trying to absorb a four-hundred-year Soul Ring would clearly be extremely difficult and might even endanger his life.
Two or three hundred years was already the safest limit Yu Tianqing could give after careful consideration.
After hearing his father's arrangements, Yu Changge showed no disappointment at all and nodded firmly.
Following Yu Tianqing's instructions, he took his stance and began earnestly learning Dragon Roaming Rock-Crushing Hand from his father.
"Keep your punches steady, plant your stance firmly, and don't rely on brute force. Feel the rotation of your waist and abdomen!" Yu Tianqing instructed from the side.
Yu Changge's starting point was indeed somewhat worse than others'. Even with the help of the "Level Up" Hextech augment, his cultivation speed would not be all that fast.
But his heart was clear as a mirror. He understood the true nature of his Martial Soul better than anyone!
This was not some mutated useless Martial Soul at all. It was the juvenile form of the Golden Sacred Dragon!
Its current weakness was only temporary. This supreme bloodline needed to build up its strength before bursting forth. As long as he continued accumulating foundations, someday this little "Pig" would truly evolve into a Golden Sacred Dragon soaring through the nine heavens!
In the blink of an eye, evening arrived.
The family of three sat around the dining table. Today's meal was particularly lavish, its fragrance filling the air.
In the center of the table sat a large bowl of steaming meat soup, giving off an enticing and unusual aroma. The broth was a light amber color.
His mother, Yu Shuyao, picked up her chopsticks with a loving smile and placed a piece of firm soul beast meat from the soup into Yu Changge's bowl.
"Changge, hurry and try it. Your mother had someone get this today. It's meat from a Green-Scaled Snake with ten years of cultivation," Yu Shuyao said softly.
Looking at her son, she explained gently, "Although the Green-Scaled Snake is primarily a snake-type soul beast, it can still be considered a Sub-Dragon species."
"Although your Martial Soul mutated and doesn't look much like a dragon, according to the theory of Martial Soul inheritance, your Martial Soul must contain dragon bloodline to some extent."
"This Sub-Dragon meat contains a faint trace of Dragon Clan blood essence. It should greatly benefit both your body and your Martial Soul, so eat up."
Yu Tianqing, seated beside them, also set down his chopsticks and chimed in, "Your mother is right. Good soul beast meat can not only replenish your strength, but also gradually improve your constitution."
"From now on, our family will prepare a portion of high-quality soul beast meat for you every night. We'll make sure to build you into a strong, sturdy boy!"
"Once your constitution improves a little, we'll get some soul beast meat with a higher cultivation age."
Yu Changge silently ate the meat in his bowl. As he felt its delicious tenderness melt in his mouth, warmth surged through his heart.
He knew that maintaining a long-term supply of soul beast meat containing special bloodlines was no small expense even for a Soul Saint family.
Yet his parents had not treated him any worse because he had embarrassed himself during the awakening ceremony, nor because his Martial Soul had been mocked by the entire clan as a "Pig."
If anything, because they felt sorry for him, his parents' care and affection had become even more meticulous than before.
The clichéd plot he had read about in his previous life—where someone transmigrated into a useless person and was abandoned by their clan and neglected by their parents—had not happened to him.
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