A Man Must Strive for Self-Improvement!

Time passed quickly. Before they knew it, the village's annual awakening ceremony was due to be held today.

At the village chief's home.

Early in the morning, before dawn had broken, Old Jack climbed out of bed. To encourage his grandson Yang Ming, he had specially stewed a bowl of chicken soup and prepared a whole table of dishes.

As he placed a chicken drumstick into Yang Ming's bowl, tension rarely appeared on Old Jack's usually stern face. Though Yang Ming was not his biological grandson and had been adopted, after all these years, Old Jack had long regarded him as his own. His voice carried uneasy concern:

"Yang Ming, you clashed with Grandmaster Cao Mengyun from Spirit Hall some time ago. I'm worried he'll make things difficult for you when the time comes."

Yang Ming's heart tightened. Thinking back on it now, he did feel a lingering sense of fear.

But did he regret it?

Remembering the smile of that pregnant woman who had survived the disaster, as well as the heartfelt affection of the villagers, Yang Ming smiled freely.

"Grandpa, even if Cao Mengyun really resorts to such despicable tricks behind the scenes and stops me from awakening my Martial Soul, I still have a way to grow stronger—stronger than Cao Mengyun!"

With the system in his possession, Yang Ming naturally had such confidence!

Among the many fantasy novels, there were countless powerful cultivation arts.

For instance, the Chaos Divine Mill Visualization Method used by Zhou Yuan, the protagonist of Origin Venerable, to cultivate his divine soul.

This cultivation art came with a divine mill at the dawn of Chaos. Every time the mill turned, the death of Chaos gods and demons accompanied it. As long as the mill turned once during cultivation, the divine soul would undergo a qualitative transformation. Thereafter, the divine soul would become eternally indestructible.

Then there was the Undying Divine Art cultivated by Zhou Weiqing, the protagonist of Heavenly Jewel Change.

The requirements for cultivating this art were extremely harsh; one needed the resolve to face certain death. Yet after mastering it, one could live as long as heaven and earth and gain the Undying Divine Aura, which could automatically sense danger.

There was also the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art of the Heaven-Devouring Emperor from Shrouding the Heavens.

This cultivation art devoured everything, consuming all things to strengthen one's body and potential. Even if one's talent was utterly terrible, one could devour others and push one's cultivation to its limits. The stronger the opponent, the more one could strengthen oneself.

Beyond that, there was Xiao Yan's Burning Technique from Battle Through the Heavens, the Self-Transformation Freedom Technique of the Desolate Heavenly Emperor from Perfect World, and many more.

As long as Yang Ming drew any one of them, it would allow him to defy the heavens!

Defeating Cao Mengyun would only be a matter of time!

Old Jack had no idea where Yang Ming's confidence came from. He merely assumed the boy had not seen much of the world and was fearless in his youthful ignorance.

But Old Jack was different. He had traveled and struggled in his youth, and he knew the cruelty of Douluo Continent. Every title and every rank among Spirit Masters was like an invisible, intangible flight of steps.

Those standing higher on those steps had the right to control the fate of those below them.

Was that fair?

When had there ever been fairness in this world?

Only the strong had the right to speak, and only they had the so-called fairness.

Afraid that Yang Ming would only understand the cruelty of reality after suffering setbacks in the future, Old Jack spoke earnestly:

"Yang Ming, I know you're a good child, but sometimes you must understand that excessive rigidity breaks easily. In many situations, there's no need to stubbornly force your way into a dead end. Perhaps if you change your perspective or try another approach, life's road will become much smoother."

Yang Ming set down his chopsticks, wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth, and asked:

"Grandpa, what do you mean?"

"Alas."

Old Jack sighed. The wrinkles on his forehead were as deep as tree bark.

"Yang Ming, before the awakening ceremony, I'll take you to see Grandmaster Cao Mengyun first."

"If you can't bring yourself to apologize to Grandmaster Cao Mengyun, then, to make sure you pass the awakening ceremony safely, I can cast aside this old face of mine and kneel before him to offer an apology."

"For my sake,

he probably won't make things difficult for you anymore." Yang Ming's face darkened. He unconsciously clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his flesh as blood seeped between his fingers. It hurt, but not as much as his heart did.

Yang Ming did not blame Old Jack. To a remote little village like Holy Soul Village, Cao Mengyun, a Battle Soul Grandmaster from Notting City, was like a heavy mountain pressing down on everyone's hearts.

If Cao Mengyun casually spread a rumor in Notting City, it might affect the village's future development.

If Yang Ming had merely been an ordinary person, an ordinary person without any ability to resist, then perhaps he would have followed Old Jack's wishes, brought precious gifts to Cao Mengyun's door, and offered him an apology.

Was it laughable?

Yang Ming had clearly done nothing wrong, yet he had to go and apologize.

Meanwhile, Cao Mengyun had nearly ridden someone to death with his horse, yet he had become the one receiving the apology.

In truth, it was not funny at all.

Because those without strength could never control their own fate.

Only by becoming strong, becoming someone above hundreds of millions, becoming so powerful that everyone could only bow their heads and obey, could one control one's own fate!

Never before had Yang Ming desired strength as intensely as he did today!

"Grandpa."

Yang Ming stared into Old Jack's clouded eyes and said each word distinctly:

"Please believe in me. Believe that I will become someone even stronger than a Titled Douluo."

"I, Yang Ming, will do what I say!"

Old Jack's clouded eyes stirred.

If Old Jack had previously believed that Yang Ming was a frog at the bottom of a well who did not understand the cruelty of the outside world, and had therefore spoken those words,

then now, it was as though Old Jack were meeting Yang Ming for the first time. He looked the sturdy young man up and down.

After years of training, Yang Ming had healthy wheat-colored skin and well-proportioned muscles. The bulging muscles faintly revealed the explosive power contained within. Beneath his neat cropped hair was a resolute face, and under his thick black brows, his starry eyes brimmed with incomparable confidence.

This confidence was not the empty bravado of someone talking big. It was confidence born from inner strength, carrying a powerful infectious force.

Old Jack rubbed his eyes and secretly wiped away the tears at their corners. They were tears of joy, joy at seeing the younger generation striving to improve themselves!

A man must strive for self-improvement!

"Good, very good!"

Old Jack raised his callused right hand and heavily patted Yang Ming on the shoulder. His throat choked up several times, leaving him unable to speak.

After breakfast, the old man and the young man arrived at the Spirit Hall in the center of the village.

Of course, this so-called Spirit Hall was merely a slightly larger wooden house.

Because everyone possessed a Martial Soul and children underwent Martial Soul awakenings every year, Spirit Halls could be found everywhere on Douluo Continent.

Of course, these were merely branch halls, each at a different level.

This year, Holy Soul Village had a total of nine children undergoing Martial Soul awakening. Led by Old Jack, Yang Ming was the last to arrive.

Everyone else had already arrived.

Including Cao Mengyun.

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