A week later.
The sky stretched vast and gray, the greenery endless. Outside Holy Soul Village, a little boy leaped through the forest like an agile monkey.
Behind him, a bull was enraged, its eyes bloodshot and breath ragged. It gathered all its strength, determined to gore the boy in red ahead of it with the horns on its head!
Yang Ming's dark eyes changed, three tomoe spinning around his pupils. He looked back and grinned.
"Big Dumb Ox!"
Provoked by Yang Ming, the bull grew even more furious, charging forward with greater momentum. Even an adult would have to give an enraged bull a wide berth. Every year, quite a few people were gored to death by furious bulls in Spanish bullrings—proof enough of that.
But facing the rampaging bull, Yang Ming was not afraid in the slightest. With Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track beneath his feet, his entire body immediately became illusory.
That was right—Yang Ming was using Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!
Ever since obtaining the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, how could Yang Ming possibly pass up the chance to secretly learn Tang San's ultimate techniques?
Yang Ming and Tang San had been born around the same time. The two had grown up together and trained on the mountain together. Tang San was not overly wary of Yang Ming and cultivated as usual, giving Yang Ming the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
Of course, inner cultivation methods like the Mysterious Heaven Skill and eye-training methods like the Purple Demon Eyes were things the Three-Tomoe Sharingan could not copy.
But hand-training methods like Mysterious Jade Hand, grappling techniques like Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, movement techniques like Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and methods for using hidden weapons from the Hundred Explanations of Hidden Weapons could all be secretly learned to some extent.
However, secretly learning them was one thing; putting them to practical use was another.
Over the past week, Yang Ming had tormented quite a few animals in the forest. The bull behind him was merely one of the victims.
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was by no means the fastest footwork, but it was undoubtedly the most nimble and profound. Though the bull was fast, it seemed slow in the eyes of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and every movement fell clearly within Yang Ming's sight.
Yang Ming knew very well that, in terms of straight-line speed, his small body could never compare to a bull's. Therefore, he could only choose nimble footwork.
Using his agile movement technique, he dodged the bull's charges several times in succession. This drove the bull into an even greater rage, somehow adding several degrees of speed as though a small car had slammed down on the accelerator.
Yang Ming smiled inwardly and thought:
This is the moment I've been waiting for!
In that instant where the slightest difference could mean disaster, Yang Ming's figure flickered, and he abruptly dodged to the side. This completely exceeded the bull's expectations, and its charge missed entirely.
At the same time, due to the inertia of its forward rush, the bull could not stop its four hooves. Its two horns plunged directly into a large banyan tree ahead, and for the moment, it could not pull them free, only kicking its legs futilely.
Yang Ming broke off a branch. In his hands, it moved as nimbly as a roaming dragon.
Ruthless Charge!
The branch struck the ground, and his body shot upward. Yang Ming descended from the air, his makeshift spear thrusting like a dragon. Combined with the force of his fall, it stabbed heavily into the back of the bull's neck.
"Moo!"
The bull's body shuddered as though struck by lightning. Its eyes rolled white, foam spilled from its mouth, and it immediately fainted dead away.
Looking at the broken branch in his hand, Yang Ming shook his head. Every force had an equal reaction. An ordinary branch simply could not withstand such recoil.
"Looks like it's time to forge a weapon that suits me."
After patting the unconscious bull beneath him, Yang Ming climbed down from its back and headed straight for the village.
Old Tang's house stood on the western side of Holy Soul Village, near the village entrance. Its three mud-brick rooms could be called the most dilapidated buildings in the entire village. On the roof of the central room hung a wooden sign about a meter in diameter, painted with a crude hammer. In this world, a hammer most commonly represented a blacksmith.
The sky had only just begun to brighten.
The village was quiet. Now and then, a rooster crowed or a watchdog barked. At this moment, Tang San was still cultivating on the small hill, while Tang Hao liked to sleep in the mornings. Yang Ming had often come to play with Tang San before and was already thoroughly familiar with Old Tang's home. He entered the blacksmith shop and looked toward the iron hammer.
Yang Ming planned to use this hammer to forge a suitable spearhead for himself!
Yang Ming naturally knew that on Douluo Continent, an ordinary iron spear was not particularly useful. But he was still growing, and an iron spear would better allow him to practice the spear techniques related to Han Xin in his mind.
Yang Ming tried to pick up the iron hammer.
"Hiss, it's heavy!"
The hammer weighed at least seventy or eighty jin. Even an adult might not be able to lift it, much less use it to pound iron billets. It was not hard to imagine just how much perseverance and determination Tang San needed to use this hammer to train in the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.
Geniuses were not frightening. What was frightening was when geniuses worked harder than you!
If it had been an ordinary child, without the Mysterious Heaven Skill supporting him, he would have needed to be born with Divine Power to lift this hammer at the age of six.
Yet surprisingly, Yang Ming could actually lift the hammer!
Naturally, this was not because Yang Ming had been born with Divine Power. His eyes turned thoughtful. Ever since Old Jack had told him a week ago that the awakening ceremony would be held soon, an extra ingredient had been added to his daily meals: a red fruit. Every time he ate one, Yang Ming could clearly feel a warm current flowing into his body. After sleeping, he could feel his strength increase even further.
By now, the strength contained in Yang Ming's small body was no weaker than that of an adult's, perhaps even greater.
Yang Ming had once questioned this and asked Old Jack about it. But every time, Old Jack merely wore a mysterious smile, leaving Yang Ming utterly baffled.
Over time, Yang Ming stopped dwelling on the matter. He believed Old Jack would not harm him; otherwise, he would have died shortly after transmigrating.
Knowing that Tang Hao was probably still asleep at this hour, Yang Ming did not disturb him. He left a note on the table saying that he was taking the hammer and a chunk of raw iron, then carried both items as he searched the blacksmith shop for a place to forge.
No sooner had Yang Ming left than Tang Hao appeared at the bedroom window without anyone knowing when. Watching Yang Ming's departing back, surprise crossed his face as he murmured:
"Little Yang can actually lift the hammer?"
Yang Ming often came to play with Tang San, so Tang Hao naturally knew that Yang Ming had not been born with Divine Power. He had never displayed such strength before. Stroking the stubble on his chin, Tang Hao cursed inwardly:
Could it be that the awakening ceremony is coming, and the village chief gave Little Yang special treatment?
At that thought, Tang Hao's expression stiffened.
What could he do? Charge into the village chief's home, grab his beard, and curse him out?
Was having connections such a big deal?
Yang Ming's answer was: Yes, having connections really felt great!
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