In the Yang Family's Martial Arts Arena.
Yang Chang'an stood quietly in the arena, the Soul Breaking Spear in hand. His eyes were sharp, his gaze locked firmly on Niu Wenchuan across from him.
Opposite him, Niu Wenchuan drew a deep breath, and the soul power throughout his body gave a slight tremor.
In an instant, a thick layer of gray armor covered his entire body, and the outline of a rhinoceros horn emerged on his forehead. A heavy, imposing aura naturally spread around him.
Niu Wenchuan's eyes were solemn, yet held a trace of excitement as he shouted at Yang Chang'an:
"Chang'an! Let's have a proper match today and see whether your Soul Breaking Spear is sharper or my Armored Giant Rhinoceros is tougher!"
Yang Chang'an gave a soft snort, his expression turning serious. The Soul Breaking Spear trembled slightly in his hand, giving a faint ring.
"Enough chatter. Watch yourself. I won't hold back!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Yang Chang'an moved.
With a shift of his feet, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The Soul Breaking Spear seemed to come alive in his hands, surging out like a dragon with a piercing whistle as it thrust straight toward Niu Wenchuan's chest.
The thrust was swift and vicious, nothing like an attack a six-year-old should have been able to deliver.
But Niu Wenchuan was no pushover either. After this stretch of frenzied training, he was no longer a little fatty who only knew how to grin foolishly. Seeing the spear coming, he neither dodged nor evaded. His expression remained calm as he concentrated his soul power and met the spearhead head-on.
Clang-!!!
An ear-splitting clash of metal rang through the entire Martial Arts Arena.
Violent force exploded from the point of impact, sending both Yang Chang'an and Niu Wenchuan stumbling backward.
Yang Chang'an retreated three steps before steadying himself. His wrist tingled, and even the web between his thumb and forefinger ached.
He was inwardly startled:
What tremendous brute strength! No wonder Grandpa always says an Armored Giant Rhinoceros Soul Master's strength is every bit equal to a Great Strength Gorilla's. It really lives up to its reputation!
Niu Wenchuan's expression changed as well, his face filling with shock.
He had thought that with his defense at its maximum and his enormous strength, blocking that thrust would be effortless. Only after the actual collision did he realize how much Yang Chang'an's strength had skyrocketed since awakening his martial soul!
I can't clash with him head-on!
Almost simultaneously, the same thought rose in both their minds.
The next moment, battle erupted again.
Yang Chang'an's gaze turned cold. His wrists flicked, and the Soul Breaking Spear instantly changed its approach. Instead of charging straight in, it became nimble and devious, like a venomous snake darting from its hole, repeatedly striking at weak points in Niu Wenchuan's defenses-his joints, wrists, armpits, and knees.
Jab, thrust, flick, stab, sweep...
He executed the spear technique like flowing clouds and running water, every move targeting a vital point on Niu Wenchuan's body.
Niu Wenchuan planted both feet firmly on the ground, truly standing immovable as a mountain. Soul power surged wildly through him, fiercely protecting his entire body.
Yang Chang'an stabbed him again and again, but the thick soul power armor blocked most of the blows. At most, they pressed his skin inward slightly, unable to breach his defense at all.
After several exchanges, Niu Wenchuan gradually stabilized the situation and could not help laughing:
"Hahahaha! Chang'an, your spear technique is impressive, but you can't break through my defense. All those fancy tricks are useless!"
Yang Chang'an's brows knitted at those words. In the early stages, when Soul Masters' basic attributes were still low, defensive Soul Masters enjoyed far too great an advantage.
But he did not panic. His mind raced, and he soon found a solution.
"If one thrust can't break through, I'll use a few more!"
Yang Chang'an's gaze sharpened, and the Soul Breaking Spear thrust out again, this time striking precisely at the same spot on Niu Wenchuan's arm.
Thud!
The arm armor dented slightly.
Niu Wenchuan thought nothing of it. He was just about to laugh when he realized Yang Chang'an had not stopped.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Thrust after thrust, all striking the exact same point!
In a brief instant, four or five thrusts landed in succession on the same spot!
"Aah-!"
Niu Wenchuan finally could not withstand it. A piercing agony shot through his arm, twisting his face in an instant. Unable to hold his stance any longer, he hurriedly retreated to put distance between them.
"Trying to run? Too late!"
Yang Chang'an pressed his advantage without mercy. His eyes sharpened, and he stepped forward, following Niu Wenchuan like a shadow. Closing straight into melee range, he aimed the Soul Breaking Spear at Niu Wenchuan's chest, ready to settle the match in a single move.
Driven into a corner, Niu Wenchuan grew fierce as well. His expression hardened, his entire body tensed, and his first soul ring suddenly blazed with light!
"First soul skill-Massive Increase!"
Grayish-yellow light enveloped his body. Niu Wenchuan instantly swelled in size, and his armor grew thicker, his defense soaring by a full hundred percent!
"Come on! Let's see you break through this!"
Niu Wenchuan roared and drove himself straight into the spearhead.
Clang!!
Yang Chang'an's thrust was forcibly stopped, the tremendous recoil numbing his arm.
But at the very instant that recoil struck, a sharp gleam flashed in Yang Chang'an's eyes, and his own first soul ring lit up completely!
"First soul skill-Pierce!"
Humm-!
The penetrating power already wrapped around the Soul Breaking Spear instantly surged. Its domineering point now carried a terrifying presence that seemed to disregard all defense.
"Break!"
Yang Chang'an gave a low shout, pouring in all his soul power as he viciously thrust again at the exact spot he had just attacked!
Crack-
Under Niu Wenchuan's disbelieving gaze, the Soul Breaking Spear's point forcefully pierced the Armored Giant Rhinoceros's hard armor and slammed into his chest.
"Urgh!"
Pain tore through Niu Wenchuan's chest, and his blood surged violently throughout his body. As though struck by a colossal beast, he was sent flying by that single thrust and crashed heavily to the ground.
The outcome was decided.
Yang Chang'an let out a long breath, and the Soul Breaking Spear slowly dissolved into streaks of light in his hand. He hurried over and reached out to help Niu Wenchuan up, asking with a worried expression:
"Wenchuan, are you all right? Did you get hurt anywhere?"
Niu Wenchuan rubbed his chest and coughed a few times, then waved his hand. Looking at Yang Chang'an with wholehearted respect, he said:
"I'm fine, I'm fine... it just hurts a little. Seriously, though, that thrust of yours was ridiculous! I activated my soul skill and doubled my defense, and you still broke straight through it!"
Yang Chang'an smiled and tried to sound modest. "Nothing special. I did reasonably well."
"Hey!" Niu Wenchuan immediately took offense, glaring at him. "Too much modesty is just hypocrisy! You call that reasonably well? Then what does that make me?"
"Was I being modest?"
"Obviously!"
The two boys traded quips and teased each other, sweeping away all the tension of their fight.
At the edge of the Martial Arts Arena, Yang Wushuang and Niu Yue stood quietly watching the two children, pleased smiles on their faces.
Niu Yue glanced at his grandson, who had taken a tumble, without the slightest concern.
Such a tiny injury?
He had shed less blood than he usually did when Niu Yue trained him. What was there to make a fuss about?
But soon, Niu Yue's smile faded, and his brows drew tightly together. He turned toward Yang Wushuang beside him and asked gravely in a low voice:
"Wushuang, were you the one who taught Chang'an this Soul Breaking Spear Technique?"
Yang Wushuang fell silent for a moment, then nodded lightly. "I was."
Niu Yue gave him a long look. He offered no criticism, only a soft sigh.
He understood, too. In the Yang Family as it stood now, Yang Wushuang was the only person who could teach Yang Chang'an spear techniques. He was already the best choice.
But Niu Yue had seen that battle with perfect clarity.
Yang Chang'an's spear technique was exquisite, precise, and steady. There was nothing to fault.
But-
There was far too little of that unstoppable, domineering spirit that battled heaven and earth and swept away everything in its path!
If his spear technique possessed the same dominance Yang Wudi and Yang Wushuang had displayed back then, the quality of Yang Chang'an's Soul Breaking Spear, backed by level-nine innate soul power, would have made so many exchanges unnecessary. Two or three thrusts would have pierced Niu Wenchuan's defense outright!
After all, martial soul quality was proportional to innate soul power. Even identical martial souls fell into different grades of strength.
Yang Chang'an's innate soul power was as high as level nine. In theory, the quality of his Soul Breaking Spear should have made it even more domineering than Yang Wudi's had been back then.
Yet in that fight, there had been finesse to spare, but too little dominance.
Niu Yue clearly remembered that when Yang Wushuang had been at this level, breaking through his defense had been child's play.
But thinking of the Yang Family's circumstances, Niu Yue could only swallow the words on the tip of his tongue and let out a heavy sigh. He reached out to pat the silent Yang Wushuang's shoulder, offering gentle reassurance:
"Forget it... this isn't your fault."
"Just let Chang'an gain more experience in the future. That kind of presence has to be nurtured slowly."
Yang Wushuang watched Yang Chang'an's brilliant smile in the arena, his gaze complicated, and gave a quiet "Mm."
The Soul Breaking Spear-once thrust, it must break through; only the enemy existed, never the self.
Without the ruthless resolve to press forward without turning back, this spear ultimately lacked a sliver of soul. Without a soul, how could it speak of breaking souls?
Yang Chang'an could only recover that sliver of soul himself, little by little, amid the blood and fire of the future.