Yi Yun was in a very good mood when he returned from the Star Dou Great Forest.
Not only had he formed the beginnings of a friendship with Xiao Wu, but he had also caught something good along the way.
A Lone Bamboo Soul Beast.
It was the sort of little Soul Beast that looked like bamboo, had arms and legs, and possessed roughly thirty years of cultivation. They were everywhere on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, the lowest-ranked kind of Soul Beast that even ordinary hunters could not be bothered to kill.
But Yi Yun saw it differently.
In his eyes, this Lone Bamboo Soul Beast was an unparalleled gift for Tang San.
"Little San, oh, Little San, I'm doing this for your own good." Yi Yun looked at the Little Bamboo Demon struggling desperately in his hand, bound by Soul Power, and gave a kindly smile.
The Lone Bamboo Soul Beast shuddered.
Although it was not very intelligent, it instinctively sensed that the human before it was dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
Nuoding Academy, Tang San's Dormitory.
Tang San was sitting on his bed, meditating and cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
He had been thinking about Yi Yun for the past few days.
That man had shaken him far too deeply.
Those terrifying hidden weapons, that strength that crushed everything, that breezy, unruffled attitude...
For the first time, Tang San felt inferior to someone else.
In his previous life in the Tang Sect, he had been a genius outer disciple whose talent for hidden weapons was unmatched.
After transmigrating to the Douluo Continent, he had innate full Soul Power. Although people mocked him for awakening Blue Silver Grass, he knew his Blue Silver Grass was no ordinary thing.
He had always been proud.
But Yi Yun's appearance had smashed his pride to pieces.
"No." Tang San clenched his fists. "I can't just admit defeat. I have to become stronger, strong enough to make that man see me in a new light."
Just then, someone knocked on the dormitory door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Tang San got off his bed and opened the door. The person standing outside made him pause.
It was Yi Yun.
"Why are you here?" Tang San asked warily.
"To bring you a present," Yi Yun said with a beaming smile. "Didn't I tell you last time? I'd help you find a better martial soul."
Tang San's eyes instantly lit up.
"You found one?"
"Of course." Yi Yun brought out a small box wrapped in Soul Power from behind his back. "There's a Soul Beast inside, an extremely rare breed. As long as you form a contract with it, it can become your second martial soul."
Tang San's heartbeat quickened.
A second martial soul?
Although he had possessed twin martial souls in his previous life, in this life he had only awakened Blue Silver Grass so far. His other martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, had yet to awaken.
If I could obtain a second martial soul ahead of time...
"What kind of Soul Beast is it?" Tang San asked, forcibly suppressing his excitement.
"A Lone Bamboo Soul Beast," Yi Yun said with perfect seriousness. "Don't let its ordinary name fool you. It's a descendant of an ancient divine beast. Legend has it that in ancient times, a mighty god attained godhood through a Lone Bamboo Soul Beast. With Lone Bamboo in hand, that god swept through the nine heavens and ten lands with a single pole, and none could stand in his way."
Tang San listened, dumbfounded.
A descendant of an ancient divine beast?
Sweeping through the nine heavens and ten lands with a single pole?
"It's... it's that powerful?"
"Of course." Yi Yun's expression was utterly sincere. "Why would I lie to you? We barely know each other."
Tang San: "..."
Why did that sound so awkward?
But he was indeed tempted.
If he could really obtain such a powerful martial soul, people would no longer mock him as Blue Silver Grass trash.
"Then... how do I use this Soul Beast?" Tang San asked.
"Simple." Yi Yun opened the box. Inside lay a piece of emerald-green bamboo, roughly as thick as an arm, giving off a faint aura of life. "You just need to place this bamboo beside you during the martial soul awakening ceremony. It will automatically merge into your body and become your martial soul."
Tang San reached out to touch it, but Yi Yun closed the box.
"Wait, there's no such thing as a free lunch." Yi Yun smiled like a shrewd merchant. "I risked my life getting this from deep within the Star Dou Great Forest. You ought to offer something in return, shouldn't you?"
Tang San gritted his teeth. "What do you want?"
"Not much." Yi Yun held up three fingers. "Three conditions. First, call me Brother Yun from now on. Second, you have to listen to me when it comes to Xiao Wu. Third, you owe me a favor."
Tang San frowned. "Why do I have to listen to you about Xiao Wu?"
"Because I'm her friend," Yi Yun said as though it were only natural. "Friends look after one another. Is there a problem with that?"
Tang San thought it over and felt there was nothing wrong with it.
Right now, he and Xiao Wu were only ordinary classmates. Their relationship was hardly deep.
"All right, I agree."
"That's the spirit!" Yi Yun stuffed the box into Tang San's hands. "We'll hold the awakening ceremony tonight. I'll stand guard for you."
Tang San took the box and gazed at the emerald-green bamboo inside, his heart full of anticipation.
A descendant of an ancient divine beast.
Sweeping through the nine heavens and ten lands with a single pole.
I, Tang San, am finally going to rise!
That night, in Nuoding Academy's back courtyard.
Yi Yun found an empty patch in the academy's back courtyard and set up a simple barrier with Soul Power to prevent outsiders from disturbing them.
Tang San sat cross-legged in the center of the barrier, the box containing the Lone Bamboo Soul Beast placed before him.
Xiao Wu had come too. After hearing that Tang San was going to awaken a new martial soul, she had curiously run over to watch.
"Brother Yun, is Tang San really going to awaken a new martial soul?" Xiao Wu asked, coming up beside Yi Yun.
After spending the past few days together, Xiao Wu had completely let down her guard around Yi Yun and had even begun to find him rather interesting.
"Of course." Yi Yun smiled. "I found him something good."
Xiao Wu blinked and looked at Yi Yun suspiciously.
She kept feeling that something was hidden in his smile, but she could not say what.
Forget it. No more thinking about it.
Brother Yun wouldn't hurt anyone anyway.
"Are you ready?" Yi Yun asked Tang San.
Tang San took a deep breath and nodded.
"Let's begin."
Yi Yun snapped his fingers. The box opened on its own, and the emerald-green bamboo slowly rose into the air, hovering above Tang San's head.
"Relax your body and guide your Soul Power into contact with it," Yi Yun instructed.
Tang San closed his eyes and slowly channeled the Soul Power out of his body, wrapping it around the bamboo.
The emerald-green bamboo trembled slightly, then began to give off a soft green glow.
The light grew brighter and stronger, illuminating the entire back courtyard as though it were broad daylight.
Tang San felt something entering his body, a warm power flowing along his meridians.
"That's it," Yi Yun encouraged from beside him. "Accept it. Let it become part of you."
Tang San gritted his teeth and guided that power with all his might.
The green light grew brighter and brighter, then suddenly-
Boom!
With a muffled bang, the green light abruptly exploded, turning into countless points of light that faded into the air.
Tang San opened his eyes, his entire body drenched in sweat.
He lowered his gaze to his right hand. A green martial soul mark had appeared on his palm.
The awakening had succeeded.
"I did it!" Tang San nearly jumped up in excitement. "I awakened a new martial soul!"
Xiao Wu clapped excitedly too. "Congratulations! Congratulations!"
Only Yi Yun's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a meaningful smile.
"Quick, summon it and let's see!" Yi Yun urged.
Tang San nodded, drew a deep breath, and activated his new martial soul.
Green light flashed in his palm, and a stick appeared in his hand.
To be precise, it was a green, long, slender... stick, roughly two meters in length.
The stick looked as though it was made of bamboo, but it was lighter and more flexible, with a crescent-shaped curve at the tip.
Tang San froze.
"What... is this?"
He had thought it would be an imposing spear or an incomparably sharp sword.
Why was it a stick?
Wait, why does this shape look a little familiar?
Tang San turned the stick over and over in his hands. The more he looked, the more something seemed wrong.
Xiao Wu leaned over to look as well, then tilted her head. "Huh? Isn't that a vaulting pole?"
Tang San: "..."
A vaulting pole?
A vaulting pole?
Tang San's face instantly turned greener than the stick.
He whipped his head toward Yi Yun, his eyes filled with the words, You'd better give me an explanation.
Yi Yun calmly spread his hands. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"You call this a descendant of an ancient divine beast?" Tang San's voice had changed pitch. "This is just a vaulting pole!"
"Says who?" Yi Yun said with perfect seriousness. "This is no ordinary vaulting pole. It's an unparalleled martial soul formed from the transformation of the ancient divine beast, the Lone Bamboo Soul Beast-the Pole-Vaulting God Martial Soul."
Tang San: "..."
"Don't underestimate this vaulting pole." Yi Yun walked up to Tang San, patted his shoulder, and said earnestly, "According to legend, that ancient god used this very pole to hold up the nine heavens and ten lands, vaulting forth a bright and clear world."
The corners of Tang San's mouth twitched violently.
He now seriously suspected that he had been duped.
"Don't believe me?" Seeing Tang San's doubt, Yi Yun smiled. "Try its power."
Half believing and half doubting, Tang San gripped the vaulting pole and jabbed at a large rock nearby.
Bang!
The rock shattered.
Tang San paused.
The vaulting pole was indeed quite hard, sturdier than he had imagined.
But it was still a vaulting pole!
"See? Quite powerful, isn't it?" Yi Yun smiled like a salesman. "And this martial soul has a hidden skill too. Want to know what it is?"
Tang San gritted his teeth. "What hidden skill?"
"Pole vaulting."
"..."
"All you need to do is plant this pole against the ground, and you can jump very, very far. It's especially useful when running away."
Tang San wanted to hit someone.
He really wanted to hit someone.
"Yi Yun!" Tang San finally lost control and roared, "You tricked me!"
"How did I trick you?" Yi Yun looked utterly innocent. "I said I'd find you a martial soul, and didn't I? I said it was an unparalleled martial soul. Isn't it powerful? Look at its hardness, its flexibility, its lightness. Which of those isn't top-class?"
"But it's a vaulting pole!"
"What's wrong with a vaulting pole? A vaulting pole is a weapon too. Have you ever seen one this sturdy? Have you ever seen a vaulting pole that can serve as a weapon? No, right? So isn't it an unparalleled martial soul?"
Tang San trembled all over with anger.
He felt like an old man who had been conned by a swindler into buying health supplements.
"You... you... you..." Tang San pointed at Yi Yun, his finger shaking.
"Don't get worked up. Don't get worked up," Yi Yun soothed. "Here, let me demonstrate the proper way to use this martial soul."
He took the vaulting pole from Tang San, stepped back a few paces, then abruptly sprinted forward.
Planting the pole against the ground, Yi Yun soared into the air, traced a graceful arc, flew several dozen meters, and landed steadily.
"See? How cool was that!" Yi Yun turned back and waved at Tang San.
Veins bulged on Tang San's forehead.
"I'm not here to pole vault!"
Beside them, Xiao Wu was laughing so hard she rocked back and forth, tears nearly spilling from her eyes.
"Hahahahaha! Tang San, you're too funny! A vaulting pole, hahahahaha..."
Tang San wanted to cry, but had no tears.
He was a distinguished outer-disciple genius of the Tang Sect, a transmigrator, someone with innate full Soul Power, the future protagonist...
And now, he had awakened a vaulting pole martial soul.
Could anything in life be more miserable than this?
Yes.
Because Yi Yun had not left yet.
"Oh, right, San." Yi Yun walked back, returned the Pole Vault to Tang San, and said with a beaming smile, "This Martial Soul has one more major advantage."
Tang San no longer had the strength to get angry. "What advantage?"
"When people see your Martial Soul, they'll never see you as a threat."
"..."
"Think about it. When your opponent sees you pull out a Pole Vault, he'll definitely laugh. Once he laughs, he'll let his guard down. Once he lets his guard down, there's your chance."
Tang San closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Calm down. Calm down. Don't do anything rash.
I can't beat this guy.
"So," Tang San opened his eyes and looked at Yi Yun expressionlessly, "you're telling me to fight with a Pole Vault?"
"Exactly! Win by catching them off guard!"
"With a Pole Vault?"
"What's wrong with a Pole Vault? Think about it. What kind of expression will your opponent have when you knock him flat with a jab from your pole?"
Tang San fell silent.
He had to admit that Yi Yun seemed to have a tiny bit of a point.
But this is still ridiculous!
"All right, practice hard." Yi Yun patted Tang San on the shoulder. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west-never scorn a young man for being poor. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll become a god with this Pole Vault."
Tang San: "..."
Right now, all he wanted was to beat Yi Yun to death.
But he could not beat him.
"Brother Yun." Xiao Wu walked over and tugged on Yi Yun's sleeve. "Did you do that on purpose?"
Yi Yun looked down at Xiao Wu and blinked. "Do what on purpose?"
"I mean... find that Pole Vault for Tang San on purpose."
"How could I?" Yi Yun's expression was utterly innocent. "I was sincerely trying to help him."
Xiao Wu stared at Yi Yun for three seconds, then pursed her lips.
"You're lying."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"I really am not."
"Your eyes are laughing."
Yi Yun touched his eyes, his smile growing even brighter.
"All right, I admit it. I did it on purpose."
When Tang San heard that, he nearly crushed the Pole Vault in his hand.
"Yi Yun!"
"Call me Brother Yun."
"Brother Yun, my ass!"
Tang San's Dormitory.
Tang San lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, the emerald-green Pole Vault clutched in his hand.
He had tested it. The Pole Vault was indeed sturdy, and its Soul Power conductivity was excellent-even better than those weapons from his previous life.
But it was still just a Pole Vault!
A Pole Vault!
"Why..." Tang San murmured to himself. "Why have I, the great protagonist, been reduced to using a Pole Vault?"
Outside the window, moonlight flowed like water.
A night bird flew past, letting out a series of coos as though mocking him.
Tang San closed his eyes, and a clear tear slid from the corner of his eye.
That night, Tang San could not sleep.
The next day, Tang San walked into the classroom with dark circles under both eyes.
Everyone saw the emerald-green Pole Vault in his hand.
"Tang San, what are you carrying a stick for?" a classmate asked curiously.
Tang San said expressionlessly, "This is my Martial Soul."
"Martial Soul? What Martial Soul?"
"Pole Vault."
The classroom went quiet for three seconds, then erupted in deafening laughter.
"Hahahahaha, a Pole Vault, hahahaha..."
"Tang San, you awakened a Pole Vault, hahahaha..."
"You can become an athlete now, hahahaha..."
Tang San clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles creaked.
He swore that one day, he would make Yi Yun pay.
He would show Yi Yun that a Pole Vault could stab someone to death too.
At that very moment, Yi Yun was lying in a rocking chair, basking in the sun with a glass of juice in his hand, while Xiao Wu fanned him beside him.
"Achoo!" Yi Yun suddenly sneezed.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Wu asked with concern.
"Nothing." Yi Yun rubbed his nose and said with a smile, "Someone's probably talking about me."
He looked toward Nuoding Academy, the corners of his mouth curving up a little more.
"Tang San, oh, Tang San. This is only the beginning."
Before you continue