Soul Land: I Am the True Grandmaster

Chapter 159: The Worth of a Sage

Yang Wudi, burdened with the fate of his entire clan, stayed awake all night, his eyes bloodshot with fatigue. Though exhaustion was bearable for a soul master, the strain of constant escape was beginning to show. For years, the Spear Clan had been under the oppressive control of the Haotian Sect, leaving them so complacent that they hadn't even prepared a safe retreat. Now, city gates were slammed in their faces; cities that once welcomed the arrival of a high ranking Contra like him now treated his clan like criminals, denying them entry.

In the original story, the Spear Clan eventually found refuge in the Star Luo Empire, which had begun to perceive the threat posed by Wuhun Hall. As one of the continent's most offensive oriented clans, the Spear Clan was an asset to any force, but the White Tiger Emperor had yet to see this value, so Wuhun Hall's relentless pursuit continued.

Right now, Yang Wudi's only hope lay with Tianxing Territory, the only place where they might escape Wuhun Hall's grasp. "Pack up. We're only two days away from Tianxing Territory. Once there, we can rest," he ordered.

The clan made swift preparations, and they set off once more. For the sake of their weaker members, Yang Wudi kept the pace steady, despite the urgency of their situation. Suddenly, the faint fragrance of flowers wafted through the air a smell out of place in their surroundings. Alarmed, Yang Wudi's eyes widened, and he yelled, "Scatter!"

"Fifth soul skill: Gathering of Winter Petals!"

From the distance, a golden streak of light sped toward Yang Wudi. He knew this soul skill well. He had narrowly escaped this very attack only days before, though his brother had been captured.

Yang Wudi summoned his massive, coal black Break Soul Spear and threw it forward with all his might. "Sixth soul skill: Break!"

The two powerful attacks clashed, creating a whirlwind that tore into the ground around them. "Yue Guan!" Yang Wudi roared in fury, recalling the familiar enemy.

As he recalled his spear, Yang Wudi summoned the ancestral armor of his clan. Unlike the Haotian Sect's techniques, the Spear Clan had developed a unique fighting style of their own. Every one of Yang Wudi's soul rings was crafted from the same species of spirit beast, ensuring unparalleled offensive capability. The Break Soul Spear not only boasted extreme offensive power but also carried a unique attribute desired by any soul master.

Yellow Yellow Purple Purple Black Black Black Black Black!

Though he was only a recently advanced level 80 Contra, Yang Wudi's nine soul rings gave him the strength to match a Titled Douluo briefly.

"Seventh soul skill: True Form of the Break Soul Spear!

Eighth soul skill: Annihilation!

Ninth soul ring's innate skill: Momentum!"

(Original creation here, as the original work and manga descriptions were too vague about these abilities.)

A fierce black beam surged toward Chrysanthemum Douluo, and even he was taken aback by the relentless ferocity of the attack.

But suddenly, a shadow appeared beside Chrysanthemum Douluo it was his long time partner, Ghost Douluo.

"Martial soul fusion skill: Twofold Forbidden Domain!"

A powerful, restraining force intercepted Yang Wudi's blow in mid air.

Seeing the seamless cooperation between the two, Yang Wudi's expression darkened. "Curse these two! I might be able to handle one, but their combined abilities are utterly disgusting!"

Chrysanthemum Douluo, looking smug, smiled cruelly. "Yang Wudi, the Pope has given an order. If your clan surrenders and pledges loyalty to Wuhun Hall, we can let bygones be bygones."

Yang Wudi drew his spear back to his hand, his ancestral armor covering him fully. "The Spear Clan may tolerate hardship, but we will never bow to anyone."

"Oh dear, so it seems that negotiations have broken down," Chrysanthemum Douluo sneered. "Well, I'm afraid this means…you must die. Sixth soul skill: Glorious Flow of Golden Petals!"

Without another word, Chrysanthemum Douluo unleashed his skill. His Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum transformed into a cascade of golden petals that descended upon the fleeing Spear Clan members.

Seeing this, Yang Wudi's eyes blazed with fury. "Yue Guan! You shameless, vile fiend! I'll fight you to the death!"

With a battle cry, Yang Wudi charged forward. Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged a sly smile. Yang Wudi might pose a challenge alone, but together, their combined strength was far greater.

The fight raged on, with both Titled Douluos coordinating their attacks to drive Yang Wudi to the brink. In their scattered retreat, the clan had lost over a dozen members despite avoiding catastrophic losses. Those who remained looked on helplessly as their leader was gradually cornered by the two Titled Douluos. They knew their leader's fate was sealed if the battle continued.

Bleeding heavily and weakened, Yang Wudi's resolve began to wane. "Am I…am I truly going to die here?" His vision blurred, his movements growing sluggish. Though he struggled to defend himself, his strikes grew feeble. Eventually, he lay on the ground, unable to even hold his spear.

Hovering over him, Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo exchanged a triumphant glance.

"Still willing to reconsider, Clan Leader Yang?" Chrysanthemum Douluo asked, his tone dripping with mockery.

Yang Wudi's battered face broke into a defiant grin. "Do your worst. The Spear Clan does not breed cowards."

At this, Ghost Douluo stepped forward. "Truly admirable resolve. It's a shame, really but time to die." He began to gather soul power for a final strike.

Yang Wudi looked up in grim acceptance, prepared to meet his end.

Suddenly, a fierce surge of soul power flared in the distance, catching the attention of both Douluos.

A lesser soul power at a Titled Douluo level battlefield? Foolish.

The approaching figure was Yang Wuhui. Following the path laid out in her clan's messages, she had been tracking their progress. But sensing the intense energy from the battle, she abandoned caution and used all her soul power to accelerate.

Realizing she was close, Yang Wuhui summoned every bit of courage as she called out.

"Stop!" Yang Wuhui called out. "I am Yang Wuhui, a disciple of Master Ye Wen, and an inner sect trainee at Tianxing Academy."

Although Yang Wuhui's power level meant little to Douluo level experts like Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo, being an inner disciple at Tianxing Academy carried weight. The continent's soul master community knew well that entry into Tianxing's inner academy was reserved for exceptional students of humble backgrounds, those who had demonstrated immense talent and unwavering loyalty to the academy.

The single attribute families affiliated with the Haotian Sect, including the Po Clan, had long prided themselves on their rank and found little use for noble titles. Their affiliation with a top tier sect provided enough status. Yet, despite these soul master families being of commoner origin, none of the continent's major factions had ever successfully poached a disciple from Tianxing Academy's inner sect. Each attempt had failed.

Given Yang Wuhui's audacity to approach with such weak spirit power in the midst of a Douluo level clash, it was clear she held some form of powerful protection. Chrysanthemum Douluo, feigning a gentle, warm demeanor, asked, "So, little sister, what brings you here?"

Still feeling the tension, Yang Wuhui took a deep breath to calm herself. She reached into her storage soul tool and withdrew Ye Wen's Sage's Insignia, infusing it with her soul power to activate its information.

"My master has agreed to grant sanctuary to the Po Clan. We are now formally an affiliated family of Tianxing Academy. I respectfully ask that you show mercy for my master's sake," Yang Wuhui said, bowing. "It would be deeply appreciated."

Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo raised their brows, carefully examining the emblem, aware that such identification could not be counterfeited by any faction on the continent. Ghost Douluo's raspy voice broke the silence. "It is indeed Master Ye Wen's insignia. Very well, we will extend our respect to Master Ye Wen."

Ghost Douluo added, "Also, inform your master that our Pope wishes to discuss important matters with him in Spirit City."

"Understood, Your Excellency," Yang Wuhui replied humbly.

With that, the two Douluo left abruptly, leaving Yang Wudi lying on the ground, his expression puzzled by the sudden retreat. "That's... it?"

Yang Wuhui rushed to her cousin's side, helping him up and giving him some of Ye Wen's special restorative elixirs. These potions, meticulously crafted, weren't just potent they rapidly accelerated Yang Wudi's recovery, not only addressing his visible wounds but healing the chaos in his internal injuries.

As the powerful medicines took effect, Yang Wudi, an experienced alchemist himself, was taken aback. Such powerful elixirs he'd never seen anything like it. As the two discussed the miraculous aid that had just spared them, Yang Wudi couldn't help but marvel at how far Ye Wen's influence had reached in a mere decade. To think, the once obscure Master Ye Wen now commanded respect even from Wuhun Hall, enough to save the lives of their entire clan.

In Yang Wudi's mind, an unspoken oath was forming. Years ago, the Po Clan had become vassals of the Haotian Sect out of gratitude. Now, Tianxing Academy had come to their rescue; their loyalty should belong to this new alliance. He reasoned to himself that joining Ye Wen's cause was the natural course, as long as it did not contradict his principles. This was simply the way Yang Wudi saw things.

The two cousins gathered the remaining clan members who had scattered during the sudden attack. Looking over the faces of his clan, noticing yet another dozen or so souls lost in the ambush, Yang Wudi felt a pang of sorrow. Each life in a soul master clan was precious.

With the immediate threat lifted, the Po Clan headed to Tianxing Territory in earnest. No longer needing to hide, they reached the academy's borders within a day.

As a local of Tianxing, Yang Wuhui took charge, ensuring her clan was properly accommodated. Ye Wen had foreseen their arrival and arranged a suitable area for their settlement. Tianxing Town, recently expanded, still had many newly built homes available, so the Po Clan was assigned a sector for themselves.

Though smaller than their former residence within Haotian Sect's domain, their new quarters offered much needed security. Grateful for the safety, many weary clan members collapsed into sleep, utterly exhausted from the long journey and their days of relentless pursuit.

As clan leader, however, Yang Wudi knew his responsibilities. Together with Yang Wuhui, he approached Tianxing Academy to formally express his gratitude to Ye Wen.

When they met Ye Wen, he appeared disarmingly young, exuding an aura of cultured wisdom and sophistication. Though Yang Wudi had no idea of Ye Wen's true strength, he bowed deeply, knowing that his entire clan owed this man their lives.

The truth was that Ye Wen had orchestrated nearly every part of this sequence of events. Changing the fate of the Douluo Continent required unity, and Wuhun Hall was the ideal force for such an endeavor, but that also required Bibi Dong to ascend to power.

The plan had succeeded. As for the Haotian Sect, it was but a minor cog in this grand scheme. Since Qian Daoliu had resolved to pursue revenge, Ye Wen had subtly paved the way.

Initially, Ye Wen hadn't given much thought to the Haotian Sect's vassal families. Each had its limits:

The Li Clan was loyal to Haotian Sect to a fault, making any alliance impossible. They were known only for their physical strength and basic smithing skills, something that Tianxing Academy could source far more effectively by working with the Metal City Ironworking Association through Lou Gao.

The Min Clan specialized in speed alone, which hardly compensated for their lack of offense. Their loyalty to Haotian Sect's bloodline made them unreliable at best, particularly given their ties to Tang San. Their potential to switch sides made them an unappealing choice.

The Niuzhu (Yu) Clan were skilled builders, but builders could be found in abundance anywhere. Their specialization was in defensive techniques; in other words, they were human shields. As such, Wuhun Hall had seen little reason to pursue them following the death of their Contra level leader.

Only the Po Clan held a bit of value, mainly due to their prowess in alchemy, though Ye Wen had little personal interest in that aspect. His alchemical mastery was unrivaled on the continent; if he claimed the title of best, none could challenge him. Still, with a Po Clan disciple under his wing, he felt it would be worthwhile to bring them into Tianxing Academy as an auxiliary force.

The Po Clan's Break Soul Spear was potentially powerful enough to rival the level of a Divine Officer if trained properly. Reaching Soul Sage rank with an innate soul ring ability was a rare gift, bordering on overpowered.

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