The days of confusion, inner conflict, and tangled emotions all dissipated under the Great Master's words.
Everything before his eyes suddenly became clear.
Even if he could understand everything right now, what good would it do?
With his current strength, he was powerless to do anything. All he could do now, as his teacher had said, was to cultivate diligently.
Prove himself to his father through action.
Father, have you really been watching over me from the shadows all this time? Fine then — just watch. I won't let you down.
Watching the changes flicker across Tang San's expression, the Great Master nodded to himself in approval. He knew Tang San was a smart young man — with a little guidance, he had already grasped the truth. That was precisely why the Great Master had called him over.
"Teacher, I still have two questions." The light returned to Tang San's eyes, and he had regained his usual calm composure.
The Great Master said, "Go ahead."
Tang San said, "My first question is — do you know who my mother is? Since I was born, I've never seen her, and Father never mentions her. I have a vague feeling that Father's six years spent drowning himself in cheap barley wine may have something to do with my mother."
The Great Master nodded. "You're right about that. Given that you've been without a mother since childhood, your father's decline was most likely because of her. But your mother's identity is even more of a mystery — not just for me, very few people in the Soul Master world know who she is. She doesn't seem to belong to any of the major Soul Master families, which is evident from the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul in your possession. Blue Silver Grass is a standard waste Martial Soul. In a sense, a Twin Martial Soul is also a type of Mutant Martial Soul — allowing two Martial Souls to coexist places a certain amount of damage on the Soul Master's body itself, just as Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire once caused him trouble. What's strange is that the two Martial Souls in your body have never shown this kind of conflict. They coexist in perfect harmony. Moreover, your Blue Silver Grass doesn't seem to have been difficult to cultivate at all. Your Soul Power has been advancing at a remarkable pace. If we attribute your Innate Full Soul Power to the Clear Sky Hammer, then why has your Blue Silver Grass cultivation also been so fast? Even for a Twin Martial Soul, that doesn't add up."
As for the Great Master's doubts, Tang San didn't think too much about them, even though he himself didn't know why his two Martial Souls could coexist so seamlessly.
But his Soul Power had been advancing through the Mysterious Heaven Skill's cultivation method, which didn't seem to have much to do with his Martial Souls at all.
He simply couldn't reveal the secrets of the Tang Sect.
"Teacher, my second question is — why do both you and my father forbid me from cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer? According to you, the Clear Sky Hammer should be an extraordinary tool Martial Soul, clearly more promising than the Blue Silver Grass. My father also made his name with it. Is it to conceal the fact that I come from the Clear Sky Sect?"
Hearing Tang San's question, a faint smile appeared on the Great Master's face. "This question is actually quite simple. Whether it's your father or me, it's all for your benefit. Not to conceal your identity, but to make you stronger in the future. Tell me — what is the greatest advantage of a Twin Martial Soul?"
"The skills of two Martial Souls. A single Martial Soul can have at most nine Soul Rings — nine skills. But with two Martial Souls, that would be eighteen skills."
The Great Master furrowed his brows slightly. "Silly boy, after all this time studying under me, how can you still not see it? Yes, a Twin Martial Soul can indeed possess eighteen Soul Rings and eighteen Soul Skills upon reaching the Titled Douluo realm. But don't forget — even though you have a Twin Martial Soul, you can only use one Martial Soul at a time. That means you can employ at most nine Soul Rings simultaneously. It gives you more variety than an ordinary Soul Master, but is that truly the wonder of a Twin Martial Soul? You'd be far too quick to underestimate the gift of a Twin Martial Soul."
A flash of insight struck Tang San's mind. "Teacher, you mean..."
The Great Master nodded. "Both your father and I urged you to cultivate the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul first precisely because it is far inferior to the Clear Sky Hammer. The greatest advantage of a Twin Martial Soul is the ability to cultivate one Martial Soul first. Although your Clear Sky Hammer currently has not a single Soul Ring, your Soul Power has already reached level thirty-seven. Think about it — if you were to start adding Soul Rings to the Clear Sky Hammer now, what level would those Soul Rings be? Thousand-year. But if you waited until your Blue Silver Grass reached the Titled Douluo level before adding Soul Rings to the Clear Sky Hammer, what level would they be then? Your father and I's goal is to create an inconceivable existence — one who possesses nothing but ten-thousand-year Soul Rings across the board. This is something that can only be achieved by a Soul Master with a Twin Martial Soul. Your other Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass — I don't expect you to cultivate it all the way to level ninety, but as long as you bring it to level sixty or above, then in the future your Clear Sky Hammer could bear all ten-thousand-year Soul Rings. When that time comes, forget about a single Titled Douluo — even two at once would be no match for you. At the same level ninety, with the various attributes granted by nine ten-thousand-year Soul Rings, how could any ordinary Soul Master compare? That is our true purpose."
A gleam of light shone in Tang San's eyes. He had used the Clear Sky Hammer before — it was with the help of that ringless Clear Sky Hammer that he had successfully slain the Man-Faced Demon Spider. The Clear Sky Hammer's weight was terrifying, and all of that existed purely because of its inherent power.
The Great Master looked at Tang San and said, "The only thing I'm worried about now is whether your two Martial Souls will come into conflict when you start adding Soul Rings to the Clear Sky Hammer. In the history of Soul Masters, you are only the third person to possess a Twin Martial Soul. Clever people aren't limited to us — whatever we've thought of, others can think of too. The first person to possess a Twin Martial Soul met a tragic end. When he was adding Soul Rings to his second Martial Soul, the two Martial Souls fell into conflict upon the addition of the third ring, and his body exploded, killing him. The second person to possess a Twin Martial Soul, however, succeeded. He became a powerhouse the likes of which had never been seen before. In other words, when cultivating through this method, a Twin Martial Soul only has a fifty percent chance of success."
"Perhaps your odds are a bit better. After all, the Clear Sky Hammer and Blue Silver Grass in your body haven't produced any conflict so far. What I've been researching all these years is precisely this question — how to ensure that no conflict arises when you add Soul Rings to the Clear Sky Hammer in the future."
"Keeping the Twin Martial Soul a secret is to prevent powerful Soul Masters from targeting you. Having you cultivate the Blue Silver Grass first is to make you stronger. Now you understand. As for what you choose to do in the future, that will be up to you."
Under the Great Master's detailed explanation, Tang San gained an entirely new understanding of his Twin Martial Soul. "Teacher, was there also a reason behind your insistence that I train my body — because of the Twin Martial Soul? When Blue Silver Grass gains Soul Rings, it enhances my body — things like strength, agility, and control. Won't the same thing happen when I add Soul Rings to the Clear Sky Hammer later? That means my body's attributes could potentially be boosted by as many as eighteen Soul Rings. Even though those attributes are nothing compared to Soul Skills, the cumulative effect would still be terrifying."
The Great Master nodded. "That's correct, and it's another thing I'm worried about. For an ordinary Soul Master, an increase in various attributes is certainly a good thing. But when those attributes are enhanced to a point where the body can no longer bear them, the blessing becomes a disaster. That's why I insisted you train your physique. After consuming those two extreme spirit herbs this time, your body seems to have undergone a significant improvement. What I can confirm now is that when you add Soul Rings to the Clear Sky Hammer in the future, the attributes granted by at least the first three rings shouldn't place too great a burden on you. As for the rest, we'll have to see how things go. If it truly becomes too much, we'll have to use a special method to disperse those attributes."
"How would you disperse the attributes granted by Soul Rings?" Tang San asked curiously.
The Great Master pointed at Tang San's back. "Have you forgotten? You still have that external Soul Bone. When your strength reaches a certain level — ideally after you've acquired one or two more Soul Bones — and your body can no longer bear the attributes from the Soul Rings, those excess attributes will merge into the Soul Bones within your body. That way, the pressure on you personally will be reduced. The downside is that if word ever gets out, those who want to kill you for your Soul Bones will increase dramatically. Right now, your Twin Martial Soul hasn't fully taken shape, and few people know about it, so it's not yet a problem — but after that, it's hard to say. That's why I've always reminded you: unless your life is in mortal danger, never reveal the Clear Sky Hammer. That is the reason. In another half year comes the Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, and I'll say it again — you must not use the Clear Sky Hammer in that competition."
"Yes, Teacher."
The Great Master gently patted Tang San's shoulder, a wistful look crossing his face. "Xiao San, I can understand how you feel right now. But there's one thing you must understand clearly — living in a great family, especially within a Soul Master clan, is not necessarily a good thing. The pressures and constraints from every direction, and the internal strife within the clan, none of it benefits your cultivation."
(End of Chapter)