Rang San said:
“But, if I leave nobody will make you food.”
By now he already understood the reason why his father had gotten up this early in the morning, unexpectedly it had been to see village elder Jack.
Part 2
Tang Hao coldly said:
“Do I still need you to look after me? You just leave. This is your chosen path. Every year Holy Spirit village has a quota of one, do not waste it. I have handed over the forging methods to you, so you can look for work as an apprentice in a smithy in town. It should be enough to cover tuition and food expenses.”
Even though Tang Hao’s words were very indifferent, but the edges of Tang San’s eyes still felt hot. For how many months, even though Tang Hao treated him in a manner that certainly never changed, but Tang Hao taught him forging, the tall wide ashen man before his eyes already more and more gave him a kind of fatherly feeling. He of course wanted to go study the lore of spirit masters, but at this moment he somewhat hated to part with his father.
Tang Hao said:
“Letting you go to Nuoding comes with a condition. If you agree you may go.”
“I promise.”
Tang San spoke without the slightest hesitation.
Tang Hao’s brows wrinkled slightly,
“You will promise easily without even asking what I demand. As a man, promised matters must be done, do not become a person who promises lightly.”
Tang San spoke at ease:
“No matter what dad asks me to do, I will promise. Dad definitely acts for my good.”
Tang Hao was slightly panicked, Tang San spoke without thinking, but exactly that trust caused his feelings to stir a little.
“From now on no matter how you cultivate your spirit power, I want you to promise, you must not let your hammer spirit absorb any spirit ring, so much so that you cannot let another person see it appear. Even more do not let other people know that you have twin spirits. Can you do this?”
Tang San was stunned for a moment, “That blue silver grass spirit then?”
Tang Hao said:
“The blue silver grass spirit you can use as you please, cultivating, exerting whatever spirit is also no problem. With twin spirits both spirits do not need to rely on spirit rings to promote spirit power to be able to cultivate. Provided you have one spirit that possesses a spirit ring, the spirit power promotion bottleneck will disappear.”
Tang San said:
“So in other words, from now on I only use blue silver grass spirit, right?”
Tang Hao nodded,
“Only if you encounter a life threatening situation. Otherwise, do not use that hammer.”
“Very well, I promise you.”
Tang San nodded solemnly. To his point of view, cultivating a spirit or not, using some spirit ring, it was all no problem, as long as he could find the means to break through Mysterious Heaven skill’s bottleneck.
To other people it seemed, perhaps blue silver grass was only a useless spirit, but Tang San had all along not become gloomy because of blue silver grass. Cultivating Tang sect hidden weapons to a certain level, when picking the fluttering flower the leaf can also hurt were not some empty words, but simply truly existed. Blue silver grass was exactly Mysterious Heaven skill internal force condensed by means of spirit power. As long as the internal force was sufficient, there were practically limitless hidden weapons.
“Good, let’s eat.”
Tang Hao said.
In a home not much different from destitute, Tang San did not have anything at all good to prepare. Packing those clothes with various sized patches he had took only a moment to finish.
However, this day he did not listen to Tang Hao to only put things in order; forging sounds still resounded in his room. For the sake of in the future being able to produce every kind of hidden weapon, Tang San understood he could only depend on himself for everything. Though his father had passed on the forging technique it was definitely essential to put in more practice. When the hidden weapons unique skill was not cultivated to its pinnacle, the hidden weapons quality just had its own conclusive effect. Particularly for a kind of super hidden weapon like Buddha Fury Tang Lotus, an error in precision of more than an iota could not appear.
The passage of this one day seemed particularly endless. It was also the first time since Tang San arrived in this world that he felt ill at ease. Concerning the outside world, he had both expectations and some fear. Whether in Tang sect or in Holy Spirit village, he had never gone out to undergo experience and training. On this point, he truly was no different from the children. He all along thought, after all what brilliance could the outside world produce?
After supper, Tang Hao left behind a word to go out drinking, as if there was nothing different from the routine. He told Tang San that when he went out for his morning run the next morning not to make a noise and disturb his sleep.
Early morning, Tang San sat atop a large rock on the summit of the hill, in his hand he picked up tree leaves, in his eyes a purple lustre. Not knowing whether it was because recently his body compared to before was more robust and stronger, but Purple Demon Eye advanced very rapidly; the leaf in his hand, even if it was the smallest lines, he could distinctly observe them. He knew his Purple Demon Eye had already begun to enter the realm of the very finest details.
With nine distinct tiers to Mysterious Heaven skill, Purple Demon Eye only has four levels: Survey, Detailed, Mustard seed, Boundless. The requirement for Tang inner sect disciples is to enter Detailed, which is sufficient to use hidden weapons. Owing to Tang San’s early cultivation, aided by after being born not having completely dispersed inborn qi, by six years age he already possessed a trace of detailed perception. But he also knew, of Tang inner sect disciples practically everyone’s Purple Demon Eye could reach the detailed realm, but including sect master mister Tang Da, nobody could enter the next realm of Purple Demon Eye.
After reaching Detailed, Purple Demon Eye’s cultivation became extremely slow, and every day must not be interrupted in assimilating the eastern purple qi, it was not persistence that could be explained in a few words. Therefore, just like Tang sect disciples after entering the detailed realm, there were also very few who would continue cultivating. In legend, Tang sect had an elder whose Purple Demon Eye reached the Mustard seed boundary, but also did not have any particular results. Only compared to the detailed realm he saw still a little more clearly, that is all. And that elder had already cultivated Purple Demon Eye for more than thirty years.
Mysterious Heaven skill welling forth, suddenly pouring into the tree leaves, the soft leaves immediately became perfectly straight. Tang San’s index and middle finger jerked slightly, and the tree leaves spun out, splitting the air as they flew forth.
Part 3
Just one metre, the leaves only flew out to a one metre distance, then were already unable to maintain their rotating state when it stopped being hard. As it left Tang San’s finger, Mysterious Heaven skill’s inner strength effect naturally vanished.
“The effect is still too weak.”
He could not help but shake his head. Tang San stood up, it was about time to return. Today was his departure from the village, he did not know when he would be able to come to this hilltop again.
Standing on tip toe, his lower legs emitting force, Tang San gave free rein to Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, faced down the mountain and left.
The intimately familiar scent of congee, before departing the village this was the very last time he cooked for his father, so Tang San naturally could not be lazy. Checking the firewood under the stove, adding some water to the congee, thus when his father later wakes up he can drink the hot congee.
Old Jack had already arrived. Perhaps because he wanted to leave for Nuoding city, today the clothes old Jack wore were especially new, making him look even more hale and hearty.
“Little San, let’s leave. That idle bum of a father of yours can’t get out of bed.”
&
nbsp; Old Jack called to Tang San.
Tang San made a silencing gesture in Jack’s direction,
“Grandpa, please be quiet, dad dislikes the most having his sleep disturbed.”
While speaking, he took out a chunk of burnt out charcoal from the stove, and on the ground wrote several lines. He again turned his head towards his father’s room, reluctant to part, and only then did he rise with a cloth bundle on his back and quietly left with Jack.
Regarding this world’s written language, Tang San did not understand much. When the village’s school taught the children characters, he once in a while went to see. After all he had a foundation from his former life, so he also grasped a little of the basic texts.
The door curtain lifted, and a large shadow came out from the room. In Tang Hao’s eyes were not a trace of sleep. When he walked over to the doorway, he could still vaguely see old Jack and Tang San’s frail body.
Tang Hao stood there and didn’t move, even when Tang San and village elder Jack’s backs had already completely disappeared, he still stood there blankly for a long time.
As if recalling something, Tang Hao abruptly turned back into the smithy, looking at the part of the ground Tang San set aside for his writing.
A few very simple words,
“Dad, I and Grandpa Jack left. You must yourself take good care of your body, drink less. Congee in the pot, don’t forget to eat.”
Gaze changing direction from the writing on the ground to the iron cooking pot to the side, Tang Hao briskly walked over and swept open the pot lid by one handle. With both hands he directly lifted the iron pot.
Thanks to Tang San just now adding water, the congee in the pot still had not been brought to a boil again, but Tang Hao regardless held the iron pot and poured it into his mouth, gulping swallows. In his eyes, not knowing how much time already passed was a layer of hazy mist.
Walking along the road, Tang San silently followed by old Jack’s side, frequently turning his head back to look in the direction of the village.
“Little San, do you hate to part with the village or still hate to part with that drunkard old man of yours?”
Jack patted Tang San’s head, and asked with a smile.
“A bit of both.”
Tang San replied in a low voice.
Jack smiled slightly, and said:
“If I compare with those however many good-for-nothing grandsons, you this child are far more intelligent. It would be so good if you were my grandson. Tang Hao that drunkard truly is fortunate. Do not think too much, outside heaven and earth are very vast. At the academy you can get to know very many friends. You can learn very many things. After you have become a spirit master, the country will grant a monthly stipend, and at that time your family will also be able to live well.”
Tang San was after all a person who had gained a second life, listening to Jack’s words, his mood already gradually recovered to normal, and in his heart was an unbearable thirst for the outside world. He asked:
“Grandpa Jack, can you tell me about the academy? What kind of place is it exactly?”
Jack smiled a bit, and said:
“The academy is of course a place to study. Although I never went, but for the most part I still understand. Our village has a quota to send one working student every year, but have already for very many years not sent a working student to study. Working students still have very many favourable terms, exemption from tuition and accommodation fees, just paying for food yourself is sufficient. On the campus you can perform simple jobs in exchange for edibles. For example sweeping classrooms and so on. Speaking overall, to a student who is working part time and studying at the academy it does not differ much from free of charge. As for paying to study at the academy, it is not something we poor people can be able to bear.”
Tang San said:
“Dad told me, after I finally arrive at the academy to find a smithy for work.”
“You? Doing manual work at a smithy? What joke is that? I see Tang Hao truly is insane.”
Old Jack said angrily,
“You are just how old, you still do not have the height of a forging hammer. What smithy could accept you, this kind of apprentice, not to mention, blacksmithing originally is not exactly accepted as a valued occupation, manual work also does not have much of an income. As long as you study properly at the academy that is enough.”
“Only, come to mention, if you are able to have some accomplishments to speak of at the academy, that drunkard father of yours should give you some of his little saved money. But afterwards the intermediate spirit master academy has no working student quota that indeed requires not a little money to be able to study. A spirit master stipend alone is far from enough.”
Since Tang San had innate full spirit power, old Jack already saw him as a spirit master without doubt.
Tang San looked at Jack unconvinced, and said:
“There is still an intermediate spirit master academy? And what is the difference with the elementary spirit master academy? Both are academies, they should both be teaching spirit master lore, right.”
Old Jack explained with great patience:
“Naturally there is not only one kind. The elementary spirit master academy teaches a few basic things, and additionally you can study some educational courses. They only accept children who have just awakened their spirits as students, the length of the schooling is six years, so by the time they are twelve, in the event they do not have any prospects to speak of, the also become an ordinary spirit master. But in the event that their latent capacity is pretty good, the majority of people can opt to go to take advanced studies at the intermediate spirit master academy. Continuously studying until eighteen years old. The intermediate spirit master academy teaches some advanced things, but the difficulty of the studies rises enormously. In case of being unable to reach the academy requirements, they will be unable to successfully graduate. This and the elementary spirit master academy are different.”
Part 4
Tang San said:
“With elementary and intermediate, is there also an advanced?”
Old Jack nodded, his eyes revealing a somewhat admiring glint,
“You need not think about the advanced spirit master academy that is not something that just anyone can enter. In our Heaven Dou Empire, there are altogether only two advanced spirit master academies, and every year the number of students accepted number less than a hundred. That is indeed the cradle of a brilliant career. Every student who graduates from advanced spirit master academy, even the nation’s spirit hall will strive to directly confer a noble title.”
“Noble? There is this good possibility.”
Tang San said, astonished.
Old Jack said:
“Of course. Spirit master is indeed the noblest vocation, and advanced spirit master even more so. But those are all talents. Therefore, to us common people who dream to have a meteoric rise, becoming an advanced spirit master is obviously the best shortcut. Only, being from the ordinary common people, how many people have the ability to become such a great spirit master? Even if there were, without the assistance of a distinguished clan it is very difficult to graduate from an advanced spirit master academy.”
“A graduation exam is its own matter, so why is the assistance of other people needed?”
Tang San was somewhat confused.
Old Jack heaved a sigh, and said:
“This is exactly the gap. The gap between poor people and wealthy people, between commoners and nobles. The elementary spirit master academy graduation requirements are very simple: as long as the spirit reaches the tenth rank, the teachers at the academy will guide you to obtain a spirit ring, and you can successfully advance your spirit master title. This certainly isn’t difficult, provided you at the time of awakening have spirit power it is something children can do. It is said, advancing from spirit scholar to spirit master at tenth rank spirit power is the easiest promotion.”
“But at the intermed
iate spirit master academy it is different. To graduate from this place, the spirit must have reached the twentieth rank and furthermore obtain the second spirit ring to be able to attain the spirit grandmaster title. Tenth rank to twentieth rank, is something very many spirit masters are unable to achieve in all their lives. Also, after reaching the twentieth rank, to obtain the spirit ring they must depend on their own strength to hunt and kill a spirit beast and obtain a spirit ring. That is indeed extremely perilous. If descended from a noble family, and accompanied by family warriors, the danger is naturally much smaller. Spirit masters descended from common people like us can only depend on themselves.”
“The graduation requirements of an advanced spirit master academy are even more exacting. Only after passing the thirtieth rank bottleneck, and obtaining the third spirit ring, can the spirit grandmaster title be promoted to the spirit elder title. They say, to surmount the thirtieth rank threshold one can be called a powerful great spirit master, a genuine noble. To also go beyond is certainly difficult. Also, at the thirtieth rank obtaining a spirit ring seems like it is not the only restriction. For the specifics, you should be able to learn when you reach the academy. At any rate, of those advanced spirit master academy students, the quantity who are still really able to graduate seems to be only a third.”
After listening to old Jack, Tang San had a basic understanding of Douluo Continent spirit masters.
“Grandpa Jack, didn’t you say that there are ten spirit master titles? Advanced spirit master academy graduating students can be spirit elders, how can those later titles be obtained?”
Old Jack spoke with a wry smile:
“I know how. Transcending the spirit elder title, those can all be great personages, like the spirit saint that came from our village, who at that time was supported directly by the country. I have heard people say, with spirit master cultivation later on is exceedingly difficult, and also surpassingly dangerous. The kind of genuine ability that can reach the top level of title Douluo, can be how many? You could even say, it is uncertain whether right now in our Heaven Dou Empire with Star Luo Empire together this exists.”
Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48 Page 7
