Douluo: Soul-Breaking spear

Chapter 31: Practicing Spear Techniques

Early in the morning, Yang Potian made his way to the training grounds in his family's backyard to begin his spear practice. He carefully examined the Po Soul Spear in his hands.

The spear is one of the ancient Chinese weapons, a long-handled weapon with a blade at the end. Known as the "King of Weapons" and one of the "Four Famous Weapons," it combines reach and power, excelling both in close-range stabs and as a projectile weapon. It can be wielded in numerous ways depending on the strategy and techniques chosen, allowing for various combinations of movements.

Among traditional Chinese weapons, the dao (saber) is known as the "Marshal of Weapons," the sword is the "Lord of Weapons," and the staff is the "Ancestor of Weapons." The spear, as the "King," holds a place of particular respect for its versatility and dominance on the battlefield.

However, on the Douluo Continent, while the Po Soul Spear is recognized as a top-tier tool-type martial spirit, it doesn't enjoy the same prestigious status.

The Po Soul Spear techniques consist of nine specific moves, corresponding to the eight skills of the Po Soul Spear spirit, with the ninth move being one that no one has yet mastered. The moves are Shock, Pierce, Blast, Penetrate, Shatter, Halt, Smash, Strike, and Kill.

The focus on offense makes these techniques devastatingly powerful, which is why the Yang family became known as the "Po Clan." Just as the martial spirit relies entirely on attack-focused spirit rings, the clan developed a carefully designed order for absorbing spirit rings, each of which enhances a particular spear technique.

When the need is dire, all of the spirit ring abilities can be stacked for a single lethal strike—a technique that once killed a Titled Douluo, the Snake Spear, in the original story.

Despite the Po Soul Spear's strength, Yang Potian felt that the techniques lacked the true essence of spear mastery.

The real foundation of spear technique includes moves like thrusting, piercing, sweeping, parrying, deflecting, hooking, twisting, lifting, pressing, hacking, smashing, and spinning. Once someone masters these basics, spirit skills become secondary. This belief is why Yang Potian chose to focus on strength-type spirit rings for his Po Soul Spear.

The fundamental spear techniques include thrusting, piercing, twisting, lifting, deflecting, stabbing, hacking, sweeping, spinning, smashing, and parrying. Once he mastered these basics, he would be able to wield the Po Soul Spear with skill.

More advanced moves would have to wait. For now, Yang Potian's priority was to master the fundamentals until the spear felt like a natural extension of his own body.

This morning, he started with the simplest move—thrusting.

He gripped the heavy Po Soul Spear firmly and began practicing the three main types of thrusts: horizontal thrusts, upward thrusts, and downward thrusts. Horizontal thrusts are typically aimed at an opponent's chest, waist, or abdomen, upward thrusts target the throat, face, or forehead, and downward thrusts go for the legs or feet.

Even with such a basic technique, Yang Potian spent two hours every morning practicing it until his entire body was sore before stopping for breakfast.

He planned to thoroughly master each move before moving on to the next, estimating that each would take about two months of practice. Altogether, it would take him at least three years to fully grasp the basic spear techniques.

This timeline was only possible because of the enhanced physical abilities he gained from cultivating soul power. In his previous life, it would have taken a decade to achieve similar proficiency.

That afternoon, after finishing his herbal studies and preparing to leave, Yang Wudi stopped him.

"Potian, I've heard that you usually read and practice alone. You're my grandson and the Po Clan's heir. One day, you'll lead our clan. You need to learn to interact with others, not just devote yourself to rigorous training."

"Grandfather, it's not that I don't like interacting with others, but most of my peers are just kids—they're really immature."

"Potian, even so, you need to socialize. Otherwise, you'll end up isolated, and how will you lead the Po Clan alone? Besides, no matter how strong you become, everyone needs allies."

"Grandfather, I still think that personal strength is most important. Only by becoming stronger can I truly lead the Po Clan."

"I know you enjoy training, but it's also important to spend time with people your age so you won't feel so lonely."

Yang Potian was left speechless by his grandfather's words. He couldn't help but wonder if there was a particular reason for this advice.

"Grandfather, what exactly are you trying to say? Can you just be direct?"

"Well, Potian, there's a boy around your age named Yang Ping'an. His mother passed away from illness recently, and his father and grandfather died in that battle with the Clear Sky Clan. Before she died, his mother entrusted him to my care, so I thought it'd be good to formally take him in as a grandson. Your parents have already agreed."

"If you've all agreed, why bring it up with me?"

"Potian, Yang Ping'an went through the spirit awakening ceremony with you, and he has an innate spirit power of level seven. He's a rare talent for our Po Clan, and he's diligent in his training. I'd like him to train alongside you, so he can eventually become one of your right-hand men."

After a moment of thought, Yang Potian agreed. The Po Clan couldn't rely on him alone. An innate spirit power of level seven was already considered remarkable; even Zhu Zhuqing from Shrek Academy had only reached level seven. With guidance, Yang Ping'an could very likely become a Spirit Saint or even a Spirit Douluo.

"All right, Grandfather. He can move in with us, and I'll train him myself."

Hearing this, Yang Wudi was visibly relieved.

Yang Wudi's grandson had shown extraordinary talent and determination from a young age. He trained with focus, excelled academically, and exhibited a maturity far beyond his years. Yet, he had little interest in forming connections, leaving him without any real friends within the clan. If he ever faced challenges, he would have no one to turn to.

Yang Ping'an, with his level-seven innate spirit power, was promising. Having him train alongside Yang Potian could solve both the clan's request and Potian's isolation, ensuring he would have a companion and ally in the future.

(End of Chapter)

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