"Soul Master, and the children?"
Village Chief Jack anxiously inquired, his tone filled with anticipation.
Su Yuntao informed Old Jack about Gu La and Tang San's martial souls, then bid farewell to Gu La and left Holy Spirit Village.
Gu La didn't rush to check the system but instead invited Tang San, "Xiao San, want to test your martial soul at the back mountain?"
"Alright."
Tang San had originally planned to go home and cook, but upon hearing this, he nodded. His father could wait a little longer; he wanted to learn more about martial souls from Gu La.
Thus, the two headed toward the back mountain together.
On the way, both were silent. Tang San was secretly feeling the difference between his two martial souls, while Gu La opened the system panel to find the prompt records.
[Congratulations, Host, on successfully transmigrating and binding the "Strongest Trainer"/"Pokémon Master" system (Ultimate Insane God-tier Version).]
[Opening beginner's gift pack: Received 10 Ultra Balls, 5 Potions, 1 Full Heal, 5 Repels, and 1 "Super Pallet Town" Physique. (Referring to how Ash and Oak gets bodied by Pokemon and can recover without major injuries]
[Beginner mission unlocked: You've just turned eighteen in the Pokémon world. Please quickly obtain your starter Pokémon and set off on an adventure or enroll in a beginner academy.]
?
Gu La was puzzled.
Is there something wrong with me, or is there something wrong with you?
He glanced at Tang San, who was happily playing with Blue Silver Grass. Yes, it was indeed the pure-hearted Tang San. This was the Douluo Continent—so who changed my system like this?
Oh right, I ended up in the wrong world. Never mind then.
"Gu La, what's wrong?"
Tang San noticed the gaze and asked suspiciously.
"Nothing, carry on." Gu La replied dismissively.
Tang San felt a tinge of doubt, suspecting that Gu La had figured something out. He dared not continue fiddling with the Hao Tian Hammer and focused on studying the Blue Silver Grass instead.
Gu La continued to review the system messages.
[Detected that the host already possesses a starter Pokémon, Groudon. Reward: Viridian Power, one self-selected Ground-type TM. Do you accept?]
[Detected that the host has subdued a max-level legendary beast, Groudon. Awarded title "Breeder," along with god-tier Breeder techniques.]
(Including god-tier energy block crafting, master-level massage techniques, master-level Pokémon breeding knowledge, master-level Pokémon medicine, master-level archaeology, master-level Pokémon psychology, god-tier Appraisal Eye…)
Wow, so blatant about giving away cheats, huh? I like it.
Gu La was surprised that both his martial soul and avatar/clone were considered his Pokémon, but since he was receiving two rewards, he had no reason to refuse.
Silently accepting the rewards, a series of enhancements merged into his body, causing earth-shattering changes.
[Super Pallet Town Physique: Greatly boosts physical strength and constitution. Reduces damage taken from Pokémon by 99%. Contains latent Aura potential.]
[Viridian Power: Special power bestowed by the recognition of Viridian Forest. Increases Pokémon affinity, allows telepathic communication with Pokémon, and heals Pokémon injuries at the cost of stamina.]
The effects of both rewards were immediate. Gu La instantly felt the changes.
His already formidable physique became even stronger. Though his muscles didn't look any bulkier, he felt as though he could parkour with Groudon on his back. He also sensed a newfound kinship with the surrounding Blue Silver Grass.
'Not bad. With my current physical strength, absorbing a thousand-year soul ring directly shouldn't be a problem. Even if there are no Pokémon on the Douluo Continent, these rewards are still worth it.'
Gu La was satisfied, silently thinking to himself.
Tang San frowned. "Gu La, what did you do? I feel like you've become a completely different person…"
"Hmm, really?"
Gu La was puzzled. He turned to look at Tang San and casually activated the title "Breeder," causing countless memories to flood into his brain.
The god-tier Appraisal Eye automatically activated, and the system prompts chimed in unison.
[Quest Triggered!]
[A wild ??? dares to defy the future strongest trainer! Use Pokémon to defeat/capture it!]
Gu La was speechless. What should he do if the system glitches again?
Even more baffling was that the god-tier Appraisal Eye seemed unreliable too.
[Unknown Pokémon: Please name it, discoverer.]
[Attributes: Grass, Fighting/Steel, Ground.]
[Rank: Demigod-level (Follows a predetermined growth trajectory without external opportunities or trainer interference.)]
[Evaluation: A mysterious unknown Pokémon with multiple attributes. Suspected to be a reborn powerhouse with infinite potential. Strongly recommended to capture as a main Pokémon.]
After reading the description, Gu La fell into a deep silence.
After a moment, his twenty years of Pokémon gaming instincts prompted him… to take out an Ultra Ball.
"Xiao San, let me show you something interesting."
"What?"
"You'll know once you see it."
"Wow, it's so spacious! Such a luxurious villa, and there's so much Blue Silver Grass!"
"It's yours."
"Really?"
"Of course, who else would I give it to but my good brother?"
[Congratulations, Host, for capturing the mysterious Pokémon, now named "Tang San." Rewards: One random advanced Grass-type TM, one random advanced Steel-type TM, enhanced Viridian Power, and improved physical constitution.]
[Actively participate in battles to cultivate your Pokémon and ascend to the world's strongest seat. Become the Pokémon Master!]
[System Shop unlocked.]
Gu La smiled. The interior of the Ultra Ball could adapt its environment based on the Pokémon's attributes, even surpassing the luxury of Tang San's previous life's Sect Hall. He wasn't worried about dissatisfaction.
Tang San's face flushed with excitement. No one had ever treated him so kindly before. He had never even heard of spatial equipment capable of holding people, either in his past life or this one.
Thinking of his goal to rebuild the Tang Sect, he made up his mind completely. "Gu La, once upon a time, a powerful indivitwin took me as their disciple and taught me a cultivation technique far superior to the basic meditation methods you're practicing. I'll pass it on to you now!"
Gu La's body trembled, his eyes widening:
"What a coincidence! I also met a powerful indivitwin who took me as their disciple. That soul tool from earlier was given to me by them. We truly have a destined connection!"
Tang San felt a bit guilty for lying, but thanks to his strong mental fortitude, he calmly nodded. "Mm, let's talk about it on the mountain."
Holy Spirit Village was picturesque, with clear waters and lush mountains. Aside from being poor, it was perfect for retirement.
Gu La walked along the mountain path, refining his lies:
"The Douluo Continent isn't the only continent. Across the sea lies another land called the Sun Moon Continent, where soul masters harness the power of spirit tool technology. You might not understand the strength of spirit tools now, but you will gratwinly."
Tang San listened curiously and fabricated a reason to patch up the lie.
Gu La and Tang San exchanged glances. Neither told the truth, but they felt a newfound trust between them.
Upon reaching the mountaintop, Tang San began teaching Gu La the Xuan Tian Technique.
This Taoist cultivation method wasn't complicated. As long as one memorized the energy circulation route, it could be learned quickly.
Fortunately, the Viridian Power enhanced Gu La's senses and clarity of mind, allowing him to quickly memorize the Xuan Tian Technique route.
Gu La awakened his avatar and simultaneously studied the Xuan Tian Technique.
Moreover, Gu La infused the Viridian Power into his soul power, making the previously violent and fiery energy much gentler and easier to control.
Through his connection with the avatar Groudon, Gu La continuously channeled Viridian Power to treat the soul deficiency of his split self. Meanwhile, the earth replenished Gu La's stamina, creating a balance.
However, the Viridian Power's effect on soul injuries was minimal—better than nothing, but barely.
Gu La was content: 'At least it's a good start.'
As he circulated the enhanced Viridian Power, he sensed the plants around him responding to his presence. He carefully savored the mysterious power originating from nature.
"If only I had a second Grass-type martial soul to pair with the Viridian Power—it would be absolutely amazing."
At this thought, he felt a twinge of shame for his greed.
Suddenly, the distant Blue Silver Grass alerted him to someone approaching.
Gu La's mind raced, guessing that Tang Hao, having not seen Tang San return after awakening his martial soul, had come to check on him.
He paused his cultivation and made a startling statement: "Xiao San, you're a Twin Martial Soul, aren't you?"
Tang San looked surprised but not shocked. "Brother Gu, how did you figure it out?"
In the distance, Tang Hao clenched his fists tightly, his skin reddening with excitement as he suppressed the urge to shout out loud, waiting for Gu La's explanation.
Gu La smirked proudly. "It wasn't hard to deduce."
"First, unless you've been eating rare treasures since childhood, it's impossible for Blue Silver Grass to possess full innate spirit power."
"As for your family's situation, I don't need to elaborate further. You often skip meals, and avoiding malnutrition is already fortunate. There's no way you could afford precious medicines."
Tang San looked embarrassed on behalf of his father but didn't feel ashamed. His father was just lazy, but he was still his father.
Once he became a soul master, he could support the family. His father wouldn't need to work as a blacksmith anymore, and he could ensure the household's food and clothing needs were met.
Seeing that Tang San didn't react violently, Gu La felt a sense of satisfaction in his upbringing taking effect. He continued:
"Blue Silver Grass is famously a useless martial soul—it can't sustain full innate spirit power. Therefore, you must have a second martial soul."
"But twin martial souls require the essence of both martial souls to be comparably strong. Only when neither can overpower the other is balance achieved, resulting in the rarest twin martial soul! Otherwise, one would dominate, and only one martial soul would awaken."
In the shadows, Tang Hao furrowed his brows. He didn't think any martial soul could rival the Hao Tian Hammer, but Gu La's words made some sense, so he patiently continued listening.
"Therefore, I deduced that your Blue Silver Grass isn't ordinary—it might be the king or even emperor among Blue Silver Grass."
"The reason it manifests as Blue Silver Grass could be due to incomplete mutation. It may need more similar essence to fill the gaps and complete its final evolution!"
"Nonsense! Ridiculous!"
Tang Hao couldn't bear to listen anymore. He wouldn't tolerate anyone belittling the Hao Tian Hammer. Yes, though he hadn't seen it yet, he was certain Tang San's second martial soul was the Hao Tian Hammer.
But saying that the Blue Silver Emperor was incomplete implied that the Hao Tian Hammer was inferior, which meant it hadn't fully awakened.
This was unacceptable to Tang Hao, who had always been proud of the Hao Tian Hammer.
He leapt onto the mountaintop and glared at Gu La.
"Gu La, boy, what evidence do you have to support your claims? Think carefully before speaking nonsense."
"Dad!" Tang San was surprised—he hadn't even noticed how his father appeared. Could his father actually be a soul master?
Tang Hao looked at Tang San, his expression the gentlest Tang San had ever seen. "Xiao San, I'll answer all your questions later."
He then turned to Gu La, gesturing for him to continue.
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Double Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow