Douluo: Soul-Breaking spear

Chapter 48: Breaking Through to Level 30

That night, Yang Potian was meditating alone in his room.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. "Finally! I've reached level 30."

After obtaining his spirit ring at eight and a half and reaching level 22, it had taken nearly three years of relentless training to reach level 30. The Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, it seemed, had an unexpected benefit—it made breakthroughs easier whenever he encountered a bottleneck.

With an average increase of almost three levels a year, his progress matched that of those with innate full spirit power and might even be faster.

Yang Potian thought for a moment. By the time he was eleven and a half, he had reached level 30, while Tang San in the original story had reached this milestone at age twelve, just as he entered Shrek Academy. Reflecting on it, he had to admit that Tang San's talent—and the power of the Mysterious Heaven Skill—were astounding. Even with all the effort he'd put into absorbing higher-level spirit rings, he had barely surpassed Tang San's speed. Considering Tang San's later advantages, Yang Potian knew it would be tough to keep up; after all, Tang San advanced 17 levels within five years after graduating from Shrek, an average of more than three levels a year. That kind of speed during the Spirit King stage was truly staggering.

The next morning, Yang Potian went to his parents. "Dad, Mom, I reached level 30."

They were stunned. Breaking through to Spirit Elder at eleven and a half was unheard of, a possible record for the youngest Spirit Elder yet.

"Son, this is incredible!" Yang Zhentian exclaimed. "All right, tomorrow, I'll take you to get your next spirit ring."

"Have you thought about what kind of spirit ring you'd like this time? And what age range?"

Yang Potian considered it for a moment. "Is there any type of power-based spirit beast that could grant me a locking ability?"

His parents looked at each other, intrigued. "Son, why such a specific request? Typically, locking abilities come from mental-type or certain agile-type spirit beasts. They're rarely, if ever, found in strength-type spirit beasts."

"Are there truly none at all?"

"Well, there's one possibility. Have you heard of the Iron-Feather Tiger Eagle?"

"Iron-Feather Tiger Eagle? I think I've read about it, but aren't most bird-type spirit beasts considered agility-types?"

"Typically, yes. But the Iron-Feather Tiger Eagle is an exception. It's larger than the average eagle spirit beast and very fast, yet classified as a strength-type. Its feathers are as tough as iron, and it's known for its formidable power. It can lock onto its prey before attacking, so there's a slight chance it could grant a locking ability."

"But it's an elusive creature to capture. It combines power, speed, and incredible defense. Some say the Iron-Feather Tiger Eagle is a mutated tiger in disguise."

"Where can we find one?"

"Not sure, but the Star Dou Forest likely has a few. They're not common, and few hunt them intentionally."

"All right, then," Yang Potian agreed. "Are we heading to the Sunset Forest again?"

"Yes. It's close, just a few dozen kilometers away, and has a good range of spirit beasts. Last time, you saw plenty there."

And with that, they decided to go to the Sunset Forest the following day to get Yang Potian's third spirit ring.

His little sister, Yang Tianyue, looked up at him, unimpressed, and said in her young, high-pitched voice, "Don't worry, Brother. I'll surpass you and be the youngest Spirit Elder!"

Yang Potian was speechless. Was his six-year-old sister really taunting him?

Yang Ping'an, on the other hand, looked on with admiration. His older brother had already reached level 30, while he was only at level 24; it seemed the gap between them was widening. He resolved to work even harder.

From Yang Potian's calculations, Yang Ping'an would likely reach level 27 by age twelve, a pace that kept up with Shrek's Seven Devils.

His grandfathers were thrilled but mostly preoccupied with Yang Tianyue, who had become their pride and joy. They barely paid attention to Yang Potian's achievement, doting almost exclusively on his sister. They were, as he put it, "enslaved" by her charms.

The next morning, Yang Potian and his father left for the Sunset Forest in a carriage. During the ride, Yang Zhentian asked, "Son, what's your target for the spirit ring's age range this time?"

"Around 4,000 years," Yang Potian answered. "I think I can absorb a ring of that level. When I absorbed a nearly thousand-year spirit ring as my second, I felt like I could handle even more—probably up to 1,200 years at the time."

"A third spirit ring doesn't change color, so there's no concern there."

"Son, are you sure about this? Many Spirit Masters' fourth rings are only 4,000 years old. If it's too much for you, it could be risky."

"Dad, if you're not convinced, test my physical strength. I've been training hard these past three years, plus I've done daily medicinal baths. I'll be fine."

Of course, Yang Potian was keeping a crucial detail to himself: his second martial soul, his innate Body Spirit. The most significant advantage of a Body Spirit was that absorbing spirit rings would dramatically improve his physical strength, eventually allowing him to absorb rings beyond his level safely. This was why he felt confident about absorbing a 4,000-year-old spirit ring.

As for his fourth spirit ring, he had no intention of aiming for a ten-thousand-year ring. Even with a Body Spirit and the physical boosts from training and the Ice-Fire Refinement, Yang Potian wasn't sure he could withstand the intense mental pressure of a ring of that level.

In the original story, Tang San could handle it because he trained with the Purple Demon Eyes from childhood and later enhanced them with Wangchuan Autumn Water Dew. Yang Potian had no such training method for mental strength. Although his spirit provided him with above-average mental fortitude, it was nowhere near Tang San's level. Only if he obtained a high-grade, high-age skull bone would he consider the possibility.

Yang Zhentian checked his son's body carefully, surprised by his toughness. "Son, I'm starting to think you're some kind of monster. Your body is incredibly strong for your age, and all that effort these past few years has clearly paid off."

"Do you have any specific plans for the spirit beast?"

"Dad, let's wait until we get to the Sunset Forest. Finding a suitable type and age range will be challenging enough. I still need a strength-type spirit beast—ideally something powerful, rare, and if possible, dragon-type. The stronger and rarer, the better. In a perfect world, I'd love one that's unmatched in strength among those of its level."

(End of Chapter)

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