Invincible Divine Sword Chapter 2 - 2 Grandpa’s Favoritism

Chapter 2: Grandpa’s Favoritism

Translator: 549690339

A massive black tortoise manifested behind Yang Xiaotian, its form towering and heavy.

Coiled around the shell of this great beast was a tiny black snake. It was so diminutive that most people would miss it entirely upon first glance.

The moment Yang Xiaotian’s Martial Soul appeared, the crowd froze in pure shock.

“Look at that massive turtle!” A master from Xingyue City suddenly roared with laughter. “A Tortoise Martial Soul? Haha! Yang Ming, your grandson certainly has a unique talent.”

The mockery spread quickly, and soon many of the gathered experts from Xingyue City were laughing along.

Yang Ming’s expression soured as he stared at the giant tortoise floating above his grandson. The ridicule stung like a whip.

A tortoise?

While a tortoise wasn't technically a first-level useless Martial Soul, it was barely a step above—a second-level Martial Soul known for being incredibly ineffective.

Those with a Tortoise Martial Soul absorbed nature’s spiritual energy at a snail's pace. A full year of their Cultivation could barely match ten days of effort from an average practitioner.

Yang Chao, who had been filled with silent prayers and hope, turned deathly pale. It felt as though he had been cast into a bottomless abyss.

His son’s Martial Soul was actually a tortoise? With such a soul, no matter how hard one worked, becoming a true Soul Master was a pipe dream.

The Xingyue City master chuckled again, adding, “I believe this is the first time we’ve seen a Tortoise Martial Soul in our city? Yang Ming, it seems your grandson has set a new record for us all.”

Yang Ming’s face twisted with further embarrassment at the jab.

As the laughter echoed around him, Yang Xiaotian remained still, his eyes fixed on his own Martial Soul in deep contemplation.

The image above him was a perfect match for the Black Tortoise from the ancient legends of Earth. In those myths, the Black Tortoise was a Supreme Divine Beast of the highest order.

Seeing Yang Xiaotian standing motionless within the Formation Map, seemingly dazed by his own mediocre soul, Yang Ming’s temper flared. “You disgrace! Get down from there right now!” he barked.

Stepping out of the Formation Map, Yang Xiaotian looked at his fuming grandfather. He hesitated before speaking up. “Grandpa, I don’t think my Martial Soul is just a tortoise.”

Yang Ming’s face turned a shade of livid blue at the boy's attempt to argue. “Someone take this little brat home!” Unable to bear the shame any longer, he turned and stormed away.

With the patriarch gone, the members of the Yang Family Manor followed suit, quickly exiting Xingyue City.

Li Guang, the Patriarch of the Li Family, watched Yang Ming’s angry departure and sighed. It was truly a strange twist of fate; one of Yang Ming’s grandsons possessed a tenth-level Martial Soul, while the other was cursed with a second-level one.

Back at the Yang Family Manor, Yang Ming’s fury only intensified the more he dwelled on the event. He glared at Yang Chao, shouting, “Look at what you’ve raised! If that boy ever dares to step foot outside this manor and embarrass me again, I’ll break his legs!”

In his eyes, Yang Xiaotian had made him the laughingstock of every master in Xingyue City.

With a sharp flick of his sleeves, Yang Ming vanished into the inner chambers.

Once the patriarch was out of earshot, Yang Hai approached Yang Chao with a thin smile. “Second brother, don’t take it to heart. You know how Father is. Although, I must admit, I never expected Xiaotian to end up with a tortoise.”

The blatant gloating in Yang Hai’s voice was impossible to miss.

Yang Hai then signaled for his son, Yang Zhong, and the others to leave with him.

Before departing, Yang Zhong looked at Yang Xiaotian and grinned. “Xiaotian, we should have a proper match during the year-end family competition. You better train hard, though. I wouldn’t want you to collapse from a single punch.”

Yang Chao watched his brother and nephew leave with a darkening expression. He turned toward his son, intending to say something, but only a heavy sigh escaped his lips. “It’s fine, Xiaotian. Just work hard. You can still become an Innate Martial Artist if you never give up.”

But even as he said it, he wondered if such a thing were even possible.

The two returned to the west courtyard. Upon their arrival, Huang Ying, Yang Xiaotian’s mother, rushed out with a hopeful smile. “How did it go? What kind of Martial Soul did Xiaotian awaken?” she asked eagerly.

Yang Chao’s face was the picture of defeat. He looked at his wife's joyful face, shook his head in silence, and walked past her.

Yang Xiaotian opened his mouth to explain, but decided against it and retreated to his room. He realized that words would mean nothing right now; he would have to let his progress prove the truth later.

The night grew dark and silent.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Yang Xiaotian began to circulate the Prajna Skill his father had taught him, calling forth his Martial Soul.

The massive shadow of the tortoise materialized above him once more.

This "second-level" soul, which the others viewed with such contempt, suddenly opened its mouth. Like a vacuum, it began to pull in nature’s spiritual energy, which surged toward Yang Xiaotian in a violent torrent.

Boom!

Yang Xiaotian’s frame shuddered under the impact.

The sheer volume of spiritual energy nearly overwhelmed his senses.

He was stunned. “This is incredible!”

While he had suspected his soul was actually the legendary Black Tortoise, the speed at which it consumed spiritual energy was beyond anything he had imagined.

The energy raced through his Meridians, rapidly converting into internal fighting spirit.

Bathed in the glow of his soul power, the Martial Soul intensified its light. The small black snake coiled around the tortoise began to stir, opening its own mouth to feast on the surrounding energy.

Despite its small size, the snake's absorption speed was equal to that of the Black Tortoise.

Observing both the snake and the tortoise cultivating simultaneously, a startling thought struck Yang Xiaotian. Did he actually possess Twin Martial Spirits?

Furthermore, the snake seemed to be of the same supreme rank as the Black Tortoise!

His heart hammered against his ribs. He had lived in this world for years and knew that while Supreme Martial Spirits were legendary rarities, no one had ever heard of a person possessing two of them at once!

The night passed in a flash of Cultivation.

By the time dawn broke, Yang Xiaotian ceased his meditation.

He was shocked to find that in a single night, he had successfully broken through to the first rank!

His uncle, Yang Hai, who possessed a top-tier eighth-level Earth Bear, had required months to reach the first rank. Even his grandfather, with an eighth-level Grey Wolf, had spent half a year to achieve the same feat.

Yet he had done it in a matter of hours.

Stepping out into the courtyard, Yang Xiaotian struck a large boulder in the corner. His fist sank several inches into the stone, leaving a clear imprint.

It wasn't a dream; he was truly a first-rank martial artist.

Excitement surged through him. At this rate, reaching the tenth rank and becoming an Innate Expert wouldn't take long at all.

Suddenly, the sound of raised voices drifted from his parents’ quarters.

Confused, as his parents rarely argued, Yang Xiaotian moved closer to listen.

“Father is being completely unfair!” his mother, Huang Ying, cried out. “The rules of the Yang Family Manor state that any disciple who awakens their soul is entitled to Foundation Building Spiritual Liquid. It’s a rule he made himself! Yet last night, he gave Xiaotian’s share to Yang Zhong instead!”

“And what about the silk business? You’ve managed it for years, and now he suddenly removes you and hands everything over to your elder brother? The mines, the silk—all of it!”

“Are Yang Hai and Yang Zhong his only family? Are you and Xiaotian not his own flesh and blood?”

“He is being far too biased!”