"A master of Martial Soul theory?"
"You are just a fraud, yet you dare to call yourself a master? Truly, the world is going to the dogs, and people's hearts are no longer pure."
"Spouting nonsense! You think you are worthy to question my Martial Soul theory?!"
With his scars exposed in public, Yu Xiaogang's eyes turned bloodshot. He was panting heavily, and his voice was noticeably louder than usual.
However, the more he acted like this, the more it revealed his lack of confidence.
The person confronting Yu Xiaogang was a handsome young man. His expression was cold and stern as he looked at Yu Xiaogang with a mocking gaze.
"Is that so? Then explain this to me: your Soul Power is only Rank 29, and your Martial Soul is nothing but a pig. You probably can't even handle a hundred-year Soul Beast. How exactly did you come up with these theories?"
The young man's name was Lin Mu. Sixteen years ago, he was accidentally sent to this world by a truck.
Since awakening his Martial Soul, Lin Mu had been diligently cultivating. He believed that before he possessed sufficient strength, developing quietly was the key.
That was until today, when Lin Mu happened to pass by Notting Academy and bumped into Tang San, who was preparing to enroll.
Just then, the "Golden Finger" he had been waiting sixteen years for finally arrived. There were no fancy tricks, just a simple interface.
[Main Quest: Accept Tang San as your disciple and reshape his values. The greater the contrast, the richer the reward. Completion: 0%.]
It was precisely because of this quest that Lin Mu was currently exposing Yu Xiaogang's true colors.
To be fair, although Yu Xiaogang called himself a master, he was essentially just a conman.
Tang San, though a transmigrator, wasn't from Earth in his previous life. He was merely an Outer Sect disciple of the Tang Sect, lacking social experience and unable to distinguish a conman from a sage.
As for Tang San's character—what good could a sect like the Tang Sect possibly produce?
Add to that the future influence of Yu Xiaogang and Shrek Academy, and it is no wonder his values became questionable later on.
"A mere brat... I disdain arguing with you."
Yu Xiaogang took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down, though his eyes remained filled with disdain.
He turned to Tang San and said, "Little San, don't listen to his drivel. This guy is simply jealous of my talent."
Hearing this, a hint of hesitation flashed in Tang San's eyes, and he asked, "Master, is your Martial Soul really a pig?"
Yu Xiaogang's breath caught in his throat. His face flushed red, and he froze, unsure of how to refute the question.
This matter had always been a thorn in his side.
As a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, his innate Soul Power was only half a rank, and his Martial Soul was a mutated, ugly pig.
Because of his poor talent, he had suffered countless insults and scorn within the clan.
It was for this reason that he secretly vowed never to have anything to do with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan again until he proved his abilities.
It was laughable, really. A so-called master of theory who couldn't even understand his own Martial Soul.
If Luo Sanpao had been given a Dragon-type Soul Ring, he might have had a chance to improve the bloodline toward the Golden Sacred Dragon. At worst, he would just have two useless Soul Skills.
Of course, the core issue was that Yu Xiaogang's talent was simply too poor to support the full awakening of the Golden Sacred Dragon.
There are no useless Martial Souls, only a useless Yu Xiaogang.
Just as Yu Xiaogang was about to explain, Lin Mu interrupted, "What? Master, are you too ashamed to even talk about your own Martial Soul?"
"You... you're talking nonsense!"
Opening his mouth, Yu Xiaogang couldn't find a rebuttal and could only curse angrily.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang's reaction, even if Tang San were stupid, he could tell that this person was unreliable.
As a Spirit Master, he was actually ashamed of his own Martial Soul.
Moreover, this "Master" clearly only had Rank 29 Soul Power and lacked the ability to study high-level Soul Beasts at all.
If nothing unexpected happened, he likely stole all this information about Soul Beasts yet claimed it as his own research.
Truly shameful.
In Tang San's eyes, he and Yu Xiaogang were not on the same wavelength. He had stolen the Xuan Tian Bao Lu (Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record) out of necessity, but before jumping off the cliff, he had returned the cultivation techniques and hidden weapons to the Tang Sect.
"Bullshit?"
Lin Mu sneered, showing no mercy to Yu Xiaogang. "You're much better at spouting bullshit than I am. A pig and a bastard—what a perfect match."
Being so openly belittled, Yu Xiaogang's chest heaved with anger. His eyes were bloodshot and he panted heavily, wishing he could teach this bastard a lesson.
If it weren't for this guy interfering, Tang San becoming his disciple would have been a certainty.
"Hmph! His Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass. Only I can teach him cultivation in the entire continent; otherwise, it will remain just a useless trash Soul."
Saying this, Yu Xiaogang revealed an arrogant expression that was not at all feigned.
Indeed, only by deceiving oneself can one deceive others.
"Pfft~"
Hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, Lin Mu finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. The mocking laughter made Yu Xiaogang's face turn the color of pig's liver.
"What are you laughing at? How much could an ignorant brat like you possibly know about the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul?"
Yu Xiaogang shouted angrily, clenching his fists tightly.
"How much I know about the Blue Silver Grass is not important. But I know that if he becomes your disciple, his Blue Silver Grass will definitely be ruined. With your strength, you will undoubtedly choose a ten-year Bamboo Spirit Beast for him."
Lin Mu sneered.
If they hadn't encountered the Datura Snake in the original story, Yu Xiaogang would have chosen his backup plan: letting Tang San absorb a ten-year Bamboo Soul Ring.
With this level of competence, he still had the nerve to call himself a master.
If Tang San hadn't hidden his strength, the two of them would have been swallowed by the Datura Snake long ago.
Moreover, the Datura Snake's Soul Ring was not compatible with Blue Silver Grass, yet Yu Xiaogang didn't think so and directly allowed Tang San to absorb it.
Another possibility is that this was entirely Yu Xiaogang's doing out of desperation. Since he couldn't find any other suitable Soul Beasts at the time, he simply decided to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless.
The result? The powerful toxin that almost sent Yu Xiaogang to his death only provided a paralyzing effect after Tang San absorbed it.
The venom of the Datura Snake clashed with the Blue Silver Grass, rendering the toxin mostly ineffective. One was a poison attribute, the other a life attribute—a complete contradiction.
With such a terrible teacher, it's no wonder Tang San's attitude towards Yu Xiaogang changed later in life.
"You—"
Yu Xiaogang hesitated, wanting to refute but unable to speak. In his view, bamboo was indeed more suitable for Blue Silver Grass, and with his limited strength, he wouldn't have to worry about excessive danger.
At this moment, Tang San's eyes flickered; he could already discern who to believe.
This old man dared to deceive him, even planning to make him absorb a ten-year Soul Ring—he was courting death.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang decisively gave up arguing with Lin Mu and turned to Tang San, saying, "Little San, don't listen to his nonsense. Only I can teach you how to cultivate a useless Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass."
Even now, Yu Xiaogang didn't want to miss the opportunity to prove his theory.
Tang San didn't reply, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his right hand subtly shifted behind his back.