[Is Jade Not Jade: Exactly, and Xiao Gang is very hardworking too. For his theories, he has put in effort that ordinary people can't even imagine!]
Liu Erlong immediately chimed in, her defense being more emotional and direct.
Li Yifei looked at these two messages that popped up almost simultaneously, his heart completely unmoved.
Oh, hard work.
This is the cheapest praise for a loser.
[Li Yifei: Oh, then do you know his core philosophy?]
He continued to guide the conversation like a patient hunter, leading his prey step by step into the logical trap he had set.
[Bibi Dong: There are no trash Spirits, only trash Spirit Masters.]
[Is Jade Not Jade: There are no trash Spirits, only trash Spirit Masters!]
The two spoke in unison again, as if proclaiming an unbreakable truth.
These words, revered as a gold standard by countless Spirit Masters on the continent, emanated from their thoughts, filled with a sense of power.
However, in the next second, a casual remark from Li Yifei caused this sense of power to crumble.
[Li Yifei: Then if I call Yu Xiaogang a piece of trash, you shouldn't have any objections, right?]
The Chat Group fell into a deathly silence.
Inside Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong stood up abruptly, her luxurious Pope's robes fluttering without wind, as a terrifying Killing Intent uncontrollably leaked out.
At Blue Tyrant Academy, Liu Erlong crushed the teacup in her hand with a "crack." Scalding tea splashed onto the back of her hand, but she felt nothing.
They were both stunned by those words.
Before they could retort, Li Yifei's follow-up attack came immediately.
[Li Yifei: After all, since there are no trash Spirits, the fact that he can't Breakthrough Rank 29 is purely because he himself is trash.]
The logic was clear, the evidence conclusive.
He was using the very "truth" they had just been defending.
At this moment, the theory they took pride in turned into the sharpest dagger in Li Yifei's hand, accurately piercing Yu Xiaogang's heart and shredding their defense.
This impact was far more lethal than any insults or belittling.
In the deathly silent Chat Group, a playful voice with a hint of innocent confusion broke the awkwardness.
[Worlds Number One Princess: Wait! That so-called Grandmaster can't Breakthrough Rank 29? Is that for real?]
Ning Rongrong's words were filled with "pure" shock, as if she had completely forgotten her own previous comments.
[Worlds Number One Princess: Rank 29? That's even lower than Uncle Fu, the janitor at my house. Uncle Fu is already at Rank 31!]
Her words seemed to carry no malice, yet they caused a destructive effect more terrifying than any ill intent.
It instantly dragged the deified "Theoretical Grandmaster" back to reality and performed a public execution using the cruelest yardstick of strength.
[Little Fox Demon: Pfft~ If you put it that way... it does... indeed seem a bit trashy.]
Hu Liena couldn't help herself; she was already puzzled by her teacher's defense of that man.
[Ghost Cat:...Irrefutable.]
Zhu Zhuqing's evaluation was short and concise.
[A Little Wild Goose: My grandfather also says that practice is the only criterion for testing truth.]
Dugu Yan immediately took a side; she was now Li Yifei's most loyal supporter.
The girls' discussion was like a series of loud slaps across the faces of Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong.
They wanted to retort but found they had no way to speak.
Because Li Yifei had already blocked all their paths.
[Li Yifei: This is the core of his theory; you can't refute it, right?]
His final message was calm and indifferent, yet it carried the weight of a judgment that ended everything.
In Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong slowly sat back on her throne. The Killing Intent she radiated vanished without a trace, replaced by a fatigue and emptiness originating from the depths of her Soul.
She had lost.
Logically, she had been completely crushed by this man.
She suddenly understood why Li Yifei called her "Blind Douluo."
Because she really had been blind in the past.
Just as Bibi Dong's worldview was crumbling, another unyielding thought rang out in the Chat Group with a touch of solitary courage.
[Is Jade Not Jade: That's because... that's because Xiao Gang spent all his energy on theoretical research! He sacrificed his cultivation time to perfect his theories!]
Liu Erlong's voice trembled slightly; this was the only and final defense she could think of.
Like a drowning person, she desperately clung to this straw called "hard work."
These words also allowed a flicker of light to return to Bibi Dong's dazed eyes.
Right.
That was it.
It wasn't that he didn't want to Cultivate, but that he gave up his personal future for a greater cause, to light the way for all Spirit Masters on the continent.
He was great.
He was selfless.
However, this newly reconstructed psychological defense was as fragile as paper in the face of Li Yifei's next words.
[Li Yifei: Oh? What about other theoretical researchers?]
[Li Yifei: There are so many scholars across the continent studying Spirits; how many of them are like him, stuck at Rank 29 for their entire lives?]
Li Yifei's question carried no emotion, merely stating a cold fact.
This question was like a heavy hammer, slamming hard into the hearts of Liu Erlong and Bibi Dong.
Yes.
What about the other researchers?
Spirit Hall itself supported a massive theoretical research department. Although the scholars there couldn't compare to combat Spirit Masters in strength, those who reached the Soul Ancestor or Spirit King Realms were everywhere.
Even in some long-standing great Families, the Elders responsible for organizing classics and studying Spirit characteristics were definitely beyond the level of a Spirit Grandmaster.
Why was he the only one so special?
In the Chat Group, after a brief silence, Hu Liena's thoughts emerged faintly.
[Little Fox Demon: The theory teachers at our Spirit Hall Academy are at least Spirit Emperors... Although they might not be good at fighting, their spirit power Ranks are the real deal.]
Her statement seemed like an innocent presentation of facts.
But every word was like a needle, piercing Liu Erlong's fragile defense.
[Worlds Number One Princess: Right, right! Grandpa Qin, who manages the Library Pavilion in our Sect, is a Rank 67 Spirit Emperor! He even said that because he reads every day, it delayed his cultivation; otherwise, he would have been able to attempt a Breakthrough to Spirit Saint long ago.]
Ning Rongrong immediately followed up, her tone full of innocent comparison.
Her version of "delayed cultivation" resulted in a Rank 67 Spirit Emperor.
While Yu Xiaogang's "delayed cultivation" resulted in a Rank 29 Spirit Grandmaster.
This comparison was too cruel and too real.
[A Little Wild Goose: Brother Yi Fei is right... My grandfather also knows several scholars who specialize in toxic and plant Spirits. They stay in various dangerous places year-round for experiments, but even the lowest among them is a Spirit King.]
Dugu Yan sided with him without hesitation.