There was also a female student whose Martial Soul was the Withered Vine. Everyone mocked her, saying it was the most useless Plant-type Martial Soul.
She became so insecure that she even wanted to drop out.
I told her, "There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters."
I took her to the outskirts of Star Dou Forest to observe the vines that grew by consuming corpses.
On the Sky Screen, Wang Yan patiently explained things to the girl.
The path I designed for her wasn't the traditional path of life or poison, but one of parasitism and consumption.
I guided her to choose Soul Beasts with the ability to devour when obtaining her Soul Rings, transforming the Withered Vine's traits from fragility to resilience and absorption.
In the end, the female student's Withered Vine Martial Soul evolved into the Soul-Devouring Withered Vine.
It could Entangle enemies and slowly absorb their Soul Power for its own use, making her an exceptionally troublesome control-type Soul Master.
Examples like this flashed across the Sky Screen one after another.
When a student from a poor family couldn't afford tuition, I anonymously supported them with several months' worth of my salary;
When a student, disheartened by slow cultivation, lost heart, I sat with him on the school field all night, sharing my own experiences to help him through it;
In the research lab late at night, I stayed awake for days trying to solve a student's Martial Soul Mutation problem, and eventually found the optimal Soul Ring Configuration;
Every single one was a true account of how he had devoted himself heart and soul to his students, laboring tirelessly for their futures.
The students affectionately called him "Grandmaster," and his reputation at Shrek grew day by day.
I firmly believe that there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters. Every student deserves to be treated with care.
Douluo I Period
Spirit City.
Watching the scene, Bibi Dong's eyes flashed with disdain.
"He's just a fame-seeker. All he's done is a few little things to win people over."
Yet deep in her heart, she felt the faintest stir.
"There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters!"
How familiar those words sounded!
Long ago, she too had met someone who guided her. But later...
"Hmph!"
In the valley.
Watching the scene, Tang San furrowed his brows even more deeply.
"This man teaches and guides his students, never giving up on a single one. That alone is enough to earn him the title of 'Grandmaster.'"
"The Sky Screen must have made a mistake by listing him as a hypocrite!"
The images on the Sky Screen continued.
I thought my life would go on like that, calm and fulfilling.
Until one day, I met him—Huo Yuhao.
That day, Teacher Zhou Yi came to see me.
She said there was a peculiar student in her class. His Martial Soul was his eyes, and he had only one Ten-Year Soul Ring, yet his will was so tenacious that even she was moved.
She was puzzled by his Martial Soul and wanted me, the "Martial Soul Encyclopedia," to take a look.
In the scene, Wang Yan walked into the classroom and saw the silent, stubborn boy.
At first glance, I was captivated by his unusual eyes. Everyone thought they were nothing more than an ordinary Body Martial Soul, with almost no offensive power and a bleak future.
But I keenly sensed that his Spirit Eyes held limitless potential!
Thrilled by my discovery, I sought him out and told him his Martial Soul wasn't useless—it was a hope for the future.
To make him a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department, I entered the Sea God Pavilion's conference room for the first time.
The scene changed to that solemn conference room.
Wang Yan stood in the middle, facing Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and the other senior members of the Martial Soul Department.
I stood my ground against the opposition and proposed that the Academy designate Huo Yuhao, who had only one ring at the time, as a future core disciple of the Martial Soul Department.
"No!"
Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department, spoke in a stern, decisive voice.
"Teacher Wang, I admit that you've made great contributions to Martial Soul Theory. But core disciples are vital to the Academy's future glory!"
"Huo Yuhao has only one Ten-Year Soul Ring, and the Spirit Eyes Martial Soul has no offensive power of its own. How can he shoulder such a responsibility?"
My proposal was rejected.
But I didn't give up. I explained the role Spirit-type Soul Masters played on a team and described a new tactical system built around him, one that combined control, weakening, support, and detection.
On the screen, Wang Yan argued his case eloquently, but most of the others merely shook their heads.
I failed. They said that a One-Ring Soul Master, a pure support-type Soul Master, wasn't qualified to become the core of the Martial Soul Department.
I saw the disappointment in Huo Yuhao's eyes, and my heart filled with guilt and frustration.
On the square, Huo Yuhao saw the scene and jolted.
He had never imagined that when he was still so weak, Teacher Wang had stood up to such tremendous pressure for his sake.
His eyes instantly reddened.
The monologue on the Sky Screen continued.
But I wasn't willing to give up. I believed in my judgment! I believed in Huo Yuhao's potential!
When Huo Yuhao's Second Martial Soul appeared—the Ice Jade Scorpion, with Ultimate Ice—I knew my chance had come!
The whole Academy was stunned by his Twin Martial Souls, but I saw the first glimmer of proof that my theory was right!
With the report I'd spent all night preparing—hundreds of thousands of words long—I broke into the Sea God Pavilion's meeting for the second time.
On the screen, Wang Yan looked even more impassioned than before. His eyes were bloodshot, yet he was unusually energized.
This time, faced with the irrefutable evidence of an Ultimate Martial Soul and my refined tactical theory, they... finally agreed.
After that, I led them into the Soul Fighting Tournament for the continent's advanced Soul Master academies.
We weren't favored by anyone against the powerful opponents from the Sun Moon Empire.
Scenes from one arduous match after another flashed by.
Wang Yan stayed up all night beneath the stage, analyzing the opponents and devising tactics.
During every timeout, he encouraged the team in a hoarse voice and adjusted their strategy.
In the end, we won the championship!
When Huo Yuhao and his friends stood at the pinnacle of glory, lifting the championship trophy high, I stood below, sincerely proud of them.
At that moment, I felt all my efforts had been worth it.
The image froze on Wang Yan standing among the crowd, applauding with a satisfied smile and tears glistening in the corners of his eyes.
The narration ended, and the images on the light screen slowly faded away.
Douluo II Period
The entire Shrek Academy fell as silent as the grave.
This... was a hypocrite?
What a joke!
Diligent, devoted, learned, protective of his students, expecting no reward, and bringing unparalleled glory to the Academy...
How could someone so nearly saintly possibly be a hypocrite?
"I don't believe it!"
Xiao Xiao, standing beside Huo Yuhao, was the first to cry out.
Her eyes were red, and her voice was choked with tears.
"Teacher Wang is such a good person! How could he be a hypocrite?"
"The Sky Screen must have made a mistake! It's slandering our teacher!"
"Teacher Wang even helped me find a path for cultivating my Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron! He's definitely not a bad person!"
"If Teacher Wang is a hypocrite, are there any good people left in this world?"
The students' voices of support rose one after another, and the crowd grew impassioned.
They couldn't accept that one of the teachers they respected most had been branded with such a disgraceful label.
Huo Yuhao clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.
He looked at Wang Yan, held down by Xuan Zi, his face ashen and his body shaking like a leaf.
What surged in his heart wasn't doubt, but anger and outrage at the injustice!
"Teacher Wang was the one who recognized my potential."
His voice was hoarse but firm.
"Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today! There's definitely something wrong with this ranking!"
Douluo I Period
Shrek Academy.
"This young man is just like me!"
Yu Xiaogang clapped his hands in praise, his face full of admiration and unmistakable pride.
He turned to Flender and Liu Erlong beside him, speaking with obvious excitement:
"See? This young man is just like me!"
"This young man named Wang Yan is upright and learned. Very good, very good!"
"I was right after all. Even ten thousand years later, my theories are still revered as gospel!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, until finally he gave a heavy snort:
"How could a gentleman so devoted to scholarship and protective of his students end up on the Hypocrite Ranking?"
"I say this so-called Heavenly Ranking is sheer nonsense! Utterly ridiculous!"
In Yu Xiaogang's eyes, Wang Yan's experiences were so similar to his own.
Both had exceptional talent and passion for Martial Soul Theory, and both longed to prove themselves through knowledge.
He saw his own reflection in Wang Yan.
For that reason, he absolutely refused to believe Wang Yan could be a hypocrite.
Before you continue