Yu Xiaogang stood frozen in place, his old face turning pale and then red, so embarrassed he almost wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground.
Every word Qian Renxue said hit the nail on the head. The " Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul " that he was so proud of was actually a collection of books he had searched through in the Spirit Hall, along with the Spirit Master theories collected by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. He pieced it together and then put his own name on it. He had no way to refute these things.
But how could he accept that!
To integrate these scattered theories, he spent countless days and nights revising them tirelessly. How could this not be the culmination of his hard work?
How dare this arrogant woman tear apart his pride in public!
More and more students gathered around to watch, and the way these teenagers looked at him completely changed.
The gazes that had initially held a hint of awe now turned into doubt, and every whispered word pierced his ears.
"So Master Yu's theories are all copied from ancient texts?"
"No wonder he always carries the title of 'Grandmaster' but never gives us lectures in person; he only talks about things from books!"
"He can't even master his own martial spirit, stuck at level 29 his whole life. Is his theory really useful?"
These comments, like needles, pierced Yu Xiaogang's sensitive heart.
He was already filled with inferiority and sensitivity because of his failed Martial Soul Mutation and his inability to break through the level 30 bottleneck in his life. The only spiritual pillar in his life was this book, " Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul ", and the name of the Grandmaster. Now that it had been torn to shreds in public, he was furious and lost his composure.
"You're spouting nonsense! This is blatant slander!" Yu Xiaogang pointed at Qian Renxue, his voice shrill and distorted. "I was summarizing the essence of my predecessors and elevating the Martial Soul Theory system. How can that be considered plagiarism? You're just a young girl who doesn't understand the profoundness of Martial Soul Theory at all. You're just taking things out of context and trying to attract attention!"
"Summarize the essence?" Qian Renxue scoffed, taking a half-step forward. An invisible spiritual pressure pressed down on Yu Xiaogang Yu Xiaogang, instantly causing him to catch his breath and involuntarily take a half-step back.
"You haven't even changed the core logic of the complete theories that have already been written down by our predecessors. You've only changed a few words, yet you dare to brazenly claim them as your own. If this is considered a summary and refinement, then any literate Spirit Master could excerpt a few ancient books and call themselves a Grandmaster of theory!"
She lightly tapped the ancient book spread out on the stone table with her fingertips, each word clearly reaching the ears of everyone present. "Moreover, your own Martial Soul Mutation failed, and your soul power has been stuck at level twenty-nine for decades without being able to break through. You can't even understand how to cultivate your own martial soul, so what right do you have to stand here and talk so much about Martial Soul Theory?"
At this point, she seemed to suddenly remember something, and covered her mouth with a soft laugh, "Speaking of which, you're almost fifty before reaching level thirty. You, this 'theoretical Grandmaster,' are truly gifted!"
A burst of laughter erupted from the surrounding area.
But these words precisely struck at Yu Xiaogang's greatest pain in his life!
He felt a sudden tightness in his chest, his blood surged, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.
The failure of his Martial Soul Mutation, which prevented him from ever reaching the Soul Grandmaster level again, was the deepest and greatest scar in his heart. Now, Qian Renxue had ruthlessly exposed it in public, along with the theoretical achievements he cherished as his life, trampling them underfoot without mercy. This instantly made him tremble with rage, his eyes turning bloodshot as he stared intently at Qian Renxue, the resentment in his eyes almost solidifying into a tangible form.
Qian Renxue's smile grew even brighter.
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang was emotionally agitated and his defenses were broken. She heard all the turbulent thoughts surging in his mind.
Those arrogant, self-deprecating, dark, and twisted emotions were raging wildly within him.
"Why?! I've put in so much effort, and in the end, I got nothing! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan looks down on me, and the entire Soul Master World laughs at me! Why?!"
" That Bibi Dong! She clearly promised to elope with me back then, but in the end, she still obediently gave in to that old hag Qian Xunji! If it weren't for her, how could I have ended up like this today!"
"These brats who haven't even grown their hair yet dare to look down on me? And that pair of scoundrels, they both deserve to die! They both deserve to die!"
"I did nothing wrong! The world is wrong! Everyone who looks down on me is wrong!"
Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed slightly, and a murderous intent instantly surged in her heart.
That bastard, that scumbag! He was using her from beginning to end, blaming everyone else for his failures!
Just then, Luo Can slowly stood up, stepped forward, and gently took Qian Renxue's wrist, his face bearing a perfectly measured apology. " Master Yu, please calm down. My wife is straightforward and speaks her mind directly. If she has offended you in any way, please forgive her. However, what she said is not entirely without reason. After all, there is evidence in ancient texts, and everyone present knows the truth."
These words, though seemingly meant to reconcile, were in fact adding fuel to the fire, firmly cementing Yu Xiaogang's reputation for plagiarism.
Yu Xiaogang immediately understood that the couple were working together in concert, having come all the way to the Nuoding Academy specifically to humiliate him in public!
Desperate to salvage his last shred of dignity, Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth and glared at Qian Renxue: "Do you dare to make a bet with me? Three days from now, right here in the central square of the Nuoding Academy, we'll have a public debate on Martial Soul Theory! If you win, I'll publicly admit my theory is flawed and kowtow to you in apology; if you lose, you'll publicly kowtow and admit your mistakes, retract all your slanderous words, and never again dare to speak ill of my Martial Soul Theory!"
He was still betting that Qian Renxue was too young, and even if she had read a few ancient books, she couldn't possibly be truly proficient in the deep logic of Martial Soul Theory. As long as he held his ground and subtly changed the subject and downplayed the important points in the debate, he would definitely be able to turn the tide and re-establish his authority.
Qian Renxue merely raised an eyebrow, her face full of disdain. "Don't even mention three days, even if we debated today, I could refute your fallacies completely. But since you insist on saving face for three more days, then I'll give you that chance, three days it is."
"Good! Good! Good!" Yu Xiaogang said "good" three times in a row, his voice trembling with anger. He glared venomously at Luo Can and Qian Renxue, and amidst the strange looks from the surrounding students, he turned and fled into the depths of the academy in a disheveled state.
As soon as he left, the students watching erupted in a frenzy. The debate between the theoretical Grandmaster and the mysterious female scholar on Martial Soul Theory, scheduled for three days later, instantly became the hottest topic at the Nuoding Academy, with everyone discussing the outcome.
Watching Yu Xiaogang flee in disarray, Qian Renxue turned to Luo Can, her eyes filled with satisfaction. "Husband, look at his outwardly strong but inwardly weak appearance, he's truly pathetic."
Luo Can chuckled, shook his head, reached out and took Tang Ya's hand, who was still peering out from the crowd. He led the two of them slowly away from the tree-lined path, saying as they walked, "It's just empty fame that's exhausting. The more he cares about his reputation, the easier it is for us to manipulate him. After all, this so-called ' Grandmaster ' title is the only meaning in his life now."
Tang Ya followed closely beside the two, her little face full of disappointment.
She had heard the records in the Tang Sect's classic texts since she was a child, and always thought that this teacher of the Sea God was a highly respected theoretical master. But seeing him with her own eyes today, she realized that he had no Grandmaster demeanor at all, and was clearly just a clown who sought fame and fortune.
She couldn't help but tilt her head up and say to the two of them, "Master, Mistress, this Yu Xiaogang is so useless. He's clearly in the wrong, yet he still tries to argue his way out of it. Now I completely understand, he doesn't deserve the title of ' Grandmaster ' at all."
Luo Can smiled and gently patted her head, explaining to her in a soft voice, " The Martial Soul Theory is something that predecessors have constantly summarized and later generations have innovated upon. However, Yu Xiaogang's cultivation level limited his vision. He simply didn't have the ability to verify his own theories, so the set of things he summarized was not taken seriously by the Upper Three Sects and major forces."
"Moreover, his personality is inherently stubborn and insecure, and he is unwilling to lower himself to put his theories into practice. It wasn't until Tang San appeared, with his Blue Silver Grass Innate Full Soul Power, that he saw hope in proving his theories."
Tang Ya nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
The three of them slowly left the Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy and returned to their small courtyard along the street, leaving behind only the city's heated discussion about this theoretical bet, which spread wider and wider in Nuoding City.