Soto Great Spirit Arena, VIP passage backstage.
Outside the "World Burial" team's lounge.
Flender pushed his crystal glasses up the bridge of his nose, looking helplessly at the crew-cut middle-aged man beside him, whose face was alight with excitement.
"Xiao Gang, are you sure you want to do this? They just won their match and are celebrating. It wouldn't be proper for us to barge in and bother them, would it?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head, a fervent, stubborn look on his stiff face.
"Flender, you don't understand."
"That move the boy used in the match just now, 'Dragon Roar,' definitely wasn't an ordinary Spirit Skill! No Spirit Ring flashed, yet it dealt both mental and physical damage... It could very well be the legendary 'Self-Created Soul Skill'! Perhaps even some kind of Martial Soul Mutation I've never heard of!"
The Grandmaster clenched his fists, his eyes shining with a thirst for knowledge—or rather, with the desire to claim the discovery for himself and write it into a book.
"If I can figure out how it works, my theory of the 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul' will be even more complete! I might even fill the theoretical gap in 'incantation without a ring'!"
"And besides..."
The Grandmaster paused, a hint of arrogance entering his voice. "These children may be exceptionally talented, but their tactics are extremely crude. You saw it yourself just now. Their Support Spirit Master actually sat down to rest? That's an insult to the battlefield! If no one guides them, their arrogance will eventually get them killed."
"As an elder, now that I've seen this, it's my responsibility to offer them some guidance."
Flender's mouth twitched.
Guidance?
They'd taken down the Mad Battle Team with a single shout. Did they really need a Soul Grandmaster at level twenty-nine to guide them?
But he knew his old friend's temperament. All he could do was sigh. "Fine. But I'll say this upfront: if they give you a cold reception, don't say I didn't warn you."
The Shrek Seven Devils followed the two academy heads.
Watching his teacher's excited back, Tang San felt a little worried. The black-clad boy's gaze... instinctively told him this encounter wouldn't go well.
Knock, knock, knock.
The Grandmaster straightened his collar, struck a dignified pose, and knocked on the lounge door.
"Come in."
A lazy voice came from inside.
The Grandmaster pushed the door open and entered.
The lounge was extravagantly luxurious.
The seven members of the "World Burial" team had already removed their masks.
Yu Tianyu was stretched out on the sofa. Ye Lingling was peeling grapes for him, while Dugu Yan massaged his legs. Yu Feng and Osler were counting their winnings from the bets, and the Shi Brothers were having a late-night snack.
When a group of people barged in, Yu Tianyu didn't even raise his eyelids. He simply opened his mouth and accepted the grape Ye Lingling offered him.
"What is it?"
His voice was cold, radiating an arrogance that kept people at a distance.
The Grandmaster frowned.
That attitude rubbed him the wrong way. In his view, no matter how talented young people were, they ought to respect their teachers.
"I'm a teacher at Shrek Academy. You can call me Gra—Teacher Yu."
The Grandmaster clasped his hands behind his back and stepped forward, fixing his gaze on Yu Tianyu. "I watched your match just now. I have to say, you're very talented, and your Soul Power Level is outstanding for your age."
"But."
Here came that classic "but."
The Grandmaster's tone turned stern. "Your tactical coordination was an absolute mess!"
The lounge fell quiet.
Yu Feng stopped counting money. Osler set down his cup. Dugu Yan stopped massaging Yu Tianyu's legs.
Everyone looked at the man, who was only level twenty-nine, as if he were an idiot.
"Oh?"
Yu Tianyu finally sat up, looking at the Grandmaster with interest. "What was such a mess? I'm all ears."
The Grandmaster assumed the other boy was eager to learn, and a feeling of satisfaction immediately welled up inside him.
He held up one finger and launched into a lecture:
"First, in a team, the Support Spirit Master is both the core and the weak point. You actually let that girl"—he pointed at Ye Lingling—"sit off to the side and rest? What if the Mad Battle Team had a hidden agility-type Spirit Master lying in wait to ambush her? That's irresponsible toward your teammate's life!"
"Second, those two defensive-type Spirit Masters"—he pointed at the Shi Brothers—"abandoned their defense and attacked instead? You may have won, but that was a risky move! Against stronger opponents, giving up your defense is tantamount to suicide!"
"Third, and most importantly."
The Grandmaster stared hard at Yu Tianyu. "You rely far too much on your own strength. That roaring skill may be powerful, but it must consume a great deal of energy. If your opponents withstand the first wave and the battle drags on, your team—with no staying power and no coordination—will inevitably lose!"
When he finished, the Grandmaster took a deep breath and put on an expression that said, "I'm only saying this for your own good."
"Talent isn't an excuse to squander your potential, young man. If you're willing, you can sit in on my classes at Shrek Academy. I can help you redesign your tactics and even... study how to improve your Self-Created Soul Skill."
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Even Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, among the Shrek Seven Devils, found it awkward. These people had just crushed their opponents in seconds, and now this man had come to call them worthless before inviting them to sit in on his classes?
"Haha... hahahaha!"
A sudden burst of laughter broke the silence.
Yu Tianyu laughed so hard he doubled over, nearly crying.
"Yan-yan, did you hear that? He wants to teach me tactics? And show me how to improve my Spirit Skill?"
Dugu Yan let out a cold laugh, her green eyes full of scorn. "I heard. You don't see this every day. A worthless level-twenty-nine weakling wants to teach a Soul Elder team how to fight."
"Outrageous!"
Tang San couldn't hold back. He stepped forward, activated his Purple Demon Eye, and glared at Dugu Yan. "Don't insult my teacher! His theory of the 'Ten Core Competencies' is famous throughout the Soul Master World. You couldn't begin to understand his wisdom!"
"Wisdom?"
Yu Tianyu stopped laughing and slowly rose to his feet.
He walked up to the Grandmaster.
Though he was only ten, he was already quite tall for his age. Combined with his overwhelming draconic presence, he completely dwarfed the Grandmaster in sheer presence.
"Yu Xiaogang."
Yu Tianyu called the Grandmaster by name, his voice cold as ice. "Since you've come all this way to ask for an insult, I'll oblige you."
"You said I shouldn't have let the Support Spirit Master rest?"
"Ye Lingling, tell this 'Grandmaster' what your Martial Soul is."
Ye Lingling stood up, her cool voice ringing out. "Nine Heart Begonia."
"W-what?!"
The Grandmaster shuddered, shock appearing on his stiff face. "The undying support... the Nine Heart Begonia?!"
"That's right."
Yu Tianyu sneered. "A Nine Heart Begonia Spirit Master can keep the whole team alive as long as she still draws breath. And under my tactics, no one can so much as touch a hair on her head as long as I'm still standing. So why can't she rest?"
"And as for your claim that defensive-type Spirit Masters shouldn't attack..."
Yu Tianyu pointed at Shi Mo and Shi Mo. "That's the thinking of a mediocre person. When faced with overwhelming strength and weight, offense is the best defense. If you don't even understand how to adapt, what gives you the right to talk about tactics?"
"And another thing..."
Yu Tianyu stepped closer to the Grandmaster, a dangerous glint in his mismatched eyes.
"You want to study my Self-Created Soul Skill?"
"Yu Xiaogang, do you really want to study it? Or do you just want to plagiarize it?"
"I..." The Grandmaster's face flushed red, as if Yu Tianyu had struck a nerve. "How can academic exchange be called plagiarism? I'm doing this for the advancement of the entire Soul Master World..."
"Save it, hypocrite."
Yu Tianyu cut him off without mercy. "How much of your so-called 'Ten Core Competencies' have you actually tested yourself? And how much did you copy from Spirit Hall's archives and piece together?"
"There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Spirit Masters?"
"Hearing those words from you is the biggest joke of all!"
"If no Martial Soul is useless, then why have you cultivated for decades and still only reached level twenty-nine? Why is your Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao, good for nothing but farting?!"
Boom!
Those words plunged like a sharp knife into the most fragile, most self-conscious part of the Grandmaster's heart.
His face turned as white as paper. His lips trembled as he pointed at Yu Tianyu, but he couldn't get a single word out. "You... you..."
"You what?"
Yu Tianyu didn't give him a moment to catch his breath.
"What? Don't believe me? Think I only got this strong because my family piled resources on me?"
"Fine. Then I'll show you what bloodline is, and what a... True Dragon is!"
"Roar—!!!"
This wasn't a Dragon Roar cast with Dragon Slayer Magic.
This time, Yu Tianyu awakened the dormant supreme bloodline of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon within him!
A pure, domineering draconic might, like that of an ancient Thunder God descending upon the world, instantly filled the entire lounge!
"Gurgle..."
The Grandmaster's Martial Soul—Luo Sanpao, a creature that looked like a cross between a pig and a dog—burst out uncontrollably.
But the moment it appeared, it seemed to have come face-to-face with its ancestor. Its four legs gave way, and it collapsed to the floor, trembling. Even its signature fart was scared back inside as it let out a pitiful whimper.
Since the Grandmaster was connected to his Martial Soul, he immediately felt a tremor rise from the depths of his soul.
His knees buckled.
Thud!
Under everyone's shocked gaze,
the Grandmaster, famed for his "unmatched theories" and now deathly pale, dropped to his knees before Yu Tianyu.
It wasn't that he wanted to kneel.
It was his Martial Soul—a failed mutation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—submitting instinctively before a true higher dragon race!
"Teacher!"
Tang San's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.
This was the teacher he respected most! And now someone had forced him to his knees?
"You're asking for death!"
Tang San roared. Eight Spider Lances sprang from his back—if he didn't have them, he would use Blue Silver Grass—and he activated both Mysterious Jade Hand and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. Several flashes of light—Dragon Whisker Needles—shot straight toward Yu Tianyu's throat.
For the sake of his teacher's dignity, he'd decided to kill!
"Little San! Don't be rash!" Flender cried out in alarm, but it was already too late to stop him.
"Hmph. Hidden weapons?"
Yu Tianyu didn't even look at the Dragon Whisker Needles flying toward him.
He merely raised his left hand.
"Lightning."
Zzzzt—!!!
A curtain of blue-purple lightning sprang up in front of him.
The Dragon Whisker Needles, sharp enough to pierce metal and stone, struck the lightning curtain. Like snow hitting molten lava, they melted into iron droplets and fell to the ground.
Then,
Yu Tianyu backhanded Tang San.
He used no Spirit Skill, only the strength of his body, augmented by a touch of lightning.
"Smack!!!"
The slap rang out, crisp and clear.
Tang San, charging forward, was struck by an invisible giant hand. He spun three times in midair before crashing hard into the wall!
"Pfft!"
Tang San hit the floor and spat out a mouthful of blood. Half his face swelled up like a pig's head.
"Tang San, you're too weak right now."
Yu Tianyu lowered his hand and took out a handkerchief to wipe it. "You aren't even worth making me fight seriously."
"Little San!"
The Shrek group rushed over to help Tang San up.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun glared at Yu Tianyu, ready to attack, but Flender held them back.
Flender was a Spirit Saint. He could tell that, in that brief moment, there had been more than just Yu Tianyu's presence in the room.
In the dark corner, a killing intent that sent chills down his spine had locked onto him. That was Ji Wushuang, who was guarding Yu Tianyu from the shadows.
If Flender dared to make a move, the Shrek group might all die here today.
"Young man, you've gone too far," Flender said grimly, his face dark.
"Too far?"
Yu Tianyu looked down at the Grandmaster, who was still kneeling.
"Compared to the shameful things he did to the family back then, and his theories that have led his students astray, what I've done is nothing."
Yu Tianyu bent down and leaned close to the Grandmaster's face, slick with cold sweat.
In a voice only the two of them could hear, he murmured:
"Yu Xiaogang, do you know who I am?"
"I'm Yu Yuanzhen's son."
"Your... biological nephew."
Boom!!!
To Yu Xiaogang, those words were even more devastating than being forced to kneel.
His nephew?
The boy who'd humiliated him, beaten him, and made him kneel was part of the family? His older brother's son?
"N-no... that's impossible..."
The Grandmaster stared vacantly ahead, muttering, "Big brother's son... how could he be so strong... how could he..."
He had always thought he was simply a man whose talents had gone unrecognized. If he could just prove his theories, his family would beg him to return.
But now, a ten-year-old junior from his own family had shown him through his actions: your theories are a joke, your strength is a joke, and you yourself are an even bigger joke!
"Remember this feeling, you good-for-nothing."
Yu Tianyu straightened up and kicked Luo Sanpao out of his way.
"Next time you see our 'World Burial' team, remember to stay out of our way."
"Get lost."
The Shrek group slunk away in disgrace.
Flender and Zhao Wuji had to carry Grandmaster out. He looked as if he'd lost his soul, still muttering, "Impossible," and, "I'm right."
Though Tang San's eyes were full of venom, he knew he was outmatched. He could only endure the pain and leave with Xiao Wu supporting him.
Watching their dejected figures disappear, the Imperial Fighting Team's lounge erupted in cheers.
"That felt great! So great!"
Yu Feng leaped up excitedly. "Brother Yu, that slap was so cool! Tang San always acts so tough, but I didn't expect him to be such a pushover!"
"And that Grandmaster—what a joke! He actually got down on his knees to beg Brother Yu!" Osler couldn't help mocking him, either.
Yu Tianyu sat back down on the sofa. He'd looked impressive just now, but he didn't feel particularly stirred.
There was no sense of accomplishment in beating up a twenty-ninth-level Grandmaster.
What he wanted was to shatter Tang San's conviction and seize Shrek's good fortune.
He'd taken the first step.
"All right, that's enough. Settle down."
Yu Tianyu waved a hand. "Go back and get some rest. Tonight was just the beginning. For the next month, if Shrek dares to enter, we'll take them on."
"I want to make sure they can't win a single match in Suotuo City!"
Late that night.
Yu Tianyu returned to his hotel room.
As soon as he closed the door, a soft, warm body embraced him from behind.
"Well done, my little man."
Ji Wushuang's voice sounded in his ear, trembling slightly with excitement. "Your big sister saw everything from the shadows."
"Seeing that good-for-nothing kneel was the most entertaining thing I've seen in years."
She turned to face Yu Tianyu. Her violet eyes shimmered, and she looped her arms around his neck.
"If the sect master hears about what happened today, he'll be so happy he'll drink a couple extra jars of wine."
"As a reward..."
Ji Wushuang suddenly gave him a sultry look, took his hand, and pressed it against her ample chest.
"Tonight, your big sister will teach you a new... dual cultivation technique."
"This technique is designed to harmonize dragon energy and thunder. As for the process... it'll be quite thrilling."
The curtains closed by themselves.
Hiding the springtime scene inside the room.
In the room next door, Tang San clutched his swollen face and spent a sleepless night in pain and humiliation.
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