If This Continues, I, Yu Xiaogang, Will Be Ruined!

"Damn it!"

Tang San felt utterly humiliated. He clenched his fists, his heart filled with stifled rage, yet he dared not speak his anger aloud. These two are definitely not ordinary people. If I don't swallow my pride, I fear both my teacher and I are finished.

A gentleman takes revenge in ten years; for now, I must endure.

Seeing Tang San fall silent, Lin Ye lost interest. "Consider yourself lucky today. You'd best not run into me again, or it won't be as simple as just getting a beating."

"Get lost."

Lin Ye released Tang San's hair and turned to walk toward Qian Renxue.

Seeing Lin Ye dare to turn his back on him, a malicious intent flared in Tang San's heart. With a ruthless impulse, he produced a handful of hidden silver needles, preparing to ambush Lin Ye.

But at that very moment, Lin Ye suddenly released his Martial Soul, and four rings—yellow, purple, purple, and black—rose from beneath his feet.

His voice carried a chilling, intense killing intent: "I advise you, don't resort to such lowly, backstabbing tactics!"

"Yellow, purple! Purple! Black... four... four rings... He is a four-ring Soul Ancestor!!"

Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were both stunned.

Their hearts were filled with shock, and they were terrified out of their wits.

They had guessed that Lin Ye was at most a Soul Grand Master, or perhaps a Soul Elder at best, but the reality was that he was a Soul Ancestor!!!

In that instant, Tang San truly lost his nerve.

He was drenched in cold sweat, filled with extreme terror.

He trembled uncontrollably.

What they feared was not just Lin Ye's strength, but the terrifying talent of someone so young reaching such a realm, along with that stunning, peerless soul ring configuration.

"Two rings at the thousand-year level! Four rings at the ten-thousand-year level! What kind of monster is he?!"

"This... how is this possible! Doesn't Teacher's Ten Core Competencies Martial Soul Theory state that the limit for the first ring is 423 years! The second ring limit is 764 years, and the fourth ring limit is at most 5,000 years!"

"Why! Why did he reach the thousand-year level at the second ring and the ten-thousand-year level at the fourth ring!!!" Tang San simply could not believe it.

Yu Xiaogang was even more unable to believe his eyes, nor could he accept such a soul ring configuration from Lin Ye.

Wasn't this a slap to his face, proving that one of his theories was wrong?

Yu Xiaogang roared in agitation: "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!! According to my Martial Soul theory, the second ring limit is 764 years. How did you manage to reach a thousand years for the second ring?!"

Lin Ye retorted ruthlessly: "Tch, you trash, what do you mean 'how is it possible'? There is no such thing as a limit for a soul master absorbing soul rings!"

"Your theory regarding soul ring absorption limits is nothing more than drawing legs on a snake—utterly ridiculous. If you had used round numbers as limits, like 800 years or 900 years, I wouldn't say anything, but you actually pinpointed it to 764 years? Down to the single digit?"

"You, a level 29 Soul Grand Master, are you that arrogant? What is your basis?"

Yu Xiaogang was left speechless: "I... I...!"

"I what? To be honest, for you, the so-called invincible master of Martial Soul theory, to reach such a low-level theoretical error, I seriously suspect that the vast majority of the theories you published under your own name were plagiarized, rather than conclusions you researched yourself."

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang panicked, his reaction intense: "Shut your mouth! Do not spout blood and slander my reputation!!"

"Yo, why so anxious? Did I hit the nail on the head?" Lin Ye stared straight into Yu Xiaogang's eyes.

By now, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered around.

Someone suddenly spoke up: "That's right! This young brother is correct! I feel that half of the Ten Core Competencies theory published by Master Yu is correct, but the other half clearly has problems! It has been criticized and questioned by the entire soul master world!"

"I previously suspected that if Master Yu's Martial Soul theory were truly invincible, why would there be low-level theories that have obvious problems and are constantly criticized?"

"It feels like some of Master Yu's theories are of a very high level, while others are very low. I couldn't understand why he would have such brilliant insights alongside such low-level ones. If it were plagiarism, then it would make perfect sense!"

"Because it's plagiarism, there are high-level insights, while the low-level ones that are questioned and criticized are the ones Master Yu researched himself. That's why it gives people the feeling that his level fluctuates so wildly!"

"Right! Brother, what you're saying makes a lot of sense! Is this Yu Xiaogang really a plagiarist?"

"Heavens! I was wondering how a level 29 Soul Grand Master could have such high theoretical talent! So Yu Xiaogang is a plagiarist? All the famous theoretical masters on the continent basically start at the Soul Saint level!"

Seeing much and learning much is called being knowledgeable and erudite, but to be called a "Master," one must have their own original work, walking at the forefront of theoretical paths with knowledge they researched themselves.

No one doubted that Yu Xiaogang was knowledgeable and erudite; what everyone was now doubting was whether Yu Xiaogang's theories were actually researched by himself.

If they weren't, and he published them under his own name to gain fame and fortune, that was plagiarism and deception!

"It's over! It's over! If this continues, I, Yu Xiaogang, will surely be ruined!"

"I didn't! You are all spouting nonsense! You are all slandering my reputation with malicious intent!!" Yu Xiaogang was now completely panicked, shouting frantically at the onlookers.

At this moment, Qian Daoliu's soul power transmission suddenly echoed in the ears of Lin Ye and Qian Renxue: "Xiaoxue, disciple, you may pass judgment on Yu Xiaogang for the crime of deception."

Lin Ye: As expected?

"Grandfather, even if most of the theories Yu Xiaogang published were plagiarized rather than researched by himself, we have no evidence!"

Qian Daoliu's voice sounded again: "Grandfather can serve as a witness to prove that most of the theories Yu Xiaogang published were plagiarized from our Martial Soul Hall."

Qian Renxue was stunned: "Plagiarized from our Martial Soul Hall?"

Qian Daoliu recounted the past: "About 16 years ago, this Yu Xiaogang joined our Martial Soul Hall under the recommendation of Bibi Dong. Before that, Yu Xiaogang was unremarkable in the theoretical field."

"But after joining our Martial Soul Hall, he quickly became famous in the theoretical world, becoming an invincible master of theory within just two years."

"Although the theories he published were not considered secrets to an organization with such a long history as our Martial Soul Hall, knowledge in this world is not widely circulated. Most theoretical knowledge is actually held by a few people in large families and major powers."

"Therefore, to most soul masters in the soul master world, the theories Yu Xiaogang published were not available on the market, which is why he became so famous."

"Considering Yu Xiaogang's great fame in the theoretical field of the soul master world, and coupled with Bibi Dong's strong request, Yu Xiaogang eventually became an honorary elder of our Martial Soul Hall."

"Later, because some things happened..."