A Scholar's Business Isn't Stealing

He had been wondering just a moment ago why a complete stranger would suddenly say such things to him; it turned out this was the scheme behind it!

The look he cast at Yu Xiaogang was instantly filled with the same disdain Lin Yue held, with an added touch of coldness.

A person like this actually wanted to trick him into becoming an apprentice, wanted to use him—this was simply courting death!

He spoke up, his tone full of agreement: "Lin Yue is right. Being able to teach a loser to become a genius, that is true skill. What does it count for to cultivate someone who is already a genius? It is nothing more than basking in someone else's glory."

With the two of them singing in harmony, Yu Xiaogang was left speechless, his face turning from green to white. His entire body trembled, and his mind was a chaotic mess.

No! This is all wrong!

Tang San's reaction is wrong, and this Lin Yue who suddenly appeared is even more wrong! How could she know these things? How could she be so clear about his own background?

Could it be... that she is also a reincarnator?

Is she also here to latch onto Tang San, this golden thigh that leads to godhood?

Does she want to get ahead of him and secure a spot for herself to become a god?

This thought struck Yu Xiaogang's mind like a bolt of lightning, instantly breaking him out in a cold sweat.

No! Absolutely not!

Tang San is his! He was the one who discovered him first! He was the one who raised him in his past life! The spot for godhood can only be his!

Yet, he dared not voice this suspicion.

If he were to speak it out, and this Lin Yue truly was a reincarnator, would she kill him on the spot just to keep his mouth shut?

Would she skewer him and his Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao, like a kebab?

A power-attack Soul Master who possessed a century-old soul ring at the age of six killing a useless Soul Grand Master like him—who was over fifty and only just reached level thirty—would be far too simple.

After all, all his strength lay in that external beast Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao; he couldn't even perform a standard Martial Soul Possession.

One could say he was a weakling himself; what could he possibly use to fight back?

His top-tier, clever flat-top haircut?

He forcibly suppressed the panic in his heart, stiffened his neck, and shouted righteously: "Nonsense! How can the affairs of a scholar be called stealing?! Even if there were scattered records from predecessors, it was I who spent decades of heart and blood to organize and perfect them into a complete theoretical system of Martial Souls! In the entire Douluo Continent, no one understands Martial Souls better than I do! I possess exclusive knowledge that countless Soul Masters, and even high-level Soul Master Academies, do not know. I can teach all of this to you better than anyone else!"

"Oh? Exclusive knowledge?"

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a playful expression: "Then why don't you share a few points for us to hear? I'd like to see what kind of extraordinary exclusive knowledge it is."

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth, calculating rapidly in his mind.

He had to bring out something real to stun these two children, otherwise, he would lose his last chance.

He steadied himself, brought out his most fundamental and widely known theory, and said in a deep voice: "Fine! I will start by telling you the most basic theory of soul ring absorption limits. A Soul Master's first soul ring has a limit of four hundred and twenty-three years, the second is seven hundred and sixty-four years, the third is one thousand seven hundred and sixty years, the fourth is five thousand years, and the fifth is ten thousand years! These are the iron rules of soul ring absorption that I have researched. Exceeding these limits will inevitably cause a Soul Master to be backlashed by the power of the soul ring, resulting in serious injury at best, or death by explosion at worst!"

After finishing, he looked at the two with a smug expression, waiting for them to show shock.

However, he did not expect Lin Yue to laugh out loud. She casually pulled a thick, leather-bound book from her bag and handed it to them. On the cover, several large characters were clearly written—

Complete Compendium of Soul Master Knowledge

Lin Yue flipped to a page, pointed at the content, and looked at him with a mocking smile: "Iron rules? Are you living in a dream? See for yourself what is written in this book."

Yu Xiaogang leaned in to look, and his face changed instantly. The page clearly stated: Beyond the normal upper limits of soul ring absorption, there is actually no fixed limit; the core depends on the Soul Master's own physical strength, mental resilience, and the bloodline quality and attribute compatibility of the target soul beast. At the same age, the energy intensity of a common century-old Blue Silver Grass soul beast and a century-old dragon-type soul beast are worlds apart and cannot be generalized. For those with sufficient physical strength, it is not impossible to absorb a thousand-year soul ring as a first soul ring, provided the ring has a high age but low energy.

The book not only contained the theory but also attached dozens of real-life cases. It even clearly listed reference values for soul ring absorption corresponding to different levels of physical strength, making it infinitely more detailed and rigorous than his so-called "limit iron rules."

With a "slap," Lin Yue closed the book, looked at the pale-faced Yu Xiaogang, and sneered: "How is it? Does your face hurt? Is this it? Great Waste-Gang, you call this your exclusive research?"

Yu Xiaogang trembled with rage, his face turning beet red as if he had been slapped a dozen times, burning with pain.

He gritted his teeth, frantically searching his mind for knowledge he had only encountered in the later stages of his past life, and suddenly blurted out: "Then do you know that when absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring, it produces a soul shock! This shock directly impacts the Soul Master's mental origin, and the slightest carelessness will turn one into an idiot, or even result in the total destruction of the soul! Even many Title Douluos do not know this; is this also written in that book?!"

This was a secret he had only learned after Xiao Wu told him while he was accompanying Tang San to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring in his past life. Upon his rebirth, he had intended to use this to completely win Tang San over.

But the moment he finished speaking, Lin Yue opened the book again, flipped to the later pages, pointed to a chapter, and said expressionlessly: "The chapter <Detailed Analysis of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring Absorption and Soul Shock> is written clearly, even including methods to avoid soul shock and techniques for mental defense. What? Do you want me to read it to you?"

Yu Xiaogang's eyes went round, as if he had seen a ghost. He snatched the book from Lin Yue's hand and flipped through it frantically.

The more he read, the more terrified and panicked he became. Every single theory within his proud Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul was recorded in detail in this book, even more deeply, comprehensively, and rigorously than his own research! From Martial Soul classification, soul ring absorption, and attribute compatibility to Martial Soul mutation, soul bone adaptation, and even the taboos of Twin Martial Souls cultivation—everything was there!

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Yu Xiaogang suddenly began to shriek hysterically, his hands tearing at the book frantically until the pages were shredded to pieces and scattered across the floor.

"These are my theories! These are things I researched for a lifetime! How could they appear in this book! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

He collapsed into a state of total breakdown, his eyes bloodshot, looking like a madman.

His greatest reliance upon his rebirth was his Martial Soul theory, which was ahead of the entire era, but now, all his reliance had already been written in a book long ago!

"See, Little San, this is a lunatic."