Yu Xiaogang Explodes (Seeking Follow-ups, Seeking Collections)

Seeing the pale blue stench rushing toward him like a tidal wave, Ye Chen did not fear but instead smiled. After their previous exchange, Torchic's Speed Boost ability had already stacked once, making it no difficult task to evade the shroud of gas.

Covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve, Ye Chen lowered his voice and commanded, "Torchic, hold your breath, dodge to the left, then use Ember for a ranged attack!"

As soon as the command fell, Torchic immediately held its breath, its figure darting to the left like a golden bolt of lightning, easily escaping the range of the pale blue stench.

Immediately after, it opened its sharp beak and unleashed a burst of Ember, the power even greater than before, driving a scorching gust of wind straight toward Luo Sanpao.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang's pupils constricted. He instinctively wanted to recall Luo Sanpao, but remembering Ye Chen's warning, he could only grit his teeth and command, "Sanpao, dodge!"

Luo Sanpao dodged in a panic, narrowly avoiding the spray of embers.

At this very moment, having stacked its speed twice, Torchic had already arrived at Luo Sanpao's landing spot in advance.

"Now! Use Scratch to unleash a flurry of hooks, attack with everything you've got!"

Receiving Ye Chen's order, Torchic used its claws as fists, beginning to pummel the newly landed Luo Sanpao with rapid-fire left and right hooks. The strange "Chamo, Chamo" cries echoed across the playground.

With the Focus Energy skill buff, every punch Torchic landed struck Luo Sanpao's vital points with near-perfect precision.

"Luo, Luo—" Luo Sanpao let out a painful wail. It wanted to counterattack, but it couldn't keep up with Torchic's speed at all and could only take the beating passively.

Dean Ding, watching from the sidelines, was completely stunned; Torchic's combat power far exceeded his expectations.

Meanwhile, watching Luo Sanpao endure blow after blow, Yu Xiaogang fell into a daze. When he finally snapped back to reality and wanted to activate his first soul skill, Earth-Shattering Luo Sanpao, a piercing pain suddenly surged through his body.

Suppressing the agony, Yu Xiaogang quickly realized that this pain came from the backlash of his external martial soul. Every punch Luo Sanpao took felt as if it were landing on his own body.

Enduring the pain transmitted back from Luo Sanpao, Yu Xiaogang neither screamed nor conceded. The pride in his bones would not allow him to lose to a six-year-old child who didn't even have a soul ring; otherwise, he would become a laughingstock!

In just a few short breaths, Luo Sanpao had taken no fewer than ten consecutive hooks, its eyes rolling into spirals before it collapsed with a thud, completely losing its ability to fight.

At the same time, Yu Xiaogang let out a muffled groan, his body swaying before he could no longer hold himself up, collapsing to the ground in a sorry state.

His face was bruised and battered, blood hung from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were unfocused and dazed, as if he had personally experienced the beating Torchic had dealt.

With Luo Sanpao unable to fight and Yu Xiaogang himself lacking combat capability, this sparring match was undoubtedly a total victory for Ye Chen and Torchic.

Looking at Yu Xiaogang sitting on the ground, Ye Chen couldn't help but feel fortunate.

It was a good thing he had the support of his body martial soul, which granted him powerful combat capabilities and also mitigated the backlash from any injuries Torchic sustained.

Otherwise, Yu Xiaogang's fate today might well be his own in the future.

As Luo Sanpao dissolved into purple light, the pale blue stench dissipated completely.

Ye Chen suddenly felt the soul power within his body surging wildly. The combat experience gained from defeating Yu Xiaogang poured back into him, causing his original level sixteen soul power to soar, shooting straight to the peak of level seventeen—just one step away from level eighteen.

Seeing Dean Ding run over to help Yu Xiaogang up, Ye Chen hurried over as well, saying with the proper amount of politeness, "Grandmaster, my apologies. In a cross-rank battle, I naturally had to go all out. Had I known, I would have let you have a few moves. Is your Luo Sanpao alright? Are you hurt badly?"

Hearing Ye Chen's inquiry, Yu Xiaogang didn't feel it was concern; instead, he found it incredibly grating.

A two-ring Soul Grand Master, actually defeated in a cross-rank battle by a soul master without a soul ring?

And this soul master even said he would have let him have a few moves?

If this got out, how would he ever show his face in Nuoding Academy again?

Usually, the teachers and students at Nuoding Academy liked to pay lip service to his title as the "invincible theoretical grandmaster who broke through to level twenty-nine at fifty years old."

If he added this defeat to his record, he would become a laughingstock to everyone!

Helplessness, pain, unwillingness, and shame—all sorts of negative emotions surged into his heart. Yu Xiaogang's chest heaved violently. After a moment of silence, he suppressed his inner anger and humiliation, stood up with Dean Ding's help, and shook his head at Ye Chen without saying a word.

Dean Ding quickly tried to smooth things over. "Ye Chen, don't blame yourself. You don't need to apologize. Grandmaster's Luo Sanpao is a malignant mutation martial soul, so it doesn't have an advantage in real combat, but Grandmaster's theoretical knowledge is the best in the world. What you lack most right now is theoretical guidance. Having Grandmaster guide your cultivation will surely save you from taking many detours."

"Dean, what you say makes sense." Ye Chen changed the subject, politely declining, "But I cannot accept a master who is weaker than me. Therefore, I cannot take Grandmaster as my teacher."

"If Grandmaster's theories are truly brilliant, he could easily take on disciples with low innate soul power like Wang Sheng. I believe that being able to cultivate someone with mediocre talent into a powerhouse far exceeding a Title Douluo—that is what a true theoretical grandmaster is."

"As for me, with the support of my Innate Full Soul Power, even without a good theoretical master, as long as someone is willing to help me obtain suitable soul rings, I can become a powerhouse all the same."

Dean Ding was surprised to hear this; he hadn't expected a six-year-old child who had just come from the countryside to have such insight.

It seemed that Ye Chen was not only gifted in soul master talent but his character also far exceeded his peers; calling him a prodigy was certainly no exaggeration.

After pondering for a moment, Dean Ding still defended Yu Xiaogang. "Ye Chen, you also know that Grandmaster's standards for taking disciples are extremely high. If Wang Sheng and the others were qualified, Grandmaster would have taken them as disciples long ago; he wouldn't have waited for you."

Ye Chen did not respond directly to Dean Ding but looked at Yu Xiaogang, saying sternly, "My elders once taught me that whether a person has true talent and learning should not be judged by what they say, but by what they do."

"If Grandmaster had true talent and learning in theory, he would surely uphold the philosophy of teaching without discrimination, so how could he set such high standards for taking disciples? And if Grandmaster had true talent and learning, Luo Sanpao shouldn't be this weak."

Before Ye Chen could finish his sentence, Yu Xiaogang could no longer suppress the anger and humiliation in his heart. He clenched his fists tightly and barked, "Enough! At such a young age, having heard a few ramblings from your elders, you dare to point fingers and make reckless judgments here? A child as self-righteous as you is simply unreasonable!"

Ye Chen shook his head in disappointment. "Grandmaster, you have no true talent or learning, yet you want to climb high by taking on disciples with outstanding talent—that is what is truly unreasonable."

"You!!" Yu Xiaogang's chest heaved violently. He wanted to lose his temper, but he couldn't bring himself to argue with a child. In utter helplessness, he could only snort coldly, clasping his hands behind his back and putting on an air of a magnanimous adult.

"Ding Yuan, I don't want to hear you ask me to take him as a disciple ever again!!" With that, Yu Xiaogang pushed away Dean Ding's support and stumbled toward the academy dormitory building.

"Xiaogang, come back!" Dean Ding shouted, but Yu Xiaogang ignored him completely and walked away without looking back.

Watching him walk away, Dean Ding sighed dejectedly and looked at Ye Chen. "Child, what is so bad about taking Grandmaster as your teacher? Even if his strength isn't up to par, isn't there still me? Grandmaster teaches you theory, and I help you obtain soul rings—that would be perfect."

"Dean, thank you for your kindness, but my personality doesn't mesh with Grandmaster's, so let's not force it. If the Dean decides not to help me obtain soul rings anymore because I refused to take Grandmaster as my teacher, then I will have to find another way."

Hearing Ye Chen's words, Dean Ding reminded him with a hint of resentment, "What way could a child like you possibly have? Obtaining soul rings requires hunting soul beasts."

"I know, so if no one helps, I will have to hunt soul beasts on my own." Having said this, Ye Chen probed, "Or, I could go to Martial Soul Hall and ask Master Su Yuntao, who helped me awaken my martial soul, for help. If he finds out how powerful my Torchic is, he will surely be willing to help."

Once these words were out, Dean Ding couldn't help but freeze. Anyone with Innate Full Soul Power, as long as they didn't slack off in their cultivation, would surely become a Title Douluo in the future.

He had finally had a chance to latch onto a future Title Douluo, so how could he let such a good opportunity go to Su Yuntao?

With that thought, Dean Ding's resentment vanished. He patted Ye Chen on the shoulder and said, "Child, you speak too seriously. You have already joined my Nuoding Academy. If I let you go to Martial Soul Hall to find someone to help you hunt soul beasts, wouldn't that make my academy look incompetent?"

"One thing is one thing, and another is another. I won't interfere in the matter between you and Grandmaster anymore. After the opening ceremony the day after tomorrow, I will personally take you to hunt soul beasts. During this time, you should plan well which soul beast you want to obtain your first soul ring from."