His tone remained calm, but every word struck at a vital point:
"First, I need to correct a basic misunderstanding. My Martial Soul has never had dual light-and-shadow attributes. It is purely a light-type shadow Martial Soul. There's no conflict between attributes like you claimed, so there's naturally no basis for your so-called 'self-destruction.'
You couldn't even identify my Martial Soul's attributes correctly, yet you've already pronounced its limits. Is that what you call 'proper guidance'?"
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Yu Xiaogang's rigid eyes, pressing him step by step:
"Second, what makes you so certain that this Mutated Martial Soul must have limitations?
The Soul Master World has existed for tens of thousands of years. Martial Soul Mutations come in all shapes and forms, and new ones emerge every day. Do you really think the records in your hands cover every possibility?
Or have you mistaken old archives for the ultimate truth of the Soul Master World, leaving you unable to see anything beyond what's written in them?"
He paused briefly, and a hint of mockery entered Ye Feng's voice:
"Third, you said I'd need your proper guidance to break through to Soul Emperor. Then I'd like to ask: how many students have you taught in your entire life?
What level have those you guided reached today?
Did they break through beyond Soul Emperor? If you don't have even one disciple worth mentioning, what gives you the right to use your theories to define someone else's limits?"
"You say having innate seventh-level soul power is just luck, and that my Martial Soul is useless.
But luck is part of strength, too. And whether my Martial Soul is any good, or how far I can go in the future, is hardly something an outsider can decide on a whim. Besides, Uncle, you don't exactly look like some great expert to me. At best, you're a Soul Elder, and that's giving you the benefit of the doubt."
As soon as those words fell, an eerie silence settled over the entire Spirit Hall Branch.
Everyone's gaze shifted back and forth between Ye Feng and Yu Xiaogang.
But Yu Xiaogang's face had turned livid in an instant, making everyone's heart skip a beat.
"Pfft—"
Someone finally lost control and let out a short laugh.
That laugh was like a fuse, setting off the entire hall in an instant.
"Hahaha! A Soul Elder! The kid says he's a Soul Elder!"
"My goodness, look at Grandmaster's face—it's turned green!"
"He's making such a convincing argument, step by step. This kid really is a genius! And how could someone with innate seventh-level soul power possibly have a Trash Martial Soul?"
Several Spirit Hall staff members could no longer hold back. They had never thought much of Yu Xiaogang, this so-called "theoretical master," to begin with.
Now, watching him get left speechless by a six-year-old child, they doubled over laughing, unable to straighten up.
Hall Master Ma Xiunuo's old face had turned bright red. The corners of his mouth twitched violently as he turned away and covered his face with his wide sleeve, though his shoulders shook uncontrollably.
He fought back the laughter, but the sight was even more devastating than laughing outright.
As the hall master of Spirit Hall in Nuoding City, he knew Yu Xiaogang's background perfectly well.
A level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, stuck at a bottleneck he had failed to overcome for half his life.
That child's line about him being "at best a Soul Elder" was already giving that good-for-nothing far too much credit!
"You! You... you sharp-tongued little brat!"
Yu Xiaogang trembled with fury, his stiff face turning the color of pig liver.
The laughter from the entire hall seemed to become a series of real slaps, one after another, striking his face.
The Soul Master theories he had always prided himself on, the dignity of "Grandmaster" that he relied on to make a living—all of it had been torn to shreds by a six-year-old child, thrown to the ground, and trampled over and over.
He wished he could dig a hole and crawl into it that very instant!
Yu Xiaogang angrily flung his sleeve and forced himself into a haughty pose, as though he were above associating with Ye Feng.
"Hmph! Fools and children are not worth reasoning with! This Mutated Martial Soul is something even I, Grandmaster, have never seen before. It's only natural that I didn't understand it at first!"
He stiffened his neck, trying to salvage a shred of dignity.
"As for teaching disciples... Hmph! You bunch of good-for-nothings who don't even have Innate Full Soul Power aren't qualified to have me personally teach you, let alone worthy of making me prove my theories!"
His words sounded grand and righteous, but beneath them lay the weakness of someone trying to bluff his way through.
The laughter in the hall gradually died down, but the contempt in everyone's eyes grew heavier.
A sore loser was a sore loser.
"Oh, oh, so that's how it is."
Ye Feng put on a look of sudden realization and nodded again and again.
That clumsy performance came across as the sharpest mockery imaginable.
"Fine, then. I suppose I misunderstood you, Grandmaster.
Of course, someone as great as you would naturally teach peerless geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power."
Ye Feng played along, then changed the subject.
"But geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power aren't easy to find. There might not be even one in decades.
I won't waste your precious time. You should get back to searching for worthy pupils."
He cupped his hands toward Yu Xiaogang, his gesture as proper as that of a little adult.
For now, Ye Feng didn't want to make an enemy of Yu Xiaogang outright. Even if the man was useless, he was still a genuine Soul Grandmaster. Ye Feng couldn't beat him.
Besides, he had only argued with him over theories. Surely Yu Xiaogang wouldn't make things difficult for a child, would he?
If he didn't even have that much magnanimity, tsk tsk... In Tang San's words, then he had a death wish.
"Master Su, sorry for the trouble. Could you issue me a Martial Soul certificate? Thank you."
Ye Feng turned around, completely ignoring Yu Xiaogang, whose face was changing from pale to flushed and back again. He walked straight over to Su Yuntao, who had been standing frozen nearby.
That entire series of moves left Yu Xiaogang stranded where he stood. He couldn't leave, but neither could he stay. The awkwardness was unbearable.
"Oh... Oh! Yes, yes!"
Su Yuntao came back to his senses and hurriedly shook off his shock.
The eagerness with which he looked at Ye Feng was more than ten times greater than before.
This child had not only a great talent, but a sharp mind, too!
He had faced the so-called "Grandmaster" without either groveling or getting rattled. His thoughts were clear, and his reasoning airtight. How could a six-year-old have such composure?
He was a treasure!
"Ye Feng, right? Child, your Martial Soul is outstanding, with enormous potential. I believe you have what it takes to become a Titled Douluo in the future!
On behalf of the Nuoding City Martial Soul Branch, I formally invite you to join Spirit Hall!
If you agree, you'll receive a stipend of one Gold Soul Coin every month, and you'll be able to study at a junior Soul Master Academy for free!"
Su Yuntao rubbed his hands excitedly and rattled off the terms of the offer.
One Gold Soul Coin!
The children who hadn't awakened their Martial Souls yet, along with their parents, all sucked in a sharp breath.
That was one hundred Silver Soul Coins, enough to cover the living expenses of an ordinary family for several months!
Hall Master Ma Xiunuo gave Ye Feng an approving glance, then looked at Yu Xiaogang, whose face was so dark it looked ready to drip with water, and shook his head lightly.
Those of them who had served Spirit Hall for years knew perfectly well how much Grandmaster was worth.
They had only treated him with courtesy out of respect for His Holiness the Pope.
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