"Oh..."
Qin Feng drew out the sound, a look of sudden realization spreading across his face.
"So it was you."
Just as Yu Xiaogang thought the other man had finally remembered to apologize,
Qin Feng's lips curled, and he said something that left the entire arena breathless:
"You mean that fake Grandmaster who only knows how to plagiarize and make things up?"
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Liu Erlong froze.
Flender's glasses slid to the tip of his nose.
Tang San jerked his head up, disbelief filling his eyes.
Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, even Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, all stared wide-eyed.
Fake Grandmaster?
In an era when Martial Soul Theory was revered as unquestionable truth, someone had actually dared to point at Yu Xiaogang and call him a fake Grandmaster in front of everyone?
"What did you say?!"
Yu Xiaogang was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He instantly flew into a rage.
What he cared about most in this life was his reputation and his theories.
Since he lacked talent himself, he had entrusted all his dignity to his theoretical research.
Those words, "fake Grandmaster," were practically like someone digging up his ancestors' graves.
"Did I say something wrong?"
Qin Feng spread his hands, looking innocent.
"You claim to have the Ten Core Competitiveness Theories. So tell me, how many of them did you verify through experiments yourself?"
"And how many were copied from the predecessors' findings in the Martial Soul Hall Library?"
"There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters. Do you actually believe that? Then why are you still only a twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster?"
Every one of Qin Feng's words was like a sharp blade, striking Yu Xiaogang precisely where it hurt most.
"You... you're slandering me!"
Yu Xiaogang trembled with rage, his face turning pale, then red.
"My theories are backed by rigorous deduction! My Ten Core Competitiveness Theories are a treasure of the Soul Master World!"
"You're just a junior. What do you know about theory? What right do you have to judge me?!"
He spoke with such force, trying to drown out his inner panic with sheer volume.
"You're just twisting logic!"
Yu Xiaogang's face was red, his neck bulging, spittle flying. His furious, humiliated expression was hardly befitting a Grandmaster.
He pointed at Tang San beside him, his voice rising an octave.
"There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters! Xiao San is the best proof! His Blue Silver Grass is universally recognized as a Trash Martial Soul, but under my tutelage, he hasn't just cultivated at an astonishing speed—he's been invincible among his peers! If you hadn't relied on external aids, how could you possibly have beaten him?"
Hearing this, the audience, who had been wavering, started to think he might have a point after all.
Tang San's earlier performance had certainly been impressive.
Qin Feng looked at Yu Xiaogang as if he were an idiot, the corner of his mouth twisting in scorn.
"Universally recognized as a Trash Martial Soul?"
"Yu 'Grandmaster,' did reading so many books make you stupid? Have you ever seen someone with Innate Full Soul Power awaken a Trash Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass?"
"It's common knowledge in the Soul Master World that innate soul power is proportional to Martial Soul quality. If it were ordinary Blue Silver Grass, you'd be lucky to get half a level of innate soul power. Tang San has Innate Full Soul Power. That proves his Blue Silver Grass isn't ordinary—or else..."
Qin Feng paused deliberately, his gaze meaningfully sweeping over Tang San's left hand, hidden behind his back.
"Or he has Twin Martial Souls."
Boom!
The words exploded beside Yu Xiaogang and Tang San like a clap of thunder.
Tang San's pupils contracted. His heart missed a beat.
How did he know?!
Yu Xiaogang's face turned deathly pale, his expression one of terror at having his deepest secret exposed.
Qin Feng gave them no chance to catch their breath and continued his barrage:
"Whether it's a beneficial mutation or Twin Martial Souls, it proves that Tang San's talent comes from him—or his bloodline. What does that have to do with your nonsense about 'there being no useless Martial Souls'?"
"Let's take it a step further. If your theory really holds up, how do you explain yourself?"
Qin Feng stepped forward, staring Yu Xiaogang down.
"You were born into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and have a mutated form of a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, yet you've been stuck at level twenty-nine your entire life."
"You say there are no useless Martial Souls. So are you telling everyone that you, a level-twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, are a thoroughly useless Soul Master?"
Checkmate.
The logic was practically airtight.
If the theory was right, then Yu Xiaogang was stuck at his level because he himself was useless.
If Yu Xiaogang wasn't useless, then he was stuck because his Martial Soul was useless—and his theory was wrong.
No matter how you looked at it, Yu Xiaogang was a laughingstock.
"You... you..."
Yu Xiaogang felt a surge of blood rise in his chest, and a sweetness filled his throat.
The logical loop he had always been so proud of had been smashed to pieces by Qin Feng in just a few words.
"You insolent brat! What do you know?!"
Yu Xiaogang had completely lost his composure. Unable to find a logical rebuttal, he could only try to crush Qin Feng with the authority of an elder.
"When I was consulting the records in the Martial Soul Hall, you hadn't even been born yet! What right do you have to question my research?!"
Seeing the man she loved trembling as Qin Feng tore into him, Liu Erlong's heart ached. Her brows knitted as she charged forward, ready to attack.
"You little beast, you're asking to die! How dare you slander Xiao Gang like this!"
Qin Feng didn't even lift an eyelid. He simply glanced at Liu Erlong.
"You want to fight too? This is the Great Soul Arena, not a place for you to throw tantrums."
"And stop calling him Grandmaster at every turn. A man who lives off women, was driven out by his clan, and bases his theories entirely on plagiarism and wild imaginings—does he deserve to be called a Grandmaster?"
Every one of Qin Feng's words was like a poison-coated blade, striking the nerves where Yu Xiaogang felt most insecure and vulnerable.
The whole arena erupted in an uproar.
Though Qin Feng's words were harsh, when people thought about it, damn it, he did seem to have a point.
Zhu Zhuqing stood at the back of the crowd, her beautiful eyes fixed on the eloquent young man on the stage.
He's so strong.
It wasn't just that he had completely overpowered his opponent. His sharp tongue and incisive theoretical insight were just as impressive.
She had grown up in the brutal environment of the Star Luo Empire, and she looked down most on weaklings like Yu Xiaogang, who did nothing but talk and had no real strength.
Now, watching Qin Feng peel away Yu Xiaogang's hypocritical mask layer by layer, she couldn't help feeling an inexplicable satisfaction.
"So this is what a true powerhouse is..."
Zhu Zhuqing murmured to herself. Her eyes lingered on Qin Feng, a glimmer in them that even she hadn't noticed.
Not far away, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu were both dumbstruck.
They had always been taught that Yu Xiaogang was the wisest man on the continent. But today, that legend had been shattered.
By someone their own age, who had trampled him into the dirt in front of everyone.
Dugu Yan linked arms with Ye Lingling, laughing so hard she could barely stand.
"Oh, I'm dying! Look at that Grandmaster's face—it's blacker than the bottom of a pot."
"Brother Feng is so mean, but he makes such good points! How did I never realize before that Yu Xiaogang's logic was full of holes?"
Though Ye Lingling was usually cool and reserved, her eyes now shimmered with admiration.
"Captain Qin Feng really does have unique insight."
Just as Yu Xiaogang was about to faint from rage and was preparing to have Liu Erlong attack, no matter the consequences,
a round of applause came from the passage to the second-floor VIP seats.
"Clap, clap, clap."
The applause was crisp and powerful, ringing especially clearly through the noisy arena.
The crowd parted on its own.
A refined young man in a golden-yellow court robe, with a handsome face and an elegant air, slowly walked over.
Behind him followed a gentle, scholarly middle-aged man holding a scepter.
They were none other than Xue Qinghe, crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, and Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Excellent. Truly excellent."
Xue Qinghe wore a warm, springlike smile as he fixed his bright gaze on Qin Feng.
"Brother Qin Feng is not only exceptionally powerful, but his theoretical insights are also incisive and enlightening. They've really opened my eyes."