Xiao San, even if you won't think of yourself, surely you don't want anything to happen to your mother, do you?

"Hahahaha!" Yu Xiaogang covered his mouth. He was clearly delighted, but deliberately kept his voice low, and with his hand over his mouth, his laughter sounded downright perverse.

Yu Xiaogang even excitedly slapped the table.

Only when the teachers gathered around Li Chun noticed the commotion over at Yu Xiaogang's table and, one after another, turned their gazes toward him did Yu Xiaogang give a dry cough.

"Ahem... Who would've thought something like this could happen?" Yu Xiaogang said in a deliberately regretful tone.

"Grandmaster, have you ever encountered anything like this before? Is there any good way to deal with it?" Li Chun had already expected little from Yu Xiaogang after seeing his gleeful expression. But for the sake of his student, Lin Hui, he still asked.

"Ah... you mean this sort of thing... In my experience, I don't think I've ever come across it..." Yu Xiaogang looked a little awkward, but to avoid tarnishing his reputation as a Grandmaster, he still put on an air of mystery. "Why don't you first tell me exactly what happened?"

Li Chun briefly explained how he and Lin Hui had gone to the Soul Hunting Forest, but left out the fact that Lin Hui's Martial Soul could absorb Soul Beasts. Deep down, he still suspected that Yu Xiaogang might have bad intentions.

"After Lin Hui killed a Soul Beast, the Soul Ring that emerged from its corpse would vanish the instant it touched him. We tried it with several Soul Beasts, and it happened every time," Li Chun said.

"How could something like this happen?" Yu Xiaogang was a little shocked, but soon he began to gloat again. After all, he had always been envious of Lin Hui's Innate Full Soul Power talent. But now, it seemed Lin Hui might end up just like him—a cripple.

He might even fare worse. After all, Yu Xiaogang had managed to cultivate to level twenty-nine despite having only half a level of Innate Soul Power, while Lin Hui looked like he wouldn't even break through level ten.

How could that not make Yu Xiaogang laugh?

At that moment, when Yu Xiaogang looked again at Lin Hui standing nearby, he felt an overwhelming sense of superiority.

Yu Xiaogang approached Lin Hui with the air of an elder, crouched down, and rested a hand on his shoulder, "comforting" him.

"Lin Hui, my family's Martial Soul is one of the finest on the continent. Yet when it came to me, not only did my Martial Soul mutate, but I was also left with only half a level of Innate Soul Power."

"Though you have Innate Full Soul Power, something has gone wrong with your Soul Ring absorption. Even so, I hope you can be like me and never give up hope. Your teacher may not be high-level, but my perseverance is certainly worth learning from."

"But you should also prepare for the worst, because when it comes to cultivating Soul Power, you might not even be able to surpass your teacher."

"If word got out that a Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power couldn't even break through level ten, people would inevitably talk—and even laugh at you."

"But I've walked this road before, so you must stay strong."

"Of course, your teachers will also try to find a way to solve this problem for you."

Lin Hui looked at the smile that hid a knife on Yu Xiaogang's face. After hearing words that could be either consolation or mockery, he let out a cold laugh.

"Thank you for your concern, Grandmaster."

"But perseverance and persistence? What use are those in a world like Douluo Continent, where the strong prey on the weak?"

"Although you have only half a level of Innate Soul Power, your family possesses one of the finest Martial Souls in the world. I imagine it must be one of the great clans on this continent."

"If you'd only relied on your family's strength, how could you have failed to break through level twenty-nine?"

"Instead, you insisted on struggling alone until you ended up with white hair."

"I'll find a way to obtain a Soul Ring. I absolutely won't end up hated and ridiculed by everyone, so please rest assured, Grandmaster."

After Lin Hui finished speaking, he even flashed a smile. After all, he had already figured out what to do: go capture Ah Yin in the cave on the back mountain of Holy Soul Village.

And that was exactly what he planned to do next.

When one of the female teachers in the office heard Lin Hui's words, she covered her mouth and burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, this kid is really something!"

The teachers had long been fed up with Yu Xiaogang's pretentious, affected air of profundity. Usually, out of respect for the dean, they did their best to avoid clashing with him.

But when Lin Hui laid everything bare, the female teacher couldn't hold back her laughter.

After hearing what Lin Hui said, Li Chun also pondered for a moment. That's right. I've heard some things about the Grandmaster too, but if he came from a great clan, then with his family's help, how could he have ended up only at level twenty-nine? This tragedy really could have been avoided.

Still, to ease the tension, Li Chun said, "Grandmaster, don't take a child's words to heart."

Yu Xiaogang's face turned green with rage. But seeing that no one present was willing to speak up for him, and mindful of his status as an elder, he couldn't very well lash out.

"Hmph—"

Yu Xiaogang snorted and walked out of the office.

In the corridor outside, the more Yu Xiaogang thought about it, the more uncomfortable and aggrieved he felt. A jumble of emotions—sour, sweet, bitter, and sharp—surged through him, leaving him miserable. All the way along, he cursed furiously.

"You can't even get a Soul Ring, and you can't break through level ten. I'd like to see how you'll surpass me in the future!"

"So you're giving me advice now? Am I supposed to apologize to my family just to raise my Soul Power Level?"

"I did nothing wrong. This world is the one that's always been wrong!"

Tang San had just finished class when he saw Yu Xiaogang's furious expression and found it a little strange. But he soon learned what had happened from the others.

On the training field, Tang San blocked Lin Hui's way and began questioning him.

"Lin Hui, even if you can't absorb a Soul Ring, you still shouldn't take your anger out on the teacher."

"He only said those things because he wanted what was best for you. He never meant you any harm."

"Besides, the teacher can't possibly be wrong. You're the one who's been wrong all along. Apologize to the teacher right now, or else—"

Seeing how unreasonable Tang San was, Lin Hui grew angry.

"Or else what?"

A glint of cold light flashed from Tang San's sleeve, and Lin Hui saw it too.

Tang San always kept the Hidden Weapons he had carefully crafted concealed in his sleeves.

There was no doubt that Tang San had murder in his heart now.

"Otherwise, you're courting death!" Tang San said viciously.

Seeing that Tang San was about to use his Sleeve Arrow, Lin Hui no longer felt the slightest pity for him.

"I knew it. You act entirely according to your own preferences and whether you like someone or not. You're always going on about benevolence and righteousness, but in the end, it's all just selfishness." Lin Hui let out a cold laugh.

Xiao San, I never thought you'd be so vicious at such a young age.

And so ungrateful, too!

Even if you won't think of yourself, surely you don't want anything to happen to your mother, do you?

Lin Hui had already made up his mind. Once Tang San left the academy and drew Tang Hao, who was secretly protecting him, away, he would go capture Ah Yin on the back mountain of Holy Soul Village.

Since you care so little about your mother, then I'm definitely going to capture your real mother!