Douluo Continent.
Heaven Dou Empire, Notting City.
The peace of Notting Academy was utterly torn apart by an argument.
Many students stood in the street, watching a man with a crew cut argue with a cold-faced boy.
"Zhou Tao! Don't spit on a good thing!"
Yu Xiaogang panted like an ox, his eyes bloodshot as he roared at Zhou Tao.
Zhou Tao stood ramrod straight, brimming with confidence-a stark contrast to the volatile Yu Xiaogang.
"Plant-type martial souls are trash martial souls, weak by nature. They have only one cultivation path-the control route."
"Your so-called ultimate life route is pure nonsense. You've gone down a crooked path, straying from the mainstream cultivation methods of the Spirit Master World."
"If you keep this up, you'll only waste your innate full soul power."
"Only by becoming my disciple can you get onto the right path."
Yu Xiaogang's face flushed crimson, his chest heaving violently.
The students' gazes shifted back and forth between Yu Xiaogang and Zhou Tao, but no one dared interrupt the argument.
"I don't think I've gone down a crooked path. Quite the opposite-I've grasped where the true potential of plant-type martial souls lies."
"The true advantage of plant-type martial souls has never been entanglement, much less control. It's their powerful vitality."
"Entanglement, restraint, piercing, healing, wooden shields... these are all natural gifts of plant types, where their greatest potential lies."
"Plant-type martial souls already possess the ability to entangle and restrain. Adding control-type spirit ring skills is like taking off your pants to fart."
Zhou Tao remained unruffled, explaining slowly and without haste.
He had transmigrated to Douluo Continent,
so naturally, he knew Yu Xiaogang was a fraud,
and he also knew how tremendous the potential of his own martial soul-the Ancient Tree of Life-was.
As long as its vitality was strong enough, the Ancient Tree of Life would become an all-rounder.
"Your cultivation method is completely wrong. I refuse to become your disciple."
Zhou Tao raised his head to look at Yu Xiaogang, as calm as an ancient well without a ripple.
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
This boy was a genius with innate full soul power.
Although his martial soul was only a little tree, as long as he developed smoothly, he would certainly become a powerful Soul Master whose name resounded across the continent.
If Yu Xiaogang took him as a disciple, once the boy became famous, he could make a name for himself as his master.
But this brat was as stubborn and clingy as sticky candy. Neither soft words nor hard tactics worked on him, and he even questioned Yu Xiaogang's theories.
He had to strike back!
Yu Xiaogang pulled a small blue notebook from his pocket, its pages packed with information.
"I've researched martial soul theory for decades. The ten core competitiveness theories have already been verified by countless Soul Masters!"
"Plant-type martial souls are naturally frail. They must strengthen their entanglement properties through spirit rings to gain a foothold in the Spirit Master World."
"The control route I've planned for you offers the optimal spirit ring choices."
"You should add a venomous snake martial soul over a hundred years old."
"Spirit beasts of this kind are naturally tough and also carry toxins. Once you absorb their spirit rings, you'll obtain powerful control-type soul skills."
"Zhou Tao, you have to trust me. I'm doing this for your own good."
Yu Xiaogang stared fixedly at Zhou Tao, trying to play on his emotions.
"Plant-type martial souls can indeed take the control route."
"But adding control-type spirit rings directly means abandoning their roots."
"I'd like to ask you, a theoretical grandmaster: why should a tree martial soul absorb control-type soul skills?"
"Tree-type martial souls can already entangle and restrain. They don't need spirit rings of that kind at all."
"Instead, they should add life-type spirit rings. With enough vitality, their branches can become as tough as steel. Whether entangling, restraining, or turning into shields for defense, they can accomplish it all with ease."
"You could say that by pursuing ultimate life, a tree martial soul naturally becomes an all-rounder."
"Absorbing a venomous snake's spirit ring gives you nothing but the lowest-grade entanglement and toxins. It only reduces a plant-type martial soul to a control-type mongrel that's neither one thing nor the other."
Zhou Tao spoke calmly, completely disregarding Yu Xiaogang.
"What does a six-year-old brat like you know?"
"I'm the continent's foremost theoretical grandmaster! Could a mere Soul Scholar like you possibly know more about plant types than I do?"
"Plant types have too little control power, so they need control-type spirit rings."
"Countless Soul Masters have personally verified that the control route works. Every plant-type predecessor followed this path!"
"A little brat like you dares deny the experience of those who came before you?"
Yu Xiaogang was practically about to faint.
Everyone else followed the wisdom of the ancients. What made Zhou Tao so special?
Yu Xiaogang wanted to pressure Zhou Tao into submission by belittling him.
But Zhou Tao wasn't buying any of it.
Rather than argue, he slowly raised his right hand.
A tough little tree of emerald green rapidly took shape.
Every student held their breath, their eyes fixed on Zhou Tao's palm.
The next second-
The little sapling transformed into a spike and thrust forward.
An astonishing scene unfolded before them.
A branch curled around the blue notebook in Yu Xiaogang's hand, instantly snatching it from his palm,
and then the little sapling pierced straight through it, shredding it to pieces!
"Brat!"
Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened. He was about to scold Zhou Tao, but was interrupted.
"You said plant types are weak. I just let you witness the toughness of a tree martial soul with your own eyes."
"You said plant types lack control abilities. I let you see those, too."
"If plants can already do all this on their own, isn't adding a control-type spirit ring like taking off your pants to fart?"
"Plant types don't need abilities from other types. They already come with a powerful system of their own."
Zhou Tao's words were like a heavy hammer, smashing into Yu Xiaogang's heart-and the heart of every student present.
Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at Zhou Tao in disbelief.
Yu Xiaogang's face turned red with suppressed frustration.
He wanted to refute him, but couldn't find an opening.
Zhou Tao's demonstration had delivered a vicious slap to his face-
Without a soul skill or a spirit ring, he had achieved both entanglement and attack!
Furious, he forcibly cut Zhou Tao off.
"Brat, you're just a little Soul Scholar without even a spirit ring! What gives you the right to question a theoretical grandmaster like me?"
"My theories are a summation of decades of experience in the Spirit Master World."
"How many years have you cultivated? What makes you think you can compare with me?"
Yet Zhou Tao still stood there, as calm as an ancient well without a ripple, seemingly paying no heed to Yu Xiaogang's roaring.
"Grandmaster, your theories are indeed a summation of decades of experience in the Spirit Master World."
"After all, Spirit Hall collected over a thousand years' worth of information, and you plagiarized it."
"But your Soul Master cultivation path is still absurdly wrong."
The students erupted into an uproar.
Their eyes widened as they looked at Yu Xiaogang in disbelief.
The Grandmaster's theories were copied?
Yu Xiaogang, this self-proclaimed theoretical grandmaster, had actually stolen Spirit Hall's theoretical findings?
Whispers rose one after another. Some gasped, some stared wide-eyed, and some looked on with contempt.
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