Yu Xiaogang felt his entire body prickle under Xuan Xiao's stare, and his legs began to tremble.
He instinctively took two steps back, raising his single arm in front of him in a defensive stance.
"Y-You... what are you trying to do? I'm a teacher at Shrek Academy, and Dean Flender's brother!"
Xuan Xiao slowly walked toward him. His footsteps were quiet, but each one seemed to land directly on Yu Xiaogang's heart.
"Oh? A teacher at Shrek Academy. What an impressive background."
He stopped in front of Yu Xiaogang and looked down at him.
"So what were you trying to do just now? Steal my method for absorbing Soul Rings?"
Yu Xiaogang's lips trembled, and cold sweat poured down his forehead like rain.
"I... I was thinking of the Soul Master world on the continent! If your method could be spread, it would be an immense benefit to all of humanity's Soul Masters!"
"Pfft."
Xuan Xiao laughed outright.
"Thinking of the Soul Master world on the continent? You're a good-for-nothing who can't even absorb a third Soul Ring, yet you have the nerve to say something like that?"
Yu Xiaogang's face instantly flushed scarlet.
"You! What do you know? That was theoretical research! My theories are the most advanced on the entire continent!"
Xuan Xiao tilted his head and looked at him, his expression resembling someone watching a monkey show.
"Oh? The most advanced theories? Then tell me, what exactly have you researched?"
Provoked by him, Yu Xiaogang's mind heated up, and he blurted out, "I researched the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul! The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul—that's an epoch-making theory!"
"For example?"
"For example... the theory of Martial Soul evolution! The compatibility of Soul Rings! And..."
His voice grew softer and softer as he spoke,