Eyes Lurking in the Shadows!

"You boy, is your Martial Soul a Phoenix?"

Ma Hongjun froze, then nodded instinctively.

Yu Xiaogang pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "The Phoenix is a top-tier beast Martial Soul. Logically, your cultivation speed shouldn't be this slow."

"Your complexion is flushed red, the whites of your eyes are yellowish, and your breath carries a scorching heat. This is an Evil Fire problem, isn't it?"

Ma Hongjun's pupils trembled. This was the first time a stranger had seen through his problem!

Even Headmaster Flander only had a vague understanding of his condition and couldn't explain its exact cause at all!

Yet this Grandmaster had seen through it with just one glance?

"Grandmaster, you... how did you know?"

Yu Xiaogang smiled faintly, once again wearing that inscrutable expression.

He had learned from Flander that the academy had a chubby kid with an Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul, so he had done his homework long ago!

"I have studied Martial Soul theory for decades. Although cases of Phoenix Martial Soul mutations are rare, they are not without record."

"The Evil Fire Phoenix possesses domineering flames, yet harms its owner. Over time, it will not only affect your cultivation speed, but also your abilities in that regard."

Ma Hongjun's knees went weak on the spot, and he nearly dropped to them.

"Grandmaster! You're incredible! Whenever my Evil Fire flares up, it leaves me feeling unbearably stifled!"

"I understand." Yu Xiaogang nodded, his tone certain. "Don't worry. Since you've chosen to follow me, I will naturally help you resolve this matter."

"Cultivate according to my method, and within a month at most, you'll begin seeing results in suppressing your Evil Fire!"

Ma Hongjun's eyes reddened. He had been at Shrek for so long, yet no one had ever told him that this problem could be cured.

Even the Soul Saint headmaster had merely hoped that, once Ma Hongjun grew stronger, he would slowly learn to control it himself.

"Grandmaster!" Ma Hongjun said hoarsely, choking with emotion. "No words can repay such kindness. From now on, if you tell me to go east, I'll never go west!"

Tang San watched from the side, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

How could his teacher's theoretical expertise possibly be compared to a brute like Ye Hua, who only knew how to make students carry rocks?

Winning over Ma Hongjun was nothing. The crucial part was making Dai Mubai wholeheartedly submit as well.

He turned to look at Dai Mubai, only to find him staring blankly at Zhu Zhuqing's retreating back. Tang San couldn't help frowning inwardly.

Boss Dai had been off these past few days. Ever since he had made a blunder and taken the wrong side in that last conflict, Zhu Zhuqing would not even give him a proper glance, leaving him looking like he had lost his soul.

But it was fine! Once his teacher's teaching results showed, Zhu Zhuqing would sooner or later understand who the true strong person was!

By then, could she still keep giving Boss Dai the cold shoulder?

"Mu Bai, you are a thirty-seventh-level Soul Elder. You need a separate training plan. From now on, your focus will be actual combat. I will point out your shortcomings."

"Xiao San, take this money. Your teacher may not know what use those little contraptions of yours have, but I know you are not a child who wastes his time."

Tang San's eyes lit up!

He had been worrying about not having money to buy forging materials!

"Teacher!" Tang San took the money pouch. "Don't worry, I won't let you down! I'll make Ye Hua pay for his current arrogance!"

Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction, then looked up at Ye Hua with undisguised provocation in his eyes.

See that? This was what teaching should be!

Teach according to aptitude! Prescribe the right remedy!

Compared to my theoretical system, your crude methods of making them carry rocks and run laps are far inferior!

Ye Hua had remained leaning against the tree. Once Yu Xiaogang had finished showing off, he finally rose to his feet unhurriedly. "Grandmaster truly lives up to his reputation. Impressive, impressive!"

Yu Xiaogang frowned, instinctively sensing that there was more to those words.

But Ye Hua gave him no chance to savor them and spoke directly. "You all heard him, right? The Grandmaster's side has plenty of tricks. As for us, our conditions are simple, so we don't have any fancy methods."

"I'll simply give support-type Soul Masters combat ability too."

The moment those words fell, the entire place fell silent.

Pfft!

Tang San was the first who could not hold back his laughter.

Support-type Soul Masters having combat ability?

What a joke!

They were called support-type because their Martial Souls had no direct combat power!

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Tower could only enhance others, while the Sausage Martial Soul could only make food. Those were ironclad rules!

Did he even understand what ironclad rules meant?

Even if there truly was something in this world that could give them combat power, it could only be Tang Sect hidden weapons!

Yu Xiaogang directly shook his head, too lazy even to hide the smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Teacher Ye," he said earnestly, "teaching cannot rely on sensationalism."

"The role of support-type Soul Masters has always been this way. This is not a matter of ability; it is determined by the nature of their Martial Souls."

"If you say such things, you will only cause the students to indulge in unrealistic fantasies and delay them instead."

Tang San seized the chance to add, "Teacher Ye is still young, after all, only a few years older than us, so he isn't as experienced as you."

"It's normal for him not to understand certain theories. Rongrong, Oscar, don't take it to heart. Teacher Ye means well too..."

"I believe him!" Ning Rongrong's crisp voice rang out.

Tang San's smile froze.

Ning Rongrong stood behind Ye Hua with her arms folded across her chest. "Just because you can't do it doesn't mean Teacher Ye can't."

Oscar scratched his head as well. "Although I've never heard of such a thing, weren't Teacher Ye's Soul Rings unprecedented too?"

Tang San's expression darkened completely.

They don't know what's good for them!

Since you insist on being stubborn, just wait to be humiliated in a month!

But... if I can use hidden weapons to slap Ye Hua in the face hard, I can vent my anger too!

After all, if something you promised but failed to accomplish is instead achieved by me, what will Ning Rongrong and Oscar think?

By then, not only Teacher, even I, Tang San, will be able to use the opportunity to crush you!

Tang San gave Ye Hua a deep look, then turned and walked with Yu Xiaogang toward the training grounds.

"Brother," Xiao Wu leaned closer and lowered her voice, "are you really confident you can give Rongrong and Oscar combat ability?"

Ye Hua shrugged. "Of course!"

To be honest, Tang San's mechanical hidden weapons were not particularly rare on this continent.

Could it be that the armies of the two great empires had no powerful bows, heavy crossbows, or compact hand crossbows?

Then those two great empires were truly useless. After ruling for thousands of years, they had not even developed this tiny branch of technology. They deserved to perish!

Then it wasn't too much for me to make a few improvements to hand crossbows and create weapons they could use, right?

"Come on. We'll do our own training and ignore them."

Ye Hua checked the sky and found that the sun had only just passed its highest point. There was still most of the afternoon left for training, perfect for improving their physical fitness.

After all, no matter how good a crossbow was, without sufficient physical strength, either they would be unable to lift it or the recoil would shake them to death!

What he did not know was that several furtive figures were crouching by the academy entrance, squinting secretly in this direction.

They were even dressed in villagers' clothes. Without a careful look, one would have thought they were farmers from the village.

"Boss, should we make our move?"

"Are you looking to die? We have to wait until the target comes out!"

"Flander isn't easy to deal with, and that young man doesn't look like a pushover either. All of you, be careful!"

"When the second young lady appears alone, we'll grab her first, have our fun, then cut off her head and take it back to report!"