Yu Xiaogang Questioned His Entire Life, Xiao Lin Level 49?

"Xiao Lin, you're here too?"

"Xiao Lin, you know Master Yu Xiaogang?" Dream Divine Machine asked curiously.

Xiao Lin nodded. "I do. You could say Master and I are old acquaintances. I came from Nuoding Academy, the same place as Master and Tang San."

"Oh?" Dream Divine Machine's eyes lit up, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Then you're Master's student too? No wonder you're so outstanding. So Master taught you well in his lifetime!"

Bai Baoshan nodded repeatedly and chimed in, "No wonder! No wonder! I was wondering how a child as gifted as Xiao Lin could possibly lack guidance from a renowned teacher. So you were Master's prized disciple in his lifetime! Master truly lives up to his reputation!"

Zhi Lin pushed up his glasses and said thoughtfully, "If Xiao Lin is also Master's disciple, then Master's teaching ability is indeed beyond question. To cultivate a genius like Xiao Lin, his attainments in Martial Soul theory are likely even deeper than the rumors suggest."

The three education committee members spoke one after another, growing more excited as though they had uncovered some extraordinary truth.

But as Yu Xiaogang listened, his expression grew increasingly strange.

He vaguely sensed that something was off.

Why did these three old fellows value Xiao Lin so highly? Their tone, their attitude—it was as if they were discussing some priceless treasure.

Could Xiao Lin be doing well now? Impossible. Hadn't he insisted on taking the strong attack path back then? He should have ruined himself through training long ago...

"Three committee members," Yu Xiaogang asked tentatively, "is Xiao Lin... a student of Heaven Dou Royal Academy now?"

"Far more than just a student!" Dream Divine Machine laughed heartily, his tone filled with undisguised admiration.

"Xiao Lin is the greatest genius Heaven Dou Royal Academy has seen since its founding! At thirteen and a half, he's a level forty-nine Soul Ancestor. His fourth Soul Ring is a twenty-three-thousand-year Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring! With talent like that, not only is there no second one in Heaven Dou Royal Academy, but you couldn't find another across the entire continent!"

Yu Xiaogang's expression instantly froze.

Tang San's eyes widened sharply as well, his face full of disbelief.

Thirteen and a half? Level forty-nine? A Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring as his fourth?

How was that possible?!

"Impossible!" Yu Xiaogang blurted out, his voice trembling slightly.

"This is absolutely impossible! What level was he back then? How could he rise to level forty-nine in just a few years? And his fourth Soul Ring is a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring? How could a mere Soul Ancestor withstand the energy of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?!"

"Why is it impossible?" Bai Baoshan frowned in displeasure.

"The three of us saw it with our own eyes. Could it be fake?"

Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth wide, yet he could not utter a single word.

His mind was blank, completely unable to understand what was happening before him.

That youth whom he had once declared would surely die if he took the strong attack path was not only alive and well, but had achieved such astonishing accomplishments? How could that be? How could his theory have been wrong?

Tang San's expression was even more spectacular. He stared fixedly at Xiao Lin, his teeth grinding together as his eyes brimmed with resentment, anger, and jealousy.

Over the years, he had trained desperately. He got up before dawn every day and did not rest until late at night. He had even turned Xiao Wu down countless times when she asked him to go out and play, all so he could catch up to Xiao Lin and surpass him.

He had thought that reaching level forty-four at fourteen was already remarkable, enough to leave Xiao Lin far behind.

But what was the result?

Xiao Lin was thirteen and a half, level forty-nine.

A full five levels above him.

And his fourth Soul Ring was a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

What gave him the right?!

"Committee Member Dream." Xiao Lin suddenly spoke. His tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable force. "I think it is necessary to clarify something—I am not Master Yu Xiaogang's disciple."

Dream Divine Machine paused. "You aren't?"

"I'm not." Xiao Lin shook his head. "Quite the opposite. Back at Nuoding Academy, Master strongly opposed my taking the strong attack path. He insisted that I take the support path. He said the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute could only be used to slow enemies and interfere with them, that I should become a support-type Soul Master protected by others. He said taking the strong attack path would ruin my future."

He paused, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. "I did not listen to him. I chose to believe in myself and follow the strong attack control path. The facts proved that my choice was correct."

Dream Divine Machine, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin looked at one another, their expressions becoming exceedingly subtle.

"So," Dream Divine Machine slowly said, turning his gaze toward Yu Xiaogang with a trace of scrutiny in his voice, "Master did not guide Xiao Lin back then, and instead advised him to abandon the strong attack path?"

Yu Xiaogang's face shifted between green and white. His lips trembled, but he could not say a word.

"That is strange." Bai Baoshan stroked his beard and said thoughtfully.

"A Martial Soul like the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute sounds extraordinary just from its name. It contains the Phoenix bloodline and is related to music. It is naturally ideal for strong attack control. How could anyone suggest that it take the support path?"

"Exactly." Zhi Lin agreed. "Such an excellent Martial Soul would truly be wasted if it went down the support path. Fortunately, Xiao Lin had his own judgment and did not heed bad guidance. Otherwise, Heaven Dou Royal Academy would have lost a genius."

The three committee members spoke in turns. Though they did not say it outright, their assessment of Yu Xiaogang had clearly dropped considerably.

Yu Xiaogang's expression grew increasingly unsightly, and he finally could not hold back any longer.

"What do you know?! My theory is a conclusion reached through years of research! The Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute's characteristics make it suited for support! Even if he has achieved something now, that does not mean my theory is wrong!"

"Oh?" Xiao Lin raised an eyebrow. "Then, Master, could you explain why I, someone who 'took the wrong path,' am now at a higher level than your most prized disciple?"

"You—!"

"And there's more." Xiao Lin continued, his tone turning playful.

"Master, you once told me something—'There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters.' I have always thought those words made sense. But later, I thought about them some more and realized they might not be accurate enough."

He stared straight into Yu Xiaogang's eyes and enunciated every word. "Perhaps it should be changed to—there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless theory masters."

Yu Xiaogang's face instantly turned liver-colored. His chest heaved violently, as if he might spit out a mouthful of blood at any moment.

"You... you... you wretch!" Even the finger he pointed at Xiao Lin with was trembling. "How dare you insult me like this!"

"I'm only stating the facts." Xiao Lin shrugged, his expression innocent. "Master, haven't you always claimed to be unmatched in theory? Then tell me, how did a student who 'took the wrong path' reach this point today?"

Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth, only to realize that he could not answer that question at all.

His theory told him that the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute could only take the support path. Yet reality had slapped him viciously in the face—Xiao Lin had not only made the strong attack path work, but had gone farther down it than all of Yu Xiaogang's students.

What exactly was going on?

Could his theory really have been wrong?

No! Impossible! His theory was perfect! Xiao Lin must have stumbled into outrageous luck. Something else had to be wrong!