Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's Doubts

"Boss, should the two of us go talk to Brother Zhao and ask him to help you break through to Soul Douluo?"

Zhao Wuji had naturally noticed Flender's disappointment and cautiously posed the question.

"Would that really work?" Flender was tempted, too. After all, who could resist the lure of becoming stronger?

"Let's give it a try. Even if it doesn't work, we won't lose anything!"

"No ordinary method can help a Soul Master raise their soul power level. You should be careful."

Just as Flender was considering what to do, a low voice came from outside the door.

Zhao Wuji had already heard the footsteps, but he had assumed it was one of the academy's teachers and paid them no mind.

He had not expected a voice completely unfamiliar to him.

He immediately went on guard.

"Don't worry. An old friend of mine is here. Let me introduce you!"

As he spoke, Flender rose and walked toward the man who had pushed open the door and now stood in the doorway. It was none other than Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.

He was also a member of the Golden Iron Triangle.

"Xiaogang, let me introduce Zhao Wuji." Flender then turned to Zhao Wuji. "This is my old friend, Yu Xiaogang of the Golden Iron Triangle. People also call him Grandmaster."

"Grandmaster, I've long heard of your reputation!"

Grandmaster's face looked somewhat aged and utterly expressionless, giving the impression that he kept everyone a thousand miles away.

In response to Zhao Wuji's greeting, he merely gave a lukewarm nod.

"Xiaogang, what did you mean by what you just said?"

Flender hurried forward to smooth things over, changing the subject as he questioned Yu Xiaogang.

Still wearing that lifeless expression, Yu Xiaogang said unhurriedly, "According to my investigations and the information I've gathered, apart from rapidly raising one's level by burning one's own life, there is no way to increase a soul power level through external means."

"You mean Zhao Su helped those children raise their soul power levels by making them burn their own lives as the price?"

Flender could not help growing worried.

He knew Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were exceptionally rare talents. If this was true, if things really were as Yu Xiaogang claimed, it would amount to snuffing out several geniuses.

"That's impossible, Grandmaster. Your investigation only covers possibilities, not everything. How can you be certain no one has such an ability?"

Without giving it much thought, Zhao Wuji directly challenged Yu Xiaogang.

At the same time, he released his Great Strength Vajra Bear martial soul. Pointing at the bear, which was now more imposing than before and radiated an even greater sense of power, he continued, "Look at this. Does it seem like something strengthened by burning my life?"

At the sight of Zhao Wuji's Great Strength Vajra Bear, which exuded an aura of tremendous power, Yu Xiaogang studied it.

His brows involuntarily furrowed.

Just as Zhao Wuji had said, increasing soul power at the cost of vitality could rapidly raise someone's level in a short time, but it could never make their martial soul stronger.

"Call all those children here. I want to examine them myself. It might be because your soul power was already strong and you had a solid foundation, but the children are different."

"Fine. Since you insist your view is right, I'll make you give up on it. Meet at the Training Ground in fifteen minutes."

Leaving those words behind, Zhao Wuji turned and left.

Clearly, their first meeting had not been pleasant.

At this point, Zhao Wuji's admiration for Zhao Su knew no bounds.

Moreover, he had personally seen everyone's martial soul change to varying degrees as their soul power levels rose.

There was no way their soul power levels had risen by burning their lives, as Yu Xiaogang claimed.

But Yu Xiaogang was also extraordinarily confident in his own research.

The two of them each held firmly to their own views.

"Xiaogang, are you sure about this?"

Flender was feeling uncertain as well. After all, he had seen Zhao Su's ability to beat Tang Hao to a pulp.

Yet he also had immense faith in the theories of Grandmaster, his former partner and closest brother.

"What? Do you doubt my theories, too?"

When Grandmaster turned his corpse-like face toward him, Flender hurriedly changed tack. "Let's put that aside for now. Just a warning: even if Zhao Su really did use the method you described, burning those children's vitality to raise their soul power, don't act rashly."

"Why? If he really raised their soul power by burning their vitality, then he's an Evil Soul Master. He cannot be allowed to live!"

"Ah, how am I supposed to explain this to you?"

Flender felt somewhat torn, but in the end, to keep Yu Xiaogang from acting rashly, he told him about Zhao Su beating Tang Hao to a pulp.

"What? Impossible! Didn't you say he was only sixteen?"

"I saw it with my own eyes. How could it be false?"

"Are you certain that man was Tang Hao?"

"Of course. I can still recognize the Clear Sky Hammer, and judging by that man's aura, he was definitely Tang Hao."

"Could someone like that really exist in this world?"

After hearing Flender's words, a look of self-doubt appeared on Yu Xiaogang's corpse-like face for the first time.

"All right, don't think too much about it for now. Let's go to the Training Ground and settle our doubts first. I only told you all this to keep you from acting rashly."

As he spoke, Flender left the room with Yu Xiaogang and headed toward the Training Ground.

Yu Xiaogang merely nodded and said nothing more.

His heart was in turmoil.

When they reached the Training Ground, Tang San and the other six were already waiting there.

Zhao Su had come as well, and Zhao Wuji was speaking to him in a low voice.

"He's here!"

Seeing Grandmaster, Zhao Wuji alerted Zhao Su.

Zhao Su also looked toward Yu Xiaogang as he approached them.

At that moment, however, Yu Xiaogang looked very old, and his corpse-like face gave people a deeply uncomfortable feeling.

His bloodshot eyes were particularly unsettling.

For a moment, Zhao Su could not understand what Yu Xiaogang had that made Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong unable to forget him.

At that thought, a trace of jealousy could not help stirring in Zhao Su's heart.

"Teacher, you're here?"

Seeing Yu Xiaogang, Tang San hurried over to greet him, smiling as he called out respectfully.

Yu Xiaogang merely nodded without speaking.

Instead, he looked at Zhao Su, who stood beside Zhao Wuji a short distance away.

Seeing Yu Xiaogang looking his way, Zhao Su took a deep breath to steady his emotions, then walked over with Zhao Wuji to stand before Yu Xiaogang and Flender.

When the other teachers at Shrek Academy heard that Grandmaster had arrived and immediately locked horns with Zhao Su, they hurried over as well.

"Grandmaster?"

Zhao Su addressed Yu Xiaogang with contempt in his eyes.

"I want to know what you rely on to help others change their martial souls and increase their soul power. In my research, there is no method other than life burning."

Yu Xiaogang was utterly direct, dispensing with all courtesies as he questioned Zhao Su without preamble.

"Your research isn't worth mentioning. And those so-called Ten Great Theories of yours are nothing but a joke!"

Zhao Su likewise showed no mercy, firing back in anger.