The Grandmaster's theory

Lin Yang and Yu Xiaogang had little to do with each other.

In his four months at the academy, he had only seen Yu Xiaogang a handful of times, and they had never exchanged a single word.

It would be no exaggeration to say they were strangers.

Yet now, this "Grandmaster" was staring straight at him, a sharpness entering his usually languid eyes, as though he were scrutinizing something.

"Hello, Grandmaster." Lin Yang bowed slightly in greeting.

Yu Xiaogang's appearance had him muttering inwardly, but on the surface, he still maintained basic courtesy.

"Mm!"

Yu Xiaogang's expression did not change as he gave what sounded like a grunt through his nose, which counted as a greeting.

"Did you need something from me, Grandmaster?"

Lin Yang did not beat around the bush and asked his reason directly.

He certainly did not think Yu Xiaogang had come specifically to chat, and it definitely could not be to take him as a disciple...

Yu Xiaogang fell silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"You've broken through to rank ten?"

This was no secret, and Lin Yang had no intention of hiding it. He nodded in confirmation.

"I remember your innate Soul Power was rank five, and your Martial Soul was a saber." Yu Xiaogang's gaze was strange, full of probing curiosity.

"By rights, someone with rank-five innate Soul Power shouldn't cultivate this quickly."

Lin Yang's brows creased almost imperceptibly, but his expression remained calm.

All his cultivation since enrolling could be traced. Even if someone investigated, they certainly would not find any problems.

"Grandmaster," Lin Yang said calmly.

"I'm not too sure about what you're saying. I've only been cultivating normally."

"As for cultivating quickly... was your innate Soul Power also rank five, Grandmaster? Personally, I think this speed is quite normal."

At these words, Yu Xiaogang visibly stiffened, and his expression became somewhat unnatural.

His innate Soul Power had not even reached rank one, and his cultivation progressed slower than a tortoise crawled. Naturally, he did not understand exactly how fast someone with rank-five innate Soul Power normally cultivated.

He had merely used the various data he had collected over the years to roughly calculate that something was off about Lin Yang's cultivation speed.

He had intended to bluff him, only to lift a rock and drop it on his own foot.

"Ahem..."

Yu Xiaogang coughed lightly, striving to squeeze a kindly expression onto his face.

"Student Lin, don't misunderstand. I mean you no harm."

"I've spent decades researching Martial Souls. No one understands their potential and possible flaws better than I do."

At this point, his face seemed to take on a glow, one brimming with confidence.

"Of the one thousand three hundred and fifty saber-type Martial Souls I've studied, eight hundred and twenty-seven possessed Soul Power. Of those, nearly eighty percent had innate Soul Power below rank three."

"Of the remaining one hundred and sixty-five, one hundred and thirteen had rank-four innate Soul Power, thirty-seven had rank five, ten had rank six, and five had rank seven or higher. But..."

Yu Xiaogang abruptly shifted his tone, the fervor in his gaze making Lin Yang's scalp prickle.

"Your innate Soul Power was only rank five, yet your cultivation speed is no slower than that of someone with rank-seven innate Soul Power. According to the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul I've researched, yours is definitely a mutated Martial Soul."

As Yu Xiaogang spoke, his tone carried unquestionable conviction and confidence, as though he had already uncovered the greatest secret of Lin Yang's Martial Soul.

Lin Yang raised a brow, his expression calm.

He knew his own affairs best.

He had long suspected that his innate Soul Power was not merely rank five. Most likely, it had been used to suppress the Demon Blood Martial Soul, resulting in a deficit in his innate Soul Power.

But to use this to declare his Martial Soul a mutated Martial Soul was far too arbitrary.

Still, he did not rashly contradict him, instead following his line of reasoning.

"So, Grandmaster, you're saying my Martial Soul underwent a beneficial mutation?"

To Lin Yang's astonishment, Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "No. A harmful mutation."

Lin Yang's eyes turned into little dots, his face blank with bewilderment. Huh?

Would you like to take a look at what you're saying?

Seeing the shock in Lin Yang's eyes, a trace of smugness flashed through Yu Xiaogang's gaze.

"One of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul I published states that the amount of innate Soul Power is directly proportional to the quality of the Martial Soul."

"Your cultivation speed is very fast, which means you have strong cultivation aptitude. At the very least, your spiritual power exceeds that of your peers."

"But your innate Soul Power rank indicates that the quality of your Martial Soul is unremarkable, or at least does not match your cultivation aptitude."

"So I can say with complete certainty that your saber-type Martial Soul must have undergone some degree of harmful mutation in properties such as hardness, toughness, or even sharpness, weakening it..."

Watching Yu Xiaogang hold forth, Lin Yang did not know what to say.

He was certain the Grandmaster was not a complete fraud. The deductions above showed that he did have a couple of tricks up his sleeve, but only a couple.

Whenever something doesn't fit what he considers "common sense," he pins it all on mutated Martial Souls, does he?

All kinds of statistics rolled off his tongue.

Even someone who had only attended elementary school knew that statistical data needed to be accurate and complete, and that variables even needed to be controlled.

None of that was present.

Claims without evidence were hardly convincing!

Still, Lin Yang patiently listened until he finished.

At last, Yu Xiaogang had talked himself dry and had to stop for a breath. Lin Yang took the opportunity to prepare to grease his soles and slip away.

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Grandmaster. I've benefited greatly. I'll come listen to your teachings another day."

With that, Lin Yang started to turn away.

But Yu Xiaogang grew anxious now and hurriedly grabbed Lin Yang's shoulder. "Wait."

He had not come to give a free educational talk. With his goal still unfulfilled, how could he let Lin Yang leave so easily?

"Was there something else, Grandmaster?"

Lin Yang stopped and turned slightly.

"Lin Yang, although your Martial Soul underwent a harmful mutation, you yourself have already proven that you possess sufficient potential."

After saying so much, Yu Xiaogang finally revealed his purpose.

"With my guidance, I can help you remedy the flaws caused by your Martial Soul mutation. Your future prospects will certainly be broader than they are now. You might even reach... Titled Douluo."

When he uttered the words "Titled Douluo," a glimmer of ambition flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes.

This was his lifelong goal. He wanted to train a Titled Douluo disciple and let everyone who looked down on him know that he, Yu Xiaogang, was no good-for-nothing.

These words were highly stirring. An ordinary six-year-old might truly have been hoodwinked into bowing down on the spot.

But although Lin Yang's body was six years old, his mental age was not. Naturally, he would not be so easily deceived.

Most importantly, Yu Xiaogang's theories were of little use to him.

Lin Yang's tone was exceedingly calm, without the slightest fluctuation.

"Thank you for your kindness, Grandmaster. I'm very satisfied with my current cultivation and haven't encountered any bottlenecks. Besides..."

Lin Yang paused before continuing.

"My task right now is to select a suitable Soul Ring. As for theoretical research... I hope I'll have another opportunity to hear your guidance in the future."

Lin Yang had phrased it tactfully, but his central meaning was simple.

If you want to talk about your theories, I can listen. It won't cost me anything. But don't meddle in my cultivation.

Apparently, Yu Xiaogang had never considered that Lin Yang might refuse, so his face turned livid when he heard this.

He badly wanted to sweep his sleeve and leave at once, but remembering that Lin Yang was currently the only person who could verify his theories, he forced himself to remain patient.

"Lin Yang, you're very clever, but in some matters, seeing is believing, while hearsay counts for nothing."

"Don't let gossip lead you down the wrong path."

"Martial Soul mutation is full of uncertainties. If you choose the wrong first Soul Ring, your Martial Soul may very well mutate again in the future. By then, it'll be too late for regrets."

Lin Yang nodded perfunctorily. "Then, Grandmaster, which Soul Beast do you think I should choose for my first Soul Ring?"

Yu Xiaogang answered without thinking.

"Your Martial Soul is of low quality. Neither its sturdiness nor its sharpness can match a top-tier Martial Soul, so you need to experiment boldly and let your sword take an unconventional slant."

"For your first Soul Ring, you should choose a poison-type Soul Beast. Adding the poison attribute to your tool Martial Soul would neatly compensate for its insufficient attack power and also grant you a powerful Soul Skill."

At these words, Lin Yang nearly sprayed this old geezer to death with a mouthful of salted soda.

The last shred of goodwill he held toward Yu Xiaogang swiftly vanished.

His Martial Soul was a saber. Instead of finding ways to improve its sturdiness and sharpness, he was abandoning the root to chase the branches by adding poison. Was he taking him for a fool?

He finally understood. Yu Xiaogang had never intended to guide him seriously. He merely wanted to use the opportunity of his obtaining a Soul Ring to turn him into a test subject for verifying his theories.

Yu Xiaogang had worn away the last of his patience as well. A trace of impatience flashed through Lin Yang's eyes, and he cupped his hands.

"Thank you for your advice, Grandmaster. But I already have a target in mind for my Soul Beast, so I won't trouble you to... concern yourself."

With that, Lin Yang ignored Yu Xiaogang's ugly expression, turned, and walked straight away.

Leaving like this was tantamount to tearing away all pretense of civility.

"Rotten wood cannot be carved. Lin Yang... you'll regret this."

Watching Lin Yang's retreating figure, Yu Xiaogang swept his sleeve and left with a dark expression.