Chapter 137: Sorry, My Teacher Is a Titled Douluo, I Refuse Moral Coercion
"Yu Xiaogang, your own theory proves that you yourself are a useless soul master."
"You—!"
Yu Xiaogang's face instantly flushed red, then turned deathly pale.
His body trembled violently. His fingers curled and loosened repeatedly, while strange choking sounds came from his throat.
It was the sound of faith collapsing.
The sound of a man who had bet his entire life on a theory suddenly discovering that his theory could not explain reality.
"Fake… It's all fake."
Suddenly, like a madman, he grabbed Tang San's shoulders. His fingernails nearly dug into the flesh.
"Xiao San, tell your teacher. This is an illusion, right? Some kind of hallucination created by a soul skill, right?"
Tang San's shoulders ached from the grip.
Looking at his teacher's nearly crazed eyes, complicated emotions surged in his heart.
There was sympathy.
There was embarrassment.
And something deeper.
If even his teacher could not explain Lin Qingmo's situation, then what exactly was the theoretical system he had always believed in worth?
"Teacher…"
Tang San's voice was so low it was almost inaudible.
"That is real soul power fluctuation, not an illusion."
"Impossible! My theory cannot be wrong! It absolutely cannot be wrong!"
Slap!
A loud, crisp sound echoed.
Flender had appeared beside Yu Xiaogang at some point. His palm struck Yu Xiaogang's face without mercy.
The force was so strong that Yu Xiaogang staggered, spinning half a circle and nearly falling.
The air fell into deathly silence.
"Wake up, Xiaogang!"
Flender's voice carried rare severity.
"The facts are right in front of you! Just because your theory cannot explain it does not mean the facts do not exist!"
"You are a scholar, not a god. A scholar should behave like a scholar. Admit what you do not know, then go research and explore it. Do not act like a gambler who cannot accept losing and throws a tantrum!"
Even Flender felt ashamed of his old friend Yu Xiaogang's behavior.
"..."
Yu Xiaogang covered his face and stood there blankly.
That slap seemed to have truly awakened him.
The madness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by hollow confusion.
He looked at the soul rings beneath Lin Qingmo's feet.
After a long while, he slowly lowered his hand.
A clear palm mark remained on his face.
He adjusted his collar. Such a simple action looked extremely difficult for him.
Then he bowed deeply toward Lin Qingmo.
"I'm sorry."
The three words were spoken softly.
"I lost my composure. My own theories blinded my judgment."
Yu Xiaogang straightened up. His expression had returned to calm, at least on the surface.
"Student Lin Qingmo, I apologize for both my previous and recent words and actions."
"I should not have rashly denied your achievements without evidence."
Lin Qingmo raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
What trick is he planning now?
The glow of the soul rings gradually faded and disappeared beneath his feet.
The oppressive fluctuation of soul power also dissipated.
But things were not over yet.
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath. His eyes gradually burned with excitement.
It was the look of a scholar discovering an unknown field.
The excitement of a theorist when a flaw appears in an existing system, even if that flaw manifests as a public humiliation.
"However, please allow me to ask one question."
Yu Xiaogang's voice trembled with suppressed excitement.
"How did you accomplish this?"
"Rank 4 innate soul power. A useless martial soul like Blue Silver Grass. Yet you broke through to the Rank 45 Soul Ancestor level in just a few years and even completed limit-breaking absorption for every soul ring."
"What is the secret behind this?"
"If you are willing to share it, perhaps many soul masters judged as lacking talent could change their fate."
The words sounded noble.
But everyone present could clearly sense the moral pressure hidden within them.
The atmosphere grew subtle again.
Dai Mubai and Oscar exchanged glances.
Ma Hongjun scratched his head.
To be honest, they were really curious about the secret.
So they stayed silent and watched.
Ning Rongrong curled her lips and muttered quietly.
"Isn't that just moral coercion?"
Tang San also looked at Lin Qingmo, his gaze flickering.
It would be a lie to say he did not want to know the secret.
That was the method of limit-breaking soul ring absorption.
If he could master it, his strength would certainly leap to another level.
"Pfft."
Lin Qingmo suddenly laughed.
Soon, the smile turned cold.
"Master, you make it sound so simple."
He spoke slowly.
"What relationship do we have?"
"Teacher and student? Sorry, my teacher is not you, and you are not qualified."
"Friends? We have barely exchanged a few words."
"In that case, why should I reveal my secret to you?"
"For the sake of Shrek Academy!"
Yu Xiaogang immediately responded, his tone sincere.
"You eight are a whole. You are companions. If everyone becomes stronger, the entire team's strength will increase."
"Stop."
Lin Qingmo raised a hand.
"Master, can we skip the moral coercion?"
"I paid tuition to come to Shrek to learn combat techniques and team coordination. I did not come here to play some 'one big happy family' game."
He looked around, his gaze sweeping across everyone present.
"Everyone here has some kind of background or secret, right?"
"Rongrong is the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Tang San has his strange hidden weapons."
"According to your logic, should Rongrong share the Seven Treasures Glazed Clan's secret martial soul cultivation methods with everyone? Do you dare ask for that?"
"Hmph!"
Ning Rongrong immediately snorted.
"In your dreams!"
She crossed her arms, her young miss temper flaring up.
"Dean Flender, I'll have to write a letter to my father about this. Someone is eyeing the secret methods of the Seven Treasures Glazed Clan; this is no small matter."
"!!!"
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Flender's back.
"Rongrong, misunderstanding. It is all a misunderstanding."
"Whether it is a misunderstanding or not, you know best."
Ning Rongrong refused to let it go.
Yu Xiaogang's face turned even paler.
Only now did he realize how inappropriate his earlier words had been. They had practically touched the sensitive nerves of powerful sects.
But Lin Qingmo was not finished.
"As for my secret…"
He suddenly smiled.
There was a mischievous satisfaction hidden in that smile.
"Telling you is not impossible."
Everyone immediately focused their attention.
Even Tang San leaned forward slightly.
"The reason I can accomplish all this is because I have a teacher."
Lin Qingmo spoke casually.
"A Titled Douluo-level teacher."
"My cultivation method and my soul ring configuration were all personally arranged by her."
"So, Master, do you really want to know the exclusive secret techniques of a Titled Douluo?"
"?"
"..."
A series of gasps echoed around them.
"A Titled Douluo?!"
Ma Hongjun shouted directly.
"Lin Qingmo, you have a Titled Douluo as your teacher? Damn, is that real?"
The sausage in Oscar's hand fell to the ground.
Dai Mubai's pupils shook.
Even the Star Luo Empire's royal family did not necessarily possess a Titled Douluo. Those were national treasure-level figures.
Yet Lin Qingmo, a seemingly ordinary young man, actually had a Titled Douluo as his teacher.
"…I see."
Flender let out a long breath.
Now it made sense.
Everything made sense.
Why Lin Qingmo could break conventions.
Why was his cultivation speed so astonishing?
Why did he always appear completely confident?
With a Titled Douluo standing behind him, anyone would have confidence.
Only Yu Xiaogang's face changed from pale to green, then from green to gray.
The secret of a Titled Douluo?
Even if he had a hundred times more courage, he would not dare covet it.
Existences of that level were extremely rare even within his proud Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Not to mention that he himself was a useless man who had been expelled from the clan.
End of Chapter