Noticing the subtle change in Romantina's expression, Zhou Qing was surprised by her reaction and thought to himself,
"Could it be... Romantina isn't interested in those who appear upright and proper on the surface?"
Yu Xiaogang.
No matter what thoughts he may harbor internally, his outward demeanor was indeed laced with arrogance, rigidity, and an old-fashioned sense of propriety.
Uh…
Zhou Qing suddenly paused, momentarily doubting himself:
"Wait a minute… does that mean I'm not a proper person?"
"Teacher, I'm a graduate of Nuoding Academy. I just came back today to visit my alma mater and offer some guidance to the juniors," Romantina said seriously.
"Mm." Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly, then reproached her:
"However! You caused too much of a disturbance. What if some students were training in the forest and got hurt by you?"
Before Romantina could respond, he turned to Zhou Qing and scolded,
"And you! As a student of Nuoding Academy, instead of using your free time to train hard, you go around showing off a powerful and rare offensive soul tool to a graduate senior? Acting so recklessly—what can you possibly hope to accomplish in the future?"
"Do you really think that just because your first soul ring is of a hundred-year level, the path of a soul master will be smooth sailing?"
"Without a good teacher, you are nothing!"
"This has nothing to do with you."
Even a clay figurine has some fire in it—how could Zhou Qing not?
Sure, he had damaged some flowers and plants, but this was the domain of the academy's principal—who was Yu Xiaogang to reprimand him? He wasn't a teacher, didn't give any lessons, and was merely lodging here. What right did he have to scold him?
Besides—
It's not like Zhou Qing refused to pay for the damage!
During a past match between working students and nobles, he had snapped several trees using his first soul skill, and afterward, he had proactively sought out the academy teachers and paid for the damages.
"This has nothing to do with me? How could it not! You, you…"
Yu Xiaogang wanted to say that he, Tang San, and even Xiao Wu were all considered potential disciples in his heart… but ultimately, he had never truly made it official. So, he couldn't bring himself to say it aloud.
Still, Zhou Qing's attitude had already angered him. But he kept his composure and said patiently,
"Zhou Qing, I understand. You were born in a small village, so you care a lot about real, tangible benefits—just like an old friend of mine…"
That "old friend" was none other than Flender.
Greedy.
That was Flender's nature.
And Zhou Qing could understand him. After all, in the Golden Iron Triangle, Flender was the only one with a purely civilian background, with no family support. All his training resources in his youth had to be earned by himself—apart from the meager subsidies from the Spirit Hall. Even after meeting Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, he couldn't depend on them financially.
And since he loved freedom and didn't want to join any faction, he instead gathered like-minded companions and founded Shrek Academy together.
Speaking of Shrek Academy, Zhou Qing didn't really have a bad impression of it. Sure, the teachers and students all had their flaws, and the academy lacked formal teaching credentials and had a lot of issues in its educational policies, but at least they adapted to students' individual needs—assigning teachers based on the characteristics of their martial souls.
However, after Yu Xiaogang joined Shrek in the original story, everything changed.
The authority over training shifted entirely to Yu Xiaogang, with the other teachers reduced to "support staff."
In order to make Tang San the core of the Shrek Seven Devils and foster so-called "team chemistry," he forced them to train and live together.
The Shrek Seven Devils—including Tang San—became nothing more than tools for Yu Xiaogang to prove himself at the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
Especially in the distant future, when Tang San ascended to godhood and arrived at Jialing Pass, Yu Xiaogang even shouted,
"I've taught a god!"
How desperately did he need to prove himself?
Other than accepting him as a disciple, what did Tang San's ascension to godhood have to do with Yu Xiaogang?
Honestly, even if Tang San's first soul ring had been white 10-year level, he still could have become a Titled Douluo—or even a god—thanks to his second martial soul.
In the original story, Tang San's cultivation was more about Xuantian Skill than martial soul.
The overwhelming foundation of cultivation from that other world alone was enough for him to become a Titled Douluo, even if he didn't optimize his soul ring combination for his Blue Silver Grass.
After all, Blue Silver Grass was inherently the Blue Silver Emperor—that had nothing to do with whether it awakened or not. Otherwise, it couldn't possibly be on par with the Clear Sky Hammer and manifest as twin martial souls.
Just that fact alone meant no soul ring under 100,000 years, or lacking special attributes, could influence it.
Example: when the Clear Sky Hammer absorbed the Dark Devilgod Tiger's soul ring, the only change was a boost in Tang San's own soul power.
From the original story, the higher the potential quality of a martial soul, the less it was affected by the properties of its soul rings—at most, when using soul skills, it would reflect the elemental attributes of the hunted soul beast.
Only low-quality or mutated martial souls were significantly influenced by the properties of soul rings.
For example: Ma Hongjun.
Even with his mutated chicken-into-phoenix martial soul, his true transformation into a phoenix was thanks to the Phoenix Tail Crest herb he consumed.
So, Tang San's godhood was 90% his own effort, and the remaining 10% was his bloodline and his memories from his past life as a Tang Sect disciple.
And Yu Xiaogang—what right did you have to shout, "I taught a god"?
And even worse!
Now, just to grasp at some opportunity to prove himself, Yu Xiaogang had even begun pointing out flaws in his old friend Flender.
Maybe it was Zhou Qing's earlier words that struck a nerve, but that didn't stop Zhou Qing from feeling even more disgusted at him—
That an "outsider" like him, who didn't even fully understand the inner workings of the Golden Iron Triangle, could affect Yu Xiaogang's thoughts?
That could only mean—Yu Xiaogang himself had started to doubt Flender!
So, Zhou Qing cut him off directly and said,
"Teacher, I used to call you that out of courtesy. After all, you live in the academy and might one day realize your shortcomings and choose to teach students…"
"But now—I'll call you 'Grandmaster.' Not for any reason other than because that's what everyone else on the continent calls you."
Yu Xiaogang's face instantly looked like he had eaten spoiled herring.
The title of "Grandmaster"—
Aside from that one old friend and the two women he preferred not to recall, anyone else who called him "Grandmaster" usually carried some degree of mockery in their tone.
Even though Zhou Qing's voice was free of sarcasm, his words made it clear:
No matter how he said it in the future, calling him "Grandmaster" was only ever meant as mockery—nothing else.
"You dare? You dare…"
Yu Xiaogang's fingers trembled, and his face turned red.
But Zhou Qing no longer cared. He simply said,
"I'm born with full innate soul power. Tang San is, too. Xiao Wu as well. Even if our martial souls don't look impressive, the entire continent agrees on one thing—innate soul power reflects a soul master's cultivation speed and potential."
"As long as we survive, becoming Titled Douluos is just a matter of time."
"You're mocked across the continent and want to prove yourself? Then go find a low-innate-soul-power child from a commoner background, and train him into a Titled Douluo. That would be your achievement."
"But trying to use me, Tang San, or Xiao Wu to prove yourself? That's just you feeding your vanity!"