Chapter 2: Tenth Place: Teacher Wang Yan!
Above the sky, light erupted, condensing into several massive characters!
[Top Ranking: The Ten Great Hypocrites Ranking!]
Hypocrites!
The moment these three words appeared, the entire World seemed to fall silent for a moment.
Countless people looked at each other, their expressions turning strange.
Some were curious, others were gloating.
But more people, especially those in high positions who prided themselves on being righteous, felt their hearts jump violently, giving rise to an ominous premonition.
Is this going to… publicly execute someone in front of everyone from both eras?
...
[Douluo 1 Era]
In Spirit Hall, the corners of Bibi Dong's mouth curled into a cold arc.
"Hypocrites? Interesting."
"I want to see whether it's those old things from the Upper Three Sects, or that bunch of hypocritical trash from the two Empires who will make the list."
...
Heaven Dou City.
Crown Prince Xue Qinghe held his teacup, maintaining the composure expected of a Crown Prince.
Deep in his eyes, however, flashed a trace of something imperceptible to others.
...
[Douluo 2 Era]
In Shrek Academy, many students had already started whispering, guessing who the first "lucky one" would be.
"Hypocrites, that must refer to those sanctimonious guys, right?"
"Like those politicians from the Sun Moon Empire who talk about building peace while invading us?"
"Shh, keep it down, the ranking hasn't even started yet!"
...
Just as everyone was watching, the golden light on the sky screen swirled, and a line of large text slowly formed.
[Top Ten Hypocrites Ranking, Tenth Place!]
Everyone held their breath, staring fixedly at the sky, waiting for that name to appear.
Who would it be?
A World-renowned powerhouse, or some conspirator hidden behind the scenes?
An ancient figure from ten thousand years ago, or someone from ten thousand years later?
Golden radiance continued to converge, and the name that was about to shock both eras was about to be revealed.
Everyone held their breath, staring fixedly at the sky.
Nervousness, anticipation, gloating... all sorts of emotions spread to every corner of the continent.
Finally, under the gaze of everyone, the name that was about to shock both eras slowly appeared.
Golden radiance continued to converge, the strokes clear.
[Tenth Place: Teacher Wang Yan]
The moment the name appeared, a clear light projection of a person's face also appeared next to the name.
It was the face of a young man wearing glasses, with an ordinary appearance, even somewhat scholarly, and a bookish aura in his eyes.
In an instant, the entire continent once again fell into an eerie silence.
...
[Douluo 1 Era]
Inside the valley.
Tang San and Tang Hao looked at the unfamiliar name and face on the sky screen, both frowning.
"Teacher Wang Yan? Never heard of him."
Tang Hao said in a deep voice.
"Judging by his appearance, his Soul Power fluctuations shouldn't be strong; he doesn't look like a powerful figure. Who is this person?"
Tang San's Purple Demon Eye flickered; he always felt that this ranking was full of weirdness and didn't dare to underestimate it in the slightest.
...
Spirit City.
A trace of doubt also flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes.
"Investigate! Go and investigate for me! Find every Soul Master on the continent named Teacher Wang Yan!"
She ordered coldly.
She had a premonition in her heart that this ranking would definitely not be that simple.
...
[Douluo 2 Era]
When that name and that face appeared on the sky screen simultaneously.
Soul Masters in the Sun Moon Empire, Star Luo Empire, and other places were still looking blank.
Teacher Wang Yan? Don't know him.
However, in Shrek Academy, the atmosphere exploded instantly, and then froze just as quickly.
"It's... it's Teacher Wang Yan!"
"Did I see that right? The person on the sky screen is Teacher Wang Yan!"
Exclamations rose one after another.
On the outer courtyard square, thousands of gazes, like iron filings attracted to a magnet, turned simultaneously toward a corner in the teaching staff.
The young teacher standing there was the very owner of that face on the sky screen.
Shrek Academy core teacher, Teacher Wang Yan!
"Hum —"
At this moment, Teacher Wang Yan felt his brain go blank, and his blood felt as if it had rushed to the top of his head in that instant, only to freeze into ice the next second.
Fear, like a giant hand from the abyss, tightly gripped his heart.
His complexion instantly drained of color, turning as pale as paper.
His eyes behind his glasses were filled with unprecedented terror and panic, his pupils shrinking to the size of needle points.
"No... impossible... this is impossible... how could it be me..."
His lips trembled, his body shaking uncontrollably, barely able to stand.
Cold sweat soaked his back.
He subconsciously took a step back, turned around, pushed through the crowd, and desperately wanted to escape this place, to escape these countless scrutinizing gazes.
Above the Sea God Pavilion, Elder Xuan hovered in the clouds, taking in everything below.
He saw Teacher Wang Yan running away in a daze, and a trace of complexity flashed in his murky eyes.
Should he just let him go like this?
However, just as this thought arose in Elder Xuan's heart.
An aged and majestic voice sounded directly in his spiritual sea.
[Elder Xuan, stop him.]
It was Elder Mu!
Elder Xuan's heart tightened, and he instantly put away all hesitation and reluctance.
He gritted his teeth, his figure flashed, and he appeared in front of the fleeing Teacher Wang Yan like Teleportation.
An iron-clamp-like hand rested on his shoulder.
"Teacher Wang Yan."
Elder Xuan's voice was as deep as an abyss, revealing no joy or anger.
"What are you running for?"
Teacher Wang Yan's body went completely stiff.
He turned his head with difficulty, seeing Elder Xuan's deep, bottomless eyes, his heart almost stopped beating.
His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
"I... I didn't... Elder Xuan! This is a misunderstanding!"
"It must be someone with the same name! Or... or someone framed me! Yes, it's a frame-up!"
He babbled incoherently, his voice becoming sharp and piercing due to extreme fear.
But his reaction had already said it all.
Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and the others watching this scene all felt deeply incredulous.
"How could it be Teacher Wang Yan?"
Xiao Xiao muttered, her small face full of shock.
"He's such a good person..."
Before she could finish, the golden giant screen in the sky shone brightly, starting to play the past of [Teacher Wang Yan].
A narrator's voice sounded, and that voice was Teacher Wang Yan's own.
...
[My name is Teacher Wang Yan, born in a remote village on the border of the Heavenly Soul Empire. Our village was very small, so small that there wasn't even a decent Soul Master.]
In the scene, a dilapidated small mountain village appeared.
The thin young Teacher Wang Yan was awakening his Martial Soul.
[I awakened a tool Martial Soul — Coiling Dragon Rod, but my innate Soul Power was only level five.]
[The village elder patted my head, sighing and saying, "What a pity for this child. Innate Soul Power level five is considered a genius in this small place, but in the outside World, at most one can only become a Soul King, and that's how it will be for the rest of his life."]
In the scene, there was no disappointment in the eyes of the young Teacher Wang Yan; instead, they were burning with stubborn flames.
[I don't believe in fate! Why should birth determine everything? Why should talent destine the end?]
[I firmly believe that knowledge can change destiny! I want to go to the holy land for all Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent — Shrek Academy!]
The scene shifted, and the young Teacher Wang Yan, carrying a simple bag, said goodbye to his weeping parents, his youthful face written with determination as he walked out of the mountains step by step.
He relied on delivering letters and doing odd jobs for others, walking on foot for several months before finally arriving at the Shrek City of his dreams.
[When I first stood in front of the Shrek Academy gate and saw those seven large characters, I swore that I must stay here.]
In the scene, Teacher Wang Yan, with excellent theoretical results and not-so-outstanding strength, barely managed to get into the Shrek outer courtyard.
[I knew my talent was mediocre, so I had to work harder than anyone else.]
[If others meditated for an hour, I would meditate for two. When others were resting, I was working-study in the library.]
The scenes on the sky screen switched rapidly.
In the library late at night, he was the only one writing furiously among the piles of books, the candle on the table burning out one after another.
On the training ground, he was knocked down by powerful classmates again and again, but he stood up again and again, gritting his teeth, even if he was covered in injuries, his eyes never yielded.
[In Shrek, I studied thirstily.]
[I accidentally obtained a classic by Master Yu Xiaogang, and I treasured it like a precious treasure.]
[The "Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls" and other theories recorded in it deeply inspired me!]
[I memorized every word in the book by heart.]
[And on this basis, I studied tirelessly, trying to perfect those theories and create my own Martial Soul research system.]
In the scene, the walls of his dormitory were covered with dense drawings and notes, all of which were analyses and conjectures about various Martial Souls.