"Feeling wronged?"
Xin glanced at Shui Yue'er, already aware that this girl had accumulated many grievances in her heart. His tone softened slightly.
Shui Yue'er subconsciously nodded, then quickly shook her head. She was indeed wronged, but she did not dare admit it directly.
"You can say whatever grievances you have. The academy is not a prison meant to suppress your nature."
"What Teacher Xin hopes is that you can channel your nature properly, develop your potential earlier, and become true powerhouses sooner. That way, when you encounter difficulties in the future, you will not become a burden to your family or friends, but their protectors instead."
Xin spoke earnestly. For a lively and somewhat rebellious girl like Shui Yue'er, such words might normally sound overly serious or even preachy—but coming from him, with his calm and extraordinary presence, it was difficult to feel resistance.
"I understand what Teacher Xin means…" Shui Yue'er wiped her tears and looked at him pitifully. "But I still believe that no matter what difficulties we encounter, everyone will find a way to overcome them together."
Xin could only let out a soft sigh.
"Some difficulties, if you do not prepare for them early, may already be too late to resolve when they arrive."
"Even with Teacher Xin and Mama Shui, can't we stop them?" Shui Yue'er asked, her clear blue eyes widening slightly.
Xin shook his head.
"I cannot answer that question. But one thing is certain—existences stronger than Teacher Xin are not rare."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the sky. Although he was already a Super Douluo and could stand above most Titled Douluo, he understood even more clearly that beyond this level, there were still forces that suppressed even peak experts.
Even Titled Douluo were not the end of the path.
"Even Teacher Xin cannot control it?" Shui Yue'er murmured, surprised. To her, "beyond Titled Douluo" already sounded like an unreachable concept.
"I understand now," she said after a moment, clenching her small fists. "No matter what I face in the future, I will stand on the same side as Teacher Xin!"
However, her confidence quickly deflated again.
"But… Teacher Xin, my Flowing Water Fist and Subduing Wave Technique are still too weak. I can't even beat my senior sisters, let alone protect anyone."
Although Flowing Water Fist carried the essence of Taiji principles and excelled in adaptability and defense, its lack of destructive power made it difficult for Shui Yue'er to compete in direct combat. Compared with Shui Bing'er's Frozen Ice Cotton Palm and Heavenly Frost Phoenix, the gap in offensive strength was especially obvious.
That imbalance had gradually become one of the reasons she had neglected her cultivation—the difference felt too large, too discouraging.