Chapter 185 - 185: [DD2]: 185

Credits: Damokles72 Body Sect. A tall, slightly bald elder chuckled gleefully as he listened to the news reported by his subordinates. "I'm dying of laughter! Yan Shaozhe is regressing as he ages—letting an evil Soul King escape?" "And to think his martial soul is the Bright Phoenix, a natural counter to evil soul masters. Yet this is the result?" "Even if I sent one of our Body Sect's dogs, it would perform better." "How is Shrek Academy even functioning? How can such a joke hold the position of Martial Soul Department Dean?" "Is Xuanzi blind or what?" The elder's words were filled with ridicule, leaving no respect for Yan Shaozhe. Even when mentioning Xuanzi, his tone was dismissive. This elder was none other than Du Bushi, the Body Sect's Sect Master and a Level 98 Super Douluo. In terms of strength, he surpassed Xuanzi in his prime. Across the entire Douluo Continent, Du Bushi was considered one of the strongest. The Body Sect was known for its fearless, brash ways, and it shared a long-standing rivalry with Shrek Academy. Du Bushi had little regard for Shrek Academy and wouldn't miss any opportunity to mock it. "Bright Phoenix Douluo probably has some strength," said an old man in a gray robe beside him. "After all, he's a disciple of Dragon God Douluo. Perhaps this time, he was simply careless. Maybe that evil Soul King had some unusual tricks." Du Bushi snorted. "Tricks or not, it's still just a Soul King. Letting one escape—how does that Super Douluo even hold his title?" "This guy is an embarrassment to Super Douluos. Shrek Academy is going to suffer for this." "Even the rumors alone will give them headaches." Du Bushi's tone was gleeful. Seeing Shrek Academy in trouble delighted him more than making a fortune. Shrek Academy was unlike the Body Sect. The Body Sect didn't care about its reputation. Shrek Academy, on the other hand, had no choice but to care—it was an institution. If its golden reputation were tarnished, who would trust their children to study there? Sёarᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without the best students, how could it maintain its title as the continent's premier academy? Was Shrek Academy truly the best at teaching? Not necessarily. Its dominance was due to attracting the most talented students. Those geniuses would excel wherever they studied. The education systems of the three great empires weren't necessarily inferior—it was simply a matter of resources and student quality. Now, with this scandal, Shrek Academy's admissions might face a significant impact. "You're right, Sect Master," the gray-robed elder agreed. "Shrek Academy has a real problem on its hands this time." Du Bushi laughed, taking a large gulp of tea. Then, he shifted topics. "Have we identified who purchased the 100,000-year soul beast embryo yet?" While the Shrek Academy drama was amusing, Du Bushi was more concerned about this matter. "It's been confirmed," replied the gray-robed elder. "The Sun-Moon Empire's Royal Soul Engineering Academy acquired the 100,000-year soul beast embryo. Additionally, someone issued a mission at the Adventurer's Guild targeting Illustrious Virtue Hall's treasure, with a reward of one billion gold soul coins." Du Bushi sneered. "Hmph, this is a scheme by the Star Luo Empire to provoke Illustrious Virtue Hall. Whoever accepts the mission is bound to offend Illustrious Virtue Hall." "But as it happens, our Body Sect doesn't fear those soul engineers. We'll claim both the embryo and the billion gold soul coins." "Send people to the Sun-Moon Empire to locate the soul beast embryo's position. Secretly dig tunnels if necessary." "There's no rush, but make sure everything is done carefully. Jing Hongchen's grandson won't be able to absorb the 100,000-year-old soul beast embryo within ten years. We have plenty of time." "Yes, Sect Master!" The gray-robed elder bowed and left. Du Bushi drained the rest of his tea, his old eyes glinting with a faint, eerie light. ... Sea God's Pavilion As the rumors grew increasingly widespread, the doubts surrounding Shrek Academy intensified. It reached a point where the academy's very image was at stake. Faced with this looming crisis, Shrek Academy convened another Sea God's Pavilion meeting. In the quiet chamber, a large round table sat at the center. At the head of the table, an elderly man reclined in a chair. From his position, the table extended outward with eleven seats on either side. The first seat to his left was empty, while the first seat to his right was occupied by an elderly woman with graying temples. Further down the table sat several unfamiliar faces, followed by Yan Shaozhe, Cai Meier, Xian Lin'er, and Qian Duoduo—the deans and vice-deans of the Martial Soul and Soul Engineering departments. Seated at the far end of the table was a young woman in her early twenties. Her beauty was stunning yet elegant, her black hair sleek and smooth. She exuded a graceful and refined aura—an ethereal blend of charm and dignity. This young woman was none other than Zhang Lexuan. For the first time, she was formally participating in a Sea God's Pavilion meeting. Yes, Zhang Lexuan had been approved to join the Sea God's Pavilion and was now one of its members. "Is everyone here? Let's begin." From the innermost seat at the round table, a slightly aged voice spoke. As the words echoed, everyone else instinctively straightened their posture. Mu en said calmly, "Recently, Shrek Academy has faced various criticisms. Beyond our loss in the tournament, much of it stems from the failure of the recent Inspection mission." "Shaozhe, you must take full responsibility for this." Yan Shaozhe nodded heavily, his expression serious. "Yes, teacher. This was my carelessness." "I didn't anticipate that the Death God's Envoy would be able to control corpse explosions, which severely injured Xiaotao and the others." "Later, I went after the Death God's Envoy, but I was unexpectedly struck by heavenly lightning, allowing them to escape." "Are you sure you were struck by heavenly lightning?" asked Qian Duoduo across the table, his expression skeptical. "What are the odds of that?" To be honest, he found it hard to believe. Yan Shaozhe glared at him and replied, "Why would I lie about this? If not for the lightning strike, how could a mere Soul King have escaped from me?" "And you're still proud of that?" Xian Lin'er shot him a disdainful look. "You probably got struck because you've done too many shameful deeds." "Why else would the lightning strike only you and no one else?" "There's some truth in that." "Lin'er, you…" Yan Shaozhe's face darkened at her sarcastic jab, but he couldn't refute her. After all, he had indeed wronged Xian Lin'er in the past. He knew better than anyone that he wasn't innocent of such deeds during his younger years. Could it be karma that led to him being struck by lightning? Even Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but wonder. "Enough, Lin'er. What's done is done," an elderly woman seated on the right said, silencing Xian Lin'er instantly. The speaker was Elder Song, a Level 97 Super Douluo and a senior elder of Shrek Academy. She was also Xian Lin'er's mother, holding significant authority and respect. "Now isn't the time to blame Shaozhe. What's most important is finding a solution." "Letting the rumors spread unchecked will only harm the academy further," Elder Song said calmly. Her words left everyone deep in thought. Indeed, assigning blame wouldn't solve anything; addressing the problem was the priority. "Does anyone have any ideas?" asked the elder reclining at the innermost seat. The room fell silent for a moment before Xian Lin'er broke the stillness. "It's simple. The academy's reputation is being questioned because someone failed. If that person proves they're not incompetent, the problem will resolve itself." Yan Shaozhe frowned slightly. "Lin'er, what exactly do you mean?" Xian Lin'er replied coolly, "I mean, go prove your strength. Flex a little." "People are questioning the academy's capabilities, right? So, let's visit them for a friendly demonstration. It's perfectly reasonable." "No, that would come across as too aggressive. People will say we're tyrannical," Cai Meier objected as soon as Xian Lin'er finished. "Just because others are criticizing us, you want to confront them? That's excessive. Besides, there are many critics—are we supposed to deal with each one individually? That would only harm the academy's reputation further." "Being forceful isn't necessarily a bad thing. Strength commands respect—might make right," Xian Lin'er countered, fully embracing her warrior's nature. She was all about taking action. "If anyone dares to question us, we'll make them regret it. Hurt them enough, and no one will dare to question us again." "Some of our critics are powerful entities, including the Body Sect, which has openly mocked us. Are you planning to take on the Body Sect as well?" Cai Meier retorted. Xian Lin'er hesitated, her confidence faltering. She knew better than to provoke the Body Sect. "Lin'er's suggestion is impractical and reckless," Yan Shaozhe added. Xian Lin'er glared at him angrily. "Then why don't you come up with a proper plan? Everyone here is cleaning up your mess!" Yan Shaozhe was momentarily silenced, unable to offer any meaningful solution. "Lexuan, do you have any thoughts?" Mu En's voice rang out again, drawing everyone's attention to Zhang Lexuan. Zhang Lexuan was momentarily taken aback—this was her first major meeting, after all. Noticing her hesitation, Mu En smiled kindly. "Feel free to speak your mind. You're now a member of the Sea God's Pavilion. Don't hold back." "Yes, Lexuan, share your ideas," Elder Song encouraged with a warm smile. Zhang Lexuan pondered for a moment before responding. "I think we should address the root of the issue. First, we need to capture the Death God's Envoy and bring them to justice. That will immediately dispel some of the rumors." "Second, since the criticism stems from our failure in the Inspection mission, we can offset it by completing several successful missions during this period. The more impressive our achievements, the more we can silence the doubters." "Next, Dean Yan will need to make a public display of strength. Ideally, he should eliminate an Evil Soul Master at the Soul Douluo level or higher. News of such a feat will spread, and the doubts about the dean will melt away like snow under the sun." Zhang Lexuan's suggestion was straightforward but hit all the key points. After a moment of contemplation, the other elders nodded in agreement. "What Lexuan said is generally reasonable. Capturing the Death God's Envoy is imperative, and we can also have the inner court students complete several surveillance missions shortly," Elder Song commented. "The only problem is finding an Evil Soul Master at the Soul Douluo level. They are as challenging to deal with as an average Titled Douluo, and locating one may take significant time." "Given enough effort, we'll find one sooner or later. Those rats hiding in the shadows always stir up trouble eventually," another elder remarked. Evil Soul Masters always harbored destructive tendencies, and conducting a widespread search across the continent would likely uncover one or two. "Then it's settled. Shaozhe, you will take charge of this matter," Mu En chairing the meeting said decisively, making the final call. The rest of the elders raised no objections and voiced their approval. "Now, let's move on to another issue. We indeed lost this year's Soul Master Tournament. However, in a certain sense, we didn't lose to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy but to a single individual—a young man we've been searching for quite some time." "Shaozhe, elaborate on this for everyone." "Yes, teacher." Yan Shaozhe took over and explained the situation in detail. "The Young Master of the Ice God Palace?" "Xiaotao and the others lost to the Young Master of the Ice God Palace?" "If that's the case, it's more understandable," a few elders murmured to themselves. Losing to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy would prompt doubts about Ma Xiaotao and her team's competence. But if the opponent was from the Ice God Palace, the loss seemed more acceptable. "Full ten-thousand soul rings, dual domains, a soul bone, and an Ultimate Ice martial soul—so this is the young talent secretly cultivated by the Ice God Palace?" "What an extraordinary level of aptitude," Elder Song remarked, genuinely surprised. This level of talent was rare, perhaps unprecedented. "There might also be a dual martial soul involved. Since both Bei Bei and Wang Yan mentioned his wind attribute, it's unlikely to be false," Elder Lin, seated next to Elder Song, added. "An Ultimate Ice martial soul clearly wouldn't have wind attributes, so the most plausible explanation is that he possesses twin martial souls." "An Ultimate martial soul combined with twin martial souls… such innate talent…" Elder Lin trailed off, his expression showing utter astonishment. The heir of the Ice God Palace was far too gifted. "No wonder Xiaotao and the others lost—it's hard to entirely blame them for this," Xian Lin'er said, her expression shifting. Even she was taken aback by the news. It truly wasn't a fault of their skills or preparation. "But the boy is only twelve years old," Qian Duoduo muttered. No matter how gifted Su Yu was, he was just twelve. Ma Xiaotao was nineteen, and Dai Yueheng was nearing twenty. Both of them were seven to eight years older than Su Yu.