After their long discussion, everyone felt that the road ahead was bleak, as if there was no hope left.
Among them, the most conflicted was undoubtedly Flender.
As the former headmaster of Shrek Academy, his life had once been poor but at least stable, free, and without worries.
But now, Shrek Academy had been dragged into an abyss.
Originally, the academy's teachers had joined Heaven Dou Imperial Academy for the sake of their students' future, yet after all the twists and turns, they had somehow ended up making countless enemies.
From any perspective, Tang San was just an ordinary student of Shrek Academy. In a normal teacher-student relationship, there should never have been such deep entanglements.
Yet, because of Yu Xiaogang, Flender's longtime brother, things had changed.
Yu Xiaogang was not only Tang San's sole mentor but also one of the people closest to him.
Because of this connection, the teachers of Shrek Academy were dragged into the conflict between the Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall.
People like Zhao Wuji, who had once lived without worries, were now completely entangled in this mess.
Before, although he was on Spirit Empire's wanted list, they had never truly pursued him.
But now, the situation had turned into an all-out blood feud.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong seemed carefree—both were originally members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, a family with deep-rooted enmity against Spirit Empire.
But for others, that kind of hatred simply didn't exist.
After a long time in thought, Flender finally spoke, turning to Zhao Wuji and the others.
"Old Zhao, Qin Ming, and the rest of you… Have you thought about what you'll do next?"
"Truth be told, none of you have an unresolvable grudge against Spirit Empire. I'm not saying you should surrender to them, but whether you choose to live as rogue spirit masters or join Heavenly Academy, both would be good options. Either way, it would suit your personalities better."
As he spoke, Zhao Wuji, Qin Ming, Lu Qibin, Li Yusong, and Shao Xin exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond.
All of them had been gathered by Flender's personal charisma.
They were the true veterans of Shrek Academy, having been with it far longer than Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong.
Each of them was at least Spirit Emperor-level, while Zhao Wuji had even reached the Spirit Douluo realm.
Even if they became rogue spirit masters, they would still live quite well.
Moreover, the teachers and elders from the former Heaven Dou Imperial Academy had long gone their separate ways. None of them had chosen to follow Flender into exile.
Though Zhao Wuji often appeared slow-witted, he was far from being a fool—otherwise, he never would have reached the Spirit Douluo level.
After a long pause, Zhao Wuji finally asked,
"Flender, do you actually have a plan?"
"If you do, we brothers will still follow you. I'm not afraid of Spirit Empire. I just want to know if there's still hope ahead."
At these words, everyone fell silent—especially Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong.
Whether it was Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong, Taitan, or Bai He, these four were absolute opponents of Spirit Empire.
But for the Shrek teachers, they had neither that level of hatred nor any obligation to fight.
And yet…
Though Shrek's numbers were small, they made up nearly half of the group's overall combat strength.
Moreover, they were all unruly warriors, gathered under Flender out of loyalty rather than duty.
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang suddenly spoke up.
"Flender, I believe in Xiao San."
"Once he completes his trials on Seagod Island, he will grow rapidly."
"And once he reaches the Title Douluo level, he will surely advance to Limit Douluo in no time."
"Besides, after observing Heavenly Academy for so many years, I am certain—Yang Podi must have ties to Spirit Empire. Otherwise, there is no way Spirit Empire would allow him to exist."
Zhao Wuji, always direct, immediately asked,
"And what's the problem with tasked
At his words, everyone fell silent.
Given the current state of Douluo Continent, it really didn't seem like there was an issue.
But Yu Xiaogang appeared as if something had deeply provoked him. His face suddenly contorted with intense emotion as he shouted,
"Spirit Empire has acted tyrannically, slaughtering countless sects and even massacring the royal families of the two great empires! How could that have nothing to do with us?"
Zhao Wuji and the others looked at Yu Xiaogang and the equally enraged Liu Erlong but said nothing.
However, deep inside, many of them were silently thinking,
"We're just a bunch of rogue spirit masters. What do those sects and empires have to do with us?"
At this moment, Flender glanced at Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, then at Zhao Wuji and the others, before letting out a deep sigh.
Finally, he turned to Zhao Wuji and the rest and bowed deeply.
"Old Zhao, I've wronged you all. It was my decision that dragged you into this war."
"If any of you want to leave, you can take a ship now and head straight to Heavenly Academy."
Even though they were currently overseas, if they sailed north, they could disembark near the outskirts of the Extreme North and travel to Heavenly Academy, a region beyond Spirit Empire's control.
Upon hearing this, Qin Ming quickly spoke up.
"Headmaster, aren't you coming with us to Heavenly Academy? If you're not going, then I won't go either!"
Flender remained silent for a long time before finally turning to Yu Xiaogang and saying,
"Xiaogang, I don't know why you have so much faith in Tang San."
"Spirit Empire has already unified the entire Douluo Continent. I no longer see any hope."
"These old friends of mine followed me into this war. They are my brothers, my comrades who have fought alongside me. I must find a way for them to survive."
"I've thought about this for a long time. That's why I've decided to take them to Heavenly Academy."
"Xiaogang, Erlong, will you come with us?"
"I promise, if you go to Heavenly Academy, I will do everything in my power to ensure your acceptance—even if it costs me half my life!"
Yu Xiaogang's face twisted in fury.
"Flender, what do you mean by this? Do you not believe in Tang San?"
Flender, possessing a broader perspective than most, responded calmly,
"Xiaogang, I know that Tang San is your disciple, and you have placed high hopes on him."
"But you must not forget—even if Tang San quickly becomes a Limit Douluo, Spirit Empire still has Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu."
"Heavenly Academy also has Yang Podi."
"Even if Tang San succeeds, he is still just one man. How could he possibly fight against these two great forces?"
Flender's words resonated deeply, expressing the very thoughts everyone else had been suppressing.
Even if Tang San grew stronger, he would ultimately be alone.
How could he possibly overturn the world?
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's face suddenly became horribly twisted.
"So just because his strength isn't enough, just because there's no hope, you're willing to surrender to Heavenly Academy?"
"Are you really willing to live an ordinary, meaningless life there?"
"I would rather die than go to the Heavenly Academy! I will never abandon the hatred of my destroyed clan!"
Seeing this, Liu Erlong's heart ached as she embraced Yu Xiaogang tightly.
"Flender, why are you forcing Xiaogang like this?"
Flender's expression remained eerily calm.
"Erlong, I'm not trying to force him, I just have to think about my brothers.I can't lead them to their deaths."