"The situation is truly in shambles now…"
At the top floor of the Sea God Pavilion, Yan Shaozhe leaned forward slightly, pointing at the documents on the table, his expression solemn as he looked at the gathered Elders.
"Elders, not long ago we reached an agreement with the Body Sect to launch a joint surprise attack on Mingdu next month. We must consider whether this could be our last chance at a comeback. After all, the Sun Moon Empire has already demonstrated overwhelming strength. If they are allowed more time to develop…"
"We understand that much, Shaozhe," Elder Lin said softly.
"But the question now is—what are the chances we'll succeed in the raid on Mingdu? And even if we do succeed, how much time can we actually buy ourselves against the Sun Moon Empire?"
"Heh, if we do succeed, with Elder Xuan and Poison Immortal attacking directly and destroying the Mingde Hall headquarters, then going on a slaughter spree against their soul tool researchers—we could potentially set the Sun Moon Empire back by hundreds of years!" Yan Shaozhe chuckled.
"That would certainly give us some breathing room…"
"Yan Shaozhe, I heard that recently you canceled the funding Elder Mu had allocated to the Soul Tool Department. Is that true?" Elder Lin asked, eyes calmly fixed on Yan Shaozhe.
"Yes, Elder Lin, you must speak up for the Soul Tool Department!" Qian Duoduo chimed in tearfully.
Ever since Yan Shaozhe was appointed acting Pavilion Master after Elder Mu's "departure," thanks to Elder Xuan's strong recommendation, the Soul Tool Department had suffered immensely. All of Elder Mu's past decisions had been overturned, and even the recently allocated fund of over a hundred million gold soul coins had been eyed by Yan Shaozhe.
"Hmph." Xian Lin'er snorted coldly, arms crossed over her chest.
She was thoroughly disappointed in Yan Shaozhe—a man with such a narrow vision…
"Heh…" Yan Shaozhe, however, remained completely unfazed, smiling as he said, "Elder Lin, you may not know this, but I investigated the so-called research projects of the Soul Tool Department. Aside from wasting extremely costly materials trying to make a so-called 'missile,' the rest of the projects are laughably childish compared to the Sun Moon Empire. They're sprinting ahead while we're still crawling. In times like these, can we really count on them?"
"Hmm…" Elder Lin fell into a brief silence, glancing helplessly at Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo.
On this point, there really wasn't much to say.
Shrek Academy had poured immense manpower, resources, and nearly a hundred million gold soul coins into the department—and the best they'd produced wasn't even a defective product. No, it couldn't even be called that, because the thing couldn't even fly…
Seeing this, Xian Lin'er shot Qian Duoduo a frustrated glare, and the latter let out a long sigh.
Yan Shaozhe had a point. The situation was dire. They were at their most critical moment.
To catch up to the Sun Moon Empire in soul tool development would take hundreds of years of intense funding and resource investment. The cost-effectiveness just wasn't there. It would be better to allocate all resources to the Martial Soul Department and go all-in.
"But still, we can't just dismiss everything outright…" After a moment's hesitation, Elder Lin decided to offer a fair opinion. "Duoduo has done his best."
"But Elder Lin, does 'doing your best' kill Xu Cheng? Will it allow us to develop effective soul tools?" Yan Shaozhe said seriously, showing no mercy.
"To put it bluntly, the Soul Tool Department is a bottomless pit. Unless some heaven-sent child of destiny appears to single-handedly lift it up, the whole thing is a joke!"
Qian Duoduo's head drooped lower, the usual sharpness and pride in his eyes completely gone.
"…" Elder Lin remained silent.
"Well… Shaozhe's words do make sense." Elder Song sighed. He was known for his fiery temper, but even he silently nodded.
"Indeed, Elders. What I wish to propose today is this—abolish the Soul Tool Department completely, and channel all our resources into the Martial Soul Department. We've got just a few decades left—let's place our final bet." Yan Shaozhe declared solemnly.
"Yan Shaozhe, how dare you!!!" Xian Lin'er's expression shifted from stunned silence to fury. Her spear appeared in her hand, and a gust of air surged out as the aura of a Super Douluo flooded the room.
Qian Duoduo also looked furious.
The two of them had devoted nearly their entire lives to building up the Soul Tool Department to its current state. While they still couldn't compare to the Sun Moon Empire's soul tools, at least they had managed to compete with the former Three Kingdoms.
And that had been achieved under heavy funding shortages—they had to fill the gaps themselves. Shrek's soul tool research had been abysmal before they took over.
Now Yan Shaozhe wanted to disband the department altogether?
Unacceptable.
"Heh, still so hot-tempered." Yan Shaozhe shrugged helplessly, not flinching even as the cold gleam of her spear hovered near his throat. He calmly met Xian Lin'er's gaze.
"Lin'er!" Cai Meier rushed to intervene.
"Enough! Quiet, all of you! What kind of behavior is this?" Elder Song raised an eyebrow and barked sharply.
He was a rank 97 Super Douluo, second only to Elder Xuan in strength among those present.
"Hmph! If you dare disband the Soul Tool Department, I'll fight you with my life!" Xian Lin'er growled through clenched teeth.
"Sigh, I only want what's best for Shrek. With a powerful enemy before us, continuing to pour resources into that black hole is nothing but a waste." Yan Shaozhe said innocently.
"Spare me your act! You're just doing this to…"
"Lin'er!" Qian Duoduo finally spoke. He looked at her with complex emotions. "Shaozhe is right. What we need to think about now is not the future, but whether we can survive the present."
"But we can't just dissolve the Soul Tool Department!" Xian Lin'er breathed heavily.
"Hey now, don't misunderstand. I never said we had to disband it," Yan Shaozhe smiled disarmingly. "In the future… we'll just reduce its share of resources. The majority will go to the Martial Soul Department."
Hearing that, Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo visibly relaxed.
Yan Shaozhe smiled to himself.
Sure enough, people always prefer compromise…
In this way, Shrek's honor would be preserved, and the so-called Soul Tool Department—the "unorthodox path"—would quietly be discarded.
When they finally defeated the Sun Moon Empire, the glory would belong to the Martial Soul Department.
As for the Soul Tool Department? Into the trash heap of history it would go.
But just as he was basking in triumph, a voice suddenly echoed, leaving everyone in stunned silence.
"Oh? I was only gone a few days, and the Sea God Pavilion has already fallen into such a state?"
Yan Shaozhe froze, his heart skipping a beat.
The voice was unmistakable—so familiar he could identify it instantly. But that was precisely why he couldn't believe it. Why was his teacher here now—and sounding so young?
Clear, calm, and gentle—just like he had been back in the day.
No… this voice carried something his teacher once lacked—
Authority!
His throat moved as he swallowed nervously, slowly turning around.
The other Elders did the same.
At the entrance of the meeting room stood a middle-aged man in white robes, with handsome features and a calm demeanor.
"Come back, Shaozhe." Mu En stepped forward and patted Yan Shaozhe's shoulder gently.
"I…" The latter seemed dazed, staggering back to his seat like a man awakening from a dream.
"Elder Mu, you…" Elder Xuan looked dumbfounded, his voice trembling with emotion.
The rest of the Elders looked as though they'd seen a ghost.
"Everyone, as of today, everything Shaozhe has done is nullified. We will commit ourselves fully to developing soul tools," Mu En said with a smile, but firmly.
During his absence, Yan Shaozhe had indeed shown leadership qualities—but…
"Teacher!" Yan Shaozhe said anxiously.
"It's already been proven that trying to rely on the Martial Soul Department to defeat soul tool users is a dead end," Mu En continued, ignoring him. "To develop, we must follow the tide of history, not try to turn it back. Soul tools are the future."
"As for your concerns, we do have an ace up our sleeve… because our ancestor, Ah Yin, has awakened…"
"What's going on up there anyway? One day they support the Soul Tool Department, the next day they scrap it. Every few days they flip-flop…"
"Shh! Don't talk nonsense! I'm sure they have their reasons for acting like that."
…
Lin Xi retracted her sound detector and shrugged to the others.
"Wow, and here I thought our Sun Moon Empire had drama. Shrek's even messier. One day they're developing soul tools, the next they're scrapping it. To an outsider, it'd look like two factions fighting for power."
"Pretty normal. According to Ah Cheng, Shrek Academy's spiritual cornerstone is about to collapse. Add the looming threat of the Sun Moon Empire, and it's no wonder they're panicking," Xiao Hongchen replied while flipping through a book.
"Where's Old Ji? Don't tell me he went to the dueling arena again?" He looked around.
"Probably. Though he's been getting quite a bit of attention lately. Wonder if he'll find love." Lin Xi rolled her eyes.
"I heard there's this girl among the exchange students—surname Jing or something. She's been pretty close to Old Ji. She's not much to look at, but talented and strong. If they vibe, then why not?" Xiao Hongchen said.
"What are you all gossiping about?" Ma Rulong walked into the room, amused.
"Talking about who Old Ji beat up today…"
"No duels today. None in the next few days either." Ma Rulong smiled.
"Sigh, then where did he go? It's his day off. That sword fanatic wouldn't let himself get dragged off by some Shrek girl, right?" Xiao Hongchen sat up.
"He did get dragged off by a girl. But not from Shrek—it was one of ours, from the Sun Moon Empire. Surname Jing. They're out shopping in Shrek City. Looked pretty cozy…" Ma Rulong said.
"Oh~~~"
Star Luo Empire,
At the central square.
Just recently, this place had hosted the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. Now, it had become a massive execution ground.
Countless armored soldiers stood in solemn formation, encircling the area.
At the very center knelt a middle-aged noblewoman in fine but disheveled clothing. Her once-regal face was now filled with sorrow.
On the other side stood two executioners, their gleaming blades reflecting the sun's rays.
"Kill her!"
"She is Star Luo's disgrace!"
"A shameless harlot who brought shame to the Empire!"
"..."
The outskirts of the square were packed with spectators.
Most of them had no idea what was really going on—only that the Star Luo Empire had been forced to cede territory after the White Tiger Duke's rebellion, and that the Sun Moon Empire had seized the opportunity to strike all the way to the imperial capital. As far as they were concerned, everything was the White Tiger Duke's fault.
But now, with the Duke's fate unknown—dead or alive—people could only vent their fury on the Duchess in the meantime.
One rotten egg after another, along with spoiled cabbage and even filth, was hurled through the gaps in the wall of soldiers and struck the Duchess in the face.
She hugged her shoulders, trembling.
But she dared not raise her head. From the moment she was forced to lead the way by Juzi, her fate seemed sealed.
She was now the perfect scapegoat for the Star Luo Empire—a way to appease the public outrage.
In reality, the fact that the emperor hadn't stripped her of her soul power and dumped her in a back alley at night was already a mercy. If he had, there would've been no shortage of commoners eager to "sample" the Duchess...
Atop the Star Luo city wall—
With its broad view, the square scene below was in plain sight.
But Princess Xu Jiujiu's face was full of worry. "Brother, isn't this approach really inappropriate? If you truly cripple her and throw her into the slums, I fear even the most loyal ministers will lose heart."
"To hell with loyal ministers!" Xu Jiawei flung his sleeve, enraged.
"After last time, I've finally seen through those people. Loyalty? What a joke. Power is all that matters! They're nothing but a bunch of fence-sitters. If they were truly loyal, why didn't they share my burdens?"
"Cowardly fools! What use is their loyalty to me?!"
Xu Jiujiu could only sigh helplessly.
To humiliate a noble lady to death like this would inevitably spread fear.
But ever since the Sun Moon Empire's forces reached their doorstep, her brother had become like a startled bird—tense, paranoid, suspicious of everyone.
Now, even her words of counsel went unheeded.
"Enough nonsense. Just go execute the order!"
Xu Jiawei impatiently waved his hand.
Upon hearing this, a servant with a blank expression darted away toward the square.
In Xu Jiawei's eyes flickered a trace of violence—the thrill of imminent revenge.
Clearly, this was not just about punishment in the shadows of night, but about utterly disgracing the White Tiger Duke's wife in broad daylight. To turn her, a once-noble lady, into a public harlot—watched by all.
For a civilized country, it was a return to barbarism.
Xu Jiujiu closed her eyes in anguish.
Looking at her brother, his expression tinged with cruel satisfaction—this man who used to be her gentle brother—how had he become so unrecognizable?
…
"What are you doing? Where are you taking me?!"
The moment the Duchess saw the servant, her soul power was sealed, and she was dragged away.
Panic surged instantly.
She could already guess just how tragic her fate was going to be.
Neither life nor death would offer her a way out.
Even if her husband had betrayed the empire and clashed with the emperor, such cruel vengeance...
"Heh, what do you think? Of course we're here to cheer you up," the servant sneered maliciously, then flung her down forcefully.
The nearby commoners quickly stepped back, clearing a circle.
She hit the ground hard, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
"By order of His Majesty! All possessions of the White Tiger Duke's estate are to be seized and added to the national treasury. All members of the Duke's household—this woman is stripped of her status, made a slave, and offered to all—"
(End of chapter)