"I am Pan Wen. During the Oceanic Ship's diplomatic mission to the Star Luo Continent, we were attacked by a tide of sea soul beasts led by the Demon Soul Great White Shark King. The casualties are severe. Requesting immediate assistance. Our current coordinates are ××××××××."
"I am Sima Lanxiao. On our return journey aboard the Star Luo Ship, we were attacked by a tide of sea soul beasts led by the Demon Soul Great White Shark King. The casualties are severe. Requesting immediate assistance. Our current coordinates are ××××××××."
Initially, neither Pan Wen nor Sima Lanxiao had wanted to send out a distress call.
As the leaders of the two giant ships, they understood that in the vast ocean, it was best to avoid trouble whenever possible.
It was Cai Yue'er who had deliberately provoked the Demon Soul Great White Shark King, causing this war to erupt.
As the fleet's commanders, they had failed to stop it in time. No matter the reason, they bore undeniable responsibility for the incident.
Had they been able to repel the sea soul beasts without casualties, this matter could have been brushed aside.
But now, with the heavy losses they had suffered, there was no way to keep it under wraps.
They had to request reinforcements immediately—any further delay could mean both ships sinking into the ocean.
Among all the crew members on both ships, only the two of them had soul guide satellite communication devices.
Only they could send out a distress signal in the vast sea.
It was true that the greatest casualties were suffered by Shrek Academy, but that didn't mean other organizations were left unscathed.
As of now, the death toll had already surpassed two to three hundred.
Including both serious and minor injuries, the total number exceeded one thousand.
Pan Wen and Sima Lanxiao felt utterly despondent. It had been fifty days since they set sail from the Douluo Continent, and they still had about forty days before reaching the Star Luo Continent.
They were right in the middle of the ocean.
Even after sending a distress signal, they weren't sure if they could hold out until reinforcements from the Sun-Moon Federation and Star Luo Empire arrived.
The moment the Sun-Moon Federation received the report, Sea God Douluo Chen Xinjie immediately donned his four-word battle armor and shot into the sky, heading directly toward the coordinates of the Oceanic Ship and Star Luo Ship.
The personnel on board this diplomatic mission were all elites of the Sun-Moon Federation.
They absolutely could not be allowed to perish.
As the commander of the Sun-Moon Federation's Poseidon Legion, he bore an undeniable responsibility for matters concerning the ocean.
He didn't even wait for reinforcements from the Poseidon Legion or the War God Hall.
Bringing them along would only slow him down.
As Chen Xinjie set off, the Federation government immediately notified the sects and families of all the personnel involved in this diplomatic exchange.
Various sects promptly dispatched their strongest members.
From both the Douluo Continent and the Star Luo Continent, battle armor masters and mecha pilots soared into the sky, rushing toward the crisis site.
Among them were even four-word battle armor masters and red-grade mechas.
"Massive casualties!" Upon hearing the news, Leng Yaozhu of the Spirit Pagoda turned pale with fright. She instantly donned her four-word battle armor, spread her phoenix wings, and accelerated toward the incident site at top speed.
Since her martial soul was naturally suited for flight, she was actually even faster than Chen Xinjie.
"The Phoenix Heart Jade hasn't been activated, and Yulai is with them. They should be safe." Leng Yaozhu reassured herself while pushing her phoenix wings to their absolute limit.
At Shrek Academy, numerous Sea God Pavilion powerhouses rushed into the Sea God Pavilion.
"Boss, Sister Yue! I heard that the Oceanic Ship and Star Luo Ship were attacked by sea soul beasts with heavy casualties. Are our students alright?"
The Sea God Pavilion's members were all extremely anxious.
After all, Shrek Academy's elites—their own disciples—were aboard those ships.
"Don't worry. The attacking beast tide was led by the Demon Soul Great White Shark King. Shrek Academy will be fine." Long Yeyue said with a confident smile.
What a joke.
The Demon Soul Great White Shark King, Xiaobai, was the mount of Shrek Academy's ancestor, Sea God Tang San.
Though she didn't yet know how the Oceanic Ship and Star Luo Ship had provoked Xiaobai,
Long Yeyue was absolutely certain that even if the Demon Soul Great White Shark King slaughtered everyone on those ships, she wouldn't harm a single hair on a Shrek Academy student's head.
"I heard that the Sun-Moon Federation and Star Luo Empire suffered heavy casualties. Should we notify the Holy Spirit Douluo and have her check on the wounded?" one of the Sea God Pavilion's powerhouses suggested.
"The Federation has its own healing-type soul masters." Long Yeyue snorted coldly and said, "Are the lives of those on the ship more important than the lives of the plague-stricken villagers? If the Holy Spirit Douluo leaves, who will care for them?"
She had finally managed to send Yali away and wasn't about to let her board the Oceanic Ship or Star Luo Ship.
If Yali saw the devastation on board, she might refuse to leave out of concern for Nana and the other Shrek Academy students.
With Yali present, dealing with Xia Yi in the Star Luo Empire would become ten times harder.
"Sea God Douluo and Heavenly Phoenix Douluo have already departed. I should go as well." Yun Ming glanced at Long Yeyue.
He understood her intentions perfectly.
He wouldn't involve himself.
That was perhaps his bottom line.
But neither would he stop her.
He knew Long Yeyue was too stubborn.
If he tried to stop her forcefully, it could even split Shrek Academy apart.
Watching her relentless behavior, Yun Ming finally began to understand what Xia Yi had told him after his engagement with Leng Yaozhu was broken.
Shrek Academy had already become deeply ill, riddled with toxic tumors.
Xia Yi was right—Shrek Academy needed radical surgery.
But Yun Ming couldn't bring himself to wield the scalpel.
These "tumors" had their own issues, but ultimately, their goal was the same as his—to protect Shrek Academy.
They were simply too extreme.
"They only act this way because they love Shrek Academy too much." Yun Ming consoled himself.
Yet he didn't realize that, deep down, he too harbored a faint hope that Xia Yi would perish prematurely.
This generation's Shrek Academy students were all exceptional, extraordinarily talented.
But Xia Yi was even more monstrous than them.
If Xia Yi grew stronger, then in the future, Shrek Academy would surely be suppressed by the Spirit Pagoda.
But if he perished before reaching his full potential, Shrek Academy would remain the undisputed number one academy in the world.
Yun Ming wasn't as extreme as Long Yeyue, but similar thoughts had crossed his mind.
He simply couldn't bring himself to act on them.
Thus, he chose to turn a blind eye to Long Yeyue's machinations.
"I'll go with you." Seeing Yun Ming about to leave, Long Yeyue stood up and followed.
"You should stay and oversee Shrek Academy." Yun Ming frowned slightly.
"No, I must go. Only with the two of us present can we prevent the Sun-Moon Federation and Star Luo Empire from retaliating against the Demon Soul Great White Shark King, Xiaobai." Long Yeyue shook her head. "For Sea God Douluo to take action personally, Xiaobai must have killed many people. To quell public outrage, he will surely hunt her down in the ocean. But she was our ancestor's mount. We must save her."
"If we do that, we'll become the target of public wrath instead," Yun Ming sighed.
"Public wrath? Hah!" Long Yeyue scoffed. "Xiaobai is Sea God Tang San's mount! I don't believe she would kill indiscriminately. Someone aboard those ships must have provoked her first. We aren't saving her—we're upholding justice for her!"
Long Yeyue sneered coldly and continued, "The people of the Sun-Moon Federation are nothing but short-sighted fools. Xiaobai is the Sea God's mount and the core of all sea soul beasts. If she were to die at the hands of humans, then the entire ocean would become a forbidden zone for mankind in the future. Shrek Academy standing up for Xiaobai is not out of personal interest, but out of righteousness!"
Seeing Long Yeyue's self-righteous expression, Yun Ming shook his head and said, "Let's first figure out what actually happened. If someone did provoke Xiaobai first, and if she did not kill indiscriminately, then as you said, we will seek justice for her."
(End of Chapter)