This was no longer ten or twenty thousand years ago. In today's information-driven era, even the slightest disturbance could spread across the entire continent in an instant.
No matter how powerful Shrek Academy was, there was no way to resist the collective condemnation of the public.
Could they possibly silence everyone?
In Yun Ming's heart, nothing was more important than Shrek Academy.
If the academy's twenty-thousand-year heritage was destroyed in his hands, he would have no way to face the ancestors of Shrek Academy even in death.
"Now you understand the severity of the situation? Did you ever consider the consequences when you did these things?" Yali closed her eyes in pain. At this point, even if she begged Xia Yi for forgiveness, it was already too late.
There was simply no time.
The only choice left was...
"No! That's impossible! There has to be a way!" Long Yeyue roared in desperation. "Yali—no, Pavilion Master, you are the Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion! You must have a solution!"
She knew that if Shrek Academy was labeled as an evil soul master organization, then it was truly finished.
It would be far worse than simply being wiped out by a powerful enemy.
If Shrek Academy were destroyed by a powerful foe, the survivors could still rebuild it.
As long as people still believed that Shrek Academy was a symbol of justice, it could quickly be restored to its former glory.
But if Shrek Academy was branded as evil, then recovering its reputation would be nearly impossible.
Neither Yun Ming nor Long Yeyue could bear to see such a fate befall Shrek Academy, even if it meant their deaths.
Long Yeyue had risked everything to escape back, hoping to find a way to contain the situation before it spread.
Otherwise, with her personality, how could she have fled the battlefield?
"There is only one way to save Shrek Academy." Yali took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.
"What way?" Long Yeyue asked urgently, clinging to hope.
"This incident was caused by you and your disciple, not by Shrek Academy," Yali said, looking at Long Yeyue and Lan Muzi. She gritted her teeth before adding, "For committing such atrocities, you are no longer worthy of staying in Shrek Academy."
"You... What do you mean?" Long Yeyue froze, then suddenly stood up and shrieked, her voice high-pitched with hysteria. "You're saying you're going to expel me from Shrek Academy?!"
Her whole life had been devoted to Shrek Academy. She had left the man she loved, Chen Xinjie, and married the Heaven Blessed Douluo, whom she did not love, all for the sake of Shrek Academy.
Even her only child had died.
And now Yali wanted to cast her out of the academy.
Along with Lan Muzi.
"You must choose," Yali said, shaking her head. She bit her lip and continued, "If you leave now, I will immediately announce, as the Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion, that you are no longer part of Shrek Academy. Yun Ming will lead the Sea God's Pavilion experts to hunt you down, cleansing the academy of its traitors.
"But if you refuse to leave, then we will all watch as Shrek Academy is ruined forever, as the Sun-Moon Federation and the Spirit Pagoda come to demand justice."
Yali turned her head away, unable to look at Long Yeyue.
Despite her naturally kind nature, she had no choice but to be ruthless for the sake of Shrek Academy.
Long Yeyue's expression twisted with rage. She was about to argue when her eyes landed on Yun Ming, still unconscious.
The words died in her throat.
In that moment, she understood everything.
Yun Ming already knew that this was the only way for Shrek Academy to survive.
He could not bear to personally expel Long Yeyue, so he had chosen to feign unconsciousness, leaving the cruel task to Yali.
Letting her be the villain.
"Yali, you heartless wretch! How dare you expel me from Shrek Academy? I will never forgive you!" Long Yeyue's gaze turned venomous as she glared at Yali, her eyes filled with hatred.
"Hate me all you want," Yali sighed. "As a former elder of the Sea God's Pavilion, your actions are also my responsibility as its Pavilion Master. I will atone for your sins in my own way. But if you ever commit such acts again, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
"Ha! After today, you'll have no control over me!" Long Yeyue laughed coldly.
Her voice carried such a chilling edge that even Yali, at her level, felt a shiver run down her spine.
Without another word, Long Yeyue shot one last frigid look at Yali before taking off into the sky with Lan Muzi.
She understood that time was of the essence.
Yali needed to act quickly to minimize the damage.
As Yali watched Long Yeyue disappear into the distance, she let out a heavy sigh.
She knew full well that Long Yeyue had dedicated her entire life to Shrek Academy.
But there was no other path left.
Looking back at Yun Ming, still unconscious, Yali clenched her teeth in frustration. "If I'd known, I would've passed out first."
Then she turned her gaze back in the direction Long Yeyue had fled, whispering, "I hope you know what you're doing."
She was worried.
Worried that after losing her place in Shrek Academy, Long Yeyue would abandon all restraint.
Now, filled with grief and rage, Yali feared that Long Yeyue might do something truly reckless.
That very same day, while the Star Luo fleet remained at sea—before Long Yeyue and Chen Xinjie had even returned to the Douluo Continent—Yali made her announcement.
She did not attempt to deny what Long Yeyue had done.
She revealed everything in full detail—the attempt to frame Xia Yi and the spreading of a plague among civilians.
Finally, she declared, as the Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion, that Long Yeyue and Lan Muzi were expelled from Shrek Academy.
She also stripped Lan Muzi of his status as heir to the Pavilion Master.
Immediately after, Yali ordered Yun Ming to personally lead all teachers and inner court students at the Soul Sage level and above to hunt down Long Yeyue and Lan Muzi.
To cleanse Shrek Academy of its traitors.
The Tang Sect was stunned by the news but reacted swiftly. Amorous Douluo Zang Xin immediately issued a statement denying any connection to the scandal.
He claimed that the Tang Sect had no knowledge of Tang Yinmeng and Lan Muzi's actions.
He even suggested that they had been deliberately trying to frame the Tang Sect.
In a decisive move, the Tang Sect publicly condemned Long Yeyue, accusing her of committing such atrocities out of jealousy.
At the same time, the Tang Sect dispatched Soul Combat Hall experts to "hunt down" Long Yeyue and Lan Muzi.
The Federation government, upon receiving the news, acted immediately.
They assembled a team of investigators from the military, police, and parliament to conduct an official inquiry into Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect.
Shrek Academy, under Yali's command, did not resist.
She allowed the Federation's investigators to enter and conduct their probe.
Of course, they found nothing incriminating.
By acting swiftly and decisively, Yali had already taken care of everything.
Moreover, the lead investigator from the police force was a trusted subordinate of Heaven Judge Douluo Lang Tian.
Yali had nothing to fear.