"Teacher, Teacher Zhou Yi is innocent! She did it for us..."
In midair.
Xuanzi's entire body emitted an earthy yellow soul power as he swiftly traversed the space.
Tang San, being carried by his collar in one hand, was pleading bitterly.
"You..." Xuanzi glanced at his newly accepted disciple with helplessness, but there was also a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. Compared to ungrateful disciples, most people preferred those who were "honest" and "kind." He thought to himself, In the future, this child will surely be like this towards me as well.
"Zhou Yi has many problems. It's not something that can be explained in a sentence or two. The only thing I can tell you is to forget about her. Once we return to the academy, she will completely disappear," Xuanzi said lightly.
"Disappear?" Tang San was stunned.
"Heh, did you think she was some kind of good person?" Xuanzi sneered. "The only reason she isn't dealt with is simply because..."
At this point, he paused and glanced at the curious Tang San. "Don't ask too much. Just focus on your cultivation!"
"Yes!" Tang San quieted down.
But in reality, his heart was full of excitement.
He was continuously calculating the distance to the canyon in the Sunset Forest. In fact, as long as he saw the poisonous miasma, he could basically lock onto its location. Since this was a fortune left for his descendants, he naturally kept an eye on its condition even while he was in the Divine Realm. Now, the miasma had expanded to cover nearly half of the Sunset Forest…
As for poisoning the surrounding soul beasts and severing the dragon vein of the original Heaven Dou Empire?
This was the Tang Family's continent! Did they not understand the weight of the Tang Family's name?
Especially as a God-King, he wouldn't care about the life and death of these creatures.
"Are you sure it's in this area?"
After wandering deep into the Sunset Forest for a long time, Xuanzi suspiciously stared at Tang San.
"I'm sure..." Tang San was also puzzled. "According to the writings of that ancestor of the Tang Sect, it should be in the depths of the Sunset Forest. It's said that there's poisonous miasma all around. As long as we find the miasma, we should be able to find the treasure."
"But we've searched for over half a day, and not only is there no miasma, there's not even the slightest trace of it," Xuanzi shook his head but chose to believe his disciple.
The deeper they went, the more confused they became.
Tang San, in particular, was completely bewildered. How is this possible?!
This was not the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, so why was the spiritual energy so abundant?
There were even high-level ten-thousand-year soul beasts appearing.
He clearly remembered that when he observed this land from the upper realm, it was completely covered in miasma, and within dozens of miles, almost no living beings survived.
This forest should have been dried up and exhausted, so why did it now carry a hint of vitality?
What he didn't know was—
Just a few months ago, Electrolux had destroyed his spirit-gathering array and established a new formation. As long as someone was destined or an exceptionally talented human genius, they had a chance to enter and receive the inheritance. The immortal herbs within the formation acted as examiners.
If a certain God-King were to learn the truth, he would probably vomit blood in anger.
After all, this treasure trove was the result of his painstaking efforts over ten thousand years—it was the Tang Family's private garden! To be recognized by a God-King showed its level of importance.
And yet, this garden, exclusively belonging to the Tang Family, had been transformed by Xu Cheng into a "public space"...
"Could it be that some accident occurred the moment I descended to the lower realm?" Tang San couldn't figure it out no matter how much he thought about it.
"Enough, stop overthinking it." Xuanzi took a swig of alcohol. "Coincidentally, you're about to reach the Great Soul Master level. While we're in this forest, let's help you obtain your second soul ring. Focus on your cultivation."
Tang San had no choice but to agree.
However, he secretly marked the surrounding area, planning to return for a thorough search once he became stronger.
The master and disciple arrived at a waterfall.
Tang San looked at Xuanzi expectantly. The latter hiccupped from drinking, his face covered with a layer of drunkenness. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Kid, cultivate. Why are you looking at me?"
Tang San's mouth twitched. "Teacher, do you have any cultivation techniques or..."
After all these years, Shrek Academy had definitely accumulated a lot more knowledge than it had ten thousand years ago!
Cultivation techniques, elixirs—shouldn't these be gifts from a master to his disciple?
"Cultivation relies on personal effort! Stop thinking about shortcuts. I just praised you a moment ago, and now you're getting sneaky," Xuanzi scolded.
Tang San: "..."
Back then, although Grandmaster's strength was unreliable, he had the guts to take him out for soul rings at just six years old. If not for his array of hidden weapons, he might have actually perished to the four-hundred-year Mandala Snake. But at least Grandmaster had solid theories—he was practically a walking encyclopedia.
Now, ten thousand years later, the strength had improved, but why…
Sigh, forget it, he couldn't expect too much. After all, his teacher was a Level 98 Super Douluo, just one step away from becoming a Level 99 Ultimate Douluo. With such a strong person protecting him, at least his life wouldn't be in danger.
Fine, fine. He would just rely on the Tang Sect's three core techniques and draw from his past life's experience to continue training hard…
With this in mind, he respectfully said to Xuanzi, "Teacher, I'm going to the wild to spar with soul beasts."
Xuanzi was already lying drowsily on a boulder, waving his hand like he was shooing away a fly, mumbling something in his sleep.
"Truly a great teacher," Tang San smiled.
Although he seemed unreliable, he would always appear at the most critical moments, like a divine soldier descending from the heavens to turn the tide, right?
Thinking this, Tang San left without worry.
After all, with such a powerful teacher protecting him, going deeper into the forest should be no problem, right?
"WHAT!!!"
Yan Shaozhe shot up from his seat, staring at Du Weilun in disbelief, forcing the words through clenched teeth, "Say that again?"
"Dean, we just received news. Over the past few days, many noble families from the former Three Kingdoms have sent their disciples to enroll in the Sun Moon Empire's Royal Academy and the Mingdu Soul Engineering Academy. Among them are Ye Wanwan, heir to the Nine Heart Begonia, Nan Qiuqiu of the Earth Dragon Sect, and members of the Heavenly Dragon Sect... At the same time, many students previously studying at Shrek Academy have also begun withdrawing..." Du Weilun swallowed, sweat dripping from his chin.
"Damn it!" Yan Shaozhe slammed the table again. The expensive pearwood desk, which had just been replaced yesterday, instantly shattered into powder.
"How dare they betray the Academy!" His eyes were bloodshot, filled with fury.
Du Weilun kept his head down, not daring to speak.
He knew very well that the noble families had been waiting for Shrek Academy to change. They weren't willing to sever ties, as their investments over the years were substantial. Moreover, Shrek wasn't an entity they could easily offend. So, Zhou Yi was their final test for Shrek.
If Shrek dealt with her and removed some other rotten elements, they could see its determination to change and would wait a little longer.
But Yan Shaozhe chose otherwise—he protected Zhou Yi at all costs.
This completely shattered their hope.
If Shrek was willing to shield even a tumor like Zhou Yi, why would they still send their children and relatives here to be ruined?
The answer was obvious.
You protect yours, we won't play along anymore.
And so, this situation unfolded.
But as an underling, Du Weilun didn't have the courage to openly confront Yan Shaozhe like Fan Yu did. He just wanted to do his job as the Martial Soul Department Director and avoid being dismissed in Yan Shaozhe's rage, so he remained silent.
"Where Are Those Little Brats from the Sun-Moon Empire?"
Yan Shaozhe forcibly suppressed his anger as he spoke.
It was all because of those little troublemakers under Xiao Hongchen. If he let this slide too easily, he wouldn't be worthy of his title as the Dean of the Martial Soul Department!
He couldn't kill them, but for the next three years, he would make sure their lives were anything but easy!
"They are—"
Du Weilun had just begun to speak when a voice interrupted him.
"Give it up, Yan Shaozhe. You're still as petty as ever. Elder Mu already foresaw that you'd want to take action against them, so he specifically sent me to warn you—if you dare lay a hand on them, he'll reassign you out of the academy and have you stationed at the Supervisory Corps for long-term external missions."
Xian Lin'er cast a disdainful glance at Yan Shaozhe. Looking back, she couldn't believe she had once been interested in someone like him.
Sure, he had been dashing and elegant in his youth, but deep down, he was still a stingy and perverted old schemer...
"Lin'er, alright, I got it," Yan Shaozhe immediately changed his expression as if flipping a switch. Gone was the furious and undignified demeanor; instead, he now wore a relaxed and breezy smile.
"Do as you see fit." Xian Lin'er shook her head.
She knew Yan Shaozhe too well. He was only pretending to be indifferent, but inside, he was probably already seething with rage.
Sure enough, before she had even left the area, she could faintly hear the sounds of a hysterical roar in the distance.
"I never expected it—without a single battle, we've managed to recruit so many high-quality students. The only pity is that Mingdu Soul Engineering Academy also got to benefit from this. Why should they?"
Jing Hongchen couldn't hide the joy on his face. Even though he was complaining about the headmaster of Mingdu Soul Engineering Academy, his smile remained.
"Haha, don't pretend to be so hard done by. Do you really think these students came here for you?" Xu Cheng grinned while popping a grape into his mouth.
Xiao Hongchen had written to him before, so he had been keeping an eye on their activities.
Sighing softly, he remarked, "Yan Shaozhe—he's too caught up in his own position to see clearly…"
As the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, he held immense power. Even the emperor of the Star Luo Empire, Xu Jiawei, had to bow in respect upon seeing him, which showed just how high his status was.
Yet despite being such a shrewd and calculating individual, he had ultimately shot himself in the foot.
Ever since the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect defected to the Sun-Moon Empire, Yan Shaozhe had completely lost his grip on the situation. In his desperate attempt to preserve Shrek's so-called "glory," he had instead personally destroyed it.
How pitiful.
"Indeed, he's lost in his own delusions. Elder Mu must have warned him, but he stubbornly refused to listen. Fortunately, he's our opponent." Jing Hongchen nodded slightly. "Of course, he was just the final straw. The noble families have long harbored resentment towards Shrek. The academy's past arrogance has only fueled their frustration. Now that Yan Shaozhe has completely alienated them, it's natural that they'd seek refuge with us in the Sun-Moon Empire."
"Which families have enrolled students in the past few days?" Xu Cheng pondered.
A whale falls, and all creatures feast.
Though Shrek Academy wasn't dead yet, during its decline, the wealth spilling from its ranks was already filling the coffers of the Sun-Moon Empire.
"The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the sole inheritor of the Nine Heart Begonia, Ye Wanwan, the Tianlong Sect's Yu Tianlong, the Dilong Sect's Nan Qiuqiu, and the Elephant Armored Sect's Hu Yan Nian—all of them are the most talented heirs of their respective sects. The fact that their families have sent them here speaks volumes about their stance on this situation," Jing Hongchen stroked his beard, beaming.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan… Heh, looks like the once-glorious 'Three Upper Sects' of ten thousand years ago have reunited."
"The 'Three Upper Sects'? But that's only two—wasn't the last one the Clear Sky Clan?" Jing Hongchen asked, puzzled.
"The true, legitimate lineage of the Clear Sky Clan has been with our academy for quite some time now," Xu Cheng said with a smile, taking a sip of tea. "And not just as students—they refuse to leave, even if we tried to send them away."
"You mean… that girl, Wang Dong?" Jing Hongchen was taken aback. "So she is…"
"Exactly." Xu Cheng nodded.
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was nearly wiped out by the Spirit Hall massacre ten thousand years ago, leaving only a handful of survivors. Over time, they merged with the Tianlong Sect. Nowadays, even Shrek Academy's Bei Bei can't compare to Yu Tianlong in terms of bloodline purity.
"With Ning Tian and Wang Dong added to the mix, the once-dominant Three Upper Sects have reunited once more."
"Indeed… They were once so glorious. And now, only the Clear Sky Clan stands tall among them."
Xu Cheng sighed inwardly.
Nan Qiuqiu? The name rang a bell.
Unfortunately, she was only eleven or twelve years old—a little girl. Otherwise, she would have been fun to tease...
---------------------------------------------
"So this is the Star Luo Empire? Their outdated communication methods are laughable. Captain, isn't this mission just a walk in the park?"
A female soldier from the Phoenix Army commented with amusement.
The Star Luo Empire's communication relied primarily on a few specialized martial souls or tamed Thunderbirds raised for decades to centuries to deliver messages. Other than that, most of their transmissions were handled manually—using soldiers whose martial souls allowed for flight.
In the more remote provinces, the delivery of orders could take at least half a month.
By intercepting a few Thunderbirds and capturing some messengers, they had effectively blinded the entire province, throwing it into disarray.
Meanwhile, the Sun-Moon Empire's communication system was entirely soul tool-based, making interception or disruption impossible. The other three nations simply didn't have the technological capability to interfere.
"Yes, it's gone almost too smoothly," Juzi said, her beautiful eyes gazing at the valley below.
They had already passed through three or four provinces. After cutting off the White Tiger Army's food supplies and logistics near the Mingdou Mountain Range, the White Tiger Duke himself had personally led his guards in pursuit. In response, they had quickly moved on, leaving behind chaos wherever they went.
They hadn't resorted to mass slaughter. Instead, whenever they passed through a province, they raided the estates of various noble families, seizing supplies, storing them in soul tools, and taking valuable soul bones and artifacts—just enough to make the nobility feel the sting.
With their communication network severed, the entire Star Luo Empire was now gripped with fear.
No one knew how many enemies there were, or where they were currently located.
In the imperial palace, Xu Jiawei was panicking, nearly convinced that the Sun-Moon Empire was launching a full-scale war. Yet, he didn't dare dispatch his Titled Douluos, fearing that it would spread his forces too thin. He had even begun rallying the citizens of Star Luo City for a wartime assembly.
"Where are we now?"
"We should be in the White Tiger Duke's domain. This region borders the Heavenly Soul Empire, Shrek Academy, and the Star Dou Forest. If we keep moving east, we'll enter the forest's territory," a subordinate reported excitedly.
"The White Tiger Duke…" Juzi's lips curled into a smile.
"His bastard son, Huo Yuhao, was tormented by his wife to the point that his mother passed away. Now that we're here, we might as well take a little revenge on his behalf."
"You mean…?"
"No killing. But some pain is unavoidable. We can't afford to start a war," Juzi said coldly.
She looked ahead, her gaze frosty.
White Tiger Duke, you killed my parents. This is just a small piece of the debt you owe me. One day, I'll make you pay with your life!
"Understood!"
---------------------------------------
"Senior Sister?!!"
"Xiao Tao?!!"
Xu Cheng subtly withdrew the hand that had been wrapped around Zhang Lexuan's slender waist.
The two women stared at each other in utter shock.
"And... Zifeng? You're not dead?" Zhang Lexuan's beautiful eyes widened as she looked toward Chen Zifeng, whose half-mechanized body was partially exposed.
"Senior Sister, it's a long story." Chen Zifeng stiffly turned around, revealing a bitter smile.
A moment later.
Inside a café next to the training grounds.
The group sat facing each other in silence.
Xu Cheng sat beside Zhang Lexuan, while Ma Xiaotao sat across from them. In a corner, Chen Zifeng coughed awkwardly, secretly glancing at Xu Cheng with admiration.
Damn, even Senior Sister? That's impressive!
"So, Xiao Tao, since you haven't lost your sanity, why haven't you returned to the academy?" Zhang Lexuan gazed at Ma Xiaotao, her voice gentle.
"I..." Ma Xiaotao opened her mouth awkwardly, subconsciously touching her lower abdomen. She cast a resentful glance at Xu Cheng.
It's all because of this guy! If I dared to leave, I'd probably be instantly consumed by uncontrollable fire again!
"I understand." Zhang Lexuan sighed softly. This was exactly why she had come—to ask what had really happened when Ma Xiaotao was taken.
Now, the answer was obvious.
It was Elder Xuan…
"And Zifeng, you…" Zhang Lexuan turned her gaze to Chen Zifeng, her beautiful eyes filled with emotion. She sighed inwardly but didn't press further.
The academy has truly broken his heart…
"Senior Sister, this place is fine for me," Chen Zifeng said nonchalantly.
Though this mechanical body was powerful, it was also a scar in his heart. Every time he saw it, he was reminded of how half his body had been blown off and how that evil soul master had treated him like a dog. The pain was unforgettable.
"Then, Senior Sister… what's your relationship with Xu Cheng?"
A tense silence filled the air.
Ma Xiaotao cautiously broke it.
She had just seen Xu Cheng holding Zhang Lexuan's waist intimately. Their relationship… definitely didn't look like mere friendship!
"Ah, um…" Zhang Lexuan finally reacted. Her previously calm and gentle expression suddenly changed. A faint blush spread to her ears, and she turned her pretty face away in embarrassment, not knowing how to respond.
Xu Cheng glanced at Ma Xiaotao, then, without hesitation, pulled Zhang Lexuan into his embrace.
A startled cry rang out as he looked at the two dumbfounded people across from him.
"My wife. Any objections?"
"You…" Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened in shock.
I personally saw you and Juzi… in the car… cough, cough.
And now, right in front of me, you're flirting with Senior Sister?!
That's Senior Sister!
The goddess of countless inner court disciples!
How did she end up in his arms…?!