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--- Chapter 488 ---
The ultimate sanctions that the Parliament placed upon Shrek Academy and its long-standing allies shook the entire Douluo Continent to its very foundations.
Yet, in the court of public opinion, the vast majority of people viewed this historic containment as a totally natural and necessary effect. The sheer, suffocating fact that Shrek Academy had been hiding from the world for several millennia had finally been dragged into the light.
Although several traditionalist, Shrek-loving factions, who had undergone deep brainwashing reverence for generations, felt the indefinite lockdown was an aggressive, tyrannical move, the "world-shaking shade" thrown by the Mechanical Demon was just too precise and too convincing to ignore.
The golden facade of the so-called sacred grounds had shattered, leaving behind only the cold suspicion of a planetary prison that Shrek can't deny unless they produce iron-clad evidence of innocence.
Inside the top floor of the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, Qiangu Dongfeng laughed madly, his deep voice bouncing off the high, clean glass walls of his private office.
"Haha! HAHAHA!"
He gazed out through the panoramic window, staring toward the distant horizon where Shrek City lay trapped in its own land, a brilliant, smug look plastered across his face.
"Hahaha! Shrek! Your twenty-thousand-year-old glory has finally run out of time!"
"Did you truly believe you could bask in all that untouchable glory forever without paying the price?" Qiangu Dongfeng's knuckles whitened against the glass pane. "Let me tell you something, I will not let a single grain of this opportunity slip through my fingers!"
He knew with certainty that this was the small, long-awaited fracture needed to bring Shrek Academy crashing down. In the arena of politics, missing a chance this perfect would be an unforgivable sin.
Not long after, the sharp, rhythmic sound of a knock echoed at his office door.
Qiangu Dongfeng took a deep breath, quickly smoothing down his hair and clothes into a look of calm, easygoing command before raising his voice. "Come in."
The heavy doors glided open silently. Qiangu Dongfeng looked up, his eyebrows rising slightly as he maintained his steady gaze. "This... I certainly did not expect it to be you, Elder Han."
He calmly welcomed the figure who had just crossed the threshold, Han Tianyi. Within the highest echelons of spiritual cultivation, this man was dubbed the man with the strongest brain in the entire world.
Han Tianyi offered a respectful nod, as his sharp silver eyes revealed no emotion. "Pagoda Master Qiangu, I am here to inquire about the status of my recent proposal."
"Ah, your recent proposal..." Qiangu Dongfeng feigned a brief moment of contemplation, though his mind had already recalled every detail.
He immediately recalled that Han Tianyi had requested a formal transfer to become the Branch Pagoda Head of the crucial Heaven Dou Pillar.
Qiangu Dongfeng was also naturally aware of the personal tragedy that had compelled this request. A few days prior, Han Tianyi had finally recovered his long-lost grandson.
Evil Spirit Masters from the Holy Ghost Cult had kidnapped the young boy months ago and done a horrifying experiment on him, and he had only recently been rescued in the Whale's Laugh City.
Under normal circumstances, if not for the chaos surrounding the Shrek crisis, Qiangu Dongfeng would have ruthlessly used this personal crisis to extend his political leverage, slowly binding the Illusory Brain Douluo to his faction through debts of gratitude.
Yet, the Pagoda Master had been too consumed by the congressional trap in Parliament. Fortunately, simply agreeing to Han Tianyi's request yielded just as many strategic benefits for the Spirit Pagoda's internal stability and his plan.
A warm, benevolent smile appeared across Qiangu Dongfeng's face. "Ah, concerning the management of the Heaven Dou Pillar. I have reviewed the request personally, Elder Han."
"The Council has already briefed me on the administrative vacancies, and I must say, your strong leadership is exactly what that Heaven Dou Pillar requires now."
He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing slightly as the calculative leader of a faction within him emerged. "But... I trust you understand the nature of our organization. I expect a minor favor in exchange for agreeing to this appointment."
Han Tianyi let out an amused, dry chuckle, unfazed by the transaction. He was willing to walk through fire if it secured his dear grandson's future. "A favor? As long as the task does not cross into too filthy of waters, Pagoda Master, consider it done."
Qiangu Dongfeng's smile widened, his hands spreading open in a gesture of innocence. "Elder Han, you jest."
"How could I ever allow a treasure of the Spirit Pagoda to handle dirty tasks?"
"I merely require your super intellect to serve as the Chief Instructor for a classified project I am currently organizing—the Genius Youth Training Camp."
"You are recognized as the man with the most powerful brain on this very planet," Qiangu Dongfeng added, his deep voice tinged with smooth, undeniable flattery.
"And the elite of our younger generation desperately need your guidance to walk the path of spiritual cultivation."
He leaned back, offering the final, irresistible piece of bait. "Furthermore, I will even allocate a massive sum of cultivation resources and secure an exclusive slot for your grandson within the camp. His training will remain entirely under your direct supervision."
Han Tianyi paused for a second, his mind calculating the immense value of the offer before he gave a firm nod. "That is... acceptable, Pagoda Master."
"Very well, leave it to me."
Qiangu Dongfeng clapped his hands together, the sharp sound echoing through the office. "Great!"
"Then I shall have the official transfer paperwork drafted and dispatched to the Heaven Dou Pillar as soon as possible. Please take care of our great asset there, Elder Han."
The two high-ranking powerhouses exchanged a few more calm, formal pleasantries before Han Tianyi quietly took his leave, closing the heavy doors behind him.
Left entirely alone once more, Qiangu Dongfeng's mood soared to heights it hadn't reached in decades. There was an incredibly sinister, long-term strategic reason why he had decided to establish this elite Genius Youth Training Camp.
It wasn't just about prestige. It was a flawless plan designed to attract, cultivate, and hoard the strongest talents of the younger generation across the continent.
By offering better resources, state-sanctioned safety, and the guidance of the world's greatest minds, the Spirit Pagoda would gradually choke out Shrek Academy's recruitment pipelines.
This Youth Training Camp would cleanly sever the supply of fresh, brilliant youth before they could ever get brainwashed by the Shrek Academy.
"As expected of me..." Qiangu Dongfeng chuckled into the empty room, his shoulders trembling as the chuckle turned into deep laughter that echoed off the glass. "My genius is almost frightening! Hahaha!"
.
.
Meanwhile, the situation within the walls of Shrek Academy was growing more miserable by the hour. In just a few short days, a wave of panic had swept through the academy.
Dozens of students had already filed formal requests to drop out of their own volition, their families terrified of the federal sanction. Even worse, a handful of Inner Court students had quietly packed their belongings and left the campus, causing the academy's credibility and status to crack even further.
"Brother Yun... what should we do?" Inside the quiet, grim sanctuary of the Sea God Pavilion, Ya Li turned her worried gaze toward the Atlas Douluo.
Yun Ming had finally returned to Shrek two days prior, but even now, the Sea God Pavilion Master was still visibly suffering. His half-finished divine position had been cracked, and his body remained deeply scarred by the injuries inflicted by the Mechanical Demon.
Yun Ming leaned back against his chair wearily, his pale hand rising to rub his temples. The pain of his wounds was actually nothing compared to the severe headache caused by Shrek's gradual collapse.
"Tell Yue'er, no, Zhuo Shi and Feng Wuyu to manage the student affairs first," Yun Ming commanded, his voice rough but steady. "Ensure that the remaining students feel entirely safe, and keep them comfortable with the school's environment. At the moment, we have no choice but to endure the storm..."
"But the recruitment of the new students..." Ya Li wore a very troubled expression.
After all, the Holy Spirit Douluo knew that attracting new students after a global fiasco of this level was an almost impossible task.
Yes, what sane parent would willingly send their exceptionally talented children to a scandalous academy that was currently being condemned by the entire world?
The Shrek Academy's twenty-thousand-year glory had become a curse in mere days.
"Calm down, Ya Li. Only time will tell..." Yun Ming's eyes suddenly flashed, a fierce, defiant spark of rebellion igniting within his dark irises. "Shrek Academy is undoubtedly trapped in a deep abyss right now, but we will rise again."
"We can absolutely be reborn from these ashes and become something even greater..."
He reached out, his grip firm as he looked at her. "Believe in me. Believe in Shrek."
"This is our Shrek... not the Tang's."
Ya Li gazed into Yun Ming's defiant eyes, and for a moment, the weary, broken man vanished.
In his place, she saw the unstoppable genius who had boldly stormed out of Mingdu City all those years ago, ruthlessly challenging every powerhouse who dared to stand in his way to get her.
A soft, genuine smile finally broke through her worry. "Alright, Brother Yun..."
"I believe in you."