The moment Xu Sanshi chose to surrender, the tension on the stage instantly collapsed.
He glanced at Liu Yuan, who was calmly brushing the dust from his sleeves nearby, then at the completely empty Shrek half of the arena behind him, and finally at Wang Qiuer, who was staring him down with her golden dragon spear glowing ominously.
Xu Sanshi gave a self-mocking shake of his head and raised both hands without hesitation.
"Stop fighting. I surrender."
His voice echoed throughout the venue through the amplification soul tool.
He knew it all too well—forget about facing a monster like Liu Yuan one-on-one. Even if Liu Yuan didn't lift a finger, Xu Sanshi alone had no chance of defeating the remaining six members of the Sun Moon Team, whose strengths were just as unfathomable.
Rather than being blasted off the stage like a sandbag, it was better to face reality and preserve what little dignity he had left.
As the referee formally announced the victory of the Sun Moon Royal Team, an earth-shaking wave of cheers erupted from the stands.
After witnessing such a near-massacre of a match, every spectator had already reached the same conclusion.
It seemed that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy would once again claim the championship of this Soul Master Tournament.
One could even say that as long as Liu Yuan remained in the competition, the final winner had already been decided.
The members of Shrek Academy supported one another as they left the stage.
Huo Yuhao's face was deathly pale, Wang Donger's eyes were faintly red, and although Bei Bei's broken arm had already been set, an oppressive sense of frustration hung heavily over everyone.
The matches that followed proceeded as scheduled, but after witnessing this "peak" confrontation, all subsequent battles felt dull and uninspiring to the audience.
…
Time passed quickly, and before anyone realized it, night had fallen.
Bright Capital was dazzling under the night lights, yet the atmosphere inside the hotel where Shrek Academy was staying felt unusually heavy.
Bei Bei sat by the window, staring at the communicator in his hand as the instructions given by Elder Mu En before their departure resurfaced in his mind.
He knew this was not the time to dwell on victory or defeat. Completing the "reconciliation" mission entrusted to him by the academy was what truly concerned Shrek's future.
With that in mind, Bei Bei did not hesitate. He specifically invited Huo Yuhao along and extended a dinner invitation to Liu Yuan.
Originally, he had assumed that Liu Yuan—now holding a high position and burdened with a sensitive status—would refuse such a private meeting.
To his surprise, Liu Yuan gave him plenty of face and agreed.
Although Liu Yuan had completely severed ties with Shrek Academy and now stood firmly on the opposite side, his relationship with Bei Bei and Tang Ya during his years at Shrek had genuinely been decent.
Especially Bei Bei—despite remaining in Shrek's camp all these years, he had never schemed against Liu Yuan or done anything to betray him.
Liu Yuan was someone who valued old bonds. He could clearly distinguish between opposing positions and personal friendships.
The dinner was arranged at a low-key yet high-end restaurant in Mingdu City.
Throughout the meal, the three of them deliberately avoided talking about the Soul Master Tournament or the complicated struggles between factions.
Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao were extremely restrained, mostly reminiscing about their time in the Tang Sect and the academy, bringing up lighthearted memories from the past.
Liu Yuan also put aside his authoritative aura from earlier that day, responding occasionally. The atmosphere wasn't lively, but it wasn't awkward either.
After several rounds of drinks and a full meal…
As they stood up to part ways at the restaurant entrance, Liu Yuan suddenly stopped.
He turned to look at Bei Bei—now far more composed than he had been five years ago—then at Huo Yuhao, whose eyes still carried a trace of complexity and resentment.
After a brief silence, Liu Yuan spoke in a low voice that only the three of them could hear, his tone unusually serious.
"Bei Bei, for the sake of our past friendship, I'll give you a piece of advice."
"Leave Sun Moon Imperial City as soon as possible. There are still matches left, but if you can leave, do so immediately. Don't linger."
Bei Bei froze.
Liu Yuan's tone was far too formal, and an instinctive sense of unease rose in his heart.
Without explaining further, Liu Yuan continued to look directly into Bei Bei's eyes.
"Also, don't do anything foolish. Don't get involved in any so-called secret plans."
"Bei Bei, right now you're just a student—at most, a Tang Sect disciple. You don't have either the need or the strength to be dragged into the brutal struggles between major empires and great powers. Do you understand?"
His words were blunt, carrying an unmistakable note of warning.
Liu Yuan was well aware of the arrangements Xu Tianran and the Holy Spirit Cult had made outside the city. He also knew exactly what Shrek's upper echelons and the Body Sect were plotting in secret.
Bei Bei nodded, saying he would think it over carefully, but confusion still filled his heart.
He knew the situation was tense—but he had no idea just how far things had already gone.
"Alright. Go back to the hotel."
Liu Yuan waved his hand, turned around, and disappeared into the night.
Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao returned to their hotel, their minds full of doubt.
The corridor was silent. However, when they pushed open the door to their room, they found the lights already on.
Xuan Zi was sitting in the middle of the sofa, his wine gourd placed at his feet. There was no trace of drunkenness on his face—only a thick, oppressive gloom and an unshakable resolve.
"Elder Xuan?"
Bei Bei was startled and hurried forward to bow.
Xuan Zi raised his head. A faintly crazed light flickered in his eyes as he looked at Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao.
"You've come back at just the right time."
"I've just reached a consensus with Poison Undying of the Body Sect."
"Since we can't reclaim our glory in the tournament, we'll take back what belongs to us outside the arena."
Xuan Zi stood up and walked to the window, pointing toward the brightly lit palace in the distance.
"Once the tournament ends and those geniuses begin to leave, we'll join forces with the Body Sect and launch a large-scale assault on the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool warehouses and its affiliated forces."
"Bei Bei, Yuhao—as leaders of the younger generation, you'll need to coordinate with our actions tomorrow. Your task will be support and breakthrough operations."
"In the ideal scenario, we'll destroy the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool warehouses and… kill the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire!"
Bei Bei felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck him.
At that moment, he finally understood the meaning behind Liu Yuan's cryptic warning at the restaurant entrance.
Liu Yuan had already seen through the joint plan between Shrek's upper echelon and the Body Sect, as well as the bloodbath about to erupt beneath the surface of this prosperous city.
Liu Yuan had been protecting him—advising him not to take part in this doomed, perhaps even suicidal, conspiracy.
Bei Bei looked at Xuan Zi's face, now distorted by hatred and an obsession with honor, then thought of the emphasis Mu En had placed on "survival and reconciliation" in the secret order.
An overwhelming sense of absurdity welled up in his heart.
In the end, the Xuan Zi standing before him was still charging headlong down a path of destruction—one completely contrary to Mu En's expectations and Liu Yuan's warning.
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