"Good, very good!"
Xuan Zi stared coldly at Lu Cheng. On the surface, he naturally wouldn't do anything to Lu Cheng. This was Elder Mu's order, and besides, if Shrek Academy wanted to win the championship now, they also had to rely on him.
But after the tournament ends and we return to Shrek Academy—
This old man will make sure you know the consequences of offending me.
"Teacher Wang, this matter—I will bear it alone. I will take them back to Shrek Academy first, so you will have to temporarily take over as the leading teacher." Xuan Zi's eyes turned red as he looked at Teacher Wang.
He seemed quite heroic, even moving himself.
But in reality, everyone knew that this debt could never be settled on Xuan Zi's head. Who made him the strongest combat power of Shrek Academy? Even if he caused an even bigger disaster, what could Shrek Academy and the Sea Gods Pavilion do to him?
Expel him?
Or hold him accountable?
They could only make a show of anger but let him off lightly, and they couldn't even allow his reputation to be damaged.
After all, Mu En, the pillar of Shrek Academy, was aging and could pass away at any moment. Therefore, the next Pavilion Master of the Sea Gods Pavilion could only be Xuan Zi. As an heir to the Sea Gods Pavilion, he could not have any stain on him, as it would directly affect Shrek Academy's credibility among the various forces of the Douluo Continent—
So, someone else had to take the blame.
Teacher Wang had grievances but couldn't speak them, so he could only nod silently.
This time, not only the responsibility of the tournament but probably even the blame for the severe injuries of the many Inner Academy Disciples in the Mingdou Mountains would be pinned on his head—if he couldn't win the championship.
Xuan Zi's move of retreating to advance could be said to have been mastered to perfection.
If he wanted to take the blame, would the many Elders of the Sea Gods Pavilion even let him?
And Xuan Zi, thinking himself full of tragic heroism, rose into the air carrying the figures of the many Inner Academy Disciples and flew back toward Shrek Academy.
Lu Cheng smiled without saying a word, watching Xuan Zi's departing figure.
With him around, Yao Haoxuan and the others wouldn't lose arms or legs as they did in the original plot, nor would they be permanently disabled. However, resting and recuperating for two to three months was unavoidable. With only a few days left before the tournament registration deadline, they obviously wouldn't make it in time.
The only ones who could participate were Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, and Gongyang Mo, the three mildly injured ones, but they also needed to rest for at least half a month and could not participate during that time.
Then, the only one representing Shrek would be him—
This way, he could also better attract the attention of the Body Sect.
Moreover, he highly suspected that in every tournament, this group of shameless fellows would hide in the crowd, secretly observing geniuses with Body Spirits, and then recruiting them in secret. After all, the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament was indeed the most prestigious tournament and the most cost-effective—
Mingdou Mountains.
The campfire made crackling sounds.
Many Outer Academy disciples sat around it, their expressions terribly solemn as bad news arrived one after another. Originally, they were equivalent to cheerleaders sitting in the spectator stands, only needing to cheer and occasionally show their faces. After all, with a powerful main force leading the charge, they could easily crush any team. But now—
They had become the main force.
—
And they had no one to rely on.
The burden of carrying Shrek Academy's ten thousand years of glory fell upon the shoulders of these youths, whose average age was only thirteen or fourteen.
How heavy it was.
"The academy... will not send any support," Lu Cheng said calmly.
Hearing this, everyone's faces turned even paler.
Teacher Wang's face was even more bitter, wishing he could cover Lu Cheng's mouth sooner. Right now, morale had already hit rock bottom. If they were pressured further and completely collapsed, it would be a huge trouble.
"Why is everyone pulling a long face? Xiaotao is a Soul Saint, while Ling Luochen and Gongyang Mo are both Soul Kings. We only need to hold on for about a week to get through the elimination rounds, and then we'll be home free," Lu Cheng chuckled.
"And... before that, don't you have me?"
"You didn't really think of me as just a soul king, did you?"
"Uh—"
Recalling Lu Cheng's near-prodigious performance in the previous training match, along with the fact that Ma Xiaotao and the others were still around, the preparatory team members' spirits gradually recovered a bit.
The way they looked at Lu Cheng now held a bit more reliance.
To be able to stand up at a critical moment and bear this pressure without changing expression—he was simply a natural leader.
"Everyone, go rest. We still have to set out for Star Luo City tomorrow."
Lu Cheng said with a smile.
Late at night.
Everyone was asleep.
Only Lu Cheng sat by the campfire, closing his eyes to rest his mind.
A slender and tall figure slowly slipped out of the tent, crept over to Lu Cheng's side, and slowly squatted down. Her phoenix eyes were filled with conflict and hesitation.
"Eldest Senior Brother."
—
"Hmm?"
Lu Cheng seemed to have expected this. His eyes remained closed as he spoke calmly.
"I was wrong—" Ma Xiaotao lightly bit her red lips, carefully sizing up Lu Cheng. Although her narrow phoenix eyes were red, showing she had clearly cried, she felt a sense of reassurance. After all, the Lu Cheng in her memory, though strict, had a presence as solid as a mountain, giving off an extremely reliable feeling.
She didn't have a single complaint about today's scolding and was even walking on eggshells for fear of annoying her "Eldest Senior Brother."
Her usual playfulness was also gone.
"You did nothing wrong—" Lu Cheng said unhurriedly.
Ma Xiaotao's heart tightened, and her red lips parted, about to explain, but she saw Lu Cheng wave his hand casually. His tone was flat. "At its root, this matter lies with Shrek Academy's system. Under that kind of system that cultivates fools, no matter how long you train, you can't possibly become successful."
"So... I don't blame you."
"I'm just a bit… Shrek Academy is truly a cancer, growing in the core region of this continent, ruining generation after generation of young geniuses."
Lu Cheng said softly.
A bright and sweet smile bloomed on Ma Xiaotao's face. She gently hugged Lu Cheng's arm and shook it slightly. "Eldest Senior Brother, I knew you were the best."
She didn't care about Shrek Academy; she only cared about whether Lu Cheng was truly angry.
Even if one day she was asked to destroy Shrek—well, she would probably hesitate a bit on that, since killing one's master was a bit too embarrassing.
But to go through fire and water with this man, even if it meant joining the Holy Spirit Cult, she would absolutely not refuse.
"How are your injuries?" Lu Cheng shook his head. Talking about politics with a love-struck brain was truly like playing the lute to a cow. He spoke softly.
"A bit... chaotic." Ma Xiaotao's pretty face flushed red.
"Eldest Senior Brother, why don't you come into the tent to help me regulate my breathing? Or we could go to the distant woods or the stream."
Lu Cheng's eye corner twitched.
Is that really regulating your breathing?
But looking at the beauty's pitifully moving gaze, he sighed softly, feeling somewhat helpless.
"Let's go to the distant stream. There's too much movement in the tent, and it's easy for others to notice. The stream isn't far, and my mental force can cover the camp."
"Yay!"
The beauty's eyes were filled with excitement.
Outdoors is definitely the most thrilling—
Notes:
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