Sea God's Pavilion.
Top floor.
Zhang Lexuan wore a light blue dress, looking dignified and elegant. Her nose was delicate and upturned, her red lips glossy, and her pair of light blue eyes seemed to hold the stars. She stood gracefully behind Mu En.
She frowned slightly, her eyelid twitching violently, an intense feeling of unease surging in her heart.
She glanced at Mu En, who was sitting on his golden wheelchair, leisurely observing the scene below: "Elder Mu, I don't know why, but my eyelid has been twitching intensely. I heard Elder Xuan doesn't think highly of Lu Cheng, and now that they are facing the Evil Soul Master, it's inevitable that something might go wrong..."
"Hehe, don't worry."
Mu En shook his head with a smile.
"Xuan Zi is aware of the stakes. Before they left, I repeatedly urged him not to be careless. These are the Inner Academy Disciples of Shrek Academy, the team participating in the tournament; their importance goes without saying. He definitely won't be careless. Lexuan, you can rest easy..."
"But..."
Zhang Lexuan frowned slightly, inwardly considering ways to escape.
The next moment.
Yan Shaozhe appeared, his eyes filled with anxiety. "Teacher, Elder Xuan has returned..."
"..."
Mu En's eyes flashed with surprise: "Why return to the academy at this time instead of accompanying the team to the tournament?"
"Well..." Yan Shaozhe fidgeted, glanced at Zhang Lexuan, and leaned close to Mu En's ear, intending to whisper.
Zhang Lexuan's willow brows furrowed, her sense of unease intensifying.
Mu En dodged away and said with a smile, "Lexuan is not an outsider. Why hide it? Just say it directly; everyone here is our own people..."
Yan Shaozhe's expression was awkward. He paused and said, "An accident occurred in the Mingdou Mountains. That evil soul master possessed a skill like corpse explosion. The cave was narrow, and Elder Xuan was outside and didn't have time to protect them, so..."
The air suddenly went quiet.
"Continue!"
Mu En's eyes froze, his expression turning cold as he barked.
"The Inner Academy Disciples... are all injured. Dai Yueheng, Xi Xi, Yao Haoxuan, and Chen Zifeng are the most severely affected. They have all been infected with corpse poison and were brought back by Elder Xuan. Xiaotao and..."
Before Yan Shaozhe could finish, he was interrupted by a shout.
"What about Lu Cheng?!"
Zhang Lexuan's beautiful eyes turned red, and she stared intensely at Yan Shaozhe.
Her aura was somewhat unstable, her snow-white hands clenched tightly until they turned pale, her eyes flashing with intense killing intent.
As for whether this killing intent was directed at the Evil Soul Master or Xuan Zi... that was uncertain.
"Lu Cheng is unharmed. The Outer Academy disciples are all uninjured. Lexuan, don't worry." Yan Shaozhe narrowed his eyes, clearly noticing this strange relationship, and hurriedly tried to comfort her.
"How could he be unharmed?" Zhang Lexuan's eyes were red.
Her aura stabilized a bit, clearly regaining her composure. That guy Lu Cheng had his blood pupils, and his spiritual detection was peerless. If he sensed something wrong, he would definitely protect everyone. Moreover, in the memories she had, Lu Cheng had spent so much time in the Holy Spirit Cult, even becoming a Holy Son. If it came to being evil, those people in her memories were just rookies compared to her brother.
"Elder Mu, is this what you called... safe?"
Zhang Lexuan glanced at Mu En, who was closing his eyes and concentrating. She tapped her toes lightly on the ground, her figure leaping out like a light blue shooting star, flying directly out of Shrek Academy.
"Teacher, this..." Yan Shaozhe looked puzzled.
"Let her go." Mu En sighed softly.
Man proposes, God disposes.
Unexpected, but within reason.
Xuan Zi was just such a rotten person; he should have thought of that, shouldn't he?
Trusting Xuan Zi... Hehe.
Recalling what he had just said to comfort Zhang Lexuan, he felt it was incredibly mocking and ironic. Once a person's trust is broken, it is very difficult to rebuild it no matter how much time passes.
"Convene a sea gods pavilion meeting."
Mu En closed his eyes, his face looking even more exhausted, and even his white hair had noticeably increased. In this vast Shrek Academy, who could he rely on?
Not a single person.
In mid-air.
Zhang Lexuan leaned forward, two transparent thin wings vibrating behind her back like an exquisite and moving bluebird. But at this moment, her face was stained with mortal anger, adding a bit of vividness.
"Brother, I would have found a way to escape on my own; what need was there for you to do something so unnecessary!?"
Zhang Lexuan gritted her teeth angrily.
"You are always like this, so self-righteous!"
In her eyes, Lu Cheng had caused such a big commotion purely to help her escape from Shrek Academy. Others might not know Lu Cheng, but she knew him all too well.
Her childhood sweetheart treated human life as child's play. Never mind that the Inner Academy Disciples in the cave were only severely injured; she suspected Lu Cheng would have done it even if they were all blown to death.
After all, in her memories, he had turned the whole world upside down for her.
Never mind other people's lives, he didn't even take his own life seriously.
"Faster, faster..."
She didn't blame Ma Xiaotao either. After all, joking around was fine, but if that person were truly serious, he would have the ability to play Ma Xiaotao in the palm of his hand, sell her, and still make her help count the money.
Shrek Academy.
Sea God's Pavilion.
Many old veterans gathered.
The atmosphere in the conference room was quite heavy.
Xuan Zi walked in carrying a wine gourd, his attire still in a battle-damaged style, his steps heavy. He quietly raised his eyes to glance at Mu En, who sat at the head of the table. Seeing his expression was still gentle, he let out a sigh of relief in his heart and sat in his seat without saying a word.
"Alright, regarding today's events, Xuan Zi... explain it."
Mu En said with a smile.
"Elder Mu, this matter was my carelessness. " Xuan Zi's figure was heavy; he stood up slowly, stealing a glance at Mu En, and said in a deep voice, "I reflect on it... If I had reacted sooner, the Inner Academy Disciples would not have been seriously injured. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, I could only save their lives. Sigh..."
"Elder Mu, I am willing to accept punishment. Relieve me of my duties as deputy leader of the supervisory group and remove me from all positions in the academy..."
Xuan Zi's face was full of sorrow, leaving everyone with a heavy back.
"Elder Xuan, we cannot do without you!" Yan Shaozhe was the first to speak anxiously. "This matter cannot be blamed on you. Teacher Wang, as the team leader, did nothing. And Xiao Tao, Yueheng, Lu Cheng, and the others, as the main team and reserve team captains, led the team into the cave without scouting the terrain... that caused this level of casualties."
"And you arrived in time, saving the lives of Xi Xi, Chen Zifeng, and the others. You have done your best. With a team like this, what else could be done?"
"That's right, Elder Xuan. I believe that after Xi Xi and Chen Zifeng wake up, they will all be grateful for your efforts." Xian Liner said with great passion.
Following this, many old veterans nodded slightly in agreement.
In fact, everyone present was no fool; they saw it clearly. But Xuan Zi was the successor to the Sea Gods' Pavilion; they dared not, and could not, offend him. The only person present who could suppress him was Elder Mu. Mu En would soon pass away, and this place had to rely on Xuan Zi to hold it up.
"Elder Mu, just let me go..." Xuan Zi was "heartbroken." "Every time I think of ten years ago, in the Star Dou Great Forest, those dead faces—I have no face to be ashamed before these children. I should have left long ago. I am a sinner of Shrek Academy!"
After speaking, he was heartbroken, tears and snot flowing down.
Yan Shaozhe hurriedly stepped forward to support and comfort him, and Xian Liner handed him a tissue from the side.
A scene of sorrow.
But Mu En, at this moment, was exceptionally calm. His eyes quietly watched the scene before him. He suddenly had an impulse to quit. After so many years, he was really tired, weary...
And watching this scene, he was suddenly amused.
The anger that had originally accumulated in his chest dissipated with his laughter.
"Hahahaha..."
Mu En's laughter rang out, sweeping away the tragic atmosphere present.
Xuan Zi looked at Mu En in confusion and bewilderment.
Yan Shaozhe and others were the same.
The scene was exceptionally strange.
"I'm not dead yet." Mu En seemed to have laughed enough, looking calmly at Xuan Zi, and said slowly.
"Xuan Zi, back then Senior Brother entrusted you to me, and I indeed taught you earnestly. But now it seems... I was wrong, terribly wrong."
Mu En looked around: "Born a bunch of idiots, short-sighted, greedy, and arrogant. This is something that no amount of effort can change."
"Xuan Zi... I have no intention of talking to you further. Get to your residence and self-imprison for three years. Before I die, if you dare to take even half a step out of the courtyard, believe it or not, I will beat you up even if I have to risk my life."
"Yes, yes!"
Xuan Zi's face was pale, but seeing that Mu En was clearly truly angry, he gave Yan Shaozhe a difficult and tangled look, hoping he would help put in a good word. Hiding in the small courtyard, without wild game, without delicacies, how could he live for three years?
He hurriedly retreated.
"Teacher..."
Yan Shaozhe bowed slightly, leaning next to Mu En.
"Then this main team..."
"The academy still has a few Inner Academy Disciples of appropriate age." Xian Liner also hesitated and said.
"That kid will lead Shrek Academy to win the championship. We have always underestimated him." Mu En narrowed his eyes and said slowly.
A soul king with twin spirits and the strange ultimate ice attribute. This was just what was shown on the surface; there were still trump cards...
Not to mention the main force, Soul Saint-level Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, and Gongyang Mo were only slightly injured.
They could fight; it would just be a little more strenuous.
What's more...
Even if they lost, they could claim to the outside world that this was the contribution Shrek Academy made to eradicating the Evil Soul Master, resulting in such a crippled team. Other academies won unfairly, and Shrek Academy would not acknowledge it.
And if they won, hehe...
Then they would really be able to be arrogant.
You couldn't even beat my crippled team. Aren't you a bunch of trash?
As for Lu Cheng...
He had indeed underestimated him.
Even though he valued Lu Cheng this much, he hadn't expected this kid to be such a monster.
Since that was the case, after he returned to Shrek Academy...
He would have to take some measures to curb his momentum.
Notes:
ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
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