Chapter 10: Sitting on a Pile of Filth
[Douluo 2 Era]
Star Luo Empire, inside the Imperial Palace.
Emperor Xu Jiawei was stunned for a moment before he slammed his hand down on the armrest of his dragon throne, bursting into hearty laughter.
"Hahahaha! Good! This is truly wonderful!"
He faced the civil and military officials of the court, making no attempt to hide his schadenfreude:
"Shrek always holds high the banner of justice, letting their Shrek Inspectorate meddle in the affairs of our nations under the guise of 'fighting Evil Soul Masters,' violating our territorial sovereignty time and again!"
"Now look at them—they're sitting on a pile of filth!"
"With their own home infiltrated by Evil Soul Masters to such an extent, what face do they have to call themselves the Guardians of the Continent? It is utterly ridiculous!"
A general immediately echoed:
"Your Majesty is wise! Shrek is now struggling to save itself!"
"I say that so-called Shrek Inspectorate can be disbanded!"
"A bunch of fellows who can't even manage their own home—what right do they have to inspect the world!"
Xu Jiawei nodded with satisfaction, his eyes gleaming with sharp light:
"Pass down my decree: From this day forward, within the borders of the Star Luo Empire, we no longer recognize any law enforcement authority of the Shrek Shrek Inspectorate!"
"If anyone dares to trespass, they shall be treated as invaders and killed without mercy!"
...
Holy Spirit Cult Headquarters.
Inside the dark hall, a group of black-robed Elders first fell into an eerie silence.
"Do we... have such a high-level figure lurking within Shrek?"
An Elder asked in a raspy voice.
"I haven't heard of it... To achieve this level, besides the Cult Master, perhaps only a few Supreme Elders..."
"But the Supreme Elders are all in seclusion..."
At this moment, the Cult Master of the Holy Spirit Cult, Zhongli Wu, who was sitting on the main seat, waved his hand, and the noisy discussion immediately ceased.
"That is a powerhouse who joined our cult very early on. His identity within our cult is that of an Honorary Supreme Elder."
Zhongli Wu's voice carried a hint of a smile.
"He only maintains a single line of contact with me. It's normal that you wouldn't know."
Hearing Zhongli Wu's explanation, an Elder couldn't help but say regretfully:
"That is truly a pity. To be exposed by this Sky Screen... he was revealed too early."
"No matter."
Zhongli Wu's voice rang out, devoid of any panic, instead filled with pleasure.
"The seed has already been planted. What does it matter if he's discovered?"
"Suspicion, fear, internal strife... Shrek's good show has only just begun."
As soon as these words were spoken, all the Elders caught on and burst into fits of eerie laughter.
"Well said! Shrek's face has been completely lost this time!"
"Jie jie jie... Let's see how they have the face to come out and hunt us down in the future!"
"Exactly. Watching the geniuses they raised with their own hands turn one by one into 'Evil Soul Masters' who need to be purged... that scene will surely be wonderful..."
"Jie jie jie jie..."
Cold laughter echoed in the room, filled with malice and anticipation.
...
Sun Moon Empire, Mingde Hall.
Hall Master Jing Hongchen looked at the Sky Screen, his eyes flashing with sharp light.
"Interesting, truly interesting. This seemingly lush and leafy great tree of Shrek has actually been rotting from the roots."
Beside him, the siblings Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen also wore expressions of disdain.
"Grandfather, Shrek's reputation is completely ruined now."
Meng Hongchen said.
"It's more than just a ruined reputation."
Jing Hongchen sneered.
"That Wang Yan is only the beginning; that mysterious mole is the key!"
"Once the seed of suspicion is planted, it will take root and sprout in the hearts of all their high-level members. How can an academy that can't even trust its own comrades talk about cohesion?"
"Perhaps a great war isn't even necessary."
"We only need to give a gentle push, and this decaying fortress will collapse from within on its own!"
...
On the Sky Screen, the images did not stop because of the clamor from the outside world.
[Next, we shall elaborate on the second reason for the ranking:]
[Harboring Malice, Controlling Geniuses]
It replayed scenes of Wang Yan "teaching" his students one after another.
But this time, it was accompanied by his inner monologue.
First was the scene of Xu Sanshi cultivating under a waterfall!
[Xu Sanshi, with the Xuanming Turtle Martial Soul—what a fine seedling.]
[He thinks I'm helping him stimulate that thin ancient bloodline in his body? He's laughably naive.]
[The Soul Power circulation route I taught him isn't for stimulating any bloodline at all, but to plant an Abyss Seed within the core of his Martial Soul!]
[Every impact, every painful endurance, every so-called bloodline surge—it's all using his own will to nourish this seed.]
[When the day comes for the seed to sprout, his Xuanming Turtle will completely fall and transform into a 'Dark Xuanwu' that knows only devouring and destruction!]
[By then, he will become the sturdiest shield in my hand, and a puppet for me to manipulate!]
[And he, until the day he dies, will be grateful to me, his esteemed mentor!]
...
[Douluo 2 Era]
On the square, Xu Sanshi, who was standing with Jiang Nannan, felt as if he had been struck by lightning!
He suddenly looked at his own hands, his eyes instantly filled with endless terror!
He could clearly feel that deep within his Martial Soul, there was indeed a... cold power that he could not control!
Every time he thought it was progress in his bloodline, it was actually that power growing stronger!
He had actually been pushing himself into the abyss with his own hands!
"No... NO!!"
Xu Sanshi roared out in distress, looking as if he had gone mad.
...
The scene shifted again to the female student who had been saved by Wang Yan.
[That female student with the 'Withered Vine' Martial Soul.]
[I told her there are no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters.]
[I guided her to evolve her Martial Soul into the 'Soul-Devouring Withered Vine,' which can absorb an enemy's Soul Power.]
[This naive little girl, did she really think I helped her Martial Soul evolve? That I turned her from a failure into a genius?]
[Soul-Devouring Withered Vine, what a beautiful name.]
[But she doesn't know that once these vines have tasted Soul Power, they can no longer be satisfied with ordinary nutrients.]
[Soon, she will need to devour life force to suppress the Martial Soul's backlash against her own body.]
[By then, she will have no other choice.]
[She can only plunge her vines into the body of a living person and suck their life force... until they are dry!]
[She will become a true monster, an Evil Soul Master who won't hesitate to devour her companions to become stronger.]
[And all of this was her own choice, wasn't it?]
...
[Douluo 2 Era]
"No!!"
In the crowd, the female student with the "Soul-Devouring Withered Vine" Martial Soul let out a piercing scream.
She shook her head frantically, her face smeared with tears and snot.
"I didn't! I wouldn't!"
She remembered the inexplicable cravings for flesh and blood that occasionally rose in her heart during her recent cultivation, that hunger that made even her feel afraid.
So... it wasn't her imagination!
It was her Martial Soul, urging her to "feed"!
Panic was like a tide, instantly drowning her.
The entire Shrek Square was in total chaos.
The students who had received guidance from Wang Yan all turned pale as ash, frantically checking their own bodies and Martial Souls, fearing they were also experimental subjects.
Trust collapsed completely at this moment.
The seeds of doubt took root and sprouted in everyone's hearts.
Huo Yuhao's body was trembling slightly.
He looked at the agonizing Xu Sanshi, at the breaking female student, and then at Wang Yan, who was shrouded in golden light.
A chill rushed from the soles of his feet straight to his crown.
"Then... what about me?"