The second Spirit Hall!
The dragon-slaying hero has finally become the evil dragon.
Although, to be fair, Shrek Academy was never much of a "hero"—at most, it was a soul master faction driven by ambition.
If you ask why the four great empires so easily believed the contents of Greed and Ambition, it was for two reasons:
First, the previous books had already been verified by multiple factions and confirmed to be "true." Even if some content seemed exaggerated or fantastical, the facts recorded in the books were undeniable.
With the previous books as "quality assurance," Greed and Ambition naturally earned trust easily.
Of course, credibility aside, some verification was still necessary.
Upon investigation…
Oh wow, it was true again.
The senior sister of the Inner Academy, Zhang Lexuan, with the Moon Martial Soul, had her family annihilated over a decade ago, then was taken in by Mu En. The fact that she became a childhood bride, however, was known to very few, making verification difficult.
But this alone was enough.
As for Xu He, alias He Caitu, even less needed to be said. In the Sun and Moon Empire, darker skin was distinctive. He Caitu could disguise his features, but not his skin—this chocolate-colored complexion was unmistakable. In a Western context, it would be like drawing fire at first glance.
As for whether He Caitu had a second martial soul?
That didn't matter.
What mattered was that Shrek Academy was indeed cultivating two students with the royal bloodline of the Sun and Moon Empire—their ambition was undeniable.
The three great empires' vigilance toward Shrek had reached its peak. Even graduates of Shrek Academy who returned to serve the empires were being watched closely by the royal families.
After all, who knew if a Shrek-trained student had been brainwashed, or if they were a Shrek spy planted in our empire?
The caution of the ancient Spirit Hall against Spirit Hall itself had been similar. Today, Xingluo, Tianhun, and Douling empires treated Shrek Academy with the same wariness—if not more. Armies stationed at their borders began shifting toward Shrek City.
Shrek City sat at the center of the three empires, effectively surrounded by their border forces.
Attack was impossible. The three empires weren't foolish enough to fight Shrek now, but they had to stay vigilant. Knowing Shrek Academy's ambition, how could the three empires let it run unchecked?
"What? You say we surrounded Shrek with troops?"
Slander! Pure slander! It's just a military exercise!
Shrek Academy had no way to complain. Song Lao, current head of the Sea God Pavilion, was in constant worry, her gray hair losing its last traces of black, daily agonizing over how to handle these problems.
She had thought that simply removing Mu En from power would stabilize Shrek Academy and restore its greatness.
But Lin Yun didn't play fair. Before she could stabilize the internal situation, external interference and troubles poured in, leaving no breathing room.
Then…
Zhang Lexuan was dismissed.
At a Sea God Pavilion meeting, all members except Zhang Lexuan voted to temporarily remove her from her position as a member of the Pavilion and vice principal of the Martial Soul Department.
Xuan Lao's wish for a peaceful, idle life was effortlessly fulfilled by Zhang Lexuan.
Zhang Lexuan: ?
Confused, she was pinned next to the water dispenser, dubbed the "God of the Water Dispenser." Though it was said to be temporary, in reality, Zhang Lexuan would probably sit on this cold bench indefinitely.
Only Song Lao understood—they had never actually planned a "Shrek Empire." Mu En, the only one who knew, was long dead, buried without witnesses.
Honestly, when Song Lao first read Greed and Ambition, she had been tempted. The plan was highly feasible: if Douluo Continent was doomed, why not let Shrek rise as the true master of the land?
But now that the plan had been written and spread across the continent, it lost all feasibility. Song Lao could only give up in regret.
If only Shrek Academy knew about the plan, they could attempt it, possibly establishing the Shrek Empire, and Zhang Lexuan would be valued highly.
But if the plan was public knowledge, the four great empires would be on guard, rendering the plan impossible. Zhang Lexuan's only path was to sit on the sidelines.
With this book, Shrek Academy could no longer prioritize Zhang Lexuan without increasing the suspicion of the three great empires and the hatred of the Sun and Moon Empire.
They were merely a school, lacking the power of Spirit Hall. To fight the four great empires simultaneously would result in annihilation.
Even Zhang Lexuan's talent meant nothing in the face of this.
She could never rise to Shrek's leadership. At best, she would be a mere enforcer, or worse, sent away for marriage alliances or internal disposal…
Already at her limit, Zhang Lexuan picked a good day and simply grabbed her bucket and left.
After all, she was a Soul Douluo with a soul ring age of 100,000 years. Shrek Academy's titled Douluos couldn't watch her every moment. Leaving was simple.
From that point on, Zhang Lexuan and Shrek Academy were completely estranged.
As for the other "chocolate"…
When He Caitu's teacher, Fan Yu, brought Greed and Ambition and solemnly asked if he had a second martial soul, He Caitu remained silent.
Speak… or not?
If he spoke, he might be finished the next second. If not, his fate as a fully automated cotton harvester was likely unavoidable.
He Caitu struggled for a long time. Though he didn't say it outright, his reaction spoke volumes. No denial—that was the most direct confirmation.
Fan Yu sighed deeply.
He was fond of this disciple. He had picked up He Caitu himself.
Zhou Yi hadn't given Fan Yu a child, so he treated He Caitu not only as a student but as a son. This attachment wasn't fake; after Zhou Yi was exiled and executed, it became even deeper.
To Fan Yu, He Caitu was his only family.
Now, He Caitu had transformed into a fleeing prince of the Sun and Moon royal line, with dual martial souls and royal blood.
Do you think Fan Yu would say, like Tang San, "No matter human or beast, you're my most beloved"? Ridiculous. Fan Yu could not overturn Shrek's leadership decisions.
Zhang Lexuan had been pinned next to the water dispenser. He Caitu, a soul tutor Shrek had barely invested in, was immediately kicked out.
A dismissal notice was placed before him, personally delivered by Qian Duoduo.
Even if Fan Yu tried to persuade him, it would be useless.
For Shrek Academy, a dual martial soul genius was tempting, but the academy's inheritance and survival mattered more—they could not anger the four great empires.
After Zhang Lexuan and He Caitu left, Shrek Academy issued a statement to the continent:
We Shrek Academy have no ambitions. We did not know Zhang Lexuan and He Caitu had Sun and Moon royal blood. The content of Greed and Ambition is slander. We are law-abiding citizens!
To prove Shrek Academy has no ambition, Zhang Lexuan and He Caitu have been expelled and have no relation to us!
We reiterate: We truly have no ambitions!
The actual effect of this statement is unclear. At least, the three empires withdrew their armies, leaving only small scouting parties watching Shrek Academy secretly.
On the surface, all is calm. Behind the scenes…
Who knows.
End of Chapter)
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