Night had fallen.
Zhu Ziyang sat leisurely on the sofa in his suite, a cup of hot tea in his hand as he savored its aroma.
It was dinnertime, and everyone else had gone to eat, leaving the large suite silent and empty. For Zhu Ziyang, this quiet hour was perfect—an ideal time for receiving guests.
"Since you've both arrived," he said calmly, not raising his head as he took another sip of tea, "there's no need to linger outside. Please, come in for a cup. I've been expecting you for quite some time."
"Hmph!"
A cold snort echoed from outside. Perhaps out of surprise that Zhu Ziyang had noticed their presence—or perhaps out of pride befitting the strong—an oppressive wave of spirit power suddenly surged from beyond the window. Like a storm breaking over the sea, it rushed toward him, invisible but suffocating.
Zhu Ziyang only chuckled softly and shook his head, muttering, "How terribly old-fashioned."
He set his teacup down gently on the table. The porcelain cup didn't move or tremble—it stood there as still as a pillar holding up the heavens. In that instant, the immense pressure filling the room was crushed as if pinned beneath a mountain, smothered into silence by a single teacup.
"What an impressive display."
A deep but steady voice filled the air, clearly not belonging to the one who had snorted. "No wonder Xuanzi dared to hand over the position of Pavilion Master to you."
Two figures appeared in the room.
The first was an elderly man with kind eyes and a full head of silver hair. The other, however, was striking for entirely different reasons—his towering frame was packed with muscle, his short hair stood like steel needles, and his sharp, angry features radiated menace. It was obvious that the earlier outburst had come from him.
Zhu Ziyang smiled faintly. Even without introductions, he immediately recognized them.
The gruff old man could only be Body Douluo Du Bushi, the current Master of the Body Sect, a rank 98 Super Douluo famed for his brutal strength and volatile temper. So, the Body Sect really had joined hands with the Heavenly Soul Empire after all. That confirmed Shrek Academy's intelligence reports.
As for the kindly elder, Zhu Ziyang knew him well by reputation—Starlight Douluo Xu Luo, the chief consecrate of the Star Luo Empire's Hall of Worship and himself a newly ascended rank 98 Super Douluo. Only five years ago, he had escorted Xu Jiujing to Shrek Academy, where he had received guidance from Elder Mu. Upon returning home, he secluded himself in training and had broken through not even a year ago.
"It's been a long time, Elder Xu," Zhu Ziyang greeted politely before turning to the other man. "And you must be the esteemed Body Douluo. Your name precedes you—I've long admired it."
"Hah! Elder Mu truly did raise an extraordinary disciple," Xu Luo said with heartfelt admiration. "You're barely twenty, aren't you? A rank ninety-four Titled Douluo at twenty years old… incredible! You make us old men feel utterly ashamed."
"Tch! Such arrogance," Du Bushi growled, his face twisting in irritation. "You dare to summon the two of us personally? Do you even understand the meaning of respecting your elders?"
Before Zhu Ziyang could reply, another familiar voice echoed through the room.
"Du Bushi, you seem to be mistaken. It's you who came to seek out Shrek Academy—not the other way around!"
A faint ripple of light appeared, and Xuanzi materialized beside Zhu Ziyang. After giving the young man a small nod, he turned to glare at Du Bushi, his tone sharp.
"Ziyang is the Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy's Tianyuan Pavilion. To show him disrespect is to declare war on the Academy itself!"
"You—!" Du Bushi's face flushed red with anger. He had not expected such a direct rebuke. For a moment, he could only glare at Xuanzi, his chest heaving.
"Enough, enough," Xu Luo quickly interjected, stepping forward to smooth things over. "Let's all calm down. We came here to form an alliance, not to quarrel!"
Zhu Ziyang smiled, his expression as serene as ever. "Elder Xuan, please sit. Elder Xu is right—we are allies, not enemies."
At that, Xuanzi said nothing more and took a seat.
Zhu Ziyang gestured toward the other two elders. "Elder Xu, Lord Body Douluo, please—have a seat as well. Let's discuss business."
"Much appreciated," Xu Luo said, visibly relieved as he pulled Du Bushi into a chair beside him. He had been genuinely worried that the two hot-headed Douluo would end up fighting.
Fortunately, both Xuanzi and Du Bushi knew better than to let things escalate. After a final snort, Du Bushi sat down heavily.
"Excellent. I appreciate your cooperation," Zhu Ziyang said with an amiable smile. His tone remained calm and deliberate. "Now, let's not waste words. You two represent the Star Luo Empire and the Heavenly Soul Empire, respectively. I'd like to know what kind of forces your sides are committing to this assassination of Xu Tianran."
"I'll speak first," Xu Luo said, glancing at Du Bushi, who kept his eyes closed and his mouth shut. "The Star Luo Empire will be sending seven Titled Douluo. That includes myself and the Medicine Immortal Douluo—both Super Douluo—as well as five ordinary Titled Douluo."
Zhu Ziyang raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise. "The Star Luo Empire must truly be determined, then. You have fewer than ten Titled Douluo in total, and yet you're deploying seven, including yourself. It seems the pressure from the Sun Moon Empire has become unbearable."
Du Bushi's eyes snapped open, surprise flashing within them. Even he hadn't expected such a commitment.
Xu Luo gave a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "We have no choice. The Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology has developed far beyond ours. On the border, we've been at a disadvantage for years. According to our generals, if war truly breaks out, the Sun Moon Empire would only need two soul engineer legions to sweep through the entire Star Luo Empire."
He sighed deeply. "That's why we need time—time to study soul tools, to strengthen our armies. The later this war comes, the better."
Neither Zhu Ziyang nor Xuanzi showed much reaction, but Du Bushi's face darkened. Everyone knew that the Body Sect was the most anti–soul tool faction on the continent. Hearing Xu Luo speak so highly of them felt like a slap to his face.
Yet behind his anger was a creeping sense of unease. The Star Luo Empire was the strongest of the three original empires. If even they couldn't withstand the Sun Moon Empire's two legions, then what of the Heavenly Soul Empire?
Uneasiness flickered across his eyes. Still, he managed to speak. "The Heavenly Soul Empire can only send five Titled Douluo—but all of them are Super Douluo. One rank 98, one rank 97, one rank 96, and two rank 95."
Zhu Ziyang's eyes narrowed. That level of strength was impressive. It implied that the Heavenly Soul Empire possessed far more Super Douluo than they revealed publicly. Even if they were counting the Body Sect's forces, it was still an astonishing lineup.
"Excellent. Thank you both for your cooperation," Zhu Ziyang said with a faint smile. "As for Shrek Academy—we'll be sending only Elder Xuan and myself."
Both Xu Luo and Du Bushi's expressions shifted at once. They clearly felt insulted by how casually Zhu Ziyang said it.
He raised his hand to forestall their protest. "But rest assured—the two of us are more than enough. Whether in strength or in authority, we can fully represent Shrek Academy."
That left them momentarily speechless. As irritating as his tone was, neither could deny the truth in his words.
"Since there are no objections," Zhu Ziyang continued, "let's move on to the operation's schedule. We've set the date for the night before the finals of the Continental Soul Master Tournament. The plan is as follows…"
The four of them leaned in, the atmosphere turning heavy and serious as Zhu Ziyang and Xuanzi began outlining the precise arrangements for the assassination of Xu Tianran—the most dangerous man on the continent.
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