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I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
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Mo Hongchen's fists clenched tightly, his knuckles cracking audibly as light flickered violently in his eyes.
Reason told him that the academic director was right—Shrek had come prepared this time, sending out monsters far beyond the norm. But emotionally, as the leader of the Sun Moon Academy, his pride and unwillingness made it impossible for him to easily accept such a humiliating decision.
Meanwhile, the stands erupted into chaos. After the initial shock and fear subsided, a flood of murmurs and doubts spread like wildfire.
"Too… too terrifying… Are those two people from Shrek even human?"
"Bai Yuan single-handedly crushed our six main members, and Mu Yi was even more ruthless—he withstood two fusion techniques and still turned the tables…"
"We didn't lose unjustly; the gap in strength is just too great!"
"Shrek's loss last time must have been an accident! They underestimated us! Look at how serious they are now—we couldn't even fight back!"
"Exactly! Shrek's reputation as the number one academy for ten thousand years isn't just hype… their foundation runs deep…"
"Why not… just call it quits? Continuing would only bring more humiliation. If we injure a few more core disciples, it wouldn't be worth it…"
"Let's cut our losses while we can. At least we won one match, forcing Shrek to reveal their true monsters. It proves we still have a chance… albeit a slim one…"
Doubts about their own team's strength, questions about whether the higher-ups should send more students to their doom, and even rationalizations that Shrek's previous loss was due to underestimating them—all these sentiments spread like wildfire in the face of overwhelming despair and crushing superiority.
The once-proud home-field advantage and unity of the Sun Moon Academy were quietly crumbling under the weight of absolute power.
Amidst this pervasive atmosphere of pessimism and doubt, the area occupied by Shrek Academy remained eerily calm.
Cai Yue'er's lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smirk, her sharp gaze sweeping over the boiling stands and the VIP section where the Sun Moon leadership sat.
She leaned slightly to whisper a few words to a seemingly ordinary middle-aged man beside her, who looked like a regular teaching assistant.
The man nodded silently, his fingers swiftly tapping on a delicate soul-guided communicator hidden in his sleeve.
Soon, in various corners of the stands, some "well-timed" murmurs began to be deliberately amplified and broadcast clearly through a soul-guided amplification device, blending seamlessly into the cacophony of voices:
"Sigh… Shrek is still Shrek after all… Ten thousand years of heritage, an unfathomable foundation—it can't be shaken by a single accidental loss."
"Last time, I think they simply underestimated us and sent some second-tier members to test the waters. Look at how serious they're being now—the gap is immediately obvious."
"This is the true majesty of the number one academy for ten thousand years! When they act, they do so decisively, like thunder striking!"
"The Sun Moon Academy winning one match was already lucky. Recognizing the gap now and cutting losses to preserve strength is the wise choice. Pushing further and destroying our own geniuses would be a real loss!"
"Shrek's glory remains as solid as ever…"
These words, like precisely planted seeds, quickly took root in the already wavering hearts of the spectators.
They didn't directly belittle the Sun Moon Academy but instead emphasized Shrek's "ten-thousand-year legacy" and framed their previous loss as "purely accidental."
The value of the Sun Moon Academy's hard-earned victory was subtly undermined, while Shrek's current display of overwhelming strength was portrayed as "expected" and "their true level."
More importantly, these whispers provided a seemingly reasonable justification for the Sun Moon Academy's potential "surrender"—to preserve strength and avoid unnecessary sacrifices.
The phrase "ten-thousand-year honor" was repeatedly invoked, hammering down on the hearts of every Sun Moon supporter.
Shrek's heavy, seemingly unshakable aura of history, bolstered by two consecutive devastating victories, regained its brilliance—and became even more unassailable than before.
In the stands, the calls for "cutting losses," "preserving strength," and "recognizing the gap" grew louder, eventually drowning out the few remaining cries of defiance.
Inside the office, Mo Hongchen naturally heard these deliberately amplified "public opinions."
His complexion shifted from iron-gray to a complex ashen hue. He understood that Shrek hadn't just crushed them on the arena—they had also delivered the final blow with precision on the psychological and public opinion fronts.
The opposing side didn't even need to send out another participant; the invisible pressure they exerted had already cornered the Sun Moon Academy into an impossible dilemma.
Send more people? Who could face those two monsters? Only to add to the casualties and humiliation? And looking at the gazes of the students below, morale was already on the verge of collapse.
Surrender? On their home turf, against Shrek, who had only sent out two participants—this would be an unprecedented humiliation in the history of the Sun Moon Academy! Ten-thousand-year honor… Mo Hongchen painfully closed his eyes.
Time ticked by, second by second, and the entire arena waited anxiously for the Sun Moon Academy's decision. Each moment of silence was agony for them.
Finally, after what felt like an unbearably long wait, Mo Hongchen abruptly opened his eyes. Bloodshot and weary, his struggle seemed to have reached a resolution.
He took a deep breath and turned to the academic director, who stood up with a pained expression. His powerful soul energy carried his voice clearly to every corner of the arena, heavy with exhaustion and an indescribable sense of humiliation:
"Given that our main team members are injured and in poor condition, and in order to protect the safety and future development of our students… the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy forfeits the remaining matches."
He paused, as if summoning the last remnants of his strength, before uttering the final words:
"The result of this exchange match… is a victory for Shrek Academy."
As his voice faded, the arena erupted in stunned murmurs, followed by an eerie silence. There was no cheering, no celebration—only the calm gaze of the Shrek team and the palpable sense of loss, frustration, and… a subtle, reluctant relief that even they were unwilling to admit, emanating from the Sun Moon stands.
Shrek's ten-thousand-year honor, today, reasserted itself above the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy in a manner that was almost cruelly resolute.
Shen Yi, burdened by immense pressure, finally allowed herself a victorious smile—one that was unreserved and triumphant. This was only the beginning, but the first step had been taken with unwavering firmness.
In the Sea God Pavilion, a massive screen composed of pure energy vividly replayed everything that had happened in the Sun Moon Academy arena—from Bai Yuan's Devouring Domain sweeping across all directions, to Mu Yi's Indestructible skill shattering two fusion techniques, and finally to Mo Hongchen's humiliating declaration of surrender.
Before the screen, several figures stood silently.
Yun Ming still wore his simple white robe, his demeanor gentle, his gaze as deep as the sea.
But now, the furrowed brows that usually marked his face had softened, replaced by a faint, barely perceptible warmth of relief.
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