Xuanzi flew extremely fast. In just half a day, he returned to Shrek Academy with Yao Haoxuan.
After handing him over to the healing-type soul masters of the inner courtyard, Yao Haoxuan's injuries and condition quickly stabilized.
Although the casualties were not as serious as those in the original storyline, Xuanzi still awaited a fierce reprimand. After all, this was not the first time he had made such a mistake.
Shrek Academy, Sea God's Pavilion.
Inside the large conference room, only two people were present. The sun was setting, and the dim light of dusk poured through the windows, covering most of the room.
Xuanzi stared at the old man lying on a reclining chair,skin dry and withered, looking as though he could pass away at any moment. His eyes were closed as if he were dozing. Xuanzi lowered his head in silence, unsure what he should say at this moment.
Should he confess? Admit his mistakes?
Or simply give up and act indifferent?
He knew that no matter what he said, none of it would matter to the old man before him,Mu En, his junior uncle and the Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion.
Anything Xuanzi thought or did only mattered to juniors who respected him or to the elders who valued his strength.
The wine gourd he always held was hanging quietly at his waist. His usually greasy hands were unexpectedly clean. Even his messy hair and dirty clothes had been tidied up.
The gluttonous Douluo,arrogant, rough, and wild,stood obediently before Mu En, displaying none of his usual unruliness.
Xuanzi did not speak, and Mu En also remained silent. One stood, one lay reclined. The two remained this way for a long time.
At last, the old man on the chair sighed. His aged voice was filled with helplessness.
"Xuanzi, Xuanzi… what am I supposed to say to you?"
"Right before the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, you bring me another disaster. A core team member, Dai Yueheng, is dead. Yao Haoxuan is gravely injured. You really know how to cause trouble for me."
Xuanzi opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but the words stuck in his throat.
"I know the flaws of your martial soul,the Taotie Divine Ox, carrying the legendary bloodline of the gluttonous Taotie, one of the Dragon King's nine sons. Because of this, you constantly feel the urge to eat."
"But hunger is only an influence of your martial soul. Even if you do not eat, your body will not weaken nor will your soul power regress. At most, you'll feel mentally tired."
"Xuanzi, do you know why I've made you personally train those students representing the academy in the tournament for the past fifty years?"
"I wanted you,and needed you,to learn something from them. The things you teach them… how many have you actually practiced yourself?"
"Ever since that incident with Lexuan, you've grown lazy even in training and guiding the core team. What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Are you saying you can't handle responsibility? Or that you resent me,your Pavilion Master, your junior uncle,for asking you to contribute to Shrek Academy and correct your temperament?"
"At your level of strength, whether martial soul or bloodline, its influence on your personality can be overcome,if you have the will to do so."
"Do you lack the ability? Or do you simply think you don't need to?"
Mu En opened his eyes. They were unexpectedly clear and sharp. Under his penetrating gaze, Xuanzi lowered his head even further.
"How many years have we known each other? One hundred? Two hundred?"
Mu En's voice carried unmistakable authority.
By seniority, he was Xuanzi's junior uncle despite being of similar age. And since so few of their generation remained in Shrek, his position in Xuanzi's heart was even heavier.
"Before your senior brother died, he told me to train you well. With your martial soul and talent, you could support Shrek Academy for another fifty years."
"That's why I made you vice leader of the Shrek Enforcement Team, and why you led the Shrek teams in ten consecutive tournaments."
"Which of these was not a responsibility I entrusted to you? With your talent, you should have broken through to the limit already, letting me relax. Yet you remain stuck at the bottleneck of Rank 98. Do you really not know the reason?"
"Is it ignorance? Or are you refusing to face it?"
Xuanzi trembled slightly but said nothing.
"Hot-tempered, petty, stubborn, arrogant."
"You constantly shout about the glory of Shrek Academy, but what actions have you taken to uphold it?"
"Is Shrek's glory just something for you to boast about? Are Shrek's students less important to you than your next meal?"
"I won't bring up Lexuan's matter again. But now, in this mission you led…"
"Yes, from the day the Shrek Enforcement Team was established, its members all swore to die for the academy's glory. I believe Dai Yueheng had this resolve long ago."
"But his sacrifice should not have happened here,not on a simple mission, not while you, Shrek's second strongest soul master and vice commander, were in charge!"
Mu En could speak bluntly only because no outsiders were present.
Sacrifice was expected of the Enforcement Team,but when, how, and who sacrificed made all the difference.
This mission's difficulty was low. A wandering bandit group whose strongest was only a Soul King,even if dangerous, Xuanzi was a Super Douluo.
Logically, there should have been no casualties. This mission should have been a confidence booster for the core team and a warning to the competition.
Instead, the result was one dead and one injured. And the dead was the eldest son of the White Tiger Duke,host of this year's tournament in Star Luo City and guaranteed to attend.
This was a harsh blow to both the White Tiger family and Shrek.
Mu En's soft words struck Xuanzi's heart like heavy hammers.
As Pavilion Master, Mu En was genuinely trying to speak to him as a senior, without political posturing.
"Again and again, Xuanzi, you disappoint me."
"The position of Pavilion Master represents not just strength but leadership,the ability to guide Shrek Academy's future."
"And you… I can no longer entrust this role to you. I no longer have the time to guide you."
"I thought the incident with Lexuan would wake you up. That you'd confront your martial soul's flaw, overcome it with willpower, break through and take the final step."
"But in these years, what have you done? Drifted aimlessly."
"How am I supposed to entrust the future of Shrek to you?"
"Junior uncle…" Xuanzi said softly.
But Mu En immediately interrupted him sharply.
"And don't tell me that the conflict between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department has nothing to do with you."
Xuanzi remained silent.
"This world is changing. When the tide of an era rises, no individual or faction can resist it."
"Even Shrek Academy. If we do not adapt and progress, we will be swallowed by the times,inevitably so."
"What? Shrek Academy will never,!"
Xuanzi instinctively tried to refute him.
But Mu En's next words silenced him completely.
"I personally visited the Sun and Moon Empire. I saw things that shocked even me."
"In the past thirty years, soul tool technology has advanced at an unbelievable pace. In the Sun and Moon Empire, I even saw a massive soul tool requiring multiple operators,something powerful enough to threaten my life."
"They are also developing low and mid-level soul tools rapidly. Their progress surpasses what any of us imagined."
"With their strong national power, another war is inevitable. And after my death, if Shrek does not change and adapt, its destruction will not be far away."
Despite the grim words, Mu En remained calm, as though speaking of something beyond himself.
"Junior uncle… you… could it be…?"
"Yes. The internal injuries in my body can no longer be suppressed. I don't have much time left."
"And whether it's you or Shaozhe, both of you are too narrow-minded and too inflexible. Neither of you can shoulder the great responsibility Shrek needs."
Mu En looked out the window at the vast Sea God Lake. Memories surged within him.
He was the Pavilion Master, bearer of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon bloodline. Born and raised in Shrek, he devoted his entire life to the academy. Two hundred and fifty years,far too long for a mortal.
For the academy, he gave up love. For the academy, he abandoned his closest friend. He gave too much, leaving behind regrets and attachments.
Even now, nearing death, he could not stop worrying about the academy's future. If he could not secure Shrek's path forward, he could not rest even in death.
"Because of this, I can already see the deep flaws hidden within the academy."
"Even though Shrek's system is outdated, I still want to give it another chance to survive."
"This time, because Dai Yueheng died on a Shrek Enforcement mission, you will personally apologize to the White Tiger Duke. No matter what, you must obtain his forgiveness."
"As for the two vacant positions, give them to the reserve team. Treat it as a chance for their training."
"From now on, visit the Soul Tool Department more often. Let the Martial Soul and Soul Tool Departments share resources and integrate. I want to see every Enforcement Team member equipped with practical soul tools."
"If defensive soul tools had been available, even without you, Dai Yueheng might not have died."
"Yes, Elder Mu." Xuanzi took a deep breath and said no more.
"And that inner courtyard student you people eliminated from the core team… give him more resources as compensation. He is a good seedling. Being removed from the team will hit him hard,he deserves some support."
In the end, Mu En chose to let the matter pass. He raised the issue high and set it down lightly, giving Xuanzi no further punishment.
Xuanzi quietly breathed a sigh of relief, though he did not show it. He quickly left the Pavilion.
The tasks Mu En assigned were not difficult. Apologizing? As a Super Douluo, would the White Tiger Duke dare show him disrespect?
As for improving relations between departments,that was ultimately up to the deans of the outer courtyard.
If you want to read 40 advanced chapters and 3 new chapters daily, please subscribe to my : patreon.com/Moorowkeel