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Inside the laboratory at the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce's headquarters, the air was still and filled with the scent of various chemicals and metal. Kong Mingan slowly opened his eyes.
The faint light in them, which had been brought by projecting his consciousness across great distances of space, gradually faded away. He looked around his workshop, coming back to the present moment.
The Ice Empress had been guarding him the entire time. She leaned forward now, her delicate small face drawing very close to his. There was a clear hint of inquiry in her expression as she looked at him. She asked him what he was doing again just now.
She had seen him suddenly stop his experiment without warning. Then he had touched his glabella, opened a shimmering spatial gate, and thrown something out before sitting perfectly still with his eyes closed. It was a strange sight to witness.
She had even started to think that something bad might have happened to him because he was so motionless for so long. After a short pause, she added that if something did happen to him, she wouldn't know how to explain it to the Snow Empress. She seemed a bit worried, though she tried to hide it with her blunt words.
Kong Mingan listened to her slightly awkward words and gently shook his head. He spoke in a calm and steady tone. He told her that nothing happened and that he had just remotely handled some urgent matters. He explained that the issue was resolved now and everything was fine. He didn't want her to worry more than she already was.
The Ice Empress observed him carefully for a long moment. She was confirming that his breathing was steady and his spirit power was harmonious. He indeed did not look like someone who was in any kind of trouble or pain. Once she saw he was okay, her interest in the matter immediately waned. She pouted her lips and sat back down on the seat.
Then, she naturally leaned against Kong Mingan, finding a comfortable position against his side. Her consciousness skillfully connected to the Ling Shu Network. While she was distracted by the novel mini-games within the network, she also mentally browsed through the latest recorded stories and novels.
The games had been developed by Kong Mingan specifically for her to pass the time. The novels were physical books she had specially commissioned people to input into the network for her convenience. This saved her from having to flip through thick, heavy volumes by hand.
Feeling the warmth and weight from his side, Kong Mingan glanced down at the Ice Empress. She was leaning on him with her toes gently upturned, looking very leisurely and relaxed. A strange thought flashed through his mind as he watched her.
He wondered if the Ice Empress was developing into a shut-in who never wanted to leave the house. He thought to himself about how strange that was.
Sighing softly, Kong Mingan suppressed his jumbled thoughts. He used a sliver of his mind to remotely check on Zhang Lexuan's condition. He did this through the mark he had left when they used their Spirit Fusion skill together earlier that day. He could sense the tumultuous emotions surging within Zhang Lexuan. This made Kong Mingan feel slightly concerned for her.
He hoped that Zhang Lexuan could overcome this difficult hurdle. After all, compared to anyone else, she was indeed the best candidate for his plans. But he thought that if she couldn't handle it, perhaps someone else would have to be found. He wasn't sure yet what would happen next.
Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy in the Inner Court Medical Zone, the atmosphere was very tense. Zhang Lexuan ultimately did not erupt into a direct conflict with Xuan Zi on the scene. Her rationality managed to overcome the momentary surge of anger she felt. She knew that the surviving team members were all injured. Although Kong Mingan had used her hands for emergency treatment, it had only been enough to save their lives.
Several of them were still in a critically injured and unconscious state. Even her teammates who were still conscious were badly wounded. This left no time for arguments or fights. Therefore, Zhang Lexuan could only suppress her deep grief and the urge to question Xuan Zi.
She organized those who could still move to carry the injured and the remains of their fallen companions. They silently returned to the Academy for proper medical treatment.
After they received treatment, the news of this spirit hunting operation spread very fast. It was as if the news had wings, and it quickly reached the high-ranking officials within the Academy. Yan Shaozhe, the Dean of the Spirit Department, was the first person to arrive at the treatment site.
However, when he saw the scene of widespread injuries and suffering, his first reaction was not to comfort the wounded students. Instead, he frowned deeply and asked the person in charge if the news had been suppressed yet.
Afterward, he asked his assistant about the family backgrounds of the two deceased students. He was evaluating the potential trouble that might arise from their families later. He seemed more worried about the reputation of the school than the lives of the students. All of this was witnessed by Zhang Lexuan, who stood silently in a dark corner.
She said nothing to him, but her usually gentle eyes were now only cold and hard. Without engaging in an argument, she simply turned and left the treatment area. She flew directly towards Sea God Island to find someone who would actually listen.
Just a few hours later, a message reached the hands of every high-ranking Shrek official. The content of the message was an announcement for a Sea God Pavilion meeting. It was marked as mandatory attendance for everyone. The initiator of the meeting was Mu En.
The heavy door of the pavilion slowly closed, completely blocking out the warm light filtering through the golden ancient tree's leaves from outside. Inside the Sea God Pavilion, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like it could drip water. It was truly suffocating. One by one, the elders filed in. Most of them remained silent.
Their gazes subtly fell upon Mu En, who sat at the head of the table with an unreadable expression. Zhang Lexuan was standing right beside him. Each of the elders' expressions grew very solemn.
Soon, Yan Shaozhe entered the room with Cai Meimei, the Vice Dean of the Spirit Department. Upon seeing Zhang Lexuan standing beside Mu En, Yan Shaozhe's expression immediately changed. He looked surprised and worried. Just as he was about to speak and try to explain himself, he was cut off by a single look from Mu En.
Mu En told him to stand aside. His voice was not loud, and it was even very calm. This made it impossible to discern any emotion from him. However, upon hearing this, Yan Shaozhe's face turned pale. He became as silent as a cicada in winter. He obediently retreated to the side and stood with his head bowed low.
Time continued to pass, and soon the last person for this meeting arrived. It was Xuan Zi. At this moment, he was carrying a wine gourd and his steps were very unsteady.
He reeked of alcohol, and his face held a dazed and lost expression. As soon as he entered the door, he felt everyone's gaze focus on him. The others were fine, but the calm gaze from Mu En instantly jolted him. His eyes cleared up a bit from the alcohol.
Xuan Zi started to speak to Elder Mu, but Mu En calmly raised his hand to interrupt him. His voice was completely devoid of any fluctuation. He told Xuan Zi to come over and kneel because he had something to say in a moment.
Xuan Zi stood there in silence. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Such an indifferent tone made Xuan Zi feel as if he was seeing the decisive Dragon God Douluo from his youth.
His body trembled slightly, and he was unable to muster any thought of resistance. Under the complex gazes of the many elders, he walked tremblingly to the side. Then he knelt down with a loud thud on the floor.
The Sea God Pavilion immediately fell into a deathly silence. In this suffocating silence, Mu En spoke again. His gaze turned toward Yan Shaozhe. He asked Yan Shaozhe what he was trying to do by sending two Spirit Douluo to the homes of those two deceased children.
Yan Shaozhe's pupils constricted and his face instantly turned ashen. His lips were trembling, but he could not utter a single word in his defense. Mu En sighed and asked no further questions. He simply raised his hand slightly.
An invisible and immense force slammed into Yan Shaozhe. In an instant, he was sent flying backward as if he had been hit by a heavy cannonball. He crashed heavily against the wall. Bone-chilling sounds of cracking bones echoed through the room consecutively.
Under Mu En's deliberate control, the wall remained intact, but Yan Shaozhe was already covered in blood. He had an unknown number of broken bones and slid softly to the ground. Only faint and painful groans remained in the silent room.