Furina walked up to Elder Mu, tilted her head, and asked, "What's wrong, Elder Mu? Looking for me for something?"
Elder Mu was stunned for a moment upon hearing this form of address, then chuckled and reached out to stroke his beard.
"It seems you knew who I was from the very beginning." He smiled kindly. "No wonder you gave this old man such a precious item back then."
Standing behind Elder Mu, Yan Shaozhe's brow furrowed slightly.
No wonder Elder Mu held Furina in such high regard; it turned out there was this connection. He just didn't know what Furina had given him to make Elder Mu value her so much.
Furina didn't stand on ceremony either, finding a step to sit on and crossing her legs. "Of course! Who do you think I am? Don't underestimate my intelligence network!"
She spoke with perfect confidence.
If this were one of those scheming cultivation worlds, she might have to be more secretive. But this was the Douluo Continent; there wasn't that much complex social maneuvering. Aside from keeping an eye out for Evil Soul Masters, there was basically no need to worry about being murdered for her treasures.
Elder Mu nodded. "Mhm, then I truly have underestimated you. I suppose you know quite a lot. For example, about Xuan Zi."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward Elder Xuan, who was still lecturing in the center of the Soul Fighting Area.
Furina followed his gaze, then looked back with a casual tone. "Of course I know. That incident he just mentioned—that teacher was himself."
She paused and tilted her head. "I admire him for being able to say it out loud. But his attitude... I don't think it's quite right. What's with that self-abandoning look he has all day? If he really thinks he was wrong, then change! Find a way to make amends and make sure the same thing doesn't happen again."
"Mhm, well said." Elder Mu nodded repeatedly, a flash of approval in his eyes.
Yan Shaozhe remained silent at the side, but his mind was in turmoil.
Although Elder Xuan's words sounded like a personal experience, someone who didn't know the inside story wouldn't have thought in that direction at all. Yet Furina had seen right through it after hearing it just once.
He even couldn't help but think deeper—perhaps when Ma Xiaotao went berserk, Furina had also known it would happen? Known at what time and in what place?
As soon as this thought surfaced, Yan Shaozhe startled himself.
If that were true, it would be too terrifying. Even a god couldn't do something like that, right? After all, that would be precognition.
Elder Mu ignored Yan Shaozhe's wild thoughts and continued, "So, what are your current views on Shrek?"
His tone was very calm, but the question was very heavy.
This was what he cared about most right now.
He had an intuition that Furina's view of Shrek was crucial to the Academy's future development. If Shrek wanted to go far, they had to value her opinion.
Furina was stunned for a moment.
She had originally thought Elder Mu would ask about the cooperation between the Axis Cult and Shrek, or things like the artificial soul bones. After all, artificial soul bones and spirit rings were priceless treasures; whoever mastered this technology wouldn't just get rich, they would possess a transcendent status.
Even if Shrek Academy couldn't fully master it, as long as they were the first to benefit besides the Axis Cult, it would be enough to maintain their position as the number one academy.
She hadn't expected Elder Mu to ask such a question.
But on second thought, this did fit Elder Mu's style. He was the only one in Shrek with the longest vision and the clearest understanding.
Furina looked up at Elder Mu and confirmed, "Do you really want to hear it?"
As she spoke, she glanced at Yan Shaozhe beside him.
Elder Mu nodded, his tone frank. "Naturally. Let Shaozhe listen here as well; let him learn more. These old bones of mine, even with the support of what you gave me, won't last many more years."
He paused and added, "If it's truly inconvenient, Shaozhe can excuse himself..."
"No need," Furina waved her hand. "Let him listen."
She adjusted her sitting posture, her expression becoming a bit more serious.
"Then I'll speak plainly."
"My view of Shrek is simple—if you don't reform, ten thousand years from now, Shrek will surely face a great catastrophe. If no one steps in to help, Shrek will cease to exist. And that's the most optimistic estimate."
Yan Shaozhe's pupils constricted, and he almost blurted out a rebuttal.
How could Shrek Academy possibly be destroyed?
They had the protection of the Golden Tree! That was a divine object personally planted by the Sea God Tang San. As long as the Master of the Sea Gods Pavilion was connected to the Golden Tree, they were the most invincible existence on the entire continent, capable of contending even if the Beast God Di Tian came.
Ten thousand years from now, how could anything possibly destroy Shrek?
But he held back and did not speak.
Elder Mu did not show any expression of shock; he just quietly looked at Furina, waiting for her to continue.
Furina didn't care about Yan Shaozhe's reaction either, continuing on her own. "Your Shrek, on the surface, is just an academy that doesn't belong to any nation. But you have Shrek City, you have absolute administrative rights over the entire city, and you have your own armed forces. You have the largest number of Titled Douluo on the entire continent, and you can even mobilize some of the experts from the Three Great Empires."
She held up a finger. "Then there's the Shrek Supervision Corps. On the surface, it deals with malicious forces and Evil Soul Masters, but its power is independent of the Three Great Empires, and it can even enforce the law directly while ignoring the laws of the Three Great Empires."
She shrugged. "To put it bluntly, this is a small nation independent of the four great Empires—a nation with power so great it's ridiculous."
"Right now, the Three Great Empires need you to contend with the Sun Moon Empire, and the Sun Moon Empire is also wary of your strength and doesn't dare to act recklessly. Everyone needs each other and checks each other, so things are peaceful."
She paused, looking directly at Elder Mu. "But one day, what if a certain Empire truly unifies the continent? For instance, the Sun Moon Empire... because, in my view, it is the most likely candidate."
"At that time, can Shrek still maintain its independence?"
She tilted her head, her tone carrying a bit of curiosity and a bit of seriousness.
"An independent force with powerful military strength, entrenched in the center of a unified continent. If you were the emperor who unified the continent, could you tolerate such an existence?"
In the center of the Soul Fighting Area, Elder Xuan's lecture had ended, leaving only Elder Xuan and the seven including Huo Yuhao on the field.
Over here, the three sat quietly; no one spoke.
Yan Shaozhe wanted to say something but didn't know what to say. What Furina said indeed made sense; if it were himself, he might not be able to tolerate a power like Shrek existing forever, even if it had the title of the number one academy on the continent and countless honors.
After a long while, Elder Mu finally spoke slowly, his voice somewhat raspy. "...Continue."
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