Leng Yaozhu leaned back slightly, leaning against the wide back of the chair in a relaxed yet imposing posture, with her arms crossed over her chest.
Her red lips curled slightly as she looked directly at Ya Li: "The things you just mentioned... resources, secret techniques, Spirit Bones."
She shook her head gently: "Our Spirit Pagoda lacks none of those."
At these words, the string in Ya Li's heart tightened even further.
As expected, material compensation alone was not enough. Leng Yaozhu's visit this time was definitely for something else, and it was no small matter.
She took a deep breath, maintaining her gentle and calm demeanor: "In that case, Yaozhu, why don't you state your requirements directly? As long as they are within a reasonable range, Shrek is willing to consider them."
Leng Yaozhu's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly: "If I make a request... can you agree? Can you, a single person, make the decisions for Shrek?"
Ya Li met her gaze and nodded: "I am here with full authority to handle this matter."
"Even if there are areas beyond my authority, I can immediately send word back to the Sea God Pavilion and request a decision from the Elders."
"Good!"
Leng Yaozhu raised her right hand and slapped it neither too hard nor too soft on the smooth tabletop, making a crisp sound.
She leaned forward, her eyes like torches, no longer showing any hint of a joke as she directly threw out her conditions.
"I want five slots each for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and Devil Island!"
"This will serve as compensation for Shrek's improper behavior and the harm and alarm caused to these children!"
Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well! Devil Island!
Hearing these two names from Leng Yaozhu's mouth, even Ya Li, who was prepared, couldn't help but have a flash of shock in her emerald-green eyes.
She never expected Leng Yaozhu to have such extravagant demands.
Ya Li's expression changed slightly, and she immediately said: "Yaozhu, you should know how precious the slots for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and Devil Island are!"
"Those are opportunities prepared by the Academy to cultivate true pillars of strength, for the successive generations of the Shrek Seven Devils and a very small number of Core Disciples who have made great contributions!"
Leng Yaozhu looked at her leisurely, an "of course I know" expression on her face."These are my conditions; there's no room for negotiation."
"You, Shrek, can choose not to agree."
"Then, I would be happy to make public everything that happened yesterday in the lobby of the Tianhai Hotel, letting all the Spirit Masters of the continent and the people of the world judge for themselves."
"Let them see what your Shrek Academy... is really like!"
Ya Li's expression became completely solemn. Having her weakness seized, she could only choose to settle the matter peacefully now.
However, the slots for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and Devil Island involved too much; it was indeed far beyond what she could decide alone.
She was silent for a moment, the expression in her eyes changing with complexity.
Finally, she slowly exhaled and looked at Leng Yaozhu: "This matter is of great importance. I need to... consult the Sea God Pavilion."
Leng Yaozhu seemed to have expected this and raised her hand indifferently: "Go ahead, I'll wait here."
After a good while, Ya Li pushed the door open and entered again.
She returned to her seat, looked at Leng Yaozhu across from her, took a deep breath, and spoke slowly: "Your conditions, Shrek Academy... can agree to them."
Hearing this, a smug curve couldn't help but curl up at the corner of Leng Yaozhu's mouth.
This result was not beyond her expectations.
Faced with the risk of Shrek's reputation being damaged and the risk of offending the Spirit Pagoda, even such core resources had to be conceded.
However, Ya Li was not finished.
She immediately followed up with Shrek's requirement: "However, we also have a requirement. The five Students of Class Zero must formally join Shrek Academy and become a part of it."
"For those who are not Students of Shrek Academy to enjoy opportunities that only the most Core Disciples can touch... the Academy truly cannot account for such an exception to past generations of Students."
"Only if they become a part of the Academy will all this compensation be justifiable and able to silence any public criticism."
After listening, Leng Yaozhu nodded in understanding; this requirement was also within her expectations.
"Deal."
She agreed readily, but there were also conditions.
"However, Yuhao and Gu Yue will not enter the Inner Court."
"As for Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan, whether they choose to enter the Inner Court is for them to decide; Shrek must not forcibly interfere."
"Furthermore, even if they are to enroll in Shrek, it won't be now, but when they turn twelve."
"No problem!"
Ya Li agreed just as decisively this time.
The most important thing right now was to reach an agreement and settle the matter.
Just as this negotiation involving two major powers was about to be finalized, Huo Yuhao, who had been sitting quietly behind Leng Yaozhu, stood up without warning.
He looked calmly at Ya Li across from him and said: "Aunt Ya Li, I... have two more conditions."
Swish...
All eyes in the conference room instantly focused on the young man who had stood up.
A flash of surprise crossed Leng Yaozhu's eyes, but she did not speak to interrupt.
Ya Li was slightly startled; she looked at Huo Yuhao seriously and nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.
Having received permission, Huo Yuhao no longer hesitated and stated his first condition.
"I hope that within the next five years, Shrek Academy can add some extra enrollment slots for the Tianhai Alliance."
A flash of confusion appeared in Ya Li's eyes as she asked: "Yuhao, all five of you can enter Shrek Academy without an exam; you don't need slots."
"I know." Huo Yuhao nodded: "These slots aren't being requested for ourselves."
"Back then, to facilitate the match with the Shrek Team, we... could be said to have 'caused a scene' at the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition."
"No matter what the original intention was, it ultimately caused quite a stir."
"These extra enrollment slots... can be considered a bit of compensation within our power for the Tianhai Alliance."
Hearing this, not only did a brilliant glint flash in Ya Li's eyes, but even Leng Yaozhu raised her eyebrows slightly, the look of appreciation in her eyes for Huo Yuhao growing stronger.
This child was not only exceptionally talented but also so meticulous and thoughtful; everyone likes someone who knows how to be grateful.
Ya Li thought for a moment and immediately agreed: "Agreed. Starting from next year for five consecutive years, Shrek Academy will add twenty extra enrollment slots for the Tianhai Alliance annually."
As the fully authorized representative for this negotiation, she had the authority to make this decision directly.
"Thank you, Aunt Ya Li."
Huo Yuhao thanked her politely and calmly stated his second condition.
"The other condition is that I hope the Silver Moon Douluo can personally apologize to the six of us, the teachers and Students of Class Zero, for yesterday's events... a solemn apology."
"Yuhao!"
Wu Changkong's low voice rang out. Cai Yue'er's actions yesterday were indeed extremely malicious, but she was, after all, a Rank 96 Super Douluo with a high status; her dignity was more important to her than her life.
With her personality, making her bow and admit her mistake to a group of juniors in public was no different from completely crushing her pride; it would likely be harder for her to accept than being killed.
Wu Changkong was worried that this request might instead intensify the conflict or even lead to more covert retaliation from Cai Yue'er in the future.
However, to his surprise, after a brief silence, Ya Li actually agreed without the slightest hesitation.
"No problem."
"If one has done something wrong, they should naturally apologize. This principle holds true regardless of status."
At this point, no one raised any new objections.
This negotiation, full of twists and turns and involving two major powers, finally came to a close at this moment.
As everyone stood up and filed out of the solemn conference room, the Shrek group was waiting silently outside.
Leading them was none other than the arrogant Silver Moon Douluo from yesterday, Cai Yue'er.
She stood there, her back ramrod straight, yet with a stiff stubbornness.
Her gaze was fixed firmly on Huo Yuhao, the surging hatred, humiliation, and resentment within it almost solidifying, as if she wanted to swallow the young man before her alive!
"Yue'er!"
Ya Li's voice rang out just in time, no longer gentle, but with an unprecedented seriousness.
Hearing the voice, Cai Yue'er couldn't help but tremble violently.
She clenched her teeth tightly, her cheek muscles twitching slightly, and the fingernails of her clenched fists were nearly digging into her palms.
The silence was like a bowstring on the verge of snapping.
Finally, under Ya Li's calm gaze, Cai Yue'er very slowly bent her proud spine toward Huo Yuhao and the Class Zero teachers and Students behind him.
"I... am... sorry."
The three words were squeezed out from between her teeth one by one, her voice hoarse and dry, as if she had exhausted all her strength.
"In this matter... I... was wrong."
After finishing this complete sentence, she suddenly straightened up, without even looking at anyone, and turned to leave.
Watching the direction she disappeared in, Huo Yuhao's expression remained calm.
Being able to force a Titled Douluo to lower her head in public, even if the apology was as dry as withered wood and completely devoid of sincerity, was enough.
He hadn't expected to get a heartfelt repentance from Cai Yue'er; what he wanted... was this posture of "bowing her head."
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A/N: The DD-3 arc is ending and Yuhao goes back to Peerless Tang Sect era and joins Shrek. Anyway this is the original author's reason for him entering Shrek.
"Regarding the Explanation for Entering Shrek Academy:
First, Ya Li's main purpose in coming to negotiate was to mitigate the impact of the academy team's defeat. By getting Huo Yuhao and the others to join the academy and then publicizing it, the whole incident would be downplayed.
Moreover, as mentioned in the text, the spots for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well are precious. The academy only grants them to the key geniuses they focus on cultivating each generation. If they suddenly gave them to outsiders, the academy's students would have objections.
Therefore, Ya Li had to demand that Huo Yuhao and the others enter Shrek Academy, even if only nominally.
Furthermore, Leng Yaozhu has already clearly stated that Gu Yue and Huo Yuhao will only study in the Outer Court for a few years and will not enter the Inner Court to become true members of Shrek.
Also, Huo Yuhao entering Shrek won't be brainwashed as everyone says; he's going to 'clean up the workplace'.
In Douluo Continent Books 2, 3, and 4, Shrek Academy is a key part of the narrative. When reading fanfiction, most people probably prefer plots related to the main storyline, exploring how to change the unresolved grievances from the original work.
It's not that I can't write without going to Shrek Academy, but rather that the original plots I create might not be to everyone's liking.
Returning to Douluo Dalu book two, compared to Book Three, Book Two has more Shrek-related plot, with almost the entire early part taking place at Shrek.
In Book Two, Huo Yuhao entering Shrek also cannot be brainwashed. Having been raised by Leng Yaozhu since childhood with his mother still alive, he is naturally not that love-starved Huo Yuhao anymore. He won't wear his heart on his sleeve just because someone is a little nice to him; he has his own judgment and understanding.
Moreover, if he doesn't go to Shrek, how can I write about taking revenge on Dai Huabin or those satisfying moments with Xuan Zi in the early stages?Some readers also say there's no need to suffer on Devil Island. With Electrolux in Old Huo's Spiritual Sea, he naturally won't be 'messed with' on Devil Island.
Also, let me mention a future plot point here in advance: In Book Three, the God Realm disappears. To become a god, aside from seizing the Golden Dragon King's Bloodline, the only option is to create a God Position oneself.
But creating a God Position is not easy. So, my setting is that Old Huo obtains a fragment of the God of Destruction's Divine Artifact on Devil Island. Later, when he returns to Book Two, the God of Destruction senses it. The subsequent plot should be quite interesting.
Finally, the Old Huo in this book is not a transmigrator; he's a native. Reshaping his worldview takes a process, and he doesn't have an omniscient perspective—there are many things he doesn't know. I hope everyone can be more understanding and see how things are handled later. Rest assured, he won't be licking Shrek or Tang San's boots."
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.