All the elders tensed and glanced, as one, at Song Yunzhi beside Su Wen's seat.
But the once-fiery Elder Song now sat quietly, eyes closed, resting.
Even Elder Mu was gone. Who would she support now? The future belonged to the younger generation, not them. Some things were simply unstoppable...
Zhuang Elder and Lin Elder near the front sipped their tea or stared off into space.
"Fellow elders, Shrek has long suffered from deep-rooted ills. It's time for change," Su Wen looked around and finally spoke the words he'd bottled up for a decade.
"Pavilion Master, just speak plainly—don't pressure us old bones. Our hearts can't take it," an elder laughed bitterly.
"First: The Academy will no longer require a city lord's recommendation to admit new students. From today on, like Spirit Hall, we will establish branches in all towns and annually tour to help commoners freely awaken their martial spirits." Su Wen nodded, not mincing words.
"What?!"
Chaos erupted.
Only Yan Shaozhe smiled contentedly—he and Su Wen had long discussed this, but years ago Su Wen was barely a Soul Elder...
"Shouldn't we wait for Elder Mu before deciding—"
"Yes, isn't this too sudden?"
"Isn't this copying Spirit Hall? Shrek's legitimacy rests on driving out Spirit Hall, so how are we any different if we adopt their methods?!" a fiery elder slammed the table, glaring at Su Wen.
"Heh." Su Wen smirked.
So he stepped up himself.
Don't blame him for showing no mercy.
"So what? You don't really think Shrek Academy is a moral force on the continent, do you? In my view, it's rotten to the core. Why should Shrek compare itself to Spirit Hall?"
"Whether then or now."
"You—" The elder was stunned. He hadn't expected Su Wen to directly challenge Shrek's own doctrines.
"We aren't a family power. Our roots lie in the individual. 'Academy' should be distinct from 'sect' or 'empire.' Spirit Hall always knew their roots, so they've stayed on the right path."
"But we won in the end!" the elder retorted.
"Without divine intervention, how would Shrek have won?" Su Wen replied indifferently.
"..."
"I disagree!" the old man snorted. "If you want this, you'll have to—"
Crash!
But before he could finish, his chair flew out, and the Golden Ancient Tree's windows opened automatically, throwing him out.
He coughed up blood, slamming into the tree.
"Just as I wanted." Su Wen chuckled.
"Xuan Ji."
"Teach Elder Chen a lesson—until he agrees..."
Roar!
A terrifying, muffled roar came from outside the Golden Tree House.
A huge beast pinned the white-bearded elder down, ruthlessly grinding him into the ground.
Despite his best efforts as a rank 94 Titled Douluo, he was like a toy—completely helpless.
This left the other elders deeply shaken.
Such power... it could rival Di Tian of the Star Dou Great Forest. Su Wen's strength was far beyond their understanding.
Elder Zhuang shook his head and sighed.
Why provoke him?
Wouldn't a peaceful retirement be better?
Su Wen wasn't unreasonable. Everyone could weigh the pros and cons. Those who opposed had their own hidden interests.
Power struggles are always cruel.
Especially when it touches core interests.
Su Wen's swift action was risky, but Elder Zhuang actually admired it—especially since Su Wen himself was of common birth...
"I have no objections," Elder Lin muttered.
"I don't either," Elder Zhuang added.
Song Yunzhi sighed. As a staunch conservative, she could only yield before Su Wen's strength and unstoppable will.
"I... I agree..."
Elder Chen, now covered in blood and thrown back through the window, raised a shaky hand.
"Since everyone agrees, let's proceed with implementation," Su Wen said cheerfully.
"Second: support to the frontlines…"
Sea God Pavilion
Su Wen stood in white robes, gazing out over Sea God Island. This was only the first step.
Shrek Academy's status was awkward. Centuries from now, it would be destroyed by the united forces of two other powers—proving it had always been a thorn in their side.
Today, everyone united because of external threats.
Centuries ago, Shrek became a "savior" by rallying the continent to defeat the Sun-Moon Empire.
But when those outside threats disappeared, destruction awaited Shrek.
"So, change our identity. Become the true master of the continent, as Spirit Hall once did—not the nominally neutral, ever-interfering target of resentment we are now."
Su Wen's gaze sharpened.
"Master, the Holy Angel Palace Lord requests an audience..." Nana appeared silently behind him.
"Holy Angel?" Su Wen was surprised.
"They learned of the Sun-Moon Empire's invasion. Their Palace Lord Qian Lingyun himself leads several titled Douluo to intercept the enemy—and wishes to discuss strategy with you as they pass," Nana explained.
"I see…"
Conference Room
"I've long heard of Pavilion Master's fame—truly remarkable to meet you..."
The white-bearded, kindly elder lavished praise, then inquired about troop numbers Shrek was sending.
"Only me," Su Wen replied after a pause.
"…"
Qian Lingyun's mouth twitched.
He asked carefully, "I heard Elder Mu is fully healed; surely he'll join the fight?"
"No," Su Wen shook his head.
"What about Xuanzi?" Qian Lingyun pressed.
"He's not going."
Qian Lingyun, though saying it was fine, was visibly disappointed.
Su Wen found it amusing.
Clearly, they wanted to join up against Spirit Hall. Old enemies always seized these rare moments of revenge.
But few knew Su Wen's real power—perhaps only Ye Guyi and a handful of others, for most who had seen it... didn't survive.
He turned his attention to the quiet, well-mannered Ye Guyi—the Saint Maiden of Holy Angel Sect.
Her every gesture was elegant and gently pampered...
Clearly, the altered timeline had been good to her.
As Su Wen caught her eye, she curtsied gracefully.
She exuded a holy aura, rather reminiscent of Qian Renxue from millennia past.
—Wait!
Su Wen froze.
Hadn't Qian Renxue already won her way through the resurrection tournament?!
Gasp...
Su Wen shivered, feeling watched. Though she was revived, how to appease her was a big issue—he couldn't keep being "Uncle Su" forever, right?
Oh well, with time, everything could be repaired.
After all, she was a Tier One deity—crucial at critical moments.
"Then, Pavilion Master Su, time is short. The Spirit Hall remnants have already infiltrated the Sun-Moon Empire's Beast Spirit Master Regiment. If we delay further, they'll reach our doorstep," Qian Lingyun said.
"Alright."
Star Luo Empire – Chris Province
War had clouded the province's south. Despite the duke's best efforts, defenses had been breached: spirit master regiments led the charge, Spirit Hall supported, and the Holy Spirit Sect lurked in the rear—growing stronger from devouring the living.
The death authority had long since been patched; evil spirit masters who survived by consuming souls perished in the Sun-Moon Empire.
"A bunch of filthy vermin!" Qian Lingyun raged at the carnage. As a Holy Angel, he cherished compassion—he could not stomach this.
Especially the bodies, drained of blood and now corpses on the battlefield.
"HOLY SANCTIFICATION!"
He shouted.
A radiant light spread forth.
It healed the duke's battered survivors as hundreds of Saint Angels charged to battle.
Ye Guyi shone brightest.
At seventy-three ranks, her twin angel wings cut through the field, swift and powerful—a blade of light among soul engineer regiments, weaving in and out for the kill.
"Not bad." Su Wen nodded.
Compared to her original counterpart, this Ye Guyi's talent and potential had been drawn out fully. An 18-year-old Soul Saint—an absolute prodigy.
Following Qian Lingyun were several reclusive Star Luo sects. The war had swept the whole continent—no one was immune.
Heavenly Soul was faring even worse, with its own internal troubles.
"Ahhhh!"
Screams rang across the battlefield.
The evil spirit masters fell especially hard: one wide-area move from Qian Lingyun left them crippled, then slaughtered by the Saint Angels. Their leader, a black-robed, red-veined man, screamed, "Activate linked defense array! We can't hold out!"
"Useless trash."
The Beast Spirit Master Regiment leader, a brawny, stern-faced man, spat coldly.
But the "allies" were allies, so Wang Yiheng quickly commanded his four hundred elite to activate the array.
Buzz...
A hum—
An invisible shield blocked all attacks from the original-continent's side, Saint Angel domain included.
"Damn!"
Qian Lingyun's pupils shrank.
Nobody expected the Sun-Moon Empire's linked "upgraded" defensive array to actually work.
"Then..."
"Should we retreat?" A rank-eight Spirit Douluo sect master looked at the two beside him.
Qian Lingyun and Su Wen.
The latter, though younger, was Pavilion Master of Sea God Pavilion—a rank surely equal to a titled Douluo.
And Qian Lingyun, of course, was the field's top combatant—a level-98 Super Douluo.
These two were the core.
"Let's withdraw—" (I'll take it from here.)
Qian Lingyun said grimly.
But Su Wen interrupted.
"What?!"
Qian Lingyun was at a loss.
"Leave it to me."
Su Wen smiled.
An entire beast spirit regiment and nearly a hundred elite Spirit Hall members—their linked defense soul tool array could even force back a level-98 Super Douluo.
Impressive.
This array was stronger than Su Wen had expected.
Still, he wanted to test it himself—
To see how powerful it really was.
"Tsk..." Even as Qian Lingyun wondered whether to intervene—
Su Wen appeared before the massive energy barrier.
He reached out, lightly brushing its surface.
It looked delicate, but was incredibly tough.
He gauged its strength.
His arm slowly drew back, fingertips still touching the shield, then tensed—fist clenched and thrust forward.
At the same time, his golden left arm activated.
All of Xuan Ji's upgrades erupted.
寸掌—Inch Palm.
It seemed an ordinary strike——
Yet unleashed a storm.
Crack!
Crack!
Web-like fractures spread across the energy field.
Countless Sun-Moon Empire soul engineers behind the shield vomited blood, bodies driven back by the shock.
The configuration shattered, piece by piece.
Like a great machine breaking down, it shrieked as it failed.
"This..."
Qian Lingyun stared, wide-eyed.
"What the hell?!"