"I'll be—"
On the other end of the communication spirit tool, Xuan Zi nearly exploded with a curse.
The roar was so loud that Yan Shaozhe instinctively pulled the device slightly away from his ear. Even so, he could still imagine the man's frantic expression without even seeing it.
"It's over… it's completely over!"
Xuan Zi's voice was chaotic, filled with regret and panic.
"Shaozhe, you don't understand! When I expelled him back then… who could've known that little bastard was hiding this kind of strength?! If I had known, I would've been worshipping him like an ancestor!"
"Now look at this! Even Elder Mu knows about it—and he's furious during the Sea God's Pavilion meeting!"
"Oh heavens! How am I supposed to go back now?!"
Just thinking about Mu En's gloomy expression made Xuan Zi's legs weak.
A Level 98 Super Douluo, the famous Gluttonous Douluo of the continent—yet in front of Mu En, he had always been the one getting reprimanded like a junior.
"Shaozhe, my good brother! We've been friends for so many years!"
Xuan Zi's tone suddenly turned pleading.
"You have to help me! You're the one Elder Mu listens to! Can you… can you plead for me? Just say I realize my mistake, that I'm reflecting on it—anything to calm him down!"
Hearing this, Yan Shaozhe felt a headache coming on and rubbed his temples.
"Elder Xuan, you're making this too difficult."
"At a time like this, who would dare to speak up in front of Elder Mu? That's just asking for trouble."
"And to be honest… it's useless."
His tone turned more serious.
"You have to save yourself."
Xuan Zi immediately tensed up.
"Save myself? How?!"
Yan Shaozhe lowered his voice slightly.
"The key is this tournament."
"The better Liu Yuan performs, the angrier Elder Mu becomes. If Shrek's team ends up losing to the Sun Moon Team… losing to Liu Yuan personally…"
"Then the old and new grudges together…"
Yan Shaozhe didn't finish the sentence.
But the implication was clear.
If that happened, Xuan Zi wouldn't just be punished—he wouldn't even have the face to stay in Shrek anymore.
"Hiss—"
A sharp intake of cold air came through the communication device.
Yan Shaozhe could almost picture Xuan Zi's face going pale.
If it really came to that…
He might as well find a wall and knock himself into it.
"No! Absolutely not!" Xuan Zi gritted his teeth. "We cannot lose this tournament! Even if I risk my life, Shrek must win the championship!"
"Winning alone isn't enough," Yan Shaozhe said slowly.
"There's another way. Not only can you avoid punishment—you might even turn this disaster into merit."
"What way?!" Xuan Zi's voice instantly sharpened.
Yan Shaozhe looked around cautiously before speaking.
"The root of Elder Mu's anger… is regret."
"A genius like Liu Yuan is a once-in-a-century talent. Elder Mu values talent above all else. But now, that genius was originally from Shrek… and you personally pushed him away."
"How could Elder Mu not be furious?"
"But…"
Yan Shaozhe's tone shifted slightly.
"What if… you brought him back?"
"…What?!"
Xuan Zi froze, then immediately laughed bitterly.
"Are you insane? Bring him back? Impossible!"
"I already sent Dai Yueheng before the tournament to recruit him!"
"The conditions weren't bad either—but he rejected them outright!"
"That path is completely blocked!"
"You're wrong about that," Yan Shaozhe said calmly.
"There are no permanent enemies. Only permanent interests."
"He refused for two reasons."
He raised a finger.
"First—the offer wasn't enough."
"For an ordinary genius, your conditions were generous. But for someone like Liu Yuan? Far from enough."
"You've seen his performance. He's already beyond what Ma Xiaotao was at his age."
"A monster like that is priceless."
"So increase the offer. Double it. Ten times if needed."
"Spirit bones, rare treasures, Sea God's Pavilion privileges—everything is negotiable."
"As long as he returns, any cost is worth it."
Xuan Zi went silent for a moment.
It hurt—but it made sense.
If Liu Yuan could be brought back, it wouldn't just be redemption—it would be a massive achievement.
"Then… the second reason?" he asked.
Yan Shaozhe paused.
"That's the difficult part."
"It's pride."
"Think about it. Back when he was in the Outer Court, he was nothing. And you, a Sea God's Pavilion Elder, personally expelled him without hesitation."
"That humiliation… no young genius would forget it easily."
He sighed.
"The one who tied the knot must be the one to untie it."
"That knot is with you."
His voice became serious.
"You need to go personally."
"Apologize."
The other end went completely silent.
Yan Shaozhe continued:
"Lower your status. Admit you were wrong. Say you misjudged him."
"Then place overwhelming rewards in front of him."
"Respect + compensation + sincerity."
"That's the only chance."
"He may still have resentment—but Shrek's name still carries weight. It's the strongest academy on the continent."
"If he can let go even a little…"
Yan Shaozhe concluded softly:
"Then this crisis becomes your merit instead of your disaster."