The air in the office felt oppressively heavy. Sunlight was blocked by thick curtains, leaving only dim shadows throughout the room.
Yan Shaozhe sat behind his massive desk, his fingertips rhythmically tapping against the list before him. Each tap seemed to strike directly at Du Weilun's heart.
"Weilun, remember one thing."
Yan Shaozhe slowly raised his head. The gentleness that usually filled his eyes had been replaced by a chilling coldness.
"Shrek's glory does not allow anyone to trample on it."
"Even if that person was once one of us. Since he chose to stand on the opposite side, he is no longer a lost child—he is a heretic who threatens the academy's ten-thousand-year foundation."
His voice remained calm, but the meaning behind his words was icy.
"Anyone who cannot be used by us must be eliminated. This is not merely for our current reputation, but for the stability of the next thousand years."
Yan Shaozhe's stance was crystal clear.
Among Shrek Academy's upper echelon, there were elders like Mu En who possessed broad minds and had long transcended worldly concerns. However, there were also many like Yan Shaozhe and Xuan Zi, who regarded Shrek's glory as an unquestionable truth.
In their eyes, Shrek was always right. Even when it was wrong, it was still for the sake of justice.
Liu Yuan's rise and counterattack had publicly humiliated Shrek before the entire continent. It was something Yan Shaozhe simply could not tolerate.
Otherwise, under their leadership, Shrek would never have become increasingly arrogant and rigid over the years.
Standing before the desk, Du Weilun felt deeply uneasy.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he carefully said,
"Dean, your plan is certainly thorough. However... I do have one concern."
"At present, Liu Yuan's status within the Sun Moon Empire is extraordinary. According to reports from our informants in Bright Capital, he has already been granted the title of Duke."
"If we insist on naming him as the exchange 'hostage,' what if the Sun Moon Royal Academy refuses?"
"Refuses?"
Yan Shaozhe sneered and leaned back in his chair.
"They won't."
"Weilun, you're underestimating the influence Shrek has accumulated over thousands of years."
"Although we lost the Soul Master Tournament this time due to negligence, everyone on the continent still knows that Shrek's foundation remains unmatched."
A trace of arrogance flashed in his eyes.
"What does the Sun Moon Empire rely on? Soul tools. External objects."
"When it comes to nurturing Spirit Masters, they still fall short."
"And Liu Yuan's current achievements ultimately stem from the education he received at Shrek."
"A towering building rises from its foundation. Without the groundwork laid by Shrek, how could he have grown so quickly?"
After a brief pause, he continued confidently:
"They're eager to come to Shrek because they want to learn our methods of cultivating Spirit Masters."
"As long as we leverage that desire and threaten to suspend the exchange program, Jing Hongchen will have no choice but to send Liu Yuan over, no matter how unwilling he may be."
Du Weilun opened his mouth but said nothing.
In truth, he wanted to point out that Liu Yuan's growth had little to do with Shrek.
Moreover, after displaying strength capable of crushing opponents far above his level in front of the entire continent, Liu Yuan had already become an existence beyond ordinary genius.
That kind of power could not be explained by Shrek's so-called foundational education.
More importantly, the Sun Moon Empire had just won the tournament and was currently enjoying unprecedented momentum.
Would they really continue to seek Shrek's guidance as humbly as before?
Unfortunately, seeing Yan Shaozhe's unquestionable expression, Du Weilun ultimately swallowed those words.
As a subordinate, he understood Yan Shaozhe's personality far too well.
Once a decision was made, any opposition would be regarded as disloyalty to the academy.
"Understood, Dean. I'll proceed according to your instructions."
Du Weilun bowed slightly and left the office.
As he walked out, an inexplicable sense of unease lingered in his heart.
He had a feeling that this time, Yan Shaozhe might truly be overestimating himself.
---
Several days later.
Sun Moon Empire.
Bright Capital.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Dean's Office.
Bang!
A loud slap echoed through the room.
Jing Hongchen slammed the official letter from Shrek onto his desk so hard that a clear handprint was left on the rare metal surface.
"Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!"
He laughed out of sheer anger while pacing furiously around the room, his face filled with mockery and rage.
"Yan Shaozhe, are you truly senile, or do you take everyone else in the world for fools?"
Picking up the letter, he waved it furiously in the air.
"Demanding that Liu Yuan participate in the exchange program?"
"Even claiming he's a talented student who wandered away from Shrek?"
"Bah!"
"Who was it that drove him out in the first place?"
"Now that he's become a Duke of our empire and an unprecedented genius, you think you can take him back with a few empty words?"
The more Jing Hongchen read, the angrier he became.
A cold light flickered in his eyes.
Any remaining courtesy he had been willing to extend to Shrek completely vanished.
What was Liu Yuan's status now?
He was a Duke of the Sun Moon Empire.
The pride of the Sun Moon Royal Academy.
The most valued junior in Jing Hongchen's eyes.
And now Shrek wanted him sent over as a so-called hostage?
Wasn't that equivalent to sending a sheep directly into a tiger's den?
Given Yan Shaozhe's character, if Liu Yuan actually went to Shrek, he might disappear the very next day due to some convenient "accident."
"Elder Lin, listen to this. This is the true face of the so-called Number One Academy on the Continent."
Jing Hongchen turned toward an elder who had emerged from behind a screen.
The Titled Douluo elder was equally furious.
"Dean, this is no longer an exchange."
"This is blatant provocation and humiliation."
"Do they really think we're some subordinate branch they can manipulate at will?"
"Hmph."
Jing Hongchen snorted coldly.
"Do they think we still care about those exchange slots?"
He strode to his desk, spread out a sheet of special stationery, and began writing a reply with vigorous strokes.
"If Shrek Academy believes we're unworthy of an exchange and insists that the program cannot proceed without Liu Yuan, then so be it!"
A cold smile spread across his face.
"Refusing to provide exchange slots?"
"I'm not even interested anymore!"
"From this day forward, all exchange activities between the Sun Moon Royal Academy and Shrek Academy are canceled!"
As he wrote, his voice grew colder and colder.
"Tell Yan Shaozhe that Liu Yuan is a Duke of the Sun Moon Empire—not some servant belonging to Shrek."
"If they want him so badly, they can bring their Titled Douluo experts to Bright Capital and try taking him by force."
"Let's see whether our empire's Class 9 Soul Tool Batteries can blast them into dust!"
After finishing the letter, Jing Hongchen forcefully stamped it with his personal seal.
"Send this back exactly as written."
He handed the letter to his secretary.
Then he added firmly:
"And issue an academy-wide announcement."
"Starting today, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy will indefinitely suspend all academic and practical exchange programs with Shrek Academy."
"We have no interest in associating with them."