A moment later, the Spirit Transfer Pagoda members arrived at the spot where Shrek Academy had just left.
A female team member crossed her hands, and a faint green Spirit light continuously emerged from her body; the Qingyu Illusory Eagle was released by her.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
The sound of rushing wind echoed, and seven figures were seen speeding from a distance; their uniforms were identical, and their aura was no weaker than that of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda members.
Before long, seven powerful War God Hall contestants collided with the Spirit Transfer Pagoda team, staring at each other from about twenty meters apart.
Qiangu Zhangting stepped forward, his tone devoid of arrogance: "Everyone, in this melee, the top three teams are undoubtedly you, me, and Shrek Academy. How about we cooperate and take out Shrek first?"
Upon hearing this, the War God Hall members exchanged glances. The young man leading them glanced at the female member controlling the Qingyu Illusory Eagle and said thoughtfully, "You were specifically waiting for us here?"
"That's right." Qiangu Zhangting was somewhat surprised but did not deny it.
Ye Wujiu's expression was slightly pensive: "Do you know where Shrek Academy went?"
Qiangu Zhangting understood immediately upon hearing this. He smiled and said, "I know."
Ye Wujiu decisively said, "Alright, let's deal with Shrek Academy first, and then we'll each rely on our own abilities."
Qiangu Zhangting nodded, then looked at the female team member: "Yun Qing, lead the way."
Yun Qing opened her eyes: "Follow me!"
The cooperation between the two teams, preparing to eliminate Shrek Academy, immediately sparked endless discussion outside the arena.
Some people believed this was unfair.
Others argued that since the rules did not restrict teams from cooperating, then it was not a violation, and Shrek Academy could only blame their poor relationship with these two factions.
Regardless of the discussions, the Shrek Academy leaders watching the live broadcast on TV at that moment clearly showed worried expressions.
Only Long Yueming remained calm, even displaying a hint of disdain.
Those elixirs were enough to boost the team members' combat power by a major stage, and the side effects would only appear the next day at the earliest, enough to last through this melee.
In a dense forest in Sun Moon Canyon, the entire Shrek Academy team temporarily stopped, and after finding a hiding place, they immediately began to recover.
Yu Han霜, as the captain, was competent; he arranged for a plant-type Spirit Master in the team to set up several alarms inside and outside the forest.
As long as outsiders stepped in, it would immediately alert them to impending danger and allow them to prepare for battle more quickly.
At that moment, outside the forest, a group of people stopped.
Qiangu Zhangting and Ye Wujiu, the two captains, stared at the dense forest.
Ye Wujiu: "Unless they're fools, the captain of Shrek Academy will definitely set up alarms inside and outside the forest. We can't just charge straight in."
Qiangu Zhangting: "What are your thoughts?"
Ye Wujiu said in a deep voice: "Find a suitable location for an ambush. Have your team member monitor from the air. As long as we can determine their direction of departure, we can go ahead and set up an ambush."
Qiangu Zhangting narrowed his eyes. This did not align with his original intention of directly rushing into the forest to gang up on Shrek Academy.
Compared to his idea, Ye Wujiu's idea was indeed better.
Qiangu Zhangting was the Crown Prince of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, not the Crown Prince of the War God Hall. After a moment of silence, he agreed.
In the sky, the Qingyu Illusory Eagle circled the forest, its sharp eagle eyes fixed intently on the ground below.
About half an hour later, there was finally movement within the forest.
Yun Qing, who was controlling from behind a distant hill, noticed it immediately, but she did not report the situation right away; instead, she continued to observe.
As expected, the initial movement in the forest was just a test; the figure that emerged from the forest was clearly some kind of soul spirit.
The soul spirit was a humanoid species, even having illusory clothes and pants. If one didn't look carefully, it was indeed easy to mistake it.
After rushing out of the forest for several hundred meters, it reached the limit of its host's control range and then shrank into a ray of light, returning.
Ten-odd seconds later, the seven contestants from Shrek Academy truly emerged from the forest, cautiously moving south.
Yun Qing reported the situation.
The two captains immediately led their team members into action, and with the help of the Qingyu Illusory Eagle in the air, they set up an ambush in advance on both sides of a deep valley where Shrek Academy members were most likely to pass.
They were getting closer and closer.
It had been seven or eight minutes since they left the forest, and even with prior reconnaissance, they hadn't encountered any danger. Even though Yu Han霜 had instructed his team members to proceed cautiously, oversights were inevitable, and their mindset had clearly relaxed a bit.
The audience watching the live broadcast, seeing Shrek Academy heading towards the valley, became tense, regardless of whether they liked or disliked Shrek Academy.
The valley was quiet, with lush green grass, and a gentle breeze blew from the other side of the valley, its cool touch soothing the vigilance in people's hearts.
Yu Han霜 walked at the forefront, trying to analyze: "Before the sky curtain disappeared, both the Spirit Transfer Pagoda and the War God Hall rushed in our direction. They will definitely meet, and they will definitely team up to deal with us. Next…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Yu Han霜's pupils suddenly contracted, and as Spirit light bloomed, seven spirit rings rapidly ascended. A powerful aura spread like wind.
"Enemy attack!"
Within the valley, a suddenly heightened voice echoed.
Suddenly, the quick-reacting Shrek team members also swiftly summoned their spirit rings.
Above the valley, the War God Hall members, led by Ye Wujiu, occupied the high ground, looking down with cold eyes.
"War God Hall!"
Yu Han霜's eyes were cold, his voice like biting ice, "You wouldn't come alone. The Spirit Transfer Pagoda…"
Roar~
Without giving Yu Han霜 a chance to finish his sentence, in an instant, a dense white light appeared. Behind the Shrek team, the greatly enlarged Coiling Dragon Rod, covered in ferocious dragon patterns, violently smashed down. The entire valley echoed with the furious roar of the Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul.
Yu Han霜's expression darkened; the last thing he wanted to see had happened.
But he had clearly had someone scout the vicinity beforehand, so how could they still be ambushed?
"Roar."
A low dragon roar also sounded. Within the valley, a howling cold current descended like winter, freezing everything in sight.
Ice crystals condensed, and a transparent ice dragon, enveloped in wind and snow, emerged. Its bone-chilling dragon claws suddenly extended, colliding fiercely with the massive Coiling Dragon Rod!
Bang!
Icy white and fiery white merged, and a violent spirit power shockwave swept out. The already frozen rock walls on both sides of the valley cracked inch by inch, and countless ice shards poured down like heavy rain!
"Attack!"
Qiangu Zhangting's expression was not good as he saw that his single strike only resulted in a draw with Yu Han霜.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
In an instant, the other team members ambushing above the valley each unleashed their Spirit Abilities, intending to completely crush Shrek Academy within the valley.
"Ma Xue!"
Blazing flames erupted, enveloping Yan Rong's body. Her expression was indifferent as her gaze locked onto Ma Xue, who had a phoenix light projection appearing behind her.
Ma Xue didn't waste any words. Accompanied by a clear phoenix cry, countless scorching light flames condensed in the sky.
"Phoenix Meteor Shower!"
Like a storm, countless crimson meteorites rained down on Yan Rong. The terrifying high temperature continuously distorted the air.
A lion's roar reverberated as Yan Rong, with her Spirit possessed, endured the bombardment of the Phoenix Meteor Shower and bravely leaped into mid-air, ready to fight Ma Xue to the death.
For a time, the sounds of battle echoed continuously within the valley.
Ye Wujiu was quite cunning and did not let his team members follow up immediately. He waited until Qiangu Zhangting realized something was wrong and, after a dissatisfied scolding, he then chuckled and gave the attack order.
The War God Hall team members immediately attacked, completely breaking the previously somewhat balanced situation.
Like Xu Junlan and the others, this batch of War God Hall team members were all elites who had fought against Abyssal Creatures. Most of them might find it difficult to become War Gods in the future, but becoming reserve War Gods was definitely not a problem.
The Shrek team members, with two fists against four hands, were clearly starting to be suppressed.
Yu Han霜 alone bore the combined attacks of Qiangu Zhangting and Ye Wujiu. In just a few exchanges, wounds appeared on his body.
Ye Wujiu's Spirit was the Nether Shadow Blade, and his attack methods were exceptionally strange and tricky.
If it were a one-on-one, Yu Han霜 would naturally not be afraid, but with the Coiling Dragon Rod under the Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul, Qiangu Zhangting's offensive was incredibly fierce, making it difficult for him to manage both simultaneously.
Outside, Long Yueming's expression grew unsightly.
Eat them?
Why aren't they eating them?
Seeing her students being suppressed, Long Yueming grew anxious.
"Captain."
Suppressed into a circle with a diameter of less than twenty meters, Yan Rong and the others' spirit rings were almost stacked together, and the situation had reached its most critical moment.
Yu Han霜 scanned his teammates' solemn and anxious faces; he was extremely reluctant to take the pill, but... Shrek Academy could no longer afford to lose.
After he withstood another round of attacks from the Coiling Dragon Rod and the Nether Shadow Blade, new injuries were added to his body, and the pain stimulated his soul. His eyes burst with determination, and his spirit power transmitted a message:
"Eat!"
As his voice fell, Yu Han霜 completely erupted, unleashing his seventh Spirit Ability and simultaneously summoning his battle armor.
In an instant, an ice-white cold current, surging like a tsunami, enveloped the valley, obscuring the satellite's low-altitude image capture.
And within the hazy cold current, Yu Han霜 quietly summoned the blood-colored pill from his storage ring and swallowed it with resolute determination.
At the same time, the other Shrek team members also took advantage of the cover to swallow theirs.
Thump!
The moment they swallowed, an intensely hot current surged wildly through their limbs and bones, as if immense energy was injected into their bodies, forcibly expanding the quality of their spirit power and the strength of their meridians.
However, after consumption, their appearance showed no changes, which made it easier to conceal.
"Ice Dragon True Body!"
Sharp ice crystal dragon claws tore through the cold current, and the massive ice dragon almost filled the shattered valley. As its dragon wings spread, terrifyingly sharp, knife-like frozen air diffused outwards.
Both the War God Hall and the Spirit Transfer Pagoda chose to continue their relentless pursuit, with their battle armors attaching one after another.
However, as both forces prepared to end the battle as quickly as possible, an anomaly occurred.
The frozen air seemed not much different from before, but when Qiangu Zhangting's Coiling Dragon Rod and Ye Wujiu's Nether Shadow Blade came into contact with it...
A scene that startled them both appeared: their Spirits, which were originally largely immune to freezing under spirit power enhancement, actually became covered with a layer of frost.
The bone-chilling frozen air also began to erode towards their bodies through their Spirits, and they could feel the deep, marrow-piercing coldness even through their battle armors, as if a person had fallen into the deepest part of the extreme north.
Even if the battle armor could provide obstruction, the spirit power consumed would definitely increase several times over.
"What's going on?"
Qiangu Zhangting and Ye Wujiu's expressions changed simultaneously.
"Get lost!"
A roar echoed!
Ma Xue and a War God Hall team member teamed up against Yan Rong, but when Yan Rong counterattacked, the blazing fire waves erupting from her body had strangely increased in intensity to a level where even their combined efforts could only barely withstand it.
The situation for the others was much the same; it was as if the Shrek Academy members' strength had suddenly surged in an instant.
"Retreat!" Qiangu Zhangting and Ye Wujiu issued orders simultaneously.
The group, who were being suppressed in a two-on-one situation, immediately dispersed.
Everyone's face showed a bewildered expression.
How did their opponents suddenly become so fierce, like they had eaten Popeye's spinach?
Whoosh!
However, the Shrek students seemed to have no intention of letting go of this opportunity, counterattacking with cold expressions.
Even in a one-on-two situation, they remained steady.
As the cold current dissipated, the low-altitude satellite once again broadcast the scene to millions of households.
Like the contestants from the War God Hall and the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, the audience was also dumbfounded.
Just moments ago, the Shrek students were clearly being beaten, but now they were actually beating their opponents in return.
No, it was only a dozen seconds apart, how could the change be so great?
Are Shrek Academy's support system Spirit Masters really that amazing?
Bang!
A muffled sound startled everyone.
A scene that made Ye Wujiu's eyelids twitch appeared: Qiangu Zhangting, with his battle armor attached, roared and tried to smash the Ice Dragon with a rod, but the Ice Dragon simply swept its tail like an ice blade, and the dignified Spirit Transfer Pagoda Crown Prince was slammed away like a golf ball, deeply embedded in the mountain wall.
"Titled Douluo!"
Feeling the astonishing aura permeating the air, Ye Wujiu's expression completely froze.
Yu Han霜's original cultivation was that of a Spirit Saint, and with the two-word battle armor's enhancement, he had essentially reached the peak of a Spirit Douluo. But at this moment, his aura's intensity was definitely not something a Spirit Douluo could match.
Outside.
Seeing Qiangu Zhangting being sent flying, Qiangu Dongfeng, who had originally been calm, suddenly changed his expression and stood up abruptly.
His eyes widened in anger, and he was about to curse out the words "cheating." Suddenly, a scene that made Qiangu Dongfeng and the hundreds of millions of viewers watching the live broadcast widen their eyes appeared.
Just as the Shrek students in the valley turned from prey into hunters and launched a furious counterattack, a terrifying hum sounded.
It was as if something had pierced the sky; the sky suddenly twisted and sank. The next moment, a long spear radiating milky white light pierced through space and landed forcefully in the valley.
A light that froze space instantly spread, and silently, the three parties engaged in fierce battle all seemed to have been put on pause, their figures frozen in place.
"What's going on?" The audience looked surprised.
However, the powerhouses from various forces watching the live broadcast were greatly alarmed.
Space stagnation, Spear God!
Bang!
Beside Ye Wujiu's frozen figure, space shattered, and a figure in a simple white robe walked out from within. He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression extremely gloomy.
Far away in front of the television, Long Yueming, who was enjoying watching the students' counterattack, suddenly felt a pang of panic in her heart, comforting herself:
"As long as the Blood Soul Pill is swallowed, it will immediately integrate with the body. Even if Ya Li were here, she wouldn't be able to spot the problem."
Guan Yue remotely grabbed the Heaven-Overturning Divine Spear, and as milky white light flowed, the space stagnation ended, and all those trapped within regained their mobility.
The Ice Dragon, transformed by Yu Han霜, apparently didn't know what had happened. After sending Qiangu Zhangting flying with its tail, it was about to slap Ye Wujiu with its palm, but the dragon claw did not fall. In mid-air, faint spatial ripples stopped it.
Yu Han霜's dragon eyes looked over in confusion, meeting Guan Yue's gloomy face, and his massive dragon body suddenly trembled.
"I am very disappointed!"
With Guan Yue's simple words, the valley space suddenly sank, and the terrifying pressure made the other fighting contestants gasp for breath. Their spirit power was suppressed back into their bodies, making it impossible to use.
Pairs of eyes, in horror, reacted and quickly looked towards Guan Yue.
Compared to the contestants from the War God Hall and the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, a trace of panic subtly flashed across the faces of the Shrek Academy members.
"Stardou, tell me what the Shrek Academy contestants did?"
While people were wondering, Guan Yue spoke coldly.
As his voice fell, a pure white energy glow swept across the sky above Sun Moon Canyon, followed by a remarkably gentle female voice that came from all directions.
"After dozens of checks, it has been confirmed that half a minute ago, the physical characteristics of the seven Shrek Academy contestants suddenly surged, which does not match the amplification provided by support system and food system Spirit Masters."
"Keyframe capture successful. Please review."
As her voice fell, a light screen appeared in front of Guan Yue and simultaneously displayed to the entire continent, before the eyes of hundreds of millions of people. The content played within it instantly left countless people on the Douluo Continent dumbfounded.
In the image, Yu Han霜, Yan Rong, and a series of other Shrek students were secretly putting a small blood-colored ball into their mouths, which looked very much like some kind of pill.
This frame of the footage was played back and forth, crystal clear.
Dead silence.
All sounds in the valley ceased to exist.
Yu Han霜 and the others' expressions froze, their blood ran cold, and their faces turned extremely pale.
Guan Yue, as Yun Ming's junior brother, was very angry at this moment. He said coldly, "Tell me, what is the behavior of Shrek Academy called?"
"Cheating!"
The Federation's current most powerful intelligent system,'Stardou,' quickly answered.
It's over!
Yu Han霜 closed his eyes in pain.
The rest of the Shrek students were all like startled birds, flustered and at a loss.
In front of the television, Long Yueming's eyes were dull, and her lips trembled as she murmured, "How is this possible!"
Behind her, the various Shrek Academy team leaders also turned pale.
Ding-a-ling!
Suddenly, an urgent ringing sound came from Long Yueming.
Shen Yi and the others' expressions froze. At this moment, only one person could be calling!
The Pavilion Master!
Before Long Yueming could even reach into her pocket with a trembling hand, the piercing ringtone abruptly ceased. Her hand hung in mid-air, her eyes losing all their light, her vitality fading, like an old, worn-out object about to be thrown into the trash can of a bygone era.
Everyone's breathing hitched, their hearts seemingly skipping a beat, and a shared image flashed in their minds: Pavilion Master Yun Ming, enraged, smashing his phone, tearing through space, and then charging furiously towards Mingdu.
In the vast living room, only Guan Yue's stern and indifferent voice still echoed from the television:
"The competition continues. Shrek Academy's students, follow me and leave Sun Moon Canyon."
Shen Yi and the others finally snapped awake, turning sharply to the television.
Without any visible action from Guan Yue, brilliant spirit power light cascaded from his body, enveloping the seven Shrek students.
The light receded, and their figures were already gone from the valley, leaving only the fourteen contestants from War God Hall and Spirit Transfer Pagoda looking at each other in dismay.
Shrek Academy had cheated and been expelled on the spot. Although they urgently wanted to know what would happen next, the competition was not yet over.
Qiangu Zhangting: "Shall we go in opposite directions?"
Ye Wujiu: "Good!"
The two captains reached an agreement and led their respective teams away.
In the battles to come, they would no longer be collaborators but enemies.
The valley quickly fell silent, but in the outside world, the scandal of Shrek Academy using prohibited drugs to cheat had spread like wildfire, igniting a storm of public opinion across the entire Federation. Few people were still paying attention to the subsequent matches.
The magnitude of this public outcry even surpassed that of the Tianhai Alliance Great Competition.
Shrek Academy had cheated in front of hundreds of millions of people across the entire continent. No matter how perfect the explanation, it could no longer conceal what had happened.
The people's eyes were sharp!
"Shrek of the old era cannot escape the judgment of the new era! Stardou Intelligent System has rendered great service!"
"Shrek's ten thousand years of glory destroyed in an instant! Is it a Spirit Master holy land or a cheating den?!"
"Shrek Academy is not worthy of being the continent's number one academy! This is a disgrace to the Sun Moon Federation!"
One after another, bright red, highlighted topics hung on the official hot list. The intensity of their discussion even crashed the official network on the spot.
Shrek City.
Tens of millions of citizens were either listless or furious. On this day, countless televisions were smashed. Even though there had been some public discussion before, it had not made the citizens of Shrek City lose trust in the Academy. But today, everything was over!
Within the Academy, Inner Courtyard and Outer Courtyard students had been specifically arranged to watch the competition, and they were all silenced. Some Outer Courtyard students even broke down crying on the spot due to their shattered faith, intending to drop out.
The atmosphere throughout the Academy was terrifyingly cold, as if winter had arrived.
Mingdu.
"Beautiful!"
In front of the television, Qiangu Dongfeng's face was flushed red as he waved his fist. "Shrek, ah, Shrek, I haven't even made a move yet, and you've already fallen apart yourself!"
"Long Yueming, you are truly a genius! All the painstaking efforts I made are not as effective as the destruction you caused with a single stroke of inspiration."
He strode to the window, pulled it open, and endless cheers erupted from all over Mingdu.
Like beautiful music, it made Qiangu Dongfeng exclaim how wonderful it was, as if his soul had been cleansed.
The entire Mingdu became more lively than New Year's. Tens of thousands of people had already gathered in various streets, running to tell each other and embracing one another.
The patrol guards responsible for security, including some mecha pilots from Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, even drove their mechas to dance in the middle of the road.
One can imagine the depth of the Mingdu citizens' hatred for Shrek Academy!
At Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, the dean, accompanied by a group of high-ranking Academy officials, looked at the portraits of past deans and Mingde Hall Masters with tears streaming down their faces.
Among them was Jing Hongchen from ten thousand years ago.
"Hall Master Hongchen, Shrek Academy really cheated, they really cheated! You can rest in peace in the netherworld!" The current dean said with red eyes and a hoarse voice.
The tear-filled eyes of the overjoyed crowd blurred their corneas, and they vaguely seemed to see Jing Hongchen's portrait smiling.
Ten thousand years… Do you know how we've lived these ten thousand years?
Sun Moon Royal Hotel.
Ye Xinglan and Yuanen Yehui, as official students of Shrek Academy, were stunned on the spot. Wu Siduo, who was planning to enroll in Shrek later, was also shocked. Within minutes of the public outcry, the three of them hadn't spoken a word, only knowing how to scroll on their phones.
Nan Liujing also held his phone, scrolling through the previous post that claimed Shrek Academy could only win the championship by cheating.
At that time, the post had already accumulated millions of comments, a veritable chorus of voices, each displaying their unique abilities.
Qiangu Qingfeng 'tsk'ed and said, "Yun Ming should be arriving in Mingdu soon."
Leng Yaozhu put away her phone, a hint of amusement on her face: "I didn't expect the one to expose Shrek Academy's cheating would be him, Guan Yue."
Xia Zheng Leng said, "Guan Yue detests evil and cannot stand such things. It's normal for him to expose it. If I'm not mistaken, the one who gave the students the pills was that old hag, Long Yueming."
Qiangu Qingfeng said, "Yun Ming finally managed to improve Shrek Academy's image in the public's mind, and Long Yueming sent it right back with one wave. Let's be prepared; Shrek Academy is definitely going to undergo a massive change."
The three Spirit Transfer Pagoda high-ranking officials chatted, while in a sealed room within the War God Hall branch activity building in Mingdu, Yu Han霜 and her group were experiencing the most unforgettable moment of their lives.
Each person's face showed anxiety and unease.
They had no phones to play with, but everyone knew how much the public opinion would explode at that moment.
Click!
The bolt turned, and the startled crowd quickly stood up.
The door opened.
A person walked in, his aura as profound as an abyss, as oppressive as a prison.
"Pavilion Master!"
Yu Han霜 and the others' expressions changed abruptly, and they said in trepidation.
Shrek City was thousands of kilometers away from Mingdu. For the Pavilion Master to arrive so quickly, his rage must be terrifying beyond imagination.
Yun Ming's face was terrifyingly grim: "Tell me, who made you take drugs to cheat?"
Even though he already had the answer in his heart, Yun Ming still asked.
Yu Han霜 trembled and said, "It was Elder Long."
Yun Ming put on a pained expression: "Everyone go to the first-floor lobby. An Elder will send you back to the Academy."
Yu Han霜 and the others dared not look at Yun Ming. They took small, quiet steps and left the room.
A moment later, two more people walked in.
Guan Yue and Long Yueming.
Yun Ming looked at her with icy eyes, "Do you know? I truly want to kill you!"
Long Yueming's already fearful heart instantly exploded with these words. She roared savagely, "I did this for the Academy! What did I do wrong? They can gang up on us? Am I not allowed to use my own methods to counter them?"
"But you shouldn't have cheated!"
A terrifying will erupted from Yun Ming, instantly enveloping the room. Endless spear gleams flashed, seemingly piercing through everything, and the entire room seemed to shatter.
Long Yueming's breathing hitched. She simply threw caution to the wind and sneered, "What, you don't dare to act against the Federation, only dare to vent your anger on your Shiniang? Yun Ming, when did you become so weak?"
Slap!
A crisp slap echoed.
Yun Ming was startled; he hadn't moved.
Long Yueming's cheek stung, and she turned her head away. After two seconds of astonishment, she twisted back, looking at Guan Yue with disbelief, "You dare to hit me?!"
Guan Yue said coldly, "Why wouldn't I dare?"
"I am your Shiniang!" Long Yueming shrieked.
"Precisely because you are my Shiniang, I must hit you." Guan Yue's face no longer held its usual gentle demeanor, and he roared, "Ruined! The Academy is completely ruined in your hands! Do you know how serious this cheating scandal is? People all over the continent are mocking our Shrek Academy."
"Long Yueming, I tell you, if the Academy falls completely into ruin because of this, I will take the place of Senior Brother and personally execute you! To atone to all the past Shrek Academy ancestors!"
Guan Yue's voice was as cold as an abyss, not concealing his killing intent in the slightest.
It was like a basin of cold water poured over Long Yueming's head, making her completely sober up.
As far as her eyes could see, Yun Ming and Guan Yue both had cold, stern, and murderous expressions.
They really want to kill me!
Long Yueming's eyes trembled, and for the first time, she truly panicked.
Yun Ming took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said, "Your Elder honor, including all other series of honors, are all stripped away. From now on, you will remain on Sea God Island and never be allowed to leave." In fact, his original intention was to have Long Yueming record an apology video, proving that the students were forced by her to take the pills, but that would confirm that the students had indeed taken the pills, leaving no room for redemption.
Long Yueming stared blankly at Yun Ming: "Are you really going to be so ruthless?"
"I wish I were that ruthless," Yun Ming said, word by word. "Then today's incident wouldn't have happened."
"From now on, until your death, I will not allow you to interfere with any Academy matters. As for those who attempt to continue to encroach upon the Academy through you, I will deal with each and every one of them directly."
Today's events had completely awakened him.
Most of the people in the Academy were like insects, not worthy of consideration. From now on, Sea God Pavilion meetings would no longer be held; he would take complete control.
Long Yueming was forcibly sealed of her spirit power temporarily and then sent back to the Academy by Zang Xin.
As soon as Long Yueming's matter was handled, the Federal Speaker called Yun Ming through Guan Yue.
Federal Speaker: "Pavilion Master Yun, perhaps we can discuss how to end this farce."
Yun Ming: "How do we discuss?"
Federal Speaker: "You completely release the jurisdiction over Shrek Outer City, and I will help you ease public opinion."
Yun Ming fell silent.
The Federal Speaker said steadily, "Pavilion Master Yun, you should be clear how serious this scandal is. I can state clearly that even before the Federal Grand Competition ends, Shrek Academy's credibility and reputation will completely plummet."
"At that time, it will first affect the tens of millions of citizens in Shrek City, then the Outer Courtyard, and then slowly evolve into the Inner Courtyard. Once you pass away, who else can support such a large Academy?"
"Rest assured, if you are willing to completely give up jurisdiction over Shrek Outer City, you will still have supervisory rights in the future. If any federal officials are involved in corruption or crime, your esteemed Academy will have the right to execute them."
Yun Ming: "…Let me consider it."
Federal Speaker: "Of course. But please do so as soon as possible, otherwise, everything will be too late."
Hanging up the phone, Yun Ming returned it to Guan Yue.
Guan Yue said in a deep voice, "Senior Brother, what do you plan to do next? Are you really going to completely give up the Outer City's jurisdiction?"
Yun Ming said with a headache, "To be honest, I don't know how to handle it anymore. Perhaps this is the only path left." He had originally intended to let the Outer City connect with the Federation in exchange for peace and friendship. At this point, giving up the Outer City completely did not make him feel regretful.
Guan Yue was silent for a few seconds: "Even if the Federation helps, it won't change the Academy's drastically declining morale. I have an idea, you can listen."
"Tell me." Yun Ming trusted Guan Yue very much.
Guan Yue said in a deep voice, "The scandal is escalating. Talented young individuals who originally intended to join the Academy will most likely no longer apply. The Inner Courtyard can still cultivate talents from affiliated forces, but what about the Outer Courtyard? If this continues, the Outer Courtyard will inevitably dry up, and the Inner Courtyard, losing the injection of fresh blood, will also be completely dominated by affiliated forces. The Academy will eventually be taken over."
"So, I was thinking, Senior Brother, would you consider cooperating with the War God Hall and renaming the Outer Courtyard to War God Academy? The faculty would remain the same, it would simply be a change of shell."
Yun Ming's eyes flickered, and he hesitated: "The War God Hall is a force controlled by the Federation. How could they easily agree?"
Guan Yue said, "As the Deputy Hall Master, I have the ability to persuade them. Of course, if the War God Hall is not suitable, we can also ask the Tang Sect for help."
"Ordinary citizens are not like the various Spirit Master forces; they are not aware of the relationship between the Academy and the Tang Sect. The only fear is if someone intentionally causes trouble and leaks the relationship between the two sides, that would be problematic."
Yun Ming's eyes flickered uncertainly, still unable to make a decision: "Give me some time to think."
Guan Yue knew that matters concerning the Academy's future could not be rushed and did not ask further questions.
Online, the scandal concerning Shrek Academy intensified. Even netizens with Shrek City IP addresses, if they dared to show their faces, would be instantly subjected to cyberbullying and mockery.
This feast of criticism continued until the end of the Federal Grand Competition's adult group matches, only then did its intensity subside a little.
After fierce battles, War God Hall ultimately defended its championship.
Qiangu Zhangting was injured when he was sent flying by Yu Han霜's Titled Douluo-level attack, which caused his subsequent combat strength to be far from its peak.
This was the only point of dissatisfaction for Qiangu Dongfeng.
The person who gained the most prominence in the Spirit Transfer Pagoda was still Nan Liujing.
At the end of the competition, the Federal Speaker announced that an awards ceremony would be held the next day, and the champions of each group and category would receive their commendations at the Central Stadium.
That night, Yun Ming finally called the Federal Speaker. This was his personal decision, not made through a Sea God Pavilion meeting.
As long as the Federation could largely calm down the scandal, then the jurisdiction over the Outer City would completely belong to the Federation. Of course, the Academy would retain supervisory rights, which was considered a fallback plan.
On this day, the Federal Speaker's excited figure danced wildly in his office.
Since the establishment of the Sun Moon Federation thousands of years ago, Shrek City, which had been unattainable for successive Federal Speakers, was finally brought under control.
He had made history, the kind that would be recorded in the annals!
Even if it was only the Outer City, and not the Inner Courtyard core, it was enough.
This was almost equivalent to cutting off half the length of a thorn, like an independent kingdom, that had been deeply embedded within the Federation.
With the benefits secured, the Federal Speaker immediately began to act, starting to defend Shrek Academy from various angles.
This even caused dissatisfaction among some uninformed Deputy Speakers and even members of parliament, as this was a prime opportunity to completely crush Shrek Academy.
The Federal Speaker did not care about these things and simply instructed his trusted aides to work tirelessly.
As for whether the public and the vast Spirit Master community would believe it, that was up to fate.
The online sentiment suddenly shifted. A force defending Shrek Academy emerged, instantly drawing the attention of some discerning individuals.
Especially those who were hostile to Shrek Academy.