Watching the furious expression on Long Yeyue's face, Amorous Douluo Zang Xin knew that she truly thought this way in her heart.
She genuinely believed that the Tang Sect might be coveting Shrek's Legacy, and truly felt that there were ulterior motives hidden behind this turn of events.
A complex, indescribable emotion rose in Amorous Douluo Zang Xin's heart; he did not understand how things had suddenly turned out this way, as Ten Thousand Years of friendship had been torn to such a degree in just a few words.
But as a Limit Douluo, Amorous Douluo Zang Xin was not without a temper; he had just been suppressing it all along.
However, at this moment, Long Yeyue's words had touched upon the very foundation of the Tang Sect, and his expression sank accordingly.
After a moment of silence, he controlled his emotions and spoke slowly: "Regardless of whether Elder Long believes it or not, the Tang Sect has always supported the rebuilding of Shrek Academy. Many people in the Tang Sect are Students who graduated from Shrek, and this connection will not be severed just because of a disaster."
Hearing this, Long Yeyue snorted: "Fine! Since you say so, then have him hand over the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud right now!"
As she spoke, her gaze slashed toward Tang Wulin like a knife.
Amorous Douluo Zang Xin turned his head to look at Tang Wulin and called out: "Wulin!"
Based on his understanding of Tang Wulin, he absolutely did not believe that he would do something like snatching an Opportunity, especially in front of so many people.
Amorous Douluo Zang Xin believed he saw Tang Wulin's character, Heart-Nature, and style of conduct very clearly; otherwise, he would not have taken him as a Disciple.
Tang Wulin's heart was in a chaotic mess at this moment. He had been calling out to Old Tang deep within his Spiritual Sea, over and over again, but Old Tang had not responded at all.
After that Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud merged into his body, he could not sense where it had gone at all, let alone hand it over.
At this moment, meeting Amorous Douluo Zang Xin's gaze, he struggled for a long time before finally opening his mouth to say: "Teacher, I..."
He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
"I don't know what happened just now either, and right now I can't even sense where that crystal is."
In the end, he still chose to lie, concealing Old Tang's existence for the time being.
Hearing this, Long Yeyue sneered, with undisguised mockery: "Heh! You've really pushed it all away cleanly. Do you think you can just brush this matter over with a single 'I don't know what happened'?"
Amorous Douluo Zang Xin frowned slightly; he knew in his heart that Tang Wulin was indeed not in the right regarding this matter.
Regardless of the reason why that crystal flew into his body, to others, it appeared that he had snatched the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
No matter how much he explained, to Long Yeyue, it would only sound like sophistry.
He was silent for a moment, weighing his words, and finally spoke: "Elder Long, perhaps it really was the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud that actively chose Wulin. Such a divine object has its own spirituality, and perhaps only after he grows stronger will he truly be able to establish a connection with it."
Anger surged in Long Yeyue's heart; that rage burned so intensely that she wished she could strike on the spot and force the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud out of Tang Wulin's body, but she ultimately did not move.
Because she knew that this was Tang Sect territory.
She suppressed that urge with all her might, and in the end, only squeezed a heavy snort from her nose: "What do you want?"
Watching her appearance of forcibly suppressing her anger, Amorous Douluo Zang Xin slowly stated his plan: "I guarantee with the Tang Sect's reputation that as soon as Tang Wulin can control that Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, I will have him remove it and return it to Na'er."
He paused, then added: "There is no other better way right now."
Long Yeyue gritted her teeth, her cloudy eyes surging with unwillingness and anger.
If this were in the past, where would she ever need to discuss conditions with anyone?
She had even slapped the Spirit Pagoda Master in the face to their face; what was there to be afraid of when it came to a Tang Sect Disciple?
But now the situation was stronger than the person; Shrek Academy was destroyed, Yun Ming was gone, and she had to bow her head.
Long Yeyue was silent for a long time, and finally squeezed a few words through her teeth: "Fine! I will trust the Tang Sect one more time."
Her gaze landed on Amorous Douluo Zang Xin's face, then swept over Tang Wulin's lowered head: "I hope you will not disappoint me."
After finishing, Long Yeyue turned her head to look at Na'er, her expression finally softening a little.
"Na'er, come back to Shrek with me to prepare for the academy's reconstruction."
Na'er did not hesitate; the unexpected appearance of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud had caused her to re-evaluate the value of Shrek Academy.
She nodded, answering crisply: "Yes."
Seeing her answer so readily, Long Yeyue's expression relaxed another bit, and her gaze then turned to Ya Li.
This was one of the few remaining Titled Douluo of Shrek Academy, and her tone carried a sense of matter-of-fact summoning: "Ya Li, you should also come back to the academy with me; Shrek needs you now."
Long Yeyue had expected Ya Li to nod and agree without hesitation, but to her surprise, Ya Li shook her head.
Long Yeyue's expression instantly sank, her brows furrowed, and her voice raised a little: "Ya Li, what do you mean?"
Ya Li sat calmly in her chair and spoke slowly: "Yun Ming is dead, and my heart has died along with him; what is the point of returning to Shrek Academy?"
Hearing this, Long Yeyue's expression changed abruptly, and her voice instantly sharpened: "Rebuilding Shrek Academy was also Yun Ming's hope!"
Ya Li shook her head again but did not say anything more.
She did not tell anyone that before Yun Ming fell, he had sent her a message.
That sentence had pierced through the smoke filling the sky and the roar of Spirit Power collisions, falling clearly into her ears.
He said that he had dedicated his entire life to Shrek Academy, repaying the kindness of his teacher's cultivation and the academy's nurturing grace.
And his only final wish was for Ya Li to live well; he asked for nothing else.
Ya Li knew that it was a message Yun Ming had specifically left behind because he was worried she would follow him in death.
In Yun Ming's final words, he had never mentioned rebuilding Shrek Academy.
From beginning to end, he had never asked her to shoulder anything, had never asked her to inherit anything; he only hoped she could live well, that was all.
And as the person closest to Yun Ming all these years, Ya Li had also clearly perceived the various constraints he encountered in the process of managing Shrek Academy.
Those checks from within the academy, those clashes between new and old concepts, those obstacles both overt and covert—she had seen them all.
Yun Ming had even mentioned to her at home more than once that nothing could exist forever; even Shrek Academy, with its Ten Thousand Years of Legacy, might one day face decline and destruction.
He saw it more clearly than anyone, yet he still guarded that academy and walked through the rest of his life.
So now, Ya Li truly had no intention of returning to Shrek with Long Yeyue.
Her heart was no longer there; she did not want to return to those ruins filled with memories, to be reminded over and over again by those broken bricks and tiles of what she had lost.
But Long Yeyue clearly did not want to "let her off"; watching Ya Li's resistant expression, her tone grew heavier: "You are a person of Shrek Academy; shouldn't you be contributing to the academy at a time like this? What does it look like to be wallowing in personal affairs?"
A moment ago, she had been using Yun Ming's name to pressure people, and now she was calling this personal affairs.
Hearing this, a trace of annoyance flashed in Ya Li's eyes.
Before, when they were at the academy, Long Yeyue had often pointed fingers at Yun Ming's arrangements.
Because of status and seniority, Yun Ming had always yielded with the courtesy of a Junior and never came into direct conflict with her.
Ya Li had seen and remembered all of that over the years, but she had never said much about it.
But now that Yun Ming was gone, she was no longer prepared to continue accommodating her.
Ya Li took a deep breath, her originally gentle voice turning slightly cold and hard at this moment: "If you want to count it, I am actually a person of the War God Hall."
As soon as these words were spoken, the reception hall went quiet for an instant.
Everyone knew that Ya Li was originally a Genius Spirit Master cultivated by the War God Hall, but she was later "domineeringly" snatched away by Yun Ming.
That was an anecdote widely circulated in the Spirit Master's world back then: the romantic Sea God Pavilion Master snatched love away, taking the Genius girl from the War God Hall into his embrace.
But Ya Li and Yun Ming were truly in love, which is why she had stayed at Shrek Academy all along, guarding that institution for over a hundred years as the Holy Spirit Douluo.
But her words at this moment had cut a rift in the bond between her and Shrek Academy.
Long Yeyue's expression changed drastically; her lips moved, and her hand pointing at Ya Li trembled slightly: "You..."
She opened her mouth, but found she could not find any words to refute it.
Because what Ya Li said was the truth, an old story that everyone knew.
At the same time, she also understood that once these words were spoken, it was impossible for Ya Li to follow her to rebuild Shrek Academy.
Long Yeyue snorted heavily; she did not look at Ya Li again, but simply turned her head and said to Na'er: "Let's go."
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A/N:
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.