Making Other Plans

Mu En looked at Shen Yichen, his expression indescribably complicated.

A Soul King? Going down together with the Divine Realm?

He had died too soon after all. He had failed the little fellow.

Otherwise... with his potential, once he grew into a Titled Douluo, who would dare raise their voice at him?!

The diary ended there, but the group chat erupted.

[Du Busi: Little Noble! Does your Shrek really have someone like that?!]

Zhang Lexuan froze, then replied.

[Little Noble: I don't know. Even if there is, he'd be the Sea God Pavilion's secret weapon. How could a little student like me possibly know?]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: An unofficial ranking! It's definitely an unofficial ranking!]

[Soul Engineer: What makes you say that, Great Sage?]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: Even my talent didn't make the list. If this isn't an unofficial ranking, what is it?]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: I can accept not measuring up to the first few. But Ma Xiaotao, Tang Ya, and that Holy Angel? I don't think they're all that strong?!]

[Soul Engineer: Is it possible... that the Great Sage is over the age limit? Everyone on that ranking is a young person...]

If the older generation were included, Du Busi might well have made the list too. At the very least, Du Busi was no weaker than the likes of Tang Ya. Even if Tang Ya eventually broke through to Titled Douluo, that would still be true!

Not to mention people like Mu En.

Jing Hongchen tapped lightly on his desk. It seemed the Great Sage Equal to Heaven really was hiding his identity. Even now, he hadn't revealed the slightest scrap of information about himself. This person was truly terrifying...

Could he be a Limit Douluo living in seclusion?

[Black Dragon: It doesn't feel real. It's like listening to a story.]

The corner of Shen Yichen's mouth twitched. Well, wasn't he listening to a story?!

But this story was based on true events. Any resemblance was purely coincidental!

After listening to so many depressing sacrifices, wasn't it satisfying to finish with a wish-fulfillment story about destroying the Divine Realm?

By Shen Yichen's estimate, in six or seven years, his strength would be close to the level he had boasted about in his diary.

His obstacle wasn't a lack of power. It was how to change the hearts of Shrek's fanatics!

If power could change people's hearts, Shen Yichen wouldn't have had to go to the trouble of making up a story to get his teacher's unconditional support.

Still, the story had worked even better than Shen Yichen had imagined.

He didn't know that not only were Mu En and Zhang Lexuan prepared to support him unconditionally, but even Du Busi, Di Tian, and the Snow Empress were beginning to want to follow in Shen Yichen's footsteps and crush the Divine Realm underfoot!

After all, after seeing the gods manipulate the world time and again, having someone stand up and declare, "Let all those gods vanish into smoke and disperse!" was so rousing!

He wasn't just shouting slogans. He really had the strength to back them up...

Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy

Jing Hongchen gritted his teeth. Was Shrek about to produce another "god"?

If anyone had it worst, it was undoubtedly Jing Hongchen!

If Sea God Tang San won, the Sun Moon Empire would take a beating.

If Huo Yuhao, the Child of Luck, won, the Sun Moon Empire would take a beating.

If Shrek's Shen Yichen won, the Sun Moon Empire would still take a beating!

No matter how he looked at it, there was no way out for the Sun Moon Empire...

"Someone! Bring Xiao and Meng here!"

After giving the order, Jing Hongchen rose from his desk and paced back and forth.

The Sun Moon Empire's chances of winning were far too slim! One could even say that all three other sides had a chance of becoming players and claiming victory. Only the Sun Moon Empire had nothing.

Worse still, none of the three sides liked the Sun Moon Empire.

In Jing Hongchen's eyes, the Sun Moon Empire was like a great ship sailing across the ocean. It looked magnificent and imposing, but its hull had long since sprung a leak, and it could sink in an instant...

He had to plan ahead and find another great ship to take shelter aboard...

Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked at the door.

Before long, two children were brought into the office.

As soon as the little boy entered, he found himself a seat, crossed his legs, and patted the spot beside him. "Meng, sit here!"

"Grandpa, what did you call us here for? I was just studying Level 3 Soul Tool blueprints!"

Xiao Hongchen tossed his hair, unable to hide his smug expression.

He was only a little over eight and already studying Level 3 Soul Tools. Under all the heavens, who besides him, the Sun Moon Empire's number one genius, could do that?!

"Oh? That's my grandson for you." Jing Hongchen smiled as he offered a word of encouragement.

"Don't listen to Xiao brag. He only looked at the blueprints. He's still a long way from making a Level 3 Soul Tool!"

Meng Hongchen had long, silver hair that fell smoothly over her shoulders. She sat obediently beside Xiao Hongchen, just like a little princess. (Based on her comic appearance.)

But this little princess was clearly sly beneath the surface, effortlessly tearing down her brother without batting an eye.

"Meng!" Xiao Hongchen raged helplessly. If she weren't his sister, he would have long since...

"All right." Jing Hongchen interrupted the brother and sister before they could start arguing.

"Xiao, Meng, what do you think of Shrek Academy?"

"What do I think?" Xiao Hongchen answered without hesitation. "An opponent worth fighting. But that's all! In a few years, I'll personally shatter Shrek's myth of invincibility!"

Meng Hongchen sat there obediently. Though she didn't speak, her expression showed that she agreed.

What young person wasn't a little arrogant? Meng Hongchen simply didn't wear her thoughts on her sleeve the way Xiao Hongchen did.

"Grandpa has a plan." Jing Hongchen sighed and looked out the window. "I plan... to send you to study at Shrek Academy before you turn twelve!"

Meng Hongchen: "?"

"Grandpa, have you gone senile?" The words slipped out before Xiao Hongchen could think. He gave an awkward smile. "I mean... us? Shrek?"

Jing Hongchen shot Xiao Hongchen a glance, and Xiao Hongchen immediately copied Meng Hongchen, sitting up straight like a well-behaved child.

"Grandpa isn't joking. Would either of you consider it?"

Sending Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen to study at Shrek Academy wasn't a betrayal of the Sun Moon Empire. It was simply... a way to protect themselves wisely, betting on both sides.

If he couldn't see even a glimmer of hope, who would willingly be a fence-sitter?

"If I could, I would like to study at Shrek Academy..." Meng Hongchen twirled the ends of her hair around her fingertip. It would be a lie to say she wasn't curious about the undefeated legend that was Shrek. She had simply always regarded it as an enemy and never thought about joining it...

"Meng?" Xiao Hongchen stared at Meng Hongchen, eyes wide. How could you go over to the enemy?

"Wait, with our identities, there's no way we could get into Shrek Academy, right?"

Although Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen had yet to make names for themselves as top geniuses, as the grandson and granddaughter of the master of Illustrious Virtue Hall, they had probably already drawn the attention of the imperial family and the great nobles!

"Mm... as long as you're willing, then..." Jing Hongchen pressed his dry lips together. "Leave it to Grandpa to find a way..."