Four-Eyed Cat Eagle

Su Xuan arrived at the headmaster's office of Shrek Academy.

Ever since Flender had shot his mouth off last time, Uncle De had given him a brutal beating.

As a top-tier Soul Sage, Uncle De had more than enough strength to deal with an ordinary Soul Douluo, let alone Flender.

His Soul Power was inferior, their martial souls were roughly equal, and their combat experience was worlds apart. Did the outcome even need to be said?

Flender had one of his legs broken.

However, Shrek had a food-type Soul Sage.

So Li Yusong, Dai Mobai, and Flender had all more or less recovered from their injuries.

Of course, Dai Mobai had still lost his qualification to be a man.

That food-type Soul Sage had been helpless about it.

Dai Mobai was in despair.

"Headmaster, are we really not kicking this brat out and letting him remain in our academy as a menace?"

Li Yusong was furious beyond measure.

He might have been a trash Soul Emperor, but he was still a Soul Emperor. Getting instantly defeated had left him deeply unbalanced.

Flender gave a bitter smile. "You think I don't want to? But can you beat him?"

"Even so..."

Knock, knock, knock.

Flender said, "Come in."

The white-clad youth slowly walked in, a faintly mocking smile on his face.

"Headmaster, speaking ill of someone behind their back isn't a very good habit."

Flender and Li Yusong looked awkward. They had been caught red-handed.

Su Xuan adjusted his collar and dusted off his clothes.

"Headmaster, what are your plans for the future of this Shrek Academy?"

Flender narrowed his eyes slightly. "That need not concern Saint Son."

"Haha, I don't particularly care about this lousy academy either."

Flender's gaze darkened. This was the work of half his life.

"Headmaster, this third-rate academy has no license and no one backing it. If I wish, I can guarantee that Shrek Academy will cease to exist anywhere on Douluo Continent starting tomorrow."

"You can't do that!"

Li Yusong shouted furiously.

Su Xuan smiled faintly.

"Give me a reason, Teacher Li."

Li Yusong grew agitated.

"This is the life's work of all of us! How can it be destroyed just like that?"

Su Xuan shook his head.

"Teacher Li, what does that have to do with me?"

Li Yusong glared viciously at Su Xuan, as though he wanted to devour him whole.

"How can someone of noble birth like you understand how difficult it is for commoners to rise up?"

Su Xuan wore the same faint smile.

"Then, Teacher Li, have you helped even a single commoner all these years?"

"Of course! The students I taught are already teachers at Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"

Li Yusong looked proud.

Communicating with such a crude idiot is truly exhausting, Su Xuan grumbled inwardly.

"That's merely an exception."

Su Xuan spoke calmly.

"How many commoner students seeking an education did you turn away yesterday? They came with sincere hearts. You took ten Gold Soul Coins from them, then refused to admit them because they weren't talented enough."

Su Xuan sneered. "Is this how you help commoners?"

Li Yusong looked embarrassed.

Flender stood up.

"This is our educational philosophy: better lacking than indiscriminate."

Su Xuan gave a cold laugh. "Headmaster, if those students are already the greatest geniuses, what can you possibly teach them?"

Flender said, "Combat experience, as well as protection while they're still weak."

"Is there any sect or faction on this continent incapable of doing that?"

"Sects exclude outsiders. Those who join can only become outer disciples."

"So after leaving here, your students directly join sects and empires?"

Flender was rendered speechless. There was nothing wrong with that.

After all, if one wanted to grow stronger, one had to attach oneself to some faction.

"So what use is there in those geniuses coming here?"

Flender fell silent. This Four-Eyed Cat Eagle was beginning to doubt his own philosophy.

"When all is said and done, you merely discovered them, brought out their potential, and then used their talent to glorify yourself."

"I have never sought profit through any of my students!"

Murderous fury filled Flender's eyes. This was a tremendous insult to him.

"Tsk, tsk. Does the benefit of reputation not count?"

"Headmaster, if I remember correctly, you were born a commoner as well, weren't you?"

Expressionless, Flender nodded.

"Then shouldn't you understand even more deeply how difficult it is for commoners to rise?"

Flender lowered his head without speaking.

Su Xuan did not care. He continued on his own, "You were fortunate enough to undergo a beneficial martial soul mutation and gain the opportunity to become strong. Yet after becoming powerful and founding an academy, all you wanted was to find true geniuses and build a 'Monster Academy.'"

Su Xuan walked up to Flender and stared at the miserly middle-aged man with the shoehorn-shaped face.

"Headmaster, you are merely a Soul Sage. You have no qualification to teach monsters. Furthermore, monsters never lack cultivation resources or good teachers, while those students with poor martial souls—the ones who need guidance from powerful people of common birth like yourselves—will never have any chance to rise."

"Enough," Flender said expressionlessly, stopping Su Xuan's accusations. "Your Highness, are the things you speak of my responsibility?"

Su Xuan shook his head. "Indeed, they are neither your responsibility nor your obligation. You struggled and fought your way through life, relying on your own abilities to eventually become a Soul Sage. No one can demand that you selflessly share all of that with commoners you do not know. Some of those you help might even stab you in the back."

Flender half narrowed his eyes.

"Your Highness, what exactly do you want?"

"Headmaster, you are nearing old age. You know that there has never been any shortage of suffering people on this continent. Yet as someone who came from among them, have you never once considered helping them? You love money as much as your life, but all your wealth goes toward your unrealistic dream."

Flender's expression shifted uncertainly. He was a true powerhouse who had risen from the lowest rung.

Su Xuan smiled faintly and abruptly asked, "Headmaster, if Spirit Hall were to go to war with the two great empires, which side would you help?"

Bitterness filled Flender's eyes. If I said I would help the two great empires—or even remain neutral—in front of you, I might not live to see tomorrow's sunrise.

Su Xuan saw Flender's hesitation and added, "Don't worry. My reputation is fairly decent. Besides, Headmaster, you're only a Soul Sage. Powerhouses of your level are hardly rare; one more or less makes no difference."

Flender's face darkened. He felt as though he had been insulted, but wasn't a Soul Sage already considered truly high-level combat power?

"I would probably remain neutral."

Su Xuan nodded. "That makes sense. Headmaster, you are alone and have no attachments."

Then Su Xuan changed the subject. "What if Liu Erlong joined the war?"

Flender's gaze instantly turned sharp as blades, and a terrifying aura erupted from him.

"Your Highness, that is not a funny joke."

Su Xuan chuckled. "She belongs to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan. If Heaven Dou faces danger, how could she possibly not join the war?"

"Then I will definitely stand with Erlong!" Flender's gaze was resolute.

"But does she appreciate your deep devotion? She has only ever regarded you as an elder brother."

Flender lowered his head, his eyes dark and cold.

"She still loves that coward who ran away—the man who could not bring her happiness. Yu Xiaogang, isn't it?"

Su Xuan shook his head. "Is it worth it?"

Flender clenched both fists.

"So after striving for most of your life, you are still a complete and utter failure as a man, Headmaster."

Flender's fists tightened, then loosened, then tightened again.

In his career, Shrek was merely a third-rate academy. In love, his best friend had abandoned the woman he loved most.

He had been born lowly and made his way through countless life-and-death crises. He loved money as much as life and cared for his students, but what had he gained in the end? He had silently devoted himself to the woman he deeply loved, yet all she had told him was, "I have always regarded you as my elder brother."

"Ahhhhh..."

The level 78 Soul Sage, Flender the Four-Eyed Cat Eagle, broke down.