Mu En's Dilemma

In a courtyard somewhere in the Star Luo Imperial Palace.

Gu Tian stood with his hands behind his back, watching the Sky Curtain's commentary without the slightest change in expression.

How should he put it?

Gu Tian had already guessed as much.

There were a few minor differences, but the general picture was much the same.

The mastermind behind the War Between Humans and Gods was undoubtedly Tang San.

An alliance with the Silver Dragon King had also been within Gu Tian's expectations.

After all, as an avatar of the Dragon God, the Silver Dragon King had been a powerhouse at the Half-Step God King level at the peak of her strength, and she had a grudge against the God Realm Gods.

At the same time, the Silver Dragon King was the only one on this continent who could provide any aid in a battle against the Divine Realm.

Everyone else might be reduced to ashes by the shock waves the moment they entered the fray.

Putting himself in the other Gu Tian's shoes, even if he hadn't won the Silver Dragon King over, he would have done everything he could to form an alliance with her.

"Perhaps this is why she was called the Lord of Soul Beasts!" Gu Tian murmured, his eyes flickering.

Of course, Gu Tian was still a little curious about what his future self had done to make humanity, once as insignificant as ants, a threat to the lofty Gods.

"I never thought I'd go this far in the future—standing against the Gods!"

Gu Tian glanced down at the Emperor Belt that had quietly appeared at his waist. "Looks like I still relied on this. Heavenly Dao Emperor—walking the path of an emperor in the name of Heaven!"

People called Douluo the bottom rung of fantasy worlds, but since the Divine Realm could rule over so many planes, its Gods couldn't possibly be weak.

Truthfully, Gu Tian wasn't particularly interested in unifying humanity or fighting the Divine Realm.

As long as Tang San left him alone, whatever the other man was plotting had nothing to do with Gu Tian.

In fact, at first, Gu Tian had planned to steer clear of any factions connected to Tang San.

Otherwise, he wouldn't once have thought about laying low in Star Luo Imperial City.

He just hadn't expected things to escalate this far, all the way to a war between humans and Gods.

Of course, Gu Tian wasn't afraid in the slightest.

At worst, he could flip the table.

He possessed the strongest armor in the Light Universe, the Emperor Armor—the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao and supreme ruler of the Light Realm.

And when his life was in danger, the Heavenly Dao could even take over and fight for him.

Gu Tian reckoned that his future self in the Sky Curtain hadn't yet fully mastered all the power of the Emperor Armor.

Otherwise, he wouldn't merely have held the Gods back. He would have wiped them out.

Gu Tian could more or less understand what his future self had done.

In his previous life, Gu Tian had been born into a family of scholars. Both his parents were teachers.

"When poor, cultivate yourself; when prosperous, help the world."

That was the principle his parents had lived by from beginning to end.

Gu Tian had been deeply influenced by them.

If he had the ability, then he would do what he could to help.

But he wouldn't let anyone or anything sway him. He would only do what he believed was right.

He asked only for six simple words: a clear conscience.

Whether it was unifying Douluo Continent, improving relations between humans and Soul Beasts, or fighting the Divine Realm, he imagined it all came from that same principle.

"My heart and actions are clear as a mirror; everything I do is righteous!"

Those words spoken by the president in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure were excellent. Gu Tian had also made them his guiding principle.

Shrek Academy.

"Haah!"

Mu En sighed silently, worry appearing for the first time in his aged eyes.

"Tang San!" he murmured, speaking the name Shrek had once been so proud of.

If a lofty God had spent ten thousand years plotting something, it clearly couldn't be simple.

Though the Sky Curtain hadn't said so outright, Mu En's instincts told him that Tang San was almost certainly the mastermind behind the War Between Humans and Gods.

After all, the war had only broken out after Gu Tian had single-handedly shattered Tang San's ten-thousand-year scheme.

Only a fool would believe there was no connection between the two.

That was Tang San!

The Ancestor of their Shrek Academy, the revered Sea God!

The great being who had defeated the evil Spirit Hall Empire ten thousand years ago and saved the entire continent.

If Mu En's suspicions were true, had Tang San changed over time after becoming a God, or had this always been his true nature?

And if so, what roles had the other members of the First Generation Shrek Seven Devils, who had ascended to godhood alongside him, played in all this?

Had the Spirit Hall Empire, which they had defeated ten thousand years ago, truly been evil?

One question after another surfaced in Mu En's mind.

Of course, all that was secondary.

The problem now was that Shrek Academy had long been closely tied to the First Generation Shrek Seven Devils.

What Tang San had done could have a huge impact on Shrek Academy.

A stain that could never be erased might even appear in the school's otherwise glorious history.

Things hadn't yet reached the point of no return.

But this ticking time bomb could explode at any moment if someone with an agenda set it off.

After all, if Mu En could think of it, so could anyone else.

Throughout the past several thousand years, Shrek Academy had always stood above the rest, towering over all the nations.

It had no doubt stirred up the resentment of countless people behind the scenes.

It was only thanks to Shrek Academy's deep-rooted legacy and reputation, as well as its formidable strength, that no one had dared to act rashly.

Now that this had happened, Mu En could imagine that people across the continent would soon use it to drag Shrek Academy into the mire.

The Elders of the Sea God Pavilion all furrowed their brows.

None of them were fools. They had naturally thought of this as well.

"Teacher, what should we do now?"

Yan Shaozhe instinctively looked to his teacher.

The others also turned their uncertain gazes toward Mu En.

Seeing this, a trace of disappointment flashed through Mu En's eyes.

"Give this old man some time to think it over."

But he said nothing more, only slowly closing his eyes.

Shrek had only three choices before it now.

First, side with the future Master of the Sea God Pavilion shown in the Sky Curtain.

Second, side with neither party.

Third, side with Sea God Tang San.

If they chose to stand with the Sea God, Shrek's ten-thousand-year glory would be destroyed in an instant.

Mu En couldn't accept that. Neither could anyone else present.

To them, the Sea God was the Sea God—perhaps also the Ancestor of Shrek—but Shrek Academy was the faith they had devoted their lives to. The two were on entirely different levels.

If they chose not to take sides, Shrek Academy would please neither party.

As for choosing the future Master of the Sea God Pavilion shown in the Sky Curtain, that would invite Tang San's wrath.

Setting aside the first choice, Mu En was caught in a prolonged dilemma over the remaining two.

One was a steady path forward, but Shrek would gradually decline as a result.

The other carried enormous risks, but the rewards were just as great. It could not only let Shrek Academy rise from the ashes, but also bring it greater prosperity than ever before.

One step toward heaven, one step toward hell.

That was why Mu En didn't dare make a decision lightly.

At the same time, he was curious: what had his future self in the Sky Curtain been thinking?

He had actually entrusted Shrek Academy to the Star Luo Emperor of that era.