They Died Gloriously!

Yan Shaozhe, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochen quickly returned to Shrek Academy.

Dai Yueheng glanced back in the direction they came from, a hint of extreme feigned worry flashing in his eyes.

"Dean Yan, is Elder Xuan really okay fighting Crimson King alone there?"

As the eldest son of Duke White Tiger's Mansion, Dai Yueheng had been well-versed in the ways of officialdom and interpersonal relationships since childhood.

Although in his heart he wished that old man, who was useless at accomplishing things but excellent at causing trouble, would just die there, on the surface, as a member of the Shrek Seven Devils, he had to show sufficient concern for the safety of the elder leading the team.

After all, if you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way.

Yan Shaozhe's footsteps paused slightly upon hearing this, his expression growing so grim it seemed like water could drip from it.

"No need to worry."

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the anger in his heart, and said stiffly.

"Elder Xuan is a Super Douluo, with heaven-shattering strength. A mere Crimson King is nothing to him."

Speaking of which, Yan Shaozhe let out a cold snort.

"If we were there, we would only become targets for Crimson King's attacks, distracting Elder Xuan. We would only be adding to the trouble."

Despite saying this, the resentment Yan Shaozhe felt towards Xuan Zi could not be concealed in his tone.

What a damned old bastard!

What had he done to a perfectly good team?

Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochen all wisely shut their mouths and chose silence.

Nothing to him?

If it were the Taotie Douluo of the past, with his body intact and his invincible aura, perhaps dealing with a 300,000-year-old fierce beast like Crimson King would indeed be nothing, even easy.

But now?

Xuan Zi's legs were crippled!

For a Super Douluo with completely crippled legs, whether he could retreat safely from Crimson King was still unknown.

It was possible... he might be in grave danger.

Yan Shaozhe rubbed his aching temples, looking at the three remaining seedlings before him, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up in his heart.

Four had died.

Yao Haoxuan, Gongyang Mo, Chen Zifeng, Xixi.

Each of these four people was a top genius cultivated by the academy with countless resources. They were elites of the Inner Court and seedlings for future Titled Douluo.

And now they were gone.

Moreover, they were gone in a way... that was simply unspeakable.

"Hoo..."

Yan Shaozhe exhaled a breath of turbid air, his eyes sharpening.

"Next, I will first go to notify the families of those four students."

"They have gloriously sacrificed themselves in battle against Evil Soul Masters, in order to protect the honor of Shrek Academy."

There was no other way, he could only fabricate this.

He couldn't let the academy's reputation be ruined.

Thinking of this, Yan Shaozhe was truly furious.

It was all Xuan Zi's fault!

Now, he, the Dean, had to clean up all the mess.

Ma Xiaotao stepped forward at this moment, a hint of anxiety in her eyes.

"Teacher, what do we do next?"

Yan Shaozhe waved his hand.

"You don't need to worry about what happens next."

"The three of you go back and wait for orders. Adjust your condition well. I will find a way to make up for the missing team members."

"As for the rest..."

Yan Shaozhe's gaze suddenly became stern, sweeping over the three of them, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"Remember, regarding the matter of that Small River, and Elder Xuan's mistake..."

"If anyone asks, say that we encountered a powerful ambush by Evil Soul Masters, Elder Xuan was injured while protecting you, and the other four students unfortunately perished."

"This concerns the ten-thousand-year reputation of Shrek Academy, and not the slightest mistake is allowed! Do you understand?"

This was a death order.

"Yes."

The three exchanged glances and responded in unison.

They weren't fools, and naturally understood the gravity of the situation.

Yan Shaozhe nodded, gave a few more instructions, and then left in a hurry. He still had too many things to handle: comforting family members, convening a Sea God Pavilion meeting, re-selecting team members... each task was giving him a headache.

Watching Yan Shaozhe's departing back.

"Gloriously sacrificed..."

Dai Yueheng crossed his arms, leaning against a willow tree by the lake, a mocking curve on his lips.

Dying in that manner was practically a joke.

"That man in the small river, was he truly a god?"

Ling Luochen's icy voice rang out. She lowered her head, looking at her reflection in the lake water, a flicker of lingering fear in her eyes.

Recalling the scene at that time, Ling Luochen couldn't help but tremble all over.

"There's no mistake. Even Elder Mu now emerged from that small river. Only a god can directly create a Limit Douluo."

Ma Xiaotao said in a deep voice.

A god had actually appeared on Douluo Continent, and... seemed to have no ulterior motives.

"As long as you answer honestly, your strength can be improved."

Dai Yueheng continued.

"No, it's not our strength that's being improved, it's just that more 'us' have appeared."

Ling Luochen shook her head slightly, refuting Dai Yueheng's words.

"If we leave now, and let those Soul Beasts get their hands on..."

Just as the three were conversing, a gentle voice suddenly came from the small path nearby.

"Several students, what are you chatting about here?"

The three were startled and quickly turned to look.

They saw a middle-aged man walking slowly towards them.

This man had an ordinary appearance, wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses, and was holding several thick books. He looked refined and scholarly, exuding a strong aura of learning.

It was the Outer Court's teacher, Wang Yan.

Wang Yan was originally just passing by, intending to go to the Library to consult some information about Soul Beasts. He hadn't expected to run into these few Prodigies from the Inner Court.

And judging by their appearance, they seemed to have just returned from outside.

Dai Yueheng saw it was Wang Yan, and his originally vigilant eyes instantly relaxed, replaced by undisguised indifference and contempt.

"Nothing."

Dai Yueheng replied indifferently, not even straightening his body, still leaning against the tree, looking too lazy to bother.

In his opinion, although Wang Yan was a Teacher, his strength was too weak.

At his age, he was only a Soul King.

A person of this level, if in Duke White Tiger's Mansion, would at most be a gatekeeper or an accountant steward.

He was not qualified to be looked at by him, the future Duke White Tiger.

Although Wang Yan's theoretical knowledge was rich, in the Soul Master World that valued strength, especially for a top Genius like Dai Yueheng, theory without strength was bullshit.

"We were just discussing the task the academy assigned us. Now that we're done, we're preparing to leave."

Dai Yueheng said casually.

Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen didn't say much either. Yan Shaozhe had just given them a gag order, so they naturally wouldn't say much to a Teacher from the Outer Court.

"I'm leaving."

Ma Xiaotao left first, and Ling Luochen followed closely.

Dai Yueheng gave Wang Yan a cold glance, snorted through his nose, and turned to follow.

Only Wang Yan was left standing there, a stiff smile on his face.

He adjusted the glasses on his nose, feeling the naked contempt in Dai Yueheng's eyes just now. Although he was somewhat displeased, his years of Self-cultivation allowed him to maintain a gentle demeanor on the surface.

Wang Yan shook his head and gave a self-deprecating smile.

Being weak and looked down upon was normal.

However...

Although they deliberately lowered their voices, Wang Yan's hearing had been extraordinary since childhood, and he still caught some snippets.

"Small River..."

"Become Stronger..."

"Correct Answer..."

Wang Yan frowned, his fingers tapping lightly on the books in his hands.

"It seems necessary to investigate."

Although his strength was inferior to others, when it came to investigating the truth and analyzing clues, he, Wang Yan, was second to none.

As for clues, he had heard them: Soul Beasts.

So, a place where Soul Beasts existed nearby, and a place with a River, then... the Star Dou Great Forest.

It had been some time since he had last visited. Had something happened?

Could his Coiling Dragon Staff martial soul be strengthened?