They Died Gloriously!

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

Dai Yueheng glanced back in the direction they had come from, a trace of utterly fake concern flashing in his eyes.

"Dean Yan, Xuan Zi stayed behind alone to deal with the Scarlet King... Is he really going to be all right?"

As the eldest son of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, Dai Yueheng had been well versed in politics and social interactions from a young age.

Although he secretly hoped that the old man, who was more of a hindrance than a help, would just die there, outwardly, as a member of the Shrek Seven Devils, he had to show sufficient concern for the safety of their supervising elder.

After all, when you put on an act, you had to see it through.

At his words, Yan Shaozhe paused slightly, his expression so gloomy it seemed as if water might drip from it.

"Don't worry."

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger, and replied stiffly.

"Xuan Zi is a Super Douluo, with extraordinary strength. A mere Scarlet King is no match for him."

At this, Yan Shaozhe let out a cold snort.

"We'd only become targets for the Scarlet King and distract Xuan Zi. We'd just be a burden if we stayed."

That was what he said, but the resentment toward Xuan Zi in Yan Shaozhe's voice was impossible to conceal.

What a bastard!

How had he managed to turn a perfectly good team into this?

Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochеn wisely fell silent.

No match for him?

If this had been the old Taotie Douluo, hale and hearty and utterly invincible, then dealing with a three-hundred-thousand-year Ferocious Beast like the Scarlet King might truly have been a piece of cake—perhaps even effortless.

But what about now?

Xuan Zi's legs were ruined!

Whether a Super Douluo with both legs crippled could escape the Scarlet King unscathed was anyone's guess.

Things could easily take a turn for the worse...

Yan Shaozhe rubbed his aching temples. Looking at the only three people left before him, he felt a profound sense of helplessness well up inside.

Four were dead.

Yao Haoxuan, Gongyang Mo, Chen Zifeng, and Xixi.

Every one of them was a top talent the academy had poured countless resources into cultivating, an elite of the Inner Court, and a future Titled Douluo in the making.

And now they were just... gone.

And in a way that was... simply impossible to speak of.

"Phew..."

Yan Shaozhe exhaled, his eyes sharpening.

"First, I'll notify the families of those four students."

"They died gloriously while fighting Evil Soul Masters, giving their lives to protect the honor of Shrek Academy."

There was no other choice. He could only make up that story.

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

The thought made Yan Shaozhe seethe with anger.

It was all Xuan Zi's fault!

And now he was stuck cleaning up the whole mess.

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

"Teacher, what do we do now?"

Yan Shaozhe waved a hand.

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

"You three should go back and wait for further instructions. Get some rest and recover. I'll find a way to fill the vacant spots on the team."

"As for everything else..."

Yan Shaozhe's gaze turned fierce as he looked over the three of them, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Remember, the matter with that Small River, and Xuan Zi's mistake..."

"If anyone asks, say we were ambushed by powerful Evil Soul Masters. Xuan Zi was injured protecting you, and the other four students were killed."

"This concerns the thousand-year reputation of Shrek Academy. There must not be the slightest slipup! Is that clear?"

It was a direct order.

"Yes."

The three exchanged glances and answered in unison.

They weren't fools. Naturally, they understood how serious this was.

Yan Shaozhe nodded, gave them a few more instructions, and hurried off. He still had too much to deal with: comforting the families, convening a Sea God Pavilion Meeting, selecting new team members... Every task was giving him a headache.

They watched Yan Shaozhe disappear into the distance.

"Died gloriously..."

Dai Yueheng folded his arms and leaned against a willow tree by the lake, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking smile.

Dying like that was practically a joke.

"Was the man in that Small River really a God?"

Ling Luochеn's cool voice rang out. She lowered her head, gazing at her reflection in the lake, a trace of lingering fear flashing in her eyes.

When she recalled what had happened, Ling Luochеn couldn't help trembling all over.

"It must be true. Even Mu En came out of that Small River. Only a God could directly create a Limit Douluo."

Ma Xiaotao spoke in a low voice.

A Deity had truly appeared on the Douluo Continent, and... it seemed to have no ulterior motive.

"As long as we answered honestly, our strength improved."

Dai Yueheng continued.

"No. It wasn't our strength that improved. There were simply more 'us' than before."

Ling Luochеn shook her head slightly, correcting Dai Yueheng.

"We've left now. What if those Soul Beasts get their hands on..."

While the three were still talking, a warm voice suddenly came from the path nearby.

"What are you chatting about here, students?"

The three of them were startled and quickly turned to look.

A middle-aged man was walking toward them at an unhurried pace.

He had an ordinary appearance, wore black-framed glasses, and held several thick books in his arms. He looked like a refined scholar, with a strong air of learning about him.

It was Wang Yan, a teacher from the Outer Court.

Wang Yan had only been passing by on his way to the library to look up some information about Soul Beasts, but he hadn't expected to run into these celebrated Inner Court students.

And judging by their appearance, they had just returned from outside.

When Dai Yueheng saw that it was Wang Yan, the wariness in his eyes immediately eased, replaced by undisguised indifference and contempt.

"Nothing."

Dai Yueheng replied casually. He didn't even straighten up, remaining leaned against the tree as if he couldn't be bothered to talk.

In his eyes, Wang Yan might have been a teacher, but he was far too weak.

Despite being so old, he was only a Soul King.

At that level, in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, he'd be no more than a gatekeeper or a bookkeeping steward.

He wasn't worthy of the attention of the future White Tiger Duke.

Wang Yan's theoretical knowledge was extensive, but in the Soul Master World, which revered strength—especially to a top genius like Dai Yueheng—theory without strength was nothing but bullshit.

"We were just discussing the task the academy assigned us. We're done now and were about to leave."

Dai Yueheng spoke with complete nonchalance.

Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochеn said nothing. Yan Shaozhe had just ordered them to keep quiet, so naturally they weren't going to tell an Outer Court teacher anything.

"I'm leaving."

Ma Xiaotao left first, with Ling Luochеn following close behind.

Dai Yueheng shot Wang Yan a cold glance, gave a derisive snort, and turned to follow them.

That left Wang Yan standing alone, the smile on his face somewhat stiff.

He adjusted his glasses. Though he was displeased by the undisguised contempt in Dai Yueheng's eyes, years of self-discipline kept his expression gentle.

Wang Yan shook his head and smiled wryly.

It was only natural that people looked down on him when he was weak.

But...

They had deliberately lowered their voices, yet Wang Yan had always had unusually sharp hearing. He had still caught a few stray words.

"Small River..."

"Get stronger..."

"Correct answer..."

Wang Yan furrowed his brow and tapped his fingers lightly against the books in his hands.

"Looks like I should investigate this."

His strength might not measure up to theirs, but when it came to uncovering the truth and piecing together clues, Wang Yan was second to none.

As for the clues, he'd heard them mention Soul Beasts.

So, a place nearby with Soul Beasts and a river... That would be the Star Dou Great Forest.

He hadn't been there in quite some time. Had something happened?

Could his Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul be strengthened?