Sea God Pavilion Meeting

"Knock knock knock!"

A dull knock came at the door, interrupting Huo Yuhao's cultivation.

His mental ripples had already spread quietly, and he instantly determined who was outside the door.

Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes, a thoughtful look flashing across them.

After a moment of silence, he got up and walked towards the door.

After the door was opened, Ye Xinglan was standing outside.

She was completely different from the proud young girl with a radiant, sun-like gaze and a slightly raised chin that I first met.

At this moment, she was dressed in a plain white tracksuit, and the arrogance and confidence that once seemed innate between her brows had vanished.

Instead, there was a clear sense of unease written on their faces, and an undisguised panic and anxiety deep in their eyes.

Huo Yuhao looked at her quietly, his face expressionless.

He wasn't heartless, but he was definitely not a pushover either.

Some costs must be borne by oneself.

"What brings you here?"

He spoke, his voice steady, devoid of emotion.

Before the words were even finished...

Ye Xinglan's waist was bent down, a perfect ninety-degree bow, her golden hair falling down with the movement.

"Sorry."

The three words were squeezed out of her throat, their tone noticeably hoarse.

What happened before... was my fault.

"I shouldn't have been so arrogant, nor should I have... made malicious assumptions about others."

Huo Yuhao's eyes remained unmoved. He understood perfectly well what had made this proud Shrek Inner Court disciple so humble.

"The person you should apologize to is not me, but Sister Mu Xi."

Ye Xinglan's body stiffened slightly as she slowly straightened up, a picture of a girl with the same radiant golden hair as herself flashing through her mind.

Huo Yuhao's gaze swept over her still reddened eyes, and he said calmly, "This matter is no longer something that you or I can decide. Even if you apologize, it won't make a difference."

Having grown up in the Spirit Pagoda, Huo Yuhao has a certain understanding of the situation on the continent.

A failure that is magnified to an extreme involves far more than just personal honor and disgrace.

"I know..." She lowered her head, her voice as soft as a sigh, "It's too late to say anything now..."

Then she raised her head and looked at Huo Yuhao with a complicated expression. "But I'm here to sincerely... apologize."

After saying that, she bowed deeply to Huo Yuhao again, giving a second bow.

Then, without waiting for Huo Yuhao's response, she turned around and left with heavy steps.

The light cast her long shadow on the empty corridor wall.

The figure was no longer as upright as a sword, but appeared somewhat hunched, each step exuding an inescapable desolation and loneliness, and finally disappeared into the dim light around the corner.

Huo Yuhao silently watched the direction she disappeared in, thinking to himself, "If only I had known this would happen!"

Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion.

Light streamed through the old stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the dark wooden table.

Around the long table, in front of rows of high-backed chairs, sat the Elder of the Shrek Academy, powerful figures above the Titled Douluo!

The Sea God Pavilion Meeting is the supreme decision-making core of the Shrek Academy.

Apart from the regular meeting held every five years, only major events that shake the foundations of the academy or have far-reaching impacts can open this place and bring together the academy's Elder.

Today, the Sea God Pavilion Meeting was convened for one thing only: the unexpected defeat suffered by Skysea City.

A loss in a youth-level Exhibition Match is like a ripple on the sea, not worth mentioning.

However, this defeat was amplified and interpreted online, no longer just a matter of a few trainees winning or losing, but was given sensational headlines such as "The Shrek Myth Collapses" and "The Golden Generation Falls."

The uproar in public opinion can no longer be ignored.

Dean of the Outer Court Cai Yue'er of the Foreign Languages Department sat upright at the table, her face covered with a layer of frost.

"If this matter is not handled seriously to set the record straight, the academy's millennia-old reputation will suffer a severe blow!"

"The teachers and students involved must be severely punished as a warning to others!"

"Bang."

A dull thud, neither too loud nor too soft, was heard.

Zhuo Shi, sitting opposite her, slammed his teacup on the table, his brows furrowed with impatience. Shen Yi was his disciple.

"Dean Cai, why make such a fuss over nothing?"

"It's just a bunch of kids who lost a fight, is it really that big of a deal?"

"Making a mountain out of a molehill?"

Cai Yue'er immediately retorted, tapping her finger on the table. "You should take a look at the comments about Shrek online right now; nine out of ten of them are nothing but good stuff!"

"This is no small matter? This concerns the reputation of the academy, and the respect that the world has for Shrek!"

She paused, her eyes sharpening further. "What's more, if I remember correctly, Wu Changkong, the homeroom teacher of Class Zero who defeated my Shrek Team, is your prized student, isn't he?"

"If a student taught by your apprentice overturns the academy's reputation, you, as the teacher, cannot escape responsibility for oversight!"

Zhuo Shi's face darkened, and his mustache trembled slightly.

He naturally knew about Wu Changkong's affair, and he was even more aware of Cai Yue'er's intention to use this opportunity to her advantage.

He snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping towards the deepest part of the long table.

Yun Ming's eyes were slightly closed, as if he were lost in thought, and he did not utter a word about the dispute before him.

Seeing his reaction, Zhuo Shi swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue, leaned back heavily in his chair, and remained silent, though his expression remained grim.

Seeing the Zhuo Shi's troubles subside, a smug gleam flashed in Cai Yue'er's eyes, like a victorious rooster.

She cleared her throat and said, "Besides punishing the teachers and students involved, the best solution is to directly recruit those students from Class Zero of the Eastsea Academy into my Shrek Academy!"

"In this way, the one who defeats Shrek will ultimately become one of Shrek's people."

"Since we're all on the same side, the criticisms and ridicule from the outside world will naturally fall apart on their own, and it might even become a heartwarming story of a 'genius returning home'."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of several Elders on both sides of the long table flashed slightly, they exchanged glances, and slowly nodded.

This was indeed a shrewd strategy, which not only resolved the current public opinion crisis but also brought potential talents under its wing, achieving two goals at once.

Sensing the supportive atmosphere, Cai Yue'er seized the opportunity and moved to the main seat.

"Pavilion Master, there's no time to lose."

"I request permission to personally go to Skysea City to handle this matter and bring those students back to Shrek!"

Yun Ming remained calm, as if the outside comments had no effect on him whatsoever.

His fingertips lightly traced the ancient wood grain of the chair armrest, tapping it intermittently to produce a low, rhythmic "tap, tap" sound.

After a moment, the slightly closed eyes finally opened.

His gaze fell on Cai Yue'er, and he slowly spoke, "The rest of Class Zero are still negotiable, but that Huo Yuhao..."

He paused slightly. "It's impossible to actually Shrek Academy."

Upon hearing this, Cai Yue'er leaned forward slightly and said, "Pavilion Master, please believe in my abilities. As long as you explain the advantages and disadvantages and promise a bright future, how could Shrek possibly..."

She was interrupted by Yun Ming raising his hand before she could finish speaking.

"Huo Yuhao is a disciple of Heavenly Phoenix."

Yun Ming's words surprised everyone in the Sea God Pavilion.

The ten-year-old Soul Elder, possessing three astonishing Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, is a young genius named Huo Yuhao, who shares the same name as the Spirit Ice Douluo from ten thousand years ago. These Elder are also paying close attention to him.

Little did anyone expect that he was actually the disciple of the Sky Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaozhu!

No wonder the Pavilion Master asserted that he could not possibly "truly" Shrek.

As a core member of the Spirit Pagoda, he was naturally a member of the Spirit Pagoda.

"Snort!"

A clear, cold snort came from Yun Ming's left.

"The Spirit Pagoda... so what?"

"Ten thousand years ago, the founder of the Spirit Pagoda also graduated from the academy!"