Elder Token, Undercurrents

About a month after Chen Jieqi and the others returned to Tiantou City from Suotuo City.

Shrek Academy welcomed a group of uninvited guests.

That evening, before the sunset had fully faded, the horizon was ablaze with dark red clouds.

The academy gate was pushed open from the outside.

Not knocked, but pushed!

The wooden door slammed against the wall with a dull thud.

Flender rushed out of the house immediately.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw four people filing in.

Leading them was a middle-aged man wearing a red Cardinal robe; his face was gaunt, his eye sockets deeply sunken, and a faint, mocking smile hung at the corners of his mouth.

Behind him followed three men, their steps uniform and their auras steady—all of them were Spirit Saints.

Flender's brows furrowed, and his left hand instinctively adjusted his glasses.

The moment the Cardinal stepped through the gate, the three Spirit Saints behind him simultaneously released their spirit power pressure.

That pressure was like an invisible wall, crushing toward them; Flender and Zhao Wuji were forced to take half a step back.

Blue veins instantly bulged on Flender's forehead, and Zhao Wuji's fists were clenched tight.

The air seemed to solidify, making even breathing difficult, as if a heavy stone were pressing against their chests.

The students hiding behind them didn't dare to make a sound; Ma Hongjun's face turned bright red, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.

Oscar's legs were trembling, and he instinctively took a step back, bumping into Ning Rongrong behind him.

Ning Rongrong didn't speak, only biting her lip, her eyes fixed intently on the Cardinal.

Tang San stood motionless, but he could feel that pressure pricking his skin like needles, causing the Eight Spider Lances on his back to vibrate involuntarily.

The Cardinal scanned the area, and the smile at the corners of his mouth finally deepened.

"Dean Flender."

His voice was not loud, but in the silent courtyard, every word could be heard clearly.

"I've heard much about you."

Flender took a deep breath, suppressing his surging spirit power, and said in a deep voice, "What brings people from Martial Soul Hall to my humble place?"

"What brings us here?"

The Cardinal chuckled.

"Dean Flender, there is no need to be nervous. I am here for only two things."

He held up two fingers.

"First, Tang San of your academy displayed an External Spirit Bone at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City.

According to the rules of Martial Soul Hall, all External Spirit Bones belonging to spirit masters must be registered with Martial Soul Hall."

He paused.

"I have come today to invite Tang San to return to Martial Soul City with me to complete the registration."

Flender's expression darkened.

"Second,"

The Cardinal's voice turned colder.

"The vice dean of Shrek Academy, Zhao Wuji, was once a fugitive wanted by Martial Soul Hall for many years.

Back then, he ran rampant in the spirit master world under the name 'Immovable Bright King,' repeatedly challenging experts of Martial Soul Hall and damaging the reputation of Martial Soul Hall, eventually escaping the encirclement of sixteen bishops and disappearing for ten years."

His gaze moved past Flender and landed on Zhao Wuji by the wall.

"Zhao Wuji, did you really think that by hiding in this dump, no one would recognize you?"

Zhao Wuji did not speak.

His fists clenched even tighter, and the veins spread from the back of his hands up to his forearms.

His dark face began to flush, but he did not move.

The Cardinal withdrew his gaze and looked back at Flender.

"Dean Flender, I will give you two paths.

First, hand over Tang San and let him return to Martial Soul City with me for registration and investigation. As for Zhao Wuji's matter, I can let bygones be bygones.

Second..."

His voice dropped, becoming even colder.

"I am uprooting Shrek Academy on the charge of 'harboring a wanted criminal.'

You, Zhao Wuji, and all these students of yours—none of you are getting away."

A deathly silence fell over the courtyard.

Flender stood before the door, his face ashen.

His lips moved, but he could not utter a word; it was true that Zhao Wuji had once been a wanted criminal of Martial Soul Hall, and he had indeed been aware of it.

Once this leverage was confirmed, the entire academy would be unable to escape the consequences.

The Cardinal watched his expression, his smile deepening.

"Dean Flender, you wouldn't be so unwise, would you?

To sacrifice the entire academy for the sake of one student?"

Just then, a voice came from behind.

"What if I do not agree?"

Everyone was stunned.

Yu Xiaogang walked out of the house; his pace was slow, but every step was steady.

His face was pale and his hands trembled slightly, but he did not retreat.

He walked to Flender's side and stood firm.

He hesitated for a moment; when Tang Hao had given him this token, he had said, "Do not bring it out unless it is an absolute last resort."

Immediately, he took the token out from his Soul Tool.

The token was pitch black, its edges carved with intricate patterns, and on the front was nothing but a hammer.

Yu Xiaogang's movements were slow, as if he were performing a task of great solemnity.

His hands were shaking, but he did not hesitate.

The moment the token was revealed, the Cardinal's expression froze.

His pupils constricted sharply, and the trace of a smile at the corners of his mouth vanished completely.

His gaze was fixed intently on the token, as if he had seen something that should not exist.

He recognized this token. The entire spirit master world recognized it.

This was an Elder Token of Martial Soul Hall, of which only six existed in total, with the Upper Three Sects each holding one:

The Clear Sky Hammer, the Seven Kill Sword, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

Each one represented the will of a Title Douluo.

And the one in his hand was the one from the Clear Sky Sect.

It had once belonged to the Clear Sky Douluo—Tang Hao.

The muscles in the Cardinal's back tightened abruptly, and he instinctively scanned his surroundings.

His gaze swept across every window, every shadow, and every patch of darkness, as if that man might step out from some corner at any moment.

He could disregard Yu Xiaogang's influence, but he could not disregard a Title Douluo who might appear at any time.

Especially the youngest Title Douluo on the continent, the Clear Sky Douluo who had hammered the previous Pope to death.

"Grandmaster, you..."

The Cardinal's voice had changed; it was no longer filled with contempt, but with an irrepressible wariness.

Yu Xiaogang looked at him and said, word by word, "I guarantee with this Elder Token that neither Tang San nor Zhao Wuji have any issues.

As for Zhao Wuji's arrest warrant, go back and tell Bibi Dong to come and talk to me about it herself."

The entire scene was deathly silent.

The Cardinal stared fixedly at the token, his chest heaving violently.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he merely waved his hand fiercely.

"Let's go."

He turned and strode toward the courtyard gate, the three Spirit Saints following behind him, their pace much faster than when they had arrived.

When he reached the gate, the Cardinal stopped and looked back.

"Grandmaster,"

His voice had regained its calm, but it carried a hint of coldness, "You can protect him for a moment, but you cannot protect him for a lifetime.

And Zhao Wuji's arrest warrant will not disappear just because of a token."

Then he left, the four of them vanishing into the night as suddenly as they had arrived.

The courtyard gate closed once more, and the yard remained deathly silent.

No one spoke.

Flender stood where he was, his back already soaked through with cold sweat.

Zhao Wuji leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the ground, bracing his forehead with both hands as his shoulders trembled slightly.

Tang San stood in place, his fingernails digging into his palms; his face was pale, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Blood seeped from between his fingers, dripping onto the ground one drop at a time, blooming into dark red stains.

Like a blossoming spider lily, he felt no pain.

There was only a voice in the depths of his heart asking, "Why me? Why is the Martial Soul Hall targeting me? Is it the External Spirit Bone? Or... something else?"

For the first time, he realized with such clarity that without strength, one does not even have the right to choose.

Zhao Wuji stood up without a word, walked back into the house, and closed the door.

Flender stood outside the door and heard a very faint sound from within, like a fist striking a wall.

He raised his hand to knock, then lowered it again; he stood at the doorway, silent for a long time.

That night, Ning Rongrong lay in bed, her eyes unfocused, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

She recalled the way Chen Jieqi looked at her—calm, equal, without the obsequiousness of those who knew she was the daughter of Sect Master Ning, nor any less patience for her arrogance.

She had previously thought it was just lecturing, but now she suddenly realized that when that person looked at her, there was no Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in his eyes, no "daughter of Sect Master Ning."

There was only her.

She turned over and buried her face in her pillow; she did not know what she was thinking, but she knew that she wanted to go and see Tiantou City.

But the peace at Shrek only lasted for three days.