The Victor's Bearing

When Elder Jin Peng led the Body Sect team back to the sect,

the many disciples who had remained behind had already gathered in the sect plaza and along both sides of the roads.

They watched their fellow sect members descend from the air or help one another down, their expressions exceedingly complicated.

Some wore undisguised jubilation and pride—Shrek!

"That's the number one academy on the continent! Yet our Body Sect beat them so badly that they suffered grievous losses, and even forced them to compensate us with supreme treasures!"

"This is a glorious achievement worthy of being recorded in the sect's history! Let's see who dares look down on our Body Sect from now on!"

Others looked on with fear and lingering dread as they saw familiar faces gravely wounded, hovering at death's door, or even already dead.

Seeing the savage wounds on the elders and their exhausted expressions, they truly understood the terrible price behind this "glory."

The stench of blood and death cast a heavy shadow even over the celebration.

More than anything, there was sorrow.

Especially when they saw the bodies of the fallen being solemnly carried back, covered by the sect flag.

As they saw the mutilated bodies and pale faces of their fellow disciples, cries of grief began to rise from the crowd, greatly diluting the joy of victory.

After Elder Jin Peng landed, he ignored the surrounding clamor and the varied looks directed at him.

His face was as cold as iron as he issued orders in an orderly manner:

"Immediately send the injured elders and disciples to the Medicine Hall. Spare no expense in treating them! Use the best medicine!"

"Elder Zhu's... remains are to be properly prepared according to the sect's highest standards. Set up a mourning hall and hold a sect-wide memorial ceremony on an appointed day."

"All other disciples who died in battle are to be registered and buried with the highest honors accorded to sect martyrs!"

"Their families and relatives are to be compensated and cared for by the Pension Hall according to the highest standards, ensuring they have no worries for the future!"

Order after order was given, and the personnel who had remained behind immediately became busy. Grief and solemnity temporarily overwhelmed the uproar of victory.

As for "Elder Zhu," the ninety-first-ranked Power Attack System Titled Douluo, known as Silver Belly, he had been killed by Elder Song in this battle.

Afterward.

Elder Jin Peng led Elder Wu and the others toward the sect's council hall.

The moment the doors slammed shut behind them with a rumble.

Elder Jin Peng, who had just stood straight-backed and imposing, suddenly swayed violently!

"Puh—!"

A great mouthful of dark-red blood, containing fragments of internal organs and dense Soul Power fluctuations, sprayed wildly from his mouth.

"Great Elder!"

"Great Elder!"

"Old Jin!"

The expressions of the elders present changed drastically. They cried out in alarm and hurried forward, supporting the staggering Jin Peng from both sides.

His face instantly turned as pale as gold paper, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

His aura withered at a speed visible to the naked eye. Where was even a trace of his previous dominance?

Jin Peng barely waved his hand, stopping their alarmed cries, yet he could not stop the blood from continuously spilling from his mouth.

After a long while.

He finally managed to steady his breathing and said, "Level ninety-six... against level ninety-eight... heh, how could it be easy?"

"That Xuan Zi... truly deserves to be a level ninety-eight Super Douluo... every strike was as heavy as a mountain... my internal organs..."

"Had long since been... injured in many places by his Soul Power... I was merely... forcing myself to hold on..."

Every few words he spoke, bloody froth spilled from the corners of his mouth.

The elders all sucked in a cold breath, their faces filled with shock.

They knew Xuan Zi was formidable, and they knew Elder Jin Peng had endured enormous pressure.

But they had never imagined that he had fought a powerful enemy two levels above him head-on, held out until the end, and had even briefly been no weaker than his opponent!

"As the Great Elder... and Vice Sect Master..." Jin Peng panted, a sharp light flashing through his eyes.

"If I had... shown even the slightest cowardice... or the slightest weakness... on the battlefield..."

"Would you... and the disciples behind you... still have had the courage to fight to the death? Would Shrek... have feared us?"

"And would Mu En... have offered such a heavy gift... to settle the matter?"

He paused, a complicated smile tugging at his lips. "Mu En... he is deeply calculating..."

"I'm afraid he had long seen... that I could not hold on much longer... the reason he offered such generous compensation..."

"On the surface, it was to preserve Shrek's hypocritical reputation... but in truth..."

Jin Peng's gaze dimmed slightly, yet also carried a trace of relief. "...it was also to use this generous gift... to buy out what remained between him and me over these past fifty-odd years..."

"That bit of old friendship... from now on, all debts of gratitude and resentment are severed... only sect interests... and positions remain..."

After saying this, he seemed to have exhausted his last strength. He began coughing violently again, blood pouring out once more.

"Quick! Send the Great Elder to the secret chamber to heal! Notify Elder Yu and have him personally act no matter what!"

Elder Wu shouted urgently, carefully helping Jin Peng up with another elder.

As he was about to be assisted out of the council hall, Jin Peng forced himself to retain his last shred of consciousness and instructed Wu Zheng.

"Old Wu, choose one of those two Spirit Bones... and send it to Elder Zhu's descendants... it can at least..."

"Repay... his contributions... to our sect..."

"As for that Immortal Herb and the other Spirit Bone... personally deliver them on my behalf to... Long Zhanye."

"Tell him that the sect exchanged them for him... with blood... I hope... he will not disappoint us..."

Elder Wu nodded, his voice firm. "Rest assured, Great Elder! Wu Zheng will certainly see this through! Please focus on healing!"

Watching Jin Peng hurriedly being taken away, Wu Zheng and the other elders could not hide the exhaustion and heaviness on their faces.

But soon.

When the disciples who had remained behind learned through various leaked channels of the devastating losses Shrek Academy had suffered in this conflict,

the outer academy disciples had been killed and wounded in great numbers, the inner academy elites had nearly been slaughtered to the last, and even two Titled Douluo had fallen.

The entire academy had suffered a crippling blow!

The entire Body Sect immediately erupted like cold water poured into boiling oil!

After the shock came incomparable pride and the ecstatic joy of finally holding their heads high!

"Hahaha! So even Shrek has this day!"

"Serves them right for being arrogant! For bullying our sect's genius! They finally kicked an iron plate!"

"Great Elder Golden Roc is mighty! Elder Wu is mighty! Long live the Body Sect!"

"Let's see who dares look down on us now! We dared fight Shrek, and we won!"

"This is what dominance means! This is what protecting one's own means! Following a sect like this is worth it!"

Excited discussions and cheers rang out throughout the sect.

Many disciples wore proud expressions as though they shared in the glory, walking with their backs straighter than ever.

Some even began imagining, "This was only with the Great Elder leading the team!"

"If our Sect Master comes out of seclusion and learns about this... heh, will Shrek still have anything good coming its way?"

"I'm afraid the compensation will have to increase several times over!!"

After this battle, the Body Sect had displayed an unprecedentedly domineering and untouchable image.

Although the price had also been extremely heavy, at least for a short time, no one would dare casually provoke them again.