The sincere guidance of a Limit Douluo was indeed highly tempting, but only tempting.
If Mu En had still been in his prime and could live for several more decades, or even a century, Ning Que would definitely have let Guyi take him as her master without hesitation.
At the very least, before Guyi matured, Mu En could have offered her protection.
The problem was, how much longer could Mu En hold on?
Taking him as her master would not only bring few benefits, but would instead cause unnecessary trouble.
Because of Guyi's background, Mu En could not possibly treat her as he had treated Huo Yuhao in the original story. Naturally, that precious Dragon Core could not be passed down to her either.
Otherwise, Ning Que would have agreed to the request for the Dragon Core alone.
"Dragon God Lord, I will not beat around the bush."
"The last time Shrek Academy humiliated our Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, we let the matter go for the sake of our shared ancestor and even offered assistance afterward."
"Who would have thought that some teachers within the academy would truly treat our Nine Treasures Glazed Sect as a soft target? Not only did they deliberately make things difficult for us, they even sought to destroy our sect's legacy."
"This matter cannot simply be let go!"
"Two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones. One from a soul beast with a golden bloodline, and one from a gemstone-type soul beast."
"Furthermore, this junior boldly wishes to study Your Excellency's cultivation insights on condensing Dual Soul Cores."
Though Ning Que spoke calmly, his words clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
In an instant, the room fell silent.
The next moment, every senior elder erupted in rage.
Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe in particular.
"You have some nerve, brat. Do you truly think Shrek Academy is so easy to bully?"
"Do not forget that you are still a student of Shrek Academy. Do you believe I will not expel you right now and announce it to the public?"
Yan Shaozhe flew into a furious rage.
He had not yet recovered from the heartache of being extorted out of so many precious items by the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect last time.
How long had it been? Yet someone from the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect actually dared to make such an arrogant demand again.
Most importantly, Ning Que dared to speak such outrageous words with only two Title Douluo at his side.
He truly did not know the meaning of death.
"Dean Yan, this is the second time today that you have wanted to kill me."
"If I were not still a Shrek student, we would not be sitting here negotiating today."
Faced with Yan Shaozhe's furious roar, Ning Que's eyes instantly turned icy.
Before he could say anything else, Yang Duo slowly rose from his seat.
He truly wanted to test whether this Rank 95 Title Douluo could withstand the sharp edge of his Soul-Breaking Spear.
Boom!
At that moment, a deep boom rang out. Xuan Zi, who had been about to seize Ning Que, was slammed into the ground by Mu En's palm.
He had come within a hair's breadth.
Had Mu En not intervened in time, Xuan Zi would have succeeded just now.
Indeed, that would have resolved the immediate problem.
But what about afterward?
Not only would they face the furious wrath of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, Shrek Academy's reputation would also be utterly ruined.
Other factions sent their family's outstanding disciples to Shrek Academy because they trusted Shrek Academy.
It was already terrible enough for a student to suffer an accident within the academy. If word spread that an academy teacher had attacked a student, who would dare send their outstanding disciples to Shrek Academy again?
Those two fools had failed to see the crux of the matter entirely.
"Tea... Teacher..."
Seeing Mu En suppress Xuan Zi with a single slap, Yan Shaozhe, who had just wanted to kill someone, no longer dared say another word.
"Hundred Thousand Year gemstone-type Soul Bones are far too rare. Shrek Academy does not have a second one, so we will replace it with another Soul Bone. Rest assured, its quality will not be inferior."
"As for this old man's experience in condensing Dual Soul Cores, it would be best if it could offer you children some help."
Mu En spoke in a deep voice. This time, he was thoroughly imposing his will and making the final decision himself.
"Thank you, Dragon God Lord!"
Ning Que rose and performed a rather peculiar fist-and-palm salute.
Mu En did not quite understand what it meant.
Shortly afterward, the group left.
Mu En, however, did not leave the Sea God Pavilion.
The meeting continued.
The matter with the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect had indeed been settled, but that did not mean all other matters had been completely resolved.
Not to mention the Mysterious Underworld Sect and the Clear Sky Sect. How could those be handled so easily?
Though the Mysterious Underworld Sect was not as powerful as the Clear Sky Sect or the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, it was still not to be underestimated.
Most importantly, the Sun Moon Empire was watching them like a tiger eyeing its prey. If we of the Douluo Three Kingdoms did not unite, could we truly withstand it when the Sun Moon Empire launched a full-scale invasion?
"Duoduo, bring an eighty-thousand-year Soul Bone when you visit the Mysterious Underworld Sect."
After some thought, Mu En issued another order.
As for the Clear Sky Sect, he likewise planned to offer a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
This was Shrek Academy's stance.
Thinking of how they had nearly emptied half of Shrek Academy's reserves during this period, Mu En felt a surge of anger.
If it had not been inconvenient for him to act, he would have given Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe a profound lesson no matter what.
Ning Que's group left the academy and returned to the Nine Treasures Chamber of Commerce.
"Young Master, why does this matter seem so strange at every turn?"
Once they reached their own territory, Jin Heng could no longer hold back and voiced the doubt in his heart.
He had felt that everything about today's matter was peculiar.
Even if they had been in the right, Shrek Academy should not have acted this way. Nor should Mu En, as a Limit Douluo, have been so agreeable.
"Elder Jin, there is nothing strange about it. Mu En's generosity is, on one hand, meant to resolve the conflict and show our Nine Treasures Glazed Sect that they intend to advance and retreat alongside us from now on. On the other hand, he is using this opportunity to reorganize Shrek Academy from within and achieve his own goals."
"Even without our Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, there would have been the Clear Sky Sect. What he needed was an opportunity, an excuse, one that would allow him to suppress the academy's other Title Douluo. We were indeed fortunate to benefit from this, but it is also because our Nine Treasures Glazed Sect has now grown powerful."
"While gaining these benefits, we must also bear the resentment and hostility of Shrek's many Title Douluo. He is using two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones to shift the internal conflict outward."
"Please think about it, Elder Jin. Why did Mu En never mention that student called He Caitou from beginning to end, when He Caitou was clearly the true culprit?"
Ning Que smiled as he explained the situation to Jin Heng.
It was not actually complicated. Many people merely lacked information and knew nothing about many matters, so they could not see the full picture.
As for him, because he knew the entire plot, he was able to cooperate with Mu En, take on the risks, and gain benefits at the same time.
"Using this to reform the academy, break Shrek Academy's deadlock, and elevate the Soul Guidance Department's status?"
Jin Heng quickly understood the reason behind it.
"Not just that!"
Ning Que spoke again, but his gaze turned toward the distant direction of the Sun Moon Empire.
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