Xuan Zi's Punishment

Xuan Zi flew at incredible speed. In less than half a day, he had brought Yao Haoxuan back to Shrek Academy.

After handing him over to the Inner Court's Healing Type Soul Masters, Yao Haoxuan's injuries and condition quickly stabilized.

Although the casualties this time were not as severe as in the original story, Xuan Zi was still in for a fierce scolding. After all, this was not the first time he had made such a mistake.

Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion.

At that moment, there were only two people in the enormous conference room. The sun was setting, and dim twilight streamed through the windows, blanketing most of the room.

Xuan Zi looked at the elderly man reclining in a lounge chair. The old man was gaunt and withered, as though he might pass away at any moment. His eyes were shut, as if he were merely dozing. Xuan Zi lowered his head in silence. Or perhaps he truly did not know what he should say at this moment.

Should he repent? Confess his mistakes?

Or should he simply give up and act like an unyielding rogue who did not care what anyone said?

He knew that no matter what he did, it would be of no use before the old man in front of him—Mu En, his junior granduncle and the Sea God Pavilion Master.

What Xuan Zi thought and did would only affect juniors who held him in awe, or the pavilion elders who valued his formidable strength.

The wine gourd that Xuan Zi usually carried in his hand at all times now hung from his waist. His usually greasy hands were, for once, clean.

Even his messy hair and ragged, grease-stained clothes had been tidied up.

Xuan Zi, the Taotie Douluo, had always been arrogant and overbearing, relying on his strength as a Super Douluo. Yet before Mu En, he now presented such a posture.

Xuan Zi did not speak, and Mu En remained silent for a long time as well. They faced one another: Xuan Zi standing, Mu En reclining. Thus, silence lingered between them for a long while.

At last, the elder in the lounge chair let out a faint sigh. His aged voice carried helplessness as he said, "Xuan Zi, Xuan Zi... what am I supposed to say about you?"

"On the eve of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, you have gone and done me a great favor again. Main Team member Dai Yueheng is dead, and Yao Haoxuan is seriously injured. You really know how to set a problem for me. You have truly given me a difficult one."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Zi's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat.

"I know well the flaw of your martial soul. The Godly Taotie Bull, which bears the bloodline of Taotie, one of the Dragon's Nine Sons from legend—under the influence of your martial soul, the craving deep within your bloodline leaves you needing to eat constantly."

"But eating is merely an influence of your martial soul. Even if you do not eat, it will not weaken your body or cause your Soul Power to regress. At most, you will only be somewhat listless."

"Xuan Zi, do you know why I have had you personally train the students representing the academy in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament for the past fifty years?"

"It is because I wanted you—and needed you—to learn something from these children. Of the things you have taught them, how many have you truly put into practice yourself?"

"Ever since what happened to that child Lexuan, you have become negligent even in teaching and watching over the Main Team disciples. What exactly do you want?"

"Do you want to say that you cannot bear such responsibility? Or are you dissatisfied with me—with this Pavilion Master who hopes you will contribute to Shrek Academy, with this junior granduncle who asked you to change your temperament?"

"At our level of strength, whether it is a martial soul or a bloodline, its influence on a Soul Master's personality is not impossible to overcome. It merely depends on whether the Soul Master himself has the intention and will to do so."

"Are you incapable of doing it, or do you simply believe there is no need for you to do it?"

At this point, Mu En opened his eyes. His formerly cloudy old gaze was now indescribably clear. Under that seemingly scrutinizing stare, Xuan Zi lowered his head even further.

"How many years have we known each other? One hundred? Or two hundred?" Mu En's aged voice took on a trace of authority.

By seniority, although Mu En and Xuan Zi were nearly the same age, Mu En was Xuan Zi's junior granduncle. Moreover, so few of their generation remained in Shrek Academy that this junior granduncle carried even greater weight in Xuan Zi's heart.

"Before Senior Brother passed away, he instructed me to make sure I trained you well. With your martial soul and talent, you were more than capable of holding up the sky for Shrek Academy once more and buying the academy at least another fifty years."

"That was what I believed back then, and that was what I did. That is why you became vice commander of the Shrek Monitoring Group, and why you became the leading pavilion elder for Shrek Academy's delegation in these ten Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournaments."

"Every one of those positions represented the hopes I placed in you. With your talent, you should have broken through to the ultimate realm long ago. Then I could have relaxed a little. But why have you not broken through?"

"You remain stuck at the bottleneck of Rank 98. Do you really not know the reason?"

"Do you not know, or do you not wish to face it?"

Xuan Zi's body trembled slightly at those words, but he did not dare reply.

"Impulsive by nature, petty, unwilling to correct your mistakes, and always throwing your seniority around."

"All these years, you have constantly spoken of Shrek Academy's glory. But how have you actually put it into practice?"

"Is Shrek Academy's glory merely capital for you to flaunt at every moment? Is the glory of Shrek Academy and the disciples of Shrek Academy, to you, less important than a mouthful of food?"

"I do not wish to bring up what happened to Lexuan again. This time, it was another Shrek Monitoring Group mission led by you."

"Certainly, from the day the Shrek Monitoring Group was founded, every member swore an oath and formed a pact. Everyone was prepared to die for the glory of Shrek Academy."

"I believe that child Dai Yueheng had long possessed such resolve. But this should not have happened here—should not have happened while you, Shrek Academy's second strongest, Xuan Zi, vice commander of the Shrek Monitoring Group, were leading the team!"

At this moment, only Mu En and Xuan Zi were in Sea God Pavilion, which was why Mu En could speak so bluntly.

Sacrifice was indeed something everyone in the Shrek Monitoring Group had prepared for. Yet who was sacrificed, the circumstances they were in, and the mission they carried out naturally made an enormous difference to the outcome.

The difficulty of this mission had not actually been high. It was merely a band of wandering bandits, with the strongest among them only a Soul King. Even if their abilities were unusual, the one leading the team had been a Super Douluo.

By all rights, this mission should not have incurred the slightest loss. It should have served as a shot of confidence for Shrek Academy's Main Team and as a means to intimidate the other teams in this tournament.

Yet the result was one dead and one injured. The dead man had even been the eldest son of Duke White Tiger. The venue for this tournament was Star Luo City, and Duke White Tiger would certainly attend. This was undoubtedly a painful lesson for both the White Tiger lineage and Shrek Academy.

That was why, though Mu En's words were not loud, they struck Xuan Zi's heart like a heavy hammer.

There was no one else present, so Mu En did not need to consider either his own status or Xuan Zi's. He did not speak in the grandiose formalities of courtesy, but spoke to Xuan Zi from the heart.

As Sea God Pavilion Master, Mu En truly hoped that Xuan Zi, the future strongest of Shrek Academy, would be able to shoulder the responsibility of supporting Shrek Academy.

"Again and again, Xuan Zi, you have truly disappointed me."

"The position of Sea God Pavilion Master represents not merely Shrek Academy's greatest combat strength. It also represents the true authority who oversees the bigger picture and guides Shrek Academy's direction."

"And now, I truly no longer have the confidence to entrust this responsibility to you. I no longer have the time to guide you."

"I thought that what happened to Lexuan and the others would serve as a warning, forcing you to confront the flaw in your martial soul, overcome it through your will, and use that to break through and take the final step."

"But what have you done these past few years? You have drifted through your days in a daze. How can I possibly feel at ease handing everything in Shrek Academy over to you like this?"

"Junior Granduncle..." Xuan Zi replied softly.

"And do not tell me that you had nothing to do with the Martial Soul Department excluding the Soul Engineering Department within the academy." Before Xuan Zi could finish, Mu En forcefully cut him off and continued.

"..." Xuan Zi lowered his head and said nothing.

"This world is changing. Once the torrent of the times arrives, it is not something any single person or force can resist."

"Even Shrek Academy, if it does not keep pace with the development of the times and advance proactively, may very well be submerged beneath the tides of the era. Or rather, that will be the inevitable result."

"How could that be? Shrek Academy..." Xuan Zi was clearly unconvinced upon hearing this, and even wanted to argue with Mu En.

However, Mu En's next words, calm yet carrying absolute authority, left Xuan Zi feeling as though a bone were lodged in his throat.

"I personally visited the Sun Moon Empire once. There, I saw many things that shocked even me."

"Over the past thirty years, Soul Tools have changed with each passing day. In the Sun Moon Empire, I even saw an enormous Soul Tool requiring multiple people to operate it. That thing could even threaten my life."

"Beyond that, the Sun Moon Empire has continued developing and researching low- and mid-level Soul Tools. The gap in Soul Tools between the Sun Moon Empire and the three original nations of the Douluo Continent, including Shrek Academy, is now far greater than anyone imagines."

"With such prospects for development, combined with the Sun Moon Empire's immense national power, it is foreseeable that the Sun Moon Empire will inevitably wage war once again in the future. After I die, if Shrek Academy has not changed and has not taken this seriously, then it will not be far from destruction."

Though he said this, Mu En's expression was exceedingly calm and tranquil, as if it had nothing to do with him.

"What? Junior Granduncle, you... could it be?" Xuan Zi's eyes widened in disbelief.

"That is right. The hidden injuries in my body are nearly beyond suppression. In truth, I do not have much time left."

"And in my view, both you and Shaozhe are too petty and too rigid. Neither of you can shoulder such a great responsibility."

Mu En turned toward the pavilion window and gazed at the endless Seagod Lake outside. Countless memories surged through his heart.

Mu En was the Sea God Pavilion Master and bore the bloodline of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. He had been born in this academy and grown up in this academy. He had devoted his entire life to it. Two hundred and fifty years was already far too long for an ordinary person.

For the academy, he had given up his former love. For the academy, he had also abandoned the closest friend he had once known. He had given too much to this academy, leaving behind too many regrets and too many lingering attachments.

Even now, on the verge of death, he could no longer stop himself from considering the academy's future. If he could not leave behind a path for the academy's continuation, he would remain unwilling even after death.

That was why, even though Mu En could now see the deeply rooted flaws within the academy, and even though he could perceive that Shrek Academy's existence and educational model were no longer suited to this era, he still wished to do everything he could to extend Shrek Academy's life.

"This time, Dai Yueheng died during a Shrek Monitoring Group mission. You will personally go and apologize to Duke White Tiger. No matter what, you must obtain Duke White Tiger's forgiveness."

"As for the two vacant student positions, give them to the Reserve Team children. Treat it as an opportunity for them to gain experience."

"From now on, visit the Soul Engineering Department more often. Get the resources between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Engineering Department flowing, and allow them to integrate to a certain degree. I want to see every child in the Shrek Monitoring Group equipped with practical Soul Tools."

"If there had been defensive Soul Tools this time, then even if you had not been there, I believe that child Dai Yueheng might not have ended up in such a state."

"Yes, Elder Mu." Xuan Zi drew a deep breath and said nothing more.

"Also, give more resources as compensation to that Inner Court Disciple from the Soul Engineering Department whom you eliminated. He is a fairly good prospect as well. Being kicked off the Main Team this time must have dealt him a heavy blow. He deserves this."

In the end, Mu En still chose to let the matter pass, raising the issue high but setting it down lightly. He did not impose any further punishment or discipline upon Xuan Zi.

Xuan Zi secretly let out a breath of relief as well, though he did not dare show it on his face. He hurriedly left Sea God Pavilion.

After all, the things Mu En had asked him to do at the end were not particularly difficult. It was merely an apology. Would Duke White Tiger really dare show displeasure toward a dignified Super Douluo like him?

As for the relationship between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Engineering Department, he was only an elder. To truly implement it, it would still depend on the four vice deans and deans of the Outer Court's Martial Soul Department and Soul Engineering Department.