Mu En's Decision, the Grudge from Ten Thousand Years Ago Shouldn't Be Borne by Those Who Came After

Yan Shaozhe frowned and was about to argue, but Xuan Zi continued:

"Besides, from what I understand, Su Chen currently sees Shrek Academy as nothing more than a place to study, not as some 'glory' he needs to defend with his life!" He deliberately emphasized the word "glory."

At those words, all the elders furrowed their brows and fell silent.

Su Chen's Martial Soul was too astonishing, and he was of immense importance to the academy. But the fact that he had no "Shrek glory" in his mind was indeed a major problem.

If they raised a genius who didn't identify with the academy or protect it, they might as well not raise him at all.

"So," Xuan Zi said, seeing that his words had struck a chord, his tone growing even more smug, "rather than raise an ingrate, we should make other plans sooner rather than later."

He paused, a glint flashing in his eyes. "In my opinion, since this kid is gifted and has a special Martial Soul, why not... 'tie him down' to Shrek?"

"Tie him down?" one elder asked in confusion. "How?"

Xuan Zi grinned, his smile a little lecherous. "Simple. Find a few female students who are talented and beautiful, and send them to his side. Let them grow close to Su Chen. Ideally, he'll fall for one or two of them and take one as his partner."

"Once he has someone to care about, he'll naturally stay at Shrek. And even..." Xuan Zi lowered his voice. "Have him father a few children. The Angel Martial Soul can be inherited. Then our Shrek will have its own line of Angel Martial Souls!"

His words were blunt and calculating.

Several elders looked displeased, but on second thought... it didn't seem entirely out of the question.

"Xuan Zi!" Elder Song frowned and rebuked him. "What kind of thing is that to say? Are you treating students like commodities?"

"Elder Song, that's not fair." Xuan Zi argued with conviction. "I'm doing this all for the academy! That kid Su Chen has an Ultimate Attribute and a Six-Winged Angel. Once he becomes a Titled Douluo or even a Super Douluo, almost no one will be able to stop him. What if he turns against Shrek then? What do we do?"

"So we should take advantage of the moment and bind him tightly to Shrek's chariot. Affection is the best shackle, and children are the strongest bonds. What's wrong with that?"

The atmosphere in the meeting hall grew awkward.

"Enough."

Mu En's voice rang out. It wasn't loud, yet the entire meeting hall fell silent at once.

Everyone turned to look at the old man in the seat of honor.

Mu En slowly opened his eyes. His seemingly cloudy gaze swept over the others before settling on Xuan Zi. "Xuan Zi, your concerns aren't without reason. But the grudges from ten thousand years ago shouldn't be borne by those who came after."

His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority. "Su Chen currently sees Shrek Academy as nothing more than a place to study, not as a place he must defend with his life. That's perfectly normal. He's only been at the academy for a few days."

His words left all the elders deep in thought.

Indeed, Su Chen had only been at Shrek for a few days. How could he possibly understand the weight behind the words "Shrek glory"? Expecting him to give everything for the academy already was simply unrealistic.

Yan Shaozhe seized the chance to add, "Teacher is right. Su Chen's sense of belonging to the academy is indeed weak right now, but that isn't his fault. As long as we nurture him well and help him truly become part of the academy, he'll naturally come to understand the glory of Shrek."

Mu En waved a hand, signaling for him to be quiet.

With everyone watching, Mu En continued, his tone carrying unquestionable authority. "What we need to do now is let Su Chen stay at the academy, study in peace, and grow. Don't let excessive measures make him resent the academy."

His tone grew stern. "As long as Su Chen doesn't do anything too outrageous, there's no need to interfere. Give him space, give him resources, and give him respect."

"Only then will he have a chance to gradually understand what Shrek glory means. Otherwise, it'll all be empty talk and wasted effort."

Mu En's words settled the matter.

Xuan Zi wanted to argue, but when he saw the other elders nodding in agreement, he could only close his mouth in frustration and pick up another chicken leg to gnaw on. The force of his bite, however, clearly showed his displeasure.

Mu En slowly closed his eyes. "If there are no other opinions, then this meeting is adjourned."

"Yes!"

The others replied in unison, then rose one after another and left the meeting hall.

Half a month passed quietly amid intense study and cultivation.

In Class Nine's classroom, Mu Jin stood at the lectern. Her expression was as gentle as ever, but her eyes held a touch more solemnity.

"Class is suspended for today."

She looked around at the hundred young faces in the classroom, her voice ringing clearly in every corner. "It's been two months since the start of the school year. In another month, you'll face your first major test at Shrek Academy—the Freshman Assessment."

A slight commotion immediately rose in the classroom. Everyone knew how important the Freshman Assessment was: it would determine whether they could officially become first-year students and truly establish themselves at Shrek Academy.

Mu Jin raised a hand to quiet everyone and continued, "Only by passing the assessment can you officially become first-year students and truly become members of Shrek Academy. If all goes as expected, you'll be able to stay and cultivate here at least until your first-year graduation exam."

She paused, her tone turning serious. "This assessment will test not only what you've learned over the past two months, but also your combat ability, teamwork, and adaptability. I hope you prepare in advance. Don't wait until the last minute to cram."

As she spoke, Mu Jin's gaze swept, seemingly at random, over Su Chen, Ning Tian, Wang Dong, and several other exceptionally gifted students. A hint of anticipation flickered in her eyes.

After class, the students gathered in groups of three or four to discuss the assessment. The mood was both tense and excited.

Wang Dong sidled up to Su Chen and blinked. "Su Chen, the Freshman Assessment requires teams of three. How about we team up with Xiao Xiao? I think the three of us would work perfectly together!"

Su Chen packed up his books without looking up. "Sure."

"Then it's settled!" Wang Dong clapped her hands happily, then remembered something. "By the way, how's your cultivation been lately? I feel like your Soul Power's getting stronger and stronger."

Su Chen paused. "Not bad."

He didn't say much. In fact, after half a month of intense cultivation, on top of what he'd built up before, his Soul Power had reached the peak of Level 29. He was only one step away from Level 30.

That evening, in Dormitory 108.

Su Chen sat cross-legged on his bed, a faint golden glow enveloping him. His breathing was long and even. With each breath, tiny golden motes passed in and out of his mouth and nose, as if he were breathing in light.

In the Sea of Consciousness, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm rolled around idly. Suddenly, it sensed something and jerked its head up.

"Huh? This fluctuation..."

Outside, the Soul Power within Su Chen surged like boiling water, churning violently.

Boom!

An invisible wave of air spread out from Su Chen, whipping the curtains into a flurry. His aura suddenly soared, and golden light blazed around him. Behind his back, the faint silhouettes of three pairs of angel wings appeared. They vanished in a flash, yet the entire room filled with a sacred aura.