Xuanzi: What do you mean, "don't bicker with me"?

"Lexuan! You haven't recovered from your severe injuries, what are you doing!"

Zhang Lexuan ignored Yan Shaozhe. With reddened eyes, she forcibly suppressed the images of those faces that had once been so full of life.

Having been raised by Shrek since she was a child, her mind was already deeply ingrained with the belief that the overall situation of Shrek was more important than life itself.

She spoke slowly in a weak, trembling voice:

"Xuan Zi... Dean Shaozhe is right, you cannot leave.

Our junior brothers and sisters have already sacrificed themselves; if you leave because of this, and the academy loses its pillar of support, their spirits in heaven will never rest in peace.

Lexuan begs you, please stay..."

Watching Zhang Lexuan kneeling before him, unable to rise, Xuan Zi's footsteps, which had been set to leave, froze in mid-air before he gently set them down.

He looked up, and a single tear of an old man slid silently from the corner of his eye.

Then, Xuan Zi let out a heavy sigh and slowly helped Zhang Lexuan to her feet.

It was as if he were doing it to live up to the expectations of the inner court children, and as if he were doing it to honor the pleas of everyone in the Sea God Pavilion.

His tone was filled with helplessness:

"Lexuan, you child... if you have something to say, just say it, why kneel?

I will agree to your request. Let me use this broken body to atone for my own sins!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the Sea God Pavilion instantly softened. The previous deathly silence transformed into a celebratory mood, with everyone praising Xuan Zi for his self-sacrifice for the sake of the academy's future.

It was as if the deaths of those students were no longer important, as long as Xuan Zi remained here...

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Just at this touching moment of half-hearted persuasion, a sudden, crisp sound of applause rang out from outside the door.

It instantly shattered the newly warmed atmosphere, and everyone turned back in astonishment.

They saw the doors open, and Long Yaochen walked in with a leisurely gait, clapping his hands while bringing a bewildered Ma Xiaotao with him.

He knew the people of Shrek wouldn't disappoint him.

And here it was—this nauseating display of self-indulgent sentimentality was truly more than Long Yaochen could stomach.

Admittedly, given Shrek's current state of lacking successors, even if Xuan Zi had committed a grave error, he would still be begged by everyone to stay.

But... what the hell did that have to do with him!

He wasn't a member of Shrek; he had no interest in Shrek's rise, fall, or "overall situation."

The story of "putting down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot" didn't work on him!

The confusion on everyone's faces caused a sneer of undisguised mockery to curl the corners of Long Yaochen's mouth.

"Brilliant, truly brilliant." Long Yaochen's mocking voice echoed through the Sea God Pavilion. "You get eight inner court geniuses killed, shed two tears, try to wash your hands of it, and then get begged by the victims to stay."

"You Shrek people are truly invincible; such a peerless 'divine' man can still be entrusted with heavy responsibilities.

What? Are you not afraid that the next time he leads a team, he'll send the entire Shrek Academy to their graves in one go?"

As he spoke, Long Yaochen walked up to Xuan Zi, his tone laced with a mocking smile:

"Xuan Zi, a talent like you—I feel it's a waste to stay at Shrek.

Have you heard of the Holy Spirit Cult?

I have connections; I can recommend you to be their Great Elder!"

"You... brat!" Xuan Zi's entire disheveled face flushed red.

Having been away from the academy for the past few days, he naturally didn't know who the other party was, but for a kid who hadn't even grown his hair out yet to dare insult him like this—

It was simply outrageous!

He released the pressure of a ninety-eighth-rank Super Douluo instantly, causing everyone present to choke on their breath.

Xuan Zi was going to get serious!

But this person really couldn't be touched!

However, this bone-chilling pressure landed on Long Yaochen as if a clay dragon had entered the sea, vanishing without a trace.

Because after the pressure hit him, the gray orb of light in his spiritual sea flickered slightly, and combined with the divinity of the Eternal Blazing Sun, it easily neutralized all of it.

Long Yaochen wasn't afraid of him at all, and the mockery in his tone became even more pronounced: "What? When leading a team against soul beasts, you were timid and weak, but here in the Sea God Pavilion, bullying an exchange student like me, you're suddenly throwing heavy punches?"

His voice grew louder with every word, finally condensing into a single sentence: "Try touching me and see what happens?!"

"Enough!"

Mu En, who had been silent all this time, saw that the situation was about to spiral out of his control and spoke up quickly.

But how could the flushed Xuan Zi listen to his voice at this moment?

He continued to release his soul power, and the phantom of the Godly Taotie Bull had already manifested behind him.

He was going to slap this ignorant, arrogant brat to death!

"I said, that's enough! Can't you hear me, Xuan Zi?"

ROAR--!

A dragon's roar echoed throughout the Sea God Pavilion. Golden soul power manifested into a dragon claw in mid-air, slamming Xuan Zi into the ground with a single strike.

The floor, carved from a single piece of the Golden Tree, cracked under the impact.

The crowd watched the scene in horror, a single thought rising in their minds: this kid's mouth is even more ruthless than a Level 9 Soul Tool!

Long Yaochen looked down at Xuan Zi, who was pinned to the ground, the mocking curve of his lips growing more pronounced.

By binding the lives of everyone in Shrek to his own, he knew that if anything were to happen to him, even Mu En would have to kneel and beg him not to die.

"Teacher, please calm your anger... Elder Xuan didn't know the inside story."

"Elder Xuan, you are a Super Douluo, why are you bickering with a child?"

"Oh, little ancestor, I'm begging you, say less! Xuan Zi is old! Just don't hold it against him."

The people present instantly split into three groups, each trying to persuade one of the three.

What do you mean, don't hold it against him?

Pinned to the ground, Xuan Zi couldn't believe his ears.

He realized for the first time that no one was coddling him anymore; instead, they were all coddling this young brat.

For a moment, he began to doubt his entire life.

There was also the bewildered Ma Xiaotao, and Zhang Lexuan, who was struggling to hold herself up, both staring at Long Yaochen with horrified eyes.

This kid... what is his background?

To dare to berate Elder Xuan like this, and then be coaxed not to be angry?

Is there no justice left?

A sense of powerlessness suddenly rose in Zhang Lexuan's heart. Her mind went blank, leaving only the vivid faces of her juniors appearing before her once more.

Was this all her compromise and sacrifice had earned?

How laughable...

Zhang Lexuan gave a bitter smile, her body losing control as she tilted backward.

"Lexuan!"

"Senior Sister!"

Fortunately, Elder Zhuang was quick-witted and caught her in his arms.

He hurriedly checked her condition and let out a sigh of relief only after discovering she had fainted due to a recurrence of old injuries.

Hearing the exclamation, the crowd stopped their persuasion and turned their gazes toward them.

"Sigh..." Mu En let out a long sigh and waved at Elder Zhuang. "Elder Zhuang, take Lexuan away to rest first."

After Elder Zhuang left the hall with Zhang Lexuan, Mu En looked at the chaotic scene. He rubbed his aching head, his weary voice sounding slowly:

"Xuan Zi... you are over a hundred years old and only a step away from being a Limit Douluo, yet you are still so unstable! You have disappointed me greatly!

I strip you of all your duties, to be temporarily held by Elder Song.

Get to your room and go into seclusion. Without my order...

You are not to step one foot out of the Sea God Pavilion!"

Mu En hammered down the final verdict on Xuan Zi's fate.

Xuan Zi slowly climbed to his feet. Though unwilling, he recognized his own loss of composure.

Coupled with the incident where his team was wiped out, he had no face left to stay here. He brushed off his greasy sleeves and turned to head upstairs.

Seeing that Xuan Zi was no longer causing trouble, Mu En finally breathed a sigh of relief before waving his hand at the others.

"You all go as well. Leave me to have some peace and quiet."

"Right... Yaochen, you stay behind."