Sea God Pavilion Convenes, Everyone Was Broke

And now...

Yun Ming wanted to stand up for Ya Li and take on that astronomical debt, so let him take it on.

It was comparable to Shrek's savings for two hundred years...

He did not believe Yun Ming could afford it.

Of course, even if he really could...

Shrek would still suffer severe losses.

Chen Yu's gaze then turned southward.

Perfect.

It was almost time for the beginning of the original timeline.

The grand show was about to begin...

The various powers should make their entrances as well.

Only this time...

Who the winner would be was hard to say.

A trace of coldness flashed through Chen Yu's eyes.

And now, since Shrek had shown itself first...

Then Shrek would be dealt with first!

He turned around, walked over to the desk, and sat down, picking up the Soul Communication Device on the table.

The device was quickly connected.

Chen Yu's voice was steady and brief.

"Help me contact Tower Master Qiangu of the Spirit Pagoda, as well as Commander Yu of the Central Legion."

A respectful voice came from the other end of the device.

"Yes."

Chen Yu put down the Soul Communication Device, leaned back in his chair, and lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertips.

Outside the window, Ming Capital's lights never went out through the night, while the light in his eyes was far deeper than those countless lamps.

At the same time...

The Sea God Pavilion meeting was also convened.

Inside the Sea God Pavilion.

The Golden Ancient Tree gave off a faint fragrance. Shrek Academy's elders sat in succession on either side of the long table.

Some were white-haired old men, while others were composed middle-aged men.

Every person here was an influential figure in the Soul Master world.

Yun Ming sat at the head of the table, his expression rather unpleasant.

He recounted in full Chen Yu's demand that he repay Ya Li's thirty years of resource expenses.

As soon as he finished speaking...

All the elders looked grave.

Zhuo Shi sat to Yun Ming's right, his brows tightly furrowed. At last, he could not help but speak.

"Pavilion Master."

"Why did you agree to it?"

"That is two hundred full years of the academy's accumulated wealth! How can you just hand it over like that?"

His voice carried obvious confusion.

Yun Ming's expression was also grim at that moment.

He said in a deep voice.

"This Pavilion Master did not expect Chen Yu to be so petty, unable to stand seeing Ya Li and me in love."

His tone was filled with indignation, as though he were the one who had been wronged.

Zhuo Shi sighed helplessly and shook his head.

"But Pavilion Master."

"So many resources..."

"We cannot gather them within a week."

His voice was low, every word seeming to be squeezed through clenched teeth.

Of course, Yun Ming knew that as well.

As Shrek Academy's current dean, he knew the academy's resource reserves better than anyone.

Those heavenly treasures, rare metals, and all the rest combined...

Were not even remotely enough to cover half that bill.

But with his pride and arrogance...

Since he had already agreed.

There was no way he could go back on his word.

He looked around at the elders and cautiously said.

"Then why don't we all pool some together?"

In an instant, the expressions of all the elders froze.

They stared wide-eyed at Yun Ming in disbelief, as if they had heard something utterly absurd.

What did he mean, pool some together?

Even a landlord had no surplus grain left!

Every elder had their own family, their own disciples, and their own cultivation needs.

Those resources were the lifeblood they had accumulated over many years.

If they really pooled them...

What would they use to cultivate in the future?

Stared at so directly by everyone, Yun Ming felt an inexplicable sense of shame.

But when he thought of that sky-high bill, he still gritted his teeth and said recklessly.

"Anyway, this Pavilion Master has already agreed."

"If we cannot repay it, then it will be the entire Shrek Academy that loses face."

"Elders, you do not want the academy's twenty thousand years of glory to vanish just like that, do you?"

As soon as those words came out, everyone fell silent.

On both sides of the long table, the elders looked at one another. Some lowered their heads without speaking, while others closed their eyes and sighed.

Yun Ming's words had truly caught them off guard.

But that money...

They did not want to pay it!

Cultivation required resources!

Living with empty sleeves would only starve a person to death!

But the Pavilion Master had already put it that way, with the academy's twenty thousand years of glory weighing down upon them...

Who could truly remain indifferent?

The Sea God Pavilion fell into a long silence.

The next day.

Outside Chen Yu's office, Pan Wen's voice sounded from beyond the door.

"Speaker, people from the Spirit Pagoda have arrived..."

Pan Wen's tone was somewhat strange, carrying a hint of excitement, as though he was preparing to watch a good show.

Seated behind his desk, Chen Yu was slightly stunned when he heard that.

Pan Wen had not said, "Tower Master Qiangu has arrived," but rather, "People from the Spirit Pagoda have arrived."

The difference between those two statements was enormous.

Qiangu Dongfeng coming was one matter.

But the Spirit Pagoda sending other people...

That was another matter entirely.

Yet before Chen Yu could ask further.

The door opened the next second.

A fragrant breeze blew in with it.

Then, an excited voice rang out.

"Brother Yu!"

The next moment, a soft, fragrant body threw itself into his arms.

A fiery red figure instantly pounced into Chen Yu's embrace. It was Leng Yulai.

She wrapped both arms around Chen Yu's neck, practically hanging from him, her face full of delight.

At the doorway stood her older sister, Leng Yaozhu, also dressed in red, though her temperament was cool and detached.

At that moment, she watched the scene with a smile.

Chen Yu felt a headache coming on as he looked at the two sisters.

He truly could not understand...

Why the sisters Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai.

Had not fallen in love with Yun Ming as they had in the original story, willing to live or die for him.

But had instead both become attached to him.

Yet his heart was set on pursuing the Great Dao.

So, citing the fact that he already had a fiancée, he had rejected them.

Although Ya Li had now gone mad and broken off the engagement.

He had one less burden.

But seeing Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai like this...

Chen Yu felt that in the future...

He probably would not be able to have any peace and quiet.

Then, Chen Yu sighed inwardly and reached out to gently push Leng Yulai from his arms.

Leng Yulai puffed out her cheeks and glared at him with her big eyes in dissatisfaction, speaking in a coquettish tone.

"Brother Yu."

"What are you doing?"

Leng Yulai had not been rejected in love in this life, so she had not fallen into the Holy Spirit Cult and become an Evil Soul Master, nor had her martial soul transformed into the Dark Phoenix.

Instead, like Leng Yaozhu, she possessed the Heavenly Phoenix martial soul.

At that moment, faint golden flames flowed around her body, making her appear exceptionally radiant and captivating.

Chen Yu, however, wore a stern expression and said seriously.

"Men and women should not touch casually."

"Yulai, if you act like this every time you come over, it will reflect badly on us."

Leng Yulai refused to accept that. She pounced forward again and hugged Chen Yu, pressing her face against his chest as she spoke without lifting her head.

"How does it reflect badly?"

"You are unmarried, and I am unwed."

"If they see us, what can they say?"

"I think they are just jealous!"

Chen Yu was speechless.

He opened his mouth...

Yet he could not find a single word to refute her.