Wariness

Everyone present knew all too well what those three words meant.

More than two hundred years ago, Douluo Hall had been nothing more than a small force in a northern border city of the Heaven Dou Empire. No one knew where it had come from or who stood behind it. They only knew that as soon as it appeared, it established one ironclad rule: it would awaken the Martial Souls of all commoners across the continent for free.

Regardless of their background or status, any child with Soul Power talent could receive support from Douluo Hall.

That single rule had turned Douluo Hall into a wildfire sweeping across the plains, and within just two hundred years, it had engulfed the entire Douluo Continent.

At first, some forces had tried to suppress Douluo Hall because it was taking a share of their pie. They had even sent several Titled Douluo to call it to account. But Douluo Hall's strength had been terrifying: several Super Douluo had driven the challengers away.

Back then, Shrek had investigated Douluo Hall and uncovered its astonishing number of Titled Douluo: a full seventeen, including five Super Douluo. It might even have had two Limit Douluo standing guard.

So many Titled Douluo had appeared out of nowhere, as numerous as cabbages. The Sea God Pavilion Master at the time had felt immense pressure. But since Douluo Hall's actions were benevolent, a rule had been established: the two sides would keep to their own waters and not interfere with one another.

For ten thousand years, commoner Soul Masters had always been at the bottom of society. Awakening a Martial Soul had required exorbitant fees, and sects and nobles had monopolized cultivation resources. No matter how talented they were, commoner children had little chance of making their mark. Douluo Hall's arrival had given them their only glimmer of hope.

Within fifty years, Douluo Hall's branches had spread to every city in the three great empires, with its Awakeners stationed even in remote villages and towns.

A hundred years ago, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had announced that it was joining Douluo Hall. The sects Shrek had turned away had flocked to it one after another, and Douluo Hall's power had grown explosively.

Today, two hundred years later, Douluo Hall was no longer the small border-city force it had once been. It had become a power standing alongside the empires and Shrek Academy, a superpower on the continent whose standing among the people far surpassed that of either.

"According to our intelligence network, Douluo Hall now has more than a thousand branches across the continent, and its registered Soul Masters number over a hundred thousand. It has more than thirty publicly known Titled Douluo. Its Soul Douluo and Soul Saint powerhouses number in the thousands." Lin Huiqun's voice rang slowly through the quiet meeting room. Every number weighed down the hearts of the elders present.

"Mingde Hall works closely with Douluo Hall, and the royal families of all three great empires treat it with respect. After all, more than seventy percent of the commoner Soul Masters across the continent follow Douluo Hall's lead."

"In just two hundred years, they've done what the Spirit Hall of a thousand years ago took over a thousand years to accomplish—and they've done it more thoroughly, with deeper roots."

Lin Huiqun's words struck at every elder's heart like a series of heavy blows.

They all knew Douluo Hall was powerful, but only when those cold figures were laid before them did they truly realize just how formidable this force, risen from nowhere, had become.

"More importantly, the path they've taken is far too similar to the Spirit Hall of ten thousand years ago." Song Yunzhi, her hair streaked with white, spoke suddenly. Her voice was thick with wariness.

"They, too, awaken commoners' Martial Souls for free. They, too, have branches across the entire continent, and they've gathered most of its commoner Soul Masters. From the day Shrek was founded, we've stood against the Spirit Hall. The Original Shrek Seven Devils brought down the Spirit Hall Empire, yet now a force more popular with the people and more terrifying than the Spirit Hall has spent two hundred years growing right under our noses."

Her words made the atmosphere in the meeting room even more oppressive.

The Spirit Hall of ten thousand years ago was etched into Shrek's very blood. The Original Shrek Seven Devils had become legends that endured for ten thousand years by fighting the Spirit Hall, while Shrek Academy had risen step by step to become the continent's top academy by walking over the Spirit Hall's ruins.

They knew all too well how terrifying the Spirit Hall's commoner-focused approach had been. In those days, by awakening Martial Souls for free, the Spirit Hall had gathered more than half the Soul Masters across the continent. It had eventually established the Spirit Hall Empire and nearly unified the entire Douluo Continent.

But today's Douluo Hall was even more terrifying than the Spirit Hall of that era.

Though the Spirit Hall of old had awakened Martial Souls for free, it had also maintained a strict hierarchy. In its later years, it had gone to extremes and set itself against every sect and empire on the continent.

Douluo Hall was different. It only provided awakening services and cultivation aid. It never forcibly restricted Soul Masters' freedom, nor did it openly clash with the empires or sects. It simply put down roots among the common people, quietly gathering their support bit by bit.

After two hundred years, Douluo Hall had become the people's guardian in the hearts of commoners, the only place that could offer them hope. Shrek could never hope to match that popular support, even if it ran at full tilt.

"Elder Song is right. Douluo Hall really is far too similar to the Spirit Hall of that time." Qian Duoduo's smile disappeared, and his expression grew serious.

"And they're even more frightening than the Spirit Hall. Back then, at least the two great empires could keep the Spirit Hall in check. But Douluo Hall's reputation among the people is so high that even Shrek can't compare."

"What worries me even more is how mysterious this force is. For two hundred years, we've known only the people openly in charge of Douluo Hall, yet we've never been able to find out who truly controls it from behind the scenes. Whoever could build a small force into this within two hundred years must be an unfathomable figure." Xian Lin'er furrowed her brow, her tone full of caution.

"Now they've sent four geniuses like this to Shrek. What's their purpose? Did they really come here just to study? Or do they have some other scheme?"

The meeting room fell into debate once more.

One faction, led by Yan Shaozhe, insisted that they should bring the four children over to their side. Their talent was rare, and no matter where they came from, keeping them at Shrek and having them serve Shrek would be a good thing.

The conservative faction, led by several senior elders, believed they had to be wary. Douluo Hall's intentions were unclear, and they couldn't casually try to win the children over, lest they invite a wolf into their home and bring disaster upon Shrek.

The two factions held their ground and argued without end. Neither could persuade the other.

Mu En sat in the seat of honor, his eyes closed and his lips still. He listened quietly to everyone's arguments, as if he had fallen asleep.

Only when the arguing gradually died down and everyone turned toward him, waiting for the Sea God Pavilion Master to make the final decision, did he stir.

Within the Sea God Pavilion, the Pavilion Master held absolute authority. Mu En was the one who could truly make the call.

Only then did Mu En slowly open his eyes.

His gaze was mild, yet seemed able to see into people's hearts. He slowly swept it across everyone present, and the noisy meeting room fell so silent that a pin could be heard dropping.

"Have you all finished?" Mu En's voice was soft, carrying the hoarseness peculiar to the elderly, as well as an unquestionable authority. It echoed slowly through the meeting room.

"Pavilion Master." Everyone bowed in unison and answered respectfully.

Mu En gave a slight nod, then looked at Elder Zhuang and spoke slowly. "Old Zhuang, let me ask you: when these four children stepped in during Ma Xiaotao's loss of control, were they trying to hurt people or save them?"

Elder Zhuang paused, then immediately replied, "They were, of course, trying to save people. If they hadn't intervened, Xiaotao's Evil Fire would have erupted completely, and she would have charged into the crowd. We don't know how many students would have been killed or injured. In every respect, they did Shrek a great favor."

"Mm." Mu En nodded, then asked another question.

"Have they done anything in violation of the academy's rules during their more than half a month here? Have they done anything harmful to Shrek?"

"No." Cai Mei'er answered this time. She was responsible for the academy's teaching and discipline and knew these matters best.

"Reporting to the Pavilion Master: since enrolling, the four children have followed all the academy's rules. They take their classes seriously and never bully their classmates in practical lessons. Though their strength far surpasses that of their peers, they have never shown the slightest arrogance. The boy named Huo Yuhao even runs between the Martial Soul Department and Soul Guidance Department. He's very diligent and has never broken a rule."

"Good." Mu En nodded again, then slowly swept his gaze over everyone and spoke.

"Then let me ask you: these four children helped Shrek, obey the rules, know their place, and possess talent rarely seen in ten thousand years. Just because they come from Douluo Hall, should we shut the door on them and turn a kindness into a grudge?"

At this, Yan Shaozhe's eyes immediately lit up, while the conservative elders all lowered their heads, shame showing on their faces.

"I know what you're afraid of." Mu En's voice remained calm.

"You fear Douluo Hall. You fear it will threaten Shrek's position. You fear these four children are pawns that Douluo Hall has planted here."

Everyone fell silent. Mu En had clearly hit the mark.

"But have you considered this? Douluo Hall has been around for two hundred years. If it truly wanted to make an enemy of us and harm Shrek, would it need to use four children as pawns?" A faint smile curled Mu En's lips.

With a hundred thousand registered Soul Masters, dozens of Titled Douluo, and branches across the entire continent, would a force like that really need to resort to such an underhanded tactic if it wanted to fall out with Shrek?

"For two hundred years, Douluo Hall and Shrek have kept to their own waters and not interfered with each other. They've never started a conflict. In fact, our views overlap in quite a few areas, such as hunting Soul Beasts and protecting commoner Soul Masters. What reason do we have to push such a behemoth into opposition with us?"

"Ten thousand years ago, we fought the Spirit Hall because it went to extremes, started a war, and treated human lives like weeds. But what does Douluo Hall do today? It awakens commoners' Martial Souls for free and gives low-ranking Soul Masters a way to survive. Is that right or wrong?"

Mu En's questions left everyone present speechless.

That was true. At its root, Douluo Hall was doing good. Even if it had taken the same path of serving the common people as the Spirit Hall of old, it hadn't done evil. What reason did they have to oppose such a force?

"As for these four children..." Mu En's tone softened.

"They're geniuses, seedlings of the kind seen only once in ten thousand years. What is Shrek's motto? We accept monsters, not ordinary people. We look only at talent and character, never at background."

"Yan Shaozhe." Mu En looked at Yan Shaozhe.

"This disciple is here." Yan Shaozhe immediately bowed in reply.

"They're Shrek students now, so they should receive the treatment Shrek students are entitled to. Talented children should receive the best resources and the best guidance. Don't deliberately try to win them over, and don't treat them differently. Treat them all equally. Understood?" Mu En said slowly.

"Yes! This disciple understands!" Yan Shaozhe answered at once, his face beaming.

"Cai Mei'er."

"Here."

"Keep a close eye on the four children's movements and report anything unusual to me immediately. But remember, you must not do anything that would make them resent us. Understood?"

"Yes! I understand!"

Mu En's gaze swept over the room once more, and at last he gave his final order. "As for Douluo Hall and these four children, I have just four words: wait and see."

"We need only do our own work, teach our students well, and protect Shrek's foundations. If they've come here in good faith to study, we'll teach them everything we know. If they truly harbor ill intentions and have some scheme in mind, I, Mu En, have lived for nearly two hundred years. I wouldn't mind meeting the person behind Douluo Hall."

As Mu En's voice faded, an invisible pressure enveloped the entire Sea God Pavilion. It was the pressure of a Limit Douluo, the confidence of one who stood at the peak of the continent. Even with his stooped frame and life flickering like a candle in the wind, he still had the strength to bear all of Shrek on his shoulders.

"We will obey the Pavilion Master's orders!"

Every elder present rose and bowed in unison, not one of them voicing any further objections.

The meeting ended, and the elders left the Sea God Pavilion one after another, leaving Mu En alone inside.

He slowly raised his head. His gaze passed through the Sea God Pavilion's walls and settled on the direction of the new students' dormitory area. A profound light flashed in his cloudy eyes.

He could sense a power hidden within those four children that made even him uneasy. The boy named Gu Yuan in particular, and the girl named Gu Yuena: something within them stirred a reverence deep in his bloodline, making even his Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul tremble.

"Douluo Hall... risen out of nowhere two hundred years ago... dragon..." Mu En murmured to himself, a faint smile curving his lips.

"Interesting. Truly interesting."

The setting sun streamed through the windows of the Sea God Pavilion, falling across his aged face. After this meeting, the course of events at Shrek Academy had quietly been set.

Far away, in the new students' dormitory area, Gu Yuan seemed to sense the divine sense fluctuations coming from the Sea God Pavilion. He slowly raised his head toward Sea God Island, a faint smile curling his lips.