Shrek Misguides Its Students

The previous Body Sect Master, that peerlessly gifted powerhouse, was said to have perished at the hands of the Sea God Pavilion Master of that era!

Although the two factions had not openly clashed on a large scale, they had always disliked each other, and secret rivalry was commonplace. This Zichuan was actually from the Body Sect?

That reclusive sect that produced nothing but "freaks" and acted with both righteousness and wickedness?

The trace of interest on Xuan Zi's face vanished, replaced by a chill and undisguised contempt. He snorted, his tone brimming with naked mockery:

"Hmph! So you're a brat from the Body Sect... I was wondering why you reeked of untamed wildness.

"The Body Sect? Heh, just a bunch of reckless fools who shut themselves away and blindly train their mutated bodies. A fine seedling like you going to that place—that's what truly means misleading a student and wasting their talent!"

His words were exceedingly rude, directly belittling the entire Body Sect and insulting Zichuan along with it.

Zichuan's calm gaze instantly turned cold. He could disdain Xuan Zi's recruitment offer, and he could ignore Beibei's hostility.

But he could not tolerate anyone slandering his sect like this—slandering the elders and fellow disciples who had sincerely cared for him, protected him, and given him the feeling of having a home!

"Misleading students?" Zichuan sneered. His voice was not loud, but it carried a sharp edge of confrontation. "I think it's your Shrek that misleads its students!"

"You insolent brat!" Beibei flew into a rage, stepping forward as he shouted.

He had already been dissatisfied with Zichuan. Now that the other party actually dared to openly slander the sacred Shrek Academy in his heart, his fury blazed even hotter.

Xuan Zi's gaze also turned completely cold. An invisible pressure faintly spread through the air, though he did not directly impose it upon Zichuan. Clearly, he was mindful of his status and did not wish to leave himself open to accusations of bullying the young.

But the way he looked at Zichuan was already as though he were looking at an arrogant junior who did not know the immensity of heaven and earth.

Yet Zichuan seemed not to feel that intangible pressure at all. He rose to his feet, sweeping his gaze over Xuan Zi and Beibei before glancing at Huo Yuhao, who stood nearby at a loss due to the sudden shift in atmosphere, and Tang Ya, who looked worried and seemed to want to speak but held back. His voice rang out clearly:

"Shrek Academy, the continent's number one academy? What an impressive title! But what does it actually do? It merely turns geniuses into geniuses, piling vast resources and so-called 'competition' onto those who were already exceptionally talented!

"Running counts as cultivation? Carrying weights counts as special training? What sect or academy doesn't do such basic things? Is that really worth boasting about?"

His tone was filled with unconcealed derision:

"Even more laughable, you keep claiming it's for continental peace and justice. But what happens in reality? Inner Court disciples—the so-called elites—must join some Shrek Inspectorate and carry out all manner of dangerous missions, calling it 'tempering,'

"'upholding justice'! But how many of those missions are truly just? How many treat students as cheap, useful thugs—or even cannon fodder—to eliminate rivals and fight for benefits on behalf of Shrek or certain factions attached to Shrek?"

"How many young people with decent talent and burning passion enter the Inner Court, only to be crippled or perish in one so-called 'inspection mission' after another before they can truly grow?

"What are their lives worth in the eyes of lofty old masters like you? Nothing more than consumables used to preserve Shrek's transcendent status and its banner of 'justice'!"

"And what do you give ordinary students and Outer Court disciples? Stingy resources and examinations so harsh they're practically perverse, all under the name of 'selection' and 'tempering one's character'!

"You simply want the horse to run without feeding it! The truly top-tier resources are always directed toward only a tiny number of 'core' students, while the rest are left to fend for themselves!"

The more Zichuan spoke, the more agitated he became. He had kept these words bottled up for a long time.

Back when he had read the story in his previous life, he had already deeply despised Shrek's rhetoric of "those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre" and "the Inspectorate's obligations." He found it hypocritical and blatantly double-standard.

Now that he personally stood on the opposing side, facing the contempt of Xuan Zi, one of Shrek's higher-ups, he showed no mercy as he fired back.

"Our Body Sect may have few members. We may act directly. In your eyes, we may be 'reckless fools' or 'unorthodox rabble.' But at least we are honest!

"We give everything to our own disciples and never hold anything back! Once you enter the sect, you become family. We support one another and grow together!

"We would never treat our disciples as pawns to be casually expended for some so-called 'greater good' or 'academy reputation'! Nor would we wave the banner of 'justice' while committing filthy deeds!"

He pointed at Huo Yuhao and said to Xuan Zi and Beibei:

"Take this little brother, for example. He has just obtained his first Soul Ring. His talent may not be outstanding, but his character is resilient. If he were in your Shrek, he would probably struggle even to enter the Outer Court and could only do menial work on the fringes while enduring others' scorn.

"But in our Body Sect, as long as he is willing to work hard and his character is sound, the sect is willing to give him opportunities and resources! We would never shut him out just because his martial soul is ordinary, nor would we treat him as some dispensable peripheral figure!"

Huo Yuhao's heart shook violently. The way he looked at Zichuan was filled with gratitude, along with a trace of confusion.

Was Shrek Academy... truly as Brother Zichuan described it?

He had once been full of yearning for the continent's number one academy, but now, a sliver of doubt and... faint resistance involuntarily arose within him.

He came from a humble background and had suffered endless bullying. What he desired most was a place that could truly accept him and give him a fair chance.

If Shrek truly was as Zichuan had said... then perhaps it was not his best choice?

Tang Ya's expression also grew complicated. After joining Shrek, she had indeed felt the academy's preferential allocation of resources, but she had also seen the hardships faced by ordinary Outer Court disciples and heard many rumors about the dangers and heavy casualties of Inner Court Inspectorate missions.

She had simply always taken pride in the academy and regarded those things as "necessary tempering."

Now that Zichuan had pointed them out so sharply, she could not help beginning to reflect as well.

Especially when she thought of how she had enjoyed Shrek's resources and witnessed its strength, while also vaguely sensing a certain invisible restraint and expectation. Leaving would not be easy.

She opened her mouth, wanting to offer a few words in the academy's defense. But when she saw Zichuan's eyes, shining especially brightly as he defended his sect, the words reached her lips and were swallowed back down. She did not want to argue with Zichuan.

"Y-you're spouting nonsense! Slandering Shrek is an unforgivable crime!"

Beibei's face turned livid with rage, and Soul Power surged uncontrollably around him. Every one of Zichuan's words had stabbed at the faith he held most dear, leaving him unable to endure it any longer.

Xuan Zi's expression was also so dark it seemed water could drip from it. He had lived for nearly two hundred years—when had some green youngster ever pointed at his nose and berated him like this?

Moreover, though the other party's words were extreme, they were not entirely without reason. They had even struck at certain hidden wounds Shrek was unwilling to mention. That only made him more furious from embarrassment.

"Good! What a sharp-tongued brat!" Xuan Zi laughed in extreme anger, his voice icy.

"Just as expected, those taught by the Body Sect are all arrogant, ignorant wretches who show no respect for their elders! It seems that if I do not discipline you properly on behalf of that absurd sect of yours today, you will never understand the immensity of heaven and earth!"

Mindful of his status, he did not act personally. Instead, he looked toward Beibei and said in a deep voice:

"Beibei, you go. Let this brat who does not know the immensity of heaven and earth see what Shrek's true strength is! Let him understand the price he must pay for slandering Shrek!"