Meanwhile, in the Divine Realm.
God of Destruction struggled to hold back his laughter, his shoulders bouncing as he shot Asura God a series of meaningful looks. "So this is your Doudou? Didn't you say he was going to do something bad? How'd he end up doing charity? And even offering to cure every illness?"
He'd expected to see Asura God fly into a rage and draw his sword to cut someone down.
After all, that kid had just turned a robbery into begging with an adorable act, and had even saved someone.
But Asura God merely took a calm sip of divine tea and sighed. "Honey, our Doudou is getting more and more impressive."
Rakshasa God nodded with a smile, pride shining in his eyes. "Exactly. He's a genius with Innate Full Soul Power. Our Doudou was born to do great things."
Clearly, neither of them thought Doudou treating mortals was inappropriate. They thought it was an even more brilliant strategy.
God of Destruction: "Hey, hey, hey?"
Wait, this wasn't how the script was supposed to go!
Weren't you angry?
Asura God set down his teacup, the corner of his mouth curling into an inscrutable smile. "What do you know? This is called winning people over."
"Think about it. He cured a future ally's mother right in front of them. That's worth more than giving them ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. Doudou spent as little as possible to earn the greatest trust."
God of Trickery chimed in with congratulations. "Congratulations, my lord! Doudou has finally found his first pawn in Douluo Continent—er, I mean, friend!"
"This is wonderful news!"
God of Trickery launched into an animated analysis. "Just imagine: he cured that little girl's mother, and won the girl's heart in one fell swoop. If Doudou ever rallies people to his side in the future, won't she be utterly devoted to him?"
"How is that kindness? This is clearly a bold scheme! Evil that seeps in silently, like spring rain!"
"Who would've thought that at such a young age, Doudou would already understand how to manage his subordinates? It looks like it won't be long before he becomes the greatest God of Evil Thoughts!"
Asura God and Rakshasa God exchanged a look. "Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!"
The more they thought about it, the more sense it made, and the brighter their smiles grew.
God of Destruction, standing off to the side, was left speechless.
He stood there with his mouth open, unable to close it for a long time.
Wait, had he really underestimated Chen Doudou?
Could the kid truly be winning people over?
Oh, no!
Had he fallen for a telecom scam again???
God of Destruction's face turned green. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He gritted his teeth and cursed inwardly. That damned Doudou must be pretending so I'll let my guard down. Then, once I leave, he'll have your evil father cheat for you!
"Hmph. I won't fall for it."
Elsewhere, in the Life Temple.
Watching Chen Doudou's healing in the crystal ball, Goddess of Life smiled gently. "Doudou really is becoming more and more like me. It seems a martial soul's influence is no small thing."
Goddess of Kindness leaned against her, propping her chin on her hands. "Sister Life, since he's such a good fit, have you considered letting Doudou inherit your divine position?"
A flicker of interest appeared in Goddess of Life's eyes.
The child truly was a perfect match for her legacy.
But when she thought of the stubborn A-Zi, she shook her head helplessly. "I'd like to, but with A-Zi's temperament..."
"That really is a shame."
Goddess of Kindness sighed regretfully.
Suddenly, as though struck by an idea, she sat up, her eyes lighting up.
"Wait, Sister Life. If it won't work out on your end..."
Goddess of Life looked at her in confusion. "Hmm?"
Goddess of Kindness's lips curled into a sly smile. She enunciated each word. "As long as Doudou keeps behaving the way he is now, I'll pass my God of Kindness divine position on to him!"
Goddess of Life's eyes widened. "Huh? Aren't kindness and evil inseparable?"
"That was the previous generation's business."
Goddess of Kindness blinked and grinned. "If I want to pass on my divine position, could Ji Dong really refuse?"
"True enough."
Goddess of Life remembered that the two had been partners who'd shared life and death in the mortal world, and nodded.
"Let's see how the winds and clouds shift... and whether Doudou can keep up this kindness."
Sea God Pavilion, conference hall.
"...That's more or less what happened."
Xuan Zi recounted everything that had happened earlier in Star Dou Forest, including the bloody history Bibi Dong had revealed, exactly as it had happened.
The Sea God Pavilion Elders of Shrek Academy sat on either side of the long table, their expressions varied.
Some were ashamed, some furious, some shocked, but most were lost after their faith had crumbled.
"How can this be..."
A white-haired elder slammed the table and shot to his feet, visibly agitated.
"How could our Shrek ancestors have been cowards who clung to life? Every generation of our forebears devoted themselves to the cause of peace on the continent. Surely that can't be false!"
"Exactly! That woman must have made it all up to shake our foundations!"
"Vile! Utterly vile!"
The elders were furious. Not one of them could accept the truth.
The Shrek glory they'd always been proud of had been built on the bones of others.
Xuan Zi looked up and gave a bitter laugh, his eyes full of dejection. "I don't want to believe it either. But why don't you all search your memories? How much does Shrek's history record about the battle four thousand years ago, when Sun Moon Continent collided with Douluo Continent?"
At this, everyone froze.
Then the hall fell into a deathly silence.
Each of them struggled to remember.
Yes, the history books mentioned that great battle, but most of the writing focused on how Shrek Academy rose to power after the war and united the various sects...
As for the details of the fighting, and the carnage on the front lines, there were truly only a few brief lines—as if it had been a disaster that had nothing to do with them.
"Damn it..."
Xian Lin'er clutched her head in anguish, her nails almost digging into her flesh. "Were our Shrek ancestors really like that? If so, what have we been holding on to all these years?"
Another elder sank into deep confusion. "If the glory we've always been proud of is a lie, then when we fought Evil Soul Masters and maintained peace on the continent, were we merely trying to make up for our ancestors' mistakes?"
Just as despair was about to swallow everyone, a weathered yet steady hand tapped lightly on the table from the shadows at the far end.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The sound wasn't loud, but the entire Sea God Pavilion fell silent at once.
Mu En, seated in a wheelchair, slowly raised his head.
"Everyone, we don't yet know whether this is true. We can't argue over what our ancestors did, and we shouldn't."
"We only need to do our jobs in the positions we hold today. Shrek is still cultivating monsters, still fighting Evil Soul Masters, and still protecting peace on the continent. That is enough."
Yan Shaozhe immediately echoed him. "That's right. Teacher is correct. There's no need to dwell on matters from thousands of years ago. As long as Shrek is moving in the right direction now, that's enough."
At his words, the elders' taut nerves finally relaxed a little.
That was right. The past was gone. All they needed to do was seize the present.
"By the way, Xuan Zi."
Yan Shaozhe suddenly thought of something, his brows furrowing. "That senior you mentioned... was she really stronger than Teacher?"
Xuan Zi nodded, a deep wariness flashing in his eyes. "That's right. Her power was terrifying. I couldn't even withstand a single move from her."
"Hiss—!"
The entire Sea God Pavilion filled with the sound of people drawing in sharp breaths.
Just how powerful was Xuan Zi?
He was a Level 98 Super Douluo, Shrek's pillar of strength!
Across the entire continent, only a handful of people could stand against Xuan Zi.
And now he'd admitted himself that someone in the world could defeat him in a single move?
"That doesn't make sense..."
An elder murmured, "If someone that powerful really existed, why has she never made a name for herself on the continent? Could she belong to some reclusive sect?"
"Even a reclusive sect couldn't possibly stay that low-profile, could it?"
"Could she be an Evil Soul Master?"
As everyone speculated about Bibi Dong's identity, talking over one another...
Mu En spoke again. His voice was quiet, but carried unquestionable authority. "Enough. Stop guessing."
His cloudy gaze swept over them as he continued, "From now on, whenever you're out, if any of you encounter someone from Spirit Hall on the continent, do your best not to offend them. Avoid them if you can."
Although Spirit Hall had fallen into decline, no one knew whether that sleeping lion would wake again.
"As for the child Xuan Zi mentioned, the one named Chen Doudou..."
Mu En paused, a glint flashing in his eyes. "Just pretend you've never heard that name. Since that powerful senior doesn't intend for him to join the Academy, we'd best not meddle."
After all, that senior had gone out of her way to send him a divine message, asking him to look after the child!
"Yes!"
The elders answered in unison, though each of them had committed the name to memory.
Chen Doudou.
A name that had made Mu En cautious enough to personally tell everyone not to provoke him.
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