The Continent Will Fall into Chaos-Is He the Flame That Will Burn the World?
Inside the Monster Academy, the atmosphere was heavy, and no one spoke.
The Dragon King Long Yue was the leader, followed by the Tiger King Dai Yueyan, the Fox King Su Mu, the Wind King Lin San, the Shadow King Tengteng, the Wolf King Hua Lantang, and the Tower King Ye Zhi.
The seven kings of the Monster Academy stood in a row, bowing their heads before En Ci.
No one spoke.
But their eyes were red.
Tears welled up, half of them forced back by her tightly clenched teeth, but the other half finally rolled down her cheeks.
Seven people, seven geniuses who once swept across the continent.
At this moment, I am like a child who has made a mistake, standing helplessly before En Ci, without even the courage to look up.
The silence lasted for a long time.
En Ci looked at them and sighed.
They're just a bunch of kids at the end of the day.
My mindset is still unstable!
"What's wrong?"
"Aren't you going to say anything?"
His voice was soft, as if he were afraid of startling something.
"So what if we lost a game?"
Long Yue's shoulders trembled slightly.
Dai Yueyan clenched her fist tightly.
Su Mu turned her face away, not wanting En Ci to see her disheveled appearance.
En Ci stood up from her chair and walked over to them:
"Now you know there are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding?"
No one answered.
A few more tears fell.
"... teacher."
Long Yue finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
We didn't win this time.
"I'm sorry for the years of training the academy has given me, and I'm sorry for the name of the Heavenly King."
"I am willing to accept your punishment."
"We are willing to accept punishment!"
The other six responded simultaneously.
En Ci looked at the group of children before her.
Their pride has truly been shattered.
The Seven Heavenly Kings of the Monster Academy were given this title from the day they enrolled.
Through years of trials and tribulations, they have almost never suffered a defeat among their peers.
They were used to looking down on others from a high vantage point, and used to being regarded as the hope for the future by the entire Star Luo Empire.
But today, a single Bai Yuan crushed their pride to the ground.
En Ci softened.
He raised his hand, and a gentle surge of Soul Power silently spread out.
Like a gentle spring breeze caressing seven young faces.
The tears that welled up in their eyes were gently wiped away by their Soul Power.
"Look over here, children."
En Ci's voice became warm, as if shedding its teacher-like exterior and revealing its elder-like nature.
"In this life, what is the principle of being invincible forever?"
He walked up to Long Yue and patted the boy on the shoulder.
He walked up to Dai Yueyan and squeezed his clenched fist.
His gaze lingered on each person's face for a moment, as if to make sure they had taken in what he was about to say.
Failure is not terrible.
"What it teaches you is to feel ashamed and then strive to improve."
"As long as you maintain a diligent and hardworking attitude from now on."
"Then this failure was not in vain."
En Ci stepped back and solemnly looked around at the seven people:
"Our regard for you will not change because of the outcome of a single battle."
He paused for a moment.
You're all tired.
"Go back and rest for a few days, consider it a short vacation."
Then En Ci straightened his expression and raised his voice a few decibels.
Don't doubt yourself.
Remember this, you are the kings of the Monster Academy.
"A king may lose, but a king will not fall."
"Do you understand?"
There was a two-second silence.
The seven people raised their heads one after another, their eyes still red-rimmed, but the light in their eyes brightened a little again.
"Understood, teacher."
En Ci nodded, waved, and let them go.
The seven people turned around and walked out of the dean's office.
The moment the door closed behind him, Long Yue paused for a second.
He didn't turn around, but just stood there and whispered:
"That person... I will catch up with him."
No one responded, but all six gazes turned cold at the same moment.
Then the seven people walked in and out of the room side by side.
The room fell silent.
Dai Tianling walked slowly out of the side door, the hem of his robe hanging down, a deep worry etched on his brow.
He stood beside En Ci, gazing in the direction the seven had gone, and remained silent for a long while before speaking:
"Teacher, this time... the losses are enormous."
En Ci did not answer immediately.
He walked to the window and stood with his hands behind his back.
"I never imagined that such a monstrous talent would emerge in this world."
"The Yun Ming of the past, and him now."
His voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.
"Tianling, the continent is about to change."
Dai Tianling's fingertips tightened slightly inside her sleeve.
He sensed the unusual seriousness in his teacher's tone.
En Ci has taught at the Monster Academy for decades; what kind of genius hasn't she seen?
But this time, he used the word "monster".
"I understand, teacher."
Dai Tianling's voice turned serious.
"I will instruct my subordinates to halt their expansion and instead focus on developing their strength in a more cautious manner."
"First, safeguard your foundation and avoid provoking those you shouldn't."
En Ci nodded.
Dai Tianling paused for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject:
"Teacher, there's one more thing."
"I want to organize a team competition for them."
"Hmm, tell me about it."
"The Seven Heavenly Kings of the Monster Academy versus the Shrek Seven Devils."
"As the closing ceremony exhibition match of this competition."
En Ci turned to look at him.
A glint of light flashed in Dai Tianling's eyes:
"Bai Yuan's absence from the team competition indicates that he has weaknesses in teamwork."
"Or at least explain."
"He was unwilling to turn his back on Shrek and his gang."
"I think this is our opportunity."
"Give Long Yue and his team a stage to regain their confidence, and also save face for the Empire."
He paused, a rare hint of youthful spirit in his voice:
"We can't let people say that the genius of the Star Luo Empire was completely defeated by one person and can never recover."
En Ci remained silent for a moment.
Then he asked a question that sent a chill down Dai Tianling's spine:
"Oh, heavens..."
"Have you ever considered the possibility that Bai Yuan might single-handedly defeat them all?"
Dai Tianling's expression froze for a moment, then she subconsciously said:
"No... that can't be..."
"He's not participating in the team competition..."
But halfway through his sentence, he lost his confidence.
En Ci shook her head.
He still remembered the boy standing on the high platform.
This kind of person...
Can you really judge his true intentions based on the fact that "he's not participating in team competitions"?
"I'll send someone to ask Shrek."
En Ci withdrew her gaze, her tone regaining its composure:
"Seek their opinions first."
"After all, it's an exhibition match; both sides need to agree for it to proceed."
Furthermore
He looked into Dai Tianling's eyes:
"The necessary decorum must be maintained; not a single detail can be omitted."
"Don't let people on the mainland say that the Star Luo Empire can't afford to lose."
Dai Tianling nodded solemnly:
"Okay. I'll give them a proper visit and show them some appreciation in the next few days."
"At the very least, I can't let people think that I, the emperor, have neglected my people and geniuses."
"Okay, go ahead."
"I'm leaving, teacher."
Dai Tianling turned and left, her footsteps fading into the empty room.
The door closed again.
En Ci stood alone by the window, her gaze passing through the twilight of the courtyard and landing on the distant horizon.
The Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul hummed softly within his body, as if sensing some distant and immense upheaval that was slowly approaching.
The mainland is about to descend into chaos.
En Ci closed her eyes, and the wrinkles between her brows deepened even more.
No one can remain unaffected.
Star Luo Empire won't work, Shrek won't work, Spirit Pagoda won't work either.
And that boy named Bai Yuan...
Perhaps, it will be the most crucial piece of the puzzle in this era.
Is it a spark that ignites a prairie fire, or Lie Yan that consumes the world?
En Ci opened her eyes.
He couldn't see the answer.