The Old Fox's Plan! Kill with a Borrowed Knife!

Bai Yuan's lips curved into a slight smile.

Just as I suspected, they wanted to invest in me.

They would like to connect with the Spirit Pagoda.

But he didn't rush to reply.

He picked up his teacup and took another sip.

Pretend to use this action to buy yourself two more seconds to think.

"The Empire's attitude??"

He put down his cup and looked up at En Ci.

"Senior, why don't you finish what you have to say first?"

En Ci laughed heartily, his laughter echoing through the luxurious private room:

"Hahaha, young friend, there's no need to play dumb."

He leaned forward slightly, placed his hands clasped on the table, and stared directly at Bai Yuan:

"We are both intelligent people, so let's speak frankly and openly."

"The value of the Holy Light Dragon Crystal is something we all know."

"I have dedicated my life to the country and its people; the Star Luo Empire cannot afford to fall."

"So I want to vote for you."

His voice deepened, his laughter faded, and his expression became unusually serious:

"Your talent has shown me the next peerless powerhouse to suppress an era."

"You will undoubtedly be the next Pagoda Master the Spirit Pagoda."

When those words were spoken, the air in the private room seemed to freeze slightly.

Dai Tianling sat beside him without saying a word, but his gaze was also fixed on Bai Yuan, as if waiting for an answer.

Bai Yuan remained silent for a moment.

Then he looked up and saw En Ci.

"The senior didn't want the mainland to suffer the ravages of war."

A glint flashed in En Ci's eyes.

"Clever."

He stood up and walked to the window.

With his back to Bai Yuan and Dai Tianling, he looked out the window at the myriad lights of Star Luo City gradually illuminating the city.

"Young friend, our Star Luo Empire has always valued peace above all else."

"However, some members of the Sun Moon Federation are restless and harbor ambitions to conquer the Star Luo Continent."

He paused, a hint of weariness rarely seen in public:

We're scared.

"The Star Luo Empire is still in its early stages of development and its foundation is weak; it cannot withstand the ravages of war."

"I hope that one day, my young friend, I can lend a helping hand and mediate a few things."

The room remained quiet for a long time.

Bai Yuan sat in the chair, not answering immediately.

"Senior."

Bai Yuan's voice was not loud as he calmly looked at En Ci.

"I understand what you mean."

Indeed, giving something away for free is the most expensive thing.

This old fox is waiting for me here.

It's almost a foregone conclusion that the Sun Moon Federation will wage a war of unification.

He remembered that Sea God Douluo Chen Xinjie, with just his Sea God Legion, was enough to wipe out the Star Luo Empire.

The disparity in national power between the two continents is undeniable.

The Star Luo Empire was determined to resist, but powerless to reverse the tide.

So En Ci set her sights on him.

A future powerhouse on the continent, the master of the Spirit Pagoda, a Federation councilor of the Spirit Pagoda faction, and a high-ranking member of the Federation Antimatter Legion he supports.

With the combined efforts of these four parties, the ambitions of the Sun Moon Federation can be completely curbed at the source.

All the Star Luo Empire gave up was a single dragon crystal.

That's a good deal.

On the surface, it was a gift, but behind the scenes, it was an attempt to bind him to the Star Luo Empire's war chariot.

A single dragon crystal can secure the allegiance of a Quasi-God and the covert protection of a super power.

It's an unbelievably good deal.

"I cannot make decisions for Senior Leng Yaozhu Spirit Pagoda."

Bai Yuan put down his teacup, his tone slightly less assertive than before.

"The Spirit Pagoda is merely a neutral organization serving all Soul Master in the world."

"The Sun and Sun Moon Federation has its own decisions to make, Spirit Pagoda will not interfere arbitrarily."

When these words were spoken, En Ci's gaze faltered slightly.

Of course he understands.

The meaning couldn't be clearer:

I cannot arrange the Spirit Pagoda's stance for you.

I won't play the card you wanted.

The room was quiet for a couple of breaths.

En Ci's hand, holding the teacup, hovered in mid-air. The smile on her lips remained, but the light in her eyes dimmed slightly.

Dragon Crystal didn't get Bai Yuan's promise in return.

Giving away the dragon crystal he had only displeased the other party.

"Child"

"Then let's change the terms."

"There will be an exhibition match against the Shrek Academy at the closing ceremony of the Soul Master Tournament."

"Seven-player team battle"

"Let's have a good fight and show the whole continent the talent of Shrek's younger generation."

What do you think?

Bai Yuan's pupils narrowed slightly.

"Again? Haven't you been tortured enough?"

But he didn't show any extra emotion on his face, and then looked up at En Ci:

"Okay. I accept this condition."

He put down his cup and stood up:

You can decide on the venue.

"I will convince others."

En Ci's lips curved into a smile.

He raised the half-empty glass in front of him and offered a toast towards Bai Yuan.

"Then it's a deal."

Bai Yuan returned the greeting, but without further pleasantries, he turned and walked towards the door.

The door closed behind him.

The private room fell silent.

Dai Tianling walked out, her steps carrying an unusual urgency.

"Teacher, you've already given it to him?"

"Aren't these conditions... a bit too lenient?"

"Not easy."

En Ci didn't turn his head; he stared at the door that had just closed.

"There's going to be action over there."

Dai Tianling paused for a moment, then his pupils contracted slightly:

"You mean, Evil Soul Master?"

"Um."

En Ci turned around, sat back down in her chair, and poured herself a fresh cup of tea.

The sound of tea falling into the cup was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

"The Holy Spirit Cult's influence in the shadows of the Star Luo Empire has never been completely eradicated."

"Our people investigated for a long time, but couldn't get to the core of the problem."

"They're like nails, stuck in the flesh of the empire, impossible to pull out."

He looked up at Dai Tianling:

"The Star Luo Empire's top-tier combat strength is limited."

"If we engage in a head-on confrontation, our Titled Douluo will be lost, and the empire's foundation cannot withstand such attrition."

"But what about Bai Yuan?"

"Shrek and the Spirit Pagoda are standing behind him."

"Enough for the Holy Spirit Cult to drink a pot."

Dai Tianling stood there, slowly processing these words.

Then he understood:

"What the teacher means is..."

"Use them?"

"Send the message out." Okay.

Ci's voice was not loud, but it carried a weight that seemed to have settled down.

"Propagate the story of Bai Yuan and Shrek extensively, and spread it among the Holy Spirit Cult members."

"The Holy Spirit Cult is no less interested in them than we are in them."

"When the message arrives, it will come naturally."

Dai Tianling remained silent for a moment, then slowly exhaled.

"... The student understands."

He turned and walked to the servant at the door, whispering a few words to him.

When Bai Yuan pushed open the curtain of the late-night snack stall,

A warm breeze, carrying the aromas of charcoal, spices, and hot oil, swept over his face.

The Shrek group had already sat down around the long table, which was laden with kebabs, seafood, and a bubbling soul-guided wine warmer.

Xie Xie was breaking off a grilled crab leg when he saw him come in and immediately raised his hand to greet him.

"Did Big Brother Bai get it?"

Bai Yuan walked to the table and sat down, casually picking up a skewer and taking a bite:

"Isn't that simple?"

"Hmph, bragging."

As Xie Xie spoke, he pushed the largest crab leg onto his plate.

Yue Zhengyu sat opposite him, holding a wine glass and pretending to look at the night view outside the window, but his ears were perked up.

Xie Xie noticed his little trick at a glance and immediately shifted his focus:

"Yue Zhengyu, what are you pretending for?"

"Do you think it's you, Big Brother Bai, who hesitates for ages just to get something?"

"Xie Xie, you're asking for it!"

Come on!

Seeing that the two were about to start fighting again, Bai Yuan raised his hand and pressed his temples.

"Alright, alright, hurry up and finish eating so we can go back. I still have something to report to Senior Zhuo Shi."

Tang Wulin put down the kebab in his hand and blinked:

"Senior Zhuo Shi isn't at the hotel. He said he went to meet some old friends from the Star Luo Empire and probably won't be back tonight."

Bai Yuan paused for a moment while chewing on the grilled skewer.

"Alright, eat well and get some rest. We have important business to attend to tomorrow."

The group made a ruckus for another half hour.

Bai Yuan ate quite a bit along the way, but when it came time to pay, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie blocked his way from both sides and snatched the bill.

He didn't argue, simply saying "I'll treat next time" before following the others back to the hotel.

In the hallway, everyone said goodnight at their respective room doors.

Bai Yuan pushed open the door to his room and went inside.

The door closed behind me—the latch struck the door frame with a crisp "click".

Bai Yuan stood behind the door, not in a hurry to turn on the light.

The night view of Star Luo City poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

He stood there for a couple of breaths, then exhaled a breath of stale air that smelled of barbecue skewers.

Then he took off his coat and threw it on the back of the chair, and walked to the window.

"Finally, it's quiet."

He closed his eyes briefly, and his mind relaxed slightly.

Then, a faint tremor came from deep within my chest and abdomen.

He opened his eyes and looked down at his chest.

A dark golden light shone through the fabric.

"... The Core Flame and Dragon Valley have almost fully merged."

"Let me see what it's become."