Sea God Pavilion Council Hall
At the center of the hall stood a long table, set lengthwise and facing the door.
A chair sat at the far end of the table, with two rows of chairs lined up along either side.
Both the chairs and the table were made from thick branches of the Golden Ancient Tree, and they radiated rich vitality.
Mu En took the seat of honor at the far end. The elders settled into the chairs on either side, and Xuan Zi took the first seat on Mu En's left.
There were no chairs at the near end of the table. Yan Shaozhe stood there with his head bowed and his hands clasped behind his back, obediently accepting his punishment, his face filled with guilt and remorse.
As Ma Xiaotao's teacher, he had been negligent and allowed her Evil Fire to run out of control, nearly harming disciples from the Outer Court. Knowing he could not escape blame, all he could do was wait quietly for the Sea God Pavilion Meeting to decide his punishment.
In a corner behind Mu En, Zhang Lexuan stood quietly.
As the Sea God Pavilion's previously designated successor of the next generation, she was also taking part in this meeting.
On Xuan Zi's side, Cao Longyan sat in a chair that had been added for the occasion. He wore crimson clothes, and though his figure still seemed young, he carried an air of calm composure.
Because he had stepped in just in time the day before to stop Ma Xiaotao from losing control and had saved the Outer Court disciples, Mu En had made an exception and allowed him to attend the Sea God Pavilion Meeting.
This was Shrek's highest-level council meeting. Even the most elite disciples of the Inner Court weren't allowed to sit in, let alone a boy who was only ten and hadn't even enrolled yet.
His status was special, but even Bei Bei hadn't been allowed to attend, had he...?
The elders present all understood perfectly well that Mu En was clearly cultivating Cao Longyan as the next head of the Sea God Pavilion.
But even a talent unseen in ten thousand years didn't begin to describe him. If he wasn't qualified to be groomed as the next head, then who was?
The meeting began. Mu En briefly explained what had happened when Ma Xiaotao lost control the previous day. His tone was grave as he looked at the elders present.
"Though the incident ended without any serious consequences, it exposed many problems within Shrek. Today's meeting is to discuss what happened and the issues behind it."
The elders nodded, ready to speak, but Mu En changed course, turning his gaze to Cao Longyan. His voice was gentle, yet carried an unquestionable force.
"Longyan, this incident didn't lead to any irreversible disaster, and you deserve the most credit for that. You'll chair today's meeting. Tell us what you think."
The moment he said this, the entire council hall fell silent. Every elder stared at Mu En in shock, then looked at Cao Longyan.
No one had expected Mu En to let a ten-year-old boy chair a Sea God Pavilion Meeting and share his views.
This was unprecedented! Even Zhang Lexuan, the designated successor of the next generation, had never received such treatment.
Cao Longyan remained composed, without a hint of panic. He slowly rose, bowed slightly to everyone present, then walked over to the seat of honor beside Mu En.
His gaze swept across the room, finally landing on Yan Shaozhe, who was standing at attention. Yet he didn't even spare him a glance, as if Yan Shaozhe were nothing but air.
Yan Shaozhe felt a little relieved. He thought Cao Longyan might spare him out of respect for Mu En, or out of consideration for their past relationship, and wouldn't publicly put him on trial.
"Elders, at first glance, yesterday's incident with Ma Xiaotao seems to have resulted from Dean Yan's negligence. In truth, it exposed several deep-rooted problems within Shrek."
Cao Longyan's voice was clear yet steady, carrying throughout the council hall. There was none of a boy's youthful naivete in his tone; instead, it held foresight and sharpness beyond his years.
"First—and the main reason this incident happened at all—was the teacher's laxity. There were oversights in the guidance and care given to his disciple..."
As soon as Cao Longyan finished speaking, everyone looked at Yan Shaozhe, who stood there.
Under their gazes, Yan Shaozhe wanted nothing more than to find a crack in the floor to crawl into.
Cao Longyan paused, then continued.
"Second, Shrek's defenses are far too weak. We rely too heavily on Soul Masters' own strength and have ignored the need to keep pace with the times. Soul Tools are now an unstoppable trend, especially in the Sun Moon Empire. Powerful Soul Tools can withstand attacks from Titled Douluo, and they can even kill Titled Douluo..."
"Third, the Soul Guidance Department is lagging behind. It can neither provide Shrek with strong support and defense nor retain talented Soul Tool artisans. If this continues, Shrek will only fall further behind the times and slowly be swept aside..."
His words exploded in the elders' hearts like a thunderclap.
Most of them knew Shrek had these problems. Some had turned a blind eye, while others considered them unimportant. No one had ever laid these failings bare so directly and so sharply.
After laying out the problems, Cao Longyan shifted gears and offered solutions for each one.
"To address the problems with teachers and disciples, we should choose teachers based not only on their strength, but also on whether they're genuinely willing to take responsibility for their disciples..."
"To strengthen Shrek's defenses, we should gradually install advanced Defensive Soul Tools on Sea Cucumber Island, in the Inner Court, in the Outer Court, and throughout Shrek City... The academy's Soul Guidance Department should provide these tools."
"To reform the Soul Guidance Department, admission shouldn't be restricted by Shrek's Soul Power requirements. We should admit anyone with talent for crafting Soul Tools, and we can also arrange exchanges and study programs with the Sun Moon Empire..."
His proposal was thorough, clearly structured, and highly targeted. He had identified the root of each problem and offered practical solutions. It hardly sounded like something a ten-year-old boy could say.
The elders gaped at him, staring at Cao Longyan in disbelief.
They struggled to reconcile this eloquent boy, whose every word carried the bearing of a leader, with the fact that he was only ten years old.
Xuan Zi was especially pleased, nodding again and again as he looked at Cao Longyan with pride.
Behind him, Zhang Lexuan gazed at Cao Longyan's dazzling figure. Though happy for him, she couldn't help feeling a trace of sadness in her eyes.
Little Longyan was growing too fast, shining brighter and brighter, as if he were drifting farther away from her. Some feelings, it seemed, could only be buried deep in her heart...
Yan Shaozhe sighed in relief, secretly glad that Cao Longyan hadn't mentioned him at all. He thought the matter would be left behind.
Unexpectedly, Cao Longyan changed course once more. At last, his gaze fell on Yan Shaozhe, and his tone turned cold.
"Of course, Dean Yan can't escape responsibility for Ma Xiaotao losing control. As her teacher, he knew she had uncontrollable Evil Fire within her, yet he neglected to discipline her and let the matter go unchecked. This nearly led to disaster. If no one had stepped in to stop her in time, the Outer Court disciples would have suffered heavy casualties, and Shrek's reputation would have been damaged."
Every word struck at Yan Shaozhe's heart. He was stunned by the reprimand, his head bowed, unable to utter a word.
The elders were stunned, too. No one had expected Cao Longyan to suddenly turn his criticism on Yan Shaozhe and lambaste him so harshly. After all, Yan Shaozhe was an important figure in Shrek, and Ma Xiaotao's teacher. Cao Longyan's refusal to show him any deference seemed a little too overbearing.
Before anyone could react, however, Cao Longyan changed course again. His tone lightened, carrying a hint of teasing.
"But Dean Yan doesn't need to blame himself too much. It's not as if you did it on purpose. Everyone makes mistakes. Just don't expect me to clean up after you next time."
After saying that, Cao Longyan stuck out his tongue at Yan Shaozhe.
His words instantly dispelled the solemn atmosphere. The elders first froze, then burst into laughter. Even Mu En couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from lifting, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Yan Shaozhe raised his head sharply. Some of the guilt and embarrassment had left his face, replaced by a look that was almost helplessly amused.
Cao Longyan had lambasted him one moment, then teased him the next. He'd had everyone dancing in the palm of his hand.
After the joke, the meeting moved to its final vote.
Cao Longyan's proposal passed unanimously, without the slightest hesitation.
Yan Shaozhe was also given an appropriate punishment. That, too, passed unanimously, and Yan Shaozhe himself raised his hand in agreement.
The meeting ended, and the elders gradually left. Before departing, each of them took another look at Cao Longyan, admiration and anticipation filling their eyes.
Xuan Zi clapped Cao Longyan on the shoulder and burst into laughter.
"Longyan, impressive! You got those old codgers to shut right up. Also, when are you free? This old man's got a craving."
"Elder Xuan, I've been pretty busy lately. You might have to wait a long time."
Xuan Zi rolled his eyes at Cao Longyan, snorted, and turned to leave.
He knew all too well what Cao Longyan was really up to...
Mu En looked at Cao Longyan, his eyes full of approval.
"Longyan, you did very well today. Shrek's future will ultimately belong to your generation. I believe that with you here, Shrek will only grow stronger."
Cao Longyan cupped his hands toward Mu En.
"Profound Ancestor, you're giving me too much credit. I still have a lot to learn."
Zhang Lexuan walked over to Cao Longyan as well, a gentle smile on her face.
"Little Longyan, you really have grown up."
Cao Longyan turned to her, the corners of his mouth lifting as his eyes narrowed into two slits.
"Sister Lexuan, that's all thanks to you always being by my side."
He didn't notice that the sadness that had flashed through Zhang Lexuan's eyes had already been buried deep within.
Before you continue