Leaving

By Sea God Lake.

The night wind blew, and the atmosphere along the shore was oppressively tense.

Countless gazes stared blankly at the receding figure.

For a moment, no one spoke.

No one had expected it.

Ye Luochen had actually removed his Shrek badge in public, turned around, and left, declaring that he was withdrawing from Shrek.

"Senior Ye..."

At last, a student could not help speaking.

"He just left like that?"

No one answered.

Many students exchanged glances, their eyes still filled with shock.

Everything that had just happened was simply too sudden.

No one had expected Ye Luochen, widely acknowledged as one of the core figures of this generation, to be passed over for the Seven Devils reserve team.

No one had expected the Academy's reason to be that his martial soul was too ordinary.

"But... Senior Ye has done so much for the Academy over the years..."

Someone spoke quietly, with obvious indignation in their voice.

"He was the one who risked his life during surveillance missions."

"He was also the one who charged at the front during the Soul Hunting Operation."

"Are they going to deny everything just because his martial soul is ordinary?"

However, after a moment of silence, someone slowly shook their head.

"You can't put it that way."

"The Shrek Seven Devils are meant for the most exceptional geniuses."

"Senior Ye is indeed powerful, but his martial soul..."

"A Dark Iron Blade with level-four Innate Soul Power is still a little lacking in the end, isn't it?"

The voice was quiet, yet it silenced many of those around them.

Because they realized they seemed unable to refute it.

The Shrek Seven Devils represented the most dazzling monsters of the monster academy.

And Ye Luochen's martial soul truly was too ordinary.

At the center of Sea God Lake, quite a few teachers were silent as well.

Some frowned, while others looked regretful.

Yet no one spoke.

This was the Academy's decision. Though it was somewhat cruel, as teachers, all they needed to do was silently abide by and support it.

Just then.

A slightly displeased voice slowly rang out across Sea God Lake.

"Young man, you certainly have quite a temper."

The speaker was an elder of Sea God Pavilion.

He gazed in the direction Ye Luochen had left, his brows slightly furrowed.

"The Academy has nurtured him for so many years, yet over nothing more than a Seven Devils slot, he removed his school badge in public and left."

"He is being far too thoughtless."

Another elder spoke blandly as well.

"His temperament is still lacking."

"Forget it. If he leaves, he leaves. Shrek has never lacked geniuses."

"One Ye Luochen has left, and naturally another Ye Luochen will emerge."

Listening to everything around him, Yan Shaozhe merely stood where he was without speaking.

His gaze remained quietly fixed in the direction Ye Luochen had gone.

Only after a moment did he slowly withdraw his gaze.

"Continue the ceremony."

As his calm voice fell, the ceremony proceeded as usual.

It was as though what had just happened had merely been an insignificant interruption, something that meant nothing to the vast Shrek Academy.

Meanwhile.

Ye Luochen had already left Sea God Lake.

The night wind swept past him, making his black robe flap loudly.

His steps grew faster and faster. Only after he had completely left the crowd's sight did Ye Luochen finally stop.

He lowered his head, his fists clenched tightly.

His nails dug into his palms, sending waves of pain through them.

Yet he seemed unable to feel it at all.

Yan Shaozhe's earlier words continued echoing through his mind.

"An ordinary martial soul..."

"In the end, it is merely an ordinary martial soul."

Ye Luochen laughed.

There was indescribable sarcasm and bitterness in that laugh.

So this was Shrek.

So here, hard work did not decide everything. Martial souls and bloodlines mattered too.

Over the years, he had cultivated with all his life, wandering along the edge of life and death again and again.

In order to catch up to those so-called geniuses, he had nearly given everything.

When others cultivated for eight hours a day, he cultivated for sixteen.

When others went out to relax on their days off, he was still gritting his teeth and persevering in the simulated cultivation area.

He accepted dangerous missions that no one else would take, all so he could keep breaking through his limits at the edge of life and death.

Back then, he had believed that as long as he worked hard enough.

One day, he would truly be able to stand at the very top of Shrek.

But only tonight did he finally understand.

Some things.

Had already been decided from the very beginning.

Having an ordinary martial soul was the original sin.

At that thought, Ye Luochen slowly raised his head.

In the distance, Sea God Pavilion was still brilliantly lit.

It was a holy land in the hearts of soul masters across the continent.

Yet at this moment, it looked exceptionally ironic in Ye Luochen's eyes.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Luochen?"

Ye Luochen was slightly stunned and turned to look.

A middle-aged teacher was hurrying toward him.

It was his former Academy mentor.

Wang Yan.

Looking at Ye Luochen's current state.

A trace of complexity clearly flashed through Wang Yan's eyes.

He opened his mouth, as though he wanted to say something.

But in the end, he merely sighed softly.

"Luochen, the Academy has its own considerations. Try to understand."

As those words fell.

Ye Luochen suddenly let go.

At that moment, the last shred of expectation in his heart completely vanished.

Even Teacher Wang Yan, whom he had always respected, had already assumed the Academy was right?

Yes.

Shrek had always recognized only monsters.

And he, Ye Luochen, was merely an ordinary person who worked hard.

Watching Ye Luochen's ever-changing expression, Wang Yan could not help speaking again.

"Luochen, don't be impulsive."

"With your diligence, even if you are not one of the Seven Devils, you will still have a very promising future."

"There is no need to leave the Academy over a moment of anger."

However, Ye Luochen merely slowly shook his head.

"Teacher, I am not acting impulsively."

"I have simply realized only now that this place does not suit me."

Then he turned and left.

Hearing that, Wang Yan was unable to speak for a moment.

He understood Ye Luochen's temperament very well.

For Ye Luochen to say such things, he must truly have been disheartened. There was no need for Wang Yan to say anything more.

In the end, he could only sigh silently.

After returning to his dormitory.

Ye Luochen slowly pushed open the door.

The room was not large, and aside from daily necessities, there was little else inside.

Ye Luochen did not hesitate. He opened the cabinet and began packing his belongings.

After packing his clothes, his gaze settled on a silver badge in the corner of the cabinet.

It was a very special badge, one that did not come from Shrek.

It had been given to him by a teacher from Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy during an exchange event long ago.

At the time, that teacher had said to him with a smile.

"Student, although your martial soul is ordinary, it is remarkably similar to the carving knives needed for crafting Soul Tools."

"This kind of martial soul may struggle to gain attention at Shrek, but in the Sun Moon Empire, it could achieve great things."

At the time, Ye Luochen had not paid it any mind.

He had merely thought that Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy had long been opposed to Shrek Academy and was simply looking for an excuse to poach him.

Of course, he had not been swayed.

Because in his heart, Shrek was the true holy land for soul masters across the continent.

But now...

Ye Luochen slowly picked up the silver badge.

After a long silence, he finally sighed.

"Since Shrek looks down on me for having an ordinary martial soul."

"Then I would like to see whether this Sun Moon Empire is truly different."

"Whether it can really be as they said..."