Sea God Pavilion Meeting Convened Again

Elder Xuan paused, his gaze falling upon the neatly gathered remains of Yao Haoxuan. Within his cloudy, aged eyes, an irrepressible grief surged and churned.

"I will bring Haoxuan's remains back as well. Do not go to the military camp to inform the Duke White Tiger about Dai Yueheng's condition for now; wait until the Sea God Pavilion has finished its deliberations."

"I am not going back." Ma Xiaotao braced herself against the cave wall and stood up, a streak of undried blood still hanging from the corner of her mouth. Her phoenix flames flickered weakly around her body, dimming and brightening, yet her eyes remained stubbornly resolute. "I am the former captain. For the honor of Shrek Academy, I cannot just return like this."

"Nonsense!" Elder Xuan barked sharply. "Your injuries—"

"I know my own injuries, and I am not poisoned." Ma Xiaotao cut him off, her voice hoarse but firm. "I won't die. Give me some time, and I can recover my combat strength. If I leave too, there will only be the three of them left from the Inner Court."

Elder Xuan stared at her for a moment, complex emotions flashing through his cloudy eyes.

After a long while, he let out a heavy sigh, turned around, and said in a deep voice to the group: "The responsibility for this accident lies entirely with me. It is already too late to dispatch other students from the academy to participate in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament. Lin Shuo, Ling Luochen, Gongyang Mo, and you children from the reserve team." Elder Xuan's voice was heavier than ever. "The honor of Shrek is entrusted to you this time. I know this burden is too heavy for you, especially for those of you in the reserve team. Remember, the victory and the honor belong to you; the failure and the shame belong only to me."

His gaze finally landed on Lin Shuo, lingering for a deep moment before he said nothing more.

Elder Xuan gestured with his large hand toward Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng, and a thick, white soul power enveloped them. He then released a flying soul tool and headed toward Shrek Academy.

The cave fell back into silence.

Wang Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the grief in his heart, and turned to face the remaining team members. His gaze swept over every face. "You all heard him." Wang Yan's voice tried its best to remain steady. "We will set off directly for Star Luo City now. On the way, everyone should try to recover from your injuries and adjust your states. As for the competition, Lin Shuo's strength will be the greatest even in the entire tournament. With the others from the Inner Court, our hopes of winning the championship are still very high."

Everyone nodded silently.

The group packed their belongings and walked out of the cave. The sunlight outside stung their eyes, and the mountain breeze, carrying the scent of grass and trees, rushed toward them, forming a stark contrast to the nauseating stench of blood inside the cave. Only a stick of incense ago, they were the high-spirited Shrek Team; now, the group walking out of the cave was a broken and incomplete team.

Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion.

Elder Xuan sat on the ground, pouring wine into his mouth. Footsteps sounded from behind him.

"How is the situation?"

Zhuang Yusen stood respectfully behind Elder Xuan. "It has stabilized. Chen Zifeng only needs a period of recuperation. However, Dai Yueheng has lost his legs and will have to use prosthetics from now on. Elder Xuan, the Sea God Pavilion meeting you proposed is also ready."

Elder Xuan exhaled a breath of wine and sighed. "That is good. Let us go."

Elder Xuan stood up and walked out, his figure appearing noticeably lonely.

On both sides of the long table, the elders of the Sea God Pavilion were all present.

Mu En's gentle voice rang out: "Speak, Xuan Zi. What is the purpose of your proposal to convene this Sea God Pavilion meeting?"

Elder Xuan stood up and said in a deep voice, "I request to resign from my position as Vice Commander of the Shrek Inspection Group and withdraw from the Sea God Pavilion."

Elder Xuan stood before the long table, his voice hoarse and low, every word sounding as if it were being squeezed out from his throat. His white robe was still stained with the dust and blood from the cave, and his disheveled hair covered most of his face, making his expression unreadable, but the fingers gripping his wine gourd were trembling slightly.

"The responsibility for this accident lies entirely with me. It was my misjudgment that allowed a group of children to face an Evil Soul Master alone. Haoxuan is dead, and Dai Yueheng is crippled. If it were not for Lin Shuo..." He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing. "If it were not for Lin Shuo, I would not have even caught that Evil Soul Master. I am not qualified to continue serving as an elder of the Sea God Pavilion, nor am I qualified to be responsible for the Shrek Inspection Group."

The Sea God Pavilion fell into silence.

Yan Shaozhe was the first to stand up. He looked at Elder Xuan, his usually gentle face filled with shock. "Elder Xuan, what are you saying? The methods of an Evil Soul Master are inherently bizarre and unpredictable; who could have foreseen that a five-ring Soul King could unleash such lethality? Furthermore, we all know that your martial soul requires constant consumption; how can this be blamed on you?"

"Shaozhe is right." Xian Lin'er also stood up and spoke: "Elder Xuan, how much you have sacrificed for these children is plain for all to see. This incident was an accident, not your fault. If you resign because of one accident, who in the Sea God Pavilion would dare to take responsibility in the future?"

Elder Xuan shook his head, his voice even hoarser. "Do not say any more. I was too careless. I was outside drinking and eating meat while the children were fighting for their lives inside. I could have gone in with them. And this is not the first time; I should have resigned after the mistake in the Star Dou Great Forest. Last time, it was only because Le Xuan knelt outside and refused to get up that I stayed, as I could not bear to hurt her heart."

"Xuan Zi."

An aged and steady voice rang out from the end of the long table, cutting off Elder Xuan's words.

Mu En slowly opened his eyes. He did not look up, remaining on his recliner, but those cloudy eyes radiated an irresistible majesty. The entire Sea God Pavilion fell into silence after this call, and everyone's gaze converged on the old man.

"Are you finished?" Mu En's tone was flat, as if he were asking about the most ordinary matter.

Elder Xuan lowered his head and did not answer.

"If you are finished, then listen to me." Mu En slowly sat upright, revealing his appearance. "The academy has indeed suffered heavy losses in this accident. But every Inner Court disciple is prepared for sacrifice when they join the Inner Court. Moreover, this Evil Soul Master was a rare corpse-controller; that you were able to eradicate that Evil Soul Master is already an act of great merit."

Elder Xuan suddenly raised his head, opening his mouth to say something, but was stopped by Mu En raising his hand.

"You are indeed no longer suitable to be the Vice Commander of the Shrek Inspection Group; from now on, you will stay in the Inner Court to teach the students. Furthermore, the children are still in Star Luo City; you must go to Star Luo City to oversee them and bring them back to me in one piece. As for your punishment, we will decide after the children finish the competition and return."

Mu En's gaze fell upon Elder Xuan; his tone was not heavy, but every word carried the weight of a thousand pounds.

Yan Shaozhe took the opportunity to step forward and bow. "Elder Xuan, the teacher is right. The most important thing right now is not to assign blame, but the upcoming competition. With Lin Shuo, plus Ling Luochen, Xi Xi, Gongyang Mo, and Xiaotao, there is hope for the championship. Your top priority now is to go to Star Luo City in person to oversee things."