Sea God Pavilion Conference

He paused, a distant glint flashing through his eyes.

"Otherwise..."

"Who else could help me deal with Yun Ming?"

He said it very softly.

As if speaking to himself.

But Han Li heard every word clearly.

He did not respond. Reaching out to take the Heart Protector Mirror, his fingertips touched its slightly cool metal surface. A warm sensation flowed from the Soul Guidance Crystal into his palm, as though something had gently wrapped around it.

Han Li put away the Heart Protector Mirror and nodded.

"Thank you, Tower Master."

Qiangu Dongfeng merely waved a hand, his tone carrying a casual air of "no need for thanks."

"I simply cherish talent."

"I hope you will not disappoint me."

And the weight behind those final words...

Both of them understood it clearly.

Han Li nodded without saying more.

Qiangu Dongfeng picked up another letter from the table and handed it to Han Li.

The envelope bore the emblems of the Spirit Pagoda and the Blood God Legion. Its seal was stamped with wax, engraved with intricate patterns.

"This is a letter of recommendation."

"Once you reach the Blood God Legion, just give it to the person in charge."

"Someone there will make arrangements for you."

Han Li accepted the letter and carefully stored it in his Storage Bracelet.

Then Han Li left the Spirit Pagoda.

As he stepped out through those grand, towering doors, the sea breeze, heavy with salty moisture, blew against his face...

Bright sunlight spilled across the streets.

Illuminating every detail of Skysea City's streetscape.

He returned to the Sky Sea Hotel.

Then he found Ye Yingluo and Yu Zhen.

Han Li brought the two of them to his room and briefly explained Qiangu Dongfeng's arrangements.

He would not attend an advanced academy, but would instead join a certain legion.

And he would depart after the competition ended.

After listening, Ye Yingluo fell silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.

Looking at Han Li's calm face, she wanted to say something, but in the end, it only became a simple sentence.

"That is good too. With your talent and strength, a Federation legion is indeed more suited to your future prospects."

"After all, an academy..."

"Really has nothing left to teach you."

There was reluctance in her voice, but even more relief.

She had long known Han Li could not remain at Eastsea Academy for very long. She simply had not expected this day to come so soon.

Yu Zhen sat beside them, his hands resting on his knees. With a complicated expression, he nodded.

He looked at Han Li, thought for a moment, and said,

"You must take good care of yourself."

"If... if you run into any trouble, the Tower Master at the Spirit Pagoda is watching over you. Although Eastsea Academy may not be able to offer much help, as long as it concerns you, we definitely will not stand by and do nothing."

His tone was solemn as he said this, carrying the sincere concern of an elder for a junior.

Han Li looked into Yu Zhen's earnest eyes and nodded slightly.

After a moment of emotion, the two of them were also happy that Han Li would have better opportunities for growth.

They knew that with Han Li's talent, he would shine wherever he went.

Eastsea Academy was merely a stopover in his long life.

And the Federation legion...

Perhaps it would be the place where he truly took flight.

Meanwhile, on Sea God Island.

The Sea God Pavilion Conference was convened.

Sea God Pavilion Elders were already seated on both sides of the long table.

Yet at that moment, everyone sat silently in their respective seats, and the atmosphere was grave and oppressive.

Zhuo Shi wore the ugliest expression of them all.

He sat in the third seat on the right side of the long table. His aged, gaunt face was fixed tightly on the tabletop.

His disciple, Shen Yi, had been...

Gravely injured, her cultivation completely destroyed.

And the final diagnosis showed that

many of Shen Yi's meridians had ruptured, her Soul Power was draining away uncontrollably, and her cultivation could no longer be restored.

And for Shen Yi...

Becoming crippled was worse than death.

She was a teacher at Shrek, once standing at heights envied by those of her generation, once enjoying the respect of the outside world.

But after losing all her cultivation overnight...

She had fallen from the clouds into the dust, and what awaited her was the scorn and oblivion of the entire academy system.

After all, at Shrek Academy, one's cultivation determined one's status.

The lower one's cultivation, the less anyone listened to what one had to say.

It was like in the original story, when Tang Wulin and the others could only keep their heads bowed in the face of Cai Yue'er's deliberate difficulties.

Shrek prided itself on fairness and glory.

But internally, strength had always been supreme.

Without her strength, Shen Yi would soon be marginalized and forgotten within the academy, transformed from a respected teacher into a cripple no one cared about.

Naturally, Zhuo Shi placed this debt upon Han Li and the Spirit Pagoda.

At that moment, Yun Ming, seated at the head of the table, spoke.

He appeared to be only in his thirties. His face was gentle and refined, while his brows carried an unworldly composure.

He wore simple clothing without any extravagant adornments, yet possessed a bearing that could not be ignored.

He raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping across those seated on both sides of the table. His voice was mild, but it did not lack authority.

"I presume everyone knows why this Sea God Pavilion Conference was called. Please, speak freely."

At those words, the elders on both sides of the table exchanged glances. Some nodded faintly, some lowered their eyes, while others looked up at Yun Ming, waiting to see who would speak first.

And after a brief silence...

Cai Yue'er was the first to speak.

She sat in the fourth seat on the left side of the long table. She was an elderly woman who looked to be in her seventies, her aged features and brows carrying the sharpness of someone accustomed to making decisions.

"Pavilion Master, that defeat at the Tianhai Grand Competition has directly stained the academy's glory of ten thousand years."

"Even those ignorant masses on the Soul Guidance Internet have begun questioning our academy's teaching ability."

"Therefore, this matter must be dealt with as soon as possible."

"Otherwise, if such voices continue to spread, it will be a tremendous blow to our academy's reputation."

The moment she finished speaking.

A wave of discussion instantly rose.

Some immediately echoed Cai Yue'er's view.

Because, to the elders...

Shrek's glory stood above all else.

Every one of them had grown up within the Shrek system, from students to teachers and then elders. Shrek's radiance had long fused with their very lives.

And this defeat was far from simple.

It was not an ordinary loss in a competition.

Nor was it a normal victory or defeat caused by inferior skill.

A core disciple of the Spirit Pagoda had defeated Shrek's entire youth division alone before eighty thousand people, and had even gravely injured the teacher leading the team.

This had directly shattered Shrek Academy's undefeated myth, which had endured for a full twenty thousand years!

Twenty thousand years.

Since Brand founded Shrek Academy, it had never been treated like this in any regional competition.

Another elder spoke.

"Then who decided on the candidates sent to compete in the Tianhai Grand Competition?"

"Why did no one notice the Spirit Pagoda's little schemes in advance?"