Sea God Pavilion Meeting

He paused, a profound light flashing through his gaze.

"Otherwise..."

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

He spoke these words very softly.

It was as if he were talking to himself.

But Han Li heard them clearly.

He did not respond, reaching out to take the Heart Protector Mirror. As his fingertips touched the cool metal surface, a surge of warmth flowed from the Soul Guidance Crystal into his palm, as if he were being gently enveloped by something.

Han Li put the Heart Protector Mirror away and nodded.

"Thank you, Tower Master."

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

"This Seat simply cherishes talent."

"I hope you do not disappoint me."

The weight behind that final sentence...

Both of them understood it clearly.

Han Li nodded, saying nothing more.

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

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

"This is a letter of recommendation."

"Just hand it to the person in charge once you arrive at the Blood God Legion."

"Someone there will make arrangements for you."

Han Li took the letter and tucked it safely into his Storage Bracelet.

Next was Han Li's departure from the Spirit Pagoda.

Stepping out through those tall, imposing gates, the sea breeze, laden with a salty scent, blew against his face...

The sunlight spilled brightly over the streets.

It illuminated the streetscape of Sky Sea City, leaving nothing hidden.

He returned to the Sky Sea Hotel.

Then, he found Ye Yingluo and Yu Zhen.

Immediately, Han Li brought the two of them to his room and concisely explained the arrangements made by Qiangu Dongfeng.

He would not be going to a high-level academy, but to a military legion.

And, he would depart after the competition concluded.

After listening, Ye Yingluo was silent for a moment, then sighed softly.

She looked at Han Li's calm face, wanting to say something, but it ultimately distilled into a simple sentence.

"That is for the best. With your talent and strength, the Federation military is indeed better suited for your future and prospects."

"After all, for you, the academy..."

"Truly has nothing left to teach."

There was reluctance in her voice, but more than that, a sense of relief.

She had long known that Han Li could not stay at East Sea Academy for too long, but she had not expected this day to come so quickly.

Yu Zhen sat to the side, his hands resting on his knees, and nodded with a complex expression.

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

"You must take care of yourself."

"If... if you encounter any difficulties, you have the Tower Master looking out for you at the Spirit Pagoda. While we at East Sea Academy may not be able to offer much help, as long as it concerns you, we will certainly not stand idly by."

He spoke with a solemn tone, carrying the sincere concern of an elder for a junior.

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

After expressing their sentiments, the two were also happy that Han Li would have better opportunities for development.

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

East Sea Academy was merely a stopover in his long life.

And the Federation military...

Perhaps it was the place where he would truly take flight.

At the same time, on Sea God Island.

A Sea God Pavilion meeting was underway.

Along both sides of the long table, the elders of the Sea God Pavilion had already taken their seats.

But at this moment, everyone sat in silence, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.

Zhuo Shi's expression was the most unsightly of all.

He sat in the third seat on the right side of the long table, his face aged and gaunt, his eyes fixed intently on the tabletop.

His disciple, Shen Yi, had been...

severely wounded by Han Li, her cultivation completely crippled.

Furthermore, the final diagnosis was clear.

Shen Yi's meridians were ruptured in multiple places, her soul power was leaking away uncontrollably, and her cultivation could no longer be restored.

And for Shen Yi...

becoming a cripple was worse than death.

She was a teacher at Shrek, once standing at a height that her peers could only look up to, having enjoyed the respect of the outside world.

But to have her cultivation crippled in a single day...

Falling from the clouds into the dust, she would now face the contempt and oblivion of the entire academy system.

After all, at Shrek Academy, one's level of cultivation determined one's status and standing.

The lower your cultivation, the less anyone cared about what you had to say.

It was just like in the original work, where Tang Wulin and the others could only keep their heads bowed when facing the difficulties caused by Cai Yue'er.

Although Shrek touted fairness and honor.

Internally, it had always been a place where strength was king.

Without her strength, Shen Yi would soon be marginalized and forgotten within the academy, transforming from a respected teacher into a nobody that no one cared about.

Naturally, Zhuo Shi laid the blame for this debt at the feet of Han Li and the Spirit Pagoda.

At this moment, Yun Ming, who sat at the head of the table, spoke up.

He appeared to be only in his thirties, his face as gentle as jade, his brow carrying a sense of detached composure.

He wore simple attire, devoid of any ornate decorations, yet he possessed an air that made it impossible for anyone to ignore him.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping slowly across those on both sides of the table, his voice gentle yet devoid of any lack of authority.

"I presume you all know the reason for this Sea God Pavilion meeting; please, feel free to speak your minds."

Upon hearing this, the elders on both sides of the table exchanged glances. Some nodded slightly, some lowered their eyes, and others looked up at Yun Ming, waiting for someone to break the silence.

After a moment of quiet...

Cai Yue'er was the first to speak.

She sat in the fourth seat on the left side of the table, an old woman who appeared to be in her seventies, her face aged, her brows and eyes carrying a sharpness born of habitual decisiveness.

"Pavilion Master, that defeat at the Sky Sea Grand Competition has directly stained the academy's ten-thousand-year legacy."

"Even the ignorant masses on the Soul Guidance Internet have begun to question our academy's teaching capabilities."

"Therefore, this matter must be resolved as soon as possible."

"Otherwise, if these voices are allowed to continue fermenting, it will be a massive blow to our academy's reputation."

As soon as these words were spoken.

A buzz of discussion erupted instantly.

Some immediately echoed Cai Yue'er's sentiments.

Because, for the elders...

Shrek's honor was above all else.

Every one of them had grown up within the Shrek system; from students to teachers and finally to elders, the glory of Shrek had long since become one with their very lives.

And this defeat was not so simple.

This was not an ordinary loss in a competition.

It was not a normal win or loss based on inferior skills.

A core disciple of the Spirit Pagoda, in front of eighty thousand people, had single-handedly defeated Shrek's entire youth team and severely wounded the teacher leading them.

This had directly destroyed the undefeated myth that Shrek Academy had maintained for a full twenty thousand years!

Twenty thousand years.

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

Another elder spoke up.

"So, who decided on the candidates sent to participate in the Sky Sea Grand Competition?"

"Why was there no prior notice of the Spirit Pagoda's underhanded maneuvers?"