Dragon God's Fall, Final Instructions!

By the end, there was even anger in his voice.

Not toward Mu En, but toward himself—his distrust of himself, his anger at himself.

The recent tragedy of the inspection corps had become a thorn lodged deep in his heart, impossible to remove.

Now the outer court had been bathed in blood, and countless children had died at the hands of Evil Soul Masters.

To have him take over Sea God Pavilion and bear this burden—he was afraid. He truly was afraid.

He feared making one more wrong decision and pushing Shrek into the abyss for good.

"You must shoulder this burden."

Mu En stared at him fiercely and barked the order, leaving no room for doubt.

"What the academy needs now is not a pavilion master skilled at handling trivial affairs, but a powerhouse capable of holding every faction in check."

"After I die, Shrek will lose the protection of an Ultimate Douluo."

"If you, Xuan Zi, do not step forward, then who will?"

Xuan Zi's lips trembled, but he could not find a word to refute him.

Seeing the aggrieved expression on Xuan Zi's face, Mu En sighed inwardly and continued, "But you are not wrong either. You are impulsive and easily influenced by your emotions. If you are allowed to make decisions alone, you may indeed lead the academy into a ditch."

Those words were exceedingly blunt, practically leaving Xuan Zi no dignity at all.

Xuan Zi's face reddened, yet he did not argue. He knew himself well enough. He knew he was unreliable.

"Therefore, from this day onward, every major decision concerning the academy's survival, war, alliances, relocation, or inheritance must be jointly voted upon by the Sea God Pavilion elders."

"Xuan Zi, Song Lao, Zhuang Lao, and the rest of the elders shall each have one vote."

"Only with the approval of more than half may a decision be carried out."

"No one may use their cultivation to suppress the other elders, nor may anyone bypass the meeting and issue orders privately."

Mu En paused briefly, his gaze fixed firmly on Xuan Zi. "Xuan Zi, can you do that?"

Xuan Zi's chest heaved violently. After a long while, he released the windowsill, turned, walked before Mu En, and fell to his knees.

"I can."

"I, Xuan Zi, swear upon the ancestors of Shrek Academy that so long as I still live, I will never allow what happened today to happen again."

Mu En said nothing more. The position of Sea God Pavilion Master had never been an honor. It was a burden heavy enough to bend a person's back. That was true for him now, and it would be true for Yun Ming in the future.

"Song Lao."

"This old woman is here."

Song Lao stepped forward half a pace and crouched before Mu En.

"Xuan Zi is impulsive. You must stop him."

"Shao Zhe has too many concerns. There are matters he may not consider thoroughly enough. You must remind him."

"If disputes arise within the elders' meeting, you will be responsible for maintaining order. I entrust the academy to you."

Song Lao's eyes reddened. Looking at Mu En's frail state, she could not suppress the sorrow in her heart, but she still nodded heavily.

"Please rest assured, Pavilion Master."

"Zhuang Lao." Mu En looked toward Zhuang Lao.

"I am here."

"Save people, train healing-type Soul Masters, and establish a wartime medical system."

Mu En's gaze swept over the wounded continuously being brought in from outside.

"The academy suffered such heavy casualties today. Many people could have survived, but because our healing forces were scattered, they missed the critical window. We cannot make this mistake again."

Zhuang Lao bowed, his eyes red, and replied respectfully, "Rest assured, Mu En. I will personally take charge of this matter."

After arranging Sea God Pavilion's affairs, Mu En turned to Er Ming.

"Titan Sect Master, this old man has one more favor to ask."

Er Ming stood beside the bed with his arms crossed.

"Say it."

"Shrek has suffered such a devastating blow. All factions will soon receive the news."

"Although the Holy Spirit Cult has retreated, they may not refrain from attacking again."

"I hope you can represent the Clear Sky Sect in forming an alliance with Shrek, and remain stationed at the academy for half a year."

"Within half a year, the academy will rebuild its defenses and reorganize the strength of the inner and outer courts."

"After half a year, whether you stay or leave will be up to you."

Quite a few people in Sea God Pavilion turned to look at Er Ming.

With Mu En nearing death, Shrek lacked a top-tier powerhouse capable of opposing an Ultimate Douluo.

Er Ming was a Rank 98 Super Douluo, but it was said that his Martial Soul was the legendary Titan Giant Ape. His true combat strength far exceeded that of an ordinary Rank 98.

With him standing guard, at least those preparing to take advantage of Shrek's misfortune would pull back their claws.

Er Ming did not hesitate much. Before coming here, he had already intended to do so, and he had discussed it with Mu En before this meeting.

"Then it is settled." Mu En leaned back into his wicker chair and rested briefly.

With every word he spoke, the life force within him weakened a little further.

Yet he still did not stop, because there were simply too many matters he needed to arrange.

"The third matter concerns the Soul Tool Department."

Upon hearing those words, Yan Shaozhe's expression shifted slightly. Several elders from the Martial Soul Department within Sea God Pavilion also frowned instinctively.

The Soul Tool Department and the Martial Soul Department had competed for many years.

The Martial Soul Department had always held an absolute advantage. The resources, outstanding students, and influence obtained by the Soul Tool Department had all been far inferior to those of the Martial Soul Department.

In the eyes of many traditional Soul Masters, Soul Tools were ultimately nothing more than external objects.

Mu En took in their reactions. "At this point, does anyone still think Soul Tools are unimportant?"

No one answered. The Soul Tool defensive positions destroyed in the outer court were still smoking.

The collapsed city walls, the blasted-open defensive barrier, and the reinforcements from the three nations that had still failed to arrive all laid the cruel reality bare before them.

The Holy Spirit Cult itself was not adept at Soul Tool technology, and there were not many Soul Engineers among their ranks. They merely knew how to use the tools.

Yet with only some Soul Tools provided by the Sun Moon Empire, they had already made Shrek pay such a price.

Then how powerful was the Sun Moon Empire, which truly possessed mastery over Soul Tool technology?

Mu En looked at Yan Shaozhe. "Shao Zhe, you speak."

Yan Shaozhe fell silent for a moment before lowering his head.

"Teacher, your disciple was wrong."

"For all these years, the Martial Soul Department has suppressed the Soul Tool Department. I always believed that a Soul Master's personal strength was fundamental, and that no matter how powerful Soul Tools were, they could only serve as support."

"But without the city-defense Soul Tool array today, we would not even have withstood the Holy Spirit Cult's first wave of attack."

"If our Soul Tool Department had been several times stronger, the outer court would not have been so easily slaughtered through."

Speaking those words was not easy for Yan Shaozhe. It was equivalent to personally overturning convictions he had held for many years.

But the corpses filling the city had left him unable to keep stubbornly denying reality. If he did, he would be making the students pay for his arrogance with their lives.

Mu En nodded in agreement. "From today onward, the Soul Tool Department's resources will be raised to the same level as the Martial Soul Department's."

"During outer court admissions, the Soul Tool Department will have independent selection rights."

"The academy's reserves, rare metals, and research funding will be given priority in replenishing the Soul Tool Department."

"The Soul Tool Department must have fixed seats within Sea God Pavilion."

Another elder could not help but speak. "Pavilion Master, the academy has just suffered a devastating blow, and resources are already scarce. If we invest heavily in the Soul Tool Department now, will it not affect the rebuilding of the Martial Soul Department?"

"It will," Mu En admitted without avoiding the matter.

"But it must be done, no matter how difficult it is."

"The resources saved today will have to be repaid with human lives in the next war."

"Do you think resources are more valuable, or are children's lives more valuable?"

That elder's expression tightened, and he immediately lowered his head. "I was foolish."

Mu En looked at everyone present.

"Shrek has endured for ten thousand years not because it clung stubbornly to old rules."

"You have all seen why the Tang Sect declined."

"If Shrek also refuses to change, its end will not be much better than the Tang Sect's."

"The Soul Master system must reform, and the Soul Tool Department must develop as well."

"Anyone who uses factional prejudice to suppress the Soul Tool Department again will be directly submitted to the elders' meeting for punishment."

This time, no one opposed him again. Mu En arranged the academy's various affairs one by one.