More Than Just the Sea God~

After Tang Wulin finished speaking, the wooden cabin fell silent for a moment.

The elders' gazes briefly met, then each withdrew.

Zhuang Lao sat halfway down the long table. His face was gaunt, and his perpetually half-closed old eyes were now slightly open as he looked at Tang Wulin, seeming to have something to say yet hesitating.

Tang Wulin noticed his gaze. He turned his head slightly and tipped his chin in Zhuang Lao's direction, signaling that he could speak.

Only then did Zhuang Lao cough softly. His voice was somewhat hoarse. "You just said that you intend to promote universal martial soul awakening across the Douluo Continent. It is indeed a good idea. I have lived for so many years and seen far too many promising children from commoner backgrounds buried away in remote, impoverished places, never even getting the chance to awaken. Everyone understands this reasoning, but the problem is..."

He paused and lightly tapped the tabletop with a finger. "Those nobles will not sit by and do nothing. The resources, land, and talent in their hands are all maintained through monopolizing awakening and inheritance. Once universal awakening becomes widespread and large numbers of commoner geniuses emerge, their status will be shaken. They might not dare openly do anything to Shrek Academy, but in secret, they have used methods such as sending assassins, poisoning people, and sowing discord before. We should assume the worst of that bunch of nobles."

After he finished, two or three more elders in the room nodded slightly.

Tang Wulin did not immediately respond. He leaned back in his chair, folded his hands on the table, and lightly tapped his fingertips twice against the surface, producing two soft knocks before he spoke. "I have considered everything Zhuang Lao mentioned."

He raised his eyes and swept his gaze over everyone in the room. "At the next tournament, I will do my best to invite a god to descend. We can present this matter as a divine decree from the Sea God. As long as we say it is the Sea God's will, even if those nobles are unwilling ten thousand times over, they will not dare openly turn against us."

His voice was not loud, but every word landed clearly. "Besides, Teacher's body has now basically recovered. With a Dragon God Douluo at the height of his strength presiding over Shrek Academy, even the imperial royal families will have to weigh their own capabilities before trying anything."

Mu En's hand holding his teacup paused slightly at those words.

Tang Wulin withdrew his gaze from Mu En and continued, "And relying on us alone will not be enough. Shrek Academy can join forces with the Body Sect. We will provide awakening venues and instructors, while they provide reserve resources and security. The two sides can agree that if children awaken Body martial souls, Shrek Academy may voluntarily send them to the Body Sect, serving as a gesture of goodwill and a bond for long-term cooperation."

He paused, then added, "As it happens, there is a child in my class this year with a Spirit Eyes martial soul, along with two who have hair martial souls. The Spirit Eyes child can serve as a bridge of communication. He can learn some things from the Body Sect and move between both sides, gradually bringing the relationship closer."

Mu En set down his teacup and sat a little straighter, his eyes filled with careful consideration. "This method is indeed feasible. If Shrek Academy and the Body Sect join forces, their combined strength could surpass nearly every organization on the Douluo Continent. Whether it is the imperial royal families or the great sects, anyone wishing to move against us will first have to weigh the force of these two joining hands."

Yan Shaozhe's brow furrowed slightly as he listened. He opened his mouth, then pressed his lips together again. After hesitating for a moment, he could not hold back any longer. When he spoke, his tone carried unconcealed concern. "That may be true... but the grudge between the Body Sect and Shrek Academy did not arise overnight. Those old matters from back then... can they truly let them go?"

Tang Wulin smiled at the question. "A grudge is a grudge, but in the face of tangible future benefits, what do those old resentments amount to? As long as the benefits we offer are great enough, they will naturally pinch their noses and return to the negotiating table. Besides, I can promise them certain things in the Sea God's name that the Body Sect will be unable to refuse."

As he said this, he tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Yan Shaozhe's face. His tone carried certainty. "The Body Sect's sect master is no fool. The fact that he was able to bring the Body Sect from its former low point to where it stands today proves that he understands the bigger picture."

At this, a gleam flashed through Mu En's eyes. The solemnity he had worn all morning loosened slightly, revealing a satisfied smile.

He nodded at Tang Wulin, his voice carrying the particular gratification of an elder. "The directions you have laid out are indeed worth trying. However—"

He paused. His gaze tightened for a moment, as if weighing the matter again and again before finally voicing the question he had kept buried in his heart. "That phantom projection of the Sea God in Sea God Pavilion last time... can you summon it again?"

Meeting Mu En's probing and expectant gaze, Tang Wulin nodded without hesitation.

Then the corners of his lips curved upward, and he lightly drew out the end of his next sentence. His tone carried the unmistakable, barely concealed smugness of youth. "Not just the Sea God~"

As those words fell, the atmosphere in the entire wooden cabin seemed to be lightly stirred by something.

Xian Lin'er's already upright back stiffened another fraction, and her fingers clenched against the edge of the table.

A faint swallowing sound came from Yan Shaozhe's throat.

The teacup in Xuan Zi's hand tilted slightly between his fingers. Several drops of tea splashed onto his knee, but he was completely unaware. He only stared blankly at Tang Wulin's smiling face, as though trying to determine just how much truth lay behind those words.

Mu En's hand holding the cup stopped in midair for a moment, then slowly returned it to the table. The base of the cup struck the wood with an extremely soft, crisp sound.

His gaze lingered on Tang Wulin's face for several breaths. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he merely nodded slightly and did not press further.

Tang Wulin took in their reactions without further explanation. Instead, he shifted the subject, his expression becoming more restrained as he resumed a serious demeanor. "All right, let us move on to the next matter: the management of the Academy's teaching staff."

He sat straighter, placed both hands on the table, and interlaced his fingers. His tone was more serious than before. "To prevent situations like Zhou Yi's from happening again, I suggest establishing a specialized internal oversight body responsible for monitoring all teachers' instructional conduct and daily ethics. This body can be called the Ministry of Education. It will be directly overseen by Sea God Pavilion, independent of the Academic Affairs Office and unrestricted by the administrative system."

Yan Shaozhe immediately nodded, as though afraid that being half a beat too slow would make him seem insufficiently cooperative. "That can be done, and it will be easy enough. If we are only forming an oversight group, we can simply assign several experienced elders from the Inner Court to take turns on duty."