Why Don't You Want the Holy Spirit Cult to Replace Shrek Academy?

"Zhongli Wu, leader of the Holy Spirit Cult."

The brief eight words fell into the small courtyard. The breeze abruptly stilled, and the echoes lingered.

Beside him, Jiang Nannan blinked her clear almond-shaped eyes. Her beautiful gaze was filled with nothing but pure confusion and curiosity, her little face showing not the slightest fear.

Born into poverty, she had spent her life guarding the small courtyard and tending medicine pots. Every day, she struggled for a living and worried over her mother's illness. She had never come into contact with the conflicts among the continent's upper powers, much less heard of the Holy Spirit Cult's notorious name.

Naturally, she did not know what terrifying significance the name Zhongli Wu carried across the entire Douluo Continent.

In her eyes, this silver-haired, black-robed powerhouse was merely a mysterious senior who had stepped in to help Li Changsheng—overbearing in temperament, yet protective of his own. Nothing more.

But Li Changsheng, standing where he was, understood everything in an instant. He was slightly surprised, but felt neither fear nor unease.

Because he knew the power structure of this era all too well.

In this age, there were very few who dared call Dragon God Douluo Mu En by name, who did not fear Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year prestige, and who dared openly challenge the so-called righteous path.

Aside from a handful of ancient ferocious beasts living in seclusion, such as Di Tian, there were only three people openly standing at the very peak, able to contend with Shrek Academy, and branded by the entire righteous path as the source of evil.

The first was Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao.

The second was Zhongli Wu, the Holy Spirit Cult's leader before him—someone feared by everyone on the continent, called the root of chaos and a trafficker in people.

As for the third, it was Ye Xishui.

Only these three supreme powerhouses standing atop the darkness had the right to disregard Shrek Academy's rules and the confidence to ignore Mu En's majesty.

As Zhongli Wu watched the calm, unruffled youth, the approval in his heart only grew stronger.

Ordinary soul masters who heard his name either had their legs go weak with fright, revealed extreme hatred, or looked at him with fear and vigilance.

Yet this youth had killed a Shrek Academy disciple, defied the rules of the righteous path, and remained composed after learning the identity of the Holy Spirit Cult's leader. His temperament and vision surpassed those of his peers by ten thousand times.

Zhongli Wu became increasingly certain that the person he had encountered today was an unrivaled uncut jade capable of overturning an era.

After a brief silence, Li Changsheng spoke first, his tone calm and composed. "May I ask what Senior intends by appearing to help me and revealing your identity?"

He did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

Zhongli Wu laughed heartily.

His gaze locked tightly onto Li Changsheng, his appreciation for talent undisguised. "Very simple."

"I see that your talent is extraordinary, your disposition exceptional, and your natural potential unparalleled. You are certainly not one to remain trapped in a shallow pond."

"If you stay in Heaven Dou City, within this so-called righteous system, you will only be defined by narrow prejudice, suppressed by rigid rules, unjustly burdened with the stigma of an evil soul master, and have your peerless talent wasted for nothing."

His tone was sincere as he extended an exceedingly tempting invitation. "Have you ever considered developing somewhere else?"

A glint flashed through Li Changsheng's eyes. He instantly saw through the man's intentions and asked with a faint smile, "The place Senior means is the Holy Spirit Cult?"

"Correct."

Zhongli Wu nodded without hesitation. His tone was resolute as he promised supreme authority. "Come back to the Holy Spirit Cult with me, and I will directly name you the Cult's Holy Son. Your status will be second only to me."

"The entire Holy Spirit Cult—its countless disciples, endless resources, and every bit of its foundation—will all be at your command!"

He stared at Li Changsheng and struck directly at the heart of the matter, voicing the most persuasive reason. "Your talent is unmatched, and your martial soul dominates heaven and earth, yet people casually slander you as an evil soul master based on your martial soul alone and condemn you at will."

"If you remain among the righteous path, you will forever be an outsider in others' eyes, a demon. But in my Holy Spirit Cult, you need not hide your abilities, need not endure in silence, and need not watch anyone else's expression!"

"The power you possess will only be revered as talent and honored as supreme! Never again will anyone falsely accuse you or suppress you at will!"

This offer gave him everything—status, resources, dignity, and a future. It was enough to drive countless geniuses of this age mad with desire.

Although the bewildered Jiang Nannan did not understand all the implications, she vaguely realized that this was an enormous opportunity.

Yet before this peerless chance, enough to overturn the lives of countless people, Li Changsheng merely smiled lightly. His expression remained calm, neither arrogant nor impatient, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Going to the Holy Spirit Cult is possible."

The first half of the sentence made Zhongli Wu's eyes light up at once.

But then the youth's tone shifted. Unhurriedly, he spoke words that instantly left Zhongli Wu stunned.

"But I don't like this cult."

In an instant, the smile on Zhongli Wu's face stiffened slightly. His brows furrowed faintly, his eyes filled with incomprehension and confusion.

He had lived for centuries, commanded the Holy Spirit Cult, recruited talented people from across the land, and offered the position of Holy Son, supreme authority, and limitless resources. No one had ever refused.

Nor had he ever heard such an absurdly contradictory statement.

What did he mean, it was possible to go, but he did not like it?

He wanted to join the Holy Spirit Cult, yet disliked the Holy Spirit Cult?

What kind of logic was that?

Zhongli Wu could not make sense of the youth's thoughts at all. Filled with doubt, he stared fixedly at Li Changsheng and waited for him to continue.

Under his puzzled gaze, Li Changsheng's lips curved upward slightly as he asked:

"Senior, have you ever seriously considered a question?"

"For generations, the world has praised Shrek Academy as the leader of the righteous path, the pinnacle of orthodoxy, eternal and unfallen."

"For generations, the world has reviled the Holy Spirit Cult as a wicked and unorthodox force, the root of chaos, something everyone should destroy."

"But why?"

"Why has Shrek Academy remained at the peak of the righteous path for ten thousand years, while your Holy Spirit Cult can only forever remain in the shadows, bear infamy, and be despised by all? Don't you want to replace it and let the Holy Spirit Cult hold the right to define the righteous path across this continent?"

Hearing this, Zhongli Wu was completely dumbfounded.

Seriously, kid, you really dared to think that?

What did he mean by having the Holy Spirit Cult replace Shrek Academy and become the leader of the righteous path?

Shrek Academy possessed its current status because it had endured for over ten thousand years and cultivated countless powerhouses.

And the Holy Spirit Cult?

It had nothing but evil soul masters.

In that case, why would a force made entirely of evil soul masters be able to replace Shrek Academy and become the leader of the righteous path?

Was that reasonable?

If the goal were merely to destroy Shrek Academy, there might still be hope.

After all, the Holy Spirit Cult had no fewer than two Ultimate Douluo.

Such a formidable foundation was far beyond what Shrek Academy could contend against.

It was only that Shrek Academy was connected to too many interests, making it difficult to start a direct war.

After all, if Shrek Academy were destroyed by the Holy Spirit Cult, the other factions and the great empires would be the next to suffer.

Therefore, if such a thing truly happened, it would no longer be a matter concerning Shrek Academy alone.

At that thought, Zhongli Wu narrowed his eyes and demanded, "Do you know what you are saying? And where did you learn of the existence of my Holy Spirit Cult?"

If the earlier Li Changsheng had merely made him feel appreciation for talent,

then the current Li Changsheng made him feel caution and wariness.

Because not many people knew of the Holy Spirit Cult's existence, much less a child who had only just awakened his martial soul.