Dark Shrek?

Let alone someone Mu En raised himself, even someone who is only remotely related to him would be treated like an ancestor.

We'll provide resources if you need them, and we'll provide venues if you need them.

Take Bei Bei for example. He's Mu En's great-great-grandson, and who knows how many generations back, whether it's the direct or collateral line, hasn't there ever been someone with even better talent?

Absolutely, but why does Bei Bei receive the most attention and resources? It's because Mu En likes Bei Bei more and even made her Bei Bei's child bride.

This is the difference between having a background and not having one.

Shrek Academy, Inner Court.

Ma Xiaotao's face was extremely ugly. As Core Disciple of the Inner Court, she had always been proud of Shrek and felt that the academy was genuinely kind to her and was willing to go to any lengths to suppress her Evil Fire.

But now someone is telling her that her talent and her hard work are just tools the academy uses to save face?

"Nonsense!"

She rebuked him sharply, but her voice lacked conviction.

She recalled how, despite the elders' seemingly stern punishments, they always protected her whenever she caused trouble, and how the academy spared no expense in using precious medicinal herbs to suppress her when her Evil Fire spiraled out of control.

I used to think that the academy valued her talent, but now I think it's more like they were afraid that if she were ruined, she wouldn't be able to help the academy overcome obstacles.

Shrek City, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Branch.

Ning Tian paused at the ledger, quickly did some mental calculations, and then gasped in shock.

The Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect donates a large sum of money to Shrek every year, euphemistically called "academy sponsorship," in exchange for priority admission and preferential resource allocation for its disciples.

She initially thought it was just a normal, mutually beneficial exchange, but now, after taking stock of the tuition fees for Shrek Outer Court, the sponsorships from various sects, and the income from various channels, she realized that it was actually an extremely profitable business.

"What a clever scheme."

She murmured, glancing at the numbers in the ledger, a chill running down her spine. "Using the Outer Court's money to support the Inner Court's geniuses, using the Inner Court's geniuses to build a reputation, and once the reputation is established, they can collect even more money and gather even more influence... It's all interconnected, no wonder they've stood the test of time for tens of thousands of years."

The most ridiculous thing is the claim that "Shrek is neutral".

The world generally believes that Shrek is a pure academic sanctuary, not involved in the conflicts of the Empire and not taking sides.

In reality, Shrek is the biggest fence-sitter on the continent, trying to please everyone while offending no one, and taking advantage of everyone's interests.

Among the elite troops of the Star Luo Empire are high-ranking officers who graduated from Shrek Academy.

Among the top sects of the Heavenly Soul Empire, there are powerful elders who come from Shrek.

Even the Virtue Hall of the Sun Moon Empire has researchers who secretly collude with Shrek.

The three empires fought for over a century. Shrek Academy outwardly called for peace everywhere, but secretly sold intelligence and Soul Tool blueprints to both sides, making a fortune from the war.

It will slightly help the weaker side when it's about to win, preventing either side from becoming too powerful.

If someone were to unify the continent, the first thing they would deal with would be this uncontrolled neutral force.

[And then there's the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament. Shrek won the championship so many times in a row. Was it really all due to the strength of their disciples? There are many more tricks involved.]

If you encounter an academy that has the potential to threaten Shrek Academy's position, you should either poach their Core Disciple in advance and offer them substantial benefits.

They might sabotage the opponent's key player by causing an accident before the match.

If all else fails, Elder Shrek on the referee's bench can also "enforce the law impartially," blowing a few biased calls and issuing a few violations, easily turning the tide.

The champion must be Shrek.

Only by always being number one can we maintain the prestigious title of "Number One Academy on the Continent" and attract all Soul Master, sects, and empires to flock to it.

This isn't a battle for honor; it's business, it's about status, it's the very foundation of Shrek's existence.

Back when the Holy Spirit Cult wreaked havoc on the continent, slaughtering sects and harming Soul Master, Shrek clearly had the strength to suppress it earlier, but instead waited until the three great empires suffered heavy losses and the major sects were severely weakened before stepping forward to clean up the mess.

Why? Because if they had acted earlier, the three great empires and sects wouldn't have suffered serious damage, wouldn't have been so grateful to Shrek, and wouldn't have relied on Shrek's power.

Only when everyone is severely weakened can it step in to turn the tide and secure its position as the "Guardian of the Continent," making it indispensable to everyone.

Ju Zi was sitting at her desk in the dormitory when the pen in her hand snapped in two with a "click."

She always knew Shrek was no ordinary school, an insurmountable obstacle on the Sun Moon Empire Northern Expedition, but she never imagined they were this cunning.

The Sun Moon Empire and Moon Empires fought against the three great empires for over a century. Every time they were about to achieve a full-scale breakthrough, inexplicable variables would cause the war to stalemate again.

She used to think that the three great empires had a deep foundation, but now she realizes that Shrek Academy might be behind them.

"What a brilliant move to sit back and watch the tigers fight!"

Her voice was cold, and her eyes were full of vigilance.

The Far North.

Ice Empress scoffed, his tone filled with undisguised contempt.

"That's just how humans are. They shout about justice, fairness, and neutrality, but behind the scenes they're all scheming and plotting."

What holy land, what lighthouse? They're nothing but a bunch of profit-seekers in glamorous disguises.

"Compared to empires that openly rob, those that stab you in the back while pretending to be virtuous are far more disgusting."

There is also a deeply hidden secret that few people on the entire continent know.

There's an unwritten rule in Shrek Inner Court: once you Inner Court, you're a Shrek person in life and a Shrek ghost in death.

Want to defect? First, cripple your Martial Soul and disperse your Soul Power. If you can leave with a whole corpse, that's considered a favor from the academy.

Those Core Disciple with top-tier talent have all been imprinted with a unique spiritual mark.

They claim it's to "protect the safety of their disciples and provide support in times of crisis," but in reality, it's to monitor their every move.

The mark is connected to the elders of the Sea God Pavilion. Where the disciples went, who they met, and even what they were thinking could be found out by the elders if they wanted to.

Anyone who dares to harm the academy's interests will have their mark detonated at any moment, resulting in anything from severe injury and dementia to complete annihilation, leaving no chance for reincarnation.

Otherwise, why do you think all the Shrek Academy graduates are so devoted to the academy? It's not because they have a strong sense of belonging, but because they dare not rebel, nor can they.

From the day you stepped into the Inner Court, your life, your future, everything you have, are in the hands of the academy.

Those disciples who were seriously injured in the battle with the Holy Spirit Cult, if they still have potential and are still useful, the academy will spare no expense to save them.

If someone's potential is completely destroyed and they become a useless person, they will be abandoned in the blink of an eye, and not even a penny will be spent on medical expenses.

No one will remember their contributions, because useless pieces don't deserve to be remembered.