Ma Xiaotao's Dark Past
Ultimately, Shrek is just an incredibly well-packaged interest group.
Under the guise of "cultivating Soul Master and protecting the continent," they are actually engaged in monopolizing resources, manipulating situations, and reaping the benefits of geniuses.
It is more respectable than the Star Luo Empire Sky, more united than the Heaven Soul Empire, and more adept at deception than the Sun Moon Empire. Therefore, it can stand on the moral high ground, watch the people below fight to the death, and reap the benefits.
The most impenetrable cage in this world is never the chains and high walls, but the one where you think you're in paradise when you've already become a sacrifice.
The moment the words fell, all the female protagonists who possessed Diary Copy fell into a deathly silence.
Wang Dong'er's face turned deathly pale. She shook her head repeatedly, her eyes reddening. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could the higher-ups at Shrek plant such a thing in their disciples?"
But so far, has anything Lin Ye said been false?
Thinking of this, a chill ran from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head; her hands and feet were icy cold, and she could barely stand.
Shrek, how could this be?
Xiao Xiao, sitting opposite, felt a chill run through her body and subconsciously circulated her Soul Power to repeatedly check her own body.
She was just a freshman in the Outer Court, so naturally she didn't have any marks. But the thought that if she worked hard to get into the Inner Court, what awaited her was not a bright future, but being marked and losing her freedom, made her shudder.
"Even freedom is being taken away...?"
She murmured, her voice filled with disappointment and lingering fear. "What's the difference between that and the noble retainers of the Star Luo Empire? One is openly kept in captivity, while the other hides under a veneer of goodwill, silently locking people away."
Tang Ya suddenly stood up, her eyes swirling with anger and relief.
Fortunately, fortunately, the Tang Sect did not align itself with Shrek, and fortunately, she did not enter Shrek Inner Court.
Otherwise, let alone reviving the Tang Sect, even the last vestiges of the Tang Sect's strength would likely be swallowed up by Shrek, and she herself would become a puppet in the academy's hands.
"What a Shrek..."
She gritted her teeth and said, word by word, "And yet I used to yearn for it so much. Compared to sects that openly oppress people, this kind of scheming disguised as kindness is far more disgusting."
Gu Yuena slowly opened her eyes, her gaze showing no surprise whatsoever.
She had seen far too much hypocrisy and scheming in humanity; Shrek's methods were nothing but child's play in her eyes.
"Human power has always been like this."
Her voice was cold and clear, echoing slowly at the bottom of the silent lake. "Beneath the glamorous exterior lies nothing but the rotten bones of self-interest. So-called justice and fairness are nothing more than rhetoric used to rule the weak."
She never imagined that this place, revered as a holy site by all humanity, would be even more rotten than those decadent empires.
After digging into the academy's background, let's take a look at those who have been labeled "geniuses and goddesses".
When people mention female Soul Master at Shrek, Ma Xiaotao and Wang Dong'er are the first names that come to mind.
I actually like both of these female leads quite a bit.
First, let's talk about Ma Xiaotao. Although she worked as Evil Soul Master for a period of time, in my opinion, that was not her original intention.
As for Wang Dong'er, I've known her for so long, so there's no need to say more.
However, if we're going to dig up dirt, we naturally have to start with the people closest to us.
[Let's start with Ma Xiaotao, the successor of the Evil Fire Phoenix. She sweeps through the younger generation with her Ultimate Fire and is known for her straightforward and daring nature.]
Few people know the blood and tears of ordinary students hidden behind her "boldness and responsibility," and how much of the mess the academy covered for her.
The first incident was that the Evil Fire went out of control and indiscriminately harmed innocent people; afterwards, the academy managed to suppress the news.
Her Martial Soul carries an inherent Evil Fire that backfires; whenever she can no longer suppress it, she loses all her senses and attacks indiscriminately, regardless of friend or foe.
Three years ago, she went berserk in the western training ground of the Outer Court, severely injuring three Outer Court disciples who were meditating. One of them had his Martial Soul Origin burned by the Phoenix Flame, and was permanently stuck at level 20, completely ending his path Soul Master.
The matter reached the dean of the Outer Court, but was ultimately concluded with the conclusion that "a student had trespassed into a restricted area," and the matter was hastily closed.
The college provided the family with some resources to appease them, but didn't even offer a public apology.
What about Ma Xiaotao? She was merely summoned by Xuan Zi for a few words of advice, and then her Evil Fire was suppressed again; she didn't even need to be confined.
The second offense was his arrogance and lack of restraint, disregarding the rules of the academy.
She has a fiery temper, and when she gets angry, she doesn't care about anything else. Any Outer Court disciples who dare to offend her will either be shaken by her Soul Power and vomit blood, or be publicly humiliated.
One of the Inner Court disciples lost his balance while carrying soup in the cafeteria, accidentally spilling a few drops on her clothes. She immediately flew into a rage and launched an attack, although the other party was not seriously injured.
However, the matter was characterized as "a quarrel between disciples, with both sides at fault," and the matter was settled by giving each party equal blame.
Shrek Academy's rules clearly state, "Anyone who engages in private fights and injures another will be punished according to the severity of the offense, ranging from salary deductions and confinement to expulsion from the academy." However, this rule has never applied to her, a core genius.
[There's also the well-known incident involving the Evil Soul Master. The academy's higher-ups weren't unaware of who the Phoenix Saintess was; they simply couldn't bear to discard such a powerful weapon, so they turned a blind eye and allowed her to overstep her bounds.]
"This... how is this possible? How could I have done all of this?!"
Her voice was hoarse, her chest heaving violently, but her rebuttal sounded weak and unconvincing.
She couldn't remember what the disciple she had injured looked like; she only remembered the bloodstains on the ground and Xuan Zi's solemn face after the Evil Fire subsided that day.
She had asked if she wanted to go and take a look, but Xuan Zi said, "The academy has already taken care of it; you just need to focus on your cultivation."
She stopped caring about it, because she trusted Xuan Zi and believed the school could handle the matter properly.
Regarding the cafeteria incident, she only felt that the other person was inconsiderate for getting her clothes dirty, so she wanted to punish him as a minor offense. She didn't use any force when she hit him.
However, these "little things" that she took for granted, these favoritisms that she felt were "taken for granted," turned into devastating disasters that ruined other people's futures.
A chill ran down her spine, and she clutched her head with both hands, experiencing for the first time a profound self-doubt about her long-held pride.
Shrek City, restaurant.
Xiao Xiao's hands trembled slightly. She had seen Ma Xiaotao once from afar when she first entered school. Ma Xiaotao was dressed in a bright red dress, dazzling like Lie Yan, and was her true idol.
She had heard a few scattered rumors, but she dismissed them as mere fabrications by jealous people out of envy of a genius. Now that the truth has come to light, the light of admiration in her heart has dimmed considerably.
"How so..."
She murmured softly, feeling a tightness in her chest.
Tang Ya curled her lips coldly. She recalled a commoner who had been admitted to Shrek Outer Court, but accidentally offended a genius disciple from the Inner Court. He was beaten half to death and then reported it to the academy, requesting a thorough investigation.