Severing Faith, Revealing the Secret Art

Within the Undead Space, deathly silence lingered for a moment. Everyone's gazes were fixed on Mu En and Xuan Zi, while an indescribable awkwardness and scrutiny filled the air.

At last, Mu En slowly raised his head. There was no panic at having his secret exposed on the weathered old man's face, only a complicated mixture of heaviness and relief. He met Lei Chen's gaze openly and said in a hoarse yet clear voice:

"Esteemed Plane Lord, what you have revealed today is an unheard-of secret, both to Shrek and to me personally."

He paused slightly and glanced around at the crowd, whose expressions varied. Finally, his gaze returned to Lei Chen, and his tone became incomparably solemn. "If Sea God Tang San... truly is as you say, a narrow-minded man who suppresses the geniuses of this plane, then Shrek Academy's ten thousand years of reverence have been misplaced. We have failed our predecessors!"

"I, Mu En, swear here and now that upon returning to the academy, I will immediately order the removal of every statue of Tang San within it. Sea God Lake, Sea God Island, Sea God Pavilion, and every other name connected to the 'Sea God' will all be changed!"

"For ten thousand years, Shrek's legacy has revered the spirit of protecting the continent and cultivating talent, not some god who serves only his own selfish interests. Shrek cannot shirk its responsibility in this matter!"

Xuan Zi opened his mouth at the side, as if he wanted to say something. But upon seeing the resolute look in Mu En's eyes, he ultimately nodded heavily and said in a deep voice, "Agreed!"

Hearing Mu En's declaration, Lei Chen nodded slightly, and an imperceptible trace of approval appeared on his face. Naturally, he knew that Mu En spoke from the heart. Over the past ten thousand years, Shrek Academy had indeed merely inherited the glory Tang San had left behind, knowing nothing of the secrets concealed beneath it.

"The ignorant are not at fault." Lei Chen's voice softened somewhat. "It is good that Shrek can distinguish right from wrong and decisively cast aside its old hollow reputation. As for removing the statues and changing the names, proceed as you have said."

He appeared to agree casually, yet his thoughts were perfectly clear.

On the surface, these seemed to be merely changes of name, but behind them lay Faith Power sufficient to shake the foundation of a God King!

As the Plane Lord, Lei Chen had long since seen through the secrets of Tang San's Divine Seat.

The Sea God's Divine Seat Tang San had initially inherited had only been at the First-level God tier. Yet he had forcibly elevated it to the God King Level. Aside from the enhancement brought by holding the rank of the Asura God King, the more important reason was that he had expanded the sources of faith in the Sea God with extraordinary cunning.

And Shrek Academy was one of the most vital links in that Faith Power!

As a soul master holy land with a ten-thousand-year legacy, hailed as the continent's foremost academy, Shrek Academy had gathered the aspirations and admiration of countless soul masters and even ordinary people. The Faith Power accumulated over ten thousand years was truly vast.

Moreover, because everything within the academy bore the name "Sea God," its core inner academy was located on "Sea God Island," and its highest decision-making body was the "Sea God Pavilion," the vast majority of faith directed toward Shrek had been subtly twisted and guided, ultimately flowing into Tang San the Sea God's river of faith.

Now, once Shrek severed its nominal connection to the "Sea God" and removed Tang San's statues, it would be equivalent to cutting off this most abundant tributary of faith.

Without the immense support of faith accumulated over ten thousand years, Tang San's artificially elevated Sea God's Divine Seat would inevitably be shaken at its foundation. There was an eighty or ninety percent chance that it would fall from the God King Level back to its original First-level God realm.

At that point, the Super Divine Artifact, the Sea God's Trident, which relied on a God King Level Sea God rank to maintain itself, would likewise drop in grade.

It was so easy to give Tang San, who was struggling in the Spacetime Turbulence far away, a major obstacle and even weaken the threat he might pose in the future. Naturally, Lei Chen, as the Plane Lord, was delighted to see it happen and intended to push it along.

"Mu En, Xuan Zi, since this matter has been decided, deal with it immediately after you return."

"Yes." Mu En and Xuan Zi bowed.

Having settled the matter of Shrek Academy's change of course, Lei Chen shifted his gaze toward Du Bushi, who was still indignant over what had happened to his ancestor.

"Du Bushi."

Hearing his name, Du Bushi forcefully suppressed the fury in his heart toward Tang San and respectfully replied, "This junior is here!"

Lei Chen looked at him and asked directly, "The Innate Secret Art left behind by the founding ancestor of your Noumenon Sect is a supreme inheritance that leads directly to the path of the Divine Body."

"I ask you this: are you willing to make this secret art public, so that it may benefit every soul master in this plane? So that all future generations who aspire to temper their bodies may have a viable path to the heavens?"

"Make the secret art public?" Du Bushi abruptly raised his head, shock and struggle flashing through his eyes.

After all, this was the sect's supreme and closely guarded secret, the very foundation upon which the Noumenon Sect stood on the continent!

But when he saw the deep, calm gaze in Lei Chen's eyes, and thought of how his ancestor had met a desolate end due to Tang San's suppression, hot blood surged straight to his head.

The sect's secret was certainly important, but if it could benefit the entire plane and break the shackles imposed by external gods, would that not better comfort his ancestor's spirit in heaven?

He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and said, "Reporting to the Plane Lord! If it can give the soul masters of our plane another path to godhood, then I, Du Bushi, am willing to represent the Noumenon Sect and make the Innate Secret Art public!"

"Good!" A sharp light flashed in Lei Chen's eyes as he promised, "You are able to place the greater interests of the plane first. This is a great merit!"

"As a reward, I can guarantee that I will help you forge a Divine Body, break through level one hundred, and nurture you to the peak realm of level one hundred and nine."

Level one hundred and nine!

Upon hearing this definite promise, Du Bushi trembled with excitement. The faint reluctance he had felt over revealing the secret art instantly vanished without a trace.

Compared with the promise of reaching the plane's pinnacle, what did making the secret art public amount to? This was simply a once-in-ten-thousand-years opportunity for the rise of the Noumenon Sect!

"Thank you, Plane Lord! Du Bushi will not fail your trust!" He dropped to his knees with a resounding thud, his voice hoarse with excitement.

"Good." Lei Chen nodded slightly. Then, the seven-colored radiance flowing around him suddenly flared. Like a painter freely wielding brush and ink infused with the laws of heaven and earth, it rapidly sketched and condensed in the air.

In the blink of an eye, seven thin booklets appeared out of thin air. Their covers were ancient and simple, bearing a dark golden sheen, as though they had been forged from the purest power of laws. The four profound characters, "Innate Secret Art," faintly circulated across them.

With a flick of Lei Chen's sleeve, the seven booklets flew separately before the seven people present and hovered quietly.

"This is the essence of the Innate Secret Art, manifested after I organized and optimized it somewhat based on your sect's inheritance. You may each read it yourselves and take one copy with you when you leave."

Lei Chen's voice echoed through the silent space. "After you return, you must spread this method throughout the world so that it benefits every soul master who aspires to temper their body. There must be no mistake."

Upon hearing Lei Chen's words, the seven powerhouses present were all shaken to the core. Unable to wait any longer, they began reading the dark golden booklets hovering before them, condensed from seven-colored radiance.