Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui's Two Sons

"Worthy of being Cai Meier, Vice Dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department. Your words truly satisfy us old fellows."

"Dean Yan Shaozhe, you should learn more from your good wife. Only by setting an example at critical moments can you make these newly joined Supervision Group members and the future elders of Sea God Pavilion look at you in a new light!"

After praising Cai Meier and harshly criticizing Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department whose martial soul was more advanced and Soul Power stronger than theirs, several Shrek elders with guilty consciences yet no awareness of it left.

Ever since Mu En had withdrawn from the core circle, and Xuan Zi had refused to involve himself in such scheming affairs, those old fellows had been living more and more comfortably, aside from people like Qian Duoduo.

The thrill of occasionally rebuking a Titled Douluo was far more intense than the pleasure of brainwashing someone else's genius soul masters.

Unfortunately, such opportunities were few...

Yan Shaozhe, who had remained silent as the elders waited to leave, looked deeply at his wife. Cai Meier, who had been equally unwilling to say those insincere words, sighed helplessly.

Watching her husband suddenly seem much older, Cai Meier could only walk swiftly over to him despite her unwillingness and whisper, "Shaozhe, I know you don't want Shrek to become what it is now, but there's nothing we can do about it!"

What use was it even if the two of them were both Titled Douluo? As long as they were not Ultimate Titled Douluo, they had no right to change the deeply rooted darkness Shrek had accumulated over ten thousand years.

Unless Mu En was willing to purge the parasites from Shrek's roots and let light shine into this dark place, saying too much would only invite impeachment from those elders whose minds were filled with power and desire.

When that happened, Yan Shaozhe might not even be able to remain the dean of the Martial Soul Department. He could only serve as Shrek's public face, existing as nothing more than a mascot.

That was an outcome Cai Meier did not wish to see.

She knew all too well that Yan Shaozhe, who possessed the Light Phoenix martial soul, genuinely wanted Shrek to become a second Spirit Hall—a better academy than the previous Spirit Hall.

"Meier, I know all that. We've endured it for all these years. One more time makes no difference."

Seeing that Meier's expression was not very good, Yan Shaozhe, who usually disliked discussing his thoughts in public, poured out all the grievances he had accumulated over Shrek Academy's unhealthy atmosphere over the years.

"Look at those Shrek elders. Aren't they just a bunch of old fools throwing their weight around? If they were truly sent onto the battlefield to kill enemies, I guarantee every one of them would hide behind the students without saying a word!"

"And Elder Xuan too. Does he really think he's Chicken Leg Douluo? When there's nothing to do, he eats chicken legs. When something happens, he drags people out to take the blame. Do they even know that the soul masters from the Sun Moon Empire academies and the Heaven Dou Empire are all fierce as if they've taken drugs? How long has it been since our Martial Soul Department produced a proper genius?"

The geniuses Yan Shaozhe spoke of referred to those without family backgrounds. The Inner Courtyard and Outer Courtyard had practically become havens for those with connections. Whether they came from the White Tiger Duke's family, the Glazed Sect, or elsewhere, which of them could truly be brought into their faction?

And even if there were any, in the end, they would merely be making wedding clothes for someone else.

Not to mention that the neighboring Soul Guidance Device Department had faintly begun to surpass the Martial Soul Department in recent years. If they had not lacked suitable geniuses and thus failed to give the higher-ups an excuse to favor them with resources—

The two of them would probably have...

Cai Meier was about to say that it would not happen, that with him there, Shrek's Martial Soul Department would surely shine brilliantly in the coming soul master tournament! But before the words could leave her mouth, the light in her vision abruptly shifted from day to night.

An unfamiliar Soul Power swept over the couple, temporarily blinding them to every trace of light.

"Who?!"

Yan Shaozhe was enraged. He had never imagined anyone would dare cause trouble in Sea God Pavilion. Did they truly think Shrek Academy had no one left?

His soul rings were about to emerge, only to be soothed by another power of the same origin.

"Hehehe."

"I never expected my dear eldest son to spend so many years in the hands of that old bastard Mu En without being assimilated by Shrek's atmosphere. No wonder the Holy Maiden asked me to bring your mother to see you when I had the chance."

"If you're willing, you can call me Mother."

Ye Xishui unleashed a martial soul of the same origin, completely shocking Cai Meier, who had been preparing to call for help. She hurriedly covered her mouth and nose.

She could see again...?

A middle-aged man was lovingly holding his wife by the shoulders, while the woman who had called herself Yan Shaozhe's mother used Soul Power to dispel the darkness covering his eyes.

Yan Shaozhe's emotions were equally complicated. He had never imagined that the father and mother he had never met were the once-renowned Dragon Emperor Douluo, the Holy Spirit Cult's chief offering, the black dragon of the "Black White Twin Holy Dragon," one of the continent's supreme experts—

And the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult, its current Supreme Elder, and the Sun Moon Empire's Supreme Offering.

These developments had also come about through Lin Wan'er's deliberate guidance. She had no desire for the two human Titled Douluo under her command to ultimately walk toward a tragic bad ending.

Thus, the original Zhongli Wu had long since become Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui's second child, named Long Xishui.

Therefore, whenever Lin Wan'er saw this man with short silver hair, dense and stiff strands like steel needles, handsome brows and bright eyes, a straight nose, and square mouth—

She never missed the chance to tease him with a pun that only she knew: Long Sucks Water.

With her arrangements, even Mu En would never have imagined that his two old friends, who had long become part of the Holy Spirit Cult, would one day resolve their past misunderstanding and secretly infiltrate Sea God Pavilion, intending to take away Yan Shaozhe, whom he had painstakingly raised as Shrek's next successor.

"What exactly is going on...?"

Seeing that the love in the middle-aged woman's eyes did not seem false, Yan Shaozhe, who did not understand the truth of that year, was utterly dazed. If not for the formidable constitution of a Titled Douluo, he might have collapsed before the three of them.

"Xishui, tell him what happened over the years. I'll stand guard outside so no blind fool comes to disturb your mother-son reunion."

Long Xiaoyao glanced at the trembling Ye Xishui without any airs and left Sea God Pavilion.

Only Cai Meier, who had no idea what was happening and wore the expression of someone witnessing enormous gossip, remained along with the two people staring intently at one another.

Seeing her eldest son, who had grown as old as her husband, Ye Xishui suppressed the madness in her heart. For the moment, she became the loving mother from the memories of an ordinary family and began telling Yan Shaozhe the story of that year.

Back then, she had favored Mu En, who possessed a light martial soul, and in that dramatic choice between two men, she had fallen in love with him.

But that night, amid the muddle brought by Love Brain, a chain of misunderstandings had caused an irreparable rift between the three of them.

Later, she had once followed Mu En back to Shrek. After giving birth to Yan Shaozhe, she had intended to hand him over to Long Xiaoyao to raise, putting an end to the thoughts born from that seemingly farcical event.

Yet who could have expected that Mu En would later discover her martial soul was incomparably evil? Furthermore, under pressure from Shrek Academy and his grandmaster, Mu En divorced her, found another woman, and started a new family.

From then on, their relationship could never return to what it had been.

However, in order to make it up to Ye Xishui, Mu En chose to raise Yan Shaozhe in Long Xiaoyao's place.

Moreover, Yan Shaozhe possessed the Light Phoenix martial soul, making Mu En even more reluctant to return him to Ye Xishui.

After that, because she was the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Maiden and the cult could not know of her child, she had never visited him for decades.

Then, when that old ghost Zhongli of the Holy Spirit Cult learned that his end was near and attempted to force himself on her, Long Xiaoyao, who had secretly watched over her all along, saved her.

The old ghost Zhongli's evil energy entered her body, and she had nearly died before Long Xiaoyao.

Fortunately, several benefactors from the Heaven Soul Sect helped her. She then remained peacefully in Paradise City, developing her own forces and leaving behind a worry-free path for her second child born of love, Long Xishui.

The setting was changed. No bad endings. The plot was altered as much as possible while staying close to the original work.

That way, Shrek Academy not only had its own people within it, but mother and son were reunited as well!

This was truly comparable to Bibi Dong, Grandmaster, and Erlong from the first Douluo story...

Too tragic. It really knew how to make people feel sick.