Starlight pierced the haze, tearing the filter apart (4000)

Not only Yue Zhengen, but other elders who came to see their children also warned them in various ways not to do anything unnecessary.

After all, those who are allowed to come to this hall are all authorized by the Federation, and none of them have any intention of going against the Federation.

Although Ye Xiaoyuan's tone was cold, wasn't it also a sign of his care and concern for Ye Xinglan, his junior?

After a long while, Ye Xinglan finally raised her head.

"I understand, Uncle."

Ye Xinglan's voice calmed down, so calm it was almost hollow, "The Federation has its Federation laws. Shrek —if Shrek really did those things, they will face the consequences."

She paused for a moment, as if savoring the bitterness of those words.

"But I want to know the cause, the process, and the details of what happened." She looked directly at Ye Xiaoyuan. "I want to know why things developed to this point."

Ye Xiaoyuan looked at her, a complex feeling passing through his heart. He admired his niece's talent and her passion for Sword Dao; otherwise, he wouldn't have come here.

But this kid is too heavily influenced by Shrek.

Sigh, sending this girl to Shrek at the most rebellious age was the worst decision he ever made.

Ye Xiaoyuan took a deep breath, about to speak, when a beam of light shot out from the Soul Spirit Ball in his side pocket.

"Let me take over next."

The beam of light focused, and the Soul Spirit of a strange plant appeared. It was about half a meter tall, and its trunk was like a deep purplish-black crystal, hard and cold.

Seven clusters of silvery-white leaves are slender like sword blades, with a faint shimmer at the edges, silently exuding a sharp aura. Most peculiar is its interior, where a dazzling silver vein of light, like a sealed galaxy, gives the entire sword bamboo a translucent, magnificent, and mysterious appearance.

Starlight Sword Bamboo is a 99,999-year-old Inherited Soul Spirit created by the ninth generation of the Ye Family's Star Sword Martial Soul owners. Originally just an ordinary sword bamboo plant Soul Spirit, it has transformed into a powerful Soul Spirit containing the Astrological Power through generations of inheritance. It is also the responsibility that Ye Xinglan "refused" to accept in the past.

This generation should have been led by Ye Xinglan to become a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Spirit Soul Spirit Ancestor, but she chose to go to Shrek, abandoning her responsibility.

Just as Ye Xinglan's empty eyes regained their vitality upon seeing this, and she was somewhat at a loss, the Starlight Sword Bamboo spoke in human language.

At her age, speaking human language is not difficult, especially after spending so many years with humans; learning human speech has become second nature to her. "In the family, you are a shining new star, so you feel pressure, expectations, and all sorts of complex emotions. At Shrek, you are just one of the many genius juniors. Naturally, you can't feel the vortex within, and Shrek won't tell you."

Starlight Sword Bamboo said Youyou, "The Eternal Heaven Kingdom I just mentioned is only one of the things Shrek has done."

"Although I was just an ordinary Plant-type Soul Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest Ten Thousand Years Ago, I still have vivid memories of that time."

"At that time, Shrek was an important force in the Douluo Three Kingdoms ' resistance against the Sun Moon Empire. However, after being defeated by the Sun Moon Empire on the main battlefield, in order to survive, they abandoned their support for the Douluo Three Kingdoms and withdrew from the battlefield to observe from the sidelines."

Starlight Sword Bamboo looked at Ye Xinglan, "Isn't this different from the glorious Shrek Academy you imagined? Shrek doesn't seem to teach this kind of history, after all, it's beneath their image. Have you heard that?"

Ye Xinglan was stunned.

She only knew about the relationship between Shrek and the other three kingdoms Ten Thousand Years Ago; the details were rather vague for Shrek's side.

"Although the Sea God's descent later gave Star Luo Empire and Dou Ling Empire time to react, and also made Shrek's status special again, do you think Shrek will be at ease?"

Ignoring Ye Xinglan's expression, Starlight Sword Bamboo answered his own question, "The answer is no. I've learned from some recent rumors that Shrek is still supporting the Star Luo Continent. I think this support started Ten Thousand Years Ago, after all, that was the most opportune time. It's not surprising that Shrek, fearing retribution from the Sun Moon Empire, chose to leave themselves a way out for survival."

"But over the years, Shrek has been enjoying the resources and power granted by the Federation while simultaneously supporting Star Luo Empire's military weapons and Soul Spirit. You should understand what this behavior means."

"Betrayal." Ye Xinglan squeezed out these two words from her dry throat, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

Starlight Sword Bamboo's narration differed from his uncle's cold warning, which was imbued with a family perspective and practical considerations. There was no intense emotion, no deliberate persuasion, only logical deduction based on facts.

This narrative style, ironically, produces a stronger persuasive force.

"Yes, it is betrayal."

Starlight Sword Bamboo's voice remained calm, "From the Federation's perspective, Shrek eats the Federation's food, uses the Federation's resources, and cultivates Soul Masters who should serve the Federation in the future, yet it continuously supplies its technology, powerful weapons, Soul Spirit, and cultivated talents to another continent—a continent with historical grudges and potential competition with the Federation."

"This is tantamount to using your left hand to arm an enemy who might one day turn on your right hand!"

"This shows that Shrek's betrayal of the Federation has always existed. The Eternal Heaven Kingdom was simply the most ruthless betrayal Shrek committed against the Federation in all these years, and also the fuse that ignited everything."

The Starlight Sword Bamboo floated in front of Ye Xinglan. "I can tell you definitively that there are indeed suspicious points in the matter of the Eternal Heaven Kingdom. It was done by the former Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion, who was courting death a hundred years ago. Anyone can sense the suspicious points, but that's no longer important."

"Because many Shrek graduates, upon learning that the Eternal Heaven Kingdom had been stolen, chose to deceive the Federation instead of promptly informing them. And their mentality was exactly the same as yours!"

"--Blind, unreserved trust in Shrek!"

Ye Xinglan was struck dumb, her face instantly drained of all color.

The last words of the Starlight Sword Bamboo Ancestor transformed into lightning, cleaving away the last trace of confusion and hope in Ye Xinglan's mind.

The silence of the Passionate Douluo.

Teacher Shen Yi's tactful advice.

My uncle was angry at his son's lack of ambition.

The words of the Starlight Sword Bamboo Ancestor, meticulously unraveling the mystery.

At this moment, all the clues were completely connected and illuminated by this cold and chilling statement.

"Blind, unreserved trust!"

It wasn't that she hadn't thought of it, but rather that she subconsciously didn't want to believe it.

Her trust in Shrek made her ignore the silence of the Passionate Douluo, misinterpreted Teacher Shen Yi's admonition as protection, and caused her to feel resistant to her uncle's words.

She automatically filtered out Shrek through a lens, and any unfavorable evidence was subconsciously filtered, distorted, and excused by her brain.

Aren't those graduates who chose to deceive just like that? They may have been excellent soldiers or loyal officials, but in the face of the "Shrek" symbol, they chose to trust Shrek and betrayed their true duties.

Ye Xinglan felt a chill run down her spine, because she thought of more from this phenomenon and understood the unfinished words of the Starlight Sword Bamboo.

According to the old woman, what does it mean that so many alumni who have already graduated made the same choice to protect her?

This suggests that Shrek might be "sick," and that the way Shrek was trained was flawed from the very beginning.

Those upperclassmen, perhaps they were also passionate young people with ideals back then. But over time, Shrek subtly taught and brainwashed them: trust and protect Shrek!

Shrek didn't directly tell everyone this idea, but packaged it with a sense of belonging and a certain word.

And that word, Ye Xinglan seemed to have already thought of it, was the phrase she used to say from time to time a few years ago, but which Huo Yuhao trampled on underfoot: "The Glory of Shrek"!

When the academy's interests clash with those of the outside world, the sense of belonging cultivated during academy life leads less clear-headed students to side with Shrek, and "upholding Shrek's honor" becomes the highest principle for all actions, even above right and wrong and the law!

The Shrek she admired taught her about justice, courage, and protection.

But the real Shrek is telling its children in a different way, "There is no justice outside of us!"

The disillusionment brought about by this realization was far more profound than simply knowing that Shrek had "done something wrong."

Because the problem is no longer a particular person or event, but the distorted centripetal force it uses to unite people's hearts—it causes those who love it to lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong at crucial moments!

This is probably one of the fundamental reasons why the Federation cannot tolerate Shrek.

The Shrek she longed for may never have truly existed; it was merely a phantom she constructed based on her ideals.

The real Shrek may have carried a heavy historical burden and distorted beliefs from the very beginning, and over time, these negative factors fermented and solidified, eventually transforming into a dangerous behemoth.

Something seemed to shatter within Ye Xinglan, and her hands and feet turned icy cold.

Just then, bamboo leaves floated on her head, as if gently stroking her hair and bringing her a sense of strength.

"Shrek has never been as glamorous as it appears on the surface. It's just that you haven't seen it from your perspective. Some of them know that that distorted centripetal force is wrong, but they've never tried to correct it."

Ye Xinglan subconsciously wanted to look up at the Starlight Sword Bamboo, but then stopped herself.

She had abandoned her responsibilities, leaving her unsure how to communicate with this elder.

But seemingly feeling that this was inappropriate, Ye Xinglan finally said in a hoarse voice, "Ancestor, I'm sorry for what I did before."

"Yes, it's good that you know you're wrong and can correct it."

Starlight Sword Bamboo's voice remained calm, but the flowing starlight softened it slightly. It didn't overly criticize her past actions, as if it were merely a fork in the road a child inevitably takes in the long journey of self-discovery.

Ye Xinglan felt the cool, comforting sensation on her head gradually disappear, but a strange sense of peace settled in her heart.

Ye Xiaoyuan stared blankly at this scene.

Did this bring the niece, who had been poisoned by Shrek, back to her senses?

It must be said, no wonder he is the Soul Spirit Ancestor of their family, a lineage that has been passed down for thousands of Thousand Years.

Thinking it over, Ye Xiaoyuan forward, "Now that you've figured it out, do you still want to go to Shrek?"

Ye Xinglan pursed her lips, and finally shook her head.

"Then come with us." Ye Xiaoyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Uncle, Ancestor," Ye Xinglan finally turned her head, her gaze falling on the trunk of the Starlight Sword Bamboo, her complex eyes filled with guilt.

"Are you really going to give me another chance?"

She didn't think her family would have waited so many years for her, an heir who had abandoned her responsibilities.

Starlight Sword Bamboo smiled, not answering the question, but saying gently, "Today, we've come to take you home. Xinglan, come with us—home. Your home has never been Shrek."

These words struck Ye Xinglan's heart most tenderly, more directly and gently than any of the previous ones.

That place she had desperately wanted to stay, that she considered her home, she had never truly seen. And when her illusions shattered, and the eaves of her temporary shelter collapsed, she suddenly realized that she had always had another place she could return to—

Ye Xinglan's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and a sour feeling welled up in her nose.

"Um."

"It feels like... a happy ending?"

Watching Ye Xinglan leave, Xie Xie, who had completely become a bystander, said...

Although the Shrek incident caused quite a stir, what does it have to do with them?

They're not Shrek's people!

Moreover, the thought of that old woman Douluo made it not surprising at all that Shrek would do such a thing. Some people in Shrek are indeed mentally ill.

Ye Xinglan was originally considered "sick" in his mind, but now it seems there's a possibility of her being cured?

Tang Wulin watched Ye Xinglan leave, raising an eyebrow slightly. "I have a feeling she'll become even stronger."

"I understand. Don't sword cultivators have sword hearts? Ye Xinglan's sword heart was basically tied to Shrek's glory before, but it was completely shattered by Boss Yuhao. Now—it will be reforged, right?"

In Xie Xie's opinion, the Ye Family's Inherited Soul Spirit was truly powerful, especially the last sentence it uttered—"And what they held was the same mentality you just had—blind and unreserved trust in Shrek!"

This was a decisive blow, hitting the nail on the head, directly waking Ye Xinglan up, and also giving Xie Xie a feeling of sudden enlightenment.

Suddenly I understood the root of Shrek's problem.

"Probably, but she seems to have forgotten her little follower."

Wang Jinxi looked at Xu Lizhi, who was talking to his parents, but Xu Lizhi was also staring blankly in the direction Ye Xinglan had left.

He and the other Shrek students must have heard what that Soul Spirit said; I wonder what they were thinking.

"No problem, that chubby kid forgets everything after eating a little something. Besides, his parents are here, so it's not our place to interfere."

Xu Xiaoyan waved her hand, "By the way, haven't Yuhao and the others finished reporting the situation yet?"

Why don't you look behind you?

Tang Wulin's eyes were strange.

"Well----"

Xu Xiaoyan turned around in surprise and saw Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena already standing behind her, silently observing her.

"As a Control System Battle Spirit Master skilled in Divine Power control, you lack any alertness and are not used to using your Divine Power to explore your surroundings. Zero points."

Gu Yuena shook her head.

This half-baked apprentice has been ruined.

Well, since there's another promising talent, Jia Lin, we can just treat Xu Xiaoyan as a mascot.

"Wait, what? Is this some kind of test? I don't have that kind of Divine Power, how could I possibly scan my surroundings all the time!"

Xu Xiaoyan muttered a protest under her breath.

The others smiled but didn't argue with her. Xie Xie over to Huo Yuhao's side.

"Boss, you didn't see it, Ye Xinglan actually changed her mind. I thought she wouldn't accept the elders' suggestion, but things took an unexpected turn in the end."

Huo Yuhao guessed what had happened from their conversation and looked at Xie Xie with a strange expression, "You don't actually think that just because she rejected the Ye Family's offer, she can leave here today, do you?"

"Uh, is that not allowed?" Xie Xie scratched his head.

"Since the elders of those students can come, it means they have the Federation's permission. Naturally, they won't leave their own troubles to the Federation. If they refuse, they'll be knocked unconscious and taken away."

Huo Yuhao shook his head.

"Besides, the area around Shrek City is under Federation blockade, how is she going to get there?"

In short, it's wishful thinking for a student to want to go to Shrek.

Xie Xie's lips twitched.

Thinking about it this way, I suddenly realized that the previous scenes weren't so heartwarming after all.