Dai Huabin and the others widened their eyes, instinctively growing respectful. This person was none other than the legendary Sea God Pavilion Master!
How could he have come here? Could it be that he was utterly furious about what Wang Dong had said?
Dai Huabin thought viciously, feeling it would be great if Mu En were to get angry and kill the other party. He was green with jealousy over Wang Dong.
His hatred even surpassed that towards Huo Yuhao!
That was because the current Huo Yuhao posed no threat to him, but Wang Dong was different.
Mu En's gaze swept across the entire crowd, finally stopping on Wang Dong. A gleam of approval flashed in his cloudy, aged eyes.
"What you said was well spoken."
Mu En's voice was not loud, yet it clearly resonated across the entire plaza, leaving everyone completely dumbfounded.
What on earth was going on? This Sea God Pavilion Master was actually praising Wang Dong.
"The problems of Shrek Academy do indeed exist. Over these past few years, I have also constantly pondered the direction of reform, but I am old and lacking in strength."
He looked at Wang Dong, then turned to Huo Yuhao, speaking slowly, "Huo Yuhao, starting from today, you are an official core disciple."
Huo Yuhao froze, her entire body standing rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning, unable to recover her senses for a long time.
Mu En looked at Wang Dong again. "You were right; the academy indeed needs reform. But reform requires young people to drive it. The two of you, are you willing to become my disciples? The burden of reforming Shrek... I wish to hand it to you."
The entire plaza fell silent once more. Everyone stared with wide eyes, looking at Mu En, then looking at Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, their minds completely blank.
The Sea God Pavilion Master, the pillar of strength of Shrek Academy, a legendary Limit Douluo-level figure, was actually taking disciples in person? And he was taking two first-years at that?
Are you kidding me?
"Why on earth? Why could those two freshmen catch the Pavilion Master's eye?"
"Precisely! We've worked bitterly to cultivate for so many years, and even seeing the Pavilion Master once is difficult, yet the two of them have it so good they've directly become the Pavilion Master's disciples!"
"Isn't this far too unfair?"
"Unfair? If you dare to curse the academy's system in front of all the higher-ups and say there's a problem, who knows, maybe the Pavilion Master would take you in too."
"Then forget it... I don't have that kind of courage."
Dai Huabin stood within the crowd, his complexion ashen, his clenched fists trembling slightly. He watched the backs of Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, an indescribable jealousy and rage surging within his heart.
Why? Why could that good-for-nothing win the Pavilion Master's favor? He was a thirty-fourth-rank Soul Elder, the person with the highest soul power among this batch of freshmen!
Why couldn't he even qualify as an official core disciple, yet that good-for-nothing could leap to the heavens in a single bound?
He even couldn't help thinking, could it be that all one had to do was curse Shrek Academy? Then he would curse too! He could curse as well!
Yet in his heart he knew clearly that he simply did not have the guts to say those things in front of so many higher-ups.
Xuan Zi stood upon the high platform, his expression as complex as if he had swallowed a fly. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, yet not a single word came out.
Pavilion Master, oh Pavilion Master, what status do you hold? How could you just casually take disciples like this? At the very least, you should have discussed it with us first!
Xuan Zi still held a great deal of respect for Mu En; this person was a genuine living fossil!
Yan Shaozhe and Du Weilun exchanged glances, both wearing expressions of speechlessness, yet they had no right to question the Pavilion Master's decision.
"Ah, he wants to take us as disciples."
Wang Dong was likewise entirely out of sorts, clearly deeply shocked by the other party's words, and Huo Yuhao was the same.
"I apologize to everyone on behalf of Shrek Academy... A great major power cannot have every single thing be completely flawless; it requires correction, and I hope you can give it a chance."
Mu En said to Wang Dong, and these words were also spoken for everyone present to hear.
Upon hearing this, quite a few people felt a deep stirring within their hearts. How could it be that none of the students had discovered the problems of Shrek Academy? They surely had.
Yet Shrek Academy was a colossal behemoth, and simply no one dared to bring it up.
Yet now, the Sea God Pavilion Master had apologized.
Wang Dong stared at Mu En for a good while, ultimately letting out a helpless sigh and agreeing.
"I am willing."
Huo Yuhao was the same.
Mu En smiled with satisfaction, then motioned for the two of them to follow, and the two were guided away.
Soon his figure re-materialized beside the reclining chair. He looked at Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, a trace of gentle warmth in his cloudy, aged eyes.
He had indeed observed these two children for a long time. As the Sea God Pavilion Master, he knew better than anyone that Shrek Academy was already going downhill.
Over these past few years, the Body Sect had risen rapidly, showing a faint tendency to catch up to Shrek. Yet the interior of the academy remained self-contained and conservative, clinging to the old ways and refusing to reform.
He was old and lacking in strength. He had constantly been waiting for an opportunity, waiting for someone who dared to step forward and speak out. Today, Wang Dong had spoken for him.
This young man possessed not only outstanding strength and extraordinary courage, but more importantly, he had a heart that genuinely considered the academy's well-being. Even though the words he spoke were harsh to the ear, every single sentence was the truth.
Moreover, he truly liked these two children. As a Limit Douluo, his judgment of people could not be wrong. During this period, he had been observing them in secret.
Wang Dong's martial soul was very special-twin martial souls, the Clear Sky Hammer coupled with the Soft Bone Rabbit, and it even carried an extremely rare dragon-type bloodline aura.
As for Huo Yuhao, the Spiritual Detection Sharing released by that ten-year soul ring had startled even him. How could an ordinary ten-year soul ring possibly possess such a terrifying soul skill?
Neither of these children was simple.
What he worried about even more was that if he did not step forward, Wang Dong might genuinely take Huo Yuhao and leave Shrek. This young man had far too much pride and could not brook being wronged.
Since he had already uttered words about leaving the school, he would actually carry them out. Mu En did not wish to lose such geniuses, so he could only step forward personally and intercept them.
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao followed behind Mu En, both of them still somewhat dazed. Wang Dong had originally thought today's affair would end either with him swallowing his pride or directly quitting and walking away.
He had already thought it through: where this place would not keep him, there were places that would. Given his conditions, he could thrive anywhere he went. He simply hadn't expected Mu En to personally step forward and take them as disciples.
His impression of Mu En was actually quite good. In the original work, Mu En was a true gentleman with no real stains on his record.
Furthermore, Mu En was a Limit Douluo with a dragon-type martial soul. Becoming his disciple would undoubtedly be of immense benefit to his Golden Dragon King Bloodline. For Huo Yuhao, it was an even greater stroke of fortune.
As for Huo Yuhao, she was completely dazed. She still hadn't reacted to what had happened up to this moment.
She only remembered that Wang Dong had stood up for her, cursed the academy's higher-ups, and then Mu En had appeared and taken her as a disciple. She secretly pinched the back of her hand, sucking in a sharp breath of cold air from the pain. It was real, not a dream.
Mu En led the two of them through a bamboo grove, arriving before a sparkling, rippling lake.
The lake water was clear to the bottom, casting faint golden ripples under the sunlight, surrounded by exotic flowers and rare herbs. A faint fragrance permeated the air.
The Sea God Lake. The most core area of Shrek Academy, a place where only Inner Court disciples were qualified to set foot.
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