Elder Xuan, You're Being Foolish!

Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion.

"Elder Xuan, look at the mess you've made of this."

After learning the full sequence of events from Zhang Lexuan, who had already left, and hearing Du Busi's terms of exchange from Xuan Zi, Yan Shaozhe wore a conflicted expression. With things having come to this, the academy had been put on the spot, unable to back down.

If this matter was not handled properly, it would deal a severe blow to the reputation Shrek Academy had built over so many years.

He did not believe Du Busi would keep his mouth shut if he received no response!

And originally, all of this could have been avoided.

If Xuan Zi had not fallen behind, the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone would have all gone to Zhang Lexuan. None of this would have happened afterward.

Sigh, Elder Xuan, you're being foolish!

"..." Xuan Zi could hear the blame in Yan Shaozhe's words and felt utterly aggrieved.

Although the cause of it all had indeed been his fault, thinking about it still left him with a feeling of suffering he could not voice. He felt awful!

If not for being in the wrong first and owing them a favor.

If not for the fact that Du Busi had two Title Douluo beside him at the time, while his own side had no advantage and could not defeat them.

If not for worrying that a fight might draw the attention of the Fierce Beasts in the core region, and that they would discover the Hundred Thousand Year Eclipse Demon Wolf had been killed—and that their students had absorbed its Soul Ring—leaving them no way to clear themselves.

Then, in a fit of rage, those Fierce Beasts might have charged out and ganged up on them.

On Du Busi's side, each Title Douluo could grab a child and flee on the spot, with no problem at all. But on his side, there were twelve of them. There was no way he could take them all away at once.

Worse still, if the Fierce Beasts flew into a rage and launched a Beast Tide, the Body Sect was far away and had nothing to worry about. But Shrek City... was built right beside the Star Dou Great Forest and would be the first to bear the brunt.

If he had not considered all that, he would have fought Du Busi long ago!

Being cursed in public by that Old Fellow he had never liked, and doing so in front of the students under his charge without daring to retort, had cost him all his dignity. When had he ever suffered such humiliation in his life!

Do you have any idea how much psychological pressure this Old Man endured to put up with that!?

"Sigh, this matter truly was Old Man's fault!" He suppressed the grief in his heart and said with a dispirited expression,

"I am willing to accept any punishment from the academy!"

"Enough." Seeing Xuan Zi take the initiative to admit his mistake, Elder Song spoke smoothly. "Since it has already happened, there is no use dwelling on it further. We should first consider how to deal with the Body Sect. To keep the matter from spreading, we must give them a positive response."

"If we drag this out too long, Du Busi will spread rumors outside, and that will surely damage the academy's reputation."

Yan Shaozhe fell silent.

In his eyes, that Soul Bone should originally have belonged to Shrek, as long as Xuan Zi had arrived in time.

Yet now, they needed to trade another item of equal value for something that should have been theirs. No matter how he thought about it, it left a bad taste in his mouth.

What a loss! The more he thought about it, the more he felt they had lost out—and it only felt worse the more he thought.

Especially when he considered using an incomparably precious Hundred Thousand Year Fearful Demonic Dragon Wisdom Skull in exchange, he felt increasingly uncomfortable!

"Elder Song, I believe the key issue is not what outsiders think, but whether the academy believes Lexuan is worth spending another Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone to cultivate." Qian Duoduo, who had a sharp business mind, said thoughtfully.

"And in my opinion, she is!"

"I need not say more about Lexuan's talent. Now that she has obtained a Hundred Thousand Year eighth Soul Ring, everyone understands what that means. Such a talent grew up in the academy. Are we really going to push her away over a Soul Bone? What would the Inner Court students who know about this think? If we do not value someone we raised ourselves, would we value outsiders who came later?"

"From another perspective, if we handle this well, would it not also be an opportunity to strengthen the academy's unity?"

"Besides, as long as we keep Lexuan in the academy, won't the Soul Bone still belong to the academy?"

"I think Duoduo is right!" Xian Lin'er voiced her support. With a sidelong glance, she looked at Qian Duoduo, her husband in name, in a new light.

"What do the rest of you think?" Elder Song turned to the others.

"The reasoning is sound. I agree!" Yan Shaozhe finally accepted reality, though he still felt somewhat uncomfortable inside.

He did not particularly mind taking out another Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone to cultivate Lexuan. But losing one due to negligence at work was deeply upsetting.

It upset him so much that his heart itched. He felt certain he would not be able to sleep tonight because of it.

Sigh, Elder Xuan, you're being foolish!

"Agreed." Cai Mei'er and Elder Zhuang nodded one after another.

"Elder Mu, what do you think?" Elder Song turned toward Mu En, who sat in the seat of honor.

"You have overlooked one thing." Mu En said calmly. "That is whether that Soul Bone is truly suitable for Lexuan."

"In terms of attributes, it does suit her. The Eclipse Demon Wolf is, after all, a Soul Beast mutated from the Silver Moon Demon Wolf, which can draw moonlight to cultivate. The Soul Bones it produces contain, to some extent, the radiance of moonlight, which would benefit Lexuan's absorption. But the Soul Skill it carries..."

"Do you think Lexuan is suited to the skill Berserk?"

Everyone's expressions froze. Yan Shaozhe was also stunned, then opened his mouth and said, "It seems... it really isn't suitable."

Zhang Lexuan's Soul Skills were mostly long-range and wide in scope. She normally had no need to engage in close combat. Even if she needed a close-range Soul Bone skill for emergencies, she should prioritize defensive or offensive ones. Even if she wanted an amplification skill, Berserk was not the right choice.

Although its amplification effect was strong, it would also cause one to lose rationality to a certain extent, perhaps even putting on an impromptu clothes-bursting display.

"Ahem, that skill really is rather unfriendly for a girl." Xian Lin'er said awkwardly.

The others also looked embarrassed. They had actually failed to consider that point.

"Teacher, then what do we do? We won't exchange it?" Yan Shaozhe leaned forward slightly and quickly asked.

"We will not exchange it, but what must be done still needs to be done." As Mu En spoke, he flipped his hand, and a pristine white Soul Bone appeared in his palm. "This Hundred Thousand Year Right Arm Bone was left behind after Chen Su died of old age. Its attached skills are one for offense and one for defense, making it perfectly suited to Lexuan as she is now."

"It can also give her another means of protecting herself."

"Xuan Zi, hand it to Lexuan publicly tomorrow." After saying that, he controlled it and sent it floating toward Xuan Zi.

Xuan Zi was deeply moved. He carefully received it and was just about to say something when Elder Mu spoke first. "Additionally, Lexuan's Hundred Thousand Year ninth Soul Ring, as well as the Soul Rings of the Inner Court students who nearly lost their lives due to your negligence this time, will all be your sole responsibility from now on, unless they graduate and leave the academy. This is your personal compensation to them, and also the academy's punishment for you."

"Elder Mu, I guarantee there will not be another problem!" Xuan Zi immediately straightened his back and patted his chest.

Mu En nodded slightly and turned to Yan Shaozhe.

"As for the academy's compensation to these students, Shaozhe, take them below later and let them undergo deep meditation once."

A trace of surprise flashed through Yan Shaozhe's eyes. Entering the underground world at the roots of the Golden Ancient Tree to receive the baptism of its light and Life Aura was an opportunity granted to even Inner Court disciples only once, unless they made an especially outstanding contribution to the academy and received special approval for another chance.

Yet now, simply because they had returned safely from the Star Dou Great Forest, Elder Mu had specially approved another opportunity for them.

It seems Elder Mu truly places great importance on this accident, Yan Shaozhe thought with a sigh, then nodded.

"Yes, Teacher!"

Meanwhile, Xuan Zi felt even more guilty, and his eyes had reddened slightly.

"One more thing." Elder Mu turned to Xuan Zi.

"Xuan Zi, after giving the Soul Bone to Lexuan tomorrow, personally make a trip to the Body Sect."

"Ah?" Xuan Zi's heart trembled violently.

His eyes immediately filled with conflict.

Why does it have to be me!?