"Cai Yue'er, you can't make reckless claims like that."
Yun Ming spoke solemnly.
Evil Soul Masters were the acknowledged enemies of Soul Masters across the continent. If an accusation that a Soul Master was an Evil Soul Master held up, the accused would be wanted throughout the continent.
Especially since Long Xiaoyao was one of the War God Temple's War Gods, this would inevitably have a major impact on the War God Temple and even the Federation.
"Pavilion Master, Deputy Pavilion Master Long, I'm not making reckless claims!"
Yun Ming looked at Cai Yue'er. "Then why do you think so?"
Long Yeyue also looked at Cai Yue'er.
Cai Yue'er pointed at the two files in her hands.
"Look for yourselves! This Long Xiaoyao's name differs from the Long Xiaoyao of ten thousand years ago by only one character, and both their Martial Souls are the Dark Holy Dragon. Doesn't that prove it?!"
Yun Ming pressed a hand to his forehead. "Cai Yue'er, that's just a coincidence.
"Please understand that speculation isn't evidence. By your reasoning, would Elder Long be an Evil Soul Master too? Her surname is also Long, and one of her Martial Souls happens to be the Dark Holy Dragon."
Cai Yue'er choked on her words.
Beside them, Long Yeyue sighed as well.
"Yue'er, people already brought up this coincidence back when Long Xiaoyao became a Titled Douluo.
"But people on the Soul Net only treated it as a meme. After all, how could anyone possibly live for ten thousand years? If we used this to identify an Evil Soul Master, people would laugh Shrek to death."
Long Yeyue was utterly speechless too.
This Cai Yue'er really had a pig's brain.
"Elder Long, Yun Ming, I'm different from those people this time. I have evidence."
Yun Ming froze. Evidence?
Could there really be a Soul Master in this world who could live for ten thousand years?!
But Cai Yue'er suddenly sneered and took out another drawing.
Yun Ming and Long Yeyue hurriedly examined it.
In the drawing,
there was a hand-drawn pink tree.
The tree looked illusory, floating entirely in midair. It looked like a mass of energy, its image very indistinct.
Moreover,
the drawing in Cai Yue'er's hand was clearly a reproduction, making it even blurrier.
"What is this?"
Cai Yue'er sneered. "This is a hand-drawn record left behind by the Sea God Pavilion Master from ten thousand years ago, Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao."
"The original has always been kept in Shrek's treasure vault. What it depicts is something Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao once witnessed: before his death, Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao swore an oath before this Giant Tree of Sadness, saying it could allow him and Ye Xishui to reincarnate!"
Yun Ming's and Long Yeyue's eyes widened.
Reincarnation?!
"This... are you certain?"
Cai Yue'er declared with absolute conviction, "Yes! Yun Ming, if you don't believe me, you can go to the treasure vault and look."
The corner of Yun Ming's mouth twitched. His instinct was to say it was impossible!
Gods did indeed exist on the Douluo Continent, but reincarnation was something that simply didn't exist!
But looking at Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao's drawing, Yun Ming suddenly wasn't so sure anymore.
Long Yeyue narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
"Yue'er, are you saying you suspect that Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao of the Holy Spirit Cult from ten thousand years ago didn't die, but instead reincarnated as the current Long Xiaoyao of the War God Temple?"
Cai Yue'er nodded, her expression icy.
"Yes."
Yun Ming took a deep breath. "The question is, how do we establish that? Leaving aside whether anyone else would accept Spirit Ice Douluo's hand-drawn record, let's first assume reincarnation really exists."
"How would you establish that Long Xiaoyao is the reincarnated person? Besides, even if we established that, how would we find Long Xiaoyao guilty?"
"Could the sins of a previous life really be laid at the feet of someone in this life?"
Yun Ming accurately identified the logical flaw.
Inwardly, he didn't really agree with Cai Yue'er's view.
Mainly because,
convicting someone in this life for something from a previous life would probably be a first for the entire Federation.
Long Yeyue spoke up then as well. "Yue'er, even if he is reincarnated, it would still be very difficult to convict him.
"Besides, if you really used this to pass judgment, the Soul Net's users would probably laugh themselves to death, and public discussion would turn the whole thing into entertainment. When that happens, even if you really find Long Xiaoyao guilty, in the public's eyes, we'll be the guilty ones."
Long Yeyue also rejected the idea.
However, she was considering it from the perspective of their interests.
Long Xiaoyao sharing a name with the Long Xiaoyao from ten thousand years ago was already an old meme on the Soul Net.
If they passed judgment based on that, netizens would only laugh and think Shrek's judgments were child's play. Otherwise, why hadn't they passed judgment earlier?
Waiting until they had lost the match to make trouble over this would only disgrace Shrek. Long Yeyue knew that very well.
After Long Yeyue finished speaking,
she gave Cai Yue'er another meaningful look.
"If you want to find him guilty, it has to be for a crime committed in this life. Ideally, you should catch him in the act!"
After hearing that, Cai Yue'er couldn't help narrowing her eyes.
Yun Ming frowned. "Elder Long, what do you mean by that?"
Why did he feel as though Elder Long was hinting that Cai Yue'er should fabricate evidence?
Long Yeyue's expression remained unchanged. "Nothing. I'm merely reminding Yue'er to observe the principles of justice, fairness, and transparency. I don't want her to make a mistaken judgment."
Cai Yue'er immediately lowered her head. "You're right to admonish me, Elder Long! Then how about this, Yun Ming? I'd like to temporarily step down as dean of the outer court. I need a few months to investigate this thoroughly."
Yun Ming glanced at her. "You'll investigate? We can just have the Shrek Inspection Corps do it."
At that moment, Long Yeyue said,
"Yun Ming, Zhuo Shi was injured in the match, and Feng Wuyu has to manage the forging school. Besides, Yue'er knows Long Xiaoyao well, so investigating will be easier for her. Just let Yue'er go."
Yun Ming froze for a moment.
Cai Yue'er hurriedly added, "Yun Ming, Elder Long is right. I'm the most suitable person to go. If you don't trust me, you can go yourself."
Yun Ming was at a loss for words.
There was absolutely no way he would investigate it himself.
Although Yun Ming was the Sea God Pavilion Master, he devoted most of his attention to his own cultivation.
In fact, purely in terms of his duties, Yun Ming was utterly unqualified as Pavilion Master.
In the original story, Qiangu Dongfeng had colluded with the Holy Spirit Cult and planted a whole bunch of moles inside Shrek, which was how they disabled Shrek's defensive formation.
Only then had the Fixed Soul Cannon Shells been able to strike inside.
That was enough to show that Yun Ming barely managed Shrek at all as Pavilion Master. Shrek City, including the academy within it, was in complete administrative chaos.
Otherwise,
Qiangu Dongfeng could never have bombed the continent's number one academy so easily.
Cai Yue'er knew Yun Ming disliked bothering with such matters, which was why she had deliberately said that.
Sure enough, Yun Ming relented. "All right, if you want to investigate, go ahead. Remember, you must be just and fair. Don't bring personal prejudice into it just because he defeated Zhuo Shi."
"Yes, I'll remember."
Cai Yue'er nodded, picked up her things, and turned to leave.
The instant she turned away, her expression darkened completely.
Evidence?
If Shrek wanted to declare a Soul Master an Evil Soul Master, wouldn't getting evidence be simple?!
Since she, Cai Yue'er, couldn't have Long Xiaoyao, she might as well destroy him completely!
"Mm, I hope this will give Yue'er some tempering. I'm going back to cultivate."
Yun Ming also turned and walked back to the treehouse.
Long Yeyue remained where she was, the corners of her mouth rising.
Mingdu, Central Advanced Soul Master Academy.
After the arena match,
Li Chen told his father that Leng Yaozhu had taken him as her disciple.
Li Yuntian was naturally overjoyed and immediately contacted the academy.
Li Chen's records would remain at Mingdu Advanced Soul Master Academy. He could leave campus to study during the term and only needed to take the end-of-term exams.
After completing the formalities, Li Chen returned to school to pack up some personal belongings.
His deskmate, Xiao Pang, let out a long sigh.
"Brother Chen, why are you leaving? How the fuck did you get another Martial Soul with full Soul Power?"
"I seriously just can't take it!"
Xiao Pang wanted to cry but had no tears.
We're all good bros who go online together after school, and you fucking unlocked Twin Martial Souls behind my back?!
"Brother Chen, once you've gone to the Spirit Pagoda, you won't turn around and forget all your bros, will you?"
Several other close friends from class also gathered around Li Chen's desk, watching him pack up his pristine textbooks.
"Just kidding. I already forgot all you guys without even going to the Spirit Pagoda."
"Are you guys sick in the head? Are we even on the same road as Brother Chen? His dad's the speaker. Would we be in the same class as him just because he stayed?"
"Oh, that's true."
Xiao Pang beat his breast in anguish. "Damn it! Has a sorrowful, thick barrier already come between us?! I hate this!"
Li Chen laughed despite himself. "All right, I'll treat you to a meal when the holidays start. I'll cover your internet fees too."
Xiao Pang and the others immediately beamed.
"Hey, you should've said so sooner. We're all fucking bros!"
"Exactly, I knew Brother Chen was the most loyal!"
Li Chen smiled and walked out the door.
School days really were better. At least everyone's thoughts were relatively simple.
After walking out through the school gates,
Li Chen looked back at the academy, then turned and got into Leng Yaozhu's car.
Li Chen knew that his new life as a Soul Master was about to begin.