Yan Shaozhe was executed, Xuan Zi was seriously injured and on the verge of death. Kong Deming and Kong Xuan watched this tragic scene with indifference, their faces showing neither sorrow nor joy.
For Kong Xuan, with Yan Shaozhe, his enemy who had once joined forces with outsiders to attack him, now dead, this feud was considered over.
Whether Xuan Zi lived or died was of no concern to them; what did Shrek's internal affairs have to do with them?
A moment later, relying on the powerful physique and strong Soul Power foundation brought by the Godly Taotie Bull Martial Soul, Xuan Zi suppressed the almost fatal injury and struggled to stand up.
With every movement, excruciating pain shot through his wounds, yet he still dragged his crippled body step by step to Kong Deming and Kong Xuan.
His face was ashen, his breath weak as a candle in the wind, and he said in Weakening voice, " Yan Shaozhe... is dead. I hope that you two will spare no further harm against the Shrek Academy in the future, considering that I have personally dealt with this matter today."
Upon hearing this, Kong Deming merely let out an undisguised sneer, filled with disdain.
Kong Xuan was even more direct, his tone calm yet every word like a knife. "Targeting Shrek? Perhaps you're mistaken."
"We have never targeted Shrek Academy, or rather, Shrek Academy is not worth our deliberate 'targeting'."
He calmly looked at Xuan Zi and continued, "All along, it has been Shrek Academy that has arrogantly regarded us as its hypothetical enemy, indulging in its past glory and engaging in pointless vigilance and confrontation."
These words were incredibly sharp, like a steel needle piercing Xuan Zi's heart.
Normally, given his impulsive and easily angered nature, he would probably have already flew into a rage.
But at this moment, the Weakening brought on by his serious injuries seemed to "suppress" his volatile temper, and his mind became unusually calm, even clear-headed.
He felt extremely uncomfortable and humiliated listening to Kong Xuan's words, yet found himself unable to refute them.
Looking back, many of the frictions between the Sun Moon Empire and Shrek seem to have been initiated by Shrek Academy's arrogance and rejection of "orthodoxy."
His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the sky above the lake, where the phantom image of the Nine-Colored Goddess Ning Rongrong was visible.
Even the legendary ancestors of the academy, who had long since become gods, had to "submit" to the opponent's power at this moment.
Shrek Academy seems to have truly lost its former glory, just as Kong Xuan said, and is even... no longer worthy of being regarded as an opponent that needs to be "targeted".
"Well--!"
The myriad thoughts churning within me ultimately coalesced into a heavy sigh, dissipating into the cool air of the valley.
He took one last, deep look at the illusory figure suspended above the lake, then resolutely turned away, never to look back.
He walked with faltering steps, yet with unusual determination, toward the path that Ning Rongrong had cleared at the edge of the valley.
The light and shadow cast a long and lonely shadow behind him.
He has decided to return to Mingdu immediately, and then go back to the Shrek Academy with Cai Mei'er and the others.
This experience made him realize that Shrek... needed to change.
The era of complacency and dwelling on past glories must come to an end.
This will be the first, and most significant and difficult, decision that Xuan Zi will make after officially succeeding Sea God Pavilion Master.
Watching Xuan Zi's heavy and lonely figure, Ning Rongrong's phantom turned her gaze to Kong Xuan, her eyes filled with a hint of wariness and hope.
I have done everything you asked.
"Now, can you keep your promise and let this wisp of my spirit return to the Divine Realm?"
Upon hearing this, Kong Xuan's face showed a playful smile, "Of course, I have said it before, I always keep my word."
As he spoke, an invisible barrier that had severed the connection between this place and the Divine Realm was silently removed.
If he hadn't used the power of the Sea-Calming Divine Needle to seal off this space, severing Ning Rongrong's avatar from her main body and the Divine Realm, how could this Nine-Colored Goddess have been so "obedient"? She would have already fled back to the Divine Realm on her own.
As she felt the chilling force of isolation disappear, and her connection with her Divine Realm body became clear and smooth again, Ning Rongrong secretly breathed a long sigh of relief, and her tense divine sense finally relaxed.
At this moment, all plans for the throne of the God of Love have become irrelevant.
Her only thought was to preserve this wisp of her original spirit, to ensure its safe return, and to prevent the fall of her divine status.
However, just before she was about to disappear, looking at Kong Xuan's unfathomable smile, a huge sense of doubt and unease welled up in her heart again.
She couldn't help but ask the question that had been lingering in her mind for so long, "What... what exactly is your relationship with Tang San?"
Without realizing it, her way of addressing him had changed from the affectionate and respectful "Third Brother" to calling him by his given name, " Tang San."
This subtle change reflects a delicate shift in her mindset. Having experienced this calamity, she has developed an unspeakable distance from the God King's thoughts and methods.
Kong Xuan smiled, a smile that held a hint of mystery, "You'll know when we meet again in the Divine Realm."
He didn't answer directly, but instead kept the real answer a secret, leaving it to the unknowable future.
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong gave him a deep look but did not ask any further questions.
For some reason, she had no doubt whatsoever about the possibility of seeing Kong Xuan again in the Divine Realm.
The mystery surrounding this mortal youth and the power he displayed were far beyond the realm of reason.
Without further hesitation, her phantom began to emit an increasingly intense nine-colored halo.
Amidst a powerful spatial fluctuation, a dazzling nine-colored beam of light shot into the sky from where she stood.
When the beam of light dissipated, the beautiful figure on the lake surface had completely vanished, and Ning Rongrong's avatar had returned to the Divine Realm.
Seeing her finally leave, Kong Deming couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Those members of the Holy Spirit Cult died in the trials of Qiankun Asking Love Valley. If Kong Xuan hadn't appeared this time, his fate might not have been much better.
He sighed inwardly, turning to look at his beloved grandson, who always brought him surprises and peace of mind. A smile of contentment appeared on his face, and his lips moved slightly, as if he was about to say something...
Suddenly, his expression changed drastically!
He suddenly turned his head, his gaze sharp as lightning, and stared intently once again at the seemingly calm surface of the gold and silver lake!
The once calm, mirror-like lake, with its distinct gold and silver hues, suddenly began to boil violently without warning!
The golden waters of Sun Lake and the silvery waters of Moon Lake were no longer at their places. As if stirred by a pair of invisible giant hands, they transformed into countless crystal-clear water droplets, like tangible jewels, which detached from the lake surface and rose slowly into the air.
Thousands of gold and silver water droplets, as if summoned by a divine call, intertwined, swirled, and converged in mid-air, eventually forming a human-shaped figure.
The figure was constructed from pure golden and silver divine light, obscuring its features. Although the aura it emitted was not powerful, both Kong Deming and Kong Xuan could sense that the fluctuations emanating from it were definitely higher than those of the Nine-Colored Goddess Ning Rongrong's avatar not long ago!