The Black Tortoise Sect, Debts Old and New

Body Sect.

Inside a secluded courtyard.

Lu Cheng, dressed in an elegant light blue robe, lay lazily on a bench, while Ma Xiaotao sat to one side, her long, beautiful legs crossed, her slender fingers gently massaging his shoulders.

"Young Sect Master." Lang Ya pushed open the door and entered, his expression slightly somber.

"Still the Black Tortoise Sect?" Lu Cheng asked calmly, his eyes closed.

"Not bad." Lang Ya nodded slightly, somewhat annoyed. "Those bastards don't allow any external forces to touch the city. They're an impenetrable fortress, having operated for thousands of years, their influence deeply entrenched in the local area. Moreover... they've colluded with dukes from many surrounding provinces, as well as powerful hidden sects to resist them."

"This time, we were turned away again. We were originally planning to send people to take action directly, but at the crucial moment, the people from the Shrek Academy showed up."

Lang Ya said with a face full of resentment, clearly having suffered a considerable loss.

It might even lead to losing face.

He only brought a few third-generation disciples, all of whom were powerful Soul Douluo level experts, while the opposing side directly sent several Titled Douluo, led by Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department, who suppressed them so much that they couldn't even raise their heads.

The Body Sect and Shrek had a long-standing feud, and the last competition had completely turned them against each other, Yan Shaozhe naturally couldn't say anything nice.

"Shrek Academy?" Lu Cheng raised an eyebrow.

"Those guys actually have the nerve to meddle in these things?"

"You've already attacked them right at their doorstep, how can you just ignore it?" Lang Ya's eye twitched, and he said helplessly.

Lu Cheng nodded. Shrek Academy and Black Tortoise Sect were indeed interdependent, and being geographically close, any move against the Black Tortoise Sect would be closely related to Shrek Academy.

In addition, what they were going to do was rather sensitive. The Spirit Hall was Shrek Academy's mortal enemy, and even the old men and women of the Sea God Pavilion were almost irritated by the mention of the Spirit Hall.

What he just said was indeed quite domineering.

Ultimately, however, he didn't really take Shrek seriously.

"If that's the case, then so be it..."

Lu Cheng smiled and said, "Let me go and see if Shrek Academy can protect the Black Tortoise Sect."

"Hehehe, that would be the best." Lang Ya chuckled. There's nothing that can't be broken by force. He had been hesitant before simply because he didn't want to disrupt the local ecosystem and the balance of power. Now that someone was courting death, he didn't mind teaching them a lesson.

"Transfer order!"

Lu Cheng slowly stood up, the smile on his face gradually fading.

He casually tossed a crimson-gold token to Lang Ya: "The upper six elders will select three, the lower six elders will select three, and ten disciples from the third generation will gather here within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"Here you go!"

Lang Ya put away his playful smile, his expression turned solemn, and he spoke respectfully.

This is the sect leader's decree, which carries the highest authority within the sect. Even the six elders cannot disobey it. Of course, given Lu Cheng's current prestige within the sect, no one would be foolish enough to disobey.

With a flash, he disappeared into the courtyard.

Ma Xiaotao smiled slightly, "What, decided to go all out?"

We'll wreck this cesspool sooner or later.

Lu Cheng gave a soft snort.

The three of them, including Mother Jiang, suffered at the hands of the Black Tortoise Sect years ago; they'll get their revenge sooner or later!

Black Tortoise City.

Within a magnificent courtyard, occupying the most luxurious location in the city, sit countless pavilions and towers, crafted from precious ancient wood, exuding a faint fragrance, and carved with various Xuanwu-shaped window patterns.

And it was right there in a courtyard.

A middle-aged man, dressed in a long black robe and with a burly and powerful physique, sat at the head of the table, looking down at everyone gathered there. Those who had come to this gathering were all powerful leaders of their respective regions, and even the weakest among them were experts at the Soul Douluo level.

Of course, this was by no means the source of his confidence in confronting the behemoth that was the Body Sect; his true trump card lay in...

Beside him, a handsome older man with gold-rimmed glasses, exuding a scholarly air and appearing gentle and refined, smiled at him.

It was Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department at the Shrek Academy.

I felt a sense of peace in my heart.

This is Shrek Academy, his Sea God!

Although the matter of the Black Tortoise Sect elders had once caused the two forces to become bitter enemies and almost turn against each other, the intervention of a stronger external enemy has now forced them to temporarily put aside their grudges and unite against a common foe.

Yan Shaozhe also brought his sincere apologies and personally apologized to him for what happened back then.

His anger gradually subsided.

The most pressing issue is how to deal with the Body Sect.

"Gentlemen..."

He coughed lightly twice and spoke in a deep voice.

"I'm sure you all understand why I've summoned you all at this time. The Body Sect has sent people to negotiate, wanting you to relinquish your control over those civilians. They want to emulate the Spirit Hall of ten thousand years ago, harming the continent and wreaking havoc!"

"..."

The many experts present exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions turning awkward.

Although the name "Body Sect" is intimidating enough, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, and Shrek Academy, a powerful institution, is there to protect them.

For thousands of years, although the Heavenly Soul Empire has remained an empire, its fundamental structure has remained unchanged. The central government has very little control over the surrounding provinces, and is even equivalent to several regional lords. They maintain their own armies and only loosely unite when major events occur.

In the eyes of all forces, there is no such thing as unification.

"So, what does Sect Master Xu mean?" an elderly man with white hair asked thoughtfully, stroking his beard.

"Absolutely refuse! We cannot allow them to intrude on our territory. If they send a finger, we'll cut it off; if they send a hand, we'll cut it off..."

"Yes! Sect Master Xu is right!"

The leaders of the various factions exchanged glances, a cold smile playing on their lips. "Your Body Sect may be strong, but don't underestimate the combined power of us. The enemy's hand has touched their territory—their lifeline. How can we tolerate such insolence?"

"Clap clap clap~"

Several rounds of applause followed.

Everyone looked at the corridor with astonishment on their faces.

A young man dressed in a blue robe, with an unbelievably handsome face and even a hint of eeriness, slowly walked over.

Behind them was a familiar figure.

Lang Ya, the person in charge sent by the Body Sect, is seen by them as a heinous scoundrel.

At this moment, however, he followed the young man with great respect, keeping pace with him step by step.

A dozen or so gazes fell upon the young man, each with a different expression.

Only Xu Jiangliu, who sat at the head of the table, and Yan Shaozhe their hair stand on end, first with anger, then with surprise and doubt.

They've suffered at the hands of this kid more than once.

Each time it got more ruthless than the last.

Shrek suffered a severe blow because of him, and now they are at risk of falling out of the top-tier academy.

Now that the other party is from the Body Sect and has come knocking on our door, their purpose is obvious.

"Your Excellency's abrupt entry into our council chamber is rather impolite. I wonder whose child you are, and how your parents raised you?" An elderly man with white hair looked down at Lu Cheng, took a sip of tea, and spoke jokingly.

"My family taught me to respect teachers and elders, and to care for the young." Lu Cheng smiled, his tone quite sincere.

Upon hearing this, Yan Shaozhe was the first to lose his composure, his eyelids twitching wildly.

This is practically a born prodigy, and incredibly so, lawless and unruly. Does the phrase "respect for elders and love for the young" have anything to do with you?

"..."

Xu Jiangliu's expression also turned cold. His family elders had all been burned to ashes by Ma Xiaotao, and he was also a victim. He knew all too well the unruly nature of this young man.

However, the two still sensed something was wrong.

Especially Yan Shaozhe, who had spent the most time with this kid and knew that the more serious he seemed, the more he was holding back his excitement.

"But I respect people, what are you, a turtle, doing getting involved?" Lu Cheng said calmly, glancing at the white-haired old man whose smile was gradually freezing on his face, and chuckled.

"..."

The scene was deathly silent.

Many top experts' expressions changed.

They're here to cause trouble.

Although it's unclear what's gotten into the Body Sect that makes them so determined to restore the Spirit Hall, judging from their current stance, they seem determined to succeed.

Therefore, whether or not they should continue to oppose it is a matter of choice.

As for you...

Lu Cheng's gaze fell directly on Xu Jiangliu, who was at the head of the group. With his hands behind his back, he walked with a smile to an empty bamboo stool, sat down casually as if he were at home, and looked around.

Lang Ya stood beside him, his expression unchanged.

"You just said you were going to cut off my Body Sect's fingers?"

"..."

"Gurgle~"

Xu Jiangliu's throat bobbed. For some reason, when he saw this little beast again, although the other party had not revealed his strength, the oppressive feeling he received was even more terrifying.

"Ha! My Black Tortoise Sect has guarded this place for thousands of years and brought benefits to the people here for thousands of years. Why should we bow and scrape down just because your Body Sect says a word?" Xu Jiangliu glanced at Yan Shaozhe beside him. Seeing that the other party's expression was calm, he felt more confident and snorted angrily.

"So you want to sever the Body Sect's finger?"

Lu Cheng tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the bamboo stool, his tone unchanged.

Xu Jiangliu's eye twitched.

"Since you want to cut off my Body Sect's fingers, then I'll cut off all ten of yours. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

Lu Cheng's lips curled into a smile as he looked at Xu Jiangliu with a rather chilling expression.

"Elder Lin, let's begin."

The next instant, an aura of a Titled Douluo erupted, landing in front of Xu Jiangliu in a flash. A cold light flashed, the blade returned to its sheath, and the figure of an old man with white hair but vigorous spirit appeared in front of everyone.

However, the blade was stained with blood.

Xu Jiangliu suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream, "Aaaaaah!!!"

Under the horrified gazes of the crowd.

Xu Jiangliu's ten fingers all fell to the ground, his palms strangely level.

Fresh blood seeped out, echoing his wailing cries.

"Lu Cheng, how dare you!!!"

Yan Shaozhe's pupils suddenly contracted, and he stood up, glaring angrily.

He glanced at Xu Jiangliu's miserable state again, and was both shocked and furious.

What shocked him was that, as a Super Douluo, he hadn't been able to react in time; what angered him was that this action was tantamount to slapping Shrek Academy's face into the ground repeatedly.

"Yan Shaozhe, do you also want to test the sharpness of my knife?"

The white-haired old man snorted coldly, stood in front of Lu Cheng, and looked at the distinguished dean of the Martial Soul Department with indifferent eyes.