"Old Ji, go get him! Kick his ass!" Lin Xi cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted loudly.
But his voice was quickly drowned out by the more organized and enthusiastic chants nearby.
"Go Brother Ji!"
"Sword Immortal Ji is invincible!"
"He's so handsome! Are all the exchange students from the Sun Moon Empire this good-looking?"
"Ahem, young lady, you've got good taste..." Xiao Hongchen smugly slicked back his hair into a slicked-back style. He had a rather delicate appearance, but compared to Ji Juechen, he wasn't even in the same league.
"And you are?" The Shrek Outer Court girl who had been cheering for Ji Juechen looked at Xiao Hongchen with suspicion. This was Shrek Academy—home to noble families and beautiful people. Someone like Xiao Hongchen, without showing his strength, was just plain and forgettable...
At least if you were trying to stand out with looks alone, it was tough.
"I—mmph!" Xiao Hongchen wanted to protest and reveal his identity, but Ma Rulong next to him covered his mouth and dragged him back to their seats.
"Stop embarrassing the Sun Moon Empire."
Xiao Hongchen: "..."
The dueling arena was packed with noise.
At least a thousand people had gathered.
Everyone had paid a gold soul coin to get a seat.
Xiao Hongchen crossed his arms over his chest with a dissatisfied pout. "I cheer for Old Ji, sure. But what's with all these girls cheering for him too?"
"That's the power of good looks, young man," Lin Xi said smugly.
"I finally understand why Brother Cheng is so popular. Insane strength, leads the Sun Moon Empire to crush Shrek's path forward, and he's incredibly good-looking too. Among all the people I've met, only Old Ji could maybe match up. If Brother Cheng showed up here... heh, I bet half the girls would faint on the spot."
"I respect Cheng, I really do," Xiao Hongchen smacked his lips, nodding in agreement.
But now that he thought about entrusting his little sister to that guy… in three years, once the exchange program was over and he returned to the Sun Moon Empire, would he already be an uncle?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He definitely needed to write a letter to Meng and warn her about that guy...
"Hey, it's starting!" Lin Xi pointed to the arena.
The crowd immediately fell silent.
In the vast arena, only the voices of the two duelists remained.
When Ji Juechen saw his opponent, he was momentarily surprised. Then his eyes lit up, and he unsheathed his sword, holding it behind him."Ji Juechen, Level 56 Battle Soul King."
The woman opposite him held an ice staff, her face cold and stunningly beautiful."Ling Luochen, Level 61 Control-Type Soul Emperor."
She had already accepted her previous defeat to the Sun Moon Empire—to that towering figure—because even at full strength, Ma Xiaotao had fallen to him.
But this guy—what gives him the right?
Coming at this exact moment, when Shrek was at its weakest—was he trying to trample on their dignity?
If so, then even if she had to risk her life, she would win this duel!
"Please!"
Ji Juechen's eyes sparkled.
In the past, his opponents were all Soul Kings or Soul Ancestors—none of them worthy.
He didn't have any ulterior motives. He'd just discovered that acting cold and aloof fired up Shrek's fighting spirit, which meant he could challenge stronger opponents and enjoy more thrilling battles.
"Third soul skill, Ice Prison!"
"Fourth soul skill, Frozen Mist!"
"Fifth soul skill, Radiant Ice Ring!"
"Sixth soul skill, Frost Scar!"
Ling Luochen struck the ground with her staff, and with each command, a soul ring rose beneath her feet—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black—six in total.
Then came an unbearable chill.
Countless people watched wide-eyed in horror as it seemed the entire arena was frozen.
Ji Juechen's eyes shone brightly.
"You respect me, so I'll respect you."
"Sword, come!"
...
Sun Moon Empire.
Student Dormitory.
Zhang Lexuan sat quietly on her bed, legs slightly curled, holding a letter in her hands. Her expression was somber and dazed.
The contents of the letter were clear, emphasizing four key words: Elder Mu is critically ill—the implication was obvious.
Elder Mu had once saved her life. That's why she chose to stay and serve Shrek Academy.
So if Elder Mu was near death, she had to go back and see him one last time, to attend his funeral. But...
She wasn't stupid. The odd behavior of Mo Xuan over the past two days, and the evasive look in Fan Yu's eyes when he personally handed her the letter, had all raised her suspicions.
It was too coincidental.
Elder Mu had indeed lost more of his limited life force after his battle against a Holy Spirit Cult powerhouse. But as an Ultimate Douluo, he should've had at least another three or four years left.
Unless the Body Sect made a move, or the Holy Spirit Cult struck again.
But none of that was mentioned in the letter. It just kept urging her to come back—as if seeing Elder Mu was secondary, and her return was the real goal.
Maybe… her relationship with Xu Cheng had been exposed.
Zhang Lexuan's soft, jade-like hands clenched the bedsheet tightly. Dressed in a light blue camisole, her long, beautiful legs were exposed to the air, her toes curling slightly—a clear sign of her turmoil.
She had thought there were still three years left, but now… it was over in a night.This relationship, in the end, would be cut short.
"Then I'll wear the most beautiful clothes... and give him one last unforgettable night..." Zhang Lexuan bit her lip gently, lifting her head to look out the window. The weather was clear, the sky cloudless. Girls were laughing in the hallway, but she—she was about to leave forever, never to return.
"Goodbye, Mingdu."
...
Shrek Academy.
Sea God's Pavilion.
No one knew how many times the Sea God's Pavilion had convened in the past year. The elders had stopped counting—too many major events had occurred.
But this meeting was different. The long table's head seat, where the familiar hunched figure usually sat, was now empty. Even the wheelchair was gone.
"Shaozhe, where's Elder Mu?" Elder Song's eyes were sharp as a hawk's, cutting straight to the chase.
"Elder Mu said to go ahead without him. He's feeling tired. He wants to spend his remaining time watching the students of the Outer Court and enjoying the sunlight. He's done interfering with our affairs," Yan Shaozhe said with a cheerful tone.
To him, this meant Elder Mu had admitted his decline and the failure of his recent decisions. He was handing over the mess to him, and naturally, he would rise to the occasion...
"Isn't it inappropriate to hold a Sea God's Pavilion meeting without Elder Mu?" Qian Duoduo said hesitantly.
In many minds, Elder Mu was more than just a leader—he was a symbol. Though his power was waning, he was still a presence that commanded deep respect. Even if some saw him as just a mascot now, habits were hard to break.
"The situation is urgent. He's been tired for too long. Let him rest. No need to disturb him," Elder Lin said calmly.
"Shaozhe, go on."
"Yes, Elder Lin." Yan Shaozhe smiled warmly as he stood in Elder Mu's usual position, facing the other elders."My seniors, I just have a rough idea. It's still immature, so I'd like your guidance."
"Enough, Shaozhe. Don't beat around the bush. Just say it. You always have the most ideas anyway," Xuanzi took a swig from his gourd and smacked his lips.
In the past, with Elder Mu present, he'd never have dared be so casual in such a solemn meeting.
"Thank you, Elder Xuan." A smile spread across Yan Shaozhe's face."It's like this—recently, a group of people from the Sun Moon Empire contacted me. They want to help their Crown Prince seize control of the Empire!"
"Sun Moon Crown Prince, Xu Tianran?" Elder Lin raised an eyebrow and sneered."A mere prince dares to dream so big? He has nothing, and wants to rely entirely on Shrek to take the throne? On what grounds?"
The other elders shook their heads. Supporting a candidate was fine, but not Xu Tianran.
The Sun Moon Empire was incredibly powerful—so much so that it could stand against the three nations plus Shrek. Internal sabotage or stirring up civil war was a sound strategy.
But Xu Tianran?
A useless prince who had nothing and wanted Shrek to do all the work? Why would Shaozhe even bring him up?
"No, no, you've misunderstood. The prince I'm talking about isn't Xu Tianran. It's... Xu He!" Yan Shaozhe grinned.
"Xu He?"
"That's right. The only surviving child of the former crown prince, a royal direct descendant of the Sun-Moon Empire with twin martial souls—Cigar and Sun. Xu He, also known as He Caitou!" Yan Shaozhe said.
"He actually has such a background?!!" Elder Lin's eyes widened sharply.
"To be honest, I didn't know at first either. If it weren't for the former crown prince's subordinates—now remaining among the common folk of the Sun-Moon Empire and in the remnants of the three former nations—personally coming to inform me of this, I might have also continued to mistake He Caitou for just an ordinary citizen of the Sun-Moon Empire," Yan Shaozhe said with a smile.
"But thinking about it now, it makes sense. How else could he have known all that information, even secrets about the royal family of the Sun-Moon Empire that not even we at Shrek Academy knew? Him being Xu He, the only remaining bloodline of the former crown prince, explains everything."
After this explanation, the elders all began to murmur among themselves.
The anger on their faces gradually faded.
Seeing the timing was right, Yan Shaozhe quickly continued, "This group isn't weak. They've quietly integrated into various military corps within the Sun-Moon Empire—even into the Four Great Beast-Mecha Legions and the Royal Mecha Corps. Some of them hold fairly high positions, especially among mid- and low-ranking officers. What they need most is another force to help them overthrow the tyranny of the Sun-Moon Empire."
"They've also promised that if they succeed, most of the soul tool blueprints and core arrays of the Sun-Moon Empire will be shared with Shrek. They'll even send talents to help us successfully manufacture missiles, mechas, and so on."
"Are these people reliable?" Elder Lin asked hesitantly.
"According to my investigation, they seem trustworthy. The one who made contact with me is a Soul Sage who has been in Shrek City for quite some time and has had many contacts with He Caitou. I believe he's one of He Caitou's subordinates," Yan Shaozhe replied with a smile.
"And besides, we're not expecting these remnants to directly confront the Sun-Moon Empire's army. What's important is that they're already embedded within. Even the Sun-Moon Empire can't easily detect them. During critical war periods, we'll need insiders to guide us and provide intel. Internal rebellions—while not necessarily powerful—can still deliver fatal blows to the Sun-Moon Empire."
"I see..." Elder Lin murmured and said no more.
Although she still had some doubts, since the majority now leaned toward supporting the plan, and Yan Shaozhe seemed full of confidence, she didn't want to dampen his morale. After all, once Elder Mu passed away in the future, Yan Shaozhe was the most likely to become one of the Sea God Pavilion's leading figures.
Many elders had disagreed with Elder Mu's decisions in the past, but out of respect for his authority, they kept quiet. Now that the consequences of his choices were becoming more apparent, dissatisfaction was growing. Elder Xuan was more suited as a fighter than a policymaker, so Yan Shaozhe, who had often opposed Elder Mu and made "correct" decisions, was naturally gaining praise.
The Sea God Pavilion unanimously passed the resolution. Even Xian Lin'er said nothing.
"Teacher Fanyu, has the Academy replied yet?"
Inside the office, He Caitou puffed on a cigar, exhaling smoke as he asked.
"Heh, you're quite concerned about the Academy," Fanyu said, clearly in a good mood. "Yes, they've replied. They want Lexuan to return. Once she's back, everything will become clear. Naturally, the Academy won't give Xu Cheng another chance."
"In that case, we'll have to leave in secret. If Xu Cheng senses something's off, it'll be difficult to get away," He Caitou advised, knowing well Xu Cheng's sharp instincts.
"And if Senior Sister wants to share a tender farewell before she leaves…"
"Hss, you make a good point!" Fanyu's expression gradually grew serious.
They were planning to coax Zhang Lexuan back to the Academy while Xu Cheng was away. But if he caught wind of it, things could get awkward fast.
"Got it. I'll go talk to Lexuan right away. We'll leave immediately." Fanyu hurried out the door.
"Sigh… Something feels off…" He Caitou rubbed his bald head, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
Did he hate Xu Cheng? Of course.
His so-called "letting go" was just a matter of clear recognition—knowing the current situation, knowing that things had changed and he was no match for Xu Cheng. It was merely a temporary concession.
But if an opportunity arose, he wouldn't hesitate to make Xu Cheng suffer.
(In the original novel, He Caitou opens up to Huo Yuhao for the first time, revealing his hatred for the Sun-Moon Empire and his long-hidden desire for revenge. After Huo Yuhao bombs Mingdu, while others are overwhelmed with guilt and sadness, He Caitou is the only one offering comfort, noting that casualties didn't reach one-third. Everyone else at least pretended; he didn't even bother to act…)
"Heh heh~"
He Caitou hummed a little tune as he left Fanyu's office and headed toward the lab building.
There was still an experiment in the afternoon.
But on the way, he stopped by his dorm to fetch something.
"Huh? What's this?"
As soon as he entered the dorm, he saw an envelope on the table.
"To His Highness, personally…" He read the words on the envelope out loud and almost cursed. His eyes widened.
Someone's trying to trap me!
This letter could only be from those remnants.
He did want revenge, yes, but he wasn't stupid. He knew charging in blindly with just those so-called remnants wasn't going to get him back on the throne.
He'd buried himself deep, hidden far beneath the surface, never opening up to anyone.
Even Fanyu, his mentor who spent the most time with him, saw him as an honest, simple man.
As for Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi? They all thought he was just a lovable goofball…
"Huff… huff…" He took a few deep breaths.
He glanced around the room.
After a long pause, he hesitantly opened the envelope.
He read through it line by line.
Then his lips twitched.
You want me to go fight Xu Cheng? You think I'm strong enough for that?
Which foolish rebel is trying to get me killed?!
(End of chapter)