Elder Song's heart was unwilling. Rage, hatred — they all screamed for release, but reason forced him to calm down and think carefully.
After weighing it all, he sighed, fell silent, and turned away, not daring to look at Yun Tian and the others again, afraid he wouldn't be able to hold himself back from striking.
"Let's leave. There's no point in staying here any longer," Yun Ming said, his voice carrying helplessness.
He never imagined he'd see a day like this — running into a pack of supreme rogues, unable to make his case even with truth, powerless even with strength.
"Mm." Elder Song nodded and left at once, unwilling to remain another moment.Yun Ming turned back to cast a cold glare at Di Tian, his murderous intent undisguised:
"Today's enmity — I will repay it, someday."
Having said that, he vanished from the scene.
Di Tian called out coldly, "Those should be our words! The false accusations, the hatred from your attacks — someday, we will repay those double!"
He didn't stop Yun Ming and the others from leaving. This ending was already the best possible outcome — no need to drag things out further.
Before long, the slower arrivals finally reached the site. Media workers immediately began snapping photos and livestreaming.
"Where is His Excellency Qingtian?" the Mingdu governor looked around, not seeing Yun Ming anywhere.
"He left — with a guilty conscience," Di Tian said.
"Huh?" The governor looked surprised. The media workers, upon hearing that, instantly swung their cameras toward Di Tian.
Facing the cameras, Di Tian explained, "A battle did indeed happen here, but it had nothing to do with me. The absence of my energy residue in this space is the best proof."
"This also proves that the footage Yun Ming previously displayed was false. He was slandering me — slandering Dragon Phoenix Hall."
The Mingdu governor turned to Gu Ming and then to the two red mechas, his expression asking for confirmation.
"There are indeed no energy fluctuations here belonging to Lord Yun Tian," Gu Ming was the first to speak. He didn't outright say Yun Ming's footage was fake — leaving himself a retreat.
"We didn't sense anything either," the two red mechas shook their heads simultaneously.
The Mingdu governor gave a polite smile and said, "Perhaps His Excellency Qingtian and his people were mistaken — a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?" Di Tian's tone was icy. "Shrek Academy attacked our Dragon Phoenix Hall headquarters, and you call it a misunderstanding? That's far too light a word."
"Hehe…" The governor gave an awkward laugh, then shut his mouth, no longer willing to act as mediator or peacemaker.
This wasn't something he could get involved in. Best to let them resolve it themselves, and avoid bringing trouble upon himself.
"Today, I'll take this livestream opportunity to make a few statements."
"First — the truth has come to light. I did not fight here. This proves the footage Yun Ming showed earlier was fake."
"If the footage was fake, then the accusation of abducting Tang Wulin naturally doesn't hold. It was all Shrek Academy's slander," Di Tian stressed.
The livestream cameras focused on him; his words were broadcast everywhere.
"As for why they slandered us — perhaps it's related to the recent battle at Sun Moon Royal Academy. Maybe they wanted a convenient excuse for revenge."
"Or perhaps there were other reasons. As to exactly why — you'll have to ask them. We don't wish to speculate."
"In the face of such slander, Dragon Phoenix Hall will not endure in silence. We will strike back, hard," Di Tian's tone grew powerful and firm:
"I've said some of this before, but let me emphasize once again: from this moment, Dragon Phoenix Hall officially declares war on Shrek Academy."
"From now on, Dragon Phoenix Hall's pills and metals will no longer be sold to Shrek students. Furthermore, when purchasing our pills, customers will need to sign a special agreement."
"Anyone who consumes Dragon Phoenix Hall's pills must not later join Shrek Academy — otherwise, Dragon Phoenix Hall has the right to demand one hundred times compensation."
"As for special pills like the Longevity Pill, we will impose restrictions — no longer selling them to people or forces allied with Shrek Academy."
"As for whether there will be military action — that cannot yet be disclosed. It will depend on the situation," Di Tian said.
They were not yet prepared for an all-out war with Shrek. A full-scale battle would mean mutual destruction — completely unnecessary.Besides, they weren't even the ones truly wronged here. There was no reason to launch a war. Some harsh words to save face would suffice.
Better to focus on growth now. When Shrek eventually came knocking, they could counterattack passively — much safer.
And in that case, they'd even have the Federal Research Institute and Sun Moon Royal Academy on their side, ensuring they could repel Shrek Academy with minimal casualties. Wouldn't that be perfect?
Di Tian's words spread quickly, sparking an uproar — Dragon Phoenix Hall and Shrek Academy were now officially enemies.
One was an ancient academy with a history spanning over twenty thousand years.The other, a newly risen force with countless powerhouses despite its short existence.The clash of these two forces was sure to send shockwaves through the long-stable Federation — the whole world watched with bated breath.
On StarNet, the matter had already become the hottest topic of the moment. Attention-grabbing posts were endless, such as:
"The Cause of the Shrek Academy vs. Dragon Phoenix Hall Conflict"
"Dragon Phoenix Hall Attacked, Heavy Civilian Casualties"
"Shrek Academy's Lies — Deliberate Slander of Dragon Phoenix Hall"
"Dragon Phoenix Hall Strikes Back — Officially Declares War on Shrek"
"Two Titans Collide — Who Will Prevail?"
Each of these topics broke tens of millions of clicks, with views and comment counts soaring.
Many people posted scathing criticism of Shrek Academy, calling them tyrannical — daring to act in crowded streets, injuring and even killing ordinary civilians.
The Federal Police's phones were overwhelmed, flooded with complaints demanding harsh punishment for Shrek Academy.
Disregarding civilian lives, fighting in the city — such behavior was outrageous. If they weren't punished severely, what would happen if something similar occurred again?
Because of this incident, Shrek Academy's reputation plummeted. Many people developed resentment toward Shrek Academy.
Seeing how fast the situation on StarNet was spiraling — negative posts about Shrek multiplying — Shrek Academy's upper management immediately issued an apology letter.
First, they stressed the cause of the incident: Dragon Phoenix Hall abducted their student Tang Wulin and even caused the death of a Shrek powerhouse, provoking their fury and leading them to act.
As a result, more than a dozen civilians died, and hundreds, even thousands, were injured. For this, Shrek Academy expressed deep regret, willing to take responsibility and provide generous compensation.
They promised such collateral harm to civilians would never happen again, hoping the public could forgive this mistake.
At the bottom of the apology letter, they published the compensation details:Families of the deceased would receive ten million Federal Coins.
The injured would have their injuries fully treated by Shrek Academy, plus a mental distress compensation of two hundred thousand Federal Coins.
Shrek Academy's apology letter was heartfelt and sincere. Their attitude of contrition eased much of the public anger.
(End of Chapter)