From the situation with the Ice and Fire Well of Yin and Yang, one could discern Tang San's distinctly different attitudes towards the Clear Sky Clan, Shrek Academy, and the Tang Sect.
Neither the Tang Sect nor Shrek Academy had any knowledge of the Ice and Fire Well's exact location. In their long history and explorations, they had consistently failed to unearth any clues to this treasure trove.
However, the Clear Sky Clan possessed a detailed map of the Ice and Fire Well, which undoubtedly spoke volumes.
From this, it's not difficult to deduce that even if Shrek Academy faced a grave crisis, as long as the safety of the Golden Tree itself wasn't jeopardized, the contingency plan Tang San left within the Golden Tree would most likely not be activated.
Having understood this, Lu Jingming became interested in Shrek Academy's subsequent choice.
At this moment, the Dragon God Master Mu En had already fallen. Facing the terrifyingly powerful Snow Empress, Shrek Academy had clearly lost the power to resist.
In this desperate situation, would Shrek Academy choose to fight the Snow Empress to the death, or would they obediently hand over Huo Yuhao?
This made Lu Jingming a little curious, eager to know the answer.
Thousands of meters above Shrek City, the Snow Empress quietly gazed in the direction where Mu En had vanished, a hint of emotion welling up in her heart.
The land had lost another top-tier expert!
But this sentiment was fleeting. The Snow Empress quickly cast Mu En out of her mind.
She slightly raised her hand to her chest, carefully sensing the power released by the Herrscher Core. Recalling the skill she had just used, her eyes couldn't help but reveal a look of astonishment.
"Above the Heavens and Below the Earth, I Alone Am the Honored One"—this was a brand-new move the Snow Empress had created and thoroughly researched after obtaining the Herrscher Gem and fusing it with her original powers.
Just moments ago, this move had its first real combat test.
Although she had estimated the power of this move beforehand, its actual devastating effect far exceeded her expectations.
The ability to freeze space was within her conception, but what she hadn't expected was that this move was difficult for even a Limit Master to resist. Even the Light of the Sea God left behind by the Sea God was forcibly frozen before this power.
The terrifying power brought about by Herrscher Transformation left even the Snow Empress herself shaken.
The Snow Empress slowly descended from the sky, her gaze coldly fixed on Yan Shaozhe and the others who had flown up to block her.
Yan Shaozhe's eyes were bloodshot, burning with flames of hatred and fury, staring intensely at the Snow Empress.
Behind him, over a dozen Titled Masters also had strained expressions, watching the Snow Empress with anger and vigilance, as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Hand over Huo Yuhao, or else, all of you will die!" The Snow Empress's voice was icy and bone-chilling, carrying endless coldness and killing intent.
As her words fell, a cold tide rapidly spread, instantly engulfing everyone present.
The dozen or so Titled Masters of Shrek Academy felt their bodies stiffen. A strong sense of deadly threat assailed them, causing them to shiver.
At this moment, they clearly understood that even if they outnumbered her, facing the Snow Empress in her Herrscher form, their power was too insignificant, too powerless.
Simply with the divine armor the Snow Empress wore, they probably couldn't even break her defense.
Yan Shaozhe's lips subtly moved, his heart struggling immensely. He desperately wanted to sternly refuse the Snow Empress's demand and uphold Shrek Academy's dignity.
However, the bone-chilling coldness that wrapped around his body tightly constricted his throat, making the words of refusal stick in his mouth, unable to come out.
All the Sea God Pavilion elders' faces were exceptionally grim at this moment.
They knew that handing over Huo Yuhao would undoubtedly go against Mu En's dying wish. Mu En had fought the Snow Empress to the death to protect Huo Yuhao, ultimately perishing gloriously.
And now, if they were to hand Huo Yuhao over, Shrek Academy's prestige would surely plummet, hitting rock bottom.
But if they didn't hand over Huo Yuhao, with the terrifying strength the Snow Empress had displayed, Shrek Academy might truly be erased from the continent today!
That terrifying power capable of freezing space sent shivers down their spines.
Moreover, with Mu En now dead, none of them could wield the powerful trump card of the Sea God's Light anymore.
It could be said that Shrek Academy was currently trapped in an unprecedented predicament.
If they were given enough time to prepare, with the academy's profound foundation, they were confident they could gather over fifty Titled Masters to besiege the Snow Empress.
However, the Snow Empress's attack came too suddenly. They were completely unprepared, and their hasty response led to Mu En facing the Snow Empress alone, ultimately unable to hold out and unfortunately dying in battle.
"My patience is limited. I'll give you three minutes to consider. If you don't hand over Huo Yuhao, this city doesn't need to exist either." The Snow Empress's expression was cold, her words devoid of any emotion.
As she spoke, she released her divine sense, carrying immense soul power pressure, which suppressed them like a mountain crashing down.
Yan Shaozhe and the others felt their bodies sink, as if burdened by immense weight, uncontrollably plummeting rapidly from the sky, falling embarrassingly onto the snow-covered ground.
This scene brutally and directly demonstrated the enormous disparity in strength between the two sides.
In the face of absolute power, the advantage in numbers seemed so insignificant, utterly incapable of bridging the chasm in strength.
"Let's fight her to the death!" Xian Lin'er, already an impatient and fiery-tempered person, instantly became furious at this sight.
She tightly gripped her long spear, her eyes glaring fiercely at the Snow Empress in the sky, filled with a reckless determination.
"Lin'er, don't be impulsive!" The Azure Shadow Master, Xian Lin'er's mother, Old Song, quickly stepped forward and held Xian Lin'er back.
She knew her daughter's character well and understood that fighting the Snow Empress now would undoubtedly be a futile sacrifice. She absolutely could not stand by and watch her foolish daughter rush to her death.
"Then what do we do? Are we really going to hand over Huo Yuhao? Elder Mu preferred death to handing over Huo Yuhao. Are we to go against his will?"
Xian Lin'er said through gritted teeth, tears of anger and unwillingness glistening in her eyes.
Her words instantly stirred a thousand waves in everyone's hearts. All fell silent, the atmosphere so oppressive it was suffocating.
Leaving aside going against Mu En's will, from Shrek Academy's perspective alone, handing over Huo Yuhao would undoubtedly inflict a massive blow to the academy's millennia-long accumulated prestige and honor. This was something they found utterly unacceptable.
"Then let's fight her, a desperate struggle," Beast King Master Gong Changlong was equally hot-tempered, no less than Xian Lin'er.
He clenched his fists, his face filled with rage, ready to fight the Snow Empress to the death.
"Cough cough..." Just then, Xuan Zi's slightly weak voice sounded.
Upon hearing this voice, everyone's expressions finally showed a hint of joy.
Previously, Xuan Zi had taken a blow from the Snow Empress, and everyone had been worried. Now seeing Xuan Zi appear, they couldn't help but feel relieved and also gained a bit more hope.
With Mu En having fallen, Xuan Zi was undoubtedly the most qualified person in the Sea God Pavilion to preside over the overall situation.
However, Xuan Zi at this moment appeared dishevelled and clearly seriously injured.
He coughed violently several times. It was evident that he had been assaulted by the Snow Empress's coldness, and his internal organs were severely damaged.
Xuan Zi's eyes were filled with sorrow. He slowly surveyed the Shrek Academy, which had already turned into a world of ice and snow, then his gaze fell upon Yan Shaozhe and the others. He shook his head helplessly and said in a heavy voice, "Our choice concerns the life and death of the entire Shrek City. Are we truly to abandon the lives of all our disciples for one disciple? Is that fair?"
At these words, everyone's bodies trembled. Xian Lin'er and the others looked at Xuan Zi with disbelief. From his words, they heard a hint of intending to give up on Huo Yuhao.
"Elder Xuan, if we give up Huo Yuhao, where will Shrek Academy's dignity be? Are we just going to let her trample on it?" Xian Lin'er simply couldn't accept such a decision. She would rather die in battle than endure such humiliation.
"I agree with Elder Xuan. We cannot give up the lives of all our disciples for Huo Yuhao. We can die, but the Academy cannot fall!" Yan Shaozhe slowly closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and said in a deep voice.
"Yan Shaozhe!" Xian Lin'er glared furiously at Yan Shaozhe, her eyes filled with scorn and disappointment.
"There's no time left. The Academy cannot be destroyed in our hands. Shaozhe, go bring Huo Yuhao." Xuan Zi said with a gloomy face.
How could he not be angry? How could he not be unwilling? But the cruel reality forced him to face the situation. Even Mu En, at his peak, had died at the Snow Empress's hands, and he himself couldn't even withstand a single move from the Snow Empress. In such circumstances, what could they use to contend with the Snow Empress?
In Xuan Zi's view, as long as Shrek Academy remained, the hope for revenge remained.
But if the Academy ceased to exist, everything would turn into smoke, and all efforts and persistence would become meaningless.
Left with no choice, he could only painfully make this difficult decision—to sacrifice Huo Yuhao, even if it meant going against Mu En's will.
Regardless of the Snow Empress's purpose in seeking Huo Yuhao, Xuan Zi didn't believe that Huo Yuhao, once in the hands of a soul beast, would have any chance of survival.
Regarding Xuan Zi's decision, Xian Lin'er, Qian Duoduo, and a few others firmly opposed it.
However, after Mu En's death, Xuan Zi held the highest authority in the Sea God Pavilion. Coupled with his superior strength and the support of the majority, including Yan Shaozhe, ultimately, before the three-minute deadline arrived, Yan Shaozhe entered the Sea God Pavilion and brought Huo Yuhao out.
Seeing Huo Yuhao appear, a complex and unreadable expression flashed in the eyes of everyone present.
Among them was guilt towards Huo Yuhao, as the Academy had to hand him over for self-preservation. There was also doubt, as it was Huo Yuhao who attracted the Snow Empress, causing Shrek Academy to suffer this unwarranted disaster and fall into such a dilemma.
It could be said that in the hearts of many, Huo Yuhao seemed to have become the culprit of this catastrophe.
Huo Yuhao's face was expressionless, his demeanor surprisingly calm.
As early as when Yan Shaozhe came to find him, he had already guessed the final outcome.
Mu En, to protect him, had not hesitated to sacrifice his own life. This immense kindness filled Huo Yuhao's heart with endless gratitude and warmth, mixed with deep guilt.
He very well knew why the Snow Empress had sought him out. According to the speculations of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm and the Ice Empress, it was most likely for the Ice Empress within him.
Actually, Huo Yuhao had originally intended to come forward himself and bear it all.
But at that time, he was stopped by Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. Before he could react, Mu En had already died in his battle with the Snow Empress.
Things had unfolded too rapidly, leaving him no time to react.
Before he could even recover from the immense grief of his teacher's death, Yan Shaozhe had found him.