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Meanwhile, within the grounds of Shrek Academy, the atmosphere felt heavy and still. Zhang Lexuan walked slowly along the quiet, tree-lined path. Her figure was tall and elegant, but her expression was cool and distant. She carried herself with a natural aloofness that seemed to keep everyone at a great distance.
It had been several years since that terrible defeat in the competition, yet the memory of that one-sided rout still hung over the entire Academy like a thick, lingering mist. The shame of that day had not faded with time. Instead, it had settled into the very foundation of the school.
Four of the seven main team members had chosen to withdraw from the school immediately after the loss. The seven reserve team members were also affected by the fallout, but they were eventually overlooked by the public because they hadn't actually participated in the match.
Because of this, all the blame and disappointment of the fans and teachers focused on the three main team members who stayed. Zhang Lexuan felt the weight of this more than anyone else.
As the Captain of the team, she was labeled as irresponsible and guilty of many failures. Even though Elder Mu had personally declared that the matter was closed and forbidden further official punishment, the situation was only settled on the surface. In private, the criticisms never stopped. An invisible wall of alienation had grown between her and the rest of the school.
Whether she was in the Outer Court or the Inner Court, the reaction was the same. Apart from Wu Ming, Han Ruoruo, and a few other close friends, most people who saw her either ignored her completely or quickly looked away with complicated expressions. For this, Zhang Lexuan felt a deep sadness in her heart. She realized that the students of the Academy placed too much importance on a single outcome.
They cared only about the so-called undefeated glory of the school. They were so focused on winning that they turned a blind eye to the corruption that was slowly growing inside the Academy. To her, this focus on fame over character was a clear sign of moral decay.
As she walked, her calm gaze swept over her surroundings. Wherever her eyes landed, students scattered like startled birds, avoiding her stare. This silent exclusion felt like a cold wall pressing against her. It gave her a strange sense of suffocation that made her feel very uncomfortable.
About a year and a half ago, Elder Mu had ignored all objections to give her judicial authority. This meant that as long as she had clear evidence, she could bypass meetings and long discussions to conduct independent trials. She could act first and report her actions later.
This power was meant to be a sharp sword to cut away the long-standing problems of the Academy. However, it also put her in direct conflict with many powerful people. Her reputation quickly got worse because of the lies spread by corrupt individuals who feared her power.
She was not afraid of what others said about her. However, facing such cold attitudes from everyone every day still made her feel lost. She had to gather her spirits and maintain a calm face until her daily patrol finally ended. When she finished, she returned to her lonely and quiet dormitory.
After closing the door behind her, she tossed her uniform jacket onto a chair. In that moment, Zhang Lexuan felt as if all her strength had been drained away. She walked a few steps to her bed and let herself fall forward. She sank deeply into the soft blankets, finally able to let go of her public mask.
A very soft sigh escaped her lips. It was a sound full of deep weariness. She lay there without moving for a long time, trying to unload all the burdens she had carried throughout the day. Eventually, she slowly turned over to lie on her back. The dim light in the room outlined her mature and beautiful body.
Her chest rose and fell slightly with her slow breathing. She adjusted her posture, and her legs, covered in black stockings, rubbed together. The faint rustling sound was very clear in the silence of the room. She lifted her arm and rested the back of her hand on her forehead to rub her aching brow. She felt a sense of helpless exhaustion.
She had found nothing again today. There was no evidence of the bad things the corrupt people were doing. It wasn't that Shrek Academy had suddenly become clean and good. It was just that the corrupt people had become much smarter. They were hiding their tracks better than before.
Since she couldn't find solid proof, she couldn't deliver any judgments. This feeling of powerlessness was very distressing. She knew the corruption was right there in front of her, but she couldn't touch it or remove it. She knew she would kill those people without hesitation if she found even a tiny bit of evidence, hoping to make Shrek a better place.
But she often wondered if she could truly make the Academy clean again. Could she ever make it the way she imagined it should be? She knew better than anyone that the problems here were no longer just on the surface. In some ways, the Academy was rotten to the core.
Confusion and loneliness washed over her like a cold tide. She felt so tired of fighting alone. As her mind drifted toward sleep, the image of a young man appeared in her thoughts. She remembered the promise he had made to her. She murmured softly to herself that if she called, he would come. Her eyes were hazy with emotion for a moment, but then she shook her head.
She mocked herself for having such unrealistic thoughts and told herself she couldn't keep thinking that way. She stood up and went into the washroom to splash cold water on her face. After a quick wash, she sat down on her cultivation mat. She cleared her mind and entered a deep state of meditation.
Time moved slowly in the quiet room. When the sky outside began to turn gray with the morning light, Zhang Lexuan exhaled a long breath and ended her cultivation. She felt the spirit power inside her body become a little more solid. It was a comforting feeling. She was currently at Level 79. She was just one step away from the threshold of Level 80. With another month of hard work, she would reach that goal.
At that time, she would need to hunt for a new spirit ring to become a Spirit Douluo. Only by reaching that rank could she officially join the Sea God Pavilion as an elder. Being a member of the pavilion would give her the legal right to interfere in the important affairs of the Academy.
In this world, strength was the most important thing. Even though she had the support of Elder Mu, her status as a Spirit Saint meant she didn't have much of a voice. She knew she had to become stronger.
She needed to become a Spirit Douluo, then a Titled Douluo, and eventually a Super Douluo. Only with that kind of power could she face the resistance from others and change Shrek Academy. Even though she felt the school was rotten, she still wanted to try and save it.
She thought about the spirit ring she would need. She estimated she could handle a ring from a spirit beast that was between 80,000 and 90,000 years old. Hunting such a beast alone would be very difficult and troublesome.
She decided she would report her condition to the school. Inner Court disciples could ask the Academy to help organize a spirit hunting team once they reached a bottleneck.
Usually, the Academy would send a teacher to watch over them for protection, but the students had to do the actual hunting as part of their training. This service required contribution points, which she had plenty of from hunting Evil Spirit Masters.
She hoped to ask Wu Ming and Han Ruoruo to join her, as that would make the hunt much easier. However, she soon found out that Wu Ming was away leading another team, and Han Ruoruo was busy with her own cultivation. With no other choice, she submitted her application to the school.
Her luck was good, as a team was already being formed to leave in two months. She looked at the list of members and saw they were quite strong. With her help, they could easily handle any beast under 100,000 years old.
She felt even better when she saw who the leader was. With Elder Xuan, a Level 98 Super Douluo, leading the group, she was sure that nothing could possibly go wrong.