The moment Mu En spoke, the air in the hall seemed to freeze solid, the temperature plunging in an instant.
The so-called Shrek Whip Punishment meant exactly this: no spirit power for protection, no Spirit release—enduring one hundred lashes relying solely on the limits of one's physical body.
The pain involved was unimaginable.
So when Mu En's words fell, a flicker of deep fear flashed through Xuan Zi's eyes.
It wasn't only fear of physical suffering, but also a visceral dread of the humiliation—being punished in public.
He, the dignified Taotie Douluo and an Elder of the Sea God's Pavilion, was to be whipped in front of everyone like a misbehaving child.
But did he dare to object?
He did not.
Meeting Mu En's gaze—calm as an ancient well, yet seemingly able to pierce straight through the soul—Xuan Zi understood that this was the final lifeline Mu En was offering him.
If he refused to endure this punishment, there would be no place for him in the Sea God's Pavilion going forward.
"Y-yes… Xuan Zi accepts the punishment!"
He clenched his teeth, his voice hoarse and rough.
Slowly straightening his body, his hands trembling, he undid his robe, exposing a broad yet slack back. He then planted both palms on the ground, gripping the hard wooden floor of the Sea God's Pavilion, bracing himself for the coming storm.
"Disperse your protective spirit power," Mu En said coolly.
Xuan Zi drew a deep breath and obeyed, dispersing the spirit power circulating within his body.
At this moment, aside from having a slightly stronger physique, he was no different from an ordinary old man.
Mu En raised a withered finger and gently clenched his hand toward the void.
Buzz—
Dense light-attribute energy within the Sea God's Pavilion surged together, condensing into a long whip that glowed faintly gold, yet carried a chillingly sharp aura.
"This first lash is for your arrogance—underestimating the enemy and charging ahead recklessly!"
Crack!
The golden whip sliced through the air, leaving behind an afterimage as it slammed down onto Xuan Zi's back.
There was no explosion of light—only the dull, horrifying sound of flesh tearing.
"Ah—!!"
Xuan Zi's head snapped back as a piercing scream tore from his throat.
A bloody gash instantly split open across his back, deep enough to reveal bone. Flesh curled outward, blood streaming down.
Without spirit power to dull the pain, every sensation was magnified countless times—searing agony that shot straight from the wound to his skull.
Ma Xiaotao and the others turned deathly pale, their bodies trembling.
They had never seen Elder Xuan in such a miserable state. That single scream made their scalps prickle.
Mu En did not stop.
"This second lash is for your improper command, burdening the students!"
Crack!
Another whip fell, striking right beside the first wound.
"Ah—!!"
Xuan Zi convulsed violently, his fingers gouging deep grooves into the wooden floor. His fingernails split, blood seeping out.
"This third lash is for failing, as a teacher and elder, to protect your disciples—bringing them shame instead!"
Crack!
"This fourth lash—"
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The dull sound of whipping, mixed with Xuan Zi's increasingly broken cries, echoed through the deathly silent Sea God's Pavilion, lingering for a long time.
Mu En's expression never changed. Every swing was steady and forceful, without the slightest hint of mercy.
Fifty lashes.
Eighty lashes.
One hundred lashes.
When the final strike fell, the golden whip slowly dissipated.
Xuan Zi lay collapsed on the ground, his back a mangled ruin with not a single patch of intact skin left. Blood soaked the floor beneath him.
He gasped desperately for air, his body twitching uncontrollably. He no longer had the strength even to scream—only hoarse, pained groans escaped his lips.
"The one hundred lashes are complete," Mu En said calmly, withdrawing his hand.
"Go. Reflect at the Cliff of Reflection. Without orders from the Sea God's Pavilion, you are not to step out for one year."
Xuan Zi moved his fingers with great difficulty. After several attempts, he barely managed to crawl upright. The pain was so intense that he couldn't even stand steadily—every movement felt like being flayed alive.
Yet he dared not voice the slightest complaint.
"Th-thank you, Elder Mu… for your guidance…"
He forced out a weak salute, then clutched his ruined back and staggered toward the doors.
With every step, bloody footprints were left behind on the floor—an appalling sight.
Only after Xuan Zi's figure disappeared beyond the doors did the hall remain locked in suffocating silence.
Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and the others were still kneeling, their bodies shaking uncontrollably.
Too ruthless.
Even Elder Xuan, a Super Douluo, had been punished like this—his flesh torn apart in public. What kind of punishment awaited them, the ones who had directly lost the competition?
Would their Spirits be crippled? Would they be expelled from Shrek Academy?
Fear gripped their hearts like an invisible hand.
Ma Xiaotao kept her head lowered, cold sweat dripping from her chin onto the floor, mixing with the blood Xuan Zi had left behind—an unbearably jarring sight.
She barely dared to breathe.
Yet the expected storm did not come.
"All of you, stand up."
Mu En's voice rang out again. This time, the icy severity was gone, replaced by a trace of weariness and gentleness.
Everyone froze, momentarily doubting their ears.
"What? Do I need to invite you to stand?" Mu En said indifferently.
"N-no, we wouldn't dare!"
Only then did Ma Xiaotao and the others snap out of it, scrambling to their feet. Even so, they kept their heads bowed and hands at their sides, not daring to meet Mu En's eyes.
Mu En looked at the terrified youths and let out a quiet sigh.
"Do you think my punishment of Xuan Zi was too harsh?"
No one dared answer.
"Harsh? I don't think it was harsh at all," Mu En continued.
"I punished him not because the competition was lost, but because his performance as team leader was abysmal and utterly disappointing."
His gaze sharpened.
"From the very start of the tournament, he failed to conceal your strength or gather intelligence. Instead, he allowed your trump cards to be exposed. When facing strong opponents, his tactical command was chaotic—he was led around by the nose."
"An incompetent general drains the entire army. Seventy percent of the responsibility for this defeat lies with him."
After speaking, Mu En's expression softened as his gaze turned to Ma Xiaotao and the others.
"As for you…"
"I will not punish you."
The moment those words were spoken, everyone looked up in shock, disbelief filling their eyes.
No punishment?
After Shrek's most disastrous defeat in ten thousand years, they were not being punished?
"Elder Mu, we…" Ma Xiaotao's eyes reddened, her voice trembling.
"We lost the competition and shamed the academy. We're willing to accept punishment…"
"A loss is a loss," Mu En said, waving his hand.
"As long as you gave everything you had, there is nothing to punish. I know that in that match, every one of you fought with all you had. That is enough."
"Shrek values glory—but it values backbone even more. You did not lose Shrek's backbone."
Hearing this, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, and the others could no longer hold back their tears.
Relief at surviving a calamity, mixed with the warmth of being understood, surged through them all at once.
"And this failure may not be a bad thing for you," Mu En said earnestly.
"For ten thousand years, Shrek has stood at the peak of the continent, accustomed to praise and reverence."
"You entered the academy having been taught that 'Shrek is invincible.' Pride was inevitable."
"But this time, that young man—Liu Yuan—slapped us all awake with reality."
"He showed us that there is always someone stronger, and always a higher sky beyond."
"This slap was well delivered. It woke Xuan Zi—and it's time it woke all of you as well."
Mu En's gaze grew distant.
"A temporary defeat decides nothing. A true powerhouse is not one who never loses, but one who can wipe away the blood after a crushing defeat, face the gap, and climb back step by step—until surpassing it."
"Some of you will be too old to participate in the next tournament. That does not mean your path as Spirit Masters ends here. This painful lesson will become your most precious asset in future cultivation."
"Remember this sense of shame. Let it drive you forward."
As he spoke, Mu En turned his gaze to Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and the other reserve members, his eyes filled with expectation.
"As for you youngsters…"
"Five years. You still have five years."
"In these five years, I hope you subject yourselves to hardship and cultivate diligently. Carve today's shame into your hearts and turn it into motivation."
"Win back the lost championship—and Shrek's glory—fairly and squarely in the next tournament!"
"Can you do it?!"
Mu En's aged voice thundered through the hall.
"Yes!!"
Ma Xiaotao and the others roared in unison, their voices brimming with unprecedented resolve. The earlier gloom vanished, replaced by surging fighting spirit.
Seeing this, Mu En nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Go back and rest. Heal your injuries. From tomorrow onward, everything proceeds as usual."
"Yes, Elder Mu!"
They saluted respectfully and filed out of the Sea God's Pavilion in orderly fashion, each back straighter than before.
Just as the hall was about to empty—
"Bei Bei, stay."
Mu En's voice rang out, stopping Bei Bei, who was walking at the rear.
Bei Bei halted in surprise.
Xu Sanshi and the others glanced back at him. Though puzzled, they dared not ask. After exchanging looks, they left.
Soon, the heavy doors closed.
In the dim hall, only Mu En reclining and Bei Bei standing respectfully remained.
"Progenitor Xuan, do you have instructions?" Bei Bei asked.
In private, he used the familial form of address, respectful yet familiar.
Mu En did not reply immediately. He watched Bei Bei quietly, one finger tapping the armrest as if lost in thought.
The silence made Bei Bei uneasy.
After a long while, Mu En finally spoke—asking a question that caught Bei Bei completely off guard.
"Bei Bei."
A sharp glint flashed in Mu En's cloudy eyes.
"I recall…"
"Your personal relationship with that Liu Yuan… seems to be quite good?"
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