The air in the office felt so thick it couldn't be dispersed; the sunlight was blocked by heavy curtains, leaving only a gloomy shadow.
Yan Shaozhe sat behind a massive desk, his fingertips rhythmically tapping on the list; every sound felt like it was striking Du Weilun's heart.
"Weilun, you must remember one thing." Yan Shaozhe slowly raised his head, his originally gentle eyes now filled with a chilling hostility.
"Shrek's glory does not allow anyone to trample upon it."
"Even if that person was once one of us. Since he chose to stand on the opposite side, he is no longer a 'lost child,' but a 'heretic' threatening the academy's ten-thousand-year foundation."
His voice was calm without a ripple, but the words he spoke were bone-chillingly cold: "Those who cannot be used by me must be eliminated. This is not just for our current reputation, but for the stability of the next thousand years."
Yan Shaozhe's attitude was extremely clear.
Among the high-level power of Shrek Academy, although there were Senior Elders like Mu En who saw through the mundane world and possessed broad minds, more were like Yan Shaozhe and Xuan Zi, the backbone who viewed "Shrek's glory" as an absolute truth.
In their view, Shrek was always right; even if they were wrong, it was for the sake of justice.
Liu Yuan's counterattack and rise were no different from a heavy slap to Shrek's face in front of the whole world, which Yan Shaozhe absolutely could not tolerate.
Otherwise, Shrek would not have become increasingly arrogant and set in its ways under their management over the years.
However, Du Weilun, standing before the desk, felt somewhat uneasy.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and spoke in a measured tone: "Dean, your plan is indeed foolproof. But... I have a concern."
"Currently, Liu Yuan holds a transcendent status in the Sun Moon Empire. According to reports from our eyes planted in Bright Capital, he has even been titled a Duke. If we forcibly designate him as the 'Hostage' for exchange, what if the Sun Moon Royal Academy... doesn't agree?"
"Not agree?" Yan Shaozhe sneered, leaning back against the high back of his chair.
"They will agree. Weilun, you underestimate the 'orthodox' influence Shrek has accumulated over the years."
"Although we lost the Soul Master Tournament this time due to carelessness, everyone on the continent knows that Shrek's foundation is still number one."
A flash of self-indulgent conceit appeared in Yan Shaozhe's eyes: "What does their Sun Moon Empire rely on? They rely on spirit tools, on external objects. Their ability to train Spirit Masters is still lacking."
"And for Liu Yuan to be where he is today, in the end, isn't it thanks to the careful teaching of our Shrek Academy in the beginning?"
"A skyscraper rises from the ground; without the foundation laid by Shrek, how could he have grown so quickly?"
He paused and continued in a certain tone: "So they long to come to Shrek for further studies because they want to steal our secret methods of Spirit Master Cultivation."
"As long as we grasp their mindset of being eager to 'justify their name' and use the suspension of the exchange program as a threat, that old fox Jing Hongchen will have to obediently send Liu Yuan over, no matter how unwilling he is."
Du Weilun opened his mouth, his heart actually filled with bitterness.
He really wanted to remind Yan Shaozhe that Liu Yuan's rise actually had nothing to do with Shrek, and now Liu Yuan had already displayed the combat power to insta-kill those of the same rank or even fight above his level in front of the whole continent; that was simply not something Shrek's "basic teaching" could explain.
Moreover, the Sun Moon Empire had now won the tournament and their Aura was at its peak; would they really still beg for further studies as humbly as before?
But looking at Yan Shaozhe's unquestionable expression, he ultimately didn't dare to say another word.
As a subordinate, he knew Yan Shaozhe's personality too well—once a decision was made, any voice of opposition would be seen as disloyalty to the academy.
"Yes, Dean. I will reply according to your wishes." Du Weilun bowed slightly and left the office.
As he left the office, Du Weilun felt a faint sense of unease.
He always felt that this time, Yan Shaozhe might really be taking things for granted.
...
A few days later, Sun Moon Empire, Bright Capital.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Dean's Office.
"Bam!"
A crisp, loud bang.
Jing Hongchen slammed the official letter from Shrek onto the desk with such force that a clear handprint appeared on the desk made of rare metal.
"Absurd! This is simply beyond absurd!"
Jing Hongchen laughed out of extreme anger, pacing frantically in the office with his hands behind his back, his old face full of uncontrollable rage and mockery.
"Yan Shaozhe, oh Yan Shaozhe, are you truly senile, or do you treat everyone in the world as a fool?"
Jing Hongchen grabbed the letter and questioned loudly toward the empty room: "Insisting that Liu Yuan goes for exchange? Even naming him as an outstanding student of Shrek who wandered away?"
"Bah! Who was it that drove him away in the first place? Now that you see Xiao Yuan has become a Duke of our Empire and an unprecedented Genius, you want to take him back with just empty words?"
"And even threatening me? Saying that if Liu Yuan isn't sent over, you'll refuse to provide the slots for this year's further studies? Even saying we should thank Shrek for the 'kindness of teaching' Liu Yuan in the past?"
The more Jing Hongchen read, the more he felt that this group of people from Shrek was shameless to the extreme.
A cold light flickered in his eyes, and the slight intention of maintaining politeness toward Shrek completely vanished.
What was Liu Yuan's status now?
He was a Duke of their Sun Moon Empire, the soul of their Sun Moon Royal Academy, and the child Jing Hongchen valued most!
Letting him go to Shrek as a "Hostage"? Wasn't that like sending a sheep into a tiger's den? With the nature of Yan Shaozhe and his group, if Liu Yuan really went to Shrek, he would probably disappear without a trace the next day due to various "accidents."
"Elder Lin, listen to this; this is the face of the so-called 'Number One Academy on the Continent'." Jing Hongchen looked at an Elder who stepped out from behind the screen and said coldly.
That Titled Douluo Elder was also livid: "Dean, this is no longer an exchange; this is blatant provocation and humiliation. Do they think of us as appendages that can be manipulated at will?"
"Hmph, do they think we still care about those few study slots?" Jing Hongchen walked to the desk, spread out a special piece of stationery, and wrote a reply with a flourish, filled with indignation.
"Since Shrek Academy feels we aren't worthy of exchange and that the deal can't be made without Liu Yuan, then fine!"
Jing Hongchen sneered as he wrote: "Not giving exchange slots, right? I'm not even willing to go! From now on, all exchange activities between the Sun Moon Royal Academy and Shrek Academy are completely canceled!"
"Tell Yan Shaozhe that Liu Yuan is a Duke of our Sun Moon Empire, not a household slave of Shrek. Want the person? Let him bring Shrek's Titled Douluo to Bright Capital and try to snatch him! Let's see if our Sun Moon Empire's Ninth-level Soul Tool Battery can blast them into dust!"
After finishing the letter, Jing Hongchen heavily pressed his private dean's seal onto it.
"Go, send this letter back exactly as it is." Jing Hongchen turned and instructed his secretary, his tone carrying an unprecedented determination.
"Additionally, release an academy-wide announcement: starting today, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy will indefinitely suspend all academic and practical combat exchanges with Shrek Academy. We do not deign to be in their company!"
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