Chapter 179 Fan Yu's Choice: Leaving Shrek Academy!
Inside the Imperial Study, Fan Yu half-squatted on the ground, the few pages of paper in her hand trembling slightly.
His gaze seemed glued to the complex logic of the magic array expansion. Due to excessive mental activity, the veins on his forehead throbbed faintly, and his breathing was so heavy that it could be clearly heard in the hall.
The Heavenly Soul Emperor looked down at the renowned Soul Master, who was now in a state of disarray, a smug look of complete control flashing in his eyes.
He didn't rush to hurry, but leisurely picked up the teacup on the dragon table, gently stirred the tea foam, and made a crisp sound.
"What, Viscount Fanyu, how does this so-called 'waste paper' compare to the loyalty you upheld before?" The emperor put down his untouched teacup, his tone carrying a hint of teasing and scrutiny.
As if waking from a dream, Fan Yu suddenly raised his head, his eyes, bloodshot from the long journey, now filled with an almost frantic thirst for knowledge.
"Your Majesty... This level of core logic, this ingenious idea about the circulation of energy nodes... This is something Shrek Academy could never possess, and even the three kingdoms of Douluo combined could not have developed such a concept."
Fan Yu's voice was terribly hoarse, and his hand trembled uncontrollably as he pointed at the data on the paper.
"Where did this come from?"
Seeing that the time was right, Emperor Tianhun sat back on his dragon throne, his tone becoming profound: "These things are spoils of war that Liu Yuan personally brought out from the core library of Mingde Hall when the people of the Body Sect attacked Mingde Hall some time ago."
"The Body Sect attacked Mingde Hall?" Fan Yu's mind went blank.
Although he was far away at Shrek Academy, he had heard about the recent turmoil in the Sun Moon Empire, but he did not expect that the truth was far more shocking than the rumors.
"That's right." The emperor interlaced his fingers, leaned forward, and his tone became unusually serious. "Fan Yu, you are also an expert in this field. You should understand what these things mean. The information that Liu Yuan brought back is not only comprehensive, but also involves the core forbidden zone of level nine soul tools. It can be said that this is the culmination of thousands of years of technology of the Sun Moon Empire."
He paused, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "You must understand, this opportunity only comes once. Now that Mingdetang has suffered such a heavy blow, that old fox Jing Hongchen must be a frightened bird."
"Even if Shrek Academy were to launch a full-scale attack on Mingde Hall right now, they still wouldn't be able to get their hands on this thing."
"Because after losing it once, the Sun Moon Empire will definitely completely seal off the library, and may even move the core information to the depths of the palace."
"Therefore, in this world, unless you join the Sun Moon Empire as a traitor, the Heavenly Soul Empire is the only place where you can come into contact with these 'truths'."
Fan Yu sat blankly on the ground, the paper in her hand making a slight creaking sound.
The emperor's words were like a heavy hammer, precisely shattering his last shred of hope.
As a Soul Master, he knew all too well how terrifying a technological gap could be.
Shrek has been trying to catch up, but it's mostly been imitation.
What he holds in his hands is the underlying logic of the rules.
Seeing this, the emperor raised the stakes again, his voice deep and seductive: "Fanyu, I'm giving you one more chance to choose."
"As long as you nod and officially leave Shrek Academy to return to the Empire, I will unconditionally open up this knowledge that drives Soul Masters all over the world crazy to you."
"Think about it carefully. When you chose to join Shrek Academy, wasn't it because you valued the research resources, social status, and platform to showcase your talents that Shrek Academy could provide?"
The emperor stood up, walked to Fan Yu, and his tone became aggressive: "But now, in terms of status, the first-class earldom I have granted you far surpasses that of a mere vice-dean at Shrek Academy;"
"In terms of wealth, I can give you countless riches, and I can even use the national treasury to build you the most luxurious laboratory on the entire continent."
"As for materials, the royal treasury is at your disposal."
"Even now, in the very concept of soul guidance that you pursue, I am a whole era ahead of Shrek Academy!"
"Tell me, since this place can give you everything, even a future that Shrek Academy can't provide, why do you still want to stay in that backward place?"
Fan Yu fell silent.
His heart is experiencing an unprecedented tsunami.
Logically, the emperor's words were flawless.
He is a Tianhun person, and it is only natural for him to return to his motherland;
He is a Soul Master, and pursuing the highest level of technology is his professional instinct.
However, Shrek's years of nurturing, Xianlin'er's entrustment, and the disciples he left behind at the academy... these emotional bonds were like chains, pulling at his soul.
"If I really stay..." Fan Yu murmured to herself.
He knew that if he agreed, Shrek would definitely have a lot of complaints about him.
Although betraying the Holy Land was a bad reputation, it seemed insignificant in the face of the truth that was enough for him to step into the gate of a ninth-level Soul Master.
He recalled the bottlenecks he encountered in countless simulations in the laboratory, and the nights he racked his brains to optimize even a tiny core formation.
And now, the ladder to that peak is laid out before him.
If he simply reaches out, he can become the first level-nine Soul Master in the history of Douluo Three Kingdoms to achieve this status through local resources.
A long, deathly silence fell over the imperial study, broken only by the faint sound of sand falling from an hourglass in the corner.
The emperor did not urge him; he knew that a pure technician like Fan Yu would eventually be captivated by the truth.
For a long, long time.
Fan Yu slowly lowered her head, her fingers, which had been tightly gripping the paper, slowly loosened, then clenched again.
He seemed to have aged several years in that instant, but the flame of curiosity in his eyes burned brighter than ever before.
He stood up, slowly bowed to the Heavenly Soul Emperor, and knelt heavily on the blue bricks. His voice, though low, carried a resolute determination:
"Your subject... Fan Yu greets Your Majesty. Your subject wishes to... return to the motherland and serve the soul guidance cause of the Heavenly Soul Empire to the death."
At that moment, Fan Yu knew that he had personally cut off all escape routes to Shrek Academy.
Emperor Tianhun stared at Fan Yu kneeling on the ground, momentarily stunned, then a wildly arrogant and satisfied smile spread across his face. He slammed his hand on the armrest and let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! Great! Excellent!"
The emperor strode forward, personally helped Fan Yu up, and patted him hard on the shoulder: "Earl Fan Yu, I assure you, your decision today will not only save you, but also the entire Heavenly Soul Empire."
"You will become the greatest Soul Master in the history of this continent. Shrek Academy cannot give you a place in history, but I will!"
The emperor was in an extremely good mood.
He originally thought it would take some trouble, but he didn't expect that the "bait" prepared by Liu Yuan would be so terrifying.
"Guards!" the emperor shouted at the door. "Immediately set off for Qingfeng Garden! And invite the Poison Sect Master and Liu Yuan over."
(End of chapter)