Speaking of who cared most about the news of Shrek's upcoming reconstruction, it was naturally the Federation and the Spirit Pagoda.
There were many factions within the Federation, and their attitudes varied as well.
Some people opposed the reconstruction of Shrek Academy, believing that the existence of that academy had always been an obstacle to the Federation's management and rule.
An institution of learning that existed independently outside the political system, possessing extremely high prestige and appeal, had always been a double-edged sword hanging over the heads of the Federation's high-ranking officials.
Yet others held the opposite stance, believing that Na'er was the hero who had saved the continent, and she was precisely a Student of Shrek.
If the Federation did not support the reconstruction of Shrek Academy, it would be equivalent to chilling the heart of the hero.
In short, arguments over this matter were endless within the Federation, with various factions going back and forth, and they had never been able to reach a unified conclusion.
Within the Spirit Pagoda, the situation was similarly in a complete mess.
Although no substantial evidence had been brought to the table yet, many people were privately discussing that the matter of Shrek being attacked by the Holy Spirit Cult had an inseparable connection with Pagoda Master Qiangu Dongfeng.
At this moment, inside the Pagoda Master's office, Qiangu Dongfeng's expression was so gloomy that water could drip from it.
He sat behind the desk, his hands crossed and placed on the tabletop, his fingertips tightening slightly, an oppressive and gloomy aura permeating his entire body.
Standing opposite him was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, with unremarkable facial features, the kind of face that would immediately vanish if he blended into a crowd.
At this moment, he lowered his head, his hands tightly clenched together, his knuckles turning slightly white from exertion, and his lips tightly pressed together.
After a moment of silence, Qiangu Dongfeng's icy voice squeezed out from between his teeth: "What did you say before? How is it that someone has popped up in Shrek Academy again now?"
That person was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his words, before speaking: "Pagoda Master, back then those teachers of Shrek almost entirely traded their lives to block those Fixed-Mount Soul-Guided Shells in order to protect the Students."
"The two people who have popped up now probably survived by crawling along just to preserve their own lives back then, they are nothing to worry about."
Hearing this, Qiangu Dongfeng let out a cold snort, and his gloomy face finally seemed to soften a bit.
He leaned against the back of his chair, lightly tapping his fingertips twice on the tabletop, his tone carrying a disdainful contempt: "Those two foolish women are indeed nothing to worry about. Even if they truly rebuild Shrek, it is impossible for them to restore their previous momentum."
He understood the internal situation of Shrek Academy extremely deeply, knowing what kind of people everyone was.
Although Long Yeyue was a Limit Douluo, she was already old, and her actions were impulsive and stubborn.
Cai Yue'er was even more impulsive and quick-tempered, acting without regard for consequences, and could not stir up any storms at all.
What he truly worried about was never the two of them.
Qiangu Dongfeng's tone sank once more as he said: "What I'm worried about is whether other powerhouses of Shrek Academy survived, and you also said that those teachers sacrificed themselves to protect the Students, but where have those Students all gone now?"
Hearing Qiangu Dongfeng's tone no longer as stern as just now, the person opposite him secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly replied: "Pagoda Master, rest assured, I will go and investigate carefully right away, and probe into Shrek Academy's background once more."
Qiangu Dongfeng nodded, his gaze narrowing slightly.
He would absolutely not let Long Yeyue off; back then in Shrek Academy, the humiliation he had suffered was still vivid in his mind, and sooner or later he would settle that score.
He was silent for a moment before asking again: "Huo Yuhao broke through to Titled Douluo and even took 'Spirit Ice' as his title. In my view, he is trying to seize my position as Pagoda Master. Has he made any unusual moves recently?"
After Huo Yuhao broke through to Titled Douluo, he had also seriously considered what name his title should actually take.
The titles of the vast majority of Spirit Masters were closely related to their own Spirit. Huo Yuhao thought long and hard and still felt that "Spirit Ice" was the most appropriate.
Leng Yaozhu also supported him in taking this name, feeling that it would also be helpful for the subsequent plan.
One could only say that Qiangu Dongfeng's intuition was correct; Huo Yuhao was indeed going to seize his position as Pagoda Master!
Currently, Huo Yuhao's title was only circulating in a small circle among the upper echelons of the Spirit Pagoda and had not yet been officially made public.
But many people felt that Huo Yuhao was simply the next Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda. After all, looking across the entire Spirit Pagoda, among the younger generation, regardless of talent, achievements, or prestige, there was no second candidate other than him.
At this moment, the person opposite Qiangu Dongfeng respectfully replied: "Just like usual, there are no special actions, except that there is an extra young Spirit Saint by his side named Jin Li, whose background has not yet been investigated."
A Spirit Saint was simply not worth paying too much attention to in Qiangu Dongfeng's eyes. He waved his hand: "Go. Pay attention to Shrek's matters, and report the situation on Huo Yuhao's side to me once a day."
"Understood."
That person acknowledged it with a sound, then slowly withdrew from the office. The door was gently pulled shut, making a slight sound.
Qiangu Dongfeng stood up, walked to the window, braced his hands on the window sill, and looked down over the entire Shrek City.
His brows were slightly locked, and although his gaze fell into the distance, it was as if he hadn't truly looked into anything at all.
An indescribable irritability was rising from the bottom of his heart, like a puff of smoke blown apart by the wind, unable to be grasped or waved away.
He faintly felt that everything in the future was no longer completely within his control like before.
...
These past few days, Gu Yue was still the same as usual, burying herself in the laboratory most of the time.
As for Huo Yuhao, he accompanied Jin Li every day, not only taking her to visit the Spirit Pagoda, but also bringing her for a thorough tour around Shrek City.
They went to all those newly built blocks, renovated squares, and a few restaurants with decent food.
As for that subtle relationship among the three of them, whether it was Huo Yuhao, Gu Yue, or Jin Li, they tacitly avoided discussing it too much.
Everything seemed to be flowing along a certain natural rhythm; no one deliberately pushed it, and no one deliberately avoided it.
On this day, Gu Yue rarely left the laboratory early and proactively proposed treating Huo Yuhao and Jin Li to cold drinks. Huo Yuhao and Jin Li naturally readily agreed.
Braving the scorching afternoon sun, the three of them walked out of the Spirit Pagoda, crossed a few streets, and arrived at a newly opened cold drink shop not far from the ruins of Shrek City.
The store front was not large, and the decoration was simple and refreshing. The blue-and-white color scheme appeared exceptionally cool in the hot weather.
At a rectangular table by the window inside the shop, Huo Yuhao sat on one side, while Gu Yue and Jin Li sat opposite him.
Although the two of them had not spent a long time together, the relationship between Gu Yue and Jin Li at this moment looked quite close. Occasionally, they would lean in together to whisper a few words, and then both would curve the corners of their mouths.
After chatting idly for a few sentences, Gu Yue suddenly seemed to remember something and spoke in a casual tone: "There's another person coming later."
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao and Jin Li both looked at her, their gazes carrying different kinds of curiosity.
Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly trying to read some clues from Gu Yue's expression, but Gu Yue's face wore a faint smile, and nothing could be seen through.
Before Huo Yuhao could carefully analyze what was hidden in Gu Yue's expression at that moment, he suddenly sensed an extremely familiar aura rapidly approaching not far away.
That aura was thick and profound, resembling a moving mountain, carrying a sense of presence that people could not ignore.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the window glass, and saw a tall figure walking quickly towards the direction of the cold drink shop where they were.
A flash of surprise crossed Huo Yuhao's eyes; the one who came was unexpectedly Di Tian.
But immediately after turning his head to glance at the stunned Jin Li opposite him, he no longer felt surprised.
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A/N:
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.