Chapter 180: Liu Yuan's Expectations, How Will Shrek React?
At this exact moment...
The Imperial Guards of the Heavenly Soul Imperial City dared not delay for a single breath after receiving the Emperor's edict. Mounting their armored steeds, they spurred the beasts into a frantic gallop, their hooves striking the cobblestone streets like rolling thunder as they rushed toward the detached palace, Qingfeng Pavilion.
Inside the serene courtyard of Qingfeng Pavilion, Liu Yuan sat casually on a cold stone bench. His gaze rested on Princess Wei Na, who was quietly pruning a cluster of spirit plants near the pond.
When the Guard Captain finally arrived, chest heaving as he delivered the Emperor's personal verbal decree, Liu Yuan slowly stood up. He exchanged a brief glance with Du Busi, who stood like a towering mountain behind him. A flash of expected amusement passed between master and disciple.
"Let's go and meet this 'former' Vice Dean of Shrek Academy," Liu Yuan said, his voice calm and measured.
Du Busi let out a short, booming laugh. The sound rolled through the air like muffled thunder, vibrating with such dense soul power that the fallen leaves in the courtyard trembled and scattered across the grass.
Meanwhile, inside the side hall of the Heavenly Soul Imperial Palace, the crystal chandeliers burned brightly, casting a warm glow over the opulent furnishings.
Fan Yu sat rigidly in the guest seat. Exquisite imperial pastries and a cup of top-tier spirit-gathering tea rested on the table beside him, yet he hadn't touched a single bite. His gaze constantly darted toward the heavy mahogany doors of the hall. His chest felt tight, a chaotic storm of complex emotions warring within his mind.
Suddenly, two terrifyingly powerful auras entered his perception range. Fan Yu's breath hitched, and he subconsciously shot to his feet.
The heavy doors were pushed open. Du Busi's imposing, mountain-like figure was the first to step through, casting a long shadow over the room. Right behind him followed Liu Yuan. The youth's expression was perfectly placid, though a deep, captivating Purple-Gold Divine Light flickered within his Double Pupils.
Looking at Liu Yuan, Fan Yu felt a surge of emotion crash against his chest like a rising tide. He had heard endless rumors about this youth during his time at Shrek Academy.
From being expelled by Elder Xuan in an absurdly overbearing and humiliating manner, to his meteoric rise after being taken in by the Body Sect—every single step Liu Yuan took felt like a resounding slap across Shrek's self-proclaimed righteous face.
Who could have possibly imagined back then that this young man, casually tossed aside as a "discarded piece" by Elder Xuan, would possess the sheer capability to sway the entire continent's political and martial landscape in such a terrifyingly short amount of time?
"Dean Fan Yu, I have heard much about you," Liu Yuan spoke first. His tone was neither humble nor arrogant, carrying a relaxed casualness as if he were greeting an old friend rather than a defecting enemy.
Fan Yu looked at the youth, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He shook his head, his voice heavy with complicated sentiments. "The title 'Dean' is probably something I can no longer be called. Right now, I am merely a viscount of the Heavenly Soul Empire... no, a count now."
He paused, his gaze lingering on Liu Yuan and Du Busi for a long moment before he continued. "I had heard of your experiences at Shrek. Even back then, I felt the injustice you faced."
Fan Yu let out a self-deprecating sigh. "But I truly never expected that one day, I would also choose to withdraw from Shrek Academy... all because of the 'things' you provided."
"I imagine the Shrek higher-ups will feel as though their hearts are bleeding when they learn that I, the Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department, have followed in your footsteps and defected to the Heavenly Soul Empire."
"They will bleed because they are stubbornly stuck in their archaic ways," Liu Yuan replied, his expression completely devoid of emotional fluctuation. He had no interest in Fan Yu's sentimentality and cut straight to the core of the matter.
"Count Fan Yu, I, Liu Yuan, have always been a man of my word. Since you have made the definitive choice to return to the Empire, these things naturally belong to you."
Liu Yuan brushed a finger over his spatial ring. A flash of silver light illuminated the room, and a heavy Core Metal Scroll appeared in his palm. It emanated an ancient aura, with a subtle, captivating luster of soul power flowing across its metallic surface. Without a second of hesitation, he tossed it directly to Fan Yu.
"This is the complete Topological Map of a Class 9 Soul Tool Core Formation, along with detailed, step-by-step annotations on Energy Core Compression Technology."
The moment Fan Yu saw the scroll, his breathing turned ragged.
He caught it with violently trembling hands, completely abandoning any remaining pleasantries. He rushed to the desk in the center of the side hall and spread the heavy metal scroll flat against the wood.
As the scroll unfurled inch by inch, the perfect geometric lines and impossibly complex logic chains that had haunted his dreams for decades were laid bare before his eyes. He stared at it in absolute fascination. It was as if his soul had been sucked into a world constructed purely of absolute truth and flawless algorithms.
Whatever lingering guilt he harbored deep in his heart toward Xian Lin'er and Shrek Academy was instantly incinerated. In the face of this peak knowledge—knowledge capable of advancing the entire course of human civilization—his hesitation was swallowed by an unmatched, burning frenzy for research.
"This is what I want to pursue... Shrek could never give this to me. But it's here." Fan Yu murmured in a hoarse whisper, his eyes dilating as they filled with a fanatical, unwavering determination.
Watching the man's reaction, a cold flash of satisfaction settled in Liu Yuan's eyes.
He turned his head slightly toward Du Busi, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Master, you see? This is what they call 'those with different paths cannot make plans together.'Shrek has always relied on emotional manipulation and the illusion of'glory' to chain down these geniuses. But they forgot one fundamental truth: what true geniuses desire above all else is the path to the absolute peak."
Du Busi nodded, a mocking sneer twisting his lips. "Yan Shaozhe and Elder Xuan's lot always operate under the delusion that all the supreme talents in the world should naturally revolve around Shrek. This time, I want to see exactly how they plan to handle the fallout."
Liu Yuan shifted his gaze toward the dark night sky beyond the hall's grand windows. It was as if his vision pierced straight through the barriers of space, locking onto the towering Sea God Pavilion of Shrek Academy thousands of miles away.
"I am also looking forward to seeing the expressions on the faces of those Shrek Elders when Fan Yu officially announces his allegiance to the Heavenly Soul Empire and publicly demonstrates these Class 9 technologies."
A faint, chilling smile touched Liu Yuan's lips. "It will certainly be quite a spectacle."
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, nestled within the quiet sanctity of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion.
Yan Shaozhe had just finished stamping his seal on the final stack of official documents. He stretched his stiff back, listening to the rhythmic, soothing chirping of insects outside his window, and let out a long, deeply satisfied sigh.
He had not felt this relaxed in months—not since Elder Xuan had finally gone into secluded cultivation.
During this peaceful period, everything within Shrek had been running in perfect, orderly harmony under his direct control. Though the Soul Tool Department's current projects were progressing at a sluggish pace, they were at least. The cultivation of the Martial Soul Department's core disciples was perfectly on track.
While rumors regarding the Sun Moon Empire's movements were running rampant in the outside world, Yan Shaozhe paid them little mind. In his view, as long as Elder Xuan successfully broke through during his seclusion, any external threats would be effortlessly crushed.
He picked up a porcelain cup of steaming, top-grade ginseng tea. He even began calculating in his head whether he should allocate a larger portion of the academy's budget to Fan Yu once the man returned from handling his 'family affairs.' After all, Fan Yu's theoretical concept for the "All-Terrain Cannon" was genuinely quite promising.
"Shrek is, after all, the only true Holy Land on this continent," Yan Shaozhe muttered to himself, a cheerful, arrogant smile spreading across his face as he took a slow sip of the fragrant tea.
However, right in the middle of this tranquil night, a sudden burst of frantic, panicked footsteps violently shattered the sacred silence of the Sea God Pavilion.
An intelligence officer sprinted down the corridor, his face deathly pale and drenched in cold sweat. He was running so recklessly fast that his foot caught on the threshold as he entered the side hall, sending him stumbling forward. He barely caught himself on a decorative pillar, nearly knocking over a priceless antique vase in the process.
"This is bad! Dean Yan! Something huge has happened!"
The staff member's shrill, cracking voice echoed piercingly through the empty hall.
Yan Shaozhe, who had been thoroughly immersed in his beautiful vision of the future, jerked in his seat. His hand spasmed, spilling the scalding hot ginseng tea all over his expensive mahogany desk and ruining several documents.
His brow furrowed instantly, a wave of dark annoyance rising in his chest. He slammed the porcelain teacup down onto the saucer with a sharp clatter and glared sternly at the trembling officer.
"What are you in such a frantic hurry for? This is the Sea God Pavilion! Is this a place for you to be screaming like a madman? Even if the sky falls, I am here to hold it up. Where have your manners gone?!"
Yan Shaozhe's voice carried the oppressive, crushing majesty of a Super Douluo, the sheer weight of his aura attempting to forcibly suppress the officer's panic.
But the staff member didn't calm down. Instead, his eyes widened, revealing a stark, hollow terror—as if he were personally witnessing the end of the world.
Completely ignoring Yan Shaozhe's harsh reprimand, the man simply thrust forward a highest-level Red Urgent Secret Report with violently shaking hands.
"Dean... from... from the Heavenly Soul Empire... Vice Dean Fan Yu, he..."
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