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The moonlight, cold and bleak, draped the silent Sea God Island.
Yun Ming stood motionless, his brow heavy with a sorrow too thick to dissolve.
Gu La's revelation had shattered every last thread of his hope—a pair of Level-12 God-Slaying Soul Cannons. It was an unsolvable death sentence.
He drew a slow, deep breath, suppressing the storm within, and turned to the unnervingly calm Gu La. His voice, when he spoke, carried a dryness he hadn't realized was there:
"Do you… have any way to help Shrek Academy survive this crisis?"
Gu La shrugged, his tone detached, almost indifferent.
"A way? This is the accumulated 'karma' of Shrek Academy—ten thousand years of arrogance. Placing your academy's rules above federal law. Tying yourselves too tightly to the Tang Sect, a clan that walks the gray zone… even smuggling war-grade soul guidance devices. Any rational ruler would have crushed you long ago."
"When Shrek was strong, no one dared challenge you. But you can't guard against thieves for a thousand days. Can Shrek truly stand against the entire continent? Unless—"
He paused, offering a suggestion with a flicker of amusement—
"…you publicly expose Qiangu Dongfeng's conspiracy. Use your vast network of alumni to manipulate public opinion. Strike first."
Yun Ming's eyes flickered with a spark of possibility—only for Gu La to extinguish it instantly.
"But have you considered this? Once Shrek demonstrates this kind of influence—this power to rally the continent and shake the very foundations of federal rule—will the Federation tolerate you any longer? To them, Shrek has already become a destabilizing force. So in my view… let them fire."
Gu La's voice held a faint, chilling amusement.
"Shrek needs a complete metamorphosis. The students and teachers are drowning in ten-thousand-year glory that has nothing to do with them, convinced of their own invincibility—they need a disaster to wake them up. Their pride means nothing before true power."
Yun Ming heard it clearly: Gu La was not offering solutions. He was watching a tragedy unfold for entertainment.
Silence stretched between them. Yun Ming's mind churned in agony.
Expose the conspiracy? Shrek would be branded a traitor. Cut off from the Federation, the Spirit Pagoda, the entire system. Recruitment, development—everything would collapse. Shrek was a school, not a nation. Open rebellion? It was treason.
Do nothing? Who could stop those apocalyptic cannons? Even he—Yun Ming—had no certainty.
"They hate the academy—but the people near Shrek City are innocent!" Yun Ming burst out, voice raw with pain.
Gu La's gaze drifted to the endless black sky. His tone was flat, icy.
"They are innocent. They are victims of Shrek's 'pride.' But this… is the price Shrek paid for twenty thousand years of privilege and reverence."
"Nothing is eternal. Had the God Realm not favored you, Shrek would have been erased from history long ago."
"So, Atlas Douluo… what will you choose?" Gu La returned the burden to him.
Yun Ming fell silent again. His eyes flickered violently.
Long moments passed.
Then—he lifted his head.
His gaze was sharp, resolute, edged with steel.
"No matter what Shrek did in the past, it does not deserve to be erased by such an extreme, indiscriminate act of terror. I will… publicly leave Shrek Academy."
He made his decision.
"As long as I walk this continent, they will not dare launch the God-Slaying Cannons. Otherwise, they must face the wrath of a Limit Douluo with nothing left to lose."
"And during this time, I will work to change the academy's inner rules—from within."
Gu La let out a low, dismissive chuckle—as if hearing a child's fairy tale.
He turned away, waving a hand casually.
"Noble idea. Don't count on me, Atlas. Good luck."
His figure dissolved into the night—gone.
Gu La knew: Yun Ming's plan was flawed. Qiangu Dongfeng's hatred ran too deep. The Federation's resolve was not swayed by one man's absence.
Yun Ming was only a quasi-god. To politicians and schemers, he was still mortal. And could the old, stubborn elders of the Sea God Pavilion truly be changed?
Yun Ming watched Gu La vanish. His fist clenched. Then he turned—and returned to the Sea God Pavilion without hesitation.
That night, he summoned every elder—those who had long secluded themselves, including Long Yeyue.
When they gathered, confused by his grim expression, Yun Ming dropped his first bombshell:
"I announce—from today, I shall depart from the academy."
Silence.
Then chaos.
"What?" Saint Spirit Douluo Ya Li gasped—her husband had never consulted her.
Long Yeyue frowned sharply. "Depart? For how long?"
"…At least ten years," Yun Ming replied, calm, absolute.
The pavilion erupted.
Long Yeyue slammed her fist on the table. "Foolishness! Yun Ming, you are the Grandmaster of the Sea God Pavilion! You cannot simply abandon your post like this! You're deserting!"
Others joined in, pleading, begging him to reconsider.
Yun Ming swept his gaze across them, his eyes harder than ever.
"This is my decision as Pavilion Master. You may oppose it—but your opposition is void. My mind is made."
"You—!" Long Yeyue stared at him, stunned. She had never seen him act so autocratically. Something was wrong. "What has happened? Tell us!"
Yun Ming refused to answer.
Instead, he continued: "Before I leave, certain rules of this academy must change."
The elders fell silent. Suspicion filled the air.
Yun Ming's voice grew heavy.
"First: All future examinations, missions—especially external operations—must be reviewed. No longer may any task openly violate federal law."
An elder with decades of seniority immediately protested.
"Pavilion Master, what of Shrek's duty to oversee the continent? If a faction within the Federation secretly builds forbidden soul guidance devices that threaten all life—do we just sit idle?"
This was the unspoken creed of Shrek—self-appointed guardians of the world.
Yun Ming fell silent.
The impending apocalypse had scrambled his normally clear mind. He could not find a solution that preserved both the academy and its supposed duty.
Long Yeyue narrowed her eyes. "Is the Federation pressuring you? No… they lack the power—or the courage—to force you this far."
The elders murmured among themselves. Most were administrators of cities or departments. Their worldview was rooted in tradition. They could not comprehend this sudden shift.
Yun Ming watched them.
His heart sank.
He realized, with chilling clarity: changing the consciousness and traditions of a ten-thousand-year institution was impossible.
Even as the Grandmaster—the strongest man on the continent—he could not move it.
Unless…
He nearly allowed the thought to surface: Break it… and rebuild.
But he crushed it instantly.
He would never allow anyone to destroy Shrek.
The cycle began again.
In the end, the Atlas Douluo—the man who stood atop the continent—was forced to admit one bitter truth:
One man's wisdom is short.
This was not a problem solvable by will alone.
He needed time. He needed stillness. He needed to think—deeply, carefully—how to truly reform Shrek's spirit.
The crucial Sea God Pavilion meeting ended in chaos, with no resolution reached.
—
The next day, Yun Ming left Shrek Academy openly. His departure was witnessed by many.
Ya Li followed without hesitation.
They had shared life since youth. She would never leave him—not now, not ever.
"Ming," she said, catching his arm as they left the city, her gaze unwavering. "Tell me. What happened?"
Looking into her eyes—filled with worry, loyalty, and stubborn love—Yun Ming's defenses crumbled.
He sighed, long and deep.
And told her everything.
The two God-Slaying Cannons. The conspiracy of Qiangu Dongfeng, the Spirit Pagoda, and the Holy Spirit Cult.
"How… how could they dare…" Ya Li turned pale, trembling.
But as she recalled the growing tension between the Federation and Shrek, the Spirit Pagoda's subtle pressure, their unnerving calm… it all made terrible sense.
Fear and helplessness gripped her too. She had no solution.
Yet, as she looked at her husband's tired, resolute profile, a deeper dread rose within her.
She knew him.
He would never abandon Shrek.
When the cannons fell—he would stand alone.
He would try to stop them—with his own body.
Under the moonlight, their figures stood close—but they carried the weight of the entire world.
The path ahead was shrouded in darkness, teeming with danger.
—
Gu La watched from afar, satisfied.
He had tormented the continent's strongest man. He had seen him torn between duty and despair.
A small, cruel pleasure in an otherwise dull life of cultivation.
He did not linger.
He returned to the Peerless Tang Sect timeline.
For now, the Legend of the Dragon King universe had no pressing matters. He merely needed to occasionally check in—see what decision Yun Ming would ultimately make… and whether the promised "fireworks" would arrive on schedule.
Yet his appearance—and Yun Ming's unprecedented departure—had cast ripples into the still waters.
—
In the highest chamber of the Spirit Pagoda, the Pagoda Master's office.
A hidden soul guidance device communicator glowed with dark light.
A distorted, chilling voice spoke through it:
"Pagoda Master Qiangu, Yun Ming has vanished from Shrek City. His whereabouts unknown. What do you make of it? Has he sensed something? He hasn't left his nest in over a decade."
On the other end: the Holy Spirit Cult's leader—the Ghost Emperor.
Qiangu Dongfeng's face was grim. His fingers tapped the desk unconsciously.
He waited. Then spoke, his voice processed into a low, metallic growl:
"We cannot rule out a leak. Yun Ming is an abyss. No one knows how much he truly knows."
His tone hardened.
"But, Ghost Emperor—this plan has progressed too far. The arrow is on the string. We cannot retreat now. How many resources have we invested? How many years have we planned? Can we abandon it because of Yun Ming's odd behavior?"
His eyes flashed with cold ruthlessness.
"Besides—his absence may be to our advantage. Without Yun Ming guarding Shrek, their defenses will have a fatal gap."
"When the cannons strike, the destruction and deaths will be greater. The souls you harvest… will far exceed your expectations. Isn't that precisely what you desire?"
The Ghost Emperor's laughter echoed, cold and mocking.
"Hmph. Qiangu Dongfeng, you speak lightly. Without Yun Ming, destroying Shrek is easier—but what of the retaliation? When he goes mad, the first name on his list will be mine."
"More souls mean nothing if a mad quasi-god hunts me down. You and the Federation can hide behind your walls."
Qiangu Dongfeng suppressed his rising fury.
"Ghost Emperor," he said through gritted teeth, "your Cult specializes in hiding. The Douluo Continent is vast. Underground realms. Forbidden zones. Spatial rifts. Where can't you vanish?"
"If you truly wish to disappear, Yun Ming—even with his power—cannot find you in time. By then, the storm will have passed. Or… he'll be distracted by something else. You'll be free."
Silence.
Then, the Ghost Emperor spoke again, his voice dripping with greed:
"Fine. The plan proceeds."
"But the risks have doubled. The original price is no longer sufficient. You must provide me with a batch of high-quality spirit souls. As additional compensation. And operational funding."
His title was "Ghost." The more souls he consumed, the stronger he became. The spirit souls he demanded were not ordinary—they were crafted from the true souls of powerful soul beasts, to be twisted into dread spirits, his personal legions.
Qiangu Dongfeng's fists clenched. Fury burned in his eyes.
He had known it would come.
Last time, to secure the Holy Spirit Cult's full cooperation, he had already drained a cache of priceless spirit souls—stolen from the family's private reserves, never logged into the Pagoda's records.
If he did it again… the other Pagoda elders would notice. Suspicion would spread. Internal fractures would open.
The Spirit Pagoda was not his personal kingdom.
But—he had no choice.
Destroying Shrek was his life's obsession. The cornerstone of the Qiangu family's rise to ultimate power.
Without these monsters taking the brunt of Yun Ming's wrath and carrying out the filthiest work—his plan could never succeed.
Qiangu Dongfeng's jaw tightened.
He forced the word out, as if tasting poison:
"…Fine."
He could almost hear the Ghost Emperor's satisfied, whispering chuckle.
"Same location. I'll be waiting," Qiangu Dongfeng snapped, then severed the connection.
Cold fury churned in his chest.
He stepped to the massive window, overlooking the glittering city of Mingdu.
The cost of this plan… was rising.
"Ghost Emperor… Holy Spirit Cult…" he whispered, eyes gleaming with lethal intent.
"You feast greedily. You revel in your power. But when Shrek burns… when you and Yun Ming are both broken… or when you've drawn all his attention…"
A cruel smile curled on his lips.
"I will show you the price of betraying me."
"Let me send you… and Yun Ming… to hell together."
—
The seed of betrayal had already been sown among allies.
This conspiracy against Shrek… had been poisoned from the start.
Who would be the final victor?
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