Chapter 71 – Shrek's Debt Can Never Be Repaid
Originally, this should have been Wang Yan's scene, but at this moment, it was Xuanzi who had taken his place.
Xu Jiawei looked solemnly at the Super Douluo of Shrek, and the entire audience leaned forward in their seats, afraid to miss even the slightest detail.
Xuanzi gave a detailed account of Shrek being ambushed by evil soul masters—why only reserve team members had been sent out, the ages of those students, the injuries suffered by the main team, and many other hidden secrets.
He wasn't simply trying to defend Shrek's reputation; he wanted to seize the opportunity to win support and admiration. Look, he wanted them to think: Our Shrek Academy suffered heavy losses because we chose to fight evil soul masters. Our glory still shines brilliantly!
And just as he expected, after his words spread, countless members of the audience—and even Xu Jiawei, the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire—rose to their feet and applauded.
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
"So that's how it was! Shrek only sent their reserve team because their main team was injured fighting evil soul masters!"
"I was wondering why their main team hadn't appeared this whole time. So, they were attacked!"
"Wait… if even Shrek's main team was seriously injured, those evil soul masters must have been frighteningly powerful."
"At the very least, they must have been Titled Douluo. Otherwise, they couldn't possibly have done this."
...
The thunderous applause washed away the dark cloud hanging over Shrek's head. Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, however, a voice suddenly rang out from the direction of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.
"The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy wishes to question Shrek's claims!"
At the very moment Xu Jiawei had hoped to use Shrek's tale to stir morale, Lin Jiayi of the Sun Moon Academy stood up.
Xu Jiawei had no choice but to respond, "Very well. The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy's teacher may speak and raise his concerns."
Good. Let them fight. No matter what the Sun Moon Academy questioned, their conflict with Shrek was clearly irreconcilable. Better to put everything out in the open and let them tear into each other.
Lin Jiayi stood on the viewing platform with Huo Yuhao and the others behind him. His voice, amplified by a soul guidance device, echoed across every corner of the arena.
"Just now, a senior of Shrek Academy said their main team was injured during a battle with evil soul masters. Then I would like to ask: what was the cultivation of the strongest among those evil soul masters?"
"Furthermore, Senior Xuanzi—you are Shrek's Taotie Douluo, a rank ninety-eight Super Douluo. Yet you failed to protect your academy's students. Was it because those evil soul masters were simply too strong, or… was there another reason?"
At first listen, there was nothing wrong with his words. But anyone who thought about it carefully realized the trap.
The two questions were tightly linked. Answering one made it impossible to explain the other.
Xuanzi was no fool. If he said that the evil soul master who nearly wiped out their team was only a Soul King, wouldn't that prove he was useless?
He had wanted to use this chance to claim credit and restore Shrek's image. But if he stayed silent, then his earlier statements would lose all credibility. Clearly, there was something hidden.
'Damn it! Those bastards from the Sun Moon Academy—why ruin my plans now?!' Xuanzi cursed inwardly.
His hesitation made Ling Luochen and the others sink back into painful memories, as if dragged once more into that nightmarish evening.
Chen Zifeng, Yao Haoxuan, Gongyang Mo, Xi Xi, Dai Yueheng, Xu Sanshi… they were such good companions. Yet because of Elder Xuan's negligence, four of them had died that night, and two were grievously wounded—still lying between life and death even now.
All of it had been avoidable.
The expressions on Shrek's students drew even more curiosity from the audience. Clearly, there was more to the story.
And if Xuanzi would not speak, the Sun Moon Academy would gladly help him.
"The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy bears no grudge against Shrek," Lin Jiayi continued. "But some matters must be proven by facts, not painted over with a few grandiose words of self-praise."
He stepped aside, making space for someone else.
When the crowd saw who stood at the Sun Moon Academy's side, Shrek's students erupted.
"Traitor! Teacher Wang has betrayed us!"
"Damn it, how could he betray Shrek? Does he have no shame?!"
"Elder Xuan was right—he was never qualified to remain our teacher!"
Shrek's debt can never be repaid.
Even though Wang Yan had already been expelled by Xuanzi, in the eyes of Ma Xiaotao and others, leaving Shrek only to immediately join the Sun Moon Academy was utterly unforgivable. Without Shrek, Wang Yan was nothing.
The audience quickly pieced it together—the man standing with the Sun Moon team was none other than Shrek's former lead teacher.
Facing their angry curses and murderous intent, Wang Yan didn't flinch.
"As Shrek's former team teacher, allow me to answer the question," Wang Yan said firmly.
"Shrek was not the side ambushed. Shrek was the one who launched the attack. And the evil soul master responsible for the tragedy—the one responsible for the deaths and heavy injuries—was only at the Soul King level."
"The main team members were indeed too injured to compete. But the real reason is this: only three survived that night."
"And the one who caused this disaster was none other than Taotie Douluo himself!" Wang Yan roared, pointing straight at Xuanzi. "If not for his drunken negligence, those students would never have died!"
As he spoke, his voice cracked with grief and bitter laughter. "Things have already come this far. No matter what happens next, I will not be surprised."
"I swear on my martial soul—every word I say is true!"
The arena fell deathly silent.
It wasn't a matter of belief. Shrek's expressions already told the truth.
Everyone was stunned—not that it was true, but that Shrek had dared to twist such a disgraceful failure into a noble sacrifice.
A Soul King evil soul master nearly wiped out their entire team, even with a Titled Douluo present. Was it that the evil soul master was too strong, that Shrek's students were too weak, or that Xuanzi himself was worthless?
"So this was the truth all along. I nearly let Shrek fool me."
"Think about it—earlier, they only talked about their losses and the ages of their students. They never actually explained the cause. If not for the Sun Moon Academy pressing them, who would have guessed?"
"Pathetic! Shrek's so-called elite main team was crushed by a mere Soul King. And they still dared to flaunt it?"
"No, this wasn't flaunting. They knew they couldn't win, so they tried to earn pity. That way, even if they lost, they'd still have an excuse."
"Hypocrites!"
The mocking gazes pierced into Xuanzi like blades, and he could no longer endure it.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He had thought exposing the existence of evil soul masters would earn Shrek glory. Why, then, did everything twist against him once the truth came out?
(Wryly, Huo Yuhao muttered to himself: I'm the protagonist here. The rest of you are just side characters. Don't go trying to steal my spotlight!)
"Sharp-tongued traitor! I'll deal with you first!" Xuanzi tossed aside Beibei, fury blazing. Shrek's honor could not be tarnished any further. Wang Yan had to die.
"Traitor? Elder Xuan, weren't you the one who expelled me yourself? Since when did leaving Shrek mean I could never join another force?" Wang Yan sneered. "Forgive me, but I've never heard of such a rule."
With so many eyes on them, he was not afraid Xuanzi would dare kill him. And even if Xuanzi was that reckless, Wang Yan had no fear.
Huo Yuhao's teacher, Kong Deming, was undoubtedly watching from the shadows. He would never let Xuanzi succeed.
And once this tournament was over, Wang Yan would leave for the Sun Moon Empire anyway. By then, Shrek wouldn't matter to him.
This was the price he had to pay—the "pledge of loyalty" required to truly integrate into the Sun Moon side.
(End of Chapter)