"Vice Hall Master, how do you feel?" the Second War God asked Xia Bin about his condition.
"I don't feel anything special either. This pill cannot control a person's thoughts," Xia Bin said.
A few minutes later, those watching the livestream had basically confirmed that the Dragon Phoenix Hall had not controlled that person's mind, but had merely made her tell the truth.
And that meant Shrek Academy had indeed done those despicable things.
"So this is Shrek Academy? Doing things like this—how despicable, completely without moral limits!"
"I was even defending them just now, saying Shrek had been framed. Turns out they were the ones doing the framing!"
"I take back what I said before. Shrek isn't honorable at all—they're shameless. I despise them!"
"Ahhh! The sacred place in my heart has become tainted. My faith has collapsed. Shrek, how did you become like this?"
The livestream and the Star Network were filled with wailing.
For many people, the righteous image of Shrek in their hearts had completely shattered.
Posts sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain, all insulting and belittling Shrek, accusing them of deceiving the world for fame, saying their former image had all been an act—hypocritical and fake.
As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the deeper the hatred.
After learning what Shrek was really like, many people were furious and began cursing them directly on the Star Network.
It was as if they wanted to vent all their disappointment and anger there.
Some people even compared their strengths, praising the Dragon Phoenix Hall while mocking Shrek—calling them weak and trash.
These insulting posts, along with discussions about the battle, were countless, becoming a nationwide topic.
Even among Shrek's own students, many began to develop negative feelings toward the academy.
They had never imagined the academy they admired could do such things. They felt saddened and deeply disappointed.
Some straightforward students who had only recently joined even shouted about withdrawing from the academy, unwilling to stay any longer.
From the discussions on the Star Network, it was clear that Shrek Academy's once-glorious reputation had collapsed completely. Its prestige was plummeting rapidly and heading toward infamy.
Shrek's higher-ups immediately responded, using their connections on the Star Network to try to suppress the spread of the incident.
At the battlefield, Yu Guanzhi's fifty thousand troops advanced in neat formation.
The army stretched out in a mighty procession, a chilling aura of killing intent spreading everywhere.
"General Yu, the Dragon Phoenix Hall doesn't seem to have any grudges with you. What is the meaning of this?" Gu Yuena asked, looking toward the distant army with a questioning tone.
She had only just learned his identity: the commander of the Central Army Group, a three-star general of the Federation, Yu Guanzhi.
Everyone in the Dragon Phoenix Hall looked unfriendly and tense.
They had just finished a fierce battle and did not have much strength left to fight again.
Yu Guanzhi did not answer immediately.
He hesitated internally.
Part of him wanted to seize the opportunity and wipe them all out.
That way, the unstable factor known as the Dragon Phoenix Hall could be eliminated completely.
But their strength made him wary.
Moreover, Gu Ming and Xu Lin were standing on the Dragon Phoenix Hall's side.
If fighting broke out, not only would the army suffer heavy losses, but it would also anger the Sun Moon Royal Academy and the Federal Research Institute. The cost would be too great.
He wasn't worried about Qiangu Dongfeng. If he attacked, that man would definitely help—they were essentially on the same boat.
"Don't misunderstand," Yu Guanzhi finally said.
"I mobilized the army because I intended to stop your battle and prevent both sides from suffering heavy losses."
"After all, both of you are important combat forces of the Federation. Whoever suffers major losses would be a loss to the Federation."
In the end, his concerns were too many, and he failed to make the decision to attack.
"So what does General Yu plan to do now?" Gu Yuena asked coldly. "Help them take revenge?"
"Of course not," Yu Guanzhi replied.
"Since it's already too late to stop the fight, the army will simply return the way it came."
"This is a conflict between your factions. It has no direct relation to me or the military. We will not participate."
After speaking, he signaled to the officer beside him, Wang Li, who immediately flew toward the army to deliver the order.
Hearing that the military would not intervene, Gu Yuena and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.
Avoiding another battle was the best outcome for them.
After exchanging a few polite words with Yu Guanzhi, the Jade Dragon King soul spirit carried everyone toward Mingdu.
Gu Ming, Xu Lin, and the others also boarded the dragon's back and left together.
Xia Bin watched them with cold eyes, only withdrawing his gaze after they disappeared from sight.
They did not leave immediately but instead went to the previous battlefield to collect the remains of the fallen War Gods, intending to bring them back for burial.
Qiangu Dongfeng also stayed beside Yu Guanzhi, watching Yun Ze's group depart.
"How does the Dragon Phoenix Hall compare to the Spirit Pagoda in strength?" Yu Guanzhi asked meaningfully.
Here, besides the two of them, only Long Yeyue, who had already fallen unconscious, remained. With spiritual power isolating the area, they could speak freely.
The smile on Qiangu Dongfeng's face had long disappeared, replaced with seriousness.
He had already compared them in his mind earlier and quickly gave an answer.
"If those people just now are the Dragon Phoenix Hall's full strength…"
"Then if the Spirit Pagoda recalls its experts from the Star Luo Empire and the Dou Ling Empire, we would not be inferior to them."
Toward Yu Guanzhi, he had nothing to hide and spoke frankly.
Yu Guanzhi glanced at him in surprise.
"Looks like I underestimated the Spirit Pagoda."
Qiangu Dongfeng shook his head with a bitter smile.
"There's a condition—that Yun Tian's injuries cannot recover."
"If he can still display the same strength as before, the Spirit Pagoda definitely wouldn't be their match."
"Indeed," Yu Guanzhi nodded.
"That kind of power was terrifying. It already exceeded the realm of a quasi-god. If he can still use that strength, it would be truly frightening."
Thinking back to the final clash between Yun Tian and Yun Ming, Yu Guanzhi still felt lingering fear and shock.
"The Dragon Phoenix Hall is a major threat," Qiangu Dongfeng sighed, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
On the back of the Jade Dragon King, the soul beasts lay weakly.
The side effects of the Bloodline Pill had already begun to manifest.
Di Tian had fallen unconscious, lying flat.
Bi Ji, in human form, held a milk bottle in her left hand to restore soul power while using her right hand to treat Di Tian's injuries. Worry was written across her face.
Ya Li had also fallen unconscious.
They had not killed her immediately.
After all, she was a high-ranking figure in Shrek. They could still extract much useful information from her.
Near the dragon's head, Yun Ze, Gu Yuena, Lin Yi, Gu Ming, Xu Lin, Wu Bo, and Xing Zhuo stood together in discussion.
"You know how precious the Hundred-Year Life Extension Pill is," Yun Ze said.
"Two pills might not be possible—but one pill is still negotiable."