Zhu Ziyang's speech was concise and to the point, clarifying in just a few sentences the stance and future of Shrek Academy and the Tian Yuan Pavilion.
The purpose of Shrek Academy's existence is not to cling to the old or follow conventions, but to pioneer and innovate. Shrek Academy should become a lighthouse in the soul master world, guiding it toward a better direction.
To maintain a transcendent status, it must stay out of worldly affairs and focus solely on education. Shrek Academy's main task in the future is to change the world's perception of it, so that when people mention Shrek Academy, the first thing that comes to mind is no longer powerful strength, but advanced theory and research.
This may sound abstract, but it is indeed Zhu Ziyang's true intention.
For example, the current structure of the soul master world shows a nine-to-one ratio: combat-type soul masters make up ninety percent, while support-type soul masters only account for ten percent. As everyone knows, there are five major categories in the soul master world: Strong Attack, Agility Attack, Control, Defense, and Support. The first four combine into combat-type soul masters, while support-type soul masters are a collective term for various non-combat types—such as food-system soul masters, healing-system soul masters, and the traditional support-system soul masters that assist in battle.
In today's soul master world, the number of support-type soul masters is very small, only about ten percent of the total. This is actually a very unfavorable situation. The current soul master world does not place enough importance on support-type soul masters, which is detrimental to the overall development of the soul master world. The importance of support-type soul masters is self-evident, whether in battle support or post-battle recovery.
However, although the vast majority of soul masters know the importance of support-type soul masters, very few are willing to become one. This leads many soul masters who are clearly more suited to the support path to forcibly choose the combat path—not only wasting their own advantages but also failing to achieve good results, which is truly regrettable.
What Shrek Academy must do is change this wrong perception in the soul master world, allowing everyone to choose their path according to the characteristics and advantages of their martial soul. In essence, it means letting those suited for the support system become support-type soul masters.
A simple example: Tang Ya. The Blue Silver Grass martial soul is clearly more suited to support, yet Tang Ya initially wanted to become a control-type soul master—this is a typical case of abandoning the root to chase the end. It's not that a support-type Blue Silver Grass soul master advances more easily than a control-type one, but there is no doubt that Blue Silver Grass, as a control-type martial soul, is definitely one of the worst. As a support-type martial soul, however, it may not be top-tier, but it is absolutely not bad—after all, it is a plant martial soul brimming with vitality.
Letting every soul master with cultivation talent understand the advantages of their martial soul and choose a development path suited to those advantages—this is the meaning of the existence of Shrek Academy and Tian Yuan Academy.
——
Zhu Ziyang's speech was quickly spread by those with intentions. After repeated confirmation, the various forces lingering in Shrek City left with their own thoughts. Zhu Ziyang's identity as the Tian Yuan Pavilion host was no longer a secret—his words essentially represented the final stance of Shrek Academy.
If the previous dean's decree had left the two great empires and the remnants of the Tianhun Empire half-believing and half-doubting, then the words of the Tian Yuan Pavilion host now completely crushed their hopes. Shrek Academy had truly abandoned them!
Why?
The nobles of the original Douluo Three Kingdoms racked their brains but couldn't understand why Shrek Academy, which had always been their protective umbrella, would suddenly abandon them.
No one could give them an answer, and they had no time to dwell on it. The nobles of the Star Luo Empire were busy recruiting troops and buying horses; the nobles of the Dou Ling Empire were busy relocating; and the nobles of the Tianhun Empire were racking their brains to bribe the officers of the Sun Moon Empire.
Only one person found Zhu Ziyang and questioned him with confusion and resentment.
"Why?" Princess Wei Na, her face haggard and eyes bloodshot, demanded, "On what grounds does Shrek Academy stand by and do nothing? And you, a citizen of the Tianhun Empire—how can you just let your own country be destroyed?"
"For unification," Zhu Ziyang replied indifferently, looking at the fallen princess with a cold voice.
"Un-unification?" Wei Na was stunned. She had never expected this reason. It felt absurd. "Just for unification, you let the Sun Moon Empire, an outsider, destroy the nations of us native Douluo Continent residents?"
"Yes." Zhu Ziyang nodded, appearing utterly heartless.
"Why?" Wei Na, seeing his cold response, asked in a daze.
"Unification is the inevitability of history," Zhu Ziyang said. "Shrek Academy has already done enough for you, whether ten thousand years ago or four thousand years ago. We have fought for you for far too much time. You failed to live up to it yourselves. You can't blame us for that."
"I understand." Wei Na's face turned ashen, her entire being radiating dejection. She stepped aside, clearing the path for Zhu Ziyang.
Zhu Ziyang walked straight past without looking at her. Xian Lin'er and the others, following him, also passed by Wei Na one by one and left. Only the last person spoke to her.
"Your Highness… Miss Wei Na, if you are willing, there will be a place for you in Shrek Academy. If not, we will send you to your companions," Han Ruoruo said. Her voice was gentle as water, making Wei Na's eyes redden involuntarily.
"Sister Ruoruo, aren't you worried that once the Sun Moon Empire unifies the continent, they will turn against Shrek Academy?" Wei Na thought of something and made a final attempt with Han Ruoruo.
Han Ruoruo shook her head with a smile but said nothing. Seeing this, Wei Na could only leave dejectedly.
Han Ruoruo knew that the current Sun Moon Empire empress was Zhang Lexuan. Not only her, the entire Tian Yuan Pavilion elders, and core inner courtyard disciples knew that their senior sister Zhang Lexuan was the empress of the Sun Moon Empire. Therefore, in their eyes, the Sun Moon Empire's unification of the continent was actually being carried out under the will of Shrek Academy. Far from feeling repulsed, they were excited.
If not for the Tian Yuan Pavilion's explicit prohibition, these core disciples would probably have already run to the Sun Moon Empire to help Zhang Lexuan.
——
Huo Yuhao came to find Zhu Ziyang. He wore a smile on his face, but a gloom lingered in the depths of his eyes—clearly, he had encountered something upsetting during this time.
"I knew you'd come to me. Sit," Zhu Ziyang said, looking at Huo Yuhao's forced smile. The image of the girl in Shrek Square earlier—whose face resembled Xiao Xiao but whose figure was closer to Wang Dong'er—flashed in his mind, filling him with discomfort and disgust before he spoke.
"Senior Brother, you must have seen her," Huo Yuhao said, forcing a smile, but his voice was stiff. Clearly, the girl's existence was like a bone stuck in his throat.
"Yes." Zhu Ziyang nodded and said, "Tell me—what do you think?"
"That girl is called Tang Wutong. She came to the academy half a year ago. Her appearance is very similar to Xiao Xiao, but I know—she is definitely not Xiao Xiao," Huo Yuhao said through gritted teeth, his face full of hatred. "I can still sense Wang Dong'er's aura on her. Every time I see her, a deep sadness and despair well up in my heart! So I deliberately avoid her, but she always appears near me for no reason, like a lingering ghost! Senior Brother, there is definitely something wrong with this Tang Wutong!"
"You're right," Zhu Ziyang affirmed. "She has very pure divine power in her body, but her soul is extremely turbid—like pure water mixed with various impurities, on the verge of exploding. It's only because of the divine power that she's still alive and bouncing around."
"Senior Brother, you mean…" Huo Yuhao keenly picked up on the mention of a god, a glint flashing in his eyes. He thought of a possibility and grew excited.
"Exactly. Her soul possesses three completely different qualities. It likely comes from both Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong'er," Zhu Ziyang said, his expression strange and full of lament. He had to admit—God King Tang's tailoring skills were impressive. To perfectly stitch two people's souls into one—if he weren't the God of Death with special sensitivity to souls, he really wouldn't have noticed.
"How could this…" Huo Yuhao was dumbfounded. He had considered this possibility but dismissed it as too absurd. Now hearing Zhu Ziyang confirm it, he realized it was real. He stood there in a daze, unsure what to say or do.
"Alright, snap out of it," Zhu Ziyang said, patting Huo Yuhao's shoulder. "At least Xiao Xiao's soul is still intact, right? As long as you separate her from Tang Wutong, you can get your Xiao Xiao back."
"Really?" Huo Yuhao's eyes regained their spark. Excitedly, he asked, "Then does that mean if I become a god, I can do it?"
"Correct!" Zhu Ziyang gave him a thumbs-up to show he was right.
"That's great!" Huo Yuhao shouted in excitement. "Senior Brother, I've already reached the divine position examination of a god. Once I pass the examination, I can become a god and save Xiao Xiao—this is too good!"
"Hey, not bad!" Zhu Ziyang said, unsurprised. As a god, the divine position mark on Huo Yuhao couldn't be hidden from him. What puzzled him, however, was that the mark didn't seem to belong to any of the traditional gods of the Douluo Divine Realm. Could a new god have been born in the God Realm?
He stroked his chin, not ruling out the possibility. After all, the first-generation God of Death had fallen hundreds of thousands of years ago. It was perfectly normal for the God Realm to birth a new god.
"Mind telling me which god chose you?" Zhu Ziyang asked.
"Of course," Huo Yuhao said excitedly. "That god said He is the God of Emotion, the god who governs all emotions."
"Emotion? God of?" Zhu Ziyang couldn't help but show surprise. In an instant, many thoughts flashed through his mind, but soon he made a decision. "Yuhao, the moment you inherit the divine position, you must come see me immediately—understand?"
"Yes, I will definitely come see you right away!" Although Huo Yuhao didn't know why Zhu Ziyang said this, he agreed without hesitation. He knew his senior brother would never harm him.
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"The novel is already finished on Patreon."
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