"I'm sorry, what did you say? Shrek's main competition team was blown to bits by an Evil Soul Master? They've been completely wiped out?!"
Under the darkened skies of the Star Luo Empire's palace, Xu Jiawei shot up from his desk, disbelief etched on his face as he stared at the Prime Minister, nearly popping his eyes out.
The Prime Minister nodded gravely. "Yes, it's true. Shrek sent word that while they were executing a mission against the Evil Soul Master near the Ming Dou Mountain Range, the Evil Soul Master used cunning tricks to escape and took them down, resulting in the heroic sacrifice of several Inner Courtyard disciples."
Xu Jiawei frowned, a hint of disdain crossing his features. "If they can't win, they can't win. Where's the cunning? There have been plenty of cases where Inner Courtyard disciples from Shrek wandered into danger and met a grim fate."
"Let's get to the point. What exactly happened? I remember that Shrek's competition teams for nearly fifty years have always been led by the second strongest Douluo, Taotie Douluo himself. Could it be that Taotie Douluo didn't attend this time, and they encountered an Evil Soul Master stronger than a Soul Douluo?"
It was well known that the perennial champion Shrek would always have one or two Soul Emperors overseeing their competition teams, with the rest being Soul Kings. Such a powerful lineup could even take on a Soul Sage from the Evil Soul Masters.
Moreover, Shrek held these disciples in high regard. Xu Jiawei figured that even without Taotie, they would still send one of the four deans. For an Evil Soul Master to annihilate seven disciples of the Inner Courtyard in front of a Titled Douluo, they had to be at least a Soul Douluo or possibly a Titled Douluo.
If it were indeed a Titled Douluo, he would have to consider uniting with Shrek to eliminate this threat. Such a ticking time bomb couldn't be left in the Ming Dou Mountain Range. Deploying a Titled Douluo and military forces would be a must.
Unexpectedly, the Prime Minister's expression shifted to a bizarre look, akin to someone who had just swallowed a dead fly.
Xu Jiawei's heart sank, his expression growing serious. "Could it be that they encountered a top-level Evil Soul Master, one even stronger than a Super Douluo?"
The Prime Minister shook his head slowly.
Xu Jiawei's impatience began to rise; the anxiety was unbearable. "Just tell me what happened! I can handle it! If you don't spill, I'll cut your salary!"
The Prime Minister began to speak rapidly. "Your Majesty, the powerful guardian dispatched by Shrek was indeed Taotie Douluo! They did not encounter any Evil Soul Masters at the level of a Soul Douluo or Titled Douluo."
"To be precise, the Evil Soul Master they faced was not particularly strong; he was just a Soul King."
Xu Jiawei nodded in satisfaction. Sure enough, only by threatening his salary could he make the Prime Minister nervous. It wasn't as serious as he thought—just a little Evil Soul Master who was a Soul King! A few Soul Emperors could easily take care of that. Later, he could have Dai Hao handle it...
Wait a moment... If Taotie Douluo was present, how could the main competition team still be blown to pieces?
Xu Jiawei realized the inconsistency and rubbed his ear, doubting he had heard wrong. "Did you just say... the entire Shrek main team was wiped out by a Soul King?!"
The Prime Minister forced a smile that was even more painful than crying. "Yes, you heard correctly."
"I heard that the leader of Shrek's team this time is Dai Hao's eldest son, Yue Heng, isn't it? How could he—a Soul Emperor leading six Soul Kings—possibly lose to a single Evil Soul Master Soul King?"
"It's said that this Evil Soul Master possesses a uniquely terrifying Corpse Explosion ability, unleashing a Soul Sage-level assault in an instant, catching Shrek's main team off guard."
"And where was Taotie Douluo during all this? Behold, a Level 98 Super Douluo with over two hundred years of experience couldn't even defend against that one move?"
"As for that, I... I'm not sure…"
Xu Jiawei and the Prime Minister exchanged silent glances, the atmosphere thick with tension.
After a moment, Xu Jiawei waved his sleeve and said, "Enough of this. We'll think about it later. What about Yue Heng and the others...? They can't have really been completely sacrificed, right? Dai Hao is usually loyal to the country. Such a big setback, he might not be able to cope."
The Prime Minister replied, "According to a message from the White Tiger Duke, Shrek's main team suffered five casualties and two heavy injuries. Thankfully, the White Tiger Great Young Master survived, having been rescued by a healing Soul Sage who was accompanying them; however, he lost an arm and will find it difficult to compete in the future...
There's also one Ice Attribute Soul King who isn't too severely injured and may have the ability to compete after some recovery..."
"To say they can only compete after recovery means that Shrek's main team won't be able to participate in the first half of the competition, which is almost the same as being eliminated."
"That is correct."
The Prime Minister confirmed, then added, "The White Tiger Duke was heartbroken upon learning this and begged Your Majesty to let the Medical Immortal Crown assist Dai Yueheng."
"This is easy to arrange. The White Tiger Family has served the nation for generations. I will have the Medical Immortal Crown go at once so that we don't disappoint loyal subjects."
Xu Jiawei rubbed his temples, sighing. "Let's focus on Shrek for now. What will they do? The competition is about to start. Should we use the reserve team in the meantime and then return to Shrek to mobilize Inner Courtyard disciples for reinforcements?"
"Shrek has been the reigning champion for ten thousand years and is a spiritual totem of the Three Great Empires. If they lose to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, it will not be a small matter. If they feel they cannot win, it's better to gracefully declare withdrawal. I would even be willing to give them some face and help cover it up."
"Your Majesty, their reserve team seems to have suffered significant losses as well…"
The Prime Minister recounted the grim situation of Xu Bei and the others, adding, "But it seems that Taotie Douluo expressed that they will not withdraw."
"He went on to say that Shrek's ten-thousand-year glory will absolutely not be abandoned, and they will not allow this glory to be trampled by anyone. He will return to Shrek at the fastest speed to bring reinforcements."
"Not withdrawing? They're in this much trouble and still want to make a grand exit? What are they thinking? The main team is already the Inner Courtyard's strongest elite. Can they still scrape together another team? How could that possibly compete against the Sun Moon Battle Team?"
Xu Jiawei's heart stirred, a realization appearing on his face as he focused intently. "Could it be that Shrek hinted at us to assist them in some underhanded methods?"
"Your Majesty is wise."
"Wise my foot! These guys are a disgrace and have the audacity to expect help during crucial times!"
Xu Jiawei facepalmed, shaking his head. He thought Shrek was truly shameless. They couldn't protect their main team, and after being blown to bits, they still wanted others to clean up their mess.
As for the reserve team's small fry, they wouldn't even make it through the round-robin; unless Taotie Douluo could quickly bring in a few Soul Kings for support.
But no matter how many prodigies Shrek had, they weren't infinite. With seven elites down, how many Soul Kings could they possibly have left? What would their strength even be? This upcoming tournament will be filled with powerful competitors, with several teams comprised entirely of Soul Kings.
Besides, speaking of the other teams, those from the Jiujiu team have been giving it their all these days. Both she and Huang Heyun are Soul Emperors, along with five elite Soul Kings…
Wait a minute, that lineup could potentially replace Shrek to claim the championship?
Before, he only thought about having them defeat the Sun Moon Battle Team to secure second place. Now that Shrek is facing ruin... wasn't the championship up for grabs too?
Xu Jiawei had a flash of inspiration, contemplating:
"Shrek holds considerable sway over the Sun Moon Empire, face must still be given... I can arrange for them to face some rather weak opponents to help them advance from the round-robin, even into the top eight.
"Then I'll arrange for them to clash with Jiujiu in the semifinals; everybody puts on a show, giving them a dignified exit while they also give me some face. If they agree to my plan, then so be it."
The so-called "arrangement" naturally involves a little manipulation during the draw. The organizers often claim that the draw is fair, open, and just, but arranging for a fluke isn't difficult at all.
As long as the surface work is done well, no one could call into question the process. This would allow Jiujiu to inherit Shrek's ten-thousand-year honor and battle against the Sun Moon Battle Team.
The Prime Minister looked troubled. "Your Majesty, just entering the top eight... may not be enough to satisfy them. From what they said, they can't accept losing to the Star Luo Royal Academy headed by Princess Jiu Jiu."
"What did you say? What exactly did Shrek mean? What else did they say? Speak it all without holding back!" Xu Jiawei said, his eyes wide with anger.
The Prime Minister observed the dark clouds gathering on the Star Luo Emperor's face and said softly, "Yes. That Taotie Douluo stated that Shrek would rather not uphold its honor using underhanded tactics; if they win, they want to do so fairly, and if they lose, they want to lose transparently.
They would only accept losing to their long-time rival, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, and absolutely refuse to let other academies use their glory as a stepping stone."
"The Taotie Douluo also said that Shrek is currently in trouble, and this is the time for the Star Luo Empire to extend a helping hand, gaining Shrek's friendship..."
Seeing Xu Jiawei's face darkening further, the Prime Minister took a few steps back and whispered, "They said that for so many years, Shrek has been the barrier against the Sun Moon Empire; now it's time for the Star Luo Empire to show some sincerity by helping them..."
Xu Jiawei clenched his teeth, "Is this just the opinion of the Taotie Douluo, or does Shrek's Sea God Pavilion share this view?"
The Prime Minister bowed deeply. "The Taotie Douluo claimed to represent Shrek's stance, and its words will not change. Given the Sea God Pavilion Master's condition, I believe there's some truth to it."
"Those arrogant fools at Shrek! They are going too far with the Star Luo Empire! Too far!!!"
Xu Jiawei was fuming, veins popping on his forehead, his eyes blazing with fury. The soul power around him surged violently, and nine dazzling soul rings erupted uncontrollably, turning the palace aglow under the night sky.
The overwhelming soul pressure spread for hundreds of meters, startling the Prime Minister into retreating repeatedly, clutching his chest in shock.
He knew just how outrageous Shrek's words had been. The Taotie Douluo certainly lacked eloquence, but since the Emperor ordered him to repeat it verbatim, he had no choice but to comply.
Upon hearing it, he had felt just as angry; the Emperor was, after all, not a sage and had emotions too.
After a moment, the Prime Minister noticed Xu Jiawei retracting the soul rings and cautiously approached him. "Your Majesty, what shall we do now?"
"What to do? Hahaha..."
Xu Jiawei laughed heartily, but his expression turned gloomy. "Shrek has gone too far. Since that's the case, don't blame me for not giving them face! Didn't they say they could only accept losing to the Sun Moon Empire? This is easy!"
"I will help them advance from the preliminaries, and when they can't progress any further, I'll have the Sun Moon Battle Team challenge them! I want to see just how far they can go after the preliminaries!"
"This time, I won't hold back! To seek my help so shamelessly... I will let them have their way! I'll join in their craziness! Let the Sun Moon Battle Team teach them a lesson!"
"The team they are bringing this time is the strongest my Star Luo Empire has seen in a hundred years. It seems heaven intends for us to seize the championship and elevate our national prestige."
"Rather than placing our hopes on those arrogant fools at Shrek, it's better for my Star Luo Empire to stand strong on its own! This time, I will spare no effort to help them secure the championship."
"Hmph! They never stop to think—what kind of obnoxious attitude they have! If it weren't for our lack of choices, who would place their greatest hopes on a group of brainless thugs relying solely on brute force?"
"Your Majesty is wise, I admire you."
"Heh, compared to what's happening here, I truly look forward to seeing how Shrek will handle the families and sects behind these injured students this time; I know there are several prominent figures among them."
"If any sect finds out and acts like the Clear Sky Sect, launching an all-out attack on Shrek, it will be quite the spectacle."
"And the Sea God Pavilion Master... with the Taotie Douluo making such a big mistake this time, I'm curious to see how he will punish the Taotie Douluo. He better not just go for a self-punishment as always."
-----------
Translation by: randomtranslator.com
Read 2500+ original & fanfic translations and Translate for Free at: randomtranslator.com