After hearing the Sun Moon Emperor's decree, Jing Hongchen did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately bowed to accept the order, then turned and withdrew.
As the Hall Master of Mingde Hall, Jing Hongchen understood better than anyone the decisive importance of a public-opinion war at this moment.
He swiftly mobilized every intelligence network the Sun Moon Empire had planted throughout the Three Great Empires. Using soul tool printing technology, tens of thousands of scrolls were produced in rapid succession. They contained live-recorded footage of Xuan Zi's capture during the night raid on the Duke's Mansion, as well as irrefutable evidence of Star Luo's Titled Douluo disguising themselves as Evil Soul Masters to massacre civilians.
In less than three short days, this heavy truth was spread across the entire Douluo Continent through countless channels.
The moment the news broke, the previously calm atmosphere of the continent was instantly set ablaze. Civilians near the borders and around the Bright Capital, in particular, were filled with unprecedented fury.
"What? Is this real? Are the people in these images actually Titled Douluo from the Star Luo Empire?"
"Shrek Academy—the legendary holy land of Spirit Masters—actually joined forces with the Star Luo Imperial Family and the Body Sect to slaughter civilians indiscriminately?"
"Everything was peaceful. Why did they have to provoke a war at such a critical moment? Isn't it better for everyone to live in peace?"
Voices of doubt rose everywhere, but the fiercest condemnation was aimed squarely at Shrek Academy.
"Especially Shrek! The Body Sect and the Star Luo Empire act for their own interests, so starting a war is one thing. But you, Shrek Academy—an institution meant to educate and guide—what right do you have to involve yourselves in political assassinations?"
"Haven't you always claimed neutrality? Haven't you always said you exist to protect the continent?"
Families of the victims and countless Spirit Masters who felt deceived gathered in cities across the land, openly denouncing these despicable actions.
In their eyes, Shrek's image as the so-called "Leader of the Righteous Path" shattered completely under the weight of undeniable evidence.
—
Within the Body Sect, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Poison Undying, who had only just returned while severely injured, learned of the Sun Moon Empire's announcement inside a secret chamber.
Staring at the intelligence report confirming Xuan Zi's capture, an extremely complicated expression flickered through his emerald-green eyes.
"Xuan Zi was actually caught… and right at the Duke's Mansion?" Poison Undying coughed violently, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and frowned deeply. "If that's the case… then what Kong Deming said before must have been false. It wasn't Xuan Zi who voluntarily leaked the intelligence?"
His rationality slowly returned.
If Xuan Zi truly had been an inside agent, the Sun Moon Empire would never have completely crippled and imprisoned a Rank 98 combatant after draining his value. That simply did not align with political logic.
"Then who was it? Could something have gone wrong on the Star Luo Empire's side? No… that doesn't make sense either. What benefit would such a complete failure bring them? Their own Titled Douluo also suffered heavy losses."
Poison Undying was utterly baffled.
No matter how much he pondered it, he could never have imagined that the mastermind behind everything was a single young man—Liu Yuan—whom he had never truly taken seriously.
"But none of that matters anymore." Poison Undying let out a long sigh, his expression bleak. "What matters now is how to deal with the situation at hand. Most of the sect's elites are dead, and I am gravely injured. The entire continent is condemning us. This time… the Body Sect is truly in deep trouble."
—
Meanwhile, inside the imperial palace of the Star Luo Empire.
Under the protection of Star Luo's Titled Douluo, Xu Jiujiu and the others finally returned to Star Luo City.
However, what awaited them was not celebration, but the Emperor Xu Jiawei's face—so dark it seemed ready to drip water.
Xu Jiawei stared at the "evidence" spreading across the continent, his fingers trembling faintly with suppressed fury.
Fixing his gaze on Xu Jiujiu below, he asked in a low, heavy voice, "How did this happen? If it wasn't Xuan Zi who leaked the information, and the Body Sect also paid a bloody price, then who did it?"
"Why did the Sun Moon Empire know our movements in advance—enough to arrange a perfect ambush at the armory and bait within the palace itself?"
As the ruler of a nation, Xu Jiawei immediately sensed the existence of a massive intelligence breach.
He questioned Xu Jiujiu about every detail—anything that might have been overlooked during their withdrawal from the Bright Capital or throughout the competition, no matter how trivial.
Standing in the center of the hall, Xu Jiujiu looked visibly fatigued.
She replayed everything in her mind again and again. Suddenly, an anomaly she had previously ignored surfaced.
"I remember now," she said slowly. "The Shrek Preparatory Team led by Bei Bei withdrew from the Bright Capital at an extremely abnormal speed the day before the operation began. They left without hesitation—and even had a falling-out with Xuan Zi because of it."
Xu Jiawei pressed on. "Who did they meet before leaving? Or rather, who could have had access to our core plans?"
Xu Jiujiu thought for a moment, then a name abruptly leapt into her mind. Her expression shifted slightly.
"Liu Yuan. Bei Bei privately met with Liu Yuan before withdrawing. And even in previous matches, although Liu Yuan's attitude toward Shrek was always cold, it felt as though he was quietly controlling the overall rhythm."
Xu Jiawei's eyes flashed as he slowly repeated the name. "Liu Yuan… the young Duke of the Sun Moon Empire? Could it really be him?"
Though unwilling to believe that a youth could possess such heaven-defying methods, after eliminating all other possibilities, suspicion inevitably converged on Liu Yuan alone.
If Liu Yuan had somehow extracted information from Bei Bei—or possessed some uncanny ability to foresee danger—then everything would finally make sense.
—
Far away, at Shrek Academy, within the Sea Gods Pavilion.
The news arrived like a thunderclap.
After learning of Xuan Zi's capture, the exposure of the entire plan, and the continent-wide backlash, Mu En—seated in the main chair—saw his expression instantly turn incomparably grim.
The smooth wooden staff in his hand let out a sharp cracking sound.
"Xuan Zi…" Mu En said hoarsely. "Confused! Foolish!"
He closed his eyes heavily, his voice filled with profound exhaustion and helplessness.
He had always known that Xuan Zi was prejudiced and prone to impulsiveness. But he had never imagined that Xuan Zi would gamble the academy's ten-thousand-year reputation on such a destructive plan without absolute certainty of success.
Now, Xuan Zi was locked away in a Sun Moon Empire dungeon, his life and death unknown.
The Star Luo Empire and the Body Sect were almost certainly harboring resentment toward Shrek.
And worst of all—the reputation Shrek Academy had upheld for ten thousand years was now teetering on the brink of collapse.
"I don't have much time left…"
Mu En opened his eyes, pain flickering within them.
"But I never imagined that, as my life draws to its end, you—Xuan Zi—would give me such a 'surprise.'"