Inside the room, there was silence.
A suffocating, deathly silence.
After listening to Dai Yueheng's humiliating and detailed report, the very air seemed to freeze over.
Xuan Zi sat motionless, his aged face ashen like the sky before a storm. He neither roared nor shouted, yet the faint grinding of his teeth—forced through clenched jaws—was far more terrifying than any outburst.
Dai Yueheng and the scout stood with their heads lowered, barely daring to breathe. They slowed even their breathing to the extreme, afraid that the slightest movement would ignite the volcano on the verge of eruption before them.
An invisible pressure, heavy as a mountain, blanketed the room, suffocating them.
At this moment, both of them shared the same thought—
They would rather face a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast than endure this oppressive silence.
Finally, Xuan Zi spoke.
His voice was hoarse and low, each word dragged out as if from an icy abyss, carrying bone-chilling coldness.
"So… that is to say…"
"He would rather choose that Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy—which only knows how to take shortcuts—than choose our Shrek… the one that reigns over the continent?"
Each word was bitten off through gritted teeth.
The phrase "reigns over the continent" now sounded deeply ironic.
Cold sweat streamed down Dai Yueheng's forehead. His throat felt parched, as if it might burn.
Facing that piercing gaze, he could only grit his teeth and reply in a near whisper:
"…Yes."
"Good… Good! Very good!"
Xuan Zi slammed his palm onto the table.
Crack!
The heavy wooden desk instantly split with spiderweb-like fractures.
His chest rose and fell violently—his fury had reached its peak.
Shrek's glory… its dignity…
Had just been trampled by an unknown youth.
"Call Xi Xi here!" he ordered through clenched teeth.
"Y-Yes!"
Dai Yueheng felt as if he had been pardoned. He didn't dare delay even a second before retreating.
---
Moments later, he returned with Xi Xi.
The moment she stepped into the room, she sensed the oppressive atmosphere.
Seeing Xuan Zi's ashen face—and Dai Yueheng standing rigidly like a statue—her heart skipped a beat.
Something was very wrong.
"Xi Xi," Xuan Zi said, his tone slightly softer but still cold. "I heard you fought alongside that youth. You should understand his strength."
His gaze sharpened.
"Tell me—how strong is he?"
Xi Xi didn't dare hide anything.
That night's battle resurfaced in her mind—the image of that boy descending like a god, still enough to make her heart tremble.
She took a breath and answered solemnly:
"His strength… is terrifying."
To make her point clear, she briefly described the encounter.
"I was surrounded by seven Evil Soul Masters—all at the Spirit King level. I was already at my limit."
"But the moment he acted… it was over."
Her eyes flickered with lingering shock.
"In a single instant, a streak of green-gold light flashed… and all seven were killed."
"No resistance. No delay. Clean. Precise."
"Instantly killed… seven Spirit Kings?"
Xuan Zi's brows furrowed deeply, forming a sharp crease.
After a moment of silence, he asked:
"How does he compare to Ma Xiaotao?"
That name carried weight.
Ma Xiaotao—the undisputed number one of Shrek's Inner Academy—was his benchmark for the younger generation.
Xi Xi hesitated.
She thought carefully before answering:
"It's hard to say."
"With Senior Ma's strength, she could also defeat seven Spirit Kings."
"But…"
She paused, choosing her words.
"Her fighting style is explosive and destructive. The battlefield would be overwhelming."
"But he…"
Her voice lowered slightly.
"He feels like pure speed and precision."
"Like an assassin… ending the battle before it even begins."
She looked up.
"In terms of speed… Senior Ma might not match him."
"So you're saying Xiao Tao is inferior?"
Xuan Zi's voice suddenly rose, his expression darkening.
"No! That's not what I meant!"
Xi Xi quickly shook her head.
"Combat styles differ. Strength can't be judged by speed alone. Perhaps his Spirit gives him an advantage in that situation."
She hesitated again—then gave her final conclusion:
"But one thing is certain…"
"His strength is at least on par with Senior Ma."
"And possibly… even stronger."
---
"Stronger…"
Xuan Zi repeated the word under his breath.
The light in his eyes dimmed.
He waved his hand tiredly.
"Enough. You may leave."
"Yes."
Dai Yueheng and Xi Xi quickly withdrew, as if escaping a disaster.
---
Now alone, Xuan Zi's composure finally collapsed.
His expression turned dark and twisted.
Everything had gone wrong.
A prodigy of terrifying talent—perhaps even stronger than Ma Xiaotao—
And not only had they failed to recruit him…
He had joined their greatest rival.
The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Xuan Zi could already imagine the smug expression of Jing Hongchen.
And the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament…
That boy would undoubtedly participate.
If his strength truly matched—or exceeded—what Xi Xi described…
Then he would become a massive threat to Shrek.
A variable capable of overturning everything.
Shrek had gone too long without defeat.
And that glory—
Absolutely could not be lost in his hands.
But if…
If that boy defeated Shrek on the grand stage…
If their myth of invincibility shattered before the entire continent…
Then he—
Xuan Zi—
Would become Shrek's sinner.
Crack!
The purple clay wine pot
in his hand shattered instantly.
Wine and fragments spilled between his fingers.
His eyes turned bloodshot.
"Impossible…"
His voice was low, trembling with fury.
"I will never allow that to happen…"
"Never!"
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