Shrek Academy lived up to its reputation as the strongest academy in the Star Luo Empire; it was practically a city within a city.
The Dan Heng family walked toward the inner court, and it took them nearly half an hour of normal walking to get there.
The dividing gate between the outer and inner courts was constructed from white jade.
They walked up a path lined with tall statues on both sides.
Zi Ji pointed to one of the statues and frowned, "I think I've seen that sleazy-looking guy? Who is he?"
Tang Ya glanced at it and explained, "Teacher, that's the founder of Shrek Academy, the first dean, Dean Flander. He poured his heart and soul into this..."
"Hahaha... so it's that unlucky guy! That scoundrel is so shameless; he relied on Blue Tyrant Academy to make a living and yet he did something like this!"
Zi Ji said, displeased.
Zhou Yi, whose shoulder was being held by Zi Ji, showed a look of indignation upon hearing this.
"What right do you have to slander our first dean? How could a woman like you possibly understand our dean's greatness?"
Zhou Yi retorted directly.
Zi Ji pinched her cheek. "Little girl, you have quite a temper. How about I strip you naked and hang you on the statue you're so fiercely defending?"
"!!!" Zhou Yi's face went pale, and she stared at Zi Ji in shock. She had a feeling Zi Ji might actually do something like that!
"Brother-in-law, do you want to watch?" Zi Ji suddenly asked Dan Heng.
"..." The corner of Dan Heng's mouth twitched. This little sister-in-law's head was starting to get "empty" again. Was she really not afraid of death?
Gu Yue Na's beautiful face darkened. "Do you believe me if I say I'll take your clothes off and hang them up there instead?!"
Zi Ji shrank her neck back, no longer daring to be so arrogant.
Dan Heng looked at the statues, and at the very top, there was a final statue, which had the highest status.
"I think I know this guy, too. Who was that unlucky fellow again?" Zi Ji scratched her hair, unable to recall at the moment.
Tang Ya said, "This is Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang. He is the soul of Shrek Academy, and almost all the teachers respect him. Many of his theories are still in use today, and he laid the foundation for our teaching system..."
"That fool? What teaching system did he lay the foundation for?" Zi Ji asked curiously.
"It's called the Ten Core Genius Training Methods, which are..." Tang Ya began to explain in detail, her tone showing a great deal of respect.
Zhou Yi lifted her chin slightly, a look of pride on her face. "The reason Shrek Academy can stand at the peak of all academies on the Douluo Continent for ten thousand years without falling is precisely because of Grandmaster Yu's theoretical support. This is also our trump card and advantage!" Zhou Yi said from the bottom of her heart.
Gu Yue Na frowned. "Seven of those methods were plagiarized from our Blue Tyrant Academy's teaching approach. And we used an individualized teaching method, but he actually uses the same set of methods for all students?"
Huo Wu sneered, "I noticed it back then—that so-called grandmaster wasn't a good person! He only thought of crooked ideas! He plagiarized schemes from Mr. Dan Heng and Teacher Gu and shamelessly claimed them as his own!"
Tang Ya and Jiang Nan Nan were both stunned, exchanging glances. They couldn't believe they were hearing a description of Yu Xiaogang...
"Don't talk nonsense!" Zhou Yi said angrily.
"It's a shame he's not in the Sea God Tower, or I'd drag him out for a confrontation! He's like a dog—he dared to do it but doesn't dare to admit it?" Huo Wu refused to back down. Her firmness even made Zhou Yi pause.
She didn't look like she was lying at all.
"Now that the Sea God Tower is open, people from his era are returning one after another. I'll spread this matter and see what those people have to say about him!" "When heroes are absent, a plagiarizing punk rises to fame!" Huo Wu directly spat out.
"..."
Everyone fell silent. As a die-hard fan of Yu Xiaogang, Zhou Yi looked at Huo Wu's resolute expression and didn't dare to contradict her in person anymore.
"What?! That bastard! How dare he do that! I won't let them get away with it!" Zi Ji suddenly shouted loudly. She suddenly spat out a black dragon's breath, which shot toward Yu Xiaogang's statue.
"Bang...!!!"
Yu Xiaogang's statue instantly exploded, and black flames burned, completely incinerating it.
"And you damn scoundrels, who dared to take advantage of our family—none of you can run!" Zi Ji turned her head and spat out flames, blasting one statue after another.
"Bang bang bang...!!!"
One statue after another followed, exploding into pieces.
"!!!"
Zhou Yi and the others were completely dumbfounded. This woman was really going to have a death match with Shrek Academy?!
"Stop...?!"
At that moment, two figures appeared from outside and quickly flew toward them. It was a man and a woman, but there were actually three of them, as the woman was holding a red-haired girl in her arms.
The man arrived at the bottom of the flames, opened a shield of light, but it only held for a moment. Zi Ji put more power into her attack, and he was sent flying!
"Shao Zhe!" the woman cried out.
It turned out that the man was the dean of Shrek Academy's Outer Court, Yan Shao Zhe! And she was Yan Shao Zhe's wife, Cai Mei'er.
Yan Shao Zhe flipped in the air and landed steadily on the ground. When he looked at Zi Ji again, a grave expression appeared on his face.
She dared to cause a ruckus inside Shrek Academy without any reservations, and she had the strength to easily suppress him. The strength of these people would probably not be weaker than the Body Sect!
"I am Yan Shao Zhe. May I ask who you are...? And why are you destroying these statues?" Yan Shao Zhe asked politely.
Cai Mei'er retreated to his side. The skin of Ma Xiao Tao, who was in her arms, was completely red. She looked pained and groaned softly.
"Shao Zhe, we have to treat Xiao Tao quickly, otherwise..." Cai Mei'er's brow was tightly furrowed. If they delayed any longer, Ma Xiao Tao's vitality might be damaged!
"But..." Yan Shao Zhe also felt a pang of heartache looking at Ma Xiao Tao, but he was confronting Zi Ji and the others now. How could he dare to leave? Especially since these people's intentions were unknown, and their strength was terrifying!
Zi Ji snorted coldly. "Dean? That's perfect, you're exactly who we're looking for! Quickly give our Blue Tyrant Academy back to us! Otherwise, you're all going to die!" Zi Ji said through gritted teeth. "How dare you take advantage of our family; you all deserve a lesson!"
At this moment, Tang Ya grabbed Zi Ji's arm and whispered, "Teacher, you're mistaken. Dean Yan is only the dean of the Outer Court, not the Inner Court... um, anyway, he's not the most powerful person at Shrek Academy."
After hearing this, Zi Ji's face turned black. "What are you talking about? Why are there so many deans?" Zi Ji looked at Yan Shao Zhe again and said in an irritated tone, "Fine! Then get out of here quickly! Go call the real dean over!"
Yan Shao Zhe looked confused and even more unsure of Zi Ji's group's intentions. Although she told him to leave, how could he dare to let them out of his sight?
"Everyone, if there's any misunderstanding, we can sit down and talk slowly. I'll accompany you, but my disciple is currently injured by an evil flame and is unable to..."
Yan Shao Zhe was still speaking.
In the crowd, Shui Bing'er suddenly sent a stream of ice soul power downward. Her martial soul was the Ice Phoenix. While there was no "ultimate" attribute classification ten thousand years ago, she did possess the Ultimate Ice attribute!
The ice energy quickly rushed over. Just as Yan Shao Zhe was about to defend, he suddenly realized what was happening and immediately moved aside, allowing the ice energy to fall upon Ma Xiao Tao.
The cold air enveloped Ma Xiao Tao, and the Ultimate Ice soul power contained within it seeped into her body. The pain on Ma Xiao Tao's face quickly subsided. She even let out a moan of comfort.
Cai Mei'er's face immediately lit up with joy, and she said excitedly, "Shao Zhe! Look at Xiao Tao! It's Ultimate Ice, which can completely free her from the shackles of the evil flame!"
Yan Shao Zhe nodded slightly and managed a smile. Since the other party could treat Ma Xiao Tao, they shouldn't be bad people, right?
He was about to cup his hands in thanks when he suddenly saw Shui Bing'er's nine soul rings and the soul power fluctuation that was clearly stronger than his own!
What is the deal with these people?
Suddenly, a flash of fire appeared, instantly arriving next to Yan Shao Zhe.
A fiery-red figure, Huo Wu, revealed her beautiful form.
With her so close, Yan Shao Zhe felt a sudden sense of pressure. It was a power clearly stronger than his own—it might not even be inferior to his teacher's! If these people were to cause a ruckus in Shrek Academy, the losses would be immense!
"An interesting young lady, your fire attribute is very similar to mine?" Huo Wu lifted Ma Xiao Tao's chin, a smile flashing in her eyes.
"She is my disciple, Ma Xiao Tao. Her martial soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix, a legacy from our ancestor, Ma Hongjun..." Yan Shao Zhe explained.
"A descendant of that guy, Ma Hongjun?" Huo Wu's lips curled slightly. Back in the day, Ma Hongjun was quite a character and left a deep impression on them all. "Interesting. I think very highly of her, too." Huo Wu withdrew her finger and said softly.
Yan Shao Zhe immediately said, "If you would be willing to take Xiao Tao as your disciple, that would naturally be a great blessing for her."
"I'm not sure where you all have come from, but if Shrek Academy has been rude in any way or done anything inappropriate, we will, of course, offer our sincerest apologies." Yan Shao Zhe's face was full of smiles, and he had already humbled himself, even addressing them as "seniors." There was no other way. Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu's display of power had made him face reality. Fighting was simply not an option.
Huo Wu glanced at him. "Save it. I don't have much say in things. If you're looking to beg for mercy, you've come to the wrong person."
"!!!" Yan Shao Zhe was stunned. Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu were powerhouses approaching the god-level, yet they had no say? Who, then, was in charge?
Dan Heng, Gu Yue Na, Bi Ji... His gaze shifted, and a powerful, inexplicable psychological pressure welled up. His body tensed, and for a moment, he didn't know how to speak to break the deadlock.
"Interesting, truly interesting. It's been so many years, and this is the first time I've seen anyone so arrogant as to just smash our statues..." a lazy voice said from behind.
Yan Shao Zhe and the others looked over.
It was Xuan Zi, swaying as he walked up, chewing on a chicken leg. He looked like he had a hangover, but his eyes were sharp.
"Elder Xuan..." Yan Shao Zhe greeted him, but his heart sank. For some reason, the arrival of Xuan Zi made him feel a sense of worry... He won't cause trouble, will he?
Xuan Zi continued to approach, sizing up Dan Heng and the others.
"Interesting, interesting... Ultimate Ice, Ultimate Fire, and all of them top-tier Titled Douluo?"
"Hmm? Powerful soul power reactions but no soul rings, and a very unique aura. Are they transformed ferocious beasts?"
"And these others, their auras are hidden so deeply that even I can't figure them out. Truly impressive... I wonder which fool from our Shrek Academy offended you all?"
"To make powerful people like you go to all this trouble and get so angry?" Xuan Zi asked with a chuckle.
"..." Yan Shao Zhe breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't expect the usually unreliable Xuan Zi to, surprisingly, not immediately resort to fighting.
Dan Heng and Gu Yue Na looked at the two of them. Given their status, it would be a bit childish and laughable to make things difficult for a "junior" like Xuan Zi. They hadn't come here to cause trouble for any specific person; they had come purely to destroy Shrek Academy.
Zi Ji was "sensible" and let go of Zhou Yi. She pointed at Xuan Zi below and asked, "Old man? Are you the dean of Shrek Academy?"
Xuan Zi burped and shook his head. "I'm not." He then changed the subject and said, "But I can be considered the number two person, so I can make some decisions."
Zhou Yi, still shaken, ran to Xuan Zi's side and said urgently, "Teacher, they came to destroy our Shrek Academy! They said they have a grudge against Grandmaster Yu..."
Xuan Zi listened patiently, and when she finished, his heart sank. As the future dean, he naturally knew the secrets of Shrek Academy. He had initially thought Bei Bei was lying, but now, knowing the background of these people, he had to re-evaluate and consider that what Bei Bei said was very likely true.
"That's right, we have only one goal, and that is to destroy Shrek Academy! You took advantage of us to get to this point, so it's time to pay us back! Hand over all your wealth!" Zi Ji said without a hint of politeness.
"..." Xuan Zi's expression changed.
"Are you all from the Sea God Tower? So you're from the same era as our first dean? From Blue Tyrant Academy, perhaps?" Xuan Zi asked, cupping his hands.
Yan Shao Zhe and Zhou Yi both looked astonished. The only time Xuan Zi ever looked this serious was when Mu En was serious. Otherwise, even if the sky were to fall, Xuan Zi would have an indifferent, cynical expression.
"Since you know, then hurry up, old man. Otherwise, if we make a move, you won't be able to keep anything, and you'll all lose your lives." Zi Ji said with a huff.
As her voice fell, she flickered and suddenly vanished from in front of Xuan Zi and the others. She reappeared behind them.
"!!!" Xuan Zi and the others were shocked. From that moment on, the disparity in their power was clear. Shrek Academy's second strongest individual was just a piece of cake to these people.
"Elder Xuan, should we ask our teacher to come back?" Yan Shao Zhe's voice was bitter. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, Shrek Academy might disappear...
Xuan Zi's face was grim, and he clenched his fists.
"What? You want to fight?" Zi Ji asked with some anticipation.
"Elder Xuan..." Yan Shao Zhe whispered, "You can't try to use an egg to break a rock!"
Xuan Zi didn't say anything. He suddenly lowered his body and knelt directly down.
(End of Chapter)