Chapter 108 – Shrek's Fall, Sun-Moon's Rise
"Lost? Shrek… actually lost?"
The crowd sat in stunned silence, their minds reeling. For thousands of years, Shrek Academy had been the undisputed champions of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Competition. Despite the suspicions and underhanded tactics that often surrounded their victories, no one had ever dared to think they would lose.
Ever since the first generation of the Shrek Seven Devils defeated the Spirit Hall team ten thousand years ago, Shrek had maintained a perfect record. Not a single defeat. But now, the impossible had happened—Shrek had truly lost.
Although one final match remained, it was obvious to everyone that Shrek no longer had anyone left to fight. When Xiao Qiang defeated Dai Yuheng, Tiansha Douluo merely made a symbolic inquiry to Shrek's side before preparing to declare the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy the winner of this year's competition.
Everyone knew it. Shrek had lost—and with clear signs of foul play hovering over their own actions.
But knowing it and accepting it were two very different things.
Just as Tiansha Douluo was about to officially announce the Sun-Moon Academy's victory, Yan Shaozhe burst out with fury. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! The Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy cheated!"
Xiao Qiang: "…"
"You people from Shrek have no shame at all, do you?" Jing Hongchen roared in response, his anger boiling over. "You've been winning for so many years, and there were even times when your victories were clearly questionable. Did anyone say anything back then? Did any of the other countries or teams accuse you publicly? No! But now, when we finally win, you shout 'cheating'?"
He pointed an accusing finger. "What about Ma Xiaotao's sudden power surge? What about Dai Yuheng's unexplained teleportation? What kind of soul skill was that supposed to be? You tell me!"
The moment Dai Yuheng teleported in the arena, Jing Hongchen had been furious. If Xiao Hongchen had been injured in a fair fight, he wouldn't have said a word. But this… this was clearly not normal. If this happened in the Sun Moon Empire, Dai Yuheng would have been investigated long ago.
Jing Hongchen continued, voice trembling with fury, "Shrek's so-called glory passed down through ten thousand years is clearly tainted. That move just now—there's no way that was a legitimate soul skill! I strongly suspect he had a concealed, fixed soul tool!"
As the Dean of Shrek's Outer Court and a member of the Sea God Pavilion, Yan Shaozhe had always upheld the academy's bold motto: Not daring to cause trouble is the mark of a mediocre man. Now, he embodied that philosophy to the fullest, refusing to back down in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Yan Shaozhe knew very well that Shrek had bent the rules—and that the Sun-Moon Academy hadn't cheated at all. But facts meant little to Shrek's deeply entrenched pride. He had been raised in a culture that prioritized honor and dominance, and there was no way he would let Shrek's legacy be tainted without a fight.
"Fixed soul tools? Do you even understand how they work?" he retorted mockingly. "You're calling it a fixed soul tool, but can't you see it's clearly a soul bone?! Stop lying with your eyes wide open!"
"That's not a soul bone! There's no way the Sun Moon Empire possesses such a high-quality soul bone!"
Jing Hongchen chuckled coldly, the laugh devoid of humor. "Now I see it clearly, Shrek. No wonder you've managed to win for ten thousand years. Anyone with the potential to threaten you must have been quietly eliminated, huh?"
He turned to Tiansha Douluo. "So, what's it going to be? Are you going to uphold your dignity as a Titled Douluo and declare the result fairly, or will you let Shrek manipulate you too?"
Tiansha Douluo stood in hesitation. Offending Shrek Academy meant potentially alienating one of the continent's greatest forces. But just then, a Protector of the Nation Douluo—seated beside the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire—transmitted a voice message directly into his ear:
"Declare the Sun-Moon Empire as the victor. His Majesty will personally hand over the Ice Jade Scorpion soul bone to the Sun-Moon Empire to show support in defeating their top genius."
Hearing his old friend's words, Tiansha Douluo made his decision without hesitation.
"I hereby declare the winner of this All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Competition… the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy!"
As the words echoed through the stadium, Yan Shaozhe's face turned pale. The Star Luo Empire's judgment was final. Their public acknowledgment of the result meant that Shrek's loss was legitimate and beyond contest.
A storm of curses erupted from the stands. Unlike the Sun Moon Empire, the Star Luo Empire allowed gambling during the competition. Many spectators had placed hefty bets on Shrek's victory. Some had wagered everything—fortunes, family savings, even dowries.
Now, those dreams were shattered.
Yan Shaozhe's instincts screamed at him—if he didn't address this quickly, Shrek wouldn't just suffer a blow to its reputation. It might soon be the target of furious gamblers, ruined merchants, and desperate commoners. Some might even take their anger to terrifying extremes.
He grabbed the soul amplifier microphone from the referee and released the powerful pressure of a Rank 95 Super Douluo.
The audience instantly quieted down.
"Dear audience, I am Yan Shaozhe, Dean of the Shrek Academy Outer Court. Please, allow me a moment to explain."
His voice echoed solemnly across the arena.
"I know many of you are deeply dissatisfied with today's outcome. Shrek—known across the continent as the number one soul master academy—did not defeat the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy. But I ask you to hear the reason why."
He paused, taking a deep breath.
"For this tournament, we originally prepared a team of soul kings—an elite team. Two of them were already Soul Emperors: Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yuheng. We even had a Rainbow Dragon martial soul user at level 59, capable of increasing the power of allied soul masters by 60%."
"If this team had entered directly, we would have undoubtedly dominated the competition. But we are Shrek! We are not just a school—we are the guardians of balance and peace across the continent! We do not only teach, we act!"
"When we discovered that evil soul masters were wreaking havoc in the Mingdou Mountains, our students didn't hesitate. Even with the tournament looming, they marched out to eliminate those threats!"
His voice cracked with emotion.
"But only three returned: Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yuheng, and Ling Luochen. The other four—all regular participants—lost their lives in battle."
His words stirred the hearts of many in the audience. Murmurs of sympathy rippled through the stands.
However, not everyone was convinced.
Xiao Qiang's voice rang out with calm skepticism.
"Shrek claims the mission of eliminating evil soul masters," he said. "You say two Soul Emperors and five Soul Kings were sent out to fight. That's a formidable force. What kind of evil soul master were they facing? A Titled Douluo-level threat?"
The question lingered in the air, casting a long, cold shadow over Yan Shaozhe's speech—and over the truth Shrek wanted to project.