Dai Mubai glanced at Xiao Wu indifferently: "I support Xiao Wu's decision. The people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School have repeatedly caused us trouble, and we can't just let it slide."
"Otherwise, others will think that Shrek Academy is an easy target."
Dai Mubai actually detested the title "Dai Laosi" and had long told these people not to include him in such rankings, but they simply wouldn't listen.
However, to seek revenge, he still needed to rely on their strength.
After years together, Ma Hongjun had developed a tacit understanding with Dai Mubai. Seeing his lack of interest, he immediately knew what was going on.
Out of support for his brother, he felt it necessary to speak up for Dai Mubai: "Those people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School are really despicable, especially that guy named Li Xun. Not only did he steal Dai Laosi's fiancée, but he's also constantly opposing us."
"What do you think we should do?"
Ma Hongjun's words not only drew a glare from Dai Mubai but also caught the attention of half the people in Shrek Academy: "But Li Xun has the backing of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. We can't do much against him on our own."
"Brother Tianheng, can you get the Blue Lightning Tyrant School to restrain the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?"
Ma Hongjun's words made half the people in the room light up with hope. As one of the Upper Three Sects of the civilized continent, the Blue Lightning Tyrant School, though slightly declining in recent years, still had a heritage that rivaled any other force.
If the Blue Lightning Tyrant School could stand behind them, everything would be much easier to handle.
"No!"
Before Yu Tianheng could speak, Yu Xiaogang suddenly slammed the table, his face dark as he glared at Ma Hongjun: "The conflict between us and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School should be resolved by ourselves."
"But we're just an academy! How can we stand against the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School? Not to mention they now have the Crown Prince supporting them."
Yu Xiaogang's sudden outburst startled Ma Hongjun, who shrank his neck and didn't dare to retort loudly, only muttering softly.
Even Yu Tianheng, who had been about to speak, swallowed his words upon seeing his uncle so angry.
"Hongjun is actually right."
Flender sighed as he saw everyone startled by Yu Xiaogang: "Xiaogang, you can't keep living in the past. It's been so many years. Our generation, including us, has grown old. What is there that you can't let go of?"
"Now you and Erlong are already in your fifties. For ordinary people, that's like being halfway into the grave. Do you still need to stubbornly cling to some unimportant face?"
"I said no, and that's final! Cough, cough." Yu Xiaogang roared, but the exertion caused him to cough violently due to his injuries.
Liu Erlong, her heart aching, quickly stepped forward to pat Yu Xiaogang's back.
"What do you mean 'no'? I think you just can't let go of your pride."
Yu Xiaogang's attitude infuriated Flender. Years of forbearance, coupled with the experiences at the Buddha Pagoda, finally made him explode: "Yu Xiaogang, look at yourself. What face do you even have left? All these years, who among us hasn't been careful when speaking, afraid of accidentally hurting your fragile self-esteem?"
Flender grew more agitated as he spoke: "And what about you? For the sake of your easily shattered pride, you've wronged Erlong for so many years, and even now, you refuse to give her an explanation."
"Now we're caught between a rock and a hard place. Are you really going to risk the academy's safety just to protect your fragile pride?"
"And if you truly cared about your pride, you wouldn't have sent Xiao San to seek out Bibidong," Flender retorted, then turned and strode out of the room.
Flender's words left Yu Xiaogang speechless. It was as if all his energy had been drained, and he slumped weakly against the headboard, not even feeling the pain in his back.
Liu Erlong and Tang San quickly moved to help him, but seeing his state, they hesitated and stopped in their tracks.
The others, witnessing such a heated conflict between Flender and Yu Xiaogang for the first time, stood frozen like quails, not daring to take a step forward.
"Elder Flander is right," Yu Xiaogang sighed, his appearance suddenly aging ten years. "I've always been too attached to my pride, and I still am."
"Since I was a child, I've been called a failure by my clan, and even as an adult, outsiders still call me a failure. How could I ever accept that?" Yu Xiaogang's thoughts drifted, and he couldn't help but recall the day Li Xun had referred to him as a Title Douluo.
"Isn't 'Grandmaster' your title?" That sentence echoed in his mind like a haunting melody, refusing to fade.
"Teacher, you're not a failure!" Tang San couldn't hide his sorrow at seeing Yu Xiaogang so dejected. "You've already proven your brilliance with your theories. So what if your Soul Power is low? The disciples you've taught are no worse than anyone else."
"What does it matter how high others' cultivation is? Could they take a Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass, which is called a 'waste,' and nurture it to this level?"
"That's right, Grandmaster. Your teaching methods are evident to all of us, and it's because of your guidance that we've progressed so quickly," Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai chimed in.
Yu Xiaogang forced a bitter smile and shook his head. "It's still not enough."
"Teacher, the Soul Master Competition is just around the corner," Tang San said with a smile, glancing around at his teammates. After receiving their unanimous agreement, he looked back at Yu Xiaogang. "We, the Shrek Eight Monsters, will use this opportunity to prove your Soul Master theories to the elite academies across the continent. We'll show the world just how much of a genius our teacher is."
"We'll definitely prove it for you, Uncle!"
"Exactly! If Grandmaster is a failure, then what does that make the teachers from other academies? Even worse failures!"
Yu Tianheng, Ma Hongjun, and the others shouted in unison.
Yu Xiaogang looked at the little monsters he had personally nurtured, who were now so fiercely supportive of him, and thought of the humiliation Li Xun had inflicted on him. His heart was a mix of emotions, and it all culminated in a deep sigh. "Tianheng, go and contact your grandfather. I'd like to meet with him."
"Alright, Uncle. I'll go right away."
Seeing that Yu Xiaogang had finally relented, tears welled up in Yu Tianheng's eyes. He quickly wiped them away with his sleeve and rushed out the door, afraid that Yu Xiaogang might change his mind.
At dawn, a carriage sped swiftly through the broad streets of Heavenly Dou City, heading straight for the Heavenly Dou Palace.
"Xiao Xun, don't you think Qian Renxue acted a bit too quickly?" Ning Fengzhi frowned deeply, his expression grave as he looked at Li Xun inside the carriage.
Just yesterday, Li Xun had returned and informed them of Qian Renxue's identity and their future plans. Yet, before dawn this morning, news had already spread from the palace that Emperor Xue Ye had suffered a stroke.
Although Ning Fengzhi and the Heavenly Dou royal family were merely in a cooperative relationship, the trajectory of events had truly caught him off guard without any psychological preparation.
In fact, it wasn't just Ning Fengzhi; Dugu Bo was also quite shocked by this.
He had served as an offering to the Heavenly Dou royal family for many years. While there was an element of repaying a favor in this, after all, they had known each other for a long time. He never expected that their positions would shift to the point where they would have to resort to ruthless measures.
However, at this point, the arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be fired. For the sake of Yan Yan and the sect...
Sigh! He had truly boarded a pirate ship. Dugu Bo sighed softly and slowly closed his eyes.
"It's indeed a bit too fast. Qian Renxue's ability to act so swiftly is somewhat detrimental to our control," Li Xun nodded.
He hadn't expected that Qian Renxue, who had been a kind undercover agent for so many years, would act so decisively. He had originally thought she would delay for a few days. Now, things were a bit tricky. What he wanted was a puppet, not a wise ruler.
"..."
Ning Fengzhi was somewhat speechless. It seemed like he and his little disciple weren't on the same page.
Helpless, he turned to look at Dugu Bo beside him: "Then let's proceed with the original plan. Senior Dugu, your mastery of poison is unparalleled. If Emperor Xue Ye shows any signs of trouble later, we'll need your covert assistance."
"A trivial matter," Dugu Bo slowly opened his eyes, his voice hoarse.