"Ah, I'm not blaming you. Why so serious?"
Qingque couldn't help rolling her eyes, thinking this Saint is far too earnest—but she didn't dislike Jeanne's personality.
"Then, Wu Feng, you should head back first."
Ning Tian turned to Wu Feng at her side. After all, she wasn't a Master and indeed wasn't qualified to attend this meeting.
"Okay!"
Wu Feng nodded lightly. However, as she turned to leave, her slightly hostile gaze swept over Jeanne, making Jeanne show a distressed expression at once.
"Am I being disliked?"
Watching Wu Feng's departing back, Jeanne was full of confusion and distress, unable to figure out how she had offended her.
"Don't mind it, Jeanne. Sister Feng is just—let me apologize on her behalf."
Ning Tian certainly knew what Wu Feng was thinking and felt rather helpless.
Most likely Wu Feng felt that Jeanne's arrival had stolen away the time she could spend with Ning Tian.
After all, since summoning Jeanne, Ning Tian had spent clearly more time with Jeanne than with Wu Feng.
"It's fine. Miss Wu Feng bears no real malice. Perhaps I've done something wrong as well."
Jeanne gently shook her head. Kind by nature, even if she was disliked, she first searched for the reason in herself.
"So this is a Saint! That's too healing!"
Qingque smacked her tongue in amazement. Jeanne's gentle kindness made one want to surrender to it.
For Wu Feng to dislike such a Jeanne only showed how deep her obsession with Ning Tian was.
…
At Shrek Academy, within the Sea God Pavilion, Xuan Zi, Yan Shaozhe, and many elder councilors who had reached the Title Douluo level had long been waiting.
Their expressions were somewhat grave. In their eyes mingled relief at the academy's emergence of many Masters and also worry about the unknown situation.
After all, they had already witnessed firsthand the overwhelming power of the Servants—none of them was ordinary. Even the seemingly most mediocre, Qingque, they dared not take lightly.
The reason was mainly because Qingque knew the one summoned by Bei Bei—The Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan's strength was jaw-dropping; he easily crushed Xuan Zi.
And Qingque and Jing Yuan came from the same place. On that basis alone, no matter how low-key or mediocre Qingque acted, the academy never slackened in cultivating Xiao Xiao; all kinds of cultivation resources were still provided lavishly.
"Jing Yuan, please take the seat of honor!" Yan Shaozhe spotted Jing Yuan, who had arrived with Bei Bei.
Jing Yuan, white-haired and golden-eyed, bore a lazy air; the teardrop mole at his eye added a unique charm.
Yan Shaozhe hastened to gesture respectfully, inviting Jing Yuan to the chief seat.
"Dean Yan, there's no need to be so polite."
A faint smile touched Jing Yuan's lips. Though modest, he didn't refuse Yan Shaozhe's goodwill and sat down without hesitation.
He was accustomed to holding the initiative; even in this unfamiliar world, he wasn't willing to be passive.
Even Xuan Zi showed him sufficient respect.
After all, Jing Yuan was not only extraordinarily strong but also a Servant on Shrek Academy's side—a massive thigh to cling to; how could they not?
Once seated, Jing Yuan slowly closed his eyes to rest, quietly waiting for other Servants and Masters to arrive.
Yet his mind never stopped, rapidly parsing all known intel.
Holy Grail War, otherworld, Simulated Universe, Lady Herta, Snow Moon Douluo, Robin, Haiyuan City, and Lu Jingming—these threads wove through his thoughts; some familiar, some utterly foreign.
After sorting, Jing Yuan had broadly outlined the situation.
However, he didn't intend to share his analysis with Shrek Academy; to him, it wasn't necessary.
This wasn't the Xianzhou Luofu he knew, and he wasn't here in the flesh.
He would lend Bei Bei, the one who summoned him, his strength to contend for the Holy Grail; anything beyond that was outside his concern.
After all, this world seemed to hide many acquaintances from his memories.
If it was as he suspected—that his teacher and Lady Herta were present—then this was no ordinary matter.
And he was only a fragment of memory, far weaker than his true self.
So even if he had guessed at some unusual truths, he had no intention of voicing them.
"Teacher!"
At that moment, He Caitou entered the Pavilion with a Servant.
This Servant had white hair and red eyes, clad in golden armor, tall and lean, radiating divine brilliance like a descended deity.
He Caitou saluted his teacher, Fan Yu—who had recently broken through to Title Douluo and joined the Pavilion.
"You're here. Sit first." Fan Yu smiled at his favored disciple, but the thought of his other disciple made the smile fade.
Ordinarily, given the status of He Caitou and the others in the academy, they weren't qualified to sit in the Sea God Pavilion.
But the situation was special. As Masters with extremely powerful Servants, the once lofty Title Douluo elders were, in front of these Servants, insignificant—small characters who could be killed with a flick.
Take He Caitou's Servant—Karna.
Son of the Sun God, with the Unfading Armor and the God-Slaying Spear—both offense and defense at their pinnacle.
His flames, as hot as the sun, made it hard for ordinary Title Douluo even to get close.
Before such a Karna, even Xuan Zi would be courting death.
In today's Shrek Academy, the elders' say carried much less weight before these powerful Servants.
Bei Bei and the others were still relatively obedient, but Servants varied.
Karna was loyal and upright, willing to follow He Caitou's orders. But someone like Jing Yuan—so strong—was entirely beyond Bei Bei's control; rather, Bei Bei was under Jing Yuan's thumb.
Shrek Academy's current policies—forming a soul master army, fully developing soul tools—were actually spearheaded by Jing Yuan behind the scenes.
Otherwise, given the elders' historically conservative style, they wouldn't act drastically unless absolutely necessary.
After He Caitou, Xiao Xiao and Ning Tian arrived with Qingque and Jeanne, respectively.
Soon after, Jiang Nannan hurried back from Shrek City's Jade Chamber, bringing her Servant into the Sea God Pavilion.
"Whoa, such a grand lineup. Let's be clear: I'm just a merchant. If you want me to fight, that'll cost extra!"
Jiang Nannan's Servant, seeing the setup, immediately put on a mercenary face.
She had dazzling blonde hair, wore a dark-green formal dress, and black sunglasses, exuding a swindler-fortune-teller vibe that made the elders' cheeks twitch.
"Of course, Miss Songque won't be left out—right, Dean Yan?"
Jing Yuan slowly opened his eyes, looking at the girl who introduced herself as Songque.
"Indeed. As long as Shrek Academy has it, Miss Songque can have it."
Yan Shaozhe smiled confidently.
Shrek's foundation was deep and its coffers vast. Meeting Songque's demands wouldn't be difficult.
Other Servants weren't like Songque—self-styled merchants with an eye for money.
"Great. I'm a woman of principle—take the money, dispel the disaster!"
Songque struck a righteous pose. Jiang Nannan, who knew her, couldn't help a twitch at the corner of her mouth.
When the real fighting started, Songque would likely run the fastest—what principle?
And who here couldn't see through her?
At least the seasoned elders of the Pavilion wore blank faces; clearly, no one believed her spiel.
"I'm not late, am I?"
As people nursed their thoughts, Xu Sanshi sauntered in with a folding fan.
Beside him was a blue-haired youth in a blue bodysuit, a blood-red spear on his shoulder—his Servant, Ireland's Child of Light, Cu Chulainn.
"Yo, this lineup—finally time to throw down. Fishing is chill and all, but without fights my hands get rusty."
Cu Chulainn shouted excitedly as he entered.
For him, fishing was pleasant, but battle was essential. He was itching to fight.
"Rest assured, Mr. Cu Chulainn. There will be ample chances for you to shine."
Yan Shaozhe, who usually handled the Servants' needs, knew them best besides the Masters.
He knew Cu Chulainn was easy to get along with—provided you weren't his enemy.
As an ally, the self-styled Lancer was very reliable.
Be it fighting, charging, scouting, or wit and capability—Cu Chulainn excelled.
He also had wondrous magecraft—an extremely dependable Servant.
"That's exciting! Crossing spears with heroes from different worlds—gets the blood pumping!"
A slightly feral grin curled Cu Chulainn's lips—his fighting spirit at its peak.
Though this Holy Grail War differed greatly from the usual, and he sensed a certain déjà vu—as if the mastermind didn't even bother to hide—he didn't care.
The benefits of the Grail didn't interest him. What he craved were fights against heroes from many worlds.
Within their own camp alone, there were three he particularly valued.
At the top sat the The Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan. At first glance, a scholar-general—but his warrior's intuition insisted Jing Yuan was far more than he seemed—likely very good at fighting.
Then there was the demigod hero like himself—the Sun God's son, Karna.
In Cu Chulainn's eyes, Karna was a thrillingly strong opponent—just the thought of fighting him excited him.
And then the yet-to-arrive dragonslayer. The others were extraordinary as well—rare heroes and champions.
But he most wanted to face those three.
Unfortunately, as comrades, he wouldn't provoke his own, no matter how itchy his hands got.
Even if he joined the War not for the Grail but for a good brawl, he had rules; he was Lawful.
Speak of the devil…
No sooner had Cu Chulainn thought of the dragonslayer than the man arrived with his Master.
Dai Huabin entered with a tall warrior—silver hair, green eyes, clad in pitch-black heavy armor, brown skin, and a powerful aura—the dragonslayer Siegfried.
"Elder Xuan, Dean Yan." Dai Huabin saluted the elders and then took a seat in a secluded corner with his Servant.
Clearly, Dai Huabin didn't get along with Bei Bei and the others. Though in the same camp, he had no intention of mingling.
Siegfried was taciturn, following silently as if nothing concerned him.
"Infuriating. How did he become a Master—let alone draw such a strong Servant?"
Xiao Xiao pouted, grumbling under her breath as she watched Dai Huabin.
He was notoriously obnoxious at the academy. Since becoming a Master, he'd grown arrogant in the inner court; not only did inner court disciples avoid him, even many teachers were wary.
Siegfried wasn't someone to provoke, and he followed Dai Huabin's orders closely, rarely refusing.
"Xiao Xiao, let it go. He's our companion after all, and he hasn't done anything truly heinous."
Ning Tian hushed her softly.
She knew Dai Huabin, though brash, hadn't crossed the academy's bottom line.
Xiao Xiao knew infighting was bad—but thinking of his past antics still riled her.
"Has anyone seen my Servant? That brat ambushed me and knocked me out—then ran off who knows where!"
Just then, Ma Xiaotao, in bright red, rushed into the Pavilion.
She was clutching her forehead, face pained and furious.
"Xiaotao, calm down—this is the Sea God Pavilion!"
Yan Shaozhe, seeing his disciple about to blow up, quickly soothed her.
"Teacher, that damn brat—I've had it with her. Is she really my Servant?"
Ma Xiaotao was aggrieved. Since summoning that mischievous, sadistic Servant, she hadn't had a day of peace.