Chapter 127: Turmoil and the Decline of the Sun

Chapter 127: Turmoil and the Decline of the Sun

Mu En was baffled. He truly didn't understand. Even if Shrek Academy had indeed lost, he hadn't expected things to deteriorate to this extent. What perplexed him the most was how the three great empires—Star Luo, Sky Soul, and Fighting Spirit—dared to so blatantly fuel the situation.

Putting aside whether Shrek would retaliate, what would happen if Shrek really did collapse? Who would stand against the Moonlight Empire when it launched another war? Were they really willing to risk their own destruction just to topple Shrek Lake? What kind of strategy was this?

By now, Mu En felt he had no choice but to intervene. Shrek currently lacked someone capable of leading effectively, and without him taking charge, the academy might never recover from this blow.

In the Sea God Hall, a group of elders argued heatedly. The current state of Shrek weighed heavily on their minds. They saw the daily decrease in students, the stream of teachers submitting resignations, and the growing desolation of the academy.

Even the city surrounding Shrek Academy saw a mass exodus of residents, leaving the area desolate. How could they not be anxious?

"It was just one lost tournament, but it has had such a huge impact on us," an elder lamented with his eyes shut tight.

"Nonsense, how could it be this severe? It's all those damned empires stirring things up behind the scenes!" an irate elder exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table.

"I say we should just deploy our powerful soul masters and wipe out all those ungrateful creatures!"

"Old Zhao, don't spout nonsense!" Lin Huiqun, the head of Shrek Lake's Treasury Hall, scolded with a frown.

"Lin, am I wrong? I..." Old Zhao started to retort but was interrupted by Lin Huiqun.

"Enough, shut your mouth! What do you mean 'deploy our powerful soul masters and wipe them out'? Do you realize what you're saying? Even suggesting such a thing!"

"Yes, Old Zhao, we shouldn't speak of such actions. We can't let our feelings lead to actions that would jeopardize Douluo's reputation as a fighting continent," the head of the Healing Hall, Elder Zhuang, added gravely.

Old Zhao looked displeased but chose not to argue further. If Shrek fell, even if the Moonlight Empire eventually renamed Douluo Continent, it wouldn't matter to a fallen Shrek Lake. But if they were to actively destroy the leadership of the three empires and then fail to defend against the Moonlight Empire, the blame for Douluo's downfall would fall squarely on Shrek Lake, tarnishing its name forever.

So, had they really considered eliminating those empire leaders spreading rumors? Perhaps, but the potential consequences had stayed their hand.

"What should we do then?" Old Zhao still sounded aggressive, his expression dark. "In less than a week, our academy has lost nearly half its population!"

"I'm the one who oversees these matters, and I see the numbers clear as day!"

"The external academy has lost 70% of its students, and the internal academy nearly 40%, with many teachers resigning, and these numbers are still climbing!"

Hearing Old Zhao's report, the other elders fell silent. The soul guidance department had the least number of students leaving, with less than 10% of both the internal and external academy students withdrawing.

Neither Xian lin'er nor Qian DuoDuo felt victorious. Though there was often friction between the soul master and soul guidance departments, they stood united when facing external threats. There were no departments when it came to facing the outside world—only Shrek Academy.

"We're here to solve these issues, not to argue!" Xian lin'er's mother, Elder Song, spoke sternly.

Hearing her words, the fiercely arguing elders gradually calmed down. Elder Song's soul was the Azure Shadow Falcon, and with a cultivation level of ninety-seven, she was the strongest in Shrek Lake, especially with Chicken Leg Douluo incapacitated and Mu En absent. Her authority was unmatched.

"What should we do, Mother?" Xian lin'er's voice carried a hint of confusion.

Almost a hundred years old, Xian lin'er seemed to revert to a bewildered young girl in the face of this crisis. Even sitting in one of the highest positions in the academy, she felt lost.

Yan Shaozhe, forced out of his seclusion, also appeared unstable. He had barely stabilized his newly achieved level ninety-seven cultivation when he was dragged into this tumult, sitting across from Xian lin'er, his expression grim.

This upheaval had hit the soul master department particularly hard, especially the departure of Xiao Xiao with her twin spirits nearly causing him to regress to level ninety-six in his fury.

In his rage, he had directed the soul master department's Dean, Du Weilun, to dismiss the instigator, Wang Yan. However, Du Weilun had still shown some courtesy in his wording, suggesting diplomatically that "after discussion by the academy's leadership, it was felt that Teacher Wang was no longer suited to serve at Shrek Academy," and had dismissed Wang Yan in a 'friendly' manner.

Wang Yan hadn't protested but had quietly packed his things and left Shrek Academy.

Elder Song sighed. Though highly experienced, she found the academy's current state deeply troubling.

"We must take it step by step. Although we lost this tournament, the fault does not lie with the participants," Elder Song declared solemnly, her gaze sweeping across the gathered elders. "We must not vent our frustration on these children. They fought for Shrek Lake; we cannot let their hearts grow cold."

"First, we need to stabilize the academy, curb this trend of withdrawals, and then find a way to counter the unfavorable rumors about Shrek on the continent."

"Little Song is right; let's proceed as she suggests," a venerable voice said, and all eyes turned to the previously empty seat of the Sea God Hall's leader, where an ordinary-looking old man now lay. It was Mu En, the current head of the Sea God Hall.

"Mu Elder!"

At the sound of Mu En's voice, everyone stood and bowed respectfully to him as he lay in his lounge chair.

(End of Chapter)