A Scene of Disgrace

Chen Xuan, like a dark horse, soared to prominence, stunning everyone by cutting through challenges and earning instant recognition. No longer was he a mere invisible figure.

Tianshui Academy, as one of the veteran teams, had undeniable strength, ranking third among the Five Element Academies. Nobles, lords, and sects were quietly scheming, eager to recruit this talented individual.

A six-in-one victory had been achieved before by others, making it possible for geniuses of Chen Xuan's caliber. However, it wasn't just a regular six-in-one victory that made various powers so eager to recruit him.

Previously, at Shrek Academy, Ma Hongjun achieved a five-in-one victory, while the team captain, Dai Mubai, went four-in-one, and the vice-captain, Tang San, also accomplished a six-in-one.

However, keen observers could see that these feats were not entirely without flaws. The Plant Academy was not a seasoned strong team, and the elemental advantage of fire over plants made Ma Hongjun's five-in-one victory somewhat ordinary. Moreover, Tang San, with his ten-thousand-year soul ring, had the fire immunity and control-type abilities that gave him a dominant advantage, meaning his six-in-one feat was not fully genuine. If he had faced other veteran academies, it would have been nearly impossible to achieve.

Emperor Xue Ye knew this well. He would never personally intervene to extend an olive branch to such talents. However, Chen Xuan was different. The emperor admired this young man greatly for his extraordinary talent, humility, and calm demeanor. He was exactly the kind of person born for the empire.

Tianshui Academy's strength was beyond doubt, and Chen Xuan, a speed-focused combatant, should have been countered by control-type opponents. Yet, in reality, he handled them with composure and order. What's more, though he majored in speed, his strength surpassed even most power-attack types by a considerable margin.

The difficulty of creating a self-developed soul skill is immense, requiring vast amounts of time, which explains why this genius, despite his talents, only reached rank forty-one at the age of sixteen.

"This one must be claimed by our Spirit Hall!" whispered the platinum bishop, Salas, his eyes flashing coldly.

He was a talent with a clean background, and all the major powers wanted to claim him.

Everyone understood that, given Chen Xuan's current condition, he could easily fight another match.

"It seems the first to achieve a seven-in-one victory will be this young man," the nobles murmured, finding this young man more and more likable with each passing moment.

However, what no one expected happened. The teacher leading Shrek Academy made an astonishing statement: at the moment of honor, he requested to substitute a player.

As soon as these words were spoken, the audience erupted into chaos, with sounds of disbelief, ridicule, and applause echoing throughout the arena.

Madness! Madness!

All the academies thought Shrek had lost its mind. A seven-in-one victory had not appeared in countless promotion matches, and just as the honor was within reach, Shrek chose to give it up. It was sheer lunacy.

The most surprised were undoubtedly the members of Tianshui Academy. Yet they did not feel joy. Instead, the girls were indignant, feeling that Shrek was deliberately humiliating them.

"Absurd! Absurd! Who is this Shrek teacher? Absolutely absurd!" Emperor Xue Ye was furious, slamming the table and kicking his chair in rage.

He had already regarded Chen Xuan as one of his own, as part of the Heavenly Dou army, and at such a moment of glory, someone dared to ruin it.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. I believe Shrek wouldn't make such a decision without reason. There may be more to this," Ning Fengzhi speculated.

Emperor Xue Ye gradually calmed down. As the ruler of a nation, if he were to bicker with an academy, it would only damage the empire's dignity.

Back in Shrek's resting area, Flender snapped out of his shock and immediately flew into a rage, shouting, "Grandmaster, what are you thinking? Do you even know what you're doing?"

His voice was hoarse as he struggled to suppress his anger. If it had been anyone else making such a decision, Flender would have exploded.

Shrek Academy was his life's work, his greatest pride. No one was allowed to tarnish it—not even the Grandmaster.

Once, he had trusted Yu Xiaogang's words and shut down the academy, which had led to a miserable end.

"Grandmaster, you must not do this," Qin Ming also stepped forward to dissuade him.

The Shrek members exchanged bewildered glances, unable to understand Yu Xiaogang's baffling behavior.

Only Liu Erlong stood firmly by the Grandmaster's side. No matter what happened, whether the sky fell or the world ended, she believed in this man.

Seeing the doubt in everyone's eyes, Yu Xiaogang felt a bit guilty. But when he remembered his reasoning, knowing that it was for the academy's betterment, he became more at ease, feeling no burden.

"Flender, I'm doing this for the academy's own good," said the Grandmaster, hands behind his back.

Flender was so furious that he burst into laughter. He was finding it harder and harder to understand his old friend. For his selfish desires, Yu Xiaogang was willing to sacrifice even his Shrek Academy.

Sure enough, people change. The current Yu Xiaogang felt like a stranger to him.

"Xiaogang, I know you don't get along with Xiao Chen. Even if this kid is hard to teach or troublesome, can't you just let him finish this final match and resolve your differences later?" Flender said through gritted teeth, trying his best to calm down.

For Yu Xiaogang's sake, Flender had allowed him to be the sole teacher representing Shrek. Now, only Yu Xiaogang's words and actions could represent the Shrek team.

"Yes, Grandmaster, let Chen Xuan continue the match," the other Shrek members also urged.

Even Ma Hongjun, who would have loved to take the stage after everyone else lost, spoke up, "Grandmaster, let Brother Chen finish the match. I don't mind sitting out this time."

"No, I'm thinking of both the academy and Chen Xuan."

Yu Xiaogang remained stubborn, explaining, "You must understand, the promotion match isn't the final competition. Shrek needs to keep some strength hidden for the future, more challenging matches. Shrek has already revealed too many cards; we shouldn't continue down this path."

After a pause, he added, "Besides, Xiao Chen has fought six matches in a row. He must be exhausted. If he continues, he'll be forced to reveal even more of his abilities. By then, his opponents will analyze everything, making future matches even harder for him."

Yu Xiaogang's attitude was firm. The decision was made, leaving no room for refusal.

Chen Xuan laughed. At first glance, Yu Xiaogang's words sounded reasonable, but in truth, they were nonsense, pure sophistry.

"Grandmaster, I don't feel tired. You don't need to worry about me. I can still fight," Chen Xuan retorted, giving no face to Yu Xiaogang and tearing down his argument.

The host holding the microphone was stunned. Who should they listen to?

Yu Xiaogang snorted coldly, maintaining his composure. "Chen Xuan, don't push yourself. I know you've reached your limit and could collapse at any moment. Come back. You've done an excellent job; there's no need to overexert yourself."

At this moment, the seasoned Grandmaster's craftiness showed. His words struck the perfect balance, conveying both the care of a senior and the magnanimity of the situation.

Chen Xuan gestured with his hand, mocking Yu Xiaogang. He smiled and said, "Grandmaster, I still think I can fight. If you're worried about my health, why don't you come down and spar with me yourself? Let's see how we compare."

In such a significant event, in front of nobles, lords, and officials, this farcical scene unfolded. Regardless of the outcome, Shrek would be reduced to a laughingstock.

And all Chen Xuan wanted was to crown Yu Xiaogang with a title—one of abusing power and oppressing students.

Chen Xuan dared to bet that Yu Xiaogang, being the cowardly man he was, would never dare come down and spar with him.

Sure enough, when Chen Xuan looked up, he saw Yu Xiaogang glaring at him with a furious expression, as if he wanted to tear him apart.

"Hey, Grandmaster, come on down! Or are your legs feeling weak?" Chen Xuan said with a sunny smile.

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