Upon hearing Yuanen Zhentian's words, not only was Long Yeyue stunned, but even Chen Xinjie was taken aback. They hadn't expected Yuanen Zhentian to pull something like this.
But the worst part was, they couldn't find any fault with what she said.
After all, Tang Wulin's appointment as Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion hadn't exactly followed proper protocol.
Chen Xinjie looked at Yuanen Zhentian and said, "Your Excellency Titan, you should know that the Holy Spirit Douluo has already withdrawn from Shrek Academy. The position of Vice Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion has always been held by Yueyue. Since the Pavilion Master, the Holy Spirit Douluo, has withdrawn from Shrek Academy, and Yueyue is now the only strong member left in the Pavilion, it's not unreasonable for her to appoint the next Pavilion Master."
"How ridiculous. If I recall correctly, the husband of the Light and Darkness Douluo was already illegally appointed as Pavilion Master before the Holy Spirit Douluo left the Academy," Yuanen Zhentian sneered again, then continued, "The previous Pavilion Master was still in office, and yet you appointed a new Pavilion Master directly. The Yuanen Clan does not recognize such actions."
She paused, looked at Long Yeyue coldly, and said, "Moreover, if I remember right, this 'Yueyue' that the Limit Douluo refers to was once expelled from Shrek Academy by the Pavilion Master, the Holy Spirit Douluo, for spreading a plague among ordinary people. To this day, the Holy Spirit Douluo has never said anything about reinstating you. What qualifications do you have to speak to me on behalf of Shrek Academy?"
"Yuanen Zhentian, what did you just say?" Long Yeyue gritted her teeth. Being expelled by Yali had always been a permanent scar in her heart.
Yuanen Zhentian had clearly brought it up just to rub salt in the wound.
"You know exactly what I said." Yuanen Zhentian shook her head and said, "To me, Shrek Academy has always stood for justice. A Vice Pavilion Master who spread plague among ordinary people—you long stopped being part of Shrek Academy."
"Besides, even if the Holy Spirit Douluo has stepped down and left the Academy, that doesn't make Tang Wulin qualified to take over the Pavilion. He lacks both legitimacy and public recognition!" Yuanen Zhentian sneered, "If I recall correctly, the successor personally designated by the Holy Spirit Douluo was the Evil-Slaying Sword, Lin Ping, not Tang Wulin. So how did it suddenly become his turn? Just because he's your husband, Long Yeyue?"
Looking between Long Yeyue and Chen Xinjie, she continued, "You two do not represent Shrek Academy. You have no right to use its name to come to my Yuanen Clan asking for favors. Even if the Sun Moon Federation hadn't already declared your so-called Shrek Academy a treasonous organization, I still wouldn't acknowledge it. Even if you really did rebuild it, I still wouldn't recognize your version as the real Shrek Academy. You're just traitors who once belonged to Shrek Academy—people who forced the Sea God Pavilion Master Yali to leave and then established a counterfeit Shrek Academy."
"Yuanen Zhentian, if you keep spouting nonsense, don't blame me for getting rough!" Long Yeyue was completely enraged. She hadn't expected that not only would Yuanen Zhentian refuse to help, but she would also outright deny everything she and Tang Wulin had done to rebuild Shrek.
"Oh? You want to fight?" Yuanen Zhentian shook her head and smirked. "These words aren't even mine. They're from the Pavilion Master herself, the Holy Spirit Douluo."
"Yali? She already left Shrek Academy." Long Yeyue replied disdainfully.
"She only left your fake Shrek Academy," Yuanen Zhentian said, still shaking her head. She glanced at Long Yeyue and asked, "You stole the Eternal Heaven, provoking the Sun Moon Federation into slaughter, dragging countless Shrek Academy graduates into disaster. Knowing the Holy Spirit Douluo as you do, do you really think she would stand idly by?"
"What are you implying?" Long Yeyue's face darkened, a sense of dread rising in her heart.
"What am I implying? Heh!" Yuanen Zhentian chuckled, then said, "Just now, the Holy Spirit Douluo has officially declared the dissolution of Shrek Academy. From now on, Shrek Academy will cease to exist."
As she spoke, Yuanen Zhentian pulled out her soul communicator and played a video in front of Long Yeyue and Chen Xinjie.
The video showed Yali standing over the lake where Shrek Academy once stood after it was destroyed. She was still as beautiful as ever.
Behind her were many students who had survived the explosion at Shrek Academy.
"You all should go," Yali said softly. "Shrek Academy has been led down a path of no return by the Light and Darkness Douluo. Dissolving the Academy is the only way I can think of to save you. If you still acknowledge me as your Pavilion Master, then leave. Do it for yourselves and your families. From today on, Shrek Academy no longer exists."
Yali's eyes glistened with tears. Clearly, dissolving Shrek with her own hands was painful.
But looking at the students before her, she couldn't bear to see them dragged into destruction by Long Yeyue.
The Eternal Heaven had already been taken away by Leng Yaozhu.
Long Yeyue no longer had any bargaining chips to threaten the Sun Moon Federation.
Now that Shrek Academy had stolen the Eternal Heaven, the Federation would surely move to eliminate them completely.
If Yali didn't disband the Academy and send the students away, Long Yeyue would definitely lead them into a futile resistance.
And how could a single Academy possibly stand against the might of the Federation?
"Pavilion Master!"
"Your Excellency!"
As soon as Yali finished speaking, several students stepped forward to bid her farewell.
Shrek had been labeled a traitorous organization for stealing the Eternal Heaven.
Their families had already been calling repeatedly, begging them to leave the Academy.
Now that Yali had made the request herself, they saw no reason to stay.
But not all students agreed.
"No! Even if we die, we will stay with Shrek Academy for its glory!"
"Yeah! You're no longer part of the Academy, Holy Spirit Douluo. What right do you have to disband it?"
"Right! Anyone who dares leave is an enemy of Shrek Academy! If the Academy is rebuilt one day, their descendants will never be allowed to enroll!"
Some students became agitated, even lashing out at Yali with disrespectful words.
To them, her decision to dissolve Shrek had crossed a line.
"Ah, I knew this would happen," Yali sighed gently, then turned to look at Tang Wulin. "Wulin, you're a smart boy. Since the Light and Darkness Douluo chose you to be Pavilion Master, then maybe you should try persuading them. You should know, this is no longer the Shrek Academy we once knew. If this continues, these students will only meet ruin."
"God…" Tang Wulin opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't bring himself to say "godmother." Instead, he said, "Holy Spirit Douluo, the seniors are right. For the glory of Shrek Academy, even if it's destined to fall, we won't leave. We'll live and die with the Academy. Sister Yue may be extreme, but her intentions are good—it's all for Shrek. The Sun Moon Federation called us traitors not because we stole the Eternal Heaven, but because we're too weak. If we were strong enough, even stealing Eternal Heaven wouldn't matter. Besides, Shrek has safeguarded peace for so many years—why wouldn't it be a safe place to keep Eternal Heaven?"
"I knew it…" Yali sighed again. Then she looked toward the students who had been the loudest in defiance.
With a wave of her hand, she used her soul power to restrain them all.
"Shrek Academy is now a traitorous organization. If you refuse to leave, I have no choice but to hand you over to the Sun Moon Federation," Yali said, biting her lip. This was the only thing she could do for them.
If she brought these students in to surrender, maybe the Federation would show mercy and not execute them.
Maybe they'd just be imprisoned for ten years or so—then they could still have a future.
(End of Chapter)