Chapter 41: Adaptation Is Not Fabrication
After breaking free from the vines with a surge of soul power, Zhao Wuji let out a low roar as his Martial Soul Possession activated. His body swelled dramatically his already monstrous muscles nearly doubled in size, and his height instantly increased by a meter. Seven soul rings gleamed around him.
"Hahaha! Let me have some fun with you all!"
Laughing wildly, Zhao Wuji charged straight at Zhu Zhuqing and Tang San… No need for excessive details the result was obvious.
Against absolute power, even though Tang San had awakened the Blue Silver Emperor and reached Soul Elder level ahead of time, without exposing his true identity or relying on hidden weapons, he was brutally crushed by Zhao Wuji, who had no intention of holding back.
By the end, Tang San had been beaten black and blue, his face swollen beyond recognition he looked like a human punching bag.
Zhu Zhuqing fared slightly better perhaps because Zhao Wuji showed some restraint toward a young girl. He merely dislocated her wrist as a warning.
As for Ning Rongrong? Zhao Wuji didn't dare touch her at all. With her background, he knew better than to make an enemy of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
In summary, only Tang San suffered in this fight.
In the shadows.
Ye Cheng remained hidden, watching the entire spectacle unfold.
Seeing Tang San's swollen, beaten up face, he nodded in approval, silently giving Zhao Wuji a "Good job, kid" kind of look.
That's how you deal with two faced, treacherous pests beat them up hard!
Initially, Ye Cheng had no particular hatred toward Tang San. In fact, during his younger years, he had quite liked the character.
Tang San, at least in Douluo Continent 1, seemed upright, principled, and loyal to his comrades. He was even willing to sacrifice everything for love a hopeless romantic.
But then…
The author kept writing more sequels Douluo 2, 3, 4, 5…
And Tang San changed.
No he was completely ruined.
If Tang San from Douluo 1 felt like a great friend, a heroic protagonist, then the Tang San from the later sequels became an absolute tyrant, making countless baffling, twisted decisions.
The difference was so extreme that it was impossible to believe it was the same person.
The author successfully destroyed his own protagonist.
Had Douluo Continent remained just a novel, it wouldn't have mattered. At worst, it would just be a case of poor writing, ruining the character's personality.
But now that Douluo Continent had become a real world, Ye Cheng couldn't ignore the chilling implications of Tang San's future actions.
Why did his personality shift so drastically?
If it wasn't bad writing, then there was only one possible explanation
Tang San had always been that way.
At first, he was merely restraining himself, unfamiliar with this world and acting cautiously. But as he gained power, as he seized control over the lives of others, he no longer needed to hide his true nature.
A selfish, hypocritical, cunning, and ruthless manipulator.
That was the real Tang San.
So when Ye Cheng viewed the original story objectively, removing the protagonist's protective halo, he realized something terrifying
If Tang San were to achieve the same success as in the original timeline, it would be an absolute disaster for the entire world.
That was why, when Ye Cheng created the future videos, he targeted Tang San multiple times as well as those connected to him.
Of course, Ye Cheng's future videos weren't completely fabricated.
Although he could edit future events, he also utilized the system's prediction function, which analyzed character personalities and possible outcomes.
This feature ensured that the videos remained logical and believable, preventing any obvious inconsistencies that would make viewers suspicious.
Thus, while Ye Cheng altered the future, the characters' behaviors still aligned with their true personalities.
In other words
His version of the future was not baseless slander.
It was an adaptation just not a fabrication.
Back in reality.
After getting utterly demolished by Zhao Wuji, the expressions of the three participants varied.
Tang San: Frustrated and disappointed.
He was clearly upset about failing the entrance test.
Zhu Zhuqing: Confused yet relieved.
Confused because if she couldn't enroll, she had no way to push Dai Mubai to improve. What was she supposed to do now?
Relieved because after seeing the reality of Shrek Academy, she had serious doubts about how useful this place actually was. Failing to enroll might not be a bad thing.
Ning Rongrong: Completely indifferent.
She was only here to experience life. If she didn't get in, so what? There were plenty of other places to go.
Seeing their reactions, Zhao Wuji panicked.
Oh crap, did I go too far?
Realizing he might have messed up, Zhao Wuji cleared his throat and tried to smooth things over.
"Ahem! I hereby announce… you have all passed! Congratulations, you are now officially students of Shrek Academy!"
The moment these words fell
Tang San: Ecstatic.
Zhu Zhuqing & Ning Rongrong: Completely unfazed.
For them, this "surprise acceptance" meant nothing.
They had already mentally prepared to leave even felt relieved about failing.
And now?
They were just being forced to stay.
At this moment, Zhao Wuji realized something
Maybe I should've just let them leave…
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