Douluo Dalu 2: You are an Evil Soul Master, but also a good person ?

As the atmosphere relaxed, Mu En continued leisurely, "From now on, all Shrek inner court students must go to the Soul Tool Department to receive a full set of soul tools, including the Invincible Golden Body. Both melee and ranged equipment must be provided. Lin'er, you will oversee this matter. If anyone refuses to wear them, they will be expelled from the inner court!"

"..."

At these words, silence fell over the hall.

Most of the elders present were from the Martial Soul faction, but since Mu En had spoken, none dared to object—except for Yan Shaozhe…

The conflict between the Martial Soul and Soul Tool factions had existed for ages. As the current dean of the Martial Soul Department, Yan Shaozhe naturally sought to suppress the rising influence of the Soul Tool faction whenever possible.

Now that the Soul Tool faction was essentially being placed above them, he was unwilling to accept it.

However, because it was Mu En who gave the order, he had to tread carefully. He cautiously said, "Mu Lao, the Martial Soul Department represents Shrek's millennia-old glory, while soul tool technology originates from the Sun Moon Empire. If all inner court students are fully equipped with soul tools, wouldn't it deal a blow to their morale?"

Then came the classic rhetorical maneuver: "I personally have no objections, but I wonder if the inner court students will be able to accept it…"

"..."

"Hah, trying to use the students to pressure me?" Mu En opened one eye and gave Yan Shaozhe a sideways glance.

"How could I dare…"

"Dismissed," Mu En waved his hand. He only felt exhaustion. His painstaking efforts—this student of his simply wouldn't listen.

Shrek's so-called millennia-old glory? What does that amount to in the eyes of those hidden noble families and ruling authorities?

From their perspective, is Shrek Academy's honor more valuable than the lives of their children?

Besides, after the mess Xuan Zi made, what has Shrek's leadership done apart from sending him to apologize? They needed to show tangible and visible repentance to reassure the noble families!

When you've made a mistake, you must stand straight and take responsibility. Admitting fault is not enough—offering a concrete solution, such as equipping soul tools to reduce casualties, is necessary to demonstrate sincerity.

After all, those noble families are the foundation of Shrek! Where do you think Shrek's top students come from? How do you think it has maintained its championship streak for thousands of years?

Mu En rubbed his temples.

He wasn't afraid of Xuan Zi causing trouble. What he feared was soft-spoken yet insidious figures like Yan Shaozhe—appearing to care for the students but in reality… Sigh.

The situation was already set. The Martial Soul Department Dean was now firmly in place as a top decision-maker at Shrek.

If this were fifty years ago, Mu En wouldn't have worried. He could have suppressed any dissent.

But now, his time was running out.

He glanced at Xuan Zi, whose head was hanging low, and then at Yan Shaozhe, who looked like he wanted to speak but held back.

Just let it all be destroyed already…

Star Luo Empire.

Imperial City.

Inside the spacious and brightly lit palace, Emperor Xu Jiawei's mouth twitched. "Are you saying Shrek Academy doesn't plan to send a team this time?!!"

Princess Xu Jiujing's expression was solemn as she nodded slightly. "According to the teacher they dispatched, Shrek does not fear trials of fire and ice. They only view this competition as a mere test. Win or lose, they will accept the results calmly."

Xu Jiawei: "..."

As the emperor of the Star Luo Empire, he was well aware of what had happened in Ming Dou Mountain Range.

After all, Dai Hao had witnessed the battle firsthand and reported it truthfully, believing it to be a great victory. But when the results came in—half the team dead or incapacitated—Dai Hao, as the commander of the border forces, had no choice but to report it as it was.

This left Xu Jiawei extremely displeased.

He had never liked the so-called Shrek Academy Oversight Group. Now, they had lost so many people just to capture a single Soul King-level evil soul master?

Not to mention that useless "Chicken Leg Douluo" Xuan Zi—what the hell was he doing?

Two Soul Emperors. Five high-level Soul Kings. All from Shrek's inner court, supposedly the elite among the elite. And yet, they got reverse-killed by a five-ringed Soul King evil soul master?

This was the biggest embarrassment Shrek Academy had ever suffered!

"Chen Zifeng, who was captured and is now missing, was a noble descendant from my Star Luo Empire! Useless Shrek Academy!" Xu Jiawei fumed.

Fortunately, Dai Hao's eldest son, Dai Yueheng, was injured but still alive and would be able to compete.

"Brother, we should focus on our response," Xu Jiujing sighed, bringing Xu Jiawei back on track.

With Shrek's lineup shattered, their hopes for another championship were bleak.

Forget winning—surviving the first round would already be a struggle!

If they suffered an early knockout, just imagine the newspaper headlines the next day…

The entire continent would know.

And a narrative would take root: Shrek Academy is finished!

Shrek's strength was well known. If they were truly as powerful as they claimed, winning should be effortless.

But what if they crashed out in the first round?!!!

That would deal a devastating blow to Shrek, whose foundation rested on its prestigious reputation.

And for those "dependent" on Shrek—like the Star Luo Empire—it would also be a serious issue.

Meanwhile, across the border, the Sun Moon Empire was probably laughing themselves silly…

"Brother, actually… if Shrek Academy manages to make it into the top four, or even the finals, the outcome might be different," Xu Jiujing mused.

"Once they appear on stage, everyone will see how weak their lineup is. But if they can squeeze into the top four or finals, they can still claim, 'We weren't at full strength.'

"On the other hand, if they send substitute inner court students and still fail to win the championship, it would be even worse for them…"

"That's true," Xu Jiawei nodded.

This way, Shrek could always say: We weren't at our best, so you can't say we've declined.

"Besides," Xu Jiujing continued, "Dai Hao reports that their reserve team is unharmed. And while the two Soul Emperors, Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, were injured, they weren't crippled. With some recovery time, they should be able to compete.

"There's also the Soul King, Ling Luochen. As long as their reserve team can hold out, making the top four—or even the finals—is not impossible…"

Xu Jiawei nodded slightly.

"In that case… our Star Luo Empire's sword is no less sharp!"

"With Shrek Academy weakened and refusing to send reinforcements, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Xu Jiawei's eyes gleamed with excitement. "If we miss this chance, Shrek won't make this kind of mistake again. Winning the championship later will be much harder… Jiujing!"

"Brother, what are your orders?"

"We have one of the strongest Star Luo teams in a millennium! Since you're leading them, tell me—what are our chances of winning?" Xu Jiawei's gaze burned with determination.

"Fifty percent!" Xu Jiujing's excitement could hardly be contained. "As long as Shrek doesn't pull any last-minute surprises, I guarantee a 50% chance of winning the championship!"

If they won, she would become the first princess in history to lead Star Luo to victory over Shrek, marking an unforgettable achievement in the empire's history…

(End of Chapter)