[DD2]: 165

Credits: mozart 111

The possessor of an Ultimate Ice martial soul being the young master of the Ice God Palace is entirely reasonable. This also explains why Wang Dong'er, despite being from the Clear Sky Sect, is only a reserve team member, whereas Su Yu is the reserve team captain. Beyond background, it all comes down to talent.

While twin martial souls are rare, ultimate martial souls are even more so. Adding Su Yu's exceptional cultivation talent, which far surpasses Wang Dong'er's, makes this clear. At the same age of twelve, Su Yu managed to turn the tide in a competition, instantly freezing five Soul Kings. Moreover, he possesses a domain and a super rare soul bone—these attributes transcend the label of genius.

This is a monster, a true prodigy.

People say Shrek Academy produces monsters, yet none of the current Shrek Seven Devils seem to rival Su Yu. Furthermore, anyone familiar with the student records knows that Su Yu is only twelve years old. At such a young age, having this kind of strength is almost unbelievable.

"The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy has been incredibly lucky, but Su Yu's situation is far from simple. You may not be able to hold onto him."

"Perhaps it's best to let the Star Luo Empire take over—we have the experience and can handle it."

Given that the Sun Moon Empire could pair Meng Hongchen to a genius like Su Yu, the Star Luo Empire could do the same. Xu Jiawei, a bold man, wouldn't hesitate to act—he'd even involve his own family if necessary.

"I wonder what Jiujiu thinks of Su Yu," Xu Jiawei pondered, thoughts racing. If she and Su Yu could come together, it would forge an unbreakable alliance between the royal family and the Ice God Palace. With the Ice God Palace backing them, the Star Luo royal family would fear nothing.

Even though the Ice God Palace typically remains detached from worldly affairs, Su Yu, as its young master, is an exception. A simple nudge from Jiujiu could prompt Su Yu to advocate for Star Luo. That influence would save the empire from countless troubles.

This is the deterrent power of a superpower.

If they'd had such support before, the Clear Sky Sect wouldn't have dared to come knocking.

The previous incident taught Xu Jiawei an important lesson: while an empire's strength lies in its collective power, facing overwhelming individual strength can render even an emperor helpless. Ultimately, this is still a world ruled by the strong.

...

"Yu~"

Meng Hongchen dashed into Su Yu's arms like a swallow returning to its nest. Su Yu opened his arms and gently embraced her. The warmth of her delicate figure brought an indescribable feeling of comfort.

"That was a close call today!" Ma Rulong approached and said calmly.

From Su Yu being pinned down at the start to the sudden emergence of Star Guardians shifting the tides, the battle's situation changed drastically. If not for Mi Jia executing a brilliant "surrounding the enemy to save the ally" strategy, rescuing Su Yu, the match might not have been reversed so easily.

"The Star Crown martial soul is indeed remarkable, and these Star Luo Empire folks have no shortage of soul tools."

"That Grade Seven Absolute Defense Soul Tool alone is worth at least a million gold soul coins. In just a quarter-hour, they burned through an unimaginable amount. The extravagance is insane. Even I wouldn't spend money like that, and I'm rich."

"It's worth investigating," Ma Rulong said with a serious expression. "If so many soul tools are flowing out, the problem could be significant. It suggests that people within the Sun Moon Empire have been bribed—traitors, essentially."

The implications were grave: if war broke out, these traitors would undoubtedly act as internal saboteurs, leading to catastrophic consequences.

Hearing this, Su Yu merely shrugged indifferently. "Whether there are traitors in the Sun Moon Empire is none of my business," he replied. "Besides, the empire isn't exactly a righteous place itself—especially the royal family. They all deserve their fate."

He quickly changed the subject. "Let's head back. There's an individual elimination match tomorrow."

Ma Rulong nodded and led the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy team back to the Star Emperor Hotel.

Watching them leave, Yan Shaozhe stood silently, his gaze deep in thought.

...

"What? Su Yu is an Ultimate Ice martial soul user?"

Shrek Academy's conference room was filled with astonished faces. Even Xu Sanshi and others, who had returned earlier, were visibly shaken.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could he have an Ultimate Ice martial soul?" Dai Huabin shouted furiously.

Dai Huabin regarded Su Yu as his mortal enemy, but now, he was a broken man, his pride and dignity shattered. Meanwhile, Su Yu not only thrived but turned out to possess an Ultimate Ice martial soul.

His voice grew hysterical. "This is unfair! Why does he have everything?"

"Dean, could you have been mistaken?" Xu Sanshi asked hesitantly, unwilling to accept the truth.

"This is undeniable," Yan Shaozhe replied. "Not only does Su Yu possess an Ultimate Ice martial soul, but he also has a natural domain and a rare soul bone. During today's battle, he used his domain to instantly freeze five Soul Kings."

"Instantly froze five Soul Kings?" Xu Sanshi and Dai Huabin exclaimed, their faces pale with disbelief. Even Dai Yueheng furrowed his brow, sensing immense pressure.

"Ma Xiaotao, you were there. Did Su Yu freeze five Soul Kings in an instant?"

Dai Yaoheng asked Ma Xiaotao.

Everyone else also turned their attention to Ma Xiaotao, especially Ling Luocheng.

As an ice-attribute soul master, how could she not be curious about the Ultimate Ice? She wanted to know just how big the gap was between herself and this unparalleled power.

Ma Xiaotao nodded and said, "Yes, the Ultimate Ice Domain expanded instantly, freezing five Soul Kings simultaneously."

"This is a very dangerous person. His strength is likely no less than Dai Yaoheng's."

"And due to attribute suppression, his Ultimate Ice might even overpower my Phoenix Evil Fire. He's a major threat on our path to victory."

For someone as confident and proud as Ma Xiaotao to say such words, it was clear that today's match had left a significant impression on her.

Whether it was Su Yu effortlessly breaking the Star Guardian or the later display of his domain power, Ma Xiaotao had no choice but to take this opponent seriously.

She had a feeling that Su Yu might be even more troublesome than Ma Rulong, the captain of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy team.

Especially for her, Su Yu was undoubtedly far more dangerous than Ma Rulong.

Ice and fire counter each other, but the key lies in their quality. The Ultimate Ice naturally outclassed her Phoenix Evil Fire.

When faced with such suppression, how much of her strength she could actually bring out was still unknown.

Though Ma Xiaotao had a hot temper, a headstrong nature, and a tendency to act recklessly, she wasn't a fool. Her shortcomings were primarily personality-driven—she was too easily provoked into rash actions.

But when she was calm and rational, she could think clearly.

After hearing Ma Xiaotao's assessment, the other students fell silent.

Among them, Ma Xiaotao was the strongest. If even she considered Su Yu a formidable foe, then Su Yu was undoubtedly not an opponent to take lightly.

"Do you think there's a chance we could bring Su Yu over to our side?"

At that moment, Wang Yan suddenly spoke up.

If Su Yu was difficult to deal with, wouldn't it be better to make him an ally?

The Ultimate Ice—if it became an asset for Shrek Academy, he could openly study it to his heart's content.

In truth, when Su Yu revealed his Ultimate Ice, this thought had already crossed Wang Yan's mind. Now seemed like the perfect time to voice it.

"Teacher Wang, how can you even think that?"

Dai Huabin stared at Wang Yan in disbelief. What nonsense was this old man talking about? Bringing Su Yu to their side?

If Su Yu joined them, how could he exact his revenge?

Had Wang Yan lost his mind to suggest something so ridiculous?

Xu Sanshi was equally stunned, but then he said bitterly, "Teacher Wang, how could you think of something like that?"

"Su Yu joined the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Someone like him must be inherently evil. Bringing him into our academy would only tarnish its reputation."

Xu Sanshi fumed inwardly. This old man Wang Yan had initially wanted to cripple Su Yu, but now that Su Yu had revealed his Ultimate Ice, he was suddenly trying to recruit him?

What a load of nonsense.

Xu Sanshi internally cursed Wang Yan up and down, but outwardly, he remained composed.

"Inherently evil is a bit much—at most, he's someone who has gone astray," Yan Shaozhe interrupted.

"So far, we've only had minor conflicts with Su Yu. There's no unresolvable enmity between us."

"As Shrek Academy, our mission is to protect the continent. Shouldn't we save those who are worth saving?"

"Su Yu is still young. While he may have gone astray, it's not too late for him to return to the right path."

"Su Yu isn't an evil soul master, after all. Don't you think we should give him a chance to abandon darkness for the light?"

"Just think—if Su Yu truly turns over a new leaf, his talent could benefit countless people in the future."

"This would be a monumental achievement, the kind of thing Shrek Academy is meant to accomplish."

By framing his argument in moral terms, Yan Shaozhe made a convincing case, leaving Xu Sanshi and Dai Huabin with no room to argue.

Both students seethed internally.

Noticing their dissatisfaction, Yan Shaozhe continued, "I understand that some of you have personal grievances with Su Yu, but as Shrek Academy students, we must embody an extraordinary level of magnanimity."

"If Su Yu truly reforms, your act of repaying evil with good will undoubtedly earn widespread praise."

"Who knows? Such actions could make your name go down in history."

Yan Shaozhe's words left Xu Sanshi and Dai Huabin even more frustrated.

Why should they have to be the ones with magnanimity? Yet they couldn't openly claim a lack of it, either.

In short, Yan Shaozhe's argument left them with no way to oppose him without tarnishing their reputations.

Yan Shaozhe had achieved his aim: Su Yu needed to be recruited. Ultimate Ice wasn't just about talent; it also had implications for the safety of his prized student.

For this reason, the opinions of two students Dai Huabin and Xu Sanshi didn't weigh heavily in his decision-making.

Between them, Ma Xiaotao's importance was much greater.

Xu Sanshi and Dai Huabin, with their family and sect backgrounds, were unlikely to remain at Shrek Academy after graduation.

But Ma Xiaotao was bound to stay.

The priority was clear.

Moreover, Su Yu's talent alone made him worth recruiting.

Securing Su Yu, even at the cost of alienating Dai Huabin and Xu Sanshi, was a trade Yan Shaozhe was willing to make.

After all, Shrek Academy's prestige would ensure that no student truly turned against it.

Yan Shaozhe felt confident in his decision.

However, he also had concerns about Su Yu's background, particularly whether Su Yu was the heir to the Ice God Palace.

If Su Yu was indeed the Ice God Palace's young master, then Shrek Academy could only choose to maintain friendly relations and abandon any thoughts of recruitment.

Taking a young master from the Ice God Palace was simply out of the question.

But if Su Yu wasn't the Ice God Palace's young master, then he was like a gift from the heavens to Shrek Academy.

Naturally, Yan Shaozhe hoped for the latter.

After careful consideration, Yan Shaozhe ultimately decided that Su Yu was not the young master of the Ice God Palace.

This conclusion was largely based on information from Jiang Nannan, who reportedly said that Su Yu had grown up with her as a childhood friends.

If Su Yu and Jiang Nannan had grown up together, he couldn't possibly be the young master of the Ice God Palace.

Yan Shaozhe was initially hesitant but chose to embrace this perspective. This belief gave him the confidence to make his next move.

PS: Who's gonna tell him?.gif