Chapter 147: The Fall of Shrek Academy

Heaven Dou City, Shrek Academy

The academy's higher-ups were like ants on a hot pan, pacing anxiously. Someone had spread a vicious rumor that Xue Qinghe was being held captive here.

How absurd! They hadn't even seen Xue Qinghe in years—how could they have possibly kidnapped him?

Yet, no matter how much they denied it, the furious citizens of Heaven Dou City refused to believe them. The crowd had surrounded Shrek Academy, demanding they hand over the "prisoner." Even some of their own students had joined the frenzy, turning the campus upside down in search of the supposedly "hidden" Xue Qinghe. The entire academy was in chaos.

"Erlong, think of something! If this keeps up, forget about classes—we won't even be able to guarantee the students' safety!" Flender's face was grim as he paced the room.

Liu Erlong shot him a glare. "You're the headmaster, not me. Shouldn't you be the one handling this?"

Flender immediately put on an ingratiating smile. "Come on, you're much better at managing these things than I am. If you want, I'll hand the position over to you right now!"

"Spare me the act. You never think of me when there's good news, but the moment trouble comes, you want me to take the blame?" Liu Erlong jabbed a finger at his nose.

"Now, now, we're family! As your big brother, I've always had your best interests at heart," Flender said, reaching out to sling an arm over her shoulder.

Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, standing nearby, turned green at the sight and quickly stepped between them, blocking Flender's attempt.

"Brother Flender, even if Erlong wanted to help, what can she do?" Yu Xiaogang sighed. "Unless you can magically produce Xue Qinghe, those people outside won't back down."

"The citizens aren't the real problem," Zhao Wuji, who had been silent until now, interjected. "What if the Spirit Hall hears this rumor and comes knocking?"

The room fell deathly quiet.

After a long pause, Liu Erlong broke the silence. "They wouldn't dare. We're in Heaven Dou City. If the Spirit Hall barges in demanding someone right after this incident, it'd be tantamount to declaring war."

"I agree," Grandmaster nodded. "Bibi Dong isn't foolish enough to believe such—"

He cut himself off mid-sentence when he noticed Liu Erlong's clenched fists and quickly corrected, "I mean, as the Pope of Spirit Hall, she's far too shrewd to act rashly on baseless rumors."

Zhao Wuji still looked uneasy. "Better safe than sorry. We should prepare for the worst. If the Spirit Hall really comes, we won't stand a chance against them."

Grandmaster pondered for a moment before pulling out a token. "If it's just minor figures, we'll be fine. As a Spirit Hall elder, I can keep them in check."

"As for their top brass, they wouldn't risk coming to Heaven Dou City right now."

Liu Erlong glanced between Zhao Wuji and Grandmaster but chose not to undermine him. Instead, she added, "I'll send word to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect. Given our ties, they won't stand by if we're in trouble."

Over the years, their relationship with the Heaven Dou royalty had remained strong, and their bond with the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect was even closer—especially since Ning Rongrong spent most of her time there now.

---

Meanwhile, outside Heaven Dou City...

Qian Daoliu had arrived at a dense forest with five hundred elite Spirit Hall warriors. Reinforcements from nearby brought their numbers close to a thousand.

After scanning the group, he gave a curt nod. Guided by a local, they slipped into the city through a hidden passage.

As night fell, the crowd outside Shrek Academy finally dispersed, granting the exhausted faculty a brief respite.

But just as the academy settled into uneasy silence, hundreds of black-clad figures scaled the walls from the least guarded corner—the northwest.

The moment they entered, they fanned out, eliminating anyone they encountered.

A group of twenty-odd experts, led by their guide, headed straight for the faculty dormitory.

---

Faculty Dormitory, Shrek Academy.

The day's events had left the academy's leaders too tense to sleep. Instead, they sat on stone benches beneath the moonlight, drinking.

Suddenly, Flender froze, his cup halfway to his lips. His sharp senses had caught something.

"Stop drinking. We have company."

The others immediately set down their cups and summoned their martial souls, forming up beside Flender. Grandmaster and Liu Erlong instinctively took defensive positions, shielding him.

Soon, a voice cut through the darkness.

"So you noticed us. No matter—hand over Xue Qinghe, and we'll spare you the trouble."

"Xue Qinghe? We don't have him," Flender replied hoarsely.

The figures stepped forward, their expressions mocking. "The entire city knows you're hiding him. Do you take the Spirit Hall for fools?"

Flender bit back the retort on his tongue—you are fools—but the overwhelming power radiating from the group silenced him.

On Shrek's side, only Flender and Zhao Wuji had reached Soul Douluo rank, with a few Soul Sages and Soul Emperors among the teachers.

The Spirit Hall's group, however, boasted at least ten Soul Douluos, with the rest being Soul Sages or higher. The gap in strength was staggering.

Seeing the Spirit Hall's emblem, Grandmaster pushed Liu Erlong aside and stepped forward, holding up his elder token.

"I am an elder of Spirit Hall. Do you dare act so arrogantly in my presence?" His voice was icy.

The Spirit Hall members hesitated briefly at the sight of the token.

But then, a voice spoke from behind them.

"Hmph. Elder Yu, how impressive. From today onward, you are no longer a Spirit Hall elder. Let's see how you plan to intimidate us now."

Grandmaster spun around just in time to see Liu Erlong and Flender sent flying. A gaunt, elderly figure materialized before him.

Qian Daoliu snatched the token from Grandmaster's hand, crushing it effortlessly before tossing it aside.

"Hand over the person I seek. Now."

Grandmaster swallowed hard, taking an involuntary step back. "Y-you... you're Qian Daoliu?"

Though he had never met the legendary figure in person, Grandmaster recognized the description.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that if you don't produce Xue Qinghe tonight, Shrek Academy will cease to exist."

"We—we really didn't capture him! This is a setup!" Flender coughed up blood as he struggled to his feet, shielding Grandmaster.

Liu Erlong lay unconscious, severely injured. The other teachers had either been captured or killed. Only Flender and Grandmaster remained standing before Qian Daoliu.

Qian Daoliu sighed. "Since you can't deliver him, you're of no use to me. Kill them all."

With that, he turned and vanished into the darkness.

Blades flashed.

And just like that, Shrek Academy's leadership was wiped out.