CHAPTER 109: The Soul King Who Shamed Shrek

Chapter 109: The Soul King Who Shamed Shrek

Yan Shaozhe's brow twitched violently the moment he heard Xiao Qiang's voice. He could ignore the mocking voices from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, but the true problem lay elsewhere—Xiao Qiang's words had ignited the curiosity of tens of thousands of spectators. Worse still, it stirred their deep feelings for Shrek Academy.

"Dean Yan! Tell these running dogs of the Sun Moon Empire what Shrek has done for this continent! What level of evil soul masters did our juniors sacrifice themselves against? Let these bastards from the Sun Moon Empire know how great Shrek truly is!"

"That's right, Dean Yan! Even though I left Shrek after graduating from the outer school and wasn't talented enough to make it into the inner school, Shrek's glory lives on in our hearts! Speak up! Let them know the level of evil soul master our juniors faced and how bravely they fought! Let those lapdogs of the Wangriyue Empire see what true courage looks like!"

Among the tens of thousands of spectators present, many were alumni of Shrek's outer school. As soon as Xiao Qiang's words touched upon Shrek's honor, these people practically jumped up, roaring to defend their alma mater.

It was well-known now that Shrek had lost four of the Shrek Seven Devils in a single battle. To both Shrek loyalists and neutral onlookers, this could only mean that the battle against the evil soul master must have been unimaginably brutal. It had to be a desperate, last-stand effort for the good of the continent—defeat accepted as long as it upheld the honor of Shrek.

Amidst this overwhelming tide of emotion, Yan Shaozhe realized he couldn't stay silent like before. After all, these passionate voices were in defense of Shrek. If the academy were to suppress them, it would risk ruining its own reputation entirely.

But Yan Shaozhe knew the truth.

That battle hadn't been some noble sacrifice for the continent. No—Shrek's team had merely targeted a lone evil soul master without sufficient backing, believing they could quickly eliminate him. No one expected that the target, though not a direct member of the Holy Spirit Church, would cause such a disaster. The entire elite squad had been sent, and four had died. If not for Dai Yueheng's preparation with defensive soul tools, and Ma Xiaotao hanging back due to the instability of her Evil Fire, the entire team might have been annihilated.

Yet in the square, the calls grew louder.

"Dean! Say it! Tell them what level of evil soul master we Shrek warriors fought against! Let these dogs of the Sun Moon Empire know the kind of enemy we dared to challenge!"

Yan Shaozhe felt cornered. He didn't want to say it. But the people around the square believed it was a battle for the continent, a selfless sacrifice despite knowing the odds. Their roaring voices left him no way out, dragging him step by step toward revealing the truth.

Seeing the crowd's deep reverence for Shrek, Yan Shaozhe finally made a decision. Since the specific strength of the evil soul master hadn't been made public, and since Xiao Qiang had only speculated whether the opponent was a Titled Douluo, Yan decided to speak half the truth.

"This time, Shrek did not face an evil soul master of the Titled Douluo level," he said slowly, "but an extremely powerful and terrifying evil soul master. Shrek paid a heavy price to eliminate him."

"Did you hear that?! You running dogs of the Sun Moon Empire!" one spectator roared triumphantly. "Shrek dared to stand against a powerful evil soul master! That kind of courage! And you dare claim victory over heroes who gave everything for the world?!"

"That's right! Shrek is a hundred—no, ten thousand times stronger than you!"

Xiao Qiang remained unfazed amid the abuse. After all, this was the Douluo Three Realms—the heartland of Shrek's supporters and naturally, his own adversaries. He didn't bother responding to them.

Instead, he continued his questioning with a look of innocent curiosity.

"So… not a Titled Douluo-level evil soul master, huh?" he tilted his head. "Then, Dean Yan, does that mean the one who overwhelmed Shrek was a Soul Douluo?"

The crowd still roared with righteous fervor, their belief in Shrek unshaken. But their blind devotion made Yan Shaozhe feel even more uncomfortable.

He was tempted to lie and say it was a Soul Douluo. But he knew that the battle at the Mingdou Mountain Range might be investigated. If he lied now, the truth would eventually come out—and Shrek's shame would deepen tenfold.

"No," Yan Shaozhe answered heavily. "It was not a Soul Douluo."

A hush fell over the arena. The crowd went quiet, their cheers and curses dying in their throats.

Shrek had always claimed invincibility at the same level. And now they learned that two Soul Emperors were defeated… by someone weaker. That wasn't glory. That wasn't sacrifice. It was miscalculation—maybe even arrogance.

But Xiao Qiang didn't stop.

"Oh… not a Titled Douluo, not a Soul Douluo," he mused aloud. "Then, was the opponent a Soul Sage? A powerful Soul Saint, perhaps?"

Again, the silence was suffocating. The tension thickened.

Yan Shaozhe clenched his fists. The expectations in the crowd's eyes made him wish he could vanish from the stage.

"No," he admitted again, nearly spitting the word.

A wave of disbelief rolled through the square. Even the most loyal Shrek supporters were dumbfounded. Their so-called heroes hadn't sacrificed themselves in glorious battle—they'd been crushed by someone far beneath what they had expected.

Xiao Qiang's eyes widened in exaggerated surprise. "Wait a second," he said, as if the idea had only just occurred to him. "Not a Titled Douluo, not a Soul Douluo, not even a Soul Saint… Don't tell me… it was a Soul Emperor who defeated Shrek?"

He paused, feigning shock, and then twisted the knife.

"Wait, no way. It couldn't have been a Soul King, right? Right?!"

Yan Shaozhe's expression darkened as he glanced at the Unbreakable Douluo beside Xiao Qiang and then at Jing Hongchen, who stood ready to act at any time. He barely held back the urge to lunge forward and slap Xiao Qiang dead on the spot.

He gritted his teeth. "Although he was only a Soul King, his soul skills were extremely powerful. And we all know that evil soul masters often possess abilities that defy level restrictions."

"Ohhh," Xiao Qiang nodded, looking impressed. "So it was a Soul King! Still, if his soul skills were so powerful… does that mean he had a hundred-thousand-year soul ring?"

Yan Shaozhe was more alert now and didn't fall for the trap. "No. Do you think hundred-thousand-year soul rings are as common as cabbages in a market?"

"Right, right," Xiao Qiang nodded again, pretending to agree. "I was thinking too much. But surely, if this Soul King was strong enough to defeat Shrek, he must've had multiple ten-thousand-year soul rings, right?"

Yan Shaozhe: "…"

He had no answer.

The crowd was silent again. Only Xiao Qiang's voice continued to echo, poking and prodding at the pride of a once-untouchable academy.

And in that silence, the truth had already taken root.