CHAPTER 110: The Scandal of Shrek’s Defeat

Chapter 110: The Scandal of Shrek's Defeat

When Xiao Qiang mentioned that the evil soul master who defeated Shrek likely possessed multiple ten-thousand-year soul rings, Yan Shaozhe found himself at a complete loss for words.

Not only was it true that Shrek had been wiped out by a lone Soul King, but that Soul King didn't even have a single ten-thousand-year soul ring. Though evil soul masters did enjoy some natural advantages in combat, the fact that this particular one had taken down the entire Shrek team with such a ring configuration was utterly embarrassing—so much so that it could barely be spoken aloud.

Left with no way to defend Shrek's humiliating loss, Yan Shaozhe chose silence. But Xiao Qiang was relentless.

"No way, no way! You're not denying it at all. Are you telling me that the evil soul master didn't even have a single ten-thousand-year soul ring? Just a Soul King with two yellow and three purple soul rings?"

"Not two yellow and three purple," Yan Shaozhe replied instinctively.

"You're saying it's not two yellow and three purple, but you're not denying that he didn't have a ten-thousand-year soul ring. So… three yellow and two purple, then?" Xiao Qiang continued, feigning ignorance but pressing the issue with precision.

Yan Shaozhe remained silent, but his expression gave everything away—Xiao Qiang had hit the mark.

The crowd exploded.

"What?! Two Soul Emperors and five Soul Kings from Shrek were taken down by a single Soul King with three yellow and two purple soul rings? That's insane!"

"Well… he is an evil soul master. That's… normal, right?"

"Normal? Evil soul masters are strong, sure, maybe they can jump ten levels in battle. But Shrek had two Soul Emperors and five Soul Kings! One of those Soul Kings had a Rainbow Dragon Martial Spirit that provides a 60% buff! Even a Soul Saint couldn't beat that lineup! Are evil soul masters really that terrifying? That Soul King jumped over twenty levels in combat!"

Amidst the uproar, a certain evil soul master hidden in the audience was stunned. That soul ring configuration—three yellow and two purple—wasn't that exactly what his disciple had? Had the boy been telling the truth all along?

The boy had claimed to singlehandedly wipe out a Shrek elite team and even escape from the hands of a Titled Douluo with a terrifying two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red soul ring configuration. Back then, the master had dismissed that last claim as sheer nonsense, full of holes.

But now…

His student's initial claims had proven true. Could that final statement be true as well? Could he have really escaped a Super Douluo?

No. That shouldn't be possible.

…Unless…

Unless the Titled Douluo wasn't truly a loyal member of Shrek—but a hidden agent from their own Holy Church embedded within Shrek!

Perhaps he recognized the disciple's talent and intentionally let him escape, preserving a valuable asset for the future of the Holy Church!

The more he considered it, the more everything made sense. That elder must be one of them!

Eyes widening in realization, the eight-ringed Soul Douluo urgently activated his soul guide communicator.

"Xiaobai! Let your junior brother go immediately! I was wrong. He didn't lie. He survived because the Titled Douluo was actually our Grand Elder!"

The Death Messenger's Senior Brother: "…"

What? A Titled Douluo from Shrek… is actually our Grand Elder?

What the hell is he doing undercover in Shrek? Is he secretly helping us locate the Holy Son and Holy Daughter?

Confused and full of questions he didn't dare ask, the senior brother obeyed his teacher's orders and let the heavily injured junior brother go.

Later, after bandaging his wounds, the junior brother was informed by his teacher that he would report him to the leader to be groomed as the Holy Son.

Gratitude welled up in his heart.

But not long after, he blew up his senior brother and ran away.

Something wasn't right.

They suddenly stopped beating him, and now wanted to promote him? Suspicious. It was all too fishy. Maybe this was a trap—a way to turn him into a sacrificial tool.

"Hmph! You think I don't understand your trickery? That soul guide communicator message was meant to lull me into lowering my guard. You think I'm stupid?!"

He fled the scene, cursing, and in doing so, missed a genuine opportunity to become the Holy Son of the Holy Spirit Church.

Meanwhile, in the tournament arena, the spectators were filled with doubt and suspicion toward Shrek Academy.

Yan Shaozhe regretted ever admitting that Shrek's elite team had died during a battle against evil soul masters.

No matter how one spun the story, there was simply no excusing the fact that a team composed of two Soul Emperors and five Soul Kings had been wiped out by a lone Soul King with no ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Especially considering Shrek's reputation of being undefeated among peers of the same level—this result was more than a little humiliating.

And Xiao Qiang wasn't finished adding salt to the wound.

"A five-ring Soul King, no ten-thousand-year soul ring, and yet he almost annihilated the entire Shrek Seven Devils? That's what you're telling us?"

"And yet," Xiao Qiang continued, "you've always prided yourselves on eliminating so-called evil soul masters. I've even heard that inner courtyard students must kill thirty evil soul masters before they can graduate. Are you sure all those executed were truly evil soul masters? Or were you using that label as a cover to eliminate angel martial soul users—the very ones most dangerous to your own students, should they ever fall to darkness?"

"We at Shrek never claim to be righteous," Yan Shaozhe replied sharply. "And furthermore, our students are raised under our own guidance. They would never fall to becoming evil soul masters!"

Though his tone was righteous, his own heart wavered with doubt.

Xiao Qiang caught the contradiction immediately.

"Oh? So you admit it then? You've been targeting angel martial spirit users—those most dangerous to evil soul masters? No wonder the number of evil soul masters skyrocketed after the war ten thousand years ago, once Spirit Hall was destroyed. Before that, there were barely any."

"Enough!" Yan Shaozhe snapped. "That war was a war of justice, sanctioned by both the former Heavenly Soul Empire and the current Star Luo Empire! If you don't believe me, ask the emperor yourself!"

Xiao Qiang turned toward the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, Xu Jiawei.

The emperor stood up and gave a calm response. "The Spirit Hall's evils were monstrous and undeniable. Senior Tang San led the two empires in eradicating them. It was a righteous war, beyond question."

Xiao Qiang nodded slowly. He knew it wouldn't be easy to take down Shrek's status in a single day, not with just words. But there was no rush. Truth had a way of surfacing in time.

"Well," he said, smiling, "destroying angel martial spirits—those most dangerous to evil soul masters—might have been a smart long-term move. After all, I don't know exactly what happened ten thousand years ago. Even if your actions were justified back then…"

He sighed, voice filled with exaggerated pity.

"A team that can be wiped out by a five-ring Soul King without a single ten-thousand-year ring… probably could be defeated by a four-ring soul master with an angel martial spirit. And yet I had such a hard time fighting them. Ugh…"

His tone had no aggression—only pure, unfiltered mockery.