Douluo Continent: The Eye of Truth

Chapter 70 Passionate Speech

"Elder Mu, what brings you here?" On an empty rooftop outside Star Luo Square, Xuanzi looked somewhat awkwardly at the old man who had left Shrek Academy and arrived here at some point.

Although he appears crippled, as a Limit Douluo, Mu En can go anywhere on the Douluo Continent if he wants to, and even if he does, Star Luo City is definitely not among them.

At this moment, Ma Xiaotao had truly fallen into a coma, and her soul power had been sealed by Mu En, leaving her with no ability to move.

"Heh, what brings me here? If I hadn't come, were you going to just walk onto the stage and wreck the entire Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament?"

Upon hearing this, Xuanzi seemed to have been touched on something sensitive, but he still stubbornly said, "Elder Mu, but all of this started because of me. If it weren't for that damned evil soul master, I believe that with the strength of our Shrek Academy..."

"There's absolutely no way we could lose to the mere Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy! And if it weren't for their evil soul tool, Xiao Tao wouldn't be in this predicament. With Xiao Tao's strength, she's more than capable of leading the team to turn the tide!"

"I"

Xuanzi looked at Mu En's old face, which appeared somewhat unpredictable, as it was obscured by clouds in the sunlight, and his voice grew softer and softer.

"Speak! Why did you stop?" Mu En opened his eyes and looked at Xuan Zi, whose face was now flushed red, and said, "Do you know why I didn't find any other disciples from the inner courtyard to come to Xingluo City with you to participate in the competition?"

"Why should I let these young people go their own way and gain experience?"

"You, I am no longer the future of Shrek Academy. I am about to become the past of Shrek Academy, and you will eventually become just like me."

"Only they, only these children, are the hope for Shrek Academy's future. If everything has to rely on Shrek Academy's past glory and lingering brilliance to cover it up."

"Then when will the fledgling eagle be able to spread its wings and soar? Xuanzi, have you never failed, never lost, never experienced setbacks?"

"Setbacks make people grow, and even if the price of this growth is a bit high, it is worth it. People cannot hold on to the past."

At this point, Moon sighed and fell into a long silence.

That's what he says, but how can he let go? Shrek Academy is now out of his control. As the next leader, can Xuanzi really keep the ship of Shrek Academy sailing?

"I have already checked Xiao Tao's problem, and it is not a problem with the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy."

"Don't tell me you didn't realize that you, Shao Zhe, have failed in your duty."

"Glory and hope have caused Xiaotao so much suffering. You and I both bear an inescapable responsibility."

Xuanzi lowered his head and remained silent. Then Mu En continued, "Victory or defeat, it's all just fleeting smoke."

"If these children can overcome this, their future will be bright; but if they become obsessed with it," Moon shook his head.

"To reach the pinnacle, one needs aptitude, talent, temperament, and luck; none of these can be lacking. If any of these are missing, then even if one wastes one's entire life, one will not make any progress."

"This might be the last time I call on you, Xuanzi. Don't think I'm nagging." Mu En's gaze drifted into the distance as he watched the figure stagger out of Shrek Academy's rest area.

After much effort, Wang Yan finally got the chance to speak on stage. He sighed inwardly, realizing that most people in Shrek Academy had become rigid in their thinking.

He doesn't have much time left, and can only hope that these teenagers can learn from this experience and, with his help, avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.

As Wang Yan rushed onto the stage wielding a megaphone, and looking towards the distant imperial city viewing area, the Star Luo Empire's emperor gave a barely perceptible nod, and the Heavenly Fiend Douluo stepped aside to move to the center of the arena.

Wang Yan's voice, accompanied by the amplified soul guide device, resounded throughout the entire Star Luo Square.

Meanwhile, most viewers were still deeply affected by Shrek Academy's defeat and were unable to shake it off for a long time.

Even those gamblers who lost most or even all of their wealth due to gambling found it hard to believe and remained in a daze.

Because you have to understand, this is Shrek Academy! How could Shrek Academy possibly lose? Am I dreaming?

There were no angry shouts or yells, only a strange and eerie silence that suppressed the spirits of the spectators in Xingluo Square.

"Everyone, I am Wang Yan, the teacher in charge of the Shrek Academy team. I have a few words to say."

Upon hearing the sound and the keyword "Shrek Academy" that had aroused everyone's reaction, all eyes were now on Wang Yan.

Everyone's gaze seemed to carry a tangible force, pressing down on Wang Yan.

But Wang Yan couldn't care less about that now. He only hoped to do everything he could to salvage the glory that originally belonged to Shrek Academy.

"Dear viewers and residents of the Star Luo Empire, we are sorry that Shrek Academy has disappointed you this time, but our children from Shrek Academy have truly done their best."

"The blame for the failure lies entirely with me, and has nothing to do with these children who fought to the last moment to uphold the honor of the academy."

At this point, Wang Yan's voice trembled slightly as he said, "Our Shrek Academy is revered as the number one academy on the continent, and we have never let everyone down in any competition."

"We had made thorough preparations for this competition, but no one can decide whether tomorrow or an accident will come first."

"Most of the team members that Shrek Academy sent to participate in this competition are reserve team members who are under the age of fifteen."

"Originally, this competition was just a training ground for them. They were all young, with the oldest being fifteen and the youngest being twelve. Their strength ranged from Soul Master to Great Soul Master."

"But the reason they took on the responsibility of facing strong teams was because of me, because of my negligence."

At this point, Wang Yan's voice was particularly somber: "Originally, this involves the secrets of the academy, and I shouldn't be revealing it here, but I want to clear the names of these children, and I want to clear the names of our Shrek Academy."

Wang Yan's voice echoed in Xingluo Square, reaching the ears of everyone present.

Some were dismissive, some were doubtful, but most were curious. Indeed, as Wang Yan said, Shrek Academy's lineup was incomplete, and Ma Xiaotao was taken away due to unforeseen circumstances, making it even more incomplete.

"What are the Shrek Academy people doing? Can't they accept defeat?" Xiao Hongchen frowned as he looked at the competition stage from the rest area of ​​the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

Meanwhile, the instructors from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy shook their heads in confusion, but they could also sense the meaning behind Wang Yan's words.

"Hahaha, second brother, I'm dying of laughter." It wasn't in the stands, but in a house with a clear view of the stadium.

A tall, middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, with an unusually thick right arm, laughed loudly. He kept slapping the table next to him with that strange right arm, and with each slap, the tabletop shattered into pieces.

Although the sound wasn't very clear after it reached Star Luo Square, it still wasn't a problem for high-level Soul Masters to hear it clearly.

"Hmph, isn't that how Shrek Academy is? They like to stand on the moral high ground and look down on and suppress other forces."

"However, such shamelessness can be quite troublesome if you encounter it, after all, our sect has always had a bad reputation, or rather, it's mostly because of Shrek Academy."

Another man, though small in stature, had an unusually large head and piercing eyes, answered.

"Observe and learn more. Even if our sect doesn't use it, we should at least understand what these hypocrites from Shrek Academy are up to, so we don't fall into their trap in the future."

These two were naturally Lang Ya and Yu Tao from the Body Sect. Although they were not well-known, they were disciples of the Body Sect who traveled outside the mainland and understood the situation on the continent.

Wang Yan continued to recount that disastrous day, triggered by the messenger of death, that affected the Shrek Academy's supervisory group and the inner disciples.

Of course, in addition to the original experience, a lot of artistic embellishment has been added.

For example, it obscures the strength of the Grim Reaper and exaggerates the various evil deeds committed by the Grim Reaper bandit gang.

It also highlights the selfless and fearless spirit of the inner disciples of Shrek Academy's supervisory group.

Because of Shrek Academy's nearly 10,000-year-old reputation, most of the audience was deeply attracted by Wang Yan's narration and believed what he said.

"It was precisely because of this vicious Grim Reaper that one of the original team members died, one was seriously injured, and the other five suffered injuries of varying degrees."

"That's why, in the previous knockout and round-robin tournaments, we mostly fielded reserve team members."

"It wasn't until some time into the round-robin tournament that our Shrek Academy's starting team members recovered somewhat."

"But the Grim Reaper's methods are insidious, and the evil soul masters' abilities are bizarre. In reality, these children are still fighting while injured."

"Even Ma Xiaotao, the strongest member of our Shrek Academy's regular team, had a hidden problem due to her battle with that Death Messenger, coupled with the soul tool from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, which led to her..."

At this point, Wang Yan's words caught in his throat.

At this moment, most of the audience, like him, seemed to empathize and feel the tragic scene faced by the Shrek Inspection Team.

"??? Am I that strong? How come I didn't know about this?" In a secluded corner, an inconspicuous, thin, middle-aged man muttered to himself.

This man was none other than the escaped messenger of death. In reality, his reason for forming the bandit gang was largely due to the instructions of the Holy Spirit Cult.

Or rather, the reason he was able to obtain a soul tool and fight the Star Luo Empire's border guards for so long was...

Aside from the fact that the Star Luo Empire's border guards were in a terrible state, the main reason was that he had the Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult behind him, which were transferring supplies to him.

As the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament is a grand event held every five years in the Soul Master world, after losing its foothold, the Death Messenger and some evil Soul Masters dispersed and infiltrated Star Luo City.

Find an opportunity to hunt down some low-level Soul Masters from outside the region who have no background.

After all, the benefits that a Soul Master's flesh, resentment, and soul can provide far exceed those of ordinary people.

Apart from the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament, most soul masters generally have fixed activity areas and spheres of influence. Unless they are all killed, evil soul masters cannot easily make a move.

The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament is a mixed bag; if one or two people go missing, it's difficult to track them down unless they are core members of major powers.

As for the patrols, protection, and order maintenance done by the civilian soldiers of the Star Luo Empire, it's really not a problem for these evil soul masters, since what they are best at is fighting with people.

As long as they don't provoke those powerful forces, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament is also a feast for evil soul masters.

"It was because I, the team leader, was not strong enough that this situation occurred. Even the son of the White Tiger Duke, Dai Yueheng, who was originally the captain of our Shrek Academy's regular team, sacrificed himself."

Wang Yan bowed deeply and then said, "This is my dereliction of duty as a teacher. I am sorry to these children, sorry to the academy, and sorry to everyone. I have failed to live up to your expectations of Shrek Academy. It is all my fault."

"These children have given their all and fought to the very end."

After listening to Wang Yan's words, most of the audience's opinions underwent a subtle change.

The initial shock of Shrek Academy's fall from grace shifted to feelings towards Wang Yan personally. It was because of him that Shrek Academy's team failed, rather than the school itself having problems.

However, because Wang Yan was able to stand up and take responsibility for these consequences, the negative feelings towards Wang Yan as a person have also lessened considerably.

"Is this the spirit of craftsmanship?" Huo Yuhao muttered to himself. "I wonder where Wang Yan learned this from."

But now that he's ready to go and the competition is over, what's the point of staying in Xingluo City?

Mu En, who was in the distance, shook his head and said to Xuan Zi, "Let's go back to the academy. Your grand-disciple is just like you."

From Wang Yan's perspective, it's hard to say whether it's right or wrong, but it's the best solution he could come up with.

Ultimately, this world is one where strength speaks.

He was able to win back the goodwill of the audience at Star Luo Square towards Shrek Academy, but how could he win back the hearts of those more distant commoners and Soul Masters who had not listened to his story?

They could uphold the honor of Shrek Academy, but they couldn't let it go. This very honor of Shrek Academy might actually be the culprit that led to the academy's demise.

(End of this chapter)