The members of Shrek Academy had gathered in a private pavilion.
Seated in a wheelchair, Wang Yan stared at Xuanzi with disappointment in his eyes. He suppressed his anger and said,
"Elder Xuan, how could you withdraw from the tournament without permission?!"
"Do you have any idea how much damage this will do to Shrek Academy's reputation?!"
Xuanzi let out a long sigh.
"Wang Yan, withdrawing was the only option. Given the current strength of our team, if we wanted to secure a spot in the Top 4, we would have needed both:
Xu Jiawei to continue rigging the matchups.
My ingenious plan to cheat successfully.
Only by ensuring victory through these means could we save face.
Then, we could use the evil Soul Masters' attack to gain public sympathy.
At that point, even if we didn't win the championship, we would still be champions in the eyes of the people!
But now, only one of these conditions has been met.
For the sake of Shrek Academy's eternal glory, I had no choice but to withdraw!"
"You know me, Wang Yan… I always put Shrek's future first."
Xuanzi placed a firm hand on Wang Yan's shoulder and spoke with righteous conviction.
"But at the end of the day… this is all the fault of the evil Sun Moon Empire!"
"It's their soul tools that ruined my perfectly crafted plan!
If it weren't for them, my strategy would have been executed flawlessly!"
Shrek Academy's Twisted Mindset
To the people of Shrek Academy, cheating for the sake of their academy's honor was not shameful.
Instead, the real villains were those who obstructed them from upholding their "eternal glory."
Nearby, He Caitou sat in silence, feeling incredibly awkward.
As a descendant of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family, he felt that Xuanzi's words were becoming too extreme.
Just as he was about to speak, Bei Bei pressed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
His message was clear: "Now is not the time to argue with Elder Xuan."
How to Explain This to Shrek?
Wang Yan hesitated, then said,
"Elder Xuan, I think I understand your reasoning… but when we return to the academy, how will we explain this to the students and the Sea God's Pavilion elders?"
Xuanzi took a long drink from his wine flask, then replied,
"Wang Yan, don't worry about that. This is my responsibility."
"I will personally explain it to the Sea God's Pavilion elders. If necessary, I will resign!"
"As for the students… we'll tell them that Shrek Academy was forced to withdraw due to corruption and injustice!"
"I believe they will understand!"
Wang Dong couldn't hold back anymore.
"Elder Xuan! Are we going back to Shrek Academy now?"
She had traveled thousands of miles from Shrek Academy just to compete in this tournament.
Now that they had withdrawn, there was no point in staying.
But honestly? She still wanted to stay in Star Luo City for a while
This place was far more interesting than Haotian Sect.
Xuanzi grinned, then casually waved his hand.
"The tournament isn't over yet! Let's just watch the rest!"
He placed his wine flask down, crossed his arms behind his back, and declared,
"Besides, since the evil Sun Moon Empire ruined my flawless plan, I will now keep a close eye on all of their teams!"
"I need to make sure those bastards aren't cheating!"
"If they dare to manipulate the results, I will expose their disgraceful behavior!"
To Xuanzi, his own cheating was justifiable because it was for Shrek's honor.
But if the Sun Moon Empire cheated, it would be completely unacceptable.
The Star Luo Empire's Crisis
In the Star Luo Imperial Palace, Xu Jiawei sat on his throne, facing a white haired minister.
The minister was responsible for public security and had come to report on the situation.
"Your Majesty, the consequences of Shrek Academy's withdrawal are… severe."
"In just one hour, a large number of people have attempted suicide by jumping from Star Luo City's walls.
Thankfully, the Soul Master Regiment stationed nearby managed to rescue them in time."
"…What? Why are they trying to kill themselves?"
The minister hesitated.
He knew that His Majesty had studied at Shrek Academy before, so he was unsure of how to phrase his response.
Xu Jiawei waved his hand impatiently.
"These people all share a common trait "
"They bet everything they owned on Shrek Academy's guaranteed victory.
Some even sold their homes and soul tools to place massive bets."
"Under normal circumstances, Shrek Academy would never lose their first match… but no one expected them to withdraw outright!"
"As a result, these people lost everything and attempted suicide."
Xu Jiawei rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"…I see. Do whatever you can to handle the aftermath and save as many people as possible."
Although he didn't like these reckless gamblers, they were still citizens of Star Luo.
As their emperor, he couldn't ignore them.
The Starlight Auction House
The Starlight Auction House was one of the most prestigious auction houses in Star Luo Empire.
Now that the tournament had brought visitors from all over, the auction house was expecting record breaking profits.
At this moment, Jing Hongchen and his group entered the venue, taking their seats in a private auction hall.
Of course, they followed protocol, receiving and wearing the masks provided by the auction house.
Sipping on tea, Huo Yuhao relaxed and waited patiently.
To acquire the Living Gold Carving Knife
An essential tool for forging his Eye of Destiny.
As for Snow Empress' embryo, that wouldn't appear until a later auction.
And Shrek Academy's group?
Even with everyone wearing masks, he could easily recognize them.
After all, Shrek Academy's influence in the Star Luo Empire was immense.
With Dai Yueheng as the White Tiger Duke's son, their group always sat in the front row of Auction Hall 12.
At that moment, a woman in a purple dress stepped onto the auction stage.
With a charming smile, she addressed the guests:
"Good evening, esteemed guests."
"I am Qing Ya, a Purple Rank Auctioneer of Starlight Auction House."
"It is my pleasure to host tonight's auction."
"I hope all of you will find what you are looking for."
"Tonight's auction is a special one "
"Most of the items available are soul tools, so I'm sure none of you will leave disappointed!"
(End of chapter.)Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my . Read 15 Chapters In Advance: .com/Albino1