"Hmph!" Yue Zhengyu let out a bitter snort.
"Yuanen Yehui's cultivation has advanced so quickly—it must be because of Di Tian."
"True dragons love collecting rare treasures. Di Tian ruled the Great Star Dou Forest for countless ages; the rare treasures he possesses must be immeasurable."
"Wulin already said that through the spiritual projection manifested by Elder Da Ming, he personally saw Di Tian break through Yuanen Yehui's…"
Yue Zhengyu was speaking recklessly, but before he could finish, his wife Xu Xiaoyan elbowed him hard, sending him staggering and cutting him off mid-sentence.
Before he could continue, Xu Xiaoyan reached out her fair hand and directly covered his already open mouth.
"Mmmf mmmf…" Only muffled noises escaped.
Yue Zhengyu struggled free from Xu Xiaoyan's grip with clear dissatisfaction—he knew exactly what he was saying.
He deliberately wanted to tell Xie Xie: You and Yuanen Yehui are over! She might even have a child with Di Tian! If you try to cling to her, she might say, "You're not worthy to raise his child!"
Xie Xie, already physically injured, now suffered even more from emotional wounds.
Every possibility struck his heart like a heavy hammer.
Now, with Yuanen Yehui having fallen into the path of evil soul masters, Xie Xie even came to resent Di Tian, blaming him for turning the once pure girl he had loved into a wicked demoness.
The more he thought about it, the more suffocated he felt. He quickly shook his head forcefully and changed the subject:
"Enough, let's stop talking about Yehui."
"Even if she's gained the help of the rare treasures Di Tian collected and uses the evil cultivation methods of the Holy Spirit Church to surpass us in strength and cultivation…"
"She still won't be a match for Wulin. He's about to complete the Nine Trials of the Asura God."
"Once he inherits the divine throne of the Asura God, a true god will be among us."
"Rebuilding Shrek Academy, revitalizing Tang Sect, counterattacking from the edges of the continent toward its center, and one day standing against the soul beasts—all of this must be set in motion. It's also time to consider rebuilding the Sea God statue and offering worship to the Sea God's divine position."
"The list of allies and forces we've contacted should be brought into the open."
After dragging things out for a while, the core topic of their gathering was finally brought up.
The first to speak was Ye Xinglan, who represented Xu Lizhi as well.
Together, the two represented a powerful union of soul master families, now bonded by marriage. A husband-and-wife duo of four-word battle armor masters—one offensive, one supportive—greatly increased their families' influence.
Since Di Tian's devastating blow that wiped out the upper echelon of humanity's power, the Shrek Seven Monsters had rapidly risen, their cultivation leaving others far behind. Many families and forces chose to align with them.
After all, the rise of the Shrek Seven Monsters looked like a surefire investment with guaranteed returns.
To many, it felt like a dream from twenty thousand years ago had returned: when Tang San ascended the Sea God's position on Sea God Island, leading that generation of rapidly rising Shrek Seven Monsters to defeat the then-evil but ever-strengthening Spirit Hall.
This moment mirrored that one.
Today's leader of the Shrek Seven Monsters, Tang Wulin—the son of gods—was gathering strength in the shadows.
The other members of this generation's Shrek Seven were also soaring in power, becoming the frontrunners of their era.
Di Tian and the forces that bombed Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect headquarters were equivalent to the evil Spirit Hall of the past.
It was uncanny—far too similar!
Thus, many families and forces developed the heart of a "dragon follower."
Let it not be forgotten: the original Shrek Academy became the continent's number one academy due to the Shrek Seven Monsters, reigning for twenty thousand years.
"The Northern Sea Legion, and behind them the Shen family—originally the dovish faction within the Sun Moon Federation's parliament—have past ties with Shrek Academy and are willing to support us."
"From the Blood God Legion's side, the Yun family represented by Pavilion Master Yun Ming's cousin, as well as the Jiang and Long families once mentored by the late Senior Cao Dezhi, are also willing to support the rebuilding of Shrek Academy."
"Among the hidden sects: the Ning family of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect in the Seven Treasure Mountain Range; the Tang family of the Clear Sky Sect in Haotian Fortress; the Xu family of the Xuanming Sect in the secluded lands of mountains and waters—all are willing to stand with us."
"And…"
The forces Ye Xinglan listed as potential allies were mostly ones with past ties to Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect.
Of course, some had even been former enemies—forces with "unclean hands" during the bombing of Shrek City, where both Shrek Academy and Tang Sect were located.
There are no eternal enemies in this world, only eternal interests.
The side represented by the Shrek Seven Monsters needed significant support—especially beings who could provide faith energy to reforge the Sea God's divine position.
Meanwhile, the interest-driven families and factions needed a future filled with glory and prestige.
Thus, both sides quickly found common ground—like a match made in heaven—and joyfully came together.
After Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi finished sharing their report, the next to speak was Yue Zhengyu, who had been developing influence in the south.
As the wealthiest family on the continent, the Angel Clan's high-end combat power and southern legion had been mostly destroyed during the battle with Di Tian, but their wealth remained intact.
Therefore, the task of reaching out overseas to connect with forces on the Heavenly Soul and Star Luo continents fell to the Angel Clan, under Yue Zhengyu's lead.
"Though sea soul beasts are wreaking havoc across the oceans, even if only one in ten ships make it through, we can still break out if our fleet is large enough."
"After all, the ocean is vast and boundless. The current number of sea soul beasts isn't enough to monitor everything."
"The route of life we've discovered can at least give us a way out—to retreat to Heavenly Soul, or stand our ground in Star Luo, as part of our strategic shift."
After Ye Xinglan, Xu Lizhi, and Yue Zhengyu finished sharing, their gazes turned toward Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan.
What they saw, however, was a look of distress that made their hearts sink.
Seeing Xie Xie's poor state, Xu Xiaoyan took over the task of sharing intel and said:
"Our side hasn't had much success. The Body Sect has been destroyed, for starters. Even more troubling, our efforts to consolidate former sites linked to Shrek Academy, the Tang Sect, and affiliated forces have faced catastrophic setbacks."
"A black-robed, white-haired woman destroyed the former site of the Qian Kun Wenqing Valley."
"The Devil Island, once a trial ground of Shrek Academy and now under the Northern Sea Legion's watch, has also been overtaken by sea soul beasts."
"…"
After the bad news, naturally came some good news.
"The new site for rebuilding Shrek Academy, as well as the materials needed for construction, are all ready. We're just waiting for the moment Wulin ascends and the god statue is established."
Xu Xiaoyan then unfolded a map of the continent and, with a finger as delicate as a dragonfly skimming water, pointed to a city in the continent's east.
(End of Chapter)