Su Yue's eyes lowered slightly, concealing a flicker of emotion that passed through her gaze.
Although she had roughly known before that human emotions were far more abundant than those of other beings, often leading to impulsive actions, watching the interactions of the people from Shrek Academy puzzled her. Their time together hadn't been particularly long, and their feelings for each other should not have reached such depths yet.
Logically, sacrificing oneself to buy a nearly nonexistent chance of survival for those students was not a wise decision.
That human Soul Saint, although appearing reckless and coarse, was clearly not a fool. How could he not understand this?
"Surprised?"
"A little." Su Yue nodded, not denying it. "This Soul Saint doesn't actually need to go all out. A genius who grows to their full potential can truly be considered a genius. Comparatively, a Soul Saint whose potential is not yet exhausted is more valuable to humanity. Moreover, even if these young Soul Masters grow smoothly, half of them won't become Title Douluo. What's more, even if he really self-destructs, he still can't save these kids."
"You're mistaken. His choice has nothing to do with the talent of these children. When he initially selected students, perhaps he did consider their potential, but once a teacher-student relationship was established, those considerations became secondary. Today, he's doing this simply because he's a teacher, and protecting his students is his responsibility."
Su Yue's face showed a trace of realization.
If this was the explanation, it made sense. It wasn't about weighing pros and cons but about some sort of conviction.
However, what followed was deeper confusion and a faint sense of disdain.
She sneered lightly, "And this counts as responsibility?"
Shouldn't things like the survival of a race or the righteousness of an entire species be the only causes worth sacrificing one's life for?
If one day she were asked to die to protect Di Tian and the others, she would absolutely refuse.
It wasn't because she feared death but because she had a far greater mission.
"Of course, it counts." Su Cheng heard her disdain but didn't mind. He turned to her and asked, "Have you ever thought about what it is you truly pursue?"
"My pursuit?"
Su Yue furrowed her brow and thought for a moment before slowly shaking her head, "If you mean reviving the Dragon Clan, then for me, that doesn't count as a pursuit. It's simply my instinct. I was born for this."
"I see. I was measuring others by my own standards." Su Cheng sighed in reflection, turning to watch Zhao Wuji, whose aura surged on the battlefield.
"Your Dragon Clan, from the moment you're born, are naturally strong, carrying unique legacies and gifts, and possessing long lifespans. Naturally, you won't be lost in defining yourselves, nor will you need to choose the end of your path.
"We humans, unlike the Dragon Clan or Soul Beasts, are as fleeting as morning dew, born short-lived, and thus spend our lives seeking. We seek longevity, reunion, peace… always striving to gain, only to lose it again.
"Perhaps to you, a mere moment of sleep could pass by entire eras in the human world, with generations of lives coming and going. But it's through such generational transmission that we've arrived at our current state.
"It's precisely because we are born lacking that we must compensate for it later. Humanity continuously produces countless outstanding individuals who drive our development, not relying on just one person.
"Their characters may be despicable, their methods vile, but they still gradually push progress forward. Even if some stray from the path, others will correct it. This is the power of inheritance and also the power of the human spirit."
Su Cheng turned to Su Yue again. "If you don't understand this, then you won't understand why humans are the spirits of all living things."
"Humans are the spirits of all living things?" Su Yue softly repeated, her eyes revealing a trace of undisguised sarcasm.
If humans were the spirits of all living things, what did that make the Dragon Clan?
When the Dragon Clan once stood at the pinnacle of all realms, they were far stronger than humans are today.
But she didn't argue further.
Because at this point, she had no choice but to admit that humans and dragons were indeed quite different.
Their growth was astonishingly fast.
"Keep watching…"
At that moment, Ye Zhiqiu, who was facing Zhao Wuji, had a strange glint in his eye before saying, "Since you're already prepared to risk your life, I'll give you another option. As long as you complete three tasks, I'll let you all go today."
"You—"
"Enough nonsense. Do you want to live or not?"
Zhao Wuji felt extremely frustrated.
In the past, he had been hunted by the Power Clan, pursued by the Spirit Hall, but he had never fallen into such a situation.
Although he was currently outmatched, the coward in front of him was clearly intimidated by his threat of self-destruction.
Given that, why was he still making demands?
Ye Zhiqiu seemed to see through his thoughts and said bluntly, "I'm not here to reason with you. I'm stronger, so I'm teaching troublemakers like you a lesson. If you don't agree, go ahead and self-destruct. I'd love to see how powerful a Soul Saint's self-destruction is and whether it could take my life."
"…"
Zhao Wuji was momentarily stunned, then gradually calmed his aura.
Panting heavily, he asked, "What conditions do you need to let us go?"
"You, as a teacher of the academy, don't know how to set a proper example. You act without respect and have no sense of propriety. This is your fault. Kneel down and kowtow three times to show your repentance."
"What?!" Zhao Wuji looked up in shock, flames of anger rising in his eyes. "You're dreaming!"
At that moment, Su Cheng suddenly asked Su Yue, "Do you think he'll agree?"
Su Yue glanced at Zhao Wuji, whose expression was constantly shifting, recalling his previous willingness to self-destruct rather than give in. She hesitated and said, "He probably won't agree, right? But if he refuses, are you really going to kill them?"
"If it were you, what would you choose?"
"I would rather die," Su Yue replied without hesitation.
"And you wouldn't care about the Dragon Clan's survival?"
"…"
Su Cheng didn't press further when she fell silent. Instead, he remarked, "I think he'll agree."
"Because of the 'responsibility' you mentioned earlier?"
"Yes, because of responsibility."
"Does even dignity not matter?"
Su Cheng merely smiled. "Just watch."
"Don't rush. I'm not done yet. It won't be that easy for you." Ye Zhiqiu, unfazed by Zhao Wuji's anger, continued, "That fat guy and the boy who was disrespectful earlier must also each kowtow three times to my students."
Dai Mubai: "..."
Ma Hongjun: "..."
Everyone else: "..."
The room fell silent, save for Zhao Wuji's heavy breathing, echoing through the hotel lobby.
After a while, Ning Rongrong bit her lip, lowered her head, and whispered, "It… it was our fault anyway. Apologizing isn't such a big deal…"
Though her voice was small, all the soul masters present heard it clearly in the silence.
Dai Mubai lifted his head, glaring venomously at Ning Rongrong.
He already didn't like this young lady from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, but now, seeing her kick him while he was down, his resentment grew.
At this moment, his hatred for her surpassed even that of the opposing Ye Zhiqiu.
Ma Hongjun remained pale and silent, while Oscar pressed his lips tightly, his gaze flickering.
Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly, also feeling uncomfortable.
She understood Ning Rongrong's mindset.
As a little princess, she wasn't the one being asked to kowtow, so naturally, she didn't care much. As long as she could preserve her life, nothing else mattered.
Moreover, she had always disliked Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun and had little respect for the teachers at the academy.
Tang San, seeing someone finally speak up, sighed in relief.
He had been waiting for others to step in.
Xiao Wu had also wanted to speak earlier, but Tang San had stopped her just in time.
Tang San knew well that this was not the time to stick out. The situation was already easing; there was no need to rush.
Speaking rashly now could easily make someone a target for others' frustrations later.
Zhao Wuji sighed and gave Ning Rongrong a deep look, about to say something.
"The third thing." But at this moment, Ye Zhiqiu spoke again.
"Although most of the others didn't act disrespectfully, they didn't stop it either, so they also need to kowtow and apologize. In the end, your so-called 'daring to cause trouble makes you outstanding' is nothing more than bullying the weak while fearing the strong. But I won't force this point. You seven can substitute for each other, as long as you collectively make up five more kowtows, and this matter will be settled."
Having said this, he found a chair to sit on and said lightly, "I'll give you five minutes to think it over. Life or death, it's your choice now."
"He's actually going to agree..." On the other side, Su Yue noticed Zhao Wuji's shifting attitude and felt somewhat surprised.
She then turned to Su Cheng and asked, "What do you mean by that last request, letting them substitute for each other?"
"Not everyone must personally kowtow. For example, Zhao Wuji might take all the kowtows upon himself."
"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of disciplining the others?"
"This is a negotiation, not a matter of rigid rules." Su Cheng turned his head and smiled slightly, adding in a meaningful tone, "And most importantly, he's giving them a way out."
He wanted to see if he could directly break up the Shrek Seven Devils' team.
This time, the simulation's task was to "Change the fate of key individuals."
Logically, this should have been almost effortless, hardly worthy of being called a task. It was something that could be easily done in passing.
After all, in reality, many people's fates had already been altered because of him.
However, there was something about this that struck him as unusual.
Zhu Zhuqing had awakened a different Spirit, possessing the powerful Hell White Tiger, yet she still joined Shrek Academy.
While this could be explained logically, it seemed too coincidental.
After all, considering both the timing of her departure from the Star Luo Empire and her background, many things should have changed by now.
But in the face of so many variables, Zhu Zhuqing still chose this academy. This probably couldn't be explained by simple coincidence.
Meanwhile, Zhao Wuji stood still like a giant boulder, silent and with a deep, concentrated aura.
Had it not been for the occasional flashes of light in his half-closed eyes, one might have thought he had fallen asleep.
"Teacher Zhao..."
"Teacher Zhao, we've caused you trouble."
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun exchanged glances before lowering their heads, speaking in turn with hints of fear in their voices.
"...Alright, it wasn't entirely your fault today."
After a long while, Zhao Wuji finally spoke, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
"So, Teacher Zhao, we..."
Dai Mubai hesitated.
He really didn't want to follow that Ye Zhiqiu's suggestion of kneeling and admitting fault.
As the prince of the Star Luo Empire, and a young, talented Soul Master, how could he do something so demeaning?
So Dai Mubai turned to Tang San with a hopeful look, "Xiao San, your hidden weapons..."
Tang San shook his head, his eyes flashing slightly, "Boss Dai, there's nothing we can do. The difference in strength is too great. That was a Soul Douluo, the strongest below Titled Douluo."
Zhao Wuji sighed helplessly, "As your teacher, being unable to protect you is my own incompetence. Today serves as a lesson. But don't be discouraged. The other side was simply using their age and seniority to bully the young, nothing more. As for Ye Zhiqiu's final demand..."
At this, he glanced at the students who had followed him out, his expression hesitant.
Oscar was easier to handle—kneeling wouldn't be too much of a problem for him. But the others were trickier.
Tang San had Tang Hao behind him. If this matter reached that powerhouse's ears, it wouldn't just end with a scolding.
Ning Rongrong was from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and if she complained to Ning Fengzhi, the consequences wouldn't be good either.
As for Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu, the former clearly came from a notable family, and her Spirit talent was astonishing. She didn't seem like the type to swallow her pride, especially since today's events had nothing to do with her—she was merely implicated.
Xiao Wu, on the other hand, was extremely close to Tang San. Their relationship was so tight they almost seemed like one person, making it difficult to handle.
With that in mind, Zhao Wuji turned his attention back to Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, "Mubai, Hongjun, why don't the two of you take the fall and apologize on behalf of your juniors?"
Upon hearing this, Dai Mubai's expression instantly changed. He looked up sharply, his face filled with disbelief, "Teacher Zhao—"
"Don't be so quick to refuse," Zhao Wuji waved his hand. "It's just admitting fault. It's not as serious as you think. If I don't mind, why should you? Your juniors will surely remember your sacrifice."
"But—"
"Boss Dai, you're doing us a great favor."
Before Dai Mubai could continue, Tang San patted him on the shoulder.
"Teacher Zhao is right. Everyone knows the truth of today's events. He was just using his seniority to bully us, nothing heroic about it. Right now, it's just a matter of enduring temporarily—nothing shameful. You're sacrificing for your comrades, and we all appreciate it."
With that, Tang San gave Xiao Wu a look.
Xiao Wu immediately caught on, her voice sweet, "Boss Dai, I used to think you were just a lecherous show-off, but now I see you really have a sense of responsibility. Didn't the Headmaster say that Shrek Academy only accepts monster Soul Masters? Since that's the case, we should be different from ordinary people. We should not only surpass them in talent but also have more tolerance!"
"..."
Dai Mubai was stunned for a moment, but seeing Tang San and Xiao Wu's sincere faces, he couldn't help but feel a bit touched. His emotions gradually calmed down.
He glanced at Oscar beside him and patted him on the shoulder, "Xiao Ao, don't worry. I'll handle this for you too."
His words carried a tone of self-sacrifice, like a hero facing a noble cause.
However, after saying this, he deliberately avoided looking at Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
Ning Rongrong frowned, speaking bluntly, "It was your fault to begin with. What are you pretending for?"
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent.
She had no intention of owing anyone a favor over something so ridiculous.
"Enough, let's not dwell on irrelevant matters," Zhao Wuji said impatiently, waving his hand.
He then looked directly at Ma Hongjun, ordering, "Hongjun, you will apologize on behalf of Zhuqing and Rongrong."
"Huh?" Ma Hongjun was taken aback, completely surprised by this sudden task.
"They're girls. As a man, you should take more responsibility. Learning to endure humiliation is also something you should be prepared for."
Zhao Wuji spoke while secretly sending a voice transmission to Ma Hongjun, "You fool, think about it—Ning Rongrong is backed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. If you take the blame for her today, the Clan will owe you a favor. Moreover..."
He paused briefly before continuing, "This matter won't be easily resolved. That old turtle is only a Soul Douluo. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan could crush him as easily as stepping on an ant. When that time comes, won't your honor be restored?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Hongjun could no longer hesitate.
Today had already been embarrassing enough. If he could earn some favor in return, it wouldn't be a bad outcome.
"Alright—"
"Wait, I don't want to owe you a favor. Just tell me how much you need, and I'll pay you for taking the blame."
Ning Rongrong unexpectedly interrupted, rejecting Zhao Wuji's proposal.
After thinking for a moment, she quickly amended, "No, I'll compensate you for both mine and Zhuqing's share. Just say how much it costs. If money isn't enough, name whatever resources you need, and I'll arrange it."
"...."
Stunned, Ma Hongjun was speechless.
He glanced at Ning Rongrong, then at Zhao Wuji, unsure of how to react.
Zao Wou-Ki gave Ning Rongrong a deep look.
This girl still hadn't integrated into the group.
After today's incident, it would only become more difficult in the future.
Moreover, the reason she changed her attitude and said these things was likely because she had figured out Ye Zhiqiu's real intentions.
It had to be said, children raised in great sects did possess a certain cunning.
Though she had been scared earlier, once she regained her composure, she immediately assessed her situation accurately.
No matter the reason for Ye Zhiqiu's change in attitude, whether it was due to the self-destruction threat or concern over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the bottom line was that his killing intent had dissipated. All he needed now was a way out.
And the key to that way out was Zhao Wuji, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun—the troublemakers.
The other students were just collateral.
That last demand was meant to disgust them. Otherwise, there was no need to use the term "replace."