Chapter 208: The Storm is Coming
It must be said, Xuan Zi really solved a huge problem for Du Qianjue. Shrek Academy had to be eliminated, and it didn't matter how it was done. Xuan Zi taking action saved Du Qianjue from the risk of damaging his own reputation. After all, Shrek Academy, with its ten-thousand-year legacy as the premier academy on the Douluo Continent, had a massive influence unless it could be portrayed as evil like the Holy Spirit Cult was by Tang San thousands of years ago. Then it would take hundreds to thousands of years of brainwashing the entire continent to mitigate this influence. Such a hassle!
Xuan Zi truly did a great service!
Feeling utterly delighted, Du Qianjue cheerfully returned to his sect, and then...
He saw Jin Peng, who had transcended his limits but was still bitterly managing tasks in the sect hall.
"Eh, Uncle Jin Peng, haven't you transcended your limits? Why are you still doing this work yourself? Can't someone else do it?" Du Qianjue, eyes wide, admired Jin Peng.
The model worker of the sect!
A paragon of diligence and hard work!
He suggested that Jin Peng be immortalized in the top three of the sect's history of great elders.
Seeing Du Qianjue return, Jin Peng burst into tears, "Qianjue! Your brother is so unreasonable!" He complained that he had asked for a break, but his brother insisted he keep working since he had been tired for many years, and said that Jin Peng could stop once he could defeat him.
Awesome!
Apart from this word, Du Qianjue didn't know what else to say.
Du Busi was a genius indeed, lazier day by day after transcending limits.
But then again, handing these responsibilities to others was not really suitable. Du Busi was the sect leader, and Jin Peng was a great elder. Both held the highest positions in the sect and were supposed to handle these affairs.
"Uncle Jin Peng, just hang in there for a bit longer!" Du Qianjue patted Jin Peng's shoulder, sympathetically looking at him, and added, "At least you're at your limit now, right?"
Jin Peng didn't speak; he just pointed at his eye sockets and then at his thinning hair.
Silence speaks volumes!
"Qianjue! Junior sect master! Please, take some of these responsibilities?" Jin Peng, with tears in his eyes, grabbed Du Qianjue's hands, pleading, "As the junior sect master, you're definitely qualified to lead. These tasks couldn't be more suited to you!"
Du Qianjue's expression changed dramatically, and he quickly moved away, looking at him warily: "Uncle Jin Peng, I came to show concern and you turn it against me? Don't forget who gave you the dragon pills! How could you repay kindness with ingratitude?"
Jin Peng laughed awkwardly and resignedly sat back down.
Du Qianjue wasn't wrong; the dragon pills were indeed a crucial favor.
"Alright, Qianjue, you really shouldn't waste time on sect chores. You're still young. Your focus should be on increasing your strength. Let me handle these matters," Jin Peng said softly, "When you're ready to take over the sect, both your brother and I will support you."
Du Qianjue was slightly taken aback but didn't refuse, simply nodding.
"Okay."
After bidding farewell to Jin Peng, Du Qianjue flew up and headed to Du Busi's residence.
"Yo, you've come back? I thought you'd wander for a few more years before returning," Du Busi lazily called out as Du Qianjue approached.
Next to him, Xiao Xiao, who had grown into a young woman, was making tea. Seeing Du Qianjue, she blushed happily.
"Brother, come have some tea!" Even though there were many of her age in the sect, and she wasn't lonely, she still missed Du Qianjue, who had brought her into the sect.
"You've grown up, Xiao Xiao, becoming more and more beautiful," Du Qianjue said as he sat down, taking the freshly poured tea.
"Really?" Xiao Xiao pursed her lips, slightly shy, turning her head away.
Du Busi watched with a chuckle, his mind obviously plotting something, but probably nothing good.
"Uncle, do you know about Shrek?" Du Qianjue asked after taking a sip of tea, referring to the destruction of Shrek.
Du Busi nodded, his expression somber: "Yes, I heard. It's hard to believe that Shrek, which stood equal to our sect for so many years, vanished just like that."
The conversation made Xiao Xiao quiet. Although she no longer had a good impression of Shrek, she had studied there after all, and the news made her emotions complex.
"It's unexpected that Xuan Zi, that wretch, would be the one to destroy Shrek," said Du Busi, almost amused. He had not expected that Xuan Zi, who had fallen from the rank of soul douluo and whose arm he had chopped off, could have the power to destroy Shrek. Shrek's titled douluos were supposed to be more numerous than even those in their sect.
"Perhaps he found some opportunity to regain his realm and even surpass it. Probably only their Golden Tree could have been of such great use to him," Du Qianjue casually speculated, knowing that Shrek had valuable resources.
And Xuan Zi's martial soul was the Taotie, capable of devouring, so it wasn't surprising he could consume the Golden Tree.
"Golden Tree has that much influence?" Du Busi's eyes widened in astonishment, then regret showed on his face. "If I had known the Golden Tree was so valuable, we should have taken it ourselves! Qianjue, why didn't you tell me earlier? What a mistake, what a mistake!"
Du Qianjue gave Du Busi a weird look, thinking to himself about the origins of his zero-cost acquisition genes.
Even the Golden Tree wasn't safe from Du Busi's desires.
"What were you thinking? If it were possible to take it, I would have urged you to act long ago," Du Qianjue said dryly, "We've known for years that the existence of gods must be real. I might as well tell you outright, the gods worshipped by Shrek are indeed real."
"They are the original Shrek Seven Devils who ascended to the God Realm ten thousand years ago. Do you think they wouldn't have left protections for Shrek Academy? If we dared to interfere, we'd be the ones to suffer."
"Then how could Xuan Zi utilize the Golden Tree? Didn't the people of Shrek stop him?" Du Busi questioned.
"I don't know," Du Qianjue spread his hands.
He couldn't guess that it was the Golden Tree itself helping Xuan Zi devour it.
This was too fantastical even for fiction.
"What do we do now?" Du Busi habitually turned to Du Qianjue for advice.
Du Qianjue pondered for a while before slowly exhaling one word.
"Wait."
Du Busi rolled his eyes and lay back down, resuming his idle state.
"Then we wait~" Du Busi sipped his tea, resigned to inaction.
Xiao Xiao couldn't help but giggle at the serious conversation, trying to stay quiet as she served tea, but Du Busi was too funny.
"What are you laughing at, girl!" Du Qianjue flicked Xiao Xiao's forehead playfully.
"Apart from waiting, we don't need to do anything else. I reckon the Sun Moon Empire will soon start making moves. Shrek Academy has always been the biggest obstacle to their unification of the Douluo Continent. Now that Shrek is gone, they're probably the happiest."
"War... it's likely coming soon."
On the surface, the Sun Moon Empire remained calm, with only a few people openly rejoicing at Shrek's demise. But what were they doing behind the scenes?
If a war really starts, it would be like a modern country fighting against an ancient feudal empire. High-altitude detection soul devices could give the Sun Moon Empire a full view of the battlefield, making their fight against the Dou Spirit, Star Luo, and Heaven Dou Empires as easy as a parent disciplining a child.
The Dou Spirit, Star Luo, and Heaven Dou Empires couldn't possibly win this war.
Even with Du Busi and Jin Peng's help, it wouldn't make a difference. This was a battle of outdated concepts and eras, and they would be crushed under the wheel of progress.
Du Qianjue, though disdainful of soul devices because he was confident of attaining godhood and didn't need them, knew they were still the most powerful weapons on the Douluo Continent in times of war.
So, regardless of the circumstances, Du Qianjue would prevent Du Busi from sending sect members to die in the war.
"The storm is indeed coming."
(End of Chapter)