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"Fatty, do you know why I'm telling you all this?"
"Because I think you're capable of your own independent thoughts.
You didn't refute me just now, which means you haven't been brainwashed.
You still have reason, and you can see through all of this."
Though Qian Buduo felt shaken internally, he couldn't deny that much of what Su Yu said was true. Shrek Academy certainly had its flaws.
"Shrek Academy is just a bunch of hypocrites hiding behind the banner of 'doing good for everyone,' when in reality, they're just protecting their own interests."
Qian Buduo wanted to argue, but the heavy hand Su Yu placed on his shoulder stopped him from saying anything.
"Fatty, I'm not asking you to betray Shrek Academy. I'm just trying to help you see the truth.
Shrek isn't the Shrek you idealize; it lost its way long ago.
Now more than ever, it needs people like you to set things right."
"You don't even need to stage a revolution, shed any blood, or take down the academy's higher-ups.
All I hope is that, as a true Shrek student, you'll look at the relationship between the Sun Moon Empire and the three original empires with a clear perspective.
After all, even after the fusion, the Douluo Continent is still the Douluo Continent.
And the Sun Moon Empire is still a vast empire with millions of lives at stake."
Qian Buduo finally started to waver.
Yeah, I'm not betraying Shrek.
I'm just following what I believe to be the right path.
Since childhood, I've heard my elders say that Shrek is fair and just, that it's absolutely neutral. If that's the case, then I should uphold that.
"Don't think I'm deceiving or tempting you, Fatty."
Su Yu felt like it wasn't enough, so he pressed further.
"Given your experience and insights, tell me, what's so great about Shrek?
Even in what Shrek is most known for—soul master cultivation—what does it have that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy can't offer?"
"Is it the resources? The cultivation experience? Or perhaps the information?"
"Or is it the ability to pair soul rings? Ask yourself, is the matching of soul rings really guided by the academy? From what I can see, most of the time, it's planned by the students themselves."
Qian Buduo was at a loss for words.
He thought back on his experiences over the past year, comparing Shrek to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, and fell silent.
"I've never been to Shrek Academy, but I've heard that it follows the most traditional method of soul master training—so traditional that it's rigid and inflexible."
Qian Buduo couldn't argue with that. It was true—Shrek Academy was exactly like that.
Had he not experienced the cultivation methods of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy firsthand and only heard about the differences in teaching styles, he might have argued in Shrek's favor. He would have defended it, saying the teaching methods were effective and dismissing the criticisms as slander.
But after truly experiencing training at the Sun Moon Academy, Qian Buduo couldn't bring himself to rebut.
"Tell me, without those exceptionally gifted students, would Shrek still be Shrek?"
Su Yu posed a harsh question.
"You don't have that confidence, do you?"
"Because you've seen it. In terms of teaching methods, Shrek falls far behind. It's only strong because it gathers so many gifted students."
Hearing Su Yu speak what he had already been thinking deep down, Qian Buduo's expression turned bitter.
It's true.
It's not just about cultivation either.
Even in terms of ideology, Shrek's teachings have so many flaws.
During his time at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, he gradually realized the differences. Shrek's philosophy, if he had to describe it, was more akin to that of a bunch of thugs.
"That's undeniable. The truly top-tier soul masters have all come from Shrek. Though many talented soul masters have wasted their potential there, those who made it through did become powerhouses.
For example, those with extreme martial spirits—throughout history, only Shrek students have managed to cultivate their extreme martial spirits to the level of Titled Douluo, Super Douluo, or even Ultimate Douluo."
"Why is it that only Shrek Academy can cultivate martial souls with ultimate attributes?"
"Because Shrek has the Golden Tree!"
"The Golden Tree, the core of the entire Douluo Continent!"
"Does Shrek produce strong soul masters because they are skilled at nurturing talent?"
"No!"
"It's because they possess the Golden Tree."
"With the same resources and the same geniuses, any academy could probably do better than Shrek."
Su Yu's analysis left Qian Buduo speechless.
They had access to the best resources, but they failed to maximize them.
"It would be one thing if they were using their strength to claim those resources. But how exactly did Shrek obtain these conditions?"
Through hypocrisy.
"This situation can be summed up perfectly with one phrase."
Su Yu paused, looking at Qian Fatty as he spoke.
"Virtue does not match their position."
Qian Buduo was now drenched in cold sweat.
"If Shrek continues on this path without change, it will inevitably face destruction!"
"Fatty, think carefully about it."
Su Yu stopped there. He had said enough.
Bang!
The dormitory door was kicked open.
Xiao Hongchen burst in.
"So it's you? A spy from Shrek?"
He eyed Qian Buduo with suspicion.
This harmless-looking chubby guy, a spy?
But since Su Yu had already reported him, it had to be true.
"Senior Xiao, just keep him locked up. Fatty here is a good guy—no need to rough him up," Su Yu whispered in Xiao Hongchen's ear.
"Alright," Xiao Hongchen agreed.
Qian Buduo was dragged away, still bewildered.
Wait!
You told me all that, and in the end, I'm still getting caught?
How am I supposed to pass information like this?
Su Yu hadn't expected to fully "CPU" Qian Buduo with just one conversation; he was merely planting the seeds in Qian Buduo's mind.
Once he had digested what was said, Su Yu had a second round ready for him.
"Since he's connected to Qian Duoduo, there will be a chance to approach him eventually."
What's the use of "CPU-ing" a little fatty?
By the time he becomes useful, Su Yu would have already ascended to godhood.
The key was establishing a connection to the bigger fish, Qian Duoduo.
Su Yu finished the medicinal meal he hadn't yet eaten, then began to cultivate.
He refined the soul power from the meal and attempted the meditation technique.
The technique taught by Elder Yi, Su Yu thought, should be called the "sensing method" instead of meditation.
It involved sensing the forces of heaven and earth, adjusting one's spiritual power, and becoming more attuned to the world to nurture the spirit through its energies.
At this moment, Su Yu was attempting this "sensing method." (Cough, let's call it the sensing method to avoid confusion.)
Clearing his mind, he sensed the energy of the world around him.
"Feel the fluctuations of the energy."
With Su Yu's already high level of spiritual power, he easily completed the first step.
"Next is to meditate and merge oneself into the world."
Following Elder Yi's guidance, Su Yu began to meditate.
His sea of spirit surged violently.
The structure of his spirit began to change.
His entire mental space was in upheaval.
Two runes burst forth with a purple glow, enveloping his sea of spirit, stabilizing it.
(End of chapter)