Xuan Zi disseminated the information about initiating the Sea God Pavilion meeting from the Golden Tree, then sat silently in his designated seat.
The intense shock Lin Yun had delivered left him with no desire to even clean up the messy state he was in.
The wounds on his face and hands, as well as the wine and bloodstains on his body, remained as they were.
But he truly had no mind to care about these things. The shock Lin Yun had given him was too great. As the embodiment of the Taotie's gluttony, his greedy heart had long been stirring. If he hadn't known that his strength was insufficient to swallow the huge cake that was Lin Yun, he would have already taken action to unravel the secrets surrounding Lin Yun.
Why else would he have convened a Sea God Pavilion meeting?
It was true that he was loyal to Shrek, but loyalty to Shrek didn't mean he didn't have his own selfish thoughts.
Even within the Sea God Pavilion, factions were numerous. He, Xuan Zi, could only be considered a representative of a relatively large faction, completely unable to make a final decision like Mu En.
If there was a way to obtain a divine test and increase the age of soul rings, why couldn't he, Xuan Zi, be the first to benefit?
This was precisely because he knew his own limitations. He understood that his strength was insufficient to allow him to exclusively possess the secrets surrounding Lin Yun. Otherwise, he would have simply killed Lin Yun, feasted on the legacy Lin Yun left behind, and then thrown the remaining scraps to Shrek Academy.
After all, he, Xuan Zi, had grown up in Shrek. His strength could protect Shrek, and the scraps he couldn't use could also be returned to Shrek.
A win-win situation.
Greed was the inherent nature of the Taotie. Moreover, Xuan Zi's spirit soul wasn't a pure Taotie. It had lost the Taotie's ferocity, leaving behind only cowardice and greed.
Old Song, the fastest among them, was the first to arrive at the Sea God Pavilion, sitting opposite Xuan Zi.
Seeing Xuan Zi's disheveled appearance, Old Song immediately frowned, her expression somewhat grave. "Xuan Zi, what happened to you? Could it be that a powerful enemy attacked? With your strength, you actually got injured. Could the opponent be from the Body Sect?"
Old Song fired off a series of questions like a string of firecrackers.
It was no wonder she reacted this way. In the current Shrek Academy, apart from Mu En, the half-crippled Limit Douluo, the strongest was Xuan Zi. She herself was only at level ninety-seven. For the ninety-eight-level Xuan Zi to be injured and in such a disheveled state, Old Song really found it hard to believe it wasn't due to a powerful enemy attack.
But it was precisely her words that made Xuan Zi even more ashamed and flushed.
Powerful enemy?
Powerful my foot! It was just a thirteen-year-old kid! And he, Xuan Zi, was injured by such a young Soul King, and even slapped himself in the face in front of everyone. The headless He Caitou was the best proof.
"Let's talk about this when everyone is here."
Xuan Zi really couldn't bring himself to say twice that he had been careless and had his defense broken by a Soul King. He could only stiffly wave his hand, utter a sentence, and then lower his head in silence.
His unusual behavior naturally didn't escape Old Song's notice.
They were all old folks who had lived for over a hundred years. Moreover, Old Song's spirit soul was the Azure Shadow Divine Eagle. Besides its flying speed, its greatest strength was its keen eyesight. Xuan Zi's every expression fell into her eyes without missing a beat. 'Xuan Zi's behavior seems a bit off. It doesn't seem to be because of a powerful enemy invasion.' Old Song narrowed her eyes slightly and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes to rest.
'So, what exactly is the reason? It actually made Xuan Zi so tight-lipped that he didn't reveal even a hint.'
However, Old Song wasn't in a hurry. After all, she was quite old and had plenty of patience. Xuan Zi had already convened a Sea God Pavilion meeting. Even if he didn't want to talk now, he would eventually speak.
And soon after, familiar faces entered from all directions of the Sea God Pavilion, silently taking their seats.
It wasn't until everyone had arrived that Xian Liner and Qian Duoduo, the Dean and Vice-Dean of the Soul Tool Department, arrived late, and the expressions on their faces were also a bit unpleasant.
"Liner, what's wrong with you? Why does your face look so bad?" Others might remain silent, but as Xian Liner's mother, Old Song directly spoke out.
Hearing her mother's words, Xian Liner's expression was a bit strained. "This question probably needs to be directed to Elder Xuan."
As Old Song turned her questioning gaze towards Xuan Zi, Xian Liner continued, "Elder Xuan, what exactly happened? Why did He Caitou suffer such severe injuries? Even..."
Speaking of He Caitou's injuries, Xian Liner, a proper young lady, found it a bit difficult to articulate. On the surface, she was married to Qian Duoduo, but in reality, they hadn't consummated their marriage, and she was still a virgin.
"Yes, Elder Xuan, didn't He Caitou go to participate in the reserve team selection competition? Why did he suffer such severe injuries?" Qian Duoduo also spoke, his expression even worse than Xian Liner's.
Originally, the Soul Tool Department hadn't received many talented students due to the suppression from the Spirit Soul Department. He Caitou's talent was already among the top tier in the Soul Tool Department.
At a young age, he not only possessed the cultivation of a Soul Sect but also reached the fourth rank as a Soul Engineer.
Moreover, He Caitou was extremely suitable for fixed-installation soul tools and was even a reserve candidate for their Soul Tool Department's 'Ultimate Solo Combat' plan.
Such an important student was taken by you, Xuan Zi, to participate in a reserve team selection, and he ended up suffering such severe injuries? What the hell did you do with your ninety-eighth level cultivation? Did you just eat it for nothing?
Thinking of this, Qian Duoduo's expression became somewhat unfriendly. Yan Shaozhe's constant opposition to their Soul Tool Department was secondary. After all, they belonged to different factions, and some disputes were inevitable.
But you, a ninety-eighth level elder of the Sea God Pavilion, still wholeheartedly favor the Spirit Soul Department and suppress our Soul Tool Department. Isn't that too biased (shameless)? Faced with the sharp gazes of Xian Liner and Qian Duoduo, even Xuan Zi's thick skin almost couldn't hold up.
"I convened this Sea God Pavilion meeting precisely because of this matter," Xuan Zi said in a deep voice, his tone extremely serious, but in reality, he was almost dying of shame inside.
Damn it, he was about to be publicly executed! "Alright, Liner, Duoduo, both of you calm down. Let's hear what Xuan Zi has to say," Mu En, sitting at the head of the table, said gently. "Xuan Zi, begin. Tell us the reason you initiated the Sea God Pavilion meeting."
"Yes, Elder Mu!" Xuan Zi stood up and bowed slightly to Mu En before turning his gaze to everyone. "I know that we have convened the Sea God Pavilion meeting somewhat frequently during this period, and it has all been because of that young man named Lin Yun."
"Coincidentally, the reason for convening the Sea God Pavilion meeting today is still him, because I suspect that he has obtained a divine inheritance, that he has received a divine test!"
"A divine test?!"
(End of Chapter)
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