Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King

Credits: Stephen Montgomery

Top Floor of the Star Emperor Hotel, Shrek Conference Room.

Similarly gathered in the conference room, the atmosphere on the Shrek Academy side was starkly different from that of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy—tense and oppressive.

Yan Shaozhe sat silently, his face dark and brooding.

Ma Xiaotao kept her head lowered, her pink eyes shimmering with unwillingness.

Dai Yaoheng's tiger-like eyes were filled with ferocity, brimming with defiance.

Most of the others from Shrek Academy looked similarly dispirited, like wilting eggplants after a frost.

The shock loss in the finals to the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy team was a crushing blow for Shrek Academy—one that was unprecedented.

The repercussions—the questioning, criticism, and public opinion that would follow—would undoubtedly put Shrek Academy in an extremely difficult position.

The academy's leadership had already suffered significant losses recently, and now this failure was like salt in the wound.

The only one who seemed in relatively good spirits was Zhang Lexuan.

Watching Su Yu win the competition brought her genuine joy.

Su Yu's strength was growing at an astonishing rate.

In a few more years, he might even surpass her.

Talent—it truly was a remarkable gift.

Even though her talent was outstanding, it paled in comparison to Su Yu's.

His future would undoubtedly be dazzling beyond imagination.

Thinking about the great achievements Su Yu might reach in the future, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and comfort.

After all, she was the one who had mentored and nurtured him from the start.

As Zhang Lexuan drifted off in her thoughts, the atmosphere in the conference room grew even tenser.

Yan Shaozhe looked at the young people before him, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down.

Though he was angry, he knew he couldn't blame these students in front of him.

The reality was that Su Yu and the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy team were just too strong.

It wasn't their fault; it was simply a gap in strength.

Besides, even though they had lost the match, these young people still possessed immense potential.

If he were too harsh and caused them to lose heart, or worse, grow estranged from the academy, it would be a terrible loss.

After a long moment of silence, Yan Shaozhe finally sighed softly.

"This loss in the competition is entirely my fault—it has nothing to do with any of you."

"You are all outstanding students and still the pride of Shrek Academy."

"Don't let one defeat make you doubt yourselves or lose heart."

"The future is still long, and five years from now, we'll have the chance to take revenge and reclaim our honor."

Yan Shaozhe's words were meant to comfort the group. If he didn't say something, the morale in the room would completely collapse.

Even he had felt on the verge of breaking, so it was easy to imagine how these young people must feel.

To face the scorn of tens of thousands of people and still sit here was, honestly, impressive.

It showed that their mental fortitude wasn't too bad after all.

After Yan Shaozhe, Wang Yan followed suit, beginning his self-reflection.

"The dean is right. This loss is not your fault."

"If anyone is to blame, it's me for failing to gather adequate intelligence. I didn't realize Su Yu had a second domain or that his Ultimate Ice would be so overpowering."

"If we had been better prepared and devised a strategy to counter him, the match might not have turned out this way."

Wang Yan genuinely felt responsible.

He had watched every match Su Yu participated in, yet he had learned virtually nothing.

He didn't know Su Yu had dual domains.

He didn't know Su Yu had incredible endurance.

He didn't know Su Yu's combat ability surpassed even Dai Yaoheng.

Despite seeing so much, he had discovered nothing.

Even if Su Yu had deliberately concealed his abilities, Wang Yan still felt he had failed.

If they hadn't been caught off guard at the start, the loss might not have been so crushing.

"Teachers, please don't blame yourselves. This loss is my fault. If I hadn't underestimated Su Yu, we wouldn't have lost to him."

Ma Xiaotao took the initiative to shoulder responsibility, still brooding over her decision not to use her trump card.

"I also made mistakes. As vice-captain, I failed to handle Su Yu and didn't even cause him any trouble. That's on me," Dai Yuoheng admitted.

Following Dai Yuoheng's lead, others chimed in, each blaming themselves for the loss.

Only Ning Tian, Jiang Nannan, and Shi Yue stayed quiet—they hadn't even participated in the match. What did winning or losing have to do with them?

Seeing everyone speak up, Yan Shaozhe finally felt some relief.

What he feared most was silence. If they were still willing to talk, it meant their mental states were intact—a positive sign.

Yan Shaozhe cleared his throat and spoke firmly.

"All right, stop blaming yourselves."

"As the team leader, I bear the ultimate responsibility for this loss. Let's not argue over it anymore."

"Your job now isn't to dwell on this defeat but to train hard. Five years from now, we'll wash away this humiliation and reclaim the glory that belongs to Shrek Academy."

Yan Shaozhe's words reignited the students' fighting spirit.

With just a few sentences, many of them were fired up, vowing to restore Shrek's honor no matter what.

It was impressive how the notion of Shrek's glory had managed to bind so many people together.

Seeing the students regain their resolve, Yan Shaozhe finally smiled.

He turned to Wang Yan and asked, "How are Xu Sanshi and the others doing with their injuries?"

Wang Yan replied without hesitation, "Bei Bei and Chu He's injuries are minor and won't affect their potential. A half-month of rest should suffice.

"As for Dai Huabin, he didn't suffer any injuries. The reason he hasn't woken up yet… well…"

Wang Yan hesitated.

Apart from being completely defeated, Dai Huabin was mostly suffering from sheer embarrassment.

Seeing Wang Yan hesitate to speak, Yan Shaozhe quickly understood and shifted the topic. "What about Xu Sanshi?"

"Upon further examination, Xu Sanshi's Xuanwu bloodline has indeed been crippled. His martial soul's essence is damaged. Without an extremely rare heavenly treasure, he'll likely never reach the rank of Titled Douluo in his lifetime."

Although they had anticipated bad news, hearing this still shocked everyone from Shrek Academy.

A damaged martial soul essence was no small matter.

"It's all Su Yu's fault! He went too far!" Shi Yue muttered under her breath.

Jiang Nannan's eyebrows arched sharply as she retorted, "Xu Sanshi was the one who tried to kill first. Su Yu merely counterattacked. Xu Sanshi brought this on himself."

Shi Yue's face turned red with anger as she snapped, "Jiang Nannan, are you siding with outsiders now?"

Jiang Nannan remained calm and firm. "I'm just stating the facts."

Shi Yue's face flushed further. "Su Yu injured so many people from the academy! He has a grudge against us. And what about Dai Huabin? He completely humiliated him! Isn't that excessive?"

Jiang Nannan rebutted without hesitation, "The competition inherently carries risks. Aside from Xu Sanshi and Dai Huabin, who else did Su Yu seriously injure?"

"If Su Yu truly harbored hostility toward the academy, given his strength, there would be piles of critically injured people."

"Or do you think he held back because he feared us?"

"He's the Young Master of the Ice God Palace—what does he have to fear?"

"Even the dean admitted Xu Sanshi's actions were his fault. Are you still trying to stir trouble here?"

"And as for Dai Huabin, he used hidden weapons and suffered the backlash. He only has himself to blame."

Jiang Nannan's usual gentle demeanor was nowhere to be seen. She stood her ground firmly, showing no intention of backing down.

Though she and Shi Yue had been on friendly terms, this argument left no doubt that their relationship had fractured completely. Jiang Nannan, however, showed no hesitation.

"Nannan, Shi Yue was just worried about her junior. Must you speak so harshly?" Wang Yan interjected, clearly taking sides.

Jiang Nannan looked at Wang Yan and said, "Teacher Wang, the people from the Ice God Palace haven't left yet. Do you realize the consequences if Senior Ice Emperor overhears what Shi Yue just said?"

Wang Yan's heart skipped a beat, and Shi Yue's face turned pale with fright.

She was right—the Ice God Palace members hadn't left.

Given their strength, they might have overheard the conversation.

No one dared to take that risk.

Yan Shaozhe's eyes flickered as he nodded, "Nannan is correct. While Su Yu defeated us, it's simply a matter of opposing sides. There's nothing more to be said."

"Nannan, you're quite familiar with Su Yu. What do you think his attitude toward Shrek Academy is?"

Jiang Nannan was momentarily stunned, recalling Su Yu's past remarks about Shrek Academy.

Su Yu himself likely didn't have a fondness for Shrek Academy.

But outright hatred? Probably not.

She couldn't be certain, as she wasn't Su Yu and couldn't truly know his thoughts.

Still, Jiang Nannan knew better than to say Su Yu disliked Shrek Academy outright.

After a brief hesitation, she replied, "I don't think Su Yu has any issues with the academy. However, as for Xu Sanshi and Dai Huabin, I doubt he likes them."

Hearing this, Yan Shaozhe and the others nodded in agreement.

That much was obvious.

Everyone could see that Xu Sanshi and Dai Huabin had personal grudges with Su Yu.

Yan Shaozhe, however, didn't mind. The personal feud between those two and Su Yu had nothing to do with Shrek Academy as a whole.

What mattered was establishing a connection with Su Yu—and through him, the Ice God Palace.

The academy had pressing needs that the Ice God Palace could assist with.

After some thought, Yan Shaozhe asked again, "What do you think Su Yu's impression of Ma Xiaotao might be?"

Jiang Nannan glanced at Ma Xiaotao, whose cheeks turned slightly red in discomfort.

She understood the implication behind Yan Shaozhe's question.

But was it worth trying to win Su Yu over after the humiliating loss he had inflicted on them?

The image of Su Yu gripping her throat with one hand flashed through Ma Xiaotao's mind, and she bit her lip in frustration.

That man was destined to be her lifelong rival.

She was determined to defeat him.

Yet, if she were honest, she didn't hate him.

On the contrary, Su Yu had left a deeper impression on her than most people ever had.

After all, he was the first man of her generation to ever defeat her.

For Ma Xiaotao, this was unforgettable.

After observing Ma Xiaotao's reaction and recalling Su Yu's demeanor, Jiang Nannan softly answered, "He probably doesn't dislike her."

"Su Yu has a very proud personality. He doesn't bother hiding his disdain for people he looks down on."

Hearing this, Dai Yuoheng's face darkened.

What did she mean by that? Was she insinuating something?

Su Yu had openly mocked him as unworthy and not even qualified to be his opponent—a remark that had lingered in Dai Yuoheng's mind ever since.

And now Jiang Nannan dared to imply it again?

Outrageous! He couldn't do anything to Su Yu, but Jiang Nannan was a commoner. Surely, she wasn't beyond his reach.

Dai Yuoheng silently swore to himself: if he caught her alone, he wouldn't let her off easily.

Still, he maintained a composed expression, feigning indifference.

Unlike Dai Huabin, who lashed out impulsively, Dai Yuoheng prided himself on patience and restraint.

Meanwhile, Yan Shaozhe's eyes lit up with interest. "Is that so?"

His mind was already turning, scheming his next steps.

"Nannan, you remember I promised the Ice Emperor I'd take Xu Sanshi to personally apologize to them."

"But since Xu Sanshi hasn't woken up yet, I've been at a loss."

"How about this—when the time comes, you accompany me?"

Yan Shaozhe decided to involve Jiang Nannan simply because having someone familiar on good terms with Su Yu could make things smoother. The people from the Ice God Palace were notoriously difficult to deal with, and he wasn't sure if Su Yu had inherited that trait. With Jiang Nannan present, at least Su Yu wouldn't go too far.

"This… alright."

After weighing her options, Jiang Nannan realized that this matter wouldn't negatively affect Su Yu in any way. She eventually agreed.

After all, she was planning to leave Shrek Academy soon and didn't want to strain the relationship too much.

Seeing Jiang Nannan agree, Yan Shaozhe smiled with satisfaction.

...

In Yan Shaozhe's room, he and Ma Xiaotao were having a private discussion.

"Teacher, do we need to offer an apology?" Ma Xiaotao asked.

"When you need help, you don't have much of a choice," Yan Shaozhe sighed. "Xiaotao, both you and Elder Xuan need the support of the Ice God Palace."

"But this feels like it's damaging your dignity, Teacher," Ma Xiaotao said with a frown.

Yan Shaozhe chuckled. "My dignity means nothing. For the academy, I'm willing to sacrifice everything."

"Now, as for you… this is a rare opportunity. We finally found Su Yu, so don't let it slip by."

Ma Xiaotao's face turned red. "Teacher, he… he's still too young."

Yan Shaozhe laughed softly. "He's only seven years younger than you. With your talents, both of you are destined for the pinnacle of strength."

"An Ultimate Douluo's lifespan is at least several centuries. A mere seven years will feel like nothing in the long run."

"He's the Young Master of the Ice God Palace, an exceptional husband prospect that you won't find anywhere else. If you don't act, someone else surely will."

"The Star Luo Empire's Princess Jiujiu—I'd bet she'll make her move. If you're not proactive, it'll be too late."

"If it's too late, then so be it. I, Ma Xiaotao, am not one to compete with other women over a man," Ma Xiaotao declared arrogantly, lifting her chin with a prideful expression.

Yan Shaozhe responded by flicking her on the forehead. The sharp pain brought tears to Ma Xiaotao's eyes.

"Teacher~" Ma Xiaotao looked at him with a pitiful expression, not understanding why he had hit her.

Yan Shaozhe's face turned serious. "I have my reasons for asking this of you."

"Ma Xiaotao, you're so stubborn, but do you realize that without Su Yu's help, you won't be able to suppress your demonic fire forever? You'll eventually face its backlash."

"What's more important—your temper or your life?"