Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King

The average age of the competitors was significantly higher than Su Yu's, yet they still lost to him. And it was a rather devastating loss.

Could this be attributed solely to Su Yu's extraordinary talent, rather than any shortcomings in their abilities? Qian Duoduo thought not. It wasn't enough to just blame Su Yu's exceptional talent and feel at ease; they needed to reflect on their issues.

This loss was not without fault on Ma Xiaotao and the others' part.

Although Qian Duoduo's voice was low, who among the powerful figures present wouldn't hear him?

The murmurs from Qian Duoduo were heard by everyone. Yan Shaozhe's face darkened instantly, and the expressions of the other elders became somewhat uncomfortable as well.

Sitting beside Qian Duoduo, Xian Liner kicked him lightly and gave him a sharp look.

This guy, usually so shrewd, why was he being so foolish today? The elders were trying to save face, and here he was, undermining them at this moment.

Realizing his mistake, Qian Duoduo let out an awkward chuckle and refrained from saying anything further.

Only then did Yan Shaozhe's expression ease somewhat. He continued, "As all of you elders might have guessed, the young master of the Ice God Palace possesses extraordinary talent."

"I can honestly say, in all these years, I have never seen anyone with talent comparable to his."

"This competition loss cannot entirely be blamed on Ma Xiaotao and the others. Even Wang Yan and I never anticipated such an outcome."

"But this isn't entirely a bad thing. Su Yu's emergence also presents us with an opportunity."

"Su Yu's ultimate ice attribute happens to perfectly counter Ma Xiaotao's evil fire problem."

"Moreover, the Grand Guardian of the Ice God Palace, Mu Wu—perhaps you're unaware—has a martial soul of Baxia, which can suppress Elder Xuan's Taotie bloodline."

"In other words, the two most pressing issues for the academy could potentially be resolved by the Ice God Palace."

"Unfortunately, Su Yu rejected us."

"Why would he reject us?" Xian Lin'er furrowed her brows and speculated, "Does the Ice God Palace bear hostility toward the academy?"

"That's not the case." Yan Shaozhe shook his head and explained, "The people of the Ice God Palace are simply very proud and aloof. They're difficult to approach, and we don't have much of a relationship with them."

"It's very challenging to persuade them to assist us."

"Then we should offer compensation. With the academy's resources, surely we can secure their help?" Xian Lin'er questioned.

Yan Shaozhe let out a bitter laugh. "Lin'er, you have no idea how wealthy the people of the Ice God Palace are."

"What we're willing to offer, they won't even look at."

"And the things they might value, the academy cannot afford to give."

The fact that even dragon pills didn't interest them left Yan Shaozhe at a loss for what else could catch their eye.

Xian Lin'er was startled by this revelation. Were their standards really that high?

"Then what can we do?"

If they were hard to approach and couldn't be hired with compensation, what options did they have?

Could they force the Ice God Palace into compliance? But Yan Shaozhe had mentioned that their legendary Ice Emperor Douluo was stationed there, making such a thought nearly impossible.

"This is precisely what we're here to discuss today," Mu En spoke up suddenly.

Mu En continued in a calm tone, "To make progress on this issue, I've decided to arrange an exchange program with the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy."

"Since Su Yu is so outstanding, he will naturally be part of their exchange team. We can make a special request to include him in the team."

"Once he's studying at our academy, we'll have more opportunities to cultivate a good relationship with him."

"With a closer relationship, discussions about certain matters will become much easier. That's the first point."

"The second point is that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's development in soul tools is progressing at an alarming pace. The power of their soul tools is becoming increasingly formidable, representing an unstoppable trend."

"I visited the Sun Moon Empire. Their large-scale soul tools, operated by multiple people, can even threaten my life."

"We've been stagnant for too long, clinging to the pride of traditional soul masters and refusing to adapt. This has only caused us to fall further and further behind."

"This exchange program can also allow our students to learn about the advanced technology and concepts of the Sun Moon Empire."

"This will greatly benefit the development of our own soul tool Department."

Though Mu En's tone was calm, his words left everyone in the room silent.

The implications of his statement were immense, enough to deeply shock everyone present.

Mu En had essentially declared his intention to prioritize the development of soul tools.

As traditional soul masters, some of the elders wanted to object. However, Mu En's prestige was undeniable, and no one dared to contradict him.

"Teacher, are you saying that there are soul tools capable of threatening your life? How is that possible?" Yan Shaozhe asked in shock.

This was news even he hadn't heard before.

Mu En was a Rank 99 Ultimate Douluo. What kind of soul tool could threaten someone like him? Yan Shaozhe found it hard to believe.

"It's the truth. And so, we've reached a point where change is no longer optional."

"From this day forward, we will increase our support for the soul tool department. In terms of recruitment, the soul tool department will be granted equal quotas to the martial soul department."

"We will allocate more funding to the soul tool department to support the development of higher-level soul tools."

"The martial soul department must also facilitate the soul tool department's growth and refrain from suppressing them maliciously."

"Shaozhe, as the Dean of the martial soul department, you must lead by example. Our soul tool department has been suppressed for too long."

"If we don't catch up soon, we risk falling irreparably behind."

"You led the team in this year's Soul Master Tournament. Surely, you've witnessed the power of soul tools firsthand."

Mu En's voice was calm, but it carried undeniable authority.

Yan Shaozhe remained silent.

In this year's Soul Master Tournament, Soul Tools had indeed made a stunning impact.

It wasn't just the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Even the Star Luo Imperial Academy, Heavenly Soul Academy, and others had all integrated soul tools into their arsenals.

Their emphasis on soul tools had already surpassed that of Shrek Academy.

The power of soul tools was indeed astonishing.

Because of their effectiveness, Yan Shaozhe had nothing to say in rebuttal.

In contrast to Yan Shaozhe's silence, Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo were visibly excited. After all, they were the dean and vice dean of the Soul Tool Department, respectively.

For years, the Soul Tool Department had been suppressed by the Martial Soul Department, leaving them with a pent-up sense of grievance. Now that Mu En was determined to support the Soul Tool Department, no one was happier than them.

"Liner, Duoduo, how is the progress of the Ultimate Soldier Program?" Mu En asked again.

Qian Duoduo responded, "The training of ultimate soldiers is ongoing, but there are still several significant challenges that need to be addressed."

"At the moment, our selected candidates are Fan Yu's disciple, He Caitou. He Caitou demonstrates extraordinary talent in the use of soul tools and has remarkable individual abilities as well."

"We're confident that we can train him to become a qualified ultimate soldier."

The Ultimate Soldier refers to an individual with the power to single-handedly change the outcome of a large-scale battle.

The Ultimate Soldier Program in the Soul Tool Department had been in development for some time, but many obstacles had yet to be overcome. While He Caitou was a strong candidate, he was far from perfect. However, given the limited pool of suitable candidates, He Caitou was currently Shrek Academy's best choice for the program.

"Hmm, the Ultimate Soldier Program is crucial to the academy's future. You two must dedicate your full efforts to it."

"Any challenges you face during the process will need to be resolved by you. As for any additional resources or manpower you require, the academy will do everything it can to provide them," Mu En said calmly.

Qian Duoduo quickly nodded in agreement.

The group continued their discussions for roughly a quarter of an hour before the Sea God Pavilion meeting concluded, and everyone dispersed.

After leaving the Sea God Pavilion, Yan Shaozhe immediately began implementing the tasks Mu En had assigned.

However, just as he finished arranging everything, Wang Yan came rushing in, holding a piece of paper with a panicked expression.

"Dean, something terrible has happened!"

"What's so terrible?" Yan Shaozhe frowned and asked, "What could make you so flustered?"

Wang Yan hurriedly explained, "Jiang Nannan has dropped out of school!"

"What?!"

Yan Shaozhe was utterly stunned. "Who did you say dropped out?"

"Jiang Nannan!" Wang Yan clarified. "I was just at the academic affairs office when I saw Jiang Nannan processing her withdrawal paperwork. She's dropped out!"

"What?"

Yan Shaozhe's heart sank, and he quickly asked, "Why would she drop out?

"Why didn't the academic affairs office report this to me?

"Who approved her withdrawal?"

Jiang Nannan was a core disciple!

For a core disciple to withdraw, it required the dean's explicit approval. And Jiang Nannan wasn't just any core disciple; she was a crucial link between Shrek Academy and Su Yu.

With her, it would have been much easier to establish a relationship with Su Yu.

And now she's dropped out?

Even more absurdly, no one informed him about it. Were the staff trying to rebel or something?

"That's not it. Jiang Nannan left this letter and then left directly. The academic affairs office didn't even approve her withdrawal," Wang Yan quickly explained, handing the paper in his hand to Yan Shaozhe.

Yan Shaozhe took the paper, and the bold title at the top immediately caught his eye:

Withdrawal Notice.

Yan Shaozhe: "??????"

Suppressing his frustration, he read the rest of the letter. By the time he finished, his face had darkened completely.

"Alright, alright. So this is how it's going to be, huh?"

Yan Shaozhe was so angry he almost laughed.

No wonder Wang Yan said the academic affairs office hadn't approved her withdrawal.

She hadn't submitted a request at all—it was a notice.

The tone of the letter was polite, but its message was clear:

"I no longer wish to study here, so I am notifying you of my withdrawal."

Yes, notifying.

Not requesting.

Yan Shaozhe had never seen such a brazen student before. Was this the same gentle and delicate Jiang Nannan?

Was this something she had written herself? Yan Shaozhe found it hard to believe.

"Where is Jiang Nannan now?"

Though furious, Yan Shaozhe knew this wasn't the time to lose his temper.

The priority was to bring Jiang Nannan back.

He had originally planned to improve her treatment upon returning, but who would have thought she'd just up and leave?

It caught him completely off guard.

"Jiang Nannan has already left. I tried to stop her, but she was too quick, and I couldn't catch up," Wang Yan explained.

Yan Shaozhe: "…"

A Soul King unable to catch up to a Soul Ancestor? What was even the point of having him around?

Giving Wang Yan a glare of exasperation, Yan Shaozhe said, "Forget it. I'll go find her myself."

"This matter needs to be discussed with Jiang Nannan properly."

As soon as the words fell, Yan Shaozhe's figure instantly disappeared from the office.

...

At this moment, Jiang Nannan had already left Shrek Academy.

She was walking alone along the streets of Shrek City, feeling a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

The withdrawal notice had been written under Su Yu's guidance—it wasn't something she had initially intended to phrase that way.

According to Su Yu, application letters were too passive and prone to rejection, but a withdrawal notice was much more flexible.

All it required was simply informing the academy.

Although Jiang Nannan felt it was a bit inappropriate, she followed Su Yu's suggestion.

It was different from her usual way of doing things, but there was a certain thrill to it.

Jiang Nannan wondered if she might be hiding a rebellious side deep inside.

Why else would she feel this way?

As she walked, her thoughts wandered.

Before long, Jiang Nannan exited Shrek City and found herself on the official road.

The road was much quieter, with fewer people the farther she got from Shrek City.

As she continued, a sudden chill washed over her, jolting her awake.

In an instant, Jiang Nannan activated her martial soul and used her third soul skill: teleportation.

The moment she teleported away, the spot where she had been standing was struck by a violent attack, leaving the ground charred and blackened.

Jiang Nannan's expression shifted as she became highly alert, scanning her surroundings.

From both sides of the grass, seven figures suddenly emerged at great speed.

Each of them had soul rings glowing around them. Five of them bore five soul rings, while two had six soul rings each.

Two Soul Emperors, five Soul Kings.

Jiang Nannan's beautiful eyes narrowed as she felt an overwhelming sense of danger.

Two Soul Emperors and five Soul Kings had come to assassinate her—Su Yu's prediction had been spot on.

"Who are you?" Jiang Nannan demanded.

The seven remained silent, charging toward her without hesitation.

Though Jiang Nannan was a genius, how could she possibly fend off two Soul Emperors and five Soul Kings?

In just a moment, she found herself in grave danger.

At that critical moment, immense pressure descended from the sky, freezing all seven attackers in their tracks.

In the next second, all seven figures exploded simultaneously, leaving no trace of their bodies.

Mu Wu's figure silently appeared—he had been by Jiang Nannan's side the entire time.

"Senior, people were trying to assassinate me," Jiang Nannan said, her face pale.

She hadn't offended many people, except for saying a few words on Su Yu's behalf.

And yet, here they were, trying to kill her.

Truly, these nobles were as vile as Su Yu had claimed.

If Su Yu hadn't anticipated this in advance, her fate would have been unimaginable.

"The Young Master's foresight is unparalleled. He is never wrong. If he says something will happen, then it almost certainly will," Mu Wu said calmly.

Jiang Nannan nodded at his words. "Su Yu truly has extraordinary foresight. I just don't know who was behind this attack."

"Senior, why didn't you leave one alive to question who the mastermind was?"

Mu Wu replied indifferently, "In the Ice God Palace, we never require evidence to act."

"All we need is suspicion."

"If someone is a suspect, they cannot escape."