Douluo Continent: The Evil-Eyed Dragon God, Many Women, Many Blessings

Chapter 265 Rewarding Meritorious Service (Second Update)

When the leader spoke, everyone quickly and politely bowed to the venerable elders present.

To their slight surprise, Yan Shaozhe did not introduce the assembled elders to them.

It wasn't that Yan Shaozhe had forgotten, but rather it was a rule of the Sea God Pavilion. Allowing them to come here was already an exception; everything about the Sea God Pavilion was a core secret of Shrek Academy, and non-members were not allowed to know the exact situation within. Even Huo Yuhao, up to this point, only knew through "spoilers" that Elder Lin Huiqun was in charge of the Treasure Pavilion. As for the other elders, frankly, he didn't know much about them either.

"Now I will announce the awards," Yan Shaozhe said in a deep voice, "Ma Xiaotao, Chen Zifeng, and Ling Luochen."

"The disciple is here."

"is teacher."

The three of them quickly bowed respectfully.

"As inner court disciples, you failed to protect your teammates during the inspection mission, resulting in serious injuries to your teammates and affecting your participation in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament. You are hereby given a major demerit."

"Huh?" The three of them were completely taken aback by this outcome and opened their mouths wide at the same time.

Huo Yuhao, standing next to him, almost burst out laughing: Haha, the plot hasn't changed at all, it's a classic case of the carrot and the stick, delicious and refreshing!
Yan Shaozhe's face darkened, and he said, "What, do you have any objections? Ma Xiaotao, as the main offensive-type Soul Masters in the team, what was your role? To rise to the challenge and protect your teammates, did you do that? Ling Luochen, as the main control Soul Master, did you play a sufficient control role in that battle?"

"If Huo Yuhao hadn't noticed the danger in advance and warned you in time, you might not have returned intact. Judging from the situation at the time, the team's losses were due to your carelessness and underestimation of your opponent. As inner court disciples of Shrek Academy, is this the fighting power you should be displaying? Even outer court students know the principle that even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit, but what about you? You were almost wiped out by a mere Soul King-level evil Soul Master! It truly pains and disappoints us!"

Huo Yuhao secretly glanced at Elder Xuan, whose face was grim, and muttered to himself: This outcome can't be entirely blamed on them, but considering I was also involved, let's not bring it up. It's good to give them a warning and treat it as a lesson learned.
Under Yan Shaozhe's reprimand, Ma Xiaotao and the other two lowered their heads. Faced with Yan Shaozhe's formidable presence, they dared not refute him. Moreover, what Yan Shaozhe said was indeed true; they had indeed underestimated him. Putting aside everything else, if they had all been equipped with Huo Yuhao's invincible shield, the final result would definitely have been much better than it is now.

Yan Shaozhe's tone softened a bit: "After that, you participated in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament with the team. You performed exceptionally well in the reserve team, which gave you ample time to recover from your injuries. You also demonstrated sufficient combat power and ultimately helped the team win the final championship. The academy also remembers this contribution."

"But as inner court disciples and regular team members in the competition, your rewards will naturally be less, offsetting your previous merits and demerits. The major demerits will not be recorded in your files. I hope you can learn from this lesson. Remember, life is precious, and no one can have a second chance."

"Thank you, Dean." The three of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If the punishment is recorded in their Shrek Academy files, it will become a stain on their lives.

Hearing this, Huo Yuhao secretly curled his lip. In this world where the strong are respected, files are utterly unimportant. As long as one's strength is sufficient, any file will be selectively forgotten. For example, Elder Xuan, who led the team through two major incidents, didn't seem to be greatly affected. However, for him, Elder Xuan could be considered the perfect teammate. Because if the leader wasn't someone as oblivious as Elder Xuan, it would be quite difficult for him to secretly manipulate anything.

Of course, the significant drop in their rewards is largely due to the fact that they are inner court disciples, receiving preferential treatment from the academy's resources and top-tier instructors. This gives them a considerable advantage over outer court students, at least in answering questions, and their overall strength is far superior. Therefore, the academy naturally has higher expectations of them. This is why Yan Shaozhe said that, despite being champion members, their rewards were far less than those of the reserve team.

Yan Shaozhe nodded and said, "You've all worked hard this time. Go back and rest. Remember, everything you see in the Sea God Pavilion must be kept secret. Xiao Tao, you've completed enough of your surveillance missions. You can start preparing for your graduation exam in the inner academy."

"Yes." The three bowed respectfully again and then left the Sea God Pavilion.

Inside the Sea God Pavilion, only Wang Yan and the other reserve team members remained.

Yan Shaozhe turned to them, smiled slightly, and said, "You don't need to be nervous. Unlike them, your performance this time was indeed quite excellent. Next, it's your turn for a reward, Teacher Wang Yan."

"Dean Yan." Wang Yan took a step forward and bowed slightly.

Yan Shaozhe earnestly said, "Even with the team incomplete this time, with four regular members unable to participate and the other three all injured, you were still able to lead the team to the final championship. We have all seen your abilities. From now on, you are promoted to a special-grade teacher at Shrek Academy, teaching in the inner courtyard."

"In addition, there is an extra reward: the Sea God Pavilion Library will be open to you for one year. During that year, you can borrow books at will, but you can only read and study them within the library."

"What?" Upon hearing this reward, Wang Yan's previously calm expression instantly lit up with joy. In front of all the elders, he couldn't help but jump up excitedly, his face turning bright red with excitement.

What does the Sea God Pavilion hold? It holds countless rare and out-of-print books and documents—Shrek Academy's most precious treasures! Even the elders of the Sea God Pavilion have to go through complicated procedures to gain access. For a research-oriented teacher like him, a year's reading and research rights are a reward that surpasses almost everything else. It's like a tech-addicted teenager returning home for the New Year, and his grandfather generously gifting him a desktop PC with an i9-14900K and an RTX 4090!
Seeing Wang Yan's excited expression, Yan Shaozhe smiled slightly and said, "Teacher Wang, this is a reward you deserve. We have all seen your contributions to the academy and your dedication and hard work in research. We hope that in the coming year, you will be able to learn what you want to learn in the Sea God Pavilion Library."

"Thank you, Dean! Thank you, fellow elders!" Wang Yan was so excited that he almost bowed to the ground.

The elders all nodded and smiled at him. At Shrek Academy, it wasn't just cutting-edge martial arts that was valued; theoretical research was equally important and held a high status. Currently, the Sea God Pavilion had an elder with only a seventh-ring cultivation level who specialized in theoretical research. However, elders engaged in theoretical research couldn't live as long as titled Douluo-level powerhouses; therefore, their numbers within the Sea God Pavilion remained limited.

Next, Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath and looked intently at Huo Yuhao and the others: "The main event is about to begin, it's your turn now."

(End of this chapter)