Douluo Unrivaled: The Beginning Materializes the Black Abyss and White Flowers

Chapter 381 Rebuilding Shrek

Return to Shrek Academy? The academy is now a ruin, awaiting the return of teachers and students? But they are trapped in an unknown time-space portal, their fate uncertain.

Returning to her family? The thought had crossed her mind, but Xiao Xiao hesitated when she thought of her teachers and classmates whose fates were unknown.

Ultimately, at Jiang Nannan's invitation and Zhang Lexuan's kind persuasion, Xiaoxiao decided to stay temporarily in Haiyuan City, waiting for the return of familiar figures such as Ma Xiaotao and Xuanzi, which became a faint hope supporting her.

Suddenly, there was a gentle knock on the door, interrupting Qingque's narration and the temporary tranquility in the room.

Jiang Nannan got up, composed herself, and went to open the door.

Standing outside the door was a Golden Guard dressed in the standard uniform of Haiyuan City, with a respectful expression. Behind him were several young Soul Masters who looked travel-worn and whose faces showed undisguised grief and exhaustion.

They were simply dressed, their eyes filled with bewilderment and deep sorrow.

The leader was Wu Ming, a rather outspoken and fiery disciple from the inner court of Shrek Academy.

However, at this moment, her signature, fiery-red hair seemed to have lost its luster, casually tied back, her face pale, her eyes dim, and her tightly pursed lips revealing that she was trying her best to suppress some kind of great pain.

"Senior Sister Wu?"

Jiang Nannan was slightly taken aback, and a complex expression of surprise and joy appeared on her face. She then immediately stepped aside and let the group into the house.

"Please come in quickly!"

Xiao Xiao immediately stood up from her chair. When she saw her familiar senior, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Wu, you...you're still alive!"

“Nannan, Xiaoxiao… and… Qingque.”

When Wu Ming saw the familiar junior and Qing Que whom she had met at the academy inside the room, her strong exterior, which she had been maintaining for so long, seemed to shatter instantly, and her voice was filled with uncontrollable sobs and trembling.

The surviving inner court disciples behind her, such as Chu Qingtian, also lowered their heads, their shoulders trembled slightly, and their eyes quickly reddened. The warm atmosphere in the room was instantly replaced by an overwhelming sense of grief.

Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan were also affected by this intense sadness. Their noses tingled, tears welled up in their eyes, and they were speechless for a moment.

"Senior Sister Wu, we...we've already heard about what happened at the academy."

In the end, Jiang Nannan was the first to force herself to calm down. She tried to keep her voice steady and went over to gently hold Wu Ming's arm.

"To see you all safe and sound is... this is already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."

"Senior, that's great, you're still here."

Xiao Xiao could no longer hold back and threw herself into Wu Ming's arms, as if she wanted to vent all the fear, confusion and sadness she had been feeling these past few days.

At this moment, regardless of past relationships, the familiar faces from Shrek are a great comfort in themselves.

"Yes, we are still here, but the academy... the academy is gone. Dean Yan, Dean Xian, many teachers, and so many students are all gone."

Wu Ming hugged Xiao Xiao tightly, tears streaming down her face like broken beads. She closed her eyes in anguish and began to recount the nightmarish disaster in broken sentences.

The overwhelming, seemingly endless tide of soul beasts, the ferocious beast leaders so powerful they inspired despair, how Shrek's sturdy walls crumbled like paper under the furious attacks, and finally, the colossal meteor that seemed to tear the sky apart as if the end of the world had arrived.

She choked up as she recounted how Dean Yan Shaozhe, Vice Dean Xian Lin'er, and many other respected elders of the Sea God Pavilion resolutely chose to cover the retreat at the last moment, striving for that slim chance of survival for the young students, and ultimately sacrificing themselves heroically to live and die with the academy.

"Dean Yan and the others sent us away, saying that the flame of Shrek must not be extinguished."

Wu Ming burst into tears, her words like the coldest knives, cutting into the hearts of every student present who had once been proud of Shrek Academy.

"Originally, we followed His Majesty the Sky Eagle to Star Luo City and were protected by the Star Luo Empire. We waited and waited for Elder Xuan and Sister Xiao Tao to return from Mingdu, and for the hope of rebuilding the academy, but..."

Seeing that Wu Ming was almost out of control, Chu Qingtian, who was standing to the side, suppressed his grief and stepped forward to take over the conversation. His voice was hoarse and tired.

But before he could finish speaking, he let out a long sigh.

The unfinished words were clear to everyone; what awaited them was yet another devastating piece of news: the upheaval in Mingdu and the disappearance of Elder Xuan and his group.

These successive blows almost completely shattered the beliefs of these young soul masters.

Chu Qingtian paused, took a moment to calm his breathing, and then continued:

"It wasn't until Princess Xu Jiujiu returned to Xingluo City from Haiyuan City that we learned that Xiaoxiao and Nannan were still alive and right here. So we begged His Majesty for permission to come here."

After all, amidst a series of devastating news, the news about Xiaoxiao and Jiang Nannan was the only good news.

"Don't worry."

A gentle and steady voice came from outside the door, breaking the sadness and helplessness that filled the room.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Zhang Lexuan standing at the door. She was wearing an elegant long dress, her face was serene, and her eyes held a gentle look that could soothe people's hearts.

She walked slowly into the room, her gaze sweeping over the familiar yet weary and sorrowful faces of Wu Ming, Chu Qingtian, and others.

"Sister Lexuan!"

When Wu Ming and the others saw Zhang Lexuan, a glimmer of light finally appeared in their dim eyes.

They and Zhang Lexuan were opponents and participants in the same Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament, so they became acquainted through a fight.

Thanks to Zhang Lexuan's gentle and approachable personality, which is as warm as moonlight, she gets along very well with even Wu Ming and Ma Xiaotao, whose tempers are as fiery as flames.

Of course, the person with whom she had the deepest friendship was Han Ruoruo.

The barriers between colleges did not prevent the establishment of genuine friendships among these outstanding women.

"Sister Lexuan, is what you just said true? Is it really possible that Xiaotao and the others are safe and sound?"

Wu Ming had no time for pleasantries or reminiscing. She rushed forward and grabbed Zhang Lexuan's wrist as if it were her last lifeline. The burden of rebuilding the academy was suffocating her, and the safety of her teachers and friends, such as Ma Xiaotao, was her deepest concern.

Zhang Lexuan gently patted Wu Ming's hand, signaling her to calm down, and replied confidently:

"Yes, according to our Haiyuan City's detection, the spacetime passage that appeared in Mingdu has an unusually stable structure and is not a destructive turbulence. Xiaotao and the others were caught in it, and although their whereabouts are unknown, the possibility of them encountering any mishaps is not high."

She paused, then continued to offer more persuasive information:
"In fact, some people in Haiyuan City have already taken the initiative to use that passage to explore the world on the other side. The initial information that has been returned so far indicates that the passage itself is safe. It's just that the time has been short and the scope of exploration is limited. We haven't been able to make contact with Elder Xuan and Xiao Tao yet."

The person Zhang Lexuan mentioned who went to explore was naturally Lu Jingming.

She was well aware that there was a special connection between Lu Jingming and the Black Tower that transcended distance, so she was not particularly worried about his actions of traversing the time-space passage.

Moreover, this was not the first time she had heard of such a thing. She knew far more about the deeper secrets of this world than this, but it was not appropriate to reveal these inside stories to Wu Ming and the others at the moment.

"Really? That's great, thank you, Sister Lexuan."

Upon hearing this, Wu Ming's tense nerves finally relaxed a bit, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

God knows how much pressure she was under during that time.

Shrek Academy's millennia-old foundation was destroyed in an instant. Dean Yan and other teachers sacrificed themselves heroically, and the future of the surviving companions was uncertain. The responsibility of rebuilding the academy weighed heavily on the shoulders of this inner court disciple, who was far more skilled in combat than in planning.

If even core companions like Ma Xiaotao and Han Ruoruo are confirmed dead, she truly doesn't know if she will still have the courage and strength to face the future alone.

The news brought by Zhang Lexuan undoubtedly eased her tense nerves a bit.

Once Wu Ming had calmed down a bit, Zhang Lexuan gracefully sat down on a chair nearby, personally poured several cups of fragrant tea, pushed one of them towards Wu Ming, and softly asked:

"Xiao Ming, putting aside the news about Xiao Tao and the others for now, what specific plans do you have for the future?"

Wu Ming took the teacup, feeling the warmth emanating from the porcelain with her fingertips, but her face was blank.

She shook her head with a wry smile, her voice tinged with bitterness:

"Plans? Sister Lexuan, you know me. I'm fine with charging into battle and fighting people, but when it comes to planning something as important as the survival of the academy and the future of everyone... I'm really confused. I don't know what to do or where to start. Right now... I guess I can only take it one step at a time."

Chu Qingtian and the others behind her nodded, their faces showing difficulty. They too lacked the experience and courage to take charge of the overall situation.

Zhang Lexuan took in everyone's reactions and understood what was going on.

She took a small sip of tea, pondered for a moment, and then offered a well-considered suggestion:

“Since you don’t have a clear direction for the time being, and the original site of Shrek City is no longer suitable for returning, how about this—we, Haiyuan City, will step in and designate a suitable area within the city to help you rebuild the foundation of Shrek Academy. After all, Ruoruo and Xiaotao’s return date is uncertain, and we can’t wait indefinitely. The flame of Shrek needs someone to continue it.”

This suggestion actually aligns with some of Lu Jingming's plans for the future development of Haiyuan City, something Zhang Lexuan was well aware of.

As genuine elites of Shrek Academy, Wu Ming, Chu Qingtian, and others possess the most legitimate and powerful claim to rebuild Shrek Academy.

Their leadership in rebuilding the academy in Haiyuan City is beyond reproach both legally and morally.

Once Shrek Academy takes root in Haiyuan City, its millennia-long accumulated reputation and influence in the Soul Master world will naturally become intertwined with Haiyuan City, injecting immeasurable soft power into this emerging city.

If Xuanzi and other elders of the Sea God Pavilion were still in power, they would never have agreed to a plan that could weaken the academy's independence. But now they are trapped in another world, and their return is uncertain.

For Wu Ming and others who were feeling lost and confused, Zhang Lexuan's suggestion was like sending charcoal in snowy weather, directly addressing their most pressing needs.

As expected, as soon as Zhang Lexuan finished speaking, Wu Ming, Chu Qingtian, and the others' eyes lit up with surprise.

Wu Ming was so excited she almost stood up:
"Sister Lexuan, are you... are you telling the truth? Is Haiyuan City really willing to help us rebuild Shrek Academy?"

This is simply the best solution they can think of right now.

Zhang Lexuan smiled and affirmed, "Of course, Shrek Academy has a history of ten thousand years. If its spirit and glory were to be severed, it would be a loss to the entire soul master community on the continent."

"If you agree, our Haiyuan City will not only provide venue and financial support, but also temporarily transfer a group of experienced administrative staff and key teachers from our St. Freya Academy to assist you in handling the initial preparatory work, formulating the charter, and even the subsequent student recruitment. After all, it would be too difficult for just a few of you to rebuild an academy from scratch."

Zhang Lexuan's considerations were extremely thorough, clearing away almost all practical obstacles for Wu Ming and his team.

She knew very well that for young people like Wu Ming, who were still essentially students, the grand ambition of rebuilding the academy could not be achieved by enthusiasm alone.

She wasn't simply using them. From Wu Ming's and the others' perspective, it was already a stroke of luck that Shrek Academy's name could be preserved and that they had a place to settle down and pass on their legacy in their current desperate situation.

As for the deeper relationship between the academy and Haiyuan City in the future, that is not something they can consider at the moment when they are exhausted, nor is it the primary issue at present.

For them, the greatest comfort and satisfaction is simply to see the Shrek flag raised again.

After calming Wu Ming and the others down, and under their grateful and dependent gazes, Zhang Lexuan gracefully rose and softly instructed them:

"Alright, you can settle down in Haiyuan City, rest well, and recover your strength. I will arrange for people to start working on the specific matters of rebuilding the academy immediately. You have been through so much during this period, thank you for your hard work. You can leave the rest to me with peace of mind."

Her words were like a warm spring, flowing through the weary hearts of everyone.

Wu Ming, Hua Yao, and the others nodded repeatedly. At this moment, Zhang Lexuan was not only an old friend in their eyes, but also a reliable person who would lend a helping hand in times of crisis.

Leaving the space to the Shrek survivors who needed to comfort each other, Zhang Lexuan gently closed the door, her gentle expression slightly fading, replaced by a calmer and deeper contemplation.

She didn't go far, but went straight to a luxury hotel not far from where Xiaoxiao and the others lived.

This hotel is one of the landmark buildings in Haiyuan City, and its top floor has private rooms with excellent views.

Pushing open the exquisite door of the private room, you are greeted by warm light and a delicate fragrance.

(End of this chapter)