Douluo: The Martial Soul Asura Armor, a Good Spirit Turning Evil

"Find someone to handle this?" Xuanzi's voice turned cold. "Find whom? Duanmu Yan?"

He stood up, placed his hands on the table, and leaned forward.

"Qian Duoduo, let me ask you a question. If you were by the lake today, and Duanmu Yan held a knife to your throat, saying he was going to kill you, what would you think?"

Qian Duoduo frowned.

"That's different—"

"What's the difference?" Xuanzi interrupted him. "When Ma Xiaotao loses control, she's irrational, but what about when she's sober?"

She was a disciple of the academy, a comrade who trained and went on missions with everyone. Duanmu Yan could use a knife on the out-of-control Ma Xiaotao today, and tomorrow he could use it on anyone he deems a "threat." If you don't set rules for this kind of person, trouble will inevitably follow sooner or later.

"Elder Xuan is right," Elder Zhuang suddenly spoke up. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone fell silent.

He stopped tapping the table and looked up at Xuanzi.

"But Duanmu Yan is not wrong either."

Xuanzi was taken aback.

Old Zhuang slowly stood up; his thin body looked somewhat frail under the lamplight.

He walked to the window, pushed it open, and the lake breeze blew in, causing a few sheets of paper on the table to flutter.

"The academy did not handle Ma Xiaotao's problem well. Everyone here bears responsibility for this." His voice was calm, as if stating a fact. "Duanmu Yan's actions were excessive, but his intentions were good. He saw the problem we had been avoiding and was simply trying to solve it in his own way."

He turned around and looked at everyone.

"My opinion is that the college must come up with a thorough solution to Ma Xiaotao's matter. It can't be delayed any longer."

"We will not deal with Duanmu Yan's matter, but we will let him interact more with the disciples of the inner academy during his training, so that he understands that the people in the academy are different from the evil soul masters outside."

He glanced at Xuanzi, then at Qian Duoduo.

What do you think?

Qian Duoduo nodded.

Xuanzi remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

Yan Shaozhe sat in the chair without saying a word.

Moon never turned around from beginning to end.

The meeting adjourned.

The group left the Sea God Pavilion in twos and threes, their footsteps echoing in the corridor.

Xuanzi walked at the very back, carrying a gourd of wine in his hand, but he didn't drink any.

He stopped abruptly as he reached the door and looked back.

Moon was still sitting there, with his back to the door, motionless.

Xuanzi opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just shook his head, turned around and walked out.

……

The notice from the Sea God Pavilion was posted early the next morning.

The content is bland and unremarkable.

Ma Xiaotao's martial spirit went out of control due to improper cultivation, and she was confined for three months, during which time she was prohibited from cultivating and was placed under special supervision. Duanmu Yan handled the incident appropriately and was given a verbal commendation.

The notice was posted on the bulletin board in the inner courtyard. The handwriting was neat and the wording was official, like an iron smoothing out yesterday's wrinkles.

But the human heart is not made of cloth.

Training will proceed as usual in the afternoon.

When Duanmu Yan entered the Soul Arena, the voices of those who had been chatting in twos and threes noticeably decreased.

Several people glanced at him, then quickly looked away, as if they had been burned by something.

Wu Ming stood in the corner, arms crossed, her expression complicated.

Just a few days ago she wanted to compete with Duanmu Yan, but today she wouldn't even give him a second glance.

Zhang Lexuan remained calm, nodded to Duanmu Yan, and continued to arrange training groups.

But Duanmu Yan noticed that she assigned him to the outermost group, with Ye Guyi as his partner and a backup teammate, someone whose name he didn't even remember.

Han Ruoruo paused for a moment as she walked past him, her lips moved slightly, but she ultimately said nothing and walked straight past.

Duanmu Yan didn't care.

He never intended to be friends with these people from the beginning.

This merely confirms his judgment.

The elites of Shrek Academy, who constantly preach unity, honor, and family, always prioritize self-preservation when faced with truly difficult situations.

Ma Xiaotao was their companion, and they dared not approach her when she went out of control.

Duanmu Yan was not, but when things got out of control, they felt he was too ruthless.

No matter what you do, it's wrong.

"Ignore them." Ye Guyi stood next to him, lowering her voice, her tone tinged with displeasure, "A bunch of cowards."

Duanmu Yan glanced at her but didn't reply.

Training proceeded as scheduled.

Warm up when you need to warm up, and engage in competition when you need to compete.

Duanmu Yan completed each step methodically, contributing neither too much nor too little effort.

Ye Guyi followed beside him, the two of them seemingly encased in a transparent dome, out of place with the people around them, yet forming a unique whole.

During halftime, Duanmu Yan leaned against the wall and took a sip of water.

He has figured it out.

Shrek is not his home.

The people here don't need his way of doing things, and he doesn't need their approval.

He will leave after the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament.

Before that, he only needed to do two things—become stronger and kill evil spirit masters.

Everything else is none of his business.

……

After training, Duanmu Yan went straight back to his dormitory.

The door closed behind him, shutting out all outside noise.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and let his consciousness sink into the sea of ​​his mind.

In the hazy space, Electrolux's figure slowly emerged, still with that gentle yet somewhat aloof demeanor.

"Yo, you're here." Electrox's voice rang directly in his mind. "From my point of view, you handled this matter fairly well, but obviously, the people here don't think so."

"It doesn't matter," Duanmu Yan's consciousness calmly replied. "We were never meant to be together anyway."

"By the way, I'm planning to go out and take on some missions soon, kill some evil spirit masters, and improve my combat skills faster."

Electrolux remained silent for a moment.

"Your method of advancement... is indeed unique," he said slowly. "However, perhaps there is a more suitable place."

Duanmu Yan looked up at him.

Electrolux raised his illusory hand, and a point of grayish-white light condensed at his fingertips, gradually transforming into a miniature, constantly rotating vortex door.

"This is my undead demiplane." His tone was calm, yet carried a subtle complexity. "A space independent of the main world."

"Inside... there are a large number of undead creatures that I experimented with and transformed back then, from low-level skeletons to high-level undead knights, liches, and even more special beings. They are bound by the rules of the plane and cannot leave, but they will attack any living thing that intrudes."

He looked at Duanmu Yan: "There are no bystanders there, no rules to bind you, only survival and slaughter."

"You can think of it as an... endlessly refreshed training ground. Moreover, killing undead creatures might also be beneficial for your martial soul, which needs to absorb specific 'nutrients'."

Duanmu Yan's gaze fell on the gray-white vortex, and his eyes sharpened.

"How do we get in?"