With this in mind, the Crimson King lowered his three heads and apologized to the Beast Emperor:
"My apologies. It seems I nearly caused a disaster. Since this matter stems from me, I am not one to shirk responsibility. I no longer have the face to remain in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Next, I will personally seek out that powerful individual to atone for my actions. I can only hope he does not hold this against the entire Spirit Beast race."
"...Sigh."
Upon hearing this, the Beast Emperor initially wanted to say something, but after a moment of contemplation, he merely sighed and silently accepted the Crimson King's decision.
After all, the moment the Crimson King proposed that suggestion, he had already become an outcast among all Spirit Beasts. Withdrawing from the core circle of the Star Dou Great Forest was inevitable—everyone here held genuine reverence for the Silver Dragon King, the shared sovereign of all Spirit Beasts.
Even if the Beast Emperor did not expel the Crimson King, this rift would persist, and one day, it would erupt. Rather than letting it fester like a ticking bomb, it was better to resolve it early.
After weighing the options, the Beast Emperor chose not to stop the Crimson King.
As for the idea of seeking Wu Tong's forgiveness, none of the other Fierce Beasts objected.
After all, they dared not take the risk.
That's right—they dared not gamble on whether Wu Tong was aware of the Crimson King's intentions.
The Martial Spirits of Spirit Masters were bizarre and varied. What if one of them granted Wu Tong knowledge of this matter?
Even if the possibility was infinitesimally small, almost nonexistent, they still could not afford to gamble. If things went awry and provoked Wu Tong's wrath, the consequences would be far beyond what they could bear.
Thus, even if the chance was minuscule, the Fierce Beasts had to snuff it out as soon as possible.
In this light, the Crimson King's decision to take the initiative and plead for forgiveness was actually their best option.
Yet, despite this, the Beast Emperor and the others were not in high spirits.
No matter how one looked at it, they had worked and lived together for so long. Moreover, the Crimson King had acted rebelliously this time solely for the sake of the Spirit Beast race.
Now that trouble had arisen, the Crimson King was being pushed forward to bear the brunt of it. This left the Beast Emperor and the others with a sense of having betrayed a comrade.
Beasts, beasts…
They might be called beasts, but even beasts had emotions!
Just as the Fierce Beasts were consumed by guilt, an ethereal and melodious voice echoed from the depths of the Lake of Life.
"Beast Emperor, bring the Crimson King to see me."
Hearing these words, all the Fierce Beasts immediately stiffened, their expressions turning solemn and reverent. Even the usually fearless Three-Eyed Golden Lion momentarily set aside her willful demeanor.
"As you command, Sovereign." ×N
——
Meanwhile, let us shift our focus elsewhere.
What were Wu Tong and the others doing at the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest?
They were watching a spectacle unfold.
Wu Tong never expected to stumble upon one of the most iconic scenes in Douluo Dalu fanfiction—Shrek Academy forcibly taking Meng Yiran's Phoenix-Tailed Crested Snake.
Though the Shrek group in the original story framed it as a fair victory, the truth was that Zhao Wuji had taken advantage of the Dragon Deity Meng Shu's absence to pressure the Serpent Elder Chao Tianxiang into surrendering the snake.
No matter how one sugarcoated it, this was an undeniable fact.
However, this was also an unspoken rule in the Spirit Master world: the strong reigned supreme.
If Zhao Wuji was confident he could withstand the Dragon Deity's retaliation, he could have simply killed the grandmother-granddaughter duo and taken the snake outright.
Wu Tong wasn't particularly fond of this rule, but he refrained from commenting.
That said, none of this truly interested him. Wu Tong had always adhered to the principle of avoiding unnecessary trouble.
When it came to such unspoken rules, his attitude was one of indifference—unless they directly affected him.
What truly piqued Wu Tong's curiosity was how this scene from the original story was still playing out.
Was it coincidence, or the hand of fate?
Wu Tong muttered to himself, then shook his head to clear his thoughts before turning his attention to the students of Shrek Academy.
Thanks to his interference as an "outsider," the plot of Douluo Dalu had already been thoroughly derailed.
Yet, when Wu Tong observed the Shrek group, he noticed it still consisted of one teacher and seven students.
This surprised him. Could the original protagonist group still have come together?
With this question in mind, Wu Tong scrutinized them closely, wondering whether the main cast had managed to reunite despite his meddling.
As he focused, the appearances of the Shrek group became clear.
The first to catch his eye was the most visually distinct member—a short, plump boy with a red mohawk, a lecherous demeanor, and the general appearance of an oversized turkey.
At a glance, Wu Tong recognized him as one of the Shrek Seven Devils from the original story: Ma Hongjun, the Evil Fire Phoenix.
But unlike the future Phoenix God of the Divine Realm—a figure consumed by regret and颓唐—this version of him was still just a irresponsible brat, powerless against his own fiery affliction.
Without the aid of immortal herbs, it would be a struggle for this little fatty to even reach Spirit Sage, let alone ascend to godhood.
Poor temperament, mediocre talent, and a Martial Spirit plagued by inherent flaws…
With so many negative traits stacked against him, he was hardly worth worrying about.
Wu Tong watched as the boy ogled Meng Yiran with lustful eyes and mentally labeled him as inconsequential.
Next, his gaze shifted to a blond-haired youth in white robes.
Blond hair, heterochromatic eyes—these were unmistakable traits of the Star Luo Imperial Family. Combined with his presence at Shrek Academy, the conclusion was obvious.
This was Dai Mubai, the third prince of the Star Luo Empire, also known as the Evil-Eyed White Tiger. A man who, fearing his elder brother's strength, had fled to avoid the fate dictated by his family's traditions.
His character was no better. Before Zhu Zhuqing arrived at Shrek Academy, he had been a womanizing drunkard.
Though he appeared to reform after her arrival, it was merely a facade. At his core, he remained the same worthless scoundrel, incapable of redemption.
This was evident in how, ten thousand years later, he would assist Tang San in oppressing his own descendants.
A hypocrite with a rotten moral compass, weak-willed and untrustworthy—another one not worth worrying about.
After a dismissive glance at Dai Mubai, Wu Tong turned away in disdain.
As he turned his head, a pair of "headlights" suddenly filled his vision.
Those legs… those "headlights"… that waist…
(Slurp… (﹃))
...
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(End of Chapter)