Zhuqing's figure vanished from the academy gates as if she had never appeared at all.
Silence.
A complete, suffocating silence fell over Shrek Academy.
Only Zhao Wuji's stifled coughing echoed in the air as he clutched his chest, unable to suppress the pain.
Tang San's expression was so dark it looked as though water would drip from it. His fists clenched with such force that his knuckles turned pale, bones crackling with tension.
In his mind, the image of the moon soul flowing light epiphyllum replayed again and again—its graceful form burned into his very soul.
The scene merged with the golden words of the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, carved deep into his spirit.
An Immortal Herb.
A divine treasure capable of shedding mortality and rewriting fate.
To Tang San, such a treasure—one that seized creation itself—should naturally belong to the worthy.
And among all living beings, who was more worthy than him?
A reincarnator.
A master of Tang Sect's ultimate arts.
A prodigy bearing twin spirits.
Across the entire continent, who embodied "virtue" more than Tang San?
Why?
Why would Zhuqing—Zhuqing!—the student with the lowest talent in Shrek, be chosen by heaven for such a miracle?
What qualifications did she have?
The more he dwelled on it, the more the anger boiled. The more he thought, the more convinced he became that something which rightfully belonged to him had been stolen.
He suddenly turned, fixing Flender with an intense, burning gaze.
"Dean."
His voice carried an urgency that pierced the air.
"I request that tomorrow's plan to hunt a spirit ring for Little Ao be temporarily postponed."
A stone thrown into still water.
Everyone jerked out of their shock, eyes wide with confusion.
"Why, Brother San?"
Oscar spoke first, disappointment and bewilderment written plainly across his face.
Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the others also looked at him with questioning eyes.
Tang San inhaled deeply, forcibly pressing down the agitation in his chest. His gaze swept over the others before he spoke with a tone heavy with emotion—compassionate, persuasive, and deeply manipulative.
"Little Ao, listen. A spirit ring is important… but what if there's an opportunity that could allow all of us to undergo earth-shattering transformation? What if Shrek could rise to become the number one academy on the continent? Would you be willing to wait a little for that?"
He didn't mention the herb directly. First, he raised the banner—the interests of the group.
Then, in a tone full of longing and temptation, he painted the picture of "heavenly treasures" capable of transforming any Spirit Master.
"…Such heavenly treasures never appear alone."
"The place where they grow must be saturated with spiritual energy—a treasure land filled with rare wonders. A place that would drive any sect mad with envy."
Tang San's voice grew enchanting, every word striking directly at the primal greed in their hearts.
"Zhuqing must have stumbled into such a place by accident!"
"If we find her—or just follow the clues—we Shrek students will welcome a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Every one of us will undergo an earth-shaking transformation!"
When his voice faded, nothing remained but the sound of heavy, ragged breathing.
In everyone's eyes, flames of greed ignited.
"No wonder… that damned woman!"
Dai Mubai slammed his fist into a stone pillar, sending chips flying as he roared, face twisted with rage.
Moments ago, he had even been considering pursuing Zhuqing again, bringing her back under his control.
Now he understood.
After obtaining such a heaven-defying treasure… she dared sever ties with him without hesitation!
The woman who was supposed to be his—
Who was supposed to marry him—
Actually dared to soar on her own?!
Had she forgotten he was the Prince of Star Luo?
Had she forgotten their engagement?
Conveniently, Dai Mubai forgot that he was the one who discarded the engagement first, leaving Zhuqing alone to face death.
"Tang San."
Flender was the first to calm down, fixing him with a sharp look.
"You confirmed everything you said?"
Without hesitation, Tang San swore on the spot.
"If any word I speak is false, may I be struck by lightning!"
The last sliver of doubt evaporated.
Even Oscar, who had been excited about obtaining his third spirit ring, was now flushed with excitement. A spirit ring was nothing compared to an Immortal Herb treasure land!
"Good!"
Flender made a decisive call, eyes gleaming with greed.
"Little Ao's spirit ring will be postponed! Dai Mubai, Tang San—keep a close watch on Zhuqing's movements. Don't let her escape!"
"Yes!"
Tang San responded deeply, but suddenly his heart clenched.
An intense, inexplicable sense of dread flooded his chest.
A vague, haunting intuition whispered that if he didn't go to the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow… he would lose something irreplaceably important.
But the temptation of the Immortal Herb treasure land drowned out that faint warning.
Greed filled his vision.
"Yes, Dean!"
Flender, however, was no fool. Considering Zhuqing's strange attire, he still warned them to only observe from a distance and not act rashly.
While Shrek Academy was swallowed by greed, thousands of miles away in Spirit City, another storm quietly brewed.
The grand hall before Bibi Dong felt cold—unfamiliar.
Every brick and tile had once symbolized her authority, the foundation of her entire revenge.
But now… these things, even the Supreme Pontiff's throne, felt hollow.
She sat at a massive rosewood dining table capable of seating dozens.
Soon, trembling maids brought in dish after dish—prepared with the finest culinary techniques, made from the continent's most precious ingredients.
Each dish was a luxury.
Each dish was once her daily fare.
Bibi Dong lifted her silver knife and fork, cutting a small piece of dragon-scale horse tenderloin and placing it into her mouth.
The next second—
She froze.
A flash of deep disgust passed through her clear, glass-like eyes.
She chewed.
No taste.
Or rather—there was taste.
Rough.
Dry.
Impure.
Nauseating.
Like chewing wax.
This greasy texture, this clumsy seasoning—
This was what she used to call delicious?
Ridiculous.
Compared to the soul-cleansing bliss of Feng Ran Pavilion…
What sat before her now was pig slop.
"Pfft—"
She spat the food out onto a priceless Persian rug.
The maids knelt in terror, trembling violently, not daring to breathe.
But Bibi Dong didn't look at them.
Growl—
As the memory of Feng Ran Pavilion's aroma filled her mind, the "hunger" that had vanished burst back to life—burning, devouring her from the inside out.
She was hungry.
Desperately, unbearably hungry.
Her body, her soul, her life—
All had been completely "kidnapped" by that man… with a single meal.
That drug called "happiness"… she could no longer quit.
And since she couldn't quit—
She wouldn't.
A dazzling light flashed across Bibi Dong's eyes.
Not madness.
Not venom.
But focus—unshakable, blazing determination.
She had found a new goal.
"Someone."
A Spirit Douluo-level elder materialized instantly, kneeling.
"Your Holiness."
Bibi Dong looked at him, voice calm yet carrying unimaginable weight.
"Transmit my order. Open Vault Number Seven."
The elder jerked his head up, horrified.
Vault Number Seven.
Inside were not just mountains of gold, but treasures accumulated over ten millennia—Spirit Hall's strategic reserve, capable of funding a continental conquest.
It was Spirit Hall's greatest economic lifeline.
"Your Holiness! This is—"
Bibi Dong cut him off, voice crisp and irrefutable.
"Sort everything inside."
"The deadline is before I depart for Feng Ran Pavilion tomorrow."
The elder felt his mind go blank.
Feng Ran Pavilion?
What kind of monstrous force was that?
Was His Holiness preparing… to pay tribute?
His voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Your Holiness… may I ask… what is this money for…?"
Bibi Dong rose, stepping toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
Her gaze seemed to pierce the horizon—toward a certain restaurant.
A restaurant that had changed her life.
Her lips parted slightly.
"Meal money."
"I want a monthly subscription."
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