Chapter 75: Strategic Foresight
A little before the people of Shrek were tricked by the Supreme Elder, Xiao Qiang, who was heading to the Xingluo Empire, approached Jing Hongchen with a serious expression.
"Teacher, forgive me for being blunt, but you think too highly of Shrek and the others."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Jing Hongchen asked calmly, taking a sip of tea.
"We have a great chance of winning against Shrek this time. However, if we win, do you think Shrek will just let us walk away? Or that the Star Luo Empire will let us go so easily?"
Xiao Qiang continued, his voice steady, "Whether we win or not, Shrek and the Star Luo Empire likely won't leave us alone. After all, you're the head of Mingde Hall, and your only two grandchildren are competing. Add me as your disciple, and if the Star Luo Emperor acts impulsively or Shrek becomes unreasonable, considering the level of protection we currently have, I, your grandchildren, and Senior Sister Meng are all at serious risk."
"No, actually, it's not just a risk — it's practically guaranteed. The people assigned to protect us are far too weak. If the Star Luo Empire or Shrek decides to make a move, we're doomed. Our bodies might not even be recovered. Worse yet, they might use our corpses as bargaining chips to extort ninth-level soul tools from Mingde Hall."
Xiao Qiang paused, then added quietly but chillingly, "And most likely… they'd return only bodies that had been toyed with."
His words made Jing Hongchen's heart sink.
Although Xiao Qiang had Xue Di secretly supporting him, that was a last-resort trump card. If Xue Di had to intervene, it would cast doubts even on Jing Hongchen's loyalty. It was better not to use her unless absolutely necessary. And if they did, it had to be done cleanly, without leaving loose ends.
Xiao Qiang recalled that in the original novel, Shrek's Xuan Lao had shamelessly used Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen as hostages to coerce Mingde Hall into surrendering the Eighth-Level Soul Guide, Sword of Judgment.
Later, Xu Tianran's brainless preparation following the All-Continent Advanced Soul Tool Competition in Mingdu had likely been inspired by Xuan Lao's actions.
The irony was clear: Tang Jia San Shao, writing Shrek as heroes, painted their blackmail as "righteous," and they suffered no consequences. Yet when Xu Tianran tried something similar, he was portrayed as a fool, gaining no real benefit, alienating neutral forces, and piling up resentment for no good reason.
Jing Hongchen fell silent for a long while, then slowly nodded. "You're right. I too… didn't expect that the other side might act so desperately."
"Go back for now," he added after a moment. "I'll arrange for several ninth-level soul engineers from the Worship Hall to accompany us."
"Teacher," Xiao Qiang said seriously, "just a few ninth-level soul masters may still not be enough. After all, we'll be on enemy ground. If they attack in groups, even several ninth-level soul engineers could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. I have a suggestion — why don't we do this instead…"
After detailed discussions with Jing Hongchen, Xiao Qiang and the group set off for Xingluo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire.
Compared to the situation at Shrek, the journey for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was unusually smooth.
Not only was the trip uneventful, but the soul tools they carried ensured high-speed travel without compromising their quality of life. Ma Rulong, the senior student with the highest cultivation, even got bored enough to use his soul power to fly up into the sky and make ice cream from the milk he had brought along.
After a few peaceful days, they finally arrived at the Xinghuang Hotel, owned by the Star Luo Royal Family.
Xiao Qiang silently compared the accommodations.
"It's a little worse than the Mingdu Hotel," he thought with a sigh. After looting the Hongchen family's treasury, he had practically lived in the top VIP suite of the Mingdu Hotel year-round, making him slightly picky.
"It's not quite as good as Mingdu, but still decent," he concluded inwardly.
Gathering everyone, the old experts accompanying them also shared a few words of warning.
"You can discuss your battle tactics freely. We old guys won't interfere with the specifics," said an old man with fiery red hair, his aura fierce and intimidating, not much weaker than Jing Hongchen himself — obviously a heavyweight from the Worship Hall.
"But remember," he continued, "once you're on the battlefield, it doesn't matter how many enemies you kill. We'll cover you. Just don't get yourselves killed. Life and death on the field are accepted by both sides. If you die during the fight, we old fellows can't demand compensation afterward."
"Thank you, Senior Tianhuo, and all the seniors!" Ma Rulong said respectfully, leading everyone in a bow.
Afterward, they activated their soul tools to block any potential eavesdropping and began to seriously plan how to deal with Shrek.
Ma Rulong and Lin Xi, who had participated as substitutes in the previous All-Continent Advanced Soul Tool Competition, were especially familiar with Shrek's lineup.
Soon, they spread the latest photos of the Shrek Seven Devils across the table.
"There are two key people we must pay attention to," Ma Rulong explained, pointing to the pictures. "First, Dai Yueheng. Five years ago, he already had soul power at Level 45. By now, he's definitely a Soul Emperor. But more importantly—"
He shifted his finger to another photo.
"This one: Gong Yangmo. He was also a Soul Sect five years ago. Although he may not have broken through yet, he is the most dangerous among them. If he's around—"
"Wait a second, Brother Ma." Xiao Qiang raised his hand, unable to listen any further. Their entire premise was wrong. Ma Rulong's plans completely overestimated the enemy and underestimated the hidden cards on their side.
"What's wrong?" Ma Rulong asked, puzzled.
"Actually, you're overcomplicating things. There's no need for all these elaborate tactics. Our opponents are not as strong as you think. You'll understand what I mean when you see them."
"What do you mean?" Lin Xi frowned.
"No special meaning," Xiao Qiang said casually. "If I tell you now, you might not believe me. You'll see when they arrive."
"But isn't it risky to face Shrek without any preparation?"
Xiao Qiang smiled slightly and pulled out a Tang Sword from his storage device. Its blade shimmered with a cold, dreamlike glow.
"We are prepared," he said lightly. "This sword — specially prepared for this tournament — is called Mirror Flower, Water Moon."
Ma Rulong was speechless.
"Mirror Flower Water Moon? What's so domineering about that name?" he thought, feeling like something was seriously wrong with his understanding.