The Legend of the Dragon King

Furthermore, the Shrek Seven Monsters were also among their ranks. Of course, the outstanding geniuses such as Wu Siduo, Xu Yucheng, Luo Guixing, Yang Nianxia, and Zheng Yiran were also included. Before this, all of them were the proud children of god. However, they were now the seeds for the future rebuilding of Shrek.

Tang Wulin said, “Teacher Wu, I’ve another suggestion.”

“Oh?” Wu Zhangkong looked at him.

Tang Wulin said, “Since everyone here is willing to give everything for Shrek’s future, I think we can’t let everyone stay here forever.”

Wu Zhangkong’s expression changed slightly. “What do you mean?”

Tang Wulin said, “If they stay here and merely cultivated without coming into contact with the outside world, their cultivation bases will be the only thing that’s growing. They won’t progress in other areas. If we want to rebuild Shrek and unleash our greatest strength, they must acquire social skills. We can’t ignore their mental and psychological growth as well. I think everyone needs to develop such skills too. They may even want to blend into society in the near future under various identities. With their talents, I’m sure that they’ll obtain some achievements and make a name for themselves. When Shrek makes the clarion call, those who are already successful will be able to contribute even more to the restoration of the academy.”

“No,” said Wu Zhangkong flatly. “That won’t do. Have you considered that the more people who are involved, the more talk there will be? Even if we take great precautions, there’s still a possibility of mistakes being made. Moreover, if these outstanding talents suddenly make their appearance, won’t that arouse suspicion? Their identities as Shrek’s students will be easily uncovered if they’re out there now. Once they’re exposed and monitored by the forces that are opposing us, they won’t be able to do much. They may even be in great danger.”

Tang Wulin nodded. “You’ve got a point. But, if they continue to cultivate here without any outside exposure, it’ll have a great impact on everyone’s growth. Our Douluo Continent is vast. Besides, there may even be a war in the near future. The various forces will focus their attention on this war. So, if we were to take these two hundred over people and deploy them throughout the different regions, we won’t attract that much attention, comparatively speaking. Besides, they can also change their appearances and identities.”

Wu Zhangkong’s gaze wavered. “Tell me about your plan in detail.”

Tang Wulin hadn’t given it much thought. However, he had been pondering over such matters all this while. So, he was quick to respond with a tentative plan.

“Firstly, we must ensure that everyone has good survival skills. I suggest we divide them into batches to undergo military training on the Demon Island. If they can successfully return from Demon Island, their survival skills will definitely improve by a large margin. At the same time, they can learn the art of disguise which would make it easier for them to blend in with society. As for changing their identities, that’s easy. Although the Tang Sect itself is facing tremendous pressure from all sides, they have been around for thousands of years. Hence, it’s not so easy to wipe out what they’ve accumulated over time. They’ll be able to create whatever information that’s required. I can get in touch with them over this. Following that, we’ll be able to deploy everyone. They can enlist in the military, embark on various careers, and maybe even join the sects. Of course, there’ll be a few who’ll have to stay behind. From now on, this will be our headquarters for Shrek’s restoration and the temporary Shrek Academy.”

“We can even recruit students through the Tang Sect. When Shrek Academy has been rebuilt, we’ll all be Shrek Academy’s faculty members who’ll support the entire academy.”

As he looked at Tang Wulin speak with fervor and assurance, Wu Zhangkong gradually softened his gaze. He felt relief in his heart but also a pang of anguish at the same time.

A year had passed since the academy was destroyed. In the past year, he had turned into a strict teacher as he watched over the cultivation of more than two hundred students. He worked hard to improve himself and was racing against time every single day. However, he noticed that his thoughts had become fixated. Compared to Tang Wulin, age had clearly gotten the better of him. On the other hand, this disciple of his had matured. The things he thought about and his view of the future had surpassed his own.

“Teacher Wu, do you think that this is feasible?” asked Tang Wulin.

Wu Zhangkong nodded lightly. “You’re right, I’m the one who’s a little nervous. Let’s do it according to your plan. We’ll execute a perfect plan. I’ll pick the first batch of students to be sent to the Demon Island. I’ll definitely pick those who are mature, determined, and have superb abilities. We’ll repeat the process until we’re done. Your plans are very good. With regard to the execution details, I’ll handle the internal matters. I’ll be counting on you for the external matters, specifically in communications. Also, if we want to improve the abilities of these children to a great extent, we can’t do without resources, especially the battle armors.”

“You’ve been through this. A five-ringed cultivation base is sufficient for one to own a one-word battle armor. One may even be able to do it with four rings. However, the greatest problem we face right now is the lack of resources. Rare metals are difficult to come by. Also, the academy doesn’t have enough financial resources. You’ll have to overcome all these issues. If I remember correctly, you should already be a rank-6 Master Craftsman, right? Can you think of a way to procure some rare metals from the Blacksmith’s Association and help forge them for everyone? We can craft the battle armors at our end.”

Tang Wulin nodded. “No problem, leave it to me. Teacher Wu, I’m already a rank-7 Saint Craftsman now. I can forge the metals required for three-word battle armors. I think Wu Siduo and the others can use three-word battle armors already. I’ll craft the battle armors for them.”

Wu Zhangkong was stunned. A smile broke on his face for the very first time. He was already a Saint Craftsman! It would be truly beneficial to have a Saint Craftsman in Shrek Academy.

Back then, the Scarlet Dragon Feng Wuyu, the sole Saint Craftsman, was able to support the entire Shrek in forging. Now that Tang Wulin was a Saint Craftsman, did it not mean that he could take over Feng Wuyu’s place?

The individual strength of a soul master was important in today’s soul masters’ realm. However, it was the battle armor which determined whether a soul master could be a true expert. Among these two hundred people, he was the only three-word battle armor master. That was not enough. Now that Tang Wulin was a Saint Craftsman, he could carry out Soul Forging. This would greatly reduce the effort needed to craft high-ranking battle armors for everyone in the future. It was definitely good news.

“What about you? Are you a three-word battle armor master already?” Wu Zhangkong looked at Tang Wulin expectantly.

Tang Wulin said, “I’ve already made the mold for my battle armor. All that’s left are the final stages of crafting. I’ve already summoned my comrades. Once they’re back, I should be able to become a three-word battle armor master soon enough. You can rest easy on that.”

Wu Zhangkong drew a deep breath. Tang Wulin’s return seemed to have ignited the embers of hope in his heart. Even though he had been working hard all this while and he kept telling his students that Shrek would surely be rebuilt and restored, he clearly knew in his heart that it was a difficult feat to accomplish. Tang Wulin’s return had brought the most important thing he needed, hope!

With hope, everything was possible.

When Wu Zhangkong thought about this, the smile on his face grew wider.

Tang Wulin said, “Regarding the first batch of students to be sent to the Demon Island, send Wu Siduo and the others. They’ll be more mature after they had undergone the Demon Island’s training. After the academy was destroyed, I think they’ve suppressed themselves for too long. They need to go out and take some time off.”

When he said this, he secretly thought in his mind. ‘After this trip to the Demon Island, I believe Xu Yucheng won’t be so easily riled anymore.’