Chapter 278
In the face of true power, what are beliefs and dignity but a joke?
Ning Rongrong's voice was firm and resolute, carrying an unquestionable determination.
Those glass-like eyes held no trace of girlish softness, only the iron will and majesty of the heir to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Cold sweat streamed down Flander's forehead, soaking his shattered glasses and blurring his vision.
He could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest, each beat accompanied by the fear of impending death.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin... Bone Douluo Gu Rong... Just thinking about these names is enough to make his soul fly away!
Zhao Wuji's fate is still fresh in everyone's mind; that was merely the oppressive power of Lin Xia's martial spirit!
What kind of world-destroying scene would a true Title Douluo unleash?
promise!
You must agree!
This thought instantly overwhelmed all resentment and humiliation.
What are the ideals of the academy, what is the authority of the dean? They are worthless in the face of absolute power and the threat of death!
"Okay! I promise you! I promise you everything!"
Flanders almost screamed, his voice sharp and hoarse, filled with the urgency and humility of someone who had survived a catastrophe.
He even crawled forward two steps on his hands and feet, his mud-covered hands trembling, as if trying to grab Ning Rongrong's skirt to show his submission, but then suddenly pulled back before touching it, leaving only a humble and insignificant posture.
"All ownership is yours! The rules are all in the sect's hands! I... I'll give you my life as you see fit! As long as... as long as I can live! As long as the academy still exists!"
Franco repeated incoherently, fearing that Ning Rongrong would change her mind and block their only way out.
At this moment, Flander completely abandoned all dignity and pride, leaving only the most primal instinct for survival.
As long as he can survive, he doesn't care if Shrek Academy no longer belongs to him, or if he is nominally the dean but loses real power and becomes a puppet of the sect!
Ning Rongrong's other conditions—changing her ideology, abolishing private feuds, and prioritizing the sect—were, in his eyes, trivial matters. As long as he could quell the anger of this little tyrant and preserve her life and the academy's facade, anything was negotiable.
This extremely humble statement resounded like a thunderclap in Dai Mubai's ears at the edge of the playground.
Dai Mubai froze, as if he had been doused with ice water from head to toe, the bone-chilling cold instantly freezing his blood.
He stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the figure groveling before Dean Flander.
Is this still the Flander he knows?
Was it the dean who taught him that "a soul master who dares not cause trouble is mediocre," who spoke wittily yet with dignity, and who was like a pillar of support in his heart?
The man before Dai Mubai, tears streaming down his face, crawling on the ground, willing to sell his life's work and dignity to survive, completely overturned Flander's image in Dai Mubai's mind.
That sense of disillusionment was heavier than any other blow. Dai Mubai's clenched fists turned white at the knuckles, and a mixture of disappointment, contempt, anger, and an indescribable sense of desolation churned within him.
Flander's cowardice made him feel that some of his beliefs had collapsed as well.
"Why is this happening... simply because of power... simply because of the fear of death..."
Dai Mubai silently questioned in his heart.
He could understand Flander's fear. Faced with a behemoth like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the imminent arrival of a Title Douluo, resistance would be futile.
But this spineless surrender, without even a thought of struggling, and only trying to prolong his life, deeply disappointed Dai Mubai.
"Perhaps... this is reality? In the face of true power, what are beliefs, what is dignity, all just a joke?"
Dai Mubai was confused, and for the first time, he began to waver on the "monster" path he had insisted on.
Looking at Flander's humble figure, he felt a heavy sorrow envelop the night-shrouded playground. Just as Flander finished speaking, as if in response to the seven-colored signal soaring into the sky, figures appeared silently like ghosts in the darkness surrounding the playground.
They appeared incredibly fast; one second there was nothing there, and the next they were right in front of you.
There were more than a dozen people, all dressed in uniform, close-fitting outfits, with miniature Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda emblems embroidered on their chests. The materials were exquisite, radiating a restrained spiritual energy.
Their aura was cold, menacing, and highly trained, like sharp blades drawn from their sheaths. The moment they appeared, the temperature on the entire training ground dropped several degrees.
These people were positioned very carefully, forming a subtle encirclement that included Flander, Oscar, and Dai Mubai in the distance.
Their gazes, sharp as hawks', were fixed on Flander, who lay slumped on the ground, with undisguised, chilling killing intent, as if they were looking at a pile of garbage waiting to be disposed of.
Powerful fluctuations of soul energy emanated from them, and although they did not deliberately release their pressure, the silent killing intent made the air stagnate.
As long as Ning Rongrong gives the order, they will pounce on the target without hesitation and tear it to shreds.
Flander was enveloped by these dozen or so menacing gazes, and he felt as if his blood had frozen. He could hardly breathe, and his body trembled like a leaf in the cold wind. He didn't even dare to lift his head.
Dai Mubai also felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and subconsciously tensed his body. The ferocity of his White Tiger Martial Soul was instinctively suppressed by this chilling formation.
However, this chilling killing intent instantly transformed into absolute respect when it touched Ning Rongrong.
The middle-aged man at the head of the group, with the most composed demeanor and a stern face, knelt on one knee, his voice strong and resonant.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, along with all forces in Soto City and the surrounding area, have assembled! By order of the Supreme Commander, we are here to protect Miss! Please give your instructions, Miss! How should we handle the target?"
His sharp gaze swept over Flander, awaiting Ning Rongrong's command.
The other guards also knelt down in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they were all speaking at once.
"Greetings, Miss! Please give your instructions!"
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an iron-blooded solemnity, spreading through the silent night and adding to the sense of oppression.
Ning Rongrong was displaying the demeanor of a sect heir at this moment.
She did not relax at the arrival of the guards; on the contrary, her posture became even more upright, like a pine tree standing proudly in the wind and snow. She slightly raised her hand, signaling the guards to rise.
"The target will remain unchanged for now."
Ning Rongrong's voice returned to its cold tone, carrying an undeniable authority.
"Alert lifted for Lin Xia and Zhu Zhuqing."
She made a point of pointing it out, her gaze shifting to the two people in the shadows at the edge of the playground.
The guard leader agreed without hesitation.
When his sharp gaze swept over Lin Xia and Zhu Zhuqing, his murderous intent instantly subsided, and he even nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
He could sense the unfathomable aura emanating from the young man, and from the special way the young lady addressed him, he naturally understood that these two were not to be offended.
The murderous aura surrounding them receded from Lin Xia and Zhu Zhuqing like a receding tide. (End of Chapter)