It was just as Mo Lan had said; if he wanted to rebuild Shrek Academy, then he would have to face opposition from almost all of the major powers on the entire continent. As such, he couldn't reveal his plans to the world until he was absolutely ready.

However, just because he couldn't reveal his plans didn't mean that he couldn't work toward his goals in the shadows.

The information that he had received from Mo Lan was not very optimistic, but it had been very helpful to his planning. At the very least, she had taught him to be more cautious toward everything and to not act recklessly under any circumstances.

A faint smile appeared on Tang Wulin's face, and his eyes gradually lit up.

He had the support of the Tang Sect behind him, so why couldn't he hide Shrek Academy just as the Holy Spirit Cult had hidden themselves? In any case, he had to visit the original site of Shrek City. Following this visit to Bright City, he had essentially already decided on a course of action, and all he had to do next was to set his plan into motion.

The next morning, Tang Wulin and the others set off for the original site of Shrek City via soul train.

The 27 of them were split up into five carriages, and Tang Wulin was sitting beside Long Yuxue. The two of them were posing as a pair of lovers, and aside from the disguise that Tang Wulin had applied to himself, everyone else was still in their original appearance. There was no need for them to adopt any disguises as their identities weren't sensitive.

Tang Wulin looked at the rapidly receding scenery through the window of the soul train, and a mixture of emotions welled up in his heart. He was now hoping that the Holy Spirit Cult would attempt to hijack this train as that would give him an opportunity to avenge his deceased teachers and peers of Shrek Academy.

However, for some reason, the Holy Spirit Cult hadn't launched a terrorist attack on the continent for a very long time, and the only appearance they had made was during that last incident at the Blood God Legion base.

They hadn't been dealt any destructive blows, so their sudden and complete disappearance was truly perplexing. In Tang Wulin's eyes, the Holy Spirit Cult was intentionally keeping a low profile to contribute toward instigating the inevitable war.

If the war were to commence, the federation would undoubtedly be lacking in military power, and if the Holy Spirit Cult were to strike then, the consequences would only be even more disastrous.

If he wanted to revive Shrek Academy, not only did he have to balance the external powers so they kept one another in check, thereby preventing them from interfering with the revival of the academy, he also had to destroy the Holy Spirit Cult.

The initial steps were always the most difficult ones to take in any endeavor, so this was the most arduous stage of Tang Wulin's plan, but his thought process was very clear. Following his conversation with Mo Lan, he was made even more aware of the fact that he couldn't afford to be too hasty in implementing his plans as that would only achieve the opposite of the desired effect.

He and his friends were the only remaining seeds that Shrek Academy had, so they had to ensure their own safety no matter what. As such, it was most definitely better for them to be safe than sorry, even if they had to err on the side of caution. After all, he and his friends were still nowhere near powerful enough to truly make a difference in this world.

Just as Tang Wulin was departing from Bright City with his Blood Dragon Squad, Shen Xing was sitting in her own room with a frustrated look on her face.

That bastard had vanished into thin air without so much as a single trace. How was that possible? After separating from Mo Lan on that day, she had sent out her subordinates to wait for Tang Wulin in secret. They managed to track Tang Wulin even as he departed from Mo Lan's office, but he then stopped at a shopping center and suddenly disappeared there.

Following her drunken encounter with Tang Wulin that night, Shen Xing knew that he was extremely proficient in disguise techniques, so it would be extremely difficult to find him.

However, she couldn't just pass up on this rare opportunity and let him scurry away right under her nose.

With that in mind, Shen Xing decided to pay a visit to Mo Lan.

"Sister Mo Lan." Shen Xing walked into Mo Lan's office before making her way over to Mo Lan's desk with a smile on her face.

"You again? What do you want now? Oh, that reminds me, I forgot to tell your sister about what you did; let me give her a call now." She began to reach for her soul communicator as she spoke.

Shen Xing hurriedly rushed around Mo Lan's desk and latched onto her hands. "Please don't! Seeing as you'd already forgotten, then just let it remain forgotten, heehee. I came here because I have a favor to ask of you."

Mo Lan shot a glance at her. "What do you need?"

A resentful look appeared on Shen Xing's face. "It's still about that bastard! He suddenly disappeared just because we had a disagreement. Otherwise, how could I have been so impulsive as to send military troops after him? Do you know where he went? I'm looking all over the place for him!"

Mo Lan appraised her with a hint of a smile on her face. "Is he really your boyfriend? Xing'er, you're a good girl, and our families are very close, so tell me the truth; what's going on between you and him? Actually, let me ask you two simple questions first; do you know his name? Do you know who he is?"

Shen Xing faltered slightly before she replied, "He's from Shrek Academy! Of course I know who he is. What do you..." Her voice abruptly trailed off, and she suddenly realized that Mo Lan and Tang Wulin most likely shared a very special relationship.

Mo Lan heaved a faint sigh. "Xing'er, there are some people that you should never approach. I can tell that you like him, but if you fall in love with someone like him, it could very likely affect your entire life, and the impact can only be a negative one; even your family won't agree for you to be with him. I'm sure you know what happened to Shrek Academy; if you really want what's best for him, then don't tell anyone that you saw him in Bright City. His identity is very sensitive, and there are many people who are currently looking for him, most of whom do not have his best interests in mind."

Shen Xing's brows furrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

Mo Lan sighed, "I can't elaborate much more than that. All I can tell you is that he's not good for you, and that pursuing him will very likely completely ruin you. This is not a path that you should take."

"No, I don't believe you! Be, besides, I don't really like him, I just..."Shen Xing stomped her foot as an enraged look appeared on her face. "He told you everything, didn't he?"

Mo Lan appraised her with an intense gaze. "What do you think?"

Shen Xing became even more furious upon hearing this. "Where is he? I have to see him and interrogate him in person! He..."

A gentle look appeared in Mo Lan's eyes at the sight of Shen Xing's frustrated display. She stood up and stroked Shen Xing's hair as she said, "I've been through this stage of my life, so you can't hide your feelings from me; you've fallen in love with him, right? Forget him. He's like poison to you, silly girl! Do you know how heavy a responsibility is weighing on his shoulders in the wake of Shrek Academy's destruction? Just this responsibility alone could crush him if he's not careful; he doesn't have time to be bogged down by a relationship.

"Besides, your identity is quite sensitive; how will you face your grandfather, your father, and your sister if something were to happen between the two of you? If an important member of the Shen Family such as yourself were to marry someone from Shrek Academy, your relationship could destroy your entire family! Don't you see the severe implications behind all of this? This is definitely not something that you can face on your own, so give up on him. There's no way for you two to be together, so forget him and live your life."

"No!" Shen Xing suddenly yelled. She bit down on her lower lip, and tears were already swimming in her eyes.

"I have to find him! I have to find that bastard and kill him! I have to exact my revenge; I, I..." She began to back away from Mo Lan as she spoke before abruptly turning and running away.

Mo Lan shook her head in a resigned manner as she looked on at Shen Xing's departing figure. This little brother of hers was simply far too attractive to the opposite sex, even if he didn't do anything to garner this attraction.

Indeed, even she would be attracted to him if she were 10 years younger. His looks and abilities were both impeccable and formed a hopelessly alluring package. Come to think of it, he had proclaimed he already had someone that he loved, and Mo Lan couldn't help but wonder who it was.

After a brief moment of contemplation, she decided that she had to tell Shen Yue about this. She and Shen Yue had been close friends ever since they were children, and their families were also very close with one another. After that, they grew up and went their separate ways, and it was undoubtedly the case that Shen Yue was more exceptional than her in their younger days, but that didn't affect their friendship at all. This was why she regarded Shen Xing as her own little sister.

"Shen Yue, it's me. There's something that I have to tell you about Xing'er..."

At the Bright City garrison command center.

Shen Yue put down her soul communicator with a dark expression on her face. She had actually already figured out from a long while ago that there seemed to be something going on with her little sister.

Something had been off about her even back at the Northsea Legion base, and following her return to Bright City, her situation seemed to have only worsened. She was naturally aware of Shen Xing's alcohol problem, and she had scolded Shen Xing many times due to this issue. However, Shen Xing had burst into tears and told her that she was suffering from severe insomnia and couldn't sleep without relying on alcohol, and that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.