Bei Bei and Tang Ya

Rustle!

A distinct sound of grass and trees swaying, branches and leaves scraping together, suddenly came from the dense forest not far off to their front side, breaking the brief silence after the Wind Baboon had been killed in an instant.

The nerves of the father and son, Wu Ming and Wu Yang, which had only just relaxed slightly, abruptly tightened again. Instinctively, they shrank a little farther behind Huo Yuhao, staring nervously at the bushes where the sound had come from.

Huo Yuhao's gaze instantly locked onto that direction as well, but he made no move to attack.

Because the moment the sound arose, his Mental Power had already silently spread over like invisible ripples of water.

He had already determined that the newcomers were not Soul Beasts, but two human Soul Masters.

Sure enough, moments later, the bushes ahead parted, and two swift figures emerged from within.

The newcomers were two youths, both appearing to be no more than twelve or thirteen years old.

The girl had a pretty oval face, fair skin, and a pair of large, lively Eyes.

Her long black hair was neatly tied into a ponytail, swaying lightly behind her with her movements. She gave off an impression of being clean, capable, and full of vitality.

The boy beside her had a rather eye-catching head of short blue hair.

His features were handsome. Though he was still young, there was already less childish restlessness between his brows and more steadiness and scholarly refinement, leaving a first impression of elegance and gentleness.

Seeing that the newcomers were two children, the father and son, Wu Ming and Wu Yang, immediately let out a sigh of relief.

However, Huo Yuhao's vigilance did not lessen in the slightest. He even recalled the teachings of his two teachers.

In the Spirit Ascension Platform, encountering human Soul Masters was not necessarily a good thing.

Fights over resources, sneak attacks, and even killing one another for profit were far too common.

Though this was not the virtual Spirit Ascension Platform, it was still the perilous Star Dou Great Forest.

There was never any harm in being careful!

The Girl's gaze first swept quickly over the Wind Baboon's corpse on the ground, a trace of surprise flashing through her eyes.

Then, her gaze fell upon Huo Yuhao. "Little brother, you're quite impressive. You took care of a ten-year Soul Beast so easily?"

Huo Yuhao did not reply. His gaze continued moving back and forth between Bei Bei and Tang Ya as his Spirit Eyes quietly activated.

The Soul Power fluctuations of this ponytailed girl were around Rank 20. She had probably come to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a Soul Ring.

The blue-haired youth beside her possessed much deeper Soul Power, roughly around Rank 26 or 27. At his age, he could already be considered outstanding.

Seeing Huo Yuhao's wary expression, the girl took a small step forward and said gently, "Please don't misunderstand. We mean no harm."

"We only heard the commotion from a Soul Beast nearby, so we came over to check what was happening."

When Huo Yuhao remained unmoved, the boy spoke as well. "We're from Shrek Academy. My name is Bei Bei, and this is Tang Ya."

Upon hearing the words "Shrek Academy," the father and son, Wu Ming and Wu Yang, abruptly widened their eyes, their faces filled with shock and reverence!

For ordinary people and low-level Soul Masters like them, Shrek Academy's titles of "the continent's number one academy" and "the holy land of Soul Masters" were simply too renowned!

Yet this pair of young man and woman before them, who looked no older than twelve or thirteen, were actually students of Shrek Academy!

In the eyes of the father and son, they were peerless geniuses among tens of thousands, blessed with limitless futures!

Their previous nervousness and caution were instantly replaced by the impact and admiration brought by that enormous name.

The way Wu Yang looked at Bei Bei and Tang Ya even carried a touch of fervent worship.

However, when Huo Yuhao, standing at the very front, heard the name "Shrek," his eyes merely flickered almost imperceptibly before returning to calm.

He naturally retained the proper respect for Shrek Academy, but it stemmed more from an objective understanding of its historical foundation and educational achievements.

It was not the almost instinctive shock and excitement ordinary Soul Masters felt upon hearing that name.

After all, he was no longer the Dai Yuhao who had known nothing about the continent's top powers.

In the World Ten Thousand Years Later, the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters stood in Shrek City, right next to Shrek Academy. His teacher, Leng Yaozhu, had even taken him on a tour of Shrek Academy.

To him, it was merely a place of study, not some unattainable legend.

Given the age and cultivation of the young man and woman before him, it was perfectly reasonable for them to be students of Shrek Academy. They could even be called exceptionally talented.

As his thoughts raced, Huo Yuhao's powerful Mental Power quietly spread farther into the surroundings like an invisible spiderweb.

There were no other unusual Soul Power fluctuations. It seemed that only Bei Bei and Tang Ya were nearby, and this result eased his mind slightly.

The wariness on Huo Yuhao's face faded a little, replaced by a faint smile.

"My name is Huo Yuhao. In another two years, I'm planning to apply to Shrek Academy and give it a try as well."

"By then, I might have to call you two senior brother and senior sister."

Bei Bei subtly moved to shield Tang Ya behind him. Though he still wore a gentle smile, he had already become wary inside.

This boy, no more than eight or nine years old, gave him an unfathomable feeling, making him instinctively sense danger.

His instincts had always been accurate.

"With your strength, little brother, getting into Shrek Academy should not be difficult."

His tone remained steady, but his eyes never left Huo Yuhao for even a moment.

Tang Ya behind him, however, could not suppress her curiosity. She poked half her little face out from beside Bei Bei's shoulder, her lively Eyes darting about as she said brightly, "Little brother Yuhao, would you consider joining our Tang Sect? Our Tang Sect was once the number one sect on the continent!"

Bei Bei turned his head at the sound and called in a lowered voice, "Xiao Ya!"

He had already planned to say goodbye, but this girl had suddenly come up with another whim.

Tang Ya immediately put on a stern face and asked seriously, "What did you call me?"

"...Teacher Xiao Ya." Bei Bei sighed helplessly. "Is that acceptable now?"

Huo Yuhao, standing opposite them, seemed not to notice their playful squabble over forms of address.

He softly repeated those two words, "Tang Sect..."

He had never expected to encounter someone from the Tang Sect here.

Tang Ya heard Huo Yuhao's murmur, and her Eyes instantly lit up. "That's right! I'm the current Tang Sect Leader. If you're willing, you can join the Tang Sect right now!"

"Tang Sect Leader?"

Huo Yuhao's heart jolted.

Ten Thousand Years Ago, the Tang Sect's two sect leaders, whose names shook the continent—Douluo of Emotion Zang Xin and Douluo of Ruthlessness Cao Dezhi—had both been Demigods, peak Quasi-God-level existences.

Yet this Girl, whose Soul Power was not even equal to his own, actually claimed to be the leader of the Tang Sect?

He nearly laughed. Could he have run into a swindler?

But in the next instant, his gaze suddenly froze.

He remembered that Ten Thousand Years Ago... the Tang Sect had indeed once stood on the verge of extinction.

It was only after he joined the Tang Sect and combined Soul Tools with the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons that this ancient sect had been reborn and risen once more across the continent.

His gaze settled on Tang Ya's clear, resolute Eyes, and his emotions churned...

Perhaps in this era, she truly was the current Tang Sect Leader.