Xu Jiujiu smiled.
Was it worth it? The answer was simple: yes.
As Dragon God Douluo's disciple and the future Sea God Pavilion Master, he had a limit-grade Martial Soul, the Golden Dragon. He was naturally worth investing in.
Qing Ya had no idea how important this condition was.
It was a condition that could save the Star Luo Empire from disaster, that could save an entire nation.
They might never need to use this condition in their whole lives, but if they did, it would be a huge windfall.
Dragon Blood was meant to be used. What was there to debate about whether it was worth it?
Still... if it had been Dai Yueheng or Beibei, Xu Jiujiu would have seriously considered whether to withdraw the bid. After all, neither of them had a future as promising as Yu Daoyun's.
At the auction house entrance.
Tang Ya kept glancing inside, waiting for Yu Daoyun to come out.
He had bought her so many things. Of course she had to thank him, and they could walk back to the academy together.
Just then, Yu Daoyun came out.
Tang Ya immediately went up to him, smiling brightly. "Well? Did you get it?"
Yu Daoyun nodded. "I got it, but they didn't mention the condition."
"They're probably waiting until you've grown stronger before they bring it up. Let's head back to the academy first," Tang Ya said.
Yu Daoyun hummed in agreement, thinking that Tang Sect Master's brain was working pretty well for once.
Now that he had the Dragon Blood, he could return and open the Golden Dragon King Seal.
Soon, the two of them set off for the academy.
All along the way, Tang Ya chattered away like a little sparrow.
Yu Daoyun only smiled faintly. He hadn't expected her to be so enthusiastic.
But just as they reached the academy gates, Yu Daoyun and Tang Ya spotted Beibei and Xu Sanshi.
They seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
Tang Ya blinked her lovely eyes and asked, "Beibei, you guys haven't gone back to the academy yet?"
"No."
Beibei replied curtly. His face dark, he came up to Yu Daoyun and said, "I'm challenging you. You have to beat me today, or you're not getting into the academy."
Yu Daoyun froze. Beibei looked very off, as if he might explode at any moment.
He glanced at Tang Ya and seemed to understand everything.
Maybe he'd taken the Dragon Blood that Beibei needed for Martial Soul Evolution at the auction, then stolen the girl Beibei liked. The hot-blooded young man had flown into a rage for the sake of a beauty.
What a mess.
He really didn't want to knock Beibei flat.
"Are you crazy?" Tang Ya cried, unable to help worrying about Beibei.
She truly hadn't expected him to challenge Yu Daoyun. What was the difference between that and courting death? Xu Sanshi had been punched straight into the hospital!
Beibei answered coldly, "Xiao Ya, this is a fated duel between Yu Daoyun and me. You'll have to knock me down today, or I'm not moving."
Tang Ya cursed, "Idiot!"
Beibei remained stubborn and refused to move. Xu Sanshi cheered him on from the side, applauding his good brother's courage.
Yu Daoyun sighed and said to Beibei, "You really don't have to think so badly of me. Do you need Dragon Blood? I can give you two drops."
Beibei had been about to back down, but he steeled himself and said, "I don't want it. I want to challenge you."
Yu Daoyun asked, "Because of Tang Ya?"
Beibei replied seriously, "I want to challenge you."
"Come on, then!"
Yu Daoyun was truly at a loss. He'd never seen anyone make such an unreasonable demand. He raised a hand, signaling Beibei to make his move.
At that, Beibei abruptly stepped back. Three Soul Rings lit up beneath his feet, blue lightning crackling around his body as his aura surged.
"Third Soul Skill, Wrath of Thunder."
The instant his Third Soul Ring lit up, the lightning around Beibei flared once more, boosting all his attributes.
This was his strongest enhancement Soul Skill, boosting his attack power by more than fifty percent. Even a high-ranked four-ring Soul Ancestor would struggle to take it head-on.
The next moment, Beibei's Second Soul Ring lit up as well. Fine blue scales covered his fists, and he shot forward, swinging at Yu Daoyun.
In an instant, lightning crackled around him as Fist of Thunder came crashing down.
Facing this punch, Yu Daoyun merely raised one hand, as casually as could be.
Boom—!
A blast of air erupted. Blue lightning still crackled, but Beibei's body had stopped right in front of him, unable to advance another inch.
It was as if he'd run into a mountain—an impassable mountain.
Yu Daoyun remarked, "Your Soul Power isn't low, but you're a little weak."
With that, he casually exerted some force and sent Beibei flying. He crashed against the academy wall.
Xu Sanshi rushed over at once and called out, "Beibei, are you okay?"
"Sanshi, I'm fine."
Beibei struggled to his feet. It was as though all his strength had drained away. He staggered as he walked, looking utterly dejected.
He'd lost!
One punch had decided the match.
Or rather, he'd set out to lose from the very beginning. He'd known all along that he wasn't Yu Daoyun's match, but stubbornly challenged him anyway.
Now that he'd gotten the result he wanted, Beibei felt at peace.
Before long, Beibei's dejected figure grew blurrier and blurrier, until he disappeared into the academy.
Xu Sanshi went after him to help, only to be pushed away.
Watching Beibei's defeated figure, Yu Daoyun said regretfully, "If you knew you couldn't win, why even try? I really don't understand."
With that, he left too, leaving Tang Ya standing there, bewildered.
Tang Ya hesitated for a while, then followed them into the academy.
After returning to Sea God Pavilion, Yu Daoyun asked Mu En for permission to enter seclusion, intending to open the Golden Dragon King's seal.
Mu En thought it over briefly, then agreed. He opened up the best room in the Golden Ancient Tree and let Yu Daoyun go inside to cultivate in peace.
Mu En knew just how important this child was. He was the successor.
But when he thought of the Dragon Blood, Mu En cautioned him, "The power of the Dragon Blood and those spirit fruits is incredibly violent. You must refine it carefully, or you could easily lose control and go berserk."
Yu Daoyun nodded. "Don't worry, Mu En. I'm confident."
Hearing this, Mu En continued, "You'll be in seclusion for a long time this time. I'm worried it'll be too late to tell you some things, so I'd better explain them now."
"Please, go ahead, Mu En," Yu Daoyun said sincerely.
Mu En's expression turned serious. In a low voice, he said, "What I'm about to tell you is that I don't have many years left. Ten at most, five at the least. But the one thing I can't let go of is Shrek Academy."
"If something happens to me, or if I leave the academy, you'll be the next Sea God Pavilion Master, with absolute authority. When the time comes, I'll grant you the authority to command the Golden Ancient Tree."
"I've also made arrangements for everything at the academy. Xuan Zi will assist you."
Even though Yu Daoyun had prepared himself, he couldn't help but be startled.
It seemed Mu En had sensed something coming.
The old man had certainly covered every detail. He'd even thought of Xuan Zi.
You could call the man unreliable, but when it came to matters of right and wrong, he wouldn't hesitate for an instant. He was a level-98 enforcer, after all.
Thinking this, Yu Daoyun clasped his hands in salute and turned to enter the secret chamber.
Then the chamber door closed.
Mu En sighed, turned, and left Sea God Pavilion for the Outer Court.
He intended to comfort Beibei. After all, the boy was a child of their lineage.
Beibei could have done anything, but no, he had to challenge Yu Daoyun. Now that he'd been dealt a setback, the old man had to go and comfort him.
Not one of them knew how to make things easy.
Before you continue