Big Brother Bei Bei, Your Head Is a Little Green

"That's great!"

Tang Ya's voice was filled with surprise.

"How about this: you give me these Life Crystals, and I'll make you an official disciple of the Tang Sect. How does that sound?"

The smile on Huo Yuhao's face froze abruptly.

The Tang Sect?

He instantly recalled the legendary stories his mother had told him.

It was the sect founded by the Ancestor Tang San himself, once an existence looked up to by countless people!

However, it seemed he hadn't heard any news about it in a long time.

Seeing Huo Yuhao stunned, the surprise on Tang Ya's face slowly faded, replaced by a trace of unconcealable desolation.

"I won't hide it from you; the current Tang Sect has completely declined."

"But don't worry, Yuhao. Even if the Tang Sect has fallen, we still have an enrollment quota for Shrek Academy in our hands."

"As long as you join the Tang Sect, we will use this quota to ensure you enter Shrek smoothly. This is an opportunity that countless soul masters would break their heads trying to snatch!"

Shrek Academy?

That was the place every soul master on the continent yearned for!

Huo Yuhao had also heard of Shrek, and hearing Tang Ya's words, he felt a sudden sense of longing.

But just then, Zhao Ze in his sea of consciousness suddenly let out a scoff.

"Yuhao, this deal won't work. You absolutely must not agree."

Huo Yuhao was startled and quickly asked in his mind:

"Master? Why? This is an enrollment quota for Shrek, and the Tang Sect..."

"The Tang Sect? An empty shell of a sect with only two people left—what is there to join?"

Zhao Ze's tone was full of disdain.

In the original story, Tang Ya invited Huo Yuhao to join the Tang Sect without mentioning any conditions, and the Shrek quota was just something she resolved along the way.

Now, however, she was actually using it to trade for these Life Crystals that even Titled Douluos would fight over.

This was too much of a loss.

A massive loss!

Moreover, Zhao Ze did not want Huo Yuhao to be tied to the Tang Sect's chariot.

It would be too easy for that "Bie San" to influence him; it would be troublesome if he ended up becoming Dai Yuhao in the end!

"Yuhao, tell them: a sufficient amount of gold and silver, plus the guaranteed enrollment quota for Shrek. Both must be provided; you cannot accept one without the other."

"Remember, what you hold is a supreme treasure. Don't let yourself be swindled by a few empty words and a hollow title."

Zhao Ze said earnestly.

He still had to go to Shrek; there were many cultivation resources there that Huo Yuhao needed.

After all, he was still too weak and there weren't many places he could go, so he might as well improve his foundation first.

After listening, Huo Yuhao's mind instantly cleared.

Master was right!

The Life Crystals in his hands were genuine treasures.

The conditions Tang Ya offered, while seemingly tempting, were fundamentally unequal.

He steadied himself, his previously wavering gaze becoming firm once more.

Immediately, Huo Yuhao looked up at the expectant Tang Ya, offered an apologetic smile, and shook his head.

"Sister Xiaoya, I'm sorry, but I cannot agree to this condition."

As soon as these words were spoken, the smile on Tang Ya's face froze instantly.

"Ah? Yuhao, you... you don't want to join the Tang Sect? And the Shrek quota, you don't want it?"

Beside her, Bei Bei gave a bitter smile; indeed, the Tang Sect was no longer what it once was.

The next second, Huo Yuhao changed his tone and took the opportunity to state the conditions set by Zhao Ze.

"How about we change the terms? If Sister Xiaoya really wants these Life Crystals, you only need to provide me with enough wealth to support my cultivation and help me secure the enrollment quota for Shrek Academy. That will be enough."

"As for the status of a Tang Sect disciple, there is no need to include it in the trade. Besides... I feel it isn't quite right to use that as a bargaining chip."

Tang Ya also realized her mistake, and a flush of guilt instantly rose to her cheeks.

She had indeed been too anxious just now.

She wanted to obtain the Life Crystals to improve her and Bei Bei's aptitude, while also wanting to add a member to the declining Tang Sect.

She had momentarily forgotten that using sect status as a trade was already beneath her.

She scratched her head, looking embarrassed:

"Alright, Yuhao, we'll do it your way!

You give us the Life Crystals, we provide you with enough cultivation funds, and we guarantee your smooth entry into Shrek Academy. It's a deal!"

Upon hearing this, a genuine smile appeared on Huo Yuhao's face, and he nodded heavily:

"It's a deal. Thank you, Sister Xiaoya, thank you, Brother Beibei."

Within the sea of consciousness, Zhao Ze watched this scene and raised an eyebrow in satisfaction.

The kid was still sharp enough; he hadn't been hoodwinked by a few kind words.

Tang Sect? Shrek?

They were nothing more than stepping stones on Huo Yuhao's path to godhood.

He was never going to raise the Huo Yuhao from the original story—the one who was constrained at every turn and couldn't even protect his beloved.

He was going to forge a true powerhouse capable of trampling the continent and ascending directly to the Divine Realm!

The moment the transaction was settled, the atmosphere in the woods suddenly turned subtle.

Tang Ya's excitement hadn't faded, and her gaze remained firmly glued to Huo Yuhao.

To be precise, it was glued to the glistening beads of sweat still clinging to his temples and neck.

The boy had just finished absorbing his soul ring and had his foundation reshaped by Zhao Ze; his thin layer of sweat hadn't yet dried.

That crisp, alluring scent of life followed the rolling sweat, drilling ever more clearly into her nostrils.

Tang Ya's nose twitched, and she couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

But once the excitement passed, an extremely awkward question slammed into her:

How was she supposed to collect Huo Yuhao's sweat?

Tang Ya's mind was a mess, and the scent lingering at her nose made her heart itch, making her more anxious the more she thought about it.

Her feet subconsciously took a step forward, bringing her almost flush against Huo Yuhao.

Her full, cherry lips parted slightly, and she blurted out:

"Yuhao, how about... how about I just... absorb the Life Crystals like this?"

As soon as those words left her mouth, Huo Yuhao froze completely.

Wouldn't that just be licking it off directly?!

Yet, the girl's beautiful face was inches away, her bright, almond-shaped eyes filled with urgency, showing no sign that she thought there was anything wrong with her suggestion.

"S-Sister Xiaoya? This, this..."

Huo Yuhao's face flushed bright red from his ears to his forehead. He didn't know where to put his hands or feet, shrinking back as he struggled to get the words out.

He hurriedly dove into his sea of consciousness, stammering as he asked Zhao Ze:

"Master! I-is this not appropriate? What should I do?"

Zhao Ze, who was lounging on a couch formed by his divine sense while studying Electrolux's consciousness, raised an eyebrow at the question, his tone entirely indifferent:

"What of it? She isn't shy, so why are you?

It's just some sweat. The life force inside is the real deal; that's what she wants, she's not trying to take advantage of you!

What are you so nervous about?"

"But..."

Huo Yuhao's face turned even redder, his heart pounding against his ribs. He didn't dare look at Tang Ya, who was right in front of him, and frantically darted his eyes around, trying to find a way to defuse the awkward situation.

As he looked around, he happened to see Beibei standing under a tree not far away, his back turned to the two of them.

He was staring intently at the canopy, his shoulders rigid.

With his posture screaming, "I see nothing, I hear nothing, these leaves are truly beautiful," he looked utterly helpless.

Huo Yuhao felt as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw and hurriedly called out to him:

"Brother Beibei! You, you have something green on your head..."