The street had been restored to its neat and tidy state. The enforcement team had acted swiftly, and after finishing up, they hurriedly left.
"I never expected you to be from Shrek Academy. Thank you for stepping in today." Tang Ya's father hurried forward to express his gratitude.
Zhang Lexuan didn't say a word. She simply stood quietly beside Bei Bei and watched.
She had no interest in the Tang Sect's affairs. Bei Bei was the only one in her eyes.
"The Tang Sect and Shrek have deep roots tying them together. This was only a small favor." Bei Bei waved his hand.
He continued, "What do you plan to do from here? We've dealt with the threat from the Iron Blood Sect, but there's no guarantee that other sects won't harbor ill intentions toward the Tang Sect."
"The Tang Sect has declined to the point that no one is willing to buy our Hidden Weapons anymore. We can only do our best to keep going," Tang Ya's father said, sounding resentful of his lot.
"Have you never thought about changing? The Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons are relics from ten thousand years ago. They may have their ingenious aspects, but they can no longer keep pace with the times," Bei Bei said.
"I know that too, but how can we casually change the laws laid down by our ancestors?" Tang Ya's father stubbornly shook his head. He seemed to be deeply resistant to Soul Tools.
Hearing him, Bei Bei was left dumbfounded, at a complete loss for words.
After collecting himself, Bei Bei continued, "Have you considered moving the Tang Sect to Shrek City first? Under Shrek Academy's protection, you could develop the Tang Sect and recruit disciples more easily."
In truth, Bei Bei didn't care about the Tang Sect's rise or fall. What he truly valued was its ability to combine Hidden Weapons with Soul Tools.
Many of the Tang Sect's mechanical Hidden Weapons didn't need Soul Power to activate. If they could be integrated with Soul Tool technology, Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department would surely develop much faster and narrow the gap with the Sun Moon Empire.
Bei Bei knew very well that the Sun Moon Empire would launch a war in little more than a decade. By then, Shrek Academy would inevitably be on the front lines.
Yet, because the three great empires were wary of it, Shrek Academy currently had no army of its own, and even the number of teachers at the academy was restricted.
Bei Bei wanted the Tang Sect to become an affiliated force of Shrek Academy. On the surface, the Tang Sect would remain independent, but behind the scenes, Shrek Academy would manage and control it.
That way, the Tang Sect could become a secret reserve base for soldiers and weapons for Shrek Academy.
After hearing him out, Tang Ya's father furrowed his brows slightly. As the sect master of what had once been the greatest sect under heaven,
he naturally had his own pride. He was unwilling to live under someone else's roof, so he politely declined.
Seeing this, Bei Bei stopped trying to persuade him.
With someone so old-fashioned, self-important, and stubborn, no matter how he tried to reason with him, he'd never change his mind.
If he could be so easily persuaded, why would Bei Bei have to waste his breath?
After the Sun Moon Continent arrived, so many sects and forces across the continent had turned to developing Soul Tools.
He refused to believe that among all the forces friendly with the Tang Sect, there wasn't a single person who could convince them to stop clinging to tradition and living off their past!
For more than four thousand years, the entire continent had embraced the new things brought by its collision with the Sun Moon Continent.
But the Tang Sect had seen no change at all, nor made any progress, in all those four thousand years.
The sects and forces that had once been friendly with the Tang Sect had probably long since given up hope in it.
They had already seen what the Tang Sect was at its core: a bunch of good-for-nothings who couldn't be salvaged.
No matter how deep their bonds had once been, after thousands of years, they'd probably thinned to little more than water.
If the Tang Sect had nothing of value to offer, who would be willing to help that dilapidated bottomless pit?
Bei Bei looked at Tang Ya's parents, then finally turned to Tang Ya with a smile. "In that case, I'll look forward to seeing you again. I doubt it'll be long."
Without waiting for a reply, he took Zhang Lexuan by the hand and left.
"Dad, why didn't you do what the big brother suggested? That way, maybe the Tang Sect could rise again." Tang Ya looked at her father, confused.
"Xiao Ya, you must remember: no matter how far the Tang Sect falls, it was once the greatest sect. We have our pride and our honor!" Tang Ya's father said solemnly.
"Dad's right! The Tang Sect is the best!" Tang Ya echoed him, still a little bewildered.
"Well said, Xiao Ya! Today, I'll teach you how to use the Dragon Whisker Needle. How does that sound?" Tang Ya's father replied, full of relief.
"Wonderful!" Tang Ya said excitedly.
Then the three members of Tang Ya's family walked through the Tang Sect's gates.
Meanwhile, Bei Bei and Zhang Lexuan prepared to head back.
"Bei Bei, you don't seem to be in a very good mood," Zhang Lexuan said with concern, watching him walk along with his smile gone and his face expressionless.
"I just saw a lump of mud walking down a road that was bound to end in ruin," Bei Bei said softly.
"Everyone chooses their own path. Even if it leads to a sheer cliff, you still have to grit your teeth and keep going," Zhang Lexuan said with a smile.
She couldn't help thinking of the vow she had made to Mu En back then: no matter what, her life belonged to Bei Bei, and she would never change that.
"That's true! There's no point letting a lump of mud ruin my mood..." Bei Bei's lips curved into a smile, and his sunny, cheerful manner returned.
"Sister Lexuan, let's go explore over there!" Bei Bei pointed toward a street and led Zhang Lexuan over.
Not long afterward, Zhang Lexuan led Shrek Academy to victory over Sun Moon Academy in the final, winning the championship of this year's Soul Master Tournament.
After the awards ceremony, Xuan Zi led everyone from Shrek Academy back.
As soon as he returned to Shrek Academy, Bei Bei received good news.
Earlier, he had asked someone to investigate the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife at the Starlight Auction House in Star Luo City.
Now the news had finally arrived: the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife had appeared at the auction house. The person Bei Bei had arranged to bid on it had won, and it had now been delivered to Shrek Academy.
The Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife ranked ninety-ninth among the Ranking Engraving Knives. It had been made three thousand years ago by a genius Soul Engineer from the Sun Moon Continent, using a piece of Life Gold.
But because it had been used incorrectly, an evil force had polluted the knife and formed a vicious curse. It would continuously devour its user's life force, and over time, it had become a notorious murder weapon.
Bei Bei was confident that with Mu En and the Golden Ancient Tree's power of light, they could purify the knife's curse and evil force, allowing it to reveal its true nature once more.
Bei Bei could hardly wait to open the box containing the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife. A fierce aura spread out, and its icy chill made the room feel several degrees colder.
A carving knife lay motionless inside the box. It was as thick as a finger and half a foot long.
The knife had an antique design and was pitch-black from end to end. A wisp of black aura coiled around it, radiating an intensely evil presence.