To him, the Tang Sect was merely a convenient tool. How could he let a tool hold him back?
"Very well. You're all the same age, so spend some time getting to know each other," Mu En said. "Bei Bei, what do you think of the Tang Sect?"
"Great Ancestor, what do you mean?" Bei Bei looked at him.
"After all, the Tang Sect has shared a bond with our Shrek Academy for ten thousand years. I truly can't bear to see it disappear completely."
Mu En continued slowly, "Shrek is only an academy. We won't stop our students from joining any faction or sect."
Mu En had made his meaning clear: he hoped Bei Bei would join the Tang Sect and help it grow and rise again.
Bei Bei furrowed his brow slightly. He refused without hesitation, stating his thoughts bluntly.
"Great Ancestor, I won't join the Tang Sect. I don't care whether it thrives or declines. On the contrary, I'd rather see it absorbed by the academy."
"The Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons and its Self-Created Soul Skills are both useful methods. They could greatly benefit the development of Shrek Academy."
Mu En shook his head slightly, clearly disagreeing with Bei Bei's view. He didn't want to take advantage of the situation and pressure that little girl.
So he changed the subject. "You've already broken through level forty. Have you thought about your fourth Soul Ring?"
"I hope my fourth Soul Ring will be at least twenty thousand years old. Ideally, it would come from a Sky Dragon Horse."
"Though this Soul Beast takes the form of a horse, it possesses the pure bloodline of a Radiant Sacred Dragon. It could greatly strengthen my Martial Soul Origin."
Bei Bei stated his thoughts.
"Good. This is a matter of great importance. To ensure your Martial Soul evolves smoothly, it would be best to do everything inside the Golden Ancient Tree," Mu En said with a slight nod.
"I'll personally make a trip to the Star Dou Great Forest and capture a twenty-thousand-year-old Sky Dragon Horse with a pure bloodline."
Mu En slowly rose from his reclining chair, then vanished in a flash of golden light.
Bei Bei turned and left, preparing to think about how he could persuade Tang Ya to willingly share the Tang Sect's mechanical Hidden Weapon techniques with the Soul Tool Department.
He didn't hurry back. Instead, he went to the Shrek Library to study various theoretical texts.
It had practically become part of Bei Bei's daily routine. Thanks to his outstanding spiritual power, he could remember many books after reading them just once.
After several years, he had read almost every book in the Shrek Library.
Bei Bei didn't return to his residence until noon.
To his surprise, he discovered that Mu En had arranged for Tang Ya to stay not far from his residence.
Tang Ya saw Bei Bei return, too, but perhaps because of what had happened that morning, she didn't give him a friendly look.
Bei Bei didn't mind and walked into the courtyard.
Zhang Lexuan was already gone. As the Inner Court's senior sister, she had to lead the other Inner Court students in their training and carry out inspection missions, wiping out Evil Soul Masters. She was usually very busy.
Bei Bei picked up the controller and entered the Gravity Chamber to train.
After activating tenfold gravity, he began using the equipment inside to work his body relentlessly.
Under the intense gravity, Bei Bei was soon drenched in sweat. His clothes clung to him, revealing a strong, well-proportioned physique. A faint golden glow spread from his skin.
The Gravity Chamber had also been stocked with various precious foods and drinks to replenish the nutrients he burned while training his body.
An hour later, Bei Bei switched off the Gravity Chamber and stepped out.
His muscles ached, and even his bones felt faintly numb.
Bei Bei paid it no mind. With his body's recovery speed, he would be back to normal in a day.
From the neighboring courtyard, Tang Ya poked her head out and watched Bei Bei curiously.
She wondered how he could have come out of that metal room looking utterly exhausted.
After returning to his room and washing up, Bei Bei changed into clean clothes, then sat cross-legged on his bed and began meditating.
Evening crept up before Bei Bei finally ended his meditation.
He was about to go out for something to eat. Just as he stepped out of the courtyard, he saw Tang Ya sitting alone outside her house, curled up quietly by the door and gazing at the darkening sky. Perhaps she was thinking of her parents.
Bei Bei walked over. The corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll take you to get something."
"Hmph. No." Tang Ya didn't want to speak to him.
They had only met twice, but Bei Bei had already failed to make a good impression on her. Instead, she felt as though he was laughing at her.
Bei Bei wasn't angry. Still smiling, he said, "Are you throwing a tantrum? Planning to starve yourself, too? You really are just a little kid."
"What did you say?" Tang Ya immediately flared up.
She wouldn't have cared before, but now she carried the mission of reviving the Tang Sect. Naturally, she didn't want people treating her like a child anymore.
But her stomach betrayed her, rumbling loudly and leaving her instantly embarrassed.
"Come on. I'll take you to the Inner Court cafeteria. They make the food here with all kinds of precious ingredients. You won't find anything like it in the outside world."
Bei Bei couldn't help smiling. At the end of the day, she was only a ten-year-old girl. He held out a hand to invite her.
Tang Ya hesitated, but her body was more honest than her words. She slowly got to her feet and muttered stubbornly, "As if I need you to take me. I just don't know my way around."
"Heh." Bei Bei chuckled and led Tang Ya to the Inner Court cafeteria.
Bei Bei was a familiar face there. Although he wasn't an Inner Court student, he often came to eat.
After getting two meals, they sat down in a corner.
Tang Ya looked at the food in front of her and noticed that Bei Bei's serving was several times larger than hers.
His tray was piled so high it looked like a little mountain, almost overflowing.
She couldn't help grumbling to herself. He looked so thin, yet he ate that much.
The Inner Court's meals were made with all kinds of medicinal herbs and Soul Beast meat, making them highly nutritious. Some even contained rare natural treasures.
After just one bite, Tang Ya felt a warm current surge through her body. Even her Soul Power circulated faster, and her eyes lit up.
Bei Bei sat across from her and ate at an unhurried pace, though he moved quickly. Before long, his tray was completely empty.
Tang Ya stared at Bei Bei's still-flat stomach, unable to believe it. Where had he put all that food?
"Finished?" Bei Bei asked when Tang Ya put down her chopsticks. "I'll take you to see the Soul Tool Department in the Outer Court."
"I'm not going. What's there to look at?" Tang Ya wrinkled her nose, clearly reluctant.
"Don't you want to see what those Soul Tools that knocked the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons from their lofty pedestal actually look like?" Bei Bei's lips lifted slightly as he prepared to provoke her.
"After all, stones from other mountains can polish jade. Only when you've seen for yourself the difference between Soul Tools and the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons will you understand how to make a change." Bei Bei raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips.