The huge stone that had weighed on Yan Shaozhe's heart for so long finally fell away.
Bei Bei nodded slowly. He had undergone nearly four months of transformation.
Mu En told him to go back and get some proper rest. Zhang Lexuan had been terribly worried during this time and had asked about his condition many times.
Yan Shaozhe didn't rush Bei Bei into helping Ma Xiaotao purify her Evil Fire, either. Since he was here now, they could do it whenever they liked.
Seeing this, the other Sea God Pavilion Elders also took their leave, no longer disturbing Bei Bei.
The strange phenomenon at Shrek Academy had naturally drawn the attention of countless forces across the continent.
But Shrek Academy had sealed off all information, leaving them no way to find out what had happened.
They could only speculate on their own, but there was no doubt that they had grown even warier of Shrek Academy.
Bei Bei left Sea God Pavilion and hurried back to his residence.
The moment Zhang Lexuan realized Bei Bei had returned, she came out of her room.
She walked up and looked him over from head to toe, her eyes brimming with delight she couldn't hide.
"Sister Lexuan, sorry for the trouble." Seeing that familiar, graceful figure, Bei Bei smiled.
"Bei Bei, you did it! That's wonderful." Zhang Lexuan's eyes sparkled like stars, and her lips curved into a smile.
"Of course. When have I ever failed?" Bei Bei raised his hand, and a platinum-colored dragon coiled around his arm. Its entire body shimmered with an unusual radiance, as if he himself were walking light.
"What tremendous power." Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but marvel. Just one glance was enough to feel the immense power it contained.
Bei Bei stared at his Martial Soul. He knew how powerful it was—far beyond that of an ordinary Ultimate Martial Soul. There were many aspects of its power he still couldn't fully control.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on that.
He hadn't seen Zhang Lexuan for nearly four months, and he had missed her dearly. Taking her by the hand, he led her to the shore of Sea God Lake.
Bei Bei set up a grill, and the two of them enjoyed a picnic. Every so often, cheerful laughter rang out.
Before long, evening came. They lay on the grass, gazing at the sunset over Sea God Lake.
The setting sun cast golden ripples across the water. Where sky met lake, a streak of rosy clouds dyed half the heavens red—a breathtaking sight.
Bei Bei drew Zhang Lexuan into his arms, feeling her soft body and warm breath. His heart felt utterly at peace.
He reached out to caress her softness. Zhang Lexuan didn't stop him, simply snuggling against him and letting him do as he pleased.
Only after night fell did they pack up and return to their residence to rest.
Bei Bei didn't go to sleep. Instead, he stood in the courtyard, sensing how much his Martial Soul had grown stronger after its transformation.
Beneath his feet rose four Soul Rings: black, black, black, black.
Thanks to his Martial Soul's second evolution, his first three Soul Rings had all advanced from thousand-year to ten-thousand-year Soul Rings.
His first three Soul Skills had grown much more powerful, especially their power of light, which now carried the force of Sacred Judgment.
The fourth Soul Skill bestowed by the twenty-thousand-year Sky Dragon Horse was called Radiant Dragon Body.
Bei Bei's fourth Soul Ring flickered faintly. His body grew a little taller, his muscles swelled, and golden dragon patterns appeared across his skin, radiating an aura of light.
His strength, speed, attack, defense, and other abilities all increased tremendously.
After testing it, Bei Bei canceled the fourth Soul Skill.
He was ready to try out the effects of his Dragon Transformation.
After breaking through to level forty and becoming a Soul Ancestor, he had gained another Dragon Transformation body part.
When Bei Bei had reached level thirty and become a Soul Elder, the part that transformed was his dragon claws. As his cultivation improved, the transformed area had steadily expanded. At first, only his right arm could become a dragon claw; later, both arms could.
The instant he activated Dragon Transformation, Bei Bei's arms swelled and lengthened. Platinum scales covered them, and his hands became sharp dragon claws.
Then dragon scales spread from his right shoulder across his back, and a huge dragon wing unfurled from his shoulder blade, radiating an imposing aura.
Although Bei Bei could currently manifest only one dragon wing, his other wing would appear as well once his Soul Power reached level forty-six.
The new skill granted by the dragon wing was called Dragon's Might.
It gave Bei Bei the ability to fly and release a fierce mental pressure that could weaken those with less spiritual power than his own.
It was even more effective against Soul Masters whose Martial Souls carried dragon bloodlines.
After ending Dragon Transformation, Bei Bei tried out the new power he had gained from his Martial Soul's evolution: a domain.
Ordinary Soul Masters only had a chance of comprehending a domain unique to their Martial Soul after breaking through to become Titled Douluo.
But after Bei Bei's Martial Soul evolved into the Radiant Dragon King, it naturally gave rise to an Innate Domain.
It was called the Sacred Light Domain.
Bei Bei tried releasing the domain. A ring of golden lightning erupted around him.
Platinum light filled the entire world, and the aura of sacred light flooded the space, continuously dissolving his opponent's Soul Power.
Countless golden bolts of lightning raged within it, viscous as liquid and gathering into balls of crackling electricity.
Light, holiness, and lightning—the three powers blended perfectly within the domain.
This domain had an extremely powerful suppressive effect on Evil Soul Masters. An Evil Soul Master of the same rank would be left with less than one-tenth of their strength inside it. The stronger the Evil Soul Master, the greater the domain's suppressive effect.
After testing his newly acquired abilities, Bei Bei went back to rest.
The following morning.
Bei Bei stepped out of his room and found Yan Shaozhe waiting outside.
"Dean Yan, is this about Xiaotao?" Bei Bei asked.
"Mm." Yan Shaozhe nodded. "Xiaotao has recently shown signs of losing control again. I want you to try to completely purify the Evil Fire within her Martial Soul Origin. That way, she won't have to suffer from its torment anymore."
"Then let's go right away! I want to see what my Ultimate Light can do." Bei Bei nodded.
Bei Bei followed Yan Shaozhe to Ma Xiaotao's residence.
When the two of them went inside, they didn't find her there.
Yan Shaozhe frowned slightly and sighed helplessly. "Looks like Xiaotao went to cultivate again. She's already on the verge of losing control. If she keeps cultivating, she'll only be playing with fire."
Yan Shaozhe went to a secret chamber and opened it. A wave of scorching air greeted them, revealing a passage that descended deep underground.
"This is the Mimicry Cultivation Environment I built for Xiaotao. It goes straight underground, where there's a lake of magma and an abundance of fire elements," Yan Shaozhe explained.
Bei Bei looked around. The passage was built entirely of black Obsidian, clearly the result of a great deal of effort.
They walked on for an unknown length of time, and the temperature grew increasingly scorching.
As they continued, the passage suddenly opened into a vast underground space. At its center lay a lake of scarlet magma.