Bei Bei stepped forward, and a brilliant golden light burst from his fingertips.
He lightly touched Tang Ya's brow. The power of ultimate light swiftly awakened her mind, bringing her back to herself.
"I... I don't want to become an Evil Soul Master." Tang Ya stared at the large swath of forest she had destroyed without even realizing it, and spoke with some alarm.
"What do you think makes someone an Evil Soul Master?" Bei Bei slowly crouched down, resting a hand on Tang Ya's shoulder as he asked.
The aura of light radiating from him did a fine job of suppressing Tang Ya's panic, calming her heart.
"An Evil Soul Master is an Evil Soul Master. They're all wicked people who stop at nothing." Tang Ya spoke of the way most Soul Masters in the world saw them.
"Then do you think I could be an Evil Soul Master?" Bei Bei asked.
"How could you possibly..." Tang Ya trailed off, disbelief filling her eyes.
At that moment, Bei Bei's aura changed drastically. His golden hair turned ink-black, his golden pupils darkened, and a black scale appeared on his forehead.
Darkness, silence, devouring—every kind of evil, negative aura swirled around him.
"Then what about now? Am I an Evil Soul Master?" Bei Bei revealed his Second Martial Soul, the Dark Sacred Dragon!
"Why did you guide me into uncovering this kind of power? What exactly are you trying to achieve?" Tang Ya's thoughts were in turmoil.
Bei Bei slowly dispelled the Dark Sacred Dragon Martial Soul. He changed back into the smiling boy who radiated warmth like the spring sun.
"I only wanted you to recognize your own power. This is your talent. Your Blue Silver Grass contains the element of darkness, giving you the means to devour life energy," Bei Bei said with a smile. "Even without me, you would have discovered this power."
"When you realize that your talent alone isn't enough to avenge your parents, what will you do?"
"When the people around you gradually surpass you in cultivation, your sensitive heart may lead you to make the wrong choice."
"Wouldn't you secretly use this talent to cultivate on your own, then go seek revenge alone, only to be blinded by hatred and fall into depravity, becoming an Evil Soul Master?"
Bei Bei continued, "I brought you here today and let you see your true self to keep you from straying down the wrong path in the future."
Bei Bei still felt a great deal of sympathy for Tang Ya.
If he could spare her some of the misfortune that awaited her, he hoped to do so.
"What should I do?" Tang Ya asked. She was completely panicked now, and could only look to Bei Bei for help, her eyes reddening until she seemed pitifully vulnerable.
"Don't be afraid. Accept your own power. This is your talent, a gift from heaven. You shouldn't fear or resist it. You should accept it calmly," Bei Bei said earnestly.
Bei Bei took Tang Ya's cold little hand, offering her a little warmth and comfort.
"But I'll become an Evil Soul Master," Tang Ya said, resisting the idea.
"Will you devour other people's life force to cultivate?" Bei Bei asked.
"No." Tang Ya shook her head.
"Then what are you afraid of? As long as you don't harm living beings, let wicked thoughts corrode your heart, or fall into depravity, you won't be an Evil Soul Master." Bei Bei stepped forward and helped Tang Ya to her feet.
Bei Bei continued, "In my view, Martial Souls themselves have no distinction between good and evil. When Soul Masters cultivate through evil methods, their Martial Souls gradually incline toward evil."
"That's what I told you before about the connection between the soul and the Martial Soul. An evil Martial Soul can influence a person's soul."
"Likewise, an evil soul can also influence a person's Martial Soul in turn."
"Evil Soul Masters are more often born from people's selfish desires, wicked thoughts, and evil methods of cultivation."
Hearing Bei Bei's words made Tang Ya feel a little better, but she still couldn't shake her prejudice against Evil Soul Masters.
Tang Ya felt conflicted. She wanted to increase her strength quickly, but she was also afraid of becoming an Evil Soul Master.
"The choice is yours. If you don't mind, you can come with me to the Library Pavilion every day and study the theory books. They'll broaden your knowledge and improve your state of mind," Bei Bei suggested.
Tang Ya nodded. She truly had no better option, so she could only follow Bei Bei's advice.
A few more days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for Shrek's annual enrollment.
Mu En felt Bei Bei should spend more time with people his own age, so he arranged for him to study in the Outer Court. Bei Bei was assigned to Freshman Class One.
Bei Bei went to the registration office, where he received a dormitory key, two school uniforms, and a white freshman badge.
When he reached the dormitory, Bei Bei found Mu En half-reclining in a chair, eyes narrowed as he basked in the sun.
"Mystic Ancestor, why are you lying here?" Bei Bei greeted him.
"It's much livelier here than in the Outer Court. Seeing all those energetic children makes even my heart feel young again," Mu En said with a smile.
"Mystic Ancestor, I'll go take a look at my dorm first. I'll come back down and keep you company in a while," Bei Bei said.
"Don't mind me. Your roommate's already arrived. That boy has decent talent. You two can spend some time together." Mu En waved a hand, declining.
Decent talent, enough to catch Mu En's eye... Could it be that guy?
"Mm." Bei Bei nodded, then stepped into the dormitory building.
When he reached his dorm room, he saw that the door was ajar. Someone had already gone in.
A tall, sturdy boy stood in the room. He had neat, short black hair, and a few strands over his forehead seemed tinged red.
"You're my roommate, right? I'm Xu Sanshi, from the Dou Ling Empire. What should I call you?" Xu Sanshi asked with a smile.
"Just call me Bei Bei!" Bei Bei replied with a smile, thinking that it really was him.
Bei Bei had only just laid his bedding on the bed when Xu Sanshi came over and said, "Shrek Academy is pretty big. Let's go out and look around in a bit, get familiar with the place!"
"Sure!" Bei Bei nodded, not refusing.
After leaving the dorm, Bei Bei gave Mu En a slight nod.
The area in front of the dormitory was bustling with energetic students who had come to enroll at Shrek Academy.
Xu Sanshi didn't stay serious for long. His true nature soon showed, and he tugged Bei Bei along, lowering his voice. "Bei Bei, our academy has quite a few cute girls!"
"Are you here to get to know the academy, or to look at pretty girls?" Bei Bei said helplessly.
He wasn't particularly interested in that sort of thing. Perhaps because he often saw beauties like Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, and Tang Ya, he wasn't all that dazzled by them.
"Bei Bei, stop pretending. There are so many beauties—just looking at them is a feast for the eyes," Xu Sanshi said with a sly grin, his eyes darting around so much they looked ready to pop out.
Bei Bei wore white and gold clothes. He was slender and handsome, with short golden hair and features as perfect as a sculpture. He radiated sunshine and vitality.