As he walked along, he naturally drew the eyes of quite a few girls, who sent him coy glances.
Xu Sanshi was good-looking too, but compared to Bei Bei, he was like the moon beside a firefly, a flower beside a leaf—instantly reduced to a mere foil.
"Damn, this is ridiculous." Xu Sanshi was about ready to lose it. He'd planned to chat up a few beauties, but they'd all turned their eyes to Bei Bei and completely ignored him.
"Don't feel inferior. I'm only a tiny bit more handsome than you." Bei Bei held up his index finger and thumb, showing just how tiny.
"Those women are all shallow. No matter how handsome you are, you're still just a skinny dog." Xu Sanshi sounded a little jealous as he bent his arm to show off his muscles.
"You're just jealous of my peerless looks!" Bei Bei said smugly.
Xu Sanshi wanted to bare his teeth and claws and rip that smug grin right off Bei Bei's face.
"Bei Bei!"
Just then, a clear voice rang out from behind them.
"Xiao Ya, you're here!"
Bei Bei turned around. Tang Ya was hurrying over.
Although she was a year younger than Bei Bei, she had entered the academy as a freshman at the same time as him.
"Wow! What a gorgeous beauty. No wonder you act all aloof—you've got a girlfriend!" Xu Sanshi nudged Bei Bei with his elbow, teasing him.
"Don't talk nonsense. We're just friends." Bei Bei rolled his eyes at him, then introduced Xu Sanshi to Tang Ya. "This is my roommate, Xu Sanshi."
Tang Ya gave Xu Sanshi a slight nod. She had always been lively and cheerful, and over the past year, she had buried her parents' murder deep in her heart. She was no longer as melancholy as she had been at first.
"Xu Sanshi, I'm taking Xiao Ya to the Soul Tool Department. Come take a look with us!" Bei Bei invited him.
"The Soul Tool Department? What are we going there for? Aren't we students in the Martial Soul Department?" Xu Sanshi asked, puzzled.
Like most traditional Soul Masters, he wasn't very fond of Soul Tools. He felt that using them too much would make Soul Masters dependent on them.
"Shrek has made some reforms to its teaching recently. The Soul Tool Department has developed quite a few Soul Tools that can help Soul Masters train and cultivate more effectively."
Bei Bei smiled. "We may need to train in the Soul Tool Department often from now on."
"Really? Soul Tools can do all that?" Xu Sanshi was skeptical.
Although he disliked the Soul Tool Department, he was still the son of the princess of the Dou Ling Empire and the son of the Mysterious Underworld Sect's sect master, a leader of a reclusive sect. He had seen plenty of the world.
"Why not go see for yourself?" Bei Bei said with a smile, patting his shoulder.
The Soul Tool Department had changed enormously over the past few years. Influenced by Bei Bei, its members had incorporated some technology from his previous life and ideas about the future direction of Soul Guidance Technology. He had discussed all of it in detail with Fan Yu.
It wasn't that the Soul Tool Department lacked high-level Soul Engineers. What it lacked were ideas that could give them a clear direction for their research.
That, however, was something Bei Bei had in abundance. Otherwise, the department would have had to feel its way forward one step at a time, as it normally would.
The group arrived at the Soul Tool Department. After several years of expansion, along with support from the Sea God Pavilion, its grounds were now nearly as extensive as those of the Martial Soul Department.
Xu Sanshi looked around curiously. Apart from the Sun Moon Empire, there was probably nowhere in the three great empires of the mainland—the Star Luo Empire, the Heaven Dou Empire, and the Dou Ling Empire—that could match Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department in research into Soul Guidance Technology.
Bei Bei took out a Level 3 Soul Engineer badge and pinned it to his chest.
The badge was shaped like a water-blue octagonal star. Three diamond-carved stars were set into it, gleaming in the sunlight.
"I didn't know you were a Level 3 Soul Engineer! You must be a Soul Elder, right?" Xu Sanshi said, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.
"My Soul Power is a secret. If you can force me to use my full strength, you'll find out for yourself," Bei Bei said with a smile.
He was already a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, stronger than many fourth- and fifth-year students. He had even reached the standard for graduating from the Outer Court.
"Wait. Let's go to the Soul Fighting Arena and have a match later!" Xu Sanshi was clearly unconvinced. Bei Bei's words made it sound as if he was sure to lose.
"Sure! Come challenge me anytime. But whoever loses has to call the other one boss." Bei Bei raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
"Then it's a promise. Don't chicken out and refuse the fight later!" Xu Sanshi looked at Bei Bei's smile and sensed something was off, but he couldn't figure out what.
Still, they were about the same age, and anyone who made it into Shrek Academy was a genius.
They were all young and full of fire. Xu Sanshi didn't believe he could lose to anyone.
Tang Ya looked at Xu Sanshi as if he were a poor unfortunate fool. She knew Bei Bei's true strength all too well, and couldn't help silently mourning for Xu Sanshi for a few seconds.
Bei Bei led the two of them to a Soul Tool Experimental Zone and called out, "Teacher Fan Yu!"
"Bei Bei, you're here!" Fan Yu hurried over at the sound of his voice. Beside him stood a dark-skinned boy, even more muscular than Xu Sanshi and about one meter ninety tall.
"Let me introduce you. Some time ago, I went to the Heaven Dou Empire and took on a disciple. Just call him He Caitou," Fan Yu told Bei Bei.
"Hello, I'm Bei Bei." Bei Bei looked the boy over.
The boy had the typical appearance of a noble from the Sun Moon Empire. Dark-skinned, he was actually Xu He, the former crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire.
After a political coup in his country, he had changed his name and fled to the Heaven Dou Empire. Not long ago, Fan Yu had come across him while traveling and taken him on as his personal disciple.
But he was one meter ninety tall at only twelve years old? What had he been eating?!
"Hello." He Caitou nodded in reply.
"Teacher Fan Yu, I haven't had a chance to congratulate you on becoming a Level 7 Soul Engineer," Bei Bei said with a smile.
"I thought today was the first day of the new students' term. What brings you here? Are you planning to try making a Level 4 Soul Tool?" Fan Yu asked.
"No. I came to introduce someone to you." Bei Bei gestured toward Tang Ya beside him. "This is Xiao Ya. She wants to study in the Soul Tool Department as well. If you have time, could you teach her a thing or two?"
"Hello, Teacher Fan Yu." Tang Ya bowed slightly.
"Oh! You're Tang Ya, the last remaining member of the Tang Sect that Bei Bei often talks about." Fan Yu sighed when he heard that. The greatest sect in the world in its day had ended up in such a state.
"How about this? I'll take you to the Physical Testing Room and see whether you have the talent to become a Soul Engineer," Fan Yu said.
Fan Yu led them to a room. Inside stood a cylindrical Soul Tool connected to several electronic screens.
"This device is specifically designed to test a Soul Master's physical data. After years of refinement, it's generally very accurate," Fan Yu explained.
The others had never heard of a Soul Tool like this before and stared at it in amazement.