The only rule was that they had to stand while eating and couldn't take any food away, which left Bei Bei feeling rather helpless.
Neither of them was short on money, so they both ordered the finest dishes. They were all made with Soul Beast meat, which was not only packed with nutrients but also surprisingly delicious.
Xu Sanshi had thought he was a big eater, but when he saw Bei Bei order four or five servings in a row, his jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Bei Bei, I never knew you were such a foodie!" Xu Sanshi exclaimed.
"If I don't eat more, how am I supposed to beat you up later?" Bei Bei replied with a mischievous grin.
After finishing their meal, the two headed straight for the academy's Soul Fighting Arena.
They paid ten Gold Soul Coins for the venue, took a moment to get ready, and officially began their match at the referee teacher's signal.
Xu Sanshi's body gave a violent shudder. His muscles bulged, stretching his clothes tight, while his skin darkened and a steady, mountain-like aura radiated from him.
Two yellow Soul Rings and one purple Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet. A black tortoise-shell shield about one and a half meters in diameter appeared in his right hand.
Bei Bei, on the other hand, barely changed. He neither summoned his Martial Soul nor brought out his Soul Rings. Only his aura grew sharper, as golden bolts of lightning burst from his body.
"Why aren't you summoning your Martial Soul? You think I'm not worth the effort?" Xu Sanshi couldn't help asking.
"I don't need my Martial Soul to deal with you." Bei Bei raised an eyebrow and curved his lips into a faint smile, as though he were contemplating something amusing.
"Hmph! Don't blame me for showing no mercy!" Xu Sanshi felt a flicker of anger at being looked down on. He decided he wouldn't hold back and would give Bei Bei such a thorough thrashing that his face would be black and blue.
Xu Sanshi's First Soul Ring flashed beneath his feet. "Mysterious Underworld Shock!"
A black halo spread from the Mysterious Underworld Tortoise Shell Shield in his hand as he charged toward Bei Bei. It covered an area of more than ten square meters, and a series of rumbling booms rang out.
Faced with the powerful shock waves, Bei Bei showed no intention of moving.
He raised his right hand, and a brilliant golden bolt of lightning burst from his fingertips.
"Thunder Net!"
This was a Self-Created Soul Skill Bei Bei had developed, designed to precisely control Thunder Power.
The lightning erupting from his five fingers shot forward and rapidly unfurled into a massive golden net dozens of meters wide. It enveloped the Mysterious Underworld Shock Xu Sanshi had unleashed, and the raging lightning tore apart its black halo.
Sensing his opponent's strength, Xu Sanshi activated his Third Soul Ring and unleashed the thousand-year Soul Skill, "Mysterious Underworld Power."
Black light blazed from his shield, and his strength nearly doubled for a brief period.
With the Third Soul Skill's boost, the shock waves unleashed by his First Soul Skill finally broke through the golden Thunder Net.
Seeing this, Xu Sanshi lunged forward.
He raised the Mysterious Underworld Tortoise Shell Shield in front of him and slammed it toward Bei Bei like a towering mountain.
"Try this—Golden Dragon Claw!"
Bei Bei curled his fingers into a claw. Golden dragon scales covered the skin of his forearm, and golden light swirled around it.
Unlike Dragon Transformation, this Self-Created Soul Skill didn't manifest his Martial Soul's bloodline. Instead, it was formed on his arm using pure Soul Power.
The dragon scales were incredibly hard, and the dragon claw was razor-sharp, able to split metal and shatter stone with ease.
The Golden Dragon Claw slammed into Xu Sanshi's shield with a sharp clang. Its immense force stopped Xu Sanshi's full-strength charge dead.
Xu Sanshi was shocked. He knew that with his Third Soul Skill boosting him, even a high-level Soul Elder would have been sent flying by that blow.
Yet Bei Bei had stopped it with nothing but his physical strength. He hadn't even swayed.
Bei Bei clenched his fingers and threw a punch at the shield in front of Xu Sanshi.
Sensing the power behind it, Xu Sanshi activated his Second Soul Ring: Mysterious Underworld Shield Formation.
A black barrier, rippling like water, appeared in front of the shield. Like a thick wall, it protected him from the blow.
"Boom!"
A tremendous crash rang out.
Bei Bei's punch sent Xu Sanshi flying.
Xu Sanshi crouched behind the Mysterious Underworld Tortoise Shell Shield. Though he blocked the blow, he still stumbled back more than ten steps.
"Thunder Strike!"
Dozens of golden bolts of lightning burst from Bei Bei's palm. They curved in from all directions and shot toward Xu Sanshi.
The Mysterious Underworld Tortoise Shell Shield in Xu Sanshi's hand instantly shattered into countless palm-sized pieces. They hovered around him, blocking every bolt of lightning that came from the surrounding area.
Bei Bei lightly touched the ground with his toes and used his Self-Created Soul Skill, Dust Light Step—his figure blurred like a floating shadow.
Pale golden specks of light burst around him, formed from the purest light element.
He moved at incredible speed, a three-foot-long trail of golden light streaming behind him.
His body was like golden light, his steps like drifting dust.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Xu Sanshi and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Not bad! But unfortunately, the match is over."
As he spoke, golden lightning burst forth.
Xu Sanshi's muscles stiffened at once. His teeth chattered, and his hair stood on end. Stammering, he said, "I... I surr... surren... der!"
Only then did Bei Bei release him.
With the match over, the referee teacher announced Bei Bei as the winner.
It took Xu Sanshi a while to recover from the shock. Still in disbelief, he asked, "Just what level are you? You beat me using nothing but Self-Created Soul Skills!"
"I told you—if you could beat me, I'd tell you," Bei Bei said with a light laugh.
The two strolled around the academy a few more times before heading back.
When they passed Mu En, Bei Bei greeted him, but Mu En didn't respond. He simply lay quietly on his lounge chair, basking in the sun.
Back in their dorm, Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi sat cross-legged on their respective beds and began meditating.
They continued until evening, then ended their cultivation and went to the dining hall together for dinner.
Bei Bei planned to train in the Gravity Chamber of the Soul Tool Department. Since Xu Sanshi had only just enrolled and couldn't go there yet, he returned to the dorm alone to continue meditating.
After seeing how wide the gap between them was, Xu Sanshi didn't want to slack off for even a moment. He trained hard, determined to catch up.
Bei Bei began an intense training session under fifteen times normal gravity in the Gravity Chamber.
The metal walls around him were covered in circular openings, from which beams shot out in every direction.
Enduring the crushing gravity, Bei Bei entered Dragon Transformation and dodged the beams.
This training not only strengthened his body but also improved his reflexes, coordination, and concentration.
After two hours, Bei Bei washed up and finally returned to the dorm to rest.
The next morning.
After getting up and washing up, the two were about to go eat breakfast.
"Bei Bei!"
A coquettish shout rang out. A woman in red hurried toward them.