"All right." Bei Bei didn't refuse. In truth, he felt the same way.
With his current strength, he couldn't find anyone among the new students at Shrek Academy who could match him.
In the past, he could spar with Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao, but they were hardly his peers.
When he fought them, Bei Bei could never fully let loose. He couldn't experience the exhilaration of a full-force battle.
Long Aotian was different. He was about the same age as Bei Bei, and their Soul Power Levels were close. On top of that, he had the powerful battle techniques of the Body Sect and formidable strength. Perhaps he could force Bei Bei to use his full power.
In the earlier battle against the Evil Soul Masters, Bei Bei had only used eighty percent of his strength. He still had several techniques he hadn't revealed.
Bei Bei looked at him and said, "You're planning to head to Sunset Forest to hunt for your fourth Soul Ring, right? I can wait here."
"Good." Long Aotian nodded and turned toward Sunset Forest.
"Don't rush. Go without worry! I won't leave. I'll wait here for you," Bei Bei said softly. "I want you to be in your best condition when we fight."
"Of course. I'll get the fourth Soul Ring that suits me best!" Long Aotian understood that Bei Bei was reminding him not to settle for any old Soul Ring just for the sake of their duel.
After Long Aotian left, Bei Bei planned to return to the hotel he'd stayed at earlier. Their previous battle hadn't reached it.
Before he'd gone far, Yu Yuanlong suddenly appeared beside him. "Bei Bei, we should hurry and leave. That guy's from the Body Sect!"
"I know. I've already agreed to wait here and fight Long Aotian," Bei Bei replied calmly.
"Do you know Du Busi is here too?" Yu Yuanlong hurriedly said. "You do know about his old grudge with Mu En, don't you? That old man's unpredictable. If he insists on killing you, I won't be able to stop him!"
"Uncle Yu, you're worrying too much." Bei Bei chuckled. "Why would Senior Du, with his generosity, make trouble for a junior like me?"
"Heh! How can you be so sure I'm not a narrow-minded villain?" a voice suddenly rang out. Du Busi's figure slowly appeared.
Looking at Bei Bei, he said, "You should know that your Mystic Ancestor, Mu En, killed my own brother. If you died at my hands, I'm sure that old Mu En would be heartbroken."
The moment Du Busi appeared, Yu Yuanlong hurriedly stepped in front of Bei Bei. His Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul appeared, along with nine Soul Rings: two yellow, two purple, and five black.
Du Busi didn't even spare him a glance. His eyes remained fixed on Bei Bei.
Bei Bei wasn't intimidated in the slightest. Calm and composed, he stepped out from behind Yu Yuanlong.
He respectfully saluted Du Busi. "To have taught a disciple like Brother Long, Senior must be a man who knows right from wrong."
"Hmph. The grudges of the older generation have nothing to do with a junior like you." Du Busi gave a slight nod.
"Back then, my brother wanted to use the pressure of a life-and-death battle to break through the bottleneck at Level 99 Limit Douluo."
"Unfortunately, he lost by one move. His injuries never healed, while Mu En managed to break through to Level 99 instead." Du Busi sighed. "Heaven's ways really are unpredictable."
Bei Bei looked at him, thinking that although the people of the Body Sect were all stubborn, even rigid, there was no denying that Du Busi treated his own sect members well. For the sake of Huo Yuhao, a possessor of a Body Martial Soul, he had even dared to force his way into Shrek Academy.
Later, Evil Soul Masters dispatched by the Sun Moon Empire slaughtered most of the sect. Even so, the Body Sect's remaining disciples rallied together and continued resisting the empire's attacks.
In the end, Du Busi blew himself up in the Sun Moon Empire to exact his revenge, taking his enemies with him in a scene of utter devastation.
Du Busi might not have been a good man, but neither was he a bad one. At the very least, Bei Bei had a rather good impression of him.
"Your talent really is exceptional, young man. You might even match Mu En in his prime." Du Busi spoke coolly. "I'd like to see which of you is stronger—you or my disciple!"
With that, Du Busi's figure vanished.
"Then I hope you'll look forward to it, Senior." Bei Bei smiled faintly.
"Thank goodness that old man didn't make a move." Yu Yuanlong let out a breath of relief. Unlike Bei Bei, who had remained confident and composed, he'd been on edge the whole time.
"Relax, Uncle Yu," Bei Bei said softly.
"Be careful." Yu Yuanlong was somewhat helpless. After offering a few more words of caution, he disappeared into hiding once again.
Meanwhile, deep in Sunset Forest.
Long Aotian searched constantly for a Soul Beast that suited him. Back at the sect, his master and the elders had picked out quite a few suitable Soul Beast species for him.
His trip out alone was a form of training: he was to hunt for the Soul Beast he wanted himself.
Long Aotian proceeded cautiously. Sunset Forest might not compare to the Star Dou Great Forest, but it was still one of the ancient gathering places of Soul Beasts. Though there were no Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, there were plenty of Soul Beasts that had lived for more than ten thousand years.
With his current strength, he would be in great danger if he encountered a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Long Aotian recalled the aura Bei Bei had displayed during their earlier battle. If he wanted to defeat him, his fourth Soul Ring would have to be at least ten thousand years old.
He had been training his spiritual power with great diligence and could now fuse it with his Soul Power to attack. But even so, he wasn't completely confident he could withstand the Soul Shock of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
But Long Aotian had no intention of giving up. Instead, his Battle Intent burned brighter. Training a Body Martial Soul meant constantly breaking through one's own limits.
Back when he underwent the Second Awakening of his Body Martial Soul, he had lost count of how many times he'd walked along the edge of death.
How could the Soul Shock of a mere Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast possibly stop him from moving forward?
At the same time, Bei Bei was staying at the hotel, quietly cultivating in his room and bringing himself to peak condition.
He was also continuously reflecting on every detail of the earlier battle, making his combat skills more seamless and integrated.
Many flaws he'd never noticed before had been laid bare in that fight. Through repeated reflection and analysis, Bei Bei's strength had improved once again.
In particular, he'd gained a deeper understanding of his Self-Created Soul Skill, "Tyrant Sovereign Thunder Halberd," and continued to refine it.
Time slipped by. Nearly half a month passed.
Bei Bei remained in his room. Eight fragments of Soul Bone floated around him, and a white-gold dragon crown had appeared above his forehead.
He was contemplating the power of the Nine True Dragon Crowns, trying to uncover their secrets.
Bei Bei could sense that the Nine True Dragon Crowns concealed a piece of information, which could only be unlocked by a powerful dragon bloodline and sufficient strength.
His Martial Soul had the required bloodline, but he was still a little short on strength.
As Bei Bei studied the Nine True Dragon Crowns in his room, he sensed a familiar fluctuation of Soul Power coming from outside.