Tang Sect Has Fallen? That's Great!

"Who told you to insist on bathing in that lake..."

Bei Bei rolled his eyes, looking utterly innocent.

He had been urging her the whole time. It was this old lady who refused to listen, and bathing was one thing, but she had even refused to let him look.

Of course, he only dared mutter that to himself. He was still under Teacher Xiao Ya's evaluation. If he got expelled from the sect, he would not even have a place to cry.

"..."

Tang Ya was left speechless.

But as the Tang Sect's leader, she still needed to maintain some authority. She shot Bei Bei a fierce glare.

"Let's keep chasing!"

With that, Tang Ya took the lead and chased ahead. The Mandala Snake she was looking for was also in this area.

"Teacher Xiao Ya, wait for me!"

Seeing the girl about to disappear into Lin, Bei Bei finally came back to his senses and hurried after her, shouting as he ran.

Unfortunately, their uninhibited horseplay had ultimately attracted a hidden predator.

Roar!!!

A roar exploded through Lin, scattering countless birds.

A black shadow shot out from the grass, intending to attack the girl ahead. But in the next instant, lightning flashed and knocked the shadow back.

"It's a Mandala Snake! And a thousand-year one!"

Tang Ya focused her gaze on it, but delight appeared in her eyes instead. She patted Bei Bei and shoved him protectively in front of her.

"It should be the one mentioned in the information. Bei Bei, I'm counting on you!"

This was precisely the target of her trip. She had not expected it to deliver itself to her doorstep. It seemed the mercenary groups' intelligence had been accurate.

"Alright! Be careful!"

Bei Bei nodded solemnly. Lightning surged around him, and a massive thunderous claw appeared over his right arm.

He stomped the ground and charged fiercely toward the Mandala Snake.

The Mandala Snake was pink all over. Though it was only a little over two meters long, Bei Bei did not dare let down his guard in the slightest.

In an instant, lightning serpents danced through the air as Bei Bei and the Mandala Snake became locked in battle, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Tang Ya hid nearby as Blue Silver Grass quietly spread across the ground, watching the surroundings without stepping in and causing trouble.

"As expected of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul..."

She stared at the battle ahead in amazement.

A thousand-year Soul Beast was equivalent to a three-ring Soul Elder, but generally speaking, Soul Beasts were far stronger than Soul Masters of the same rank.

The Mandala Snake was also one of the best among poison-type Soul Beasts. For Bei Bei to fight a thousand-year Mandala Snake to a standstill truly lived up to his reputation as a Shrek genius.

"Ah..."

Watching Bei Bei fight with all his strength, Tang Ya sighed inwardly, and a trace of guilt surfaced in her eyes.

Naturally, she understood Bei Bei's feelings for her perfectly well.

How could a descendant of the Sea God Pavilion's Master join the long-declined Tang Sect because of some sentimental attachment?

If anyone truly had such attachment, Shrek Academy would not have stood idly by when the Tang Sect had been exterminated.

She had escaped pursuit after pursuit and voluntarily sought refuge at Shrek Academy, only then receiving Shrek's protection.

She had once been disappointed by Shrek Academy's attitude, but in the end, she could only accept it helplessly.

Bei Bei was her only chance.

Though this was shameful... she had no other choice.

She did not possess her ancestors' talent. If she wanted to take revenge through her own strength, the hope was likely slim, unless...

A faint glimmer passed through Tang Ya's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it with all her might.

No.

She had promised the Tang Sect's uncles and elders that she would not do this. That was the power of demons, and it would destroy the Tang Sect.

"What a troublesome thing!"

On the other side, Bei Bei's fighting spirit only grew stronger.

Fighting Soul Beasts was completely different from sparring at the academy.

This Mandala Snake had molted eleven times. Its hide was thick, its flesh tough, and its resilience astonishing. It was even harder to break through than Xu Sanshi's turtle shell.

"But—this is as far as you go."

A flash of lightning flickered in Bei Bei's eyes, and a strange purple Soul Ring on his body suddenly lit up.

Third Soul Skill, Thunder Fury!

As one of Shrek Academy's Outer Academy Twin Stars, Thunderbolt Bei Bei's reputation was not undeserved.

Especially in front of Xiao Ya, he not only had to win, but win beautifully!

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!!!

Thunder roared one after another. Blue-violet lightning wrapped around Bei Bei's entire body, his clothes fluttering wildly as he looked like a thunder god descending beneath the electric glow.

Thunder Dragon Claw!

A gigantic dragon claw slammed down from above, aiming straight for the Mandala Snake's neck. Terrifying lightning exploded through the air, making one's scalp tingle.

Even the Mandala Snake did not dare take that terrifying lightning head-on. It opened its mouth and spat out a cloud of pink venomous mist, attempting to counter poison with poison.

Bei Bei's expression did not change. Carrying the might of thunder, he continued swinging his dragon claw down, instantly tearing apart the poisonous mist.

Yet in the next moment, Tang Ya's alarmed cry came from behind him—

"Bei Bei, watch out!"

Within the poisonous mist, a blood-red arrow silently shot forth at an extremely tricky angle, perfectly concealed in his blind spot.

Bei Bei's heart tightened. The Thunder Dragon Claw instantly shifted from offense to defense, blocking in front of him.

Bang!

The blood arrow exploded, and the tremendous impact forced him back several steps.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Bei Bei staggered backward and barely regained his footing, but his face quickly took on an ashen hue.

Looking down, he saw that the blue-violet dragon claw on his right arm had already been corroded by poison, turning an eerie pink.

The poison was rapidly spreading up his arm and into his body.

His Soul Power drained away rapidly. Bei Bei's limbs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground with a slap.

"Bei Bei!!!"

Tang Ya's face turned deathly pale. She rushed forward from behind and caught the limp Bei Bei.

In a fluster, she pulled out some pills from her Soul Tool and stuffed them into Bei Bei's mouth, completely failing to notice the Mandala Snake.

Whoosh!

The pink figure leaped into the air, its thick tail lashing out like a whip toward Tang Ya's back!

The sharp whistle of tearing air was piercing as a pink whip-shadow cut through the sky. If that strike landed, even if Tang Ya did not die, she would be flayed alive!

At the critical moment—

Crack!

A bolt of blue lightning ripped through the air, shooting in from the side at an unbelievable speed.

Boom!!!

The Mandala Snake was sent flying, rolling across the ground several times before barely coming to a stop.

It steadied itself and raised its head. Its snake eyes were filled with ferocity and vigilance as it stared fixedly at the figure that had appeared out of thin air.

It was a boy of twelve or thirteen.

A pair of deep-blue wings spread behind his back, their tips and tail feathers decorated with golden lightning patterns. Every flap carried fine currents of electricity.

Even stranger, though this boy was clearly human, he emitted an intense Soul Beast aura.

The boy merely glanced at it. With a flap of his Wind-Thunder Wings, he transformed into blue lightning and shot into the sky the next instant, leaving only a ring of crackling electric arcs where he had stood.

Too fast!

The Mandala Snake had not even seen how he moved before a series of sharp tearing sounds came from above.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Blue lightning darted wildly through the treetops and Lin, every flash accompanied by bursting thunder.

The Mandala Snake desperately twisted its body, trying to catch its opponent's trajectory, but it simply could not keep up with such inhuman speed.

Meanwhile, Bei Bei had recovered somewhat after taking the antidote.

"So... so fast!"

He and Tang Ya stared in astonishment at the figure fighting the Mandala Snake, their eyes filled with shock.

Though the Mandala Snake was known for its venom, it was equally adept at speed. Yet now, it was being toyed with by that streak of lightning.

Bei Bei had only seen such terrifying speed from that senior sister in the Inner Academy, but she was a Soul King!

Just who was this kid?

Bei Bei stared at the single bright yellow Soul Ring on Jiang Yi's body, his eyes full of disbelief.

Could this guy have used some secret technique to conceal his Soul Rings?

"What are you standing around for? Go help him!"

Tang Ya suddenly patted his shoulder and urged him anxiously. She wanted to help too, but she could not even see the boy's shadow.

"Got it..."

Bei Bei answered with a hint of jealousy.

However, just as he was about to step forward, the battle came to an abrupt halt.

The streak of blue lightning suddenly solidified. In the next moment, the still-dodging Mandala Snake was pierced through by blue lightning.

Bang!

After a piercing dull impact, the Mandala Snake's two-meter-long body was firmly nailed to a tree trunk by a silver beast claw.

Lightning surged from the beast claw into the snake's body with crackling sounds. The Mandala Snake convulsed violently a few times, and its aura instantly weakened.

"Amazing!"

Bei Bei was the first to applaud as he approached with Tang Ya.

His gaze fell on the silver beast claw over Jiang Yi's right arm, and a trace of interest flashed in his eyes.

Beastification!

Ten thousand years ago, this had been an exclusive ability of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

But with the passage of time, some top-tier beast Martial Souls could achieve similar effects through secret techniques.

Still, to produce an effect like the one before him, one's control over their Martial Soul had to be terrifyingly precise.

To achieve the seamless unity displayed by this boy... Bei Bei knew he could not do it.

If not for the glaring yellow Soul Ring on Jiang Yi's body, he might have thought that a humanoid Soul Beast stood before him.

"You flatter me!"

Jiang Yi withdrew his claw and turned to look at the two of them.

He flicked the blood from his claws. Lightning flashed, and the silver beast claw returned to being a slender, fair hand.

Based on his pets' affection levels, he could fuse with Soul Beasts to varying degrees. It was equivalent to an alternative Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Otherwise, he would not have taken down the Mandala Snake so easily.

"You're from Shrek?"

Jiang Yi sized up the two before him, then revealed a gentle smile.

At this point in time, a handsome boy and beautiful girl appearing here, along with those shit-green uniforms—their identities were obvious.

But... where was Huo Yuhao?

He calmly swept his gaze over the surroundings, but did not find any trace of a third person.

"That's right!"

Before Bei Bei could speak, Tang Ya had already nodded eagerly. Her eyes shone as she looked at Jiang Yi, and then she blurted out:

"Little brother, would you like to join our Tang Sect?"

Tang Ya blinked, rubbing her little hands together with an expectant expression.

For some reason, the moment she saw this boy, she inexplicably felt a bit of fondness toward him.

Handsome and strong—he was practically someone fated for my Tang Sect!

"Xiao Ya!"

Bei Bei rolled his eyes beside her.

This boy clearly did not come from an ordinary family. With those skills and that bearing, he had to be a direct disciple of some major power.

With the Tang Sect's current scraps and leftovers, why would he join them?

Yet to his surprise, Jiang Yi did not refuse outright. Instead, he looked at Tang Ya with interest and asked:

"The Tang Sect? The legendary Tang Sect?"

"Hmph!"

Tang Ya shot Bei Bei a proud look, then continued looking at Jiang Yi with complete confidence.

Everyone said she was foolish, but she was actually clever as anything.

Jiang Yi's sleeves were slightly faded. That was not their original color. Anyone who had never been poor would not be able to tell.

"That's right! The Tang Sect personally founded by Lord Sea God in legend!"

Tang Ya puffed out her chest, her face full of pride. But moments later, a hint of gloom appeared on her pretty face.

"But I don't want to hide it from you. Although the Tang Sect's inheritance still remains, now... I'm the only one left."

"No, Xiao Ya, what about me?"

Bei Bei looked aggrieved. Am I not a person? But Tang Ya merely glared at him.

"You're still under evaluation!!!"

"..."

Bei Bei immediately wilted and squatted to the side, drawing circles.

Jiang Yi watched the pair fool around, a thoughtful look in his eyes. Though this seemed somewhat different from the original story.

After thinking it over for a moment, he suddenly smiled and looked at Tang Ya again.

"So, the Tang Sect has already fallen into decline?"

"Yes."

Tang Ya nodded heavily, her eyes reddening slightly.

"The Tang Sect's foundation was taken from us. We don't even have a sect residence anymore..."

Back then, the Iron-Blooded Sect had wiped out the Tang Sect. One elder after another had fallen before her eyes. Even now, remembering those scenes still felt like a knife twisting in her heart.

But to her surprise, Jiang Yi laughed the very next moment and held out his hand to Tang Ya.

"Then that's wonderful!"

Tang Ya: ...???

Bei Bei: ...???