Dare to take me on?

At Xue Mingqing's infuriating words, the corner of Bei Bei's mouth twitched even harder.

Bei Bei slapped away the hand Xue Mingqing had laid on his shoulder, his face full of indignation.

"You! You're a one-ring soul master too, aren't you? Dare to take me on?!"

Rubbing the hand Bei Bei had slapped away, Xue Mingqing raised an eyebrow. His gentle smile never left his face.

"Me?"

"Yes, you! Who else?"

Bei Bei pointed at Xue Mingqing, his young face brimming with confidence and fighting spirit!

His martial soul was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, with a trace of Bright Holy Dragon blood.

That bloodline of light had yet to fully awaken, but even with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul alone, Bei Bei didn't believe he would lose to Xue Mingqing.

In his eyes, he had Innate Full Soul Power, a six-hundred-year first soul ring, and had already reached level fourteen. He considered himself a peerless talent. There was no way he would lose to Xue Mingqing!

Even if he really fought Xue Mingqing, the advantage would surely be his.

Seeing Bei Bei's inexplicable confidence, Xue Mingqing shook his head and smiled.

"If we're going to spar, there ought to be something at stake. Otherwise, I'm not very interested."

With the Hurricane Sword Art at his disposal, he was unbeatable among those at his level. Fighting an opponent at the same level held no appeal for him.

Without a prize or some reason he absolutely had to win, Xue Mingqing had no desire to fight someone at his own level.

It was too boring. What was the point of a fight he was bound to win?

A real man fought opponents above his level!

Bei Bei frowned and thought for a moment. Then he pulled a green pill bottle from inside his clothes and held it up, giving it a shake.

"This is a Soul Ascension Pill. Any soul master below level thirty who takes it is guaranteed to gain one level of Soul Power. How about it?"

Looking at the pill in Bei Bei's hand, Xue Mingqing considered it. He had no intention of taking pills himself.

After all, how could power gained from pills compare to power built up steadily through his own efforts?

Still, even if Xue Mingqing didn't plan to take it, the Soul Ascension Pill was certainly a worthy wager.

Having settled that, Xue Mingqing smiled faintly and turned to look to one side.

Mu En sat serenely in his wheelchair, as though the match between Xue Mingqing and Bei Bei had nothing to do with him.

"Teacher, aren't you going to add something to the pot?"

Come on, old man. Cough up!

Mu En looked up at Xue Mingqing with an odd expression.

He had seen Xue Mingqing fight, and he knew Bei Bei's abilities well. He didn't believe for a moment that Bei Bei could beat him.

The brat's just trying to squeeze a reward out of me!

Mu En smiled helplessly and cast Xue Mingqing a sidelong glance. "The nerve of you. Fight first. Whoever wins gets the reward."

He didn't promise Xue Mingqing a reward outright. After all, Bei Bei was his own great-grandson.

Even if Bei Bei really couldn't win, Mu En ought to spare him a little dignity.

A smile of satisfaction crossed Xue Mingqing's face. He looked at Bei Bei and raised an eyebrow.

"Come on. Let's take this outside."

Bei Bei frowned. "Wait. What are you putting up? If I lose, you get my Soul Ascension Pill. What happens if you lose?"

Xue Mingqing put his hands on his hips, raised an eyebrow, and gave him a teasing grin.

"Heh! If your Grandpa Xue loses, I'll lower myself two generations and treat you as an equal. How's that?"

Bei Bei took a deep breath to calm himself after that outrageously aggravating remark.

After several breaths, he forced down the urge to beat Xue Mingqing senseless and clenched his fists.

"Let's go!"

The Inner Court Soul Fighting Arena was where Inner Court students usually settled their private disputes.

Why did they settle them here? Hah. Because when words couldn't get a point across, fists could!

Now, beneath the golden glow of the morning sun, two slight figures stood at opposite ends of the Soul Fighting Platform, facing each other through its hazy veil of light.

They were Xue Mingqing and Bei Bei: the disciple and great-grandson of Mu En, Shrek's strongest living expert.

Shrek's Inner Court was only so large. Word that the two had decided to spar on their very first meeting naturally reached the senior elders.

The fight hadn't even begun, yet the spectator seats around the Soul Fighting Platform were already occupied by one sprightly old man or woman after another.

Beside Mu En, who sat serenely with his eyes closed, basking in the sun, two women and a man quietly watched the platform.

All four elders seated below the platform had faces covered in wrinkles.

They were the marks time had left upon them.

Yet though their faces were as creased as old trees, their eyes still shone with a brilliance like the stars, impossible to ignore.

From left to right sat Mu En, master of Sea God Pavilion; Elder Lin, master of Treasure Pavilion; Elder Song; and Elder Zhuang.

Nearly all of Shrek's senior elders had come just to watch two youngsters spar.

As for why Xuan Zi, another senior elder who ought to have been there, was absent...

Well... readers already knew the sort of reason. Food and drink had kept him from this important event yet again.

Looking at the two on the platform, Elder Lin spoke gently.

"Mu En, you really are lucky. You went out to settle an old score and came back with two such promising students. But can you manage teaching them both? Would you like this old woman to take one off your hands?"

Mu En glanced at Elder Lin, then chuckled.

"If you want a disciple, go find one yourself. Stop eyeing mine."

They had been friends for over a century, so there was no need for politeness between them. They spoke plainly.

Seeing that Mu En had seen through her little scheme, Elder Lin wasn't annoyed. She smiled at him.

"Then you deliberately spread word to the rest of us. Surely it wasn't just to show off?"

At her words, Elder Zhuang and Elder Song, who had been sitting quietly nearby, also looked at Mu En with curiosity.

Mu En's smile faded a little. He looked toward Xue Mingqing on the platform, his gaze turning solemn.

"I don't have much time left."

The smiles on the other elders' faces gradually vanished.

Mu En paused, then continued. "He has the best character of anyone I've met in my life. He's just, resourceful, and not reckless. His talent is decent, too."

"So before I die, I want to do everything I can to nurture this child. I called you here to ask you to invest some resources in my disciple. What do you think?"

After hearing Mu En out, the three senior elders fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

They knew what kind of man Mu En was. If he approved of Xue Mingqing, the young man's character could hardly be lacking.

In that case, what was there to hesitate over? They would invest alongside Mu En.

Mu En's smile returned, and he chuckled.

"Now then, let's watch these two youngsters fight."

"If he can't beat Bei Bei, I suppose the investment can wait."

With that, Mu En picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The three senior elders nodded and said no more, turning their full attention to the two on the Soul Fighting Platform.

But...

As they lowered their heads to watch the match, Mu En seemed to sense something. With a gentle smile, he raised his gaze to the blue sky above.

"You came too..."