Shrek Academy truly lived up to its name as the Federation's greatest stronghold

After leading the others some distance deeper toward the mixed zone, they came upon a rather thick, pale-purple bamboo stalk in a grove near the boundary between the outer region and the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Without a doubt, this purple stalk with two pale-yellow rings around its joints was the thousand-year Lone Bamboo El had mentioned!

"Lone Bamboo Soul Beasts can actually live for a thousand years?!"

"Nature really is amazing."

Tang Ya, who had more or less returned to normal, shaded her eyes with a hand as she gazed at her prospective third Soul Ring and marveled.

A Lone Bamboo Soul Beast was green in its first decade and yellow-green after a century. Once it reached a thousand years, it turned purple, its color deepening with age until it became black.

For every additional century, a thousand-year Lone Bamboo gained another pale-yellow ring around its joints. For every additional millennium, all its yellow rings disappeared, and another section of bamboo tassels grew along its stalk.

Judging by its appearance, this thousand-year Lone Bamboo was around twelve hundred years old, just right for Tang Ya.

"What's so surprising about that? Even blue silver grass can produce Soul Beasts like the blue silver king and the Blue Silver Emperor, let alone Lone Bamboo, whose level of life is far above blue silver grass."

Bei Bei snapped at Tang Ya irritably.

He still had not gotten over his anger.

Whenever he thought about how Tang Ya had actually concealed the risk of her martial soul degenerating from him, a nameless fire rose in his heart.

...But watching Tang Ya hold his hand and gently shake it, her face pleading for mercy, he could not really lose his temper with her.

Tsk!

Helpless, Bei Bei finally decided to vent his anger on the thousand-year Lone Bamboo before him.

"Brother Bei Bei, do you need our help?"

Holding Huo Yutong's hand, El stood a short distance away and called out to Bei Bei.

"No need. It's just a Lone Bamboo. Leave it to me!"

Bei Bei declined with a smile, then gave Tang Ya a look that said, "I'll deal with you later," before turning a gloomy gaze on the thousand-year Lone Bamboo standing in the middle of the grove.

Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Martial Soul Possession!

Three Soul Rings-yellow, yellow, and purple-appeared around Bei Bei's dragon-transformed right arm.

Crackling lightning flashed through the air.

He was going to blow off some steam.

There were no surprises in the outcome. After all, until they reached a certain age, plant Soul Beasts were little more than living targets, and their intelligence fell far short of animal Soul Beasts'.

In next to no time, Bei Bei had ripped half the thousand-year Lone Bamboo's roots out of the ground.

"Xiaoya, your turn."

Looking at the Lone Bamboo, its surface scorched black by electricity and its stalk covered in cracks and gashes, Tang Ya's lips twitched. She stepped forward and cleanly put it out of its misery.

A purple Soul Ring slowly formed.

Tang Ya sat cross-legged and began absorbing it on the spot.

El and the other two chatted as they stood guard over her.

"Little El, how did you know Xiaoya's martial soul had a devouring trait?"

Bei Bei asked.

"I could tell by looking."

El held a foxtail grass stem between his lips, its fuzzy blade trembling as he spoke:

"Because of my martial soul, I can sense things like attributes and traits."

"For example, Senior Tang Ya's devouring trait, or your light trait, Senior Bei Bei."

"And little Yu Tong's..."

At the mention of Huo Yutong, the trembling foxtail grass between El's lips suddenly stopped.

"Anyway, I can sense someone's general attributes."

"That's really impressive."

Bei Bei sighed in admiration, his eyes full of praise. He did not ask what was special about Huo Yutong's martial soul.

"El, you're only twelve this year, right? You already have three rings, and your martial soul is so powerful."

"I feel like I can already see your future self towering over an entire age."

"Hehe, naturally! In a few years, every so-called genius under heaven will know:

Being born in the same era as me is their tragedy!"

El scratched his head in feigned embarrassment, a faint blush on his face. Yet instead of modestly declining, he arrogantly accepted this status as the future's strongest:

"After all, I'm the man destined from birth to ascend that vacant throne in the heavens!"

"That's right! El is the strongest!"

Huo Yutong, who had been watching Tang Ya curiously, chimed in at just the right moment.

"Yu Tong, are you a broken record?"

El curled his lips, reached out, and gently twisted Huo Yutong's thin cheeks.

"Don't just keep repeating those same two lines."

"Let me teach you what someone strong should say.

Come on, repeat after me: 'A mere mortal who has never witnessed my power'..."

Watching the two huddle together, laughing and teasing each other, Bei Bei smiled and shook his head.

He said nothing more, turning instead to gaze at the cross-legged Tang Ya, a little lost in thought.

Two hours later.

"Woohoo!"

"This sect master has successfully absorbed it!"

Tang Ya sprang up from the ground, brushed off the dirt clinging to her, and bounced over to throw an arm around Bei Bei's shoulders.

A purple Soul Ring slowly pulsed around her.

Seeing all three looking at her, Tang Ya did not wait for them to ask before demonstrating her newly acquired Soul Skill:

"My third Soul Skill is called Lone Bamboo Ring-Bloom."

"While the Soul Skill is active, my blue silver grass is coated in a layer of translucent, bamboo-patterned protective energy, reducing all types of damage by thirty percent. Against poison, corrosion, and cutting damage, that reduction increases to forty-five percent.

It also temporarily boosts my vitality by forty percent, helping me recover from injuries."

Tang Ya's third Soul Ring lit up, and the blue silver grass in her hand was instantly coated in blue-green energy, with faint Lone Bamboo patterns visible across it.

A considerable surge of vitality rose from her, though it seemed somewhat illusory and insubstantial.

Moreover, unlike before, her blue silver grass had visibly thickened, giving it a sense of extraordinary toughness.

"And my blue silver grass itself has become tougher, too."

"Even with Martial Soul Possession active, Bei Bei would probably have to put in some effort to break free if he got tangled up in my blue silver grass while my third Soul Skill was boosting it!"

All in all, it was a pretty good enhancement-type Soul Skill.

"Very good."

Holding his chin as he examined her closely, El nodded lightly. "Everything has gone smoothly so far. Senior Tang Ya, some of that cold, sinister feeling around you has faded, replaced by a faint but resilient vitality."

"At this rate, after absorbing another Soul Beast's Soul Ring that primarily boosts vitality and has a neutral attribute or a slight affinity for light, you'll be ready to absorb one whose main attribute is light."

"In other words, around the Soul King stage, you won't have to worry about potentially becoming an Evil Soul Master anymore."

El looked up at Bei Bei, who was smiling as he gently held Tang Ya, and cautioned him:

"When choosing her future Soul Rings, make sure to steer clear of all dark and sinister Soul Beasts. Ideally, don't even choose Soul Beasts like spiders or snakes."

"Unless they possess one of these three elements: light, fire, or lightning."

Bei Bei nodded solemnly to show he understood.

From now on, all of Tang Ya's Soul Rings would come from vitality-attributed plant Soul Beasts!

Preferably with a little affinity for light, too!

"All right, our business here is finished. Time to head back to the academy."

Tang Ya's third Soul Ring had been secured, and even the types for her future fourth and fifth Soul Rings had been planned out.

Bei Bei had perfectly accomplished his purpose in leaving Shrek.

"El, little Yu Tong."

He looked at the two of them.

"Are you two coming to Shrek City with us, or...?"

"Let's go to Shrek together. Yu Tong and I don't have anything to take care of for now."

El exchanged a glance with Huo Yutong before answering.

"Then let's get going."

Bei Bei smiled gently.

Tang Ya, who was half hanging off him, was rather more excited.

"Woohoo! Off to the academy with little Yu Tong and little El!"

"Along the way, let your senior tell you a few things you need to watch out for at the academy!"

"First, in the outer court, be very careful of a deranged old hag called Zhou Yi. If you end up in her class, come find Bei Bei and have him help you switch classes..."

Amid the cheerful chatter, the four set off straight for Shrek Academy.

All the groundwork was in place. Now, all that remained was to wait for the curtain to rise.

Facing the sun, El's gaze grew distant.

Through the layers of white clouds, he seemed to see the Golden Tree far away on Sea God Island. Through its lush canopy, a sea-blue figure faintly loomed over everything.

Tang San...

He, the Radiant Dragon King, was coming to wreck the show!

Four days later.

A grand, towering city appeared at the far end of the plain, its lofty stone walls stretching to either side and conveying a distinctive sense of order.

At the sight, El could not help but exclaim.

"Shrek Academy truly lived up to its name as the Federation's greatest stronghold!"