The Tang Sect

On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, a girl of fifteen or sixteen sat cross-legged on the ground, a dead giant snake lying beside her. The area around them was a complete mess, clearly the aftermath of a fierce battle.

Anyone who saw the giant snake would easily recognize it as a thousand-year-old Mandala Snake.

Those capable of absorbing a thousand-year-old Mandala Snake's soul ring had usually already reached level 30 in soul power.

The girl looked only about fifteen, yet she had already reached the realm of a level 30 Soul Elder. Her talent was outstanding.

Not far from her, a tall, handsome boy about her age stood with another, thin and frail boy. They chatted while keeping watch over her.

"Eldest senior brother, I think someone's coming!" the thin boy suddenly said.

"Someone?" Bei Bei sensed the approaching visitor then as well. He was surprised that Huo Yuhao, a mere Soul Master, had detected someone's approach before he had. Glancing at Tang Ya, who was absorbing the thousand-year-old Mandala Snake's soul ring, his expression grew grave. He immediately summoned his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, blue lightning gathering over his body.

This was Bei Bei and Tang Ya's group.

"Spiritual Detection, Spiritual Sharing!" Huo Yuhao immediately unleashed the two soul skills he had just acquired, sharing his Spiritual Detection with Bei Bei.

With the support of Huo Yuhao's soul skills, Bei Bei could suddenly see farther, and his perception of everything around him became much clearer.

The first person to enter Bei Bei's sight was a Hemp-Clothed boy. His expression was calm, and while his features were not particularly handsome, they were reasonably pleasant. His dark eyes, however, shone brightly.

Hemp-Clothed's right sleeve was stained with blood, but he showed no trace of mental exhaustion.

Good, he's only a Soul Grandmaster or a Soul Master! Bei Bei let out a breath of relief. If the visitor was merely a low-ranking Soul Master, he really had nothing to fear.

That made sense. This was only the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, after all. It was perfectly normal for low-ranking Soul Masters to appear here.

"They've noticed us," Jiang Hai said.

Zhang Lexuan nodded and said softly, "Let's go. That boy with blue lightning flashing over him is also one of our Shrek Academy's talented students. You should have heard of his martial soul, too. It's one of the continent's finest beast martial souls-the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!"

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon? Of course I know that martial soul," Jiang Hai said. "Legend has it that ten thousand years ago, in Tang San's era, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was known as the world's greatest beast martial soul. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was also one of the continent's three greatest sects. Wasn't one of Shrek Academy's founders from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"

Zhang Lexuan nodded and continued, "That's right. Although the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was destroyed ten thousand years ago, the descendants of its Shrek Academy branch survived and carried on its legacy. Every generation has been a pillar of Shrek Academy. Even now, the powerhouse who stands like a sea-steadying divine needle for Shrek Academy is an heir to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul and its clan still shone brilliantly on the Douluo Continent, even ten thousand years later.

Dragon-type martial souls would never be weak, no matter the era.

"Eldest senior brother, I think there's someone else!" Huo Yuhao said uncertainly. His Spiritual Detection showed no one besides the Hemp-Clothed boy, yet when he looked with his Spirit Eyes, he clearly saw a stunningly beautiful woman beside the boy.

"Someone else... Eldest senior sister?" Bei Bei suddenly froze, then his expression relaxed. He spoke softly to Huo Yuhao beside him. "Yuhao, don't worry. It's Shrek Academy's greatest genius, Zhang Lexuan, the eldest senior sister of the Inner Court."

As he spoke, Bei Bei went forward to greet them. Looking at Zhang Lexuan and Jiang Hai, who had suddenly appeared, he asked, "Eldest senior sister, what brings you to the Star Dou Great Forest?"

At the same time, he could not help stealing glances at Jiang Hai beside Zhang Lexuan, curious about the identity of the boy who had appeared with his eldest senior sister.

He was very close to Zhang Lexuan and knew that, apart from her fellow students at Shrek Academy, she had no other family or friends. What relationship could this boy, who looked barely into his teens, have with her?

"I came to help Jiang Hai obtain his first soul ring," Zhang Lexuan replied, a trace of complicated emotion flashing through her eyes.

His first soul ring?

Bei Bei frowned and asked curiously, "Eldest senior sister, is this young brother your disciple?"

Someone who did not look much younger than him had only just broken through to become a Soul Master. How had a person like that become involved with his eldest senior sister?

Zhang Lexuan shook her head. "No. I'm merely fulfilling a promise I made back then. Enough about me. Did you come to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for Tang Ya's third soul ring? A thousand-year-old Mandala Snake is quite suitable for her!"

Bei Bei smiled. "That's right. We owe Yuhao a great deal this time. Without his support, we might not have been able to help Tang Ya kill this Mandala Snake so smoothly. Oh, eldest senior sister, I haven't introduced him yet. This is Yuhao, Huo Yuhao. He has a mutated martial soul, Spirit Eyes, with a mental attribute. Although his first soul ring is a little lacking, his soul skills are very powerful. Tang Ya and I have already brought him into the Tang Sect, and we plan to give him the exemption quota Shrek Academy grants our sect. Perhaps we'll all be schoolmates in the future! Yuhao, this is the eldest senior sister of our Inner Court. She's only twenty-five this year, but she's already a Soul Douluo. She might even have a chance to become a Titled Douluo before she turns thirty!"

A Soul Douluo?

Huo Yuhao naturally knew what being a Soul Douluo meant. That man in the Duke's Mansion was only a Soul Douluo, too. More importantly, Shrek Academy's eldest senior sister was only in her twenties. Huo Yuhao greeted her respectfully. "Hello, eldest senior sister!"

"You've already given away the Tang Sect's exemption quota?" Zhang Lexuan frowned. A mutated martial soul with a mental attribute was a rare talent, and judging by Bei Bei's manner, Huo Yuhao was very close to them. In that case... Zhang Lexuan glanced at Jiang Hai, feeling a considerable headache coming on.

Without the Tang Sect's interview quota, Jiang Hai was, after all, too old, and his soul power was only level thirteen. Joining Shrek Academy would still be far too difficult.

Shrek's first admission requirement was that applicants had to be under twelve and possess at least two soul rings. That standard had been set by Shrek Academy's first headmaster, and no one could change it.

By next year, Jiang Hai would be over twelve, and even an interview quota would be useless.

Shrek Academy would not train mediocrities.

"Hello. You're young Huo Yuhao, correct? How old are you this year?" Zhang Lexuan asked.

Bei Bei's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "Eldest senior sister, Yuhao is already over eleven, and his first soul ring is only a ten-year soul ring. Without this chance at exempted admission, he might never be able to join Shrek Academy. Besides, Xiaoya has already accepted him. He's already a disciple of the Tang Sect."

"That's right, eldest senior sister. I'm the Tang Sect's sect master, and I decide who receives its exemption quota. Since I've already promised it to little Yuhao, I won't change my mind!" Tang Ya stood up as well, placing herself in front of Huo Yuhao like a mother protecting her calf as she faced Zhang Lexuan.

"Xiaoya, you succeeded!" Bei Bei exclaimed happily.

Tang Ya glared at Bei Bei. "Call me teacher. If I hadn't succeeded now, wouldn't you have given little Yuhao's place to an outsider? As long as I'm here, no one gets to bully him!"

Everyone knew whom Tang Ya's pointed words were aimed at.

A touch of warmth rose in Huo Yuhao's heart. Although he desperately wanted to join Shrek Academy, he did not want to make things difficult for Tang Ya. Having been ostracized since childhood, he was more mature than others his age. He understood what a Soul Douluo in her twenties represented. If Tang Ya and her Tang Sect offended such a young Soul Douluo, perhaps even a future Titled Douluo, it would surely pile snow onto the frost of the Tang Sect's already straitened circumstances. He spoke up. "Teacher Tang Ya, why don't we give Shrek's place to this older brother? I can cultivate in the Tang Sect, too!"

"No. Little Yuhao, do you realize that you're already starting behind everyone else? If you lose your chance to attend Shrek Academy, you might never rise above the crowd in your entire life. Don't worry. I'm the Tang Sect's sect master. As long as I'm here, no one can take what belongs to you!" Tang Ya said firmly, her heart aching for him.

Zhang Lexuan gave a wry smile. "You've misunderstood. That isn't what I meant, and I have no intention of fighting the Tang Sect for anything. I know how difficult things are for your sect. Jiang Hai is alone, with no one to rely on. Although he started a little behind others, he is absolutely one of the most talented Soul Masters I've ever seen. I brought him here because I hoped he could join your Tang Sect. Perhaps he could lend you an arm in reviving it."

Tang Ya gave Zhang Lexuan a suspicious look. "Would you really be that kind?"

Bei Bei was curious as well. He knew Zhang Lexuan, and she never lied. He could not help asking, "Young brother Jiang Hai isn't all that young anymore, is he?"

"Eleven," Jiang Hai answered calmly.

"And what level is your soul power?"

"Level thirteen. A Power Attack System Battle Soul Master!" Jiang Hai had nothing to hide.

"Only level thirteen at eleven?" Tang Ya could not help repeating when she heard Jiang Hai's answer.

"That's right!" Jiang Hai replied again, his expression utterly calm and revealing nothing.

"Xiaoya!" Bei Bei shot Tang Ya a reproachful look. "Since young brother Jiang Hai is someone eldest senior sister values, he must have something exceptional about him. How about this? On behalf of the Tang Sect, I invite young brother Jiang Hai to join our sect. What do you say?"

"Eldest senior sister should have told you about our Tang Sect already, right? Although our sect has declined, it is still the sect founded by Senior Tang San, and all the exceptional arts passed down through it remain intact. While Shrek Academy's exemption quota for the Tang Sect has already been given to Yuhao, as long as you join our sect, I can recommend you to study at Star Luo Royal Academy. I have some connections with the Star Luo Imperial Family, and I can guarantee that the treatment you receive there will be no worse than at Shrek Academy. Although Star Luo Royal Academy isn't quite Shrek Academy's equal, it definitely ranks among the continent's top three academies!"