Bei Bei grew ever more certain that Huo Yuhao must have a super martial soul.
Otherwise, he simply could not explain why he and Tang Ya still struggled to catch up with Huo Yuhao even after both had used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.
"Young brother! Please wait!" Bei Bei called out.
Behind him, Tang Ya braced her hands on her knees, panting so hard she could barely catch her breath.
"High attack power and incredible speed-what kind of martial soul could give the body such a boost?"
She raised a hand to wipe the sweat beading on her forehead. As she watched Huo Yuhao come to a stop, countless questions filled her mind.
Huo Yuhao stopped and turned to look at them, asking in puzzlement, "Was there something else you two wanted?"
Bei Bei stepped forward and cupped his fist in his palm. "Young brother, my name is Bei Bei, and this is Tang Ya. We're both students at Shrek Academy. May I ask your name?"
"Huo Yuhao." Huo Yuhao had no need to lie about his name at this point.
Bei Bei continued, "Well, Tang Ya and I saw that you could kill a Wind Tiger alone at your age, Brother Huo. Clearly, you're exceptionally gifted, so we hoped to make your acquaintance."
"If I may be so bold, Brother Huo, who is your master? Perhaps there might even be some connection between us."
Huo Yuhao's gaze swept over Bei Bei and Tang Ya.
Bei Bei's manner was quite composed, while Tang Ya all but had the words "eat you alive" written across her face.
They're probably hoping to invite me to Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao thought.
"I'm self-taught. I haven't joined any faction," he replied.
Until he became a god and broke free of the universe's restraints, Huo Yuhao did not believe he had the right to call himself a member of the Martial Realm.
At Huo Yuhao's answer, Bei Bei's and Tang Ya's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Just as they thought-his martial soul had to be a super martial soul.
Tang Ya suppressed the shock in her heart and took several deep breaths before she barely managed to calm her excitement.
She stared intently at Huo Yuhao and asked, "Brother Huo, have you heard of the Tang Sect?"
"A little," Huo Yuhao answered truthfully, then asked in return, "Are you two from the Tang Sect?"
Tang Ya nodded at once. "I'm the Tang Sect's current sect master, and he's its eldest disciple."
Huo Yuhao recalled the description of the Tang Sect in the Miscellaneous Martial Classics.
The Martial Scripture devoted little space to the Tang Sect, far less than to the Body Sect or Shrek Academy.
The Martial Scripture recorded the Tang Sect's founding, rise, and decline. Beyond that, it only briefly mentioned the names of several of its important supreme techniques, with the entire account totaling little more than two hundred characters.
After receiving Tang Ya's confirmation, Huo Yuhao first gave an "Oh," then cupped his fist in his palm in response. "I've long heard of your great name."
Bei Bei opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Tang Ya abruptly stepped right up to Huo Yuhao and fixed an intense gaze on him.
"Brother Huo, would you like to join our Tang Sect, then?" she asked excitedly.
"I won't deceive you with grand boasts. Our Tang Sect has indeed declined. But the legacy of our most important supreme techniques remains unbroken. We simply failed to keep pace with the times back then. That doesn't mean our Tang Sect's legacy is poor!"
Seeing this, Bei Bei sighed helplessly, thinking that Tang Ya was far too impatient and that this could very well have the opposite effect.
But with things having reached this point, he could only follow Tang Ya's lead:
"The Tang Sect was founded by our forebear, Sea God Tang San, with Phoenix God Ma Hongjun serving as deputy sect master. It was truly a faction with two gods and was once acclaimed as the greatest sect on the entire continent."
"It's only the Tang Sect's hidden weapons that fall short of soul tools. Its cultivation methods still stand unrivaled under heaven. With your talent, Brother Huo, practicing the Tang Sect's cultivation methods would be like giving wings to a tiger."
Tang Ya hurriedly added, "My martial soul is Blue Silver Grass. The whole continent knows it's a trash martial soul, but with the Tang Sect's cultivation methods, I still managed to become a Soul Elder at my current age. That should be enough to prove how powerful they are."
"And most importantly," Tang Ya took a deep breath, "our Tang Sect has a slot for an admissions interview at Shrek Academy!"
"As long as you join the Tang Sect, not only will you gain our cultivation methods and supreme techniques, you'll also be able to join Shrek Academy! With the Tang Sect's cultivation methods at your side and Shrek Academy's instruction to support you, your talent definitely won't go to waste!"
"Thank you for your kind offer." Huo Yuhao took half a step back and bowed slightly. "I decline to join the Tang Sect, and I won't be joining Shrek Academy either."
Of the Tang Sect's supreme techniques, only the Purple Demon Eye was useful to him, and even that was of limited use.
Besides, the Martial Scripture already contained the cultivation method for the Desolate Demon Eye. Once his spiritual power met the requirements, he could begin practicing it immediately. There was absolutely no need to join the Tang Sect for the Purple Demon Eye alone.
Bei Bei raised a hand to stop Tang Ya, who still wanted to persuade him. "Brother Huo, did something happen to you at Shrek Academy?"
He now feared that, just as he had guessed, Huo Yuhao had developed an aversion to Shrek Academy over a letter of recommendation.
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "No. I've never even been to Shrek Academy. How could anything have happened to me there?"
Then he cupped his hands. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, but I already have a destination in mind, so I won't keep talking with you."
Tang Ya reached out, only for Bei Bei to catch her hand.
"Teacher Xiao Ya, a melon twisted off its vine by force won't be sweet."
Watching Huo Yuhao's retreating figure grow more distant, Bei Bei turned to Tang Ya and said, "Judging by the direction he's heading, he's most likely going to Di'ao Academy. As long as he isn't from the Sun Moon Empire, that's good news for us."
"You certainly take it well!" Tang Ya kicked a stone in frustration. "You're not the Tang Sect's sect master!"
Bei Bei smiled and wrapped his arms around Tang Ya, gently stroking her hair. "All right, Teacher Xiao Ya. Let's go back and look at this year's new students. Perhaps there'll be someone suitable for the Tang Sect among them."
"They still wouldn't be as good as Huo Yuhao."
Tang Ya pulled free of Bei Bei's embrace. "Without getting him to join the Tang Sect, I keep feeling as if I've lost something very important."
Bei Bei froze. So Tang Ya felt it too.
"Forget it." Tang Ya turned away dejectedly. "He doesn't want to join the Tang Sect. What are we supposed to do, shamelessly beg him?"
"Our Tang Sect is the legacy of gods, after all. Not joining is his loss!"
"When the day comes that he regrets it, I'll make him kowtow three times with his head striking the ground before he can join the Tang Sect!"
That was how Tang Ya consoled herself.
Bei Bei glanced in the direction Huo Yuhao had left. After repeating Huo Yuhao's name a few times, he hurriedly turned and caught up with Tang Ya.
"The Mysterious Heaven Skill stands unrivaled under heaven," he said comfortingly. "I'm sure the Tang Sect will rise again in your hands, Teacher Xiao Ya!"
"Oh, right. Should we tell the academy about Huo Yuhao?" Rather than respond to Bei Bei's flattery, Tang Ya stopped and asked.
Bei Bei hesitated briefly.
Then he said, "Di'ao Academy has gained a super martial soul. We definitely have to tell the academy news like that."