Chapter 26: You wretched Beibei, you have truly brought me to ruin!

Outside the Sea God’s Pavilion, Ye Xixuan and Ma Xiaotao were playfully sparring, testing the capabilities of their martial souls. Their chirping voices were filled with the vitality of youth.

Elder Mu kept his eyes closed, though his heart stirred with a touch of melancholy.

"Xiaoyao, you may be surrounded by children and grandchildren, yet you have never enjoyed a single day of true familial bliss. Whether it is you, I, or Xishui, each of us seems to harbor unspeakable hardships. Fate truly plays cruel tricks on us."

With Elder Mu watching over them, Ye Xixuan and Ma Xiaotao naturally had no reservations.

After repeated testing, Ye Xixuan finally identified another innate ability of his "Heart Demon Shadow" martial soul. It was not limited to the malevolent aura within Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Phoenix martial soul; any energy tainted by evil could be absorbed into the source of his own martial soul through the medium of the Heart Demon marks.

This energy would then be transmuted by his martial soul, used to increase the age of his soul rings.

Observing the changes in Ye Xixuan, Elder Mu did not feel particularly surprised.

The Son of Light represented brightness and divinity. Conversely, Ye Xixuan’s Heart Demon Shadow martial soul was meant to symbolize darkness and evil. The two coexisted, maintaining a delicate balance.

However, as the Son of Light, Ye Xixuan’s heart was inherently kind and pure. He would never be corrupted by evil forces, nor would his true nature be affected. Thus, the possibility of him falling into the path of an Evil Soul Master was nonexistent.

At this moment, Elder Mu’s thoughts aligned perfectly with those of a certain God King.

Destiny ultimately rested with the Douluo plane.

Days passed, and the recruitment process for Shrek Academy’s Outer Court grew increasingly fervent.

On the day before the new students officially began classes, Bei Bei finally returned successfully, under the guidance of Elder Xuan.

As soon as he arrived at Shrek Academy, Elder Xuan’s figure vanished. A self-satisfied Bei Bei then encountered an old acquaintance near the martial soul department of the Outer Court.

It was a youth of similar age to Bei Bei, with thick eyebrows, tiger-like eyes, a straight nose, and a square jaw—he was truly handsome. He was tall and sturdy, appearing even more robust than Bei Bei. His fair face still held a hint of baby fat, and upon seeing his old rival, he began to make exaggerated faces.

Bei Bei smiled, though his words were sharp.

"Dead turtle, coming to report to the academy so late? Aren't you afraid of missing the enrollment time and having to crawl back into your turtle shell in shame?"

"Stinking Bei Bei, I knew you wouldn't have anything nice to say the moment I saw you." The youth was naturally Xu Sanshi, whom Ye Xixuan remembered from his past life as the "Twin Stars of the Outer Court" alongside Bei Bei. However, noticing that Bei Bei had entered the Outer Court from the East City Gate, he asked with some confusion.

"Why are you coming in from outside the city? Where have you been?"

"Guess," Bei Bei replied with a grin.

Xu Sanshi retorted indignantly.

"Are you a child? You want me to guess? But I feel like your aura is a bit different; that shouldn't be my imagination, right?"

"Is that so? I don't feel anything myself."

The corners of Bei Bei’s mouth twitched as he struggled to maintain his composure. If he were to simply state that he was now a three-ring Soul Grandmaster and had successfully evolved his martial soul into the Bright Sacred Dragon, he felt it wouldn't have the desired effect. To show off effectively, one had to make a grand entrance.

"The day is still young. How about we go for a stroll on Sea God Island? I can introduce a friend to you while we're at it."

"Sure, let's go steal a meal from the Inner Court seniors," Xu Sanshi agreed without a second thought.

Although Sea God Island stipulated that non-Inner Court disciples were forbidden from landing, such rules only applied to ordinary students. Young masters from major clans with deep backgrounds and close ties to Shrek Academy, like Xu Sanshi, clearly did not fall under this category.

"There aren't many friends you approve of. Don't tell me they're like Sister Xiaotao, sent directly to Sea God Island for cultivation by their families?"

"You'll see soon enough." Bei Bei gave Xu Sanshi a mysterious look, secretly proud of his own cleverness.

It could only be said that someone was getting impatient again.

"Stinking Bei Bei..."

As dusk approached, Sea God Island appeared exceptionally quiet and secluded.

The setting sun stretched the shadows of the trees, leaving only dappled light and shade visible within the forest.

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi walked along the mountain path toward the center of the island, where they unexpectedly ran into Ye Xixuan, who was finishing his day of cultivation.

The golden-red light shone upon Ye Xixuan’s exquisite and flawless face, while his black eyes remained as calm as an ancient well—mysterious, profound, and unfathomable. Seeing Bei Bei, he immediately greeted him with pleasant surprise.

"Senior Brother Bei, you're back. And who is this with you?"

"Xixuan, let me introduce you," Bei Bei said, pointing with a grin at Xu Sanshi beside him. "This guy is that dead turtle I told you about. His name is Xu Sanshi."

"You're the turtle! You stinking Bei Bei, if you keep this up, I’m really going to get angry with you!" Xu Sanshi could no longer tolerate it and glared at Bei Bei. It was one thing to tease each other in private, but to say such things in front of others made him lose face.

Just then, another tall, red-clad figure appeared around the corner, standing gracefully behind Ye Xixuan.

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, who had been shoving each other, instantly stood at attention and, with a tacit understanding, turned to slip away. But before they could even lift a foot, a cold yet alluring voice reached their ears.

"Bei Bei, Little Xu, where are you two going?"

"Sister Xiaotao." The two brothers stiffened, turned their heads in unison, and greeted Ma Xiaotao, looking obedient and honest.

Xu Sanshi reacted quickly and sold Bei Bei out immediately.

"It was Bei Bei who said he wanted to introduce a friend to me. Since we've already met, I’ll be going now. You two chat, you two chat..."

"Didn't we agree that we would spar and exchange pointers with Xixuan? You can't leave now." Bei Bei grabbed Xu Sanshi’s arm, his face twisted into a forced smile. If Xu Sanshi wouldn't be benevolent, he wouldn't be righteous either; he decided to drag the other down with him.

Xu Sanshi struggled with all his might, but since they were evenly matched in strength, he couldn't break free, his eyes filled with resentment.

Hearing Bei Bei’s words, Ma Xiaotao became interested.

"Sparring and exchanging pointers? That's great. I have nothing to do right now, so I'll be your judge. Let's go to the martial arts arena."

"Well? Why aren't you moving?" Ma Xiaotao glanced at the stunned Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, her cold, sharp gaze landing on them.

The two had no choice but to walk ahead and lead the way. Along the way, Xu Sanshi used lip-reading to give Bei Bei a fierce greeting.

"You stinking Bei Bei, you've really ruined me!"