Bei Bei stood quietly to the side, watching the energetic girl next to him and feeling a bit helpless. In his eyes, Tang Ya was perfect in every single way, but he had to admit that she often spoke before thinking things through. He leaned down and whispered into her ear to remind her of the obvious. He told her that since the boy was wearing a school uniform, he had clearly already joined Shrek Academy. Tang Ya was startled by his words and finally took a good look at the clothes Huo Yuhao was wearing. She blinked sheepishly, though she did not seem particularly embarrassed by her mistake. Seeing this, Bei Bei could only shake his head with a sigh before turning back to Huo Yuhao with a gentle smile. He told Yuhao that he never expected they would actually meet again so soon at Shrek.
Huo Yuhao stood up from his seat, a polite smile appearing on his handsome face. He greeted them both, calling them Senior Bei Bei and Senior Tang Ya, and noted that it had been a long time. Tang Ya looked at him, her lively eyes blinking fast, and she suddenly blurted out a question asking if he was interested in joining the Tang Sect now. Hearing this, Bei Bei could not help but put his hand to his face in frustration. It was happening again. Over the last few years, Tang Ya had become completely obsessed with the idea of reviving the Tang Sect. Whenever she met someone who seemed talented or worthy, her first instinct was to invite them to join her cause. The problem was that the Tang Sect was nothing like the legendary power of the past. The once great sect now consisted of only the two of them.
Huo Yuhao was just about to give his answer when Wang Dong, who was sitting across from him, suddenly stood up. Wang Dong shouted the name of the Tang Sect with a voice that carried surprise, excitement, and a strange emotion he could not even name. Tang Ya turned her head to look at him, her gaze falling on Wang Dong, and her eyes lit up instantly. She thought to herself that he was such a pretty boy. Wang Dong himself did not understand why he was reacting this way. Simply hearing the name made his heart ache as if it had been struck, stirring up a surge of excitement that he could not describe. It felt as if something deep inside his soul, engraved into his very bones, had suddenly been woken up.
Seeing his intense reaction, the smile on Tang Ya's face became even brighter as she confirmed it was indeed the Tang Sect, the former number one sect on the continent. She paused for a moment and tilted her head to look at Wang Dong with eyes full of hope. She asked the boy if he wanted to join their sect. Wang Dong agreed immediately, saying he had heard the Tang Sect's hidden weapons were amazing and that he would join. His words came out in a quick rush, and he was decisive without showing even a hint of hesitation. Tang Ya was stunned by his reply because she had only asked out of habit. She never actually expected Wang Dong to agree so quickly and directly.
Tang Ya blinked, a look of confusion crossing her face for a split second before it was replaced by pure joy. She jumped up in excitement and her voice got much louder as she welcomed him to the Tang Sect. She cheered that with him, the Tang Sect now officially had three members. Tang Ya stayed excited for quite a while before she turned her head back to Huo Yuhao with anticipation in her eyes. Huo Yuhao met her bright, sparkling gaze but slowly shook his head in refusal. He told her he was sorry, but he still had no intention of joining any sect at this time. The light in Tang Ya's eyes dimmed for a moment, but she quickly forced a smile and waved her hand. She told him it was fine and that there was no pressure. She glanced at Wang Dong and said she was already thrilled to have recruited such a talented boy.
After they exchanged a few more polite words, Bei Bei and Tang Ya said their goodbyes and walked away. Coincidentally, the grilled meat they ordered was finally ready and brought to them, filling the small table. Wang Dong grabbed a skewer and took a huge bite, asking Yuhao why he didn't join while he was still chewing. He mentioned that even if the Tang Sect was weak now, their secret techniques were still known to be very powerful. Huo Yuhao knew all about those secret techniques because he had used them himself ten thousand years in the future. However, for him, they were no longer useful. He had read the history books about his own life and knew that in the later stages of his journey, those techniques stopped providing any real boost to his power.
Beyond that, Yuhao had already decided that in a few years he would begin establishing the Spirit Pagoda in this era, so he had no reason to focus on the Tang Sect. These cold calculations circled in his mind before he looked at Wang Dong and told him he would understand everything later. Hearing this vague answer, Wang Dong glared at him fiercely. His mouth was full of meat and his cheeks were bulging, making him look like a frustrated pufferfish as he complained about Yuhao being mysterious again. Seeing that funny expression, Huo Yuhao could not help but laugh out loud. It was a rare moment of genuine amusement for him.
The meal of roasted meat left both of them satisfied with greasy mouths. Wang Dong patted his stomach and followed Huo Yuhao along the broad main road of the academy as they walked back to the dorms. The sun was starting to set, and a fiery red light hung on the horizon, turning the clouds into shades of deep crimson. Bathed in this final light, Shrek Academy looked like it was covered in a layer of golden silk. The ancient buildings and the old trees lining the path were coated in a warm glow that felt serene and peaceful. Since seeing Huo Yuhao's true strength, Wang Dong had stopped being lazy. He spent every night training his soul power to keep up. Even if he didn't say it, his competitive nature had been lit.
As they stepped onto the stone slabs of Shrek Square, Huo Yuhao suddenly stopped moving. Wang Dong stopped as well and turned to look at him with confusion, asking what was wrong. Huo Yuhao did not answer him right away. He stood perfectly still, his gaze fixed on the distant Sea God Lake while his brow furrowed. With his current spiritual power, his senses were far beyond those of any normal person, even without his spirit eyes active. At that moment, he felt an unusual vibration coming from the surface of the calm lake. He muttered that it seemed like something had happened. Hearing this, Wang Dong's eyes lit up with curiosity. Deep down, he loved a bit of drama. Instead of feeling worried, he asked if they should go take a look.
Huo Yuhao thought about it for a second before nodding his head. Without saying another word, his body blurred as he dashed toward the east at high speed. Wang Dong followed right behind him. The two figures raced through the fading light of the sunset and vanished from the edge of the square in an instant. The light of the setting sun spilled across Sea God Lake, making the water look like flowing gold and red. Suddenly, a red figure came flying from the distance, skimming across the water at a terrifying speed. It was a woman with long red hair that flew wildly in the wind, and it looked like actual flames were rising from her skin. The fire was a strange dark red color that was almost black, and it gave off a heat that made the heart race.
Wherever the woman passed, the lake water below was turned into white steam by the intense heat, leaving a long white trail on the surface. Within a few seconds, the red figure had crossed the lake and landed on a small path by the shore. Since it was time for dinner, there were not many people around the lake. However, not far from where the red figure landed, two young girls were standing. They both had long blue hair and identical, cute faces that looked very young and innocent. They were Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu, twin sisters from the first-year class. They had been enjoying the sunset when the peace was suddenly shattered. The red figure appeared near them, bringing a terrifying temperature that felt like it would dry their skin.
Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu looked up at the figure and turned pale with fear. They reacted quickly and tried to run away as fast as possible. They ran with all their might, but the red figure was much faster than they were. In the blink of an eye, the figure crossed the distance and stood right in front of them. A hand rose high into the air and slammed down toward them with violent force. That palm was covered in those strange, dark red flames. Before the strike even landed, the heat was so intense it felt like it would swallow them whole. Both sisters realized at the same time that there was no way to escape. They turned to each other and shared a tight embrace. This was not just a desperate wait for death; it was the natural bond between twins preparing for a final, desperate counterattack.
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