See You at the Great Soul Arena in Three Days!
Dai Mubai let out a low growl, his eyes bloodshot.
"If you charge at her now, that purple-haired woman only needs one strike to cripple you. Not even Teacher Zhao and Dean Flender could save you!"
Tang San lowered his voice and quickly snapped him back to his senses in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Dai Mubai's whole body stiffened. His fury felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over it.
Looking across at Keqing, her hand resting on empty air and her gaze icy, he recalled the sorry sight of Zhao Wuji's Immovable Bright King Body being shattered by a single strike and Zhao Wuji being driven back eight steps. Cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead, and he forced himself to a halt, left breathing heavily.
Seeing that Dai Mubai had steadied himself, Tang San finally released him and slowly took a step forward.
Xiao Wu immediately followed and stood at Tang San's side, though her lively eyes couldn't help stealing another glance at Chu Yuan.
The closer she got, the clearer the pure breath of life from Irminsul within Chu Yuan became. It was like a spring breeze sweeping over earth frozen for ten thousand years, stirring waves of tingling excitement and longing in the Soft Bone Rabbit's origin bloodline within her.
Tang San naturally failed to notice anything unusual about Xiao Wu.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the lingering wariness deep in his eyes from last night's backlash, and cupped his fists toward Chu Yuan with neither servility nor arrogance:
"Your strength runs deep, sir. I am Tang San, and today I have had the honor of witnessing it. But arguing in the street is unbecoming, and Shrek Academy is not a collection of incompetents for anyone to insult at will, as you claim."
At that, Tang San's gaze sharpened slightly. He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, then spoke in a clear voice:
"On the Douluo Continent, strength has always done the talking. Grudges between Soul Masters should naturally be settled the Soul Master way. Since you look down so much on Shrek Academy's cultivation methods, would you dare make a wager with us?"
Flender had been fretting over how to end this with some dignity, but at Tang San's words, his eyes lit up behind his lenses!
As expected of the fine disciple Xiaogang had trained!
If they fought in the street, with that purple-haired girl whose strength rivaled a Soul Saint's present, they would gain no advantage and would also violate Suotuo City's ban. But if they moved the battlefield to the Great Soul Arena, where strict level restrictions applied, and fought one-on-one or two-on-two against opponents of the same level, then with Dai Mubai's strength as a level thirty-seven Battle Soul Elder and Tang San's endless methods, they might well be able to win back the face they had lost today!
Seeing that Chu Yuan had not interrupted, Tang San felt somewhat reassured and continued in a low voice:
"Three nights from now, at the Soto Great Soul Arena! We won't involve the academy's teachers. Only young Soul Masters of the same generation will fight, fairly and according to the Great Soul Arena's rules! If your people lose, then please retract the insults you just made against Shrek Academy and let Miss Zhu Zhuqing and Miss Ning Rongrong choose freely whether to stay or leave. What do you say?"
In his view, though the fighting strength the purple-haired girl had just displayed was terrifying, registration at the Great Soul Arena required tests of bone age and Soul Power Level.
Since she could repel Zhao Wuji, her Soul Power had to be extremely high. There was no way she could be matched in the same Soul Fight as Soul Grandmasters and Soul Elders like them, who were only in their twenties and thirties.
As long as he avoided the purple-haired girl, even if he faced Zhu Zhuqing or Chu Yuan himself, he was confident he could join forces with Dai Mubai and give them a fight using the Tang Sect Hidden Weapons techniques and the Mysterious Heaven Skill!
Dai Mubai had also fully caught on by now. Fierce fighting spirit reignited in his eyes as he stared fixedly at Chu Yuan and sneered:
"That's right! A fair match between members of the same generation at the Soto Great Soul Arena! Kid, don't tell me you only dare throw your weight around from behind a woman and don't even have the guts to step onto the Soul Fighting stage?!"
Faced with Tang San's calculating challenge and Dai Mubai's crude attempt at provocation, Ning Rongrong immediately snorted in displeasure:
"You wish! I chose to follow my lord of my own free will. Who asked you to pretend to fight for my freedom to stay or leave?"
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze was equally cold:
"Defeated opponents like you think you're fit to negotiate terms with my lord?"
Mona, standing to Chu Yuan's right, blinked her lovely mint-green eyes. An amused smile touched her lips as she leaned close to his ear and whispered:
"That Tang San kid is full of dirty tricks. He thinks he can avoid Qing's sharp edge by getting onto the Soul Fighting stage. But I hear the Great Soul Arena has tens of thousands of spectators every night. It must be quite lively."
Her warm breath brushed against his ear, carrying a faint, starry fragrance unique to the young woman.
Something stirred slightly in Chu Yuan's heart.
When Keqing had driven Zhao Wuji back with a single strike, drawing gasps of awe from the Soul Masters filling the street, the Crown of Heavenly Principles floating in his sea of consciousness had faintly absorbed wisps of awe and prestige Vow Power gathering from the surrounding crowd!
Though this Vow Power was still very faint, it had made the Crown of Heavenly Principles' radiance noticeably more substantial.
As the newly appointed ruler of Heavenly Principles, his divine authority came not only from its anchoring to the Ley Lines of the two worlds, but could also draw on the power of faith formed from the reverence and awe of all living beings.
Rather than squabble in the streets, he could use the Soto Great Soul Arena, a stage that brought together the entire city's nobles and tens of thousands of Soul Masters, to openly crush the pride of these so-called Shrek geniuses and, in one stroke, stamp the mighty name of the Divine Court of Heavenly Principles across the skies above Suotuo City!
Besides, Tang San was far too naive to think the Great Soul Arena's Soul Power Level rules could restrict Keqing and Mona, who possessed Visions.
"The Great Soul Arena... interesting."
Chu Yuan smiled faintly, looking down from on high at Tang San and Dai Mubai as they stood ready for battle:
"Ants are trying to raise their fists against the heavens. I shall give you the chance to step onto the stage and look up at them. Three nights from now, at the Soto Great Soul Arena, whether you fight one-on-one or gang up on us, all of Shrek Academy may take the stage."
"But I never make a wager without stakes. If you lose, I won't ask you to do menial chores-Dai Mubai will cripple both his own arms in public to apologize to Zhu Zhuqing. As for Shrek Academy, you will post a notice of defeat at the Soto Great Soul Arena and get out of Suotuo City while you still can."
Boom!
At those words, Dai Mubai's pupils contracted sharply and his heart jolted. Flender and Zhao Wuji's faces looked worse still!
Cripple his own arms! Post a notice of defeat and get out of Suotuo City!
The stakes could hardly have been more ruthless and overbearing, but Tang San and Dai Mubai were the ones who had started this. In front of the hundreds of Suotuo City Soul Masters lining the street, if they backed down now and refused the challenge, Shrek Academy would never be able to hold its head high again!
"Fine! It's a deal!"
Dai Mubai gritted his teeth. Confident that a level thirty-seven Battle Soul Elder like him could never lose to a Soul Grandmaster in their twenties in a match between members of the same generation, he agreed at once:
"Three nights from now, at the Soto Great Soul Arena, we'll see how arrogant you can be then!"
Tang San also gave Chu Yuan a long look and said in a low voice:
"See you at the Great Soul Arena in three days!"
"Let's go!"
His face gloomy, Flender swept his sleeve. Afraid Dai Mubai would say something impulsive again, he immediately led Zhao Wuji, Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Xiao Wu away at a brisk pace.
Only Xiao Wu, as Tang San pulled her away, couldn't help looking back at Chu Yuan several times, glancing back three times for every step she took. Her large eyes were full of confusion and an inexplicable reluctance to leave.
As the Soul Masters watching from both sides of the street saw the Shrek group leave in disarray, awe appeared on their faces. They stepped back several yards of their own accord, clearing an extraordinarily wide path for Chu Yuan and his four companions.
The news that the mysterious young master in white's people would face Shrek Academy at the Soto Great Soul Arena in three days was destined to spread throughout Suotuo City before the day was over!
Chu Yuan's expression remained as calm as ever, as though he had merely swatted away a few noisy flies.
He turned his head, his gaze falling on Ning Rongrong behind him, who looked both obedient and delighted:
"You said the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has a quiet residence in the east of the city?"
Ning Rongrong hurriedly came back to her senses. With a sweet smile, she stepped forward and answered respectfully:
"Yes, my lord. It's deep on Poplar Street in the east of the city. My father had it acquired years ago as a place to stay. It has its own courtyard and mimicry pool, and normally only two old servants look after it. It's extremely quiet! I'll take you, Sister Keqing, and Sister Mona there right now!"
The Rose Hotel was crowded and full of prying eyes. It was indeed less peaceful and convenient than a private residence, which would also be just right for reshaping this little girl's Martial Soul Origin next.
"Lead the way."
Chu Yuan nodded slightly and put an arm around Keqing's slender, supple waist. Walking beside Mona, with Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong attending him on either side, he headed slowly toward the east of Suotuo City.