Soul Fighting Area

Just then, several female students in purple uniforms emerged from Shrek Academy's gates. The girl at the front immediately drew countless gazes the moment she appeared.

She looked only fourteen or fifteen, with a tall, well-proportioned figure. Her long golden hair fell in large waves behind her, her skin was fairer than snow, and her eyes resembled a pool of clear water. Every glance and movement carried an elegant, refined air. Her features were like jade, like the halo around a new moon, like snow piled upon flowering trees. Her tender charm surpassed words; her delicate grace and radiant beauty were beyond compare. Her beauty seemed to dim every other color around her.

Ji Lin's gaze was drawn to her as well. Could this be Jiang Nannan? That hairstyle, that temperament, that appearance—he had to admit that she truly deserved to be called the most beautiful girl in the original novel's Outer Court.

Among the new students, perhaps only Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiuer could compete with her. Unfortunately, they were still too young and lacked Jiang Nannan's figure and bearing.

Just then, Ji Lin noticed Wang Qiuer staring coldly at him. Embarrassed, he withdrew his gaze from Jiang Nannan and pretended not to see Wang Qiuer's glare.

"Big Sister Nannan, it smells so good. What is that smell?" another female student beside the stunning girl asked in surprise. She was quite pretty herself, but how could a firefly shine beside the bright moon?

The stunning girl had clearly smelled the aroma as well, and the girls could not help turning their gazes toward Huo Yuhao's stall.

Perhaps the leading girl's beauty was simply too dazzling. The students originally gathered around Huo Yuhao's stall actually parted on their own, making way for her. She and the other female students walked straight to the grill. Yet the stunning girl was not at all arrogant in the face of their courtesy. Smiling gently, she nodded to the students who had made way for her. Every student who saw her smile blushed furiously with excitement.

"Junior, how much are your grilled fish?" the stunning girl asked softly.

At that moment, Huo Yuhao had just handed over all eighteen grilled fish that had been paid for. Only the final two remained on the grill, and those were reserved for Tang Ya.

"Senior, five Copper Soul Coins each." The stunning girl frowned slightly. "That's a little expensive. Taking the cost and your work into account, three Copper Soul Coins at most should be enough. You'd still make a profit."

Huo Yuhao froze. He had not expected a girl with such a beautiful face to bargain with him. Not a single student before her had done so. "Sorry, my grilled fish have a fixed price, and they're all sold out for today."

Huo Yuhao spoke calmly. Tang Ya had set the price, and he would not change it lightly. Besides, this income was important to him, and the amount was just right.

Ji Lin watched from the side with great interest. A beautiful girl bargaining was a rare sight indeed. He also knew that Xu Sanshi, the greatest simp in the original Douluo Continent, would be taking the stage next. Ji Lin was more than happy to watch the excitement grow.

The stunning girl paused, then said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I was only calculating casually. If I get the chance later, I'll try it."

Sure enough, just as Jiang Nannan turned to leave, Xu Sanshi, dressed in black, stepped in and tried to forcibly take the grilled fish Huo Yuhao had saved for Tang Ya.

He was later stopped by Bei Bei and Tang Ya, who arrived in time.

In order to get the Mysterious Water Pill from Xu Sanshi to help Huo Yuhao, Bei Bei deliberately provoked Xu Sanshi into a match on the Soul Fighting Stage.

Ji Lin, always eager for a spectacle, immediately dragged the two girls along to the Soul Fighting Area. Wang Dong'er was just like Ji Lin and could not wait to watch the excitement. Naturally, they had to properly observe a match between two upperclassmen.

The Soul Fighting Area was an extremely important area within Shrek Academy. It was located at the northwestern corner of the Martial Soul Department, close to Shrek City, and was also quite near the Soul Tool Department.

It was also a place frequently visited by many upperclassmen. All kinds of matches could be held here, with dedicated teachers serving as referees to determine victory and defeat, protect the students, provide aid and treatment, and so on. Of course, all of this required payment.

For a Soul Fighting match, both sides had to pay at least ten Gold Soul Coins as a venue fee. Even so, many students never grew tired of it. That was because there were no restrictions on fighting here, and they did not need to fear that striking too heavily would cause danger. The teachers acting as referees would control the situation well. At the same time, winning matches in the Soul Fighting Area earned a certain amount of academic credits, which gave bonus points during grade examinations. From the fourth year onward, Soul Fighting credits became mandatory for advancing to the next grade. For example, to advance from the fourth year to the fifth, one needed to have defeated opponents of the same grade in the Soul Fighting Area at least ten times. Advancing from the fifth year to the sixth required even more. After the sixth year, Soul Fighting credits were said to become even more important for those wishing to enter the Inner Court.

Matches in the Soul Fighting Area were open to all students, provided they paid the fee. Admission cost one Silver Soul Coin.

Ji Lin paid three Silver Soul Coins and led the two girls into the Soul Fighting Area.

The Soul Fighting Area was hexagonal and roughly the same size as Shrek Plaza. A large open space lay at its center, clearly the place where students fought. Rings of seats rose gradually around it, able to accommodate about three thousand people at once.

At that moment, two or three hundred people were already seated around the edge of the arena.

Ji Lin led the two girls to sit in the front row, closest to the arena.

The arena was empty. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi were probably still paying and registering.

Bei Bei was known for possessing the strongest offensive martial soul in the Outer Court, while Xu Sanshi possessed the strongest defensive martial soul in the Outer Court. Without Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection Sharing to cheat this time, Ji Lin wondered which of them would win.

Just then, Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya arrived as well.

The moment Tang Ya saw Ji Lin, she suddenly cried out, "Ah! Aren't you that handsome boy we met in the Star Dou Great Forest last time? You're a student of Shrek Academy too?!"

Ji Lin felt a little helpless before the lively, overly familiar Tang Ya. Sensing the gazes around them, he quickly gestured for the two of them to sit down first.

"Hello, Senior. I'm a new student this year and Yuhao's roommate. The two beside me are our classmates, Wang Qiuer and Wang Dong'er."

Only after they sat down beside him did Ji Lin introduce them.

"Yuhao, won't you introduce this senior to us?"

Ji Lin turned toward Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao could only introduce her. "This senior is Tang Ya. She is the sect master of the Tang Sect and also my teacher. I usually call her Teacher Xiaoya."

Tang Ya said in delight, "What a coincidence! We happened to meet in the Star Dou Great Forest last time, but I never expected you to be a new student coming to enroll at Shrek too, or that you'd become Little Yuhao's roommate. We really are fated."

When Wang Dong'er heard Huo Yuhao mention the Tang Sect, her body trembled slightly. She asked in surprise, "You're from the Tang Sect?"

Tang Ya nodded repeatedly. "That's right. There are only three of us left in the Tang Sect now. I'm the current sect master of the Tang Sect. How about it? Surprised? Come on, do you want to join the Tang Sect?"

She was only saying it casually. Although Tang Ya usually seemed carefree and boisterous, anyone who truly thought she was foolish would sooner or later suffer badly at her hands. She had long seen that Wang Dong'er and the other two were extraordinary, with their essence concealed within and their Soul Power solid and condensed.

Wang Dong'er was slightly stunned, but she still declined. "Although I've long heard of the Tang Sect's great reputation and admire it greatly, I already belong to a sect. It would not be convenient for me to join another."

Tang Ya was neither surprised nor disappointed. She had long known that, in the Tang Sect's current state, it would be difficult to recruit anyone.