Indiscriminate Arena

"Sir, this way, please."

The attendant of the Suo Tuo Great Soul Arena respectfully led the way ahead, showing Zhao Xuan no hint of disrespect despite his age.

Along the way, many passing guests and soul masters looked at Zhao Xuan with surprise. One reason was his striking appearance; the other was that he looked far too young.

Holding the mask Flender had given him, Zhao Xuan seemed to understand why Flender had handed it to him.

"Is the Indiscriminate Arena underground?"

After putting on the mask, Zhao Xuan looked at the somewhat shadowy staircase before him and asked the attendant beside him.

"Yes. The more dangerous arenas are all below. Only the Gambling Arena is on the first floor," the attendant answered.

Zhao Xuan nodded without the slightest surprise. It was perfectly normal for light to float on the surface while darkness hid underground.

Bright candles burned on either side of the deep staircase, but their flames could not dispel the darkness. Their light was confined to small patches, and the entire stairway gave off a cold, gloomy feeling.

Zhao Xuan followed the attendant down. In the stairwell, he faintly heard subtle sounds rising from beneath his feet. As they drew closer, the sounds grew louder.

The instant he stepped off the stairs, light swallowed by darkness spilled back into the world. At the same time, a tremendous clamor began echoing in his ears—roars, curses, cries of alarm, bitter sobbing...

Noisy sounds came from every direction. Zhao Xuan felt somewhat uncomfortable. He furrowed his brows and turned to survey his surroundings.

This was a vast circular hall. Numerous glowing crystal lamps hung from the ceiling, draped with beaded curtains whose strung crystals emitted dazzling light.

At the very center of the hall stood a ring-shaped counter, where the largest crowd had gathered. The others were scattered through the hall in groups of two or three.

More than fifty passageways lined the edge of the hall, and Zhao Xuan stood in one of them. The clamor came from some of those passageways.

"Sir, you can register for whichever competition you wish to enter over there." The attendant pointed toward the center of the hall.

Zhao Xuan nodded, then walked toward the counter, his figure drawing many gazes.

Quite a few people who had been chatting in the hall fell silent. All sorts of eyes turned toward Zhao Xuan, most of them unfriendly.

"A newcomer?"

"Interesting. Another piece of prey."

"Heh heh, what a pity he's wearing a mask. If I could see his face, I could imagine my fingertips slicing across his cheeks."

Someone laughed strangely, the sound like a jammed door being forced open and shut—sharp and grating.

Behind his mask, Zhao Xuan's expression remained calm, as though the surroundings could not affect him in the slightest.

He reached the counter and handed over his Iron Soul Badge.

"Hello. I'm registering for the indiscriminate fight." Zhao Xuan's voice was somewhat deep, though it still carried a trace of youthfulness.

Surprise flashed through the staff member's eyes, but he quickly accepted Zhao Xuan's badge respectfully.

"Please wait a moment, honored sir." After taking Zhao Xuan's badge and making a few brief records, he spoke.

"Your match will begin in ten minutes at Earth Character Number Three Arena. You may wait here until then."

Zhao Xuan nodded and casually stood in a corner of the hall.

The people around him withdrew their gazes, but Zhao Xuan's eyes turned toward them once more.

These people came in all shapes and forms. Some hid their faces like Zhao Xuan, clearly unwilling to be recognized. Many did not even look like soul masters from their appearance, yet Zhao Xuan could sense the Soul Power fluctuations emanating from each of them to varying degrees.

There was a slovenly old man sitting in a corner of the hall with a wine gourd in hand, his face covered in ravine-like wrinkles and flushed a vivid red.

There was also a young married woman in an elaborate red gown, graceful, noble, and radiant. Simply standing there, she was like a spotlight, drawing everyone's attention.

And then there were...

Here, soul masters who were highly respected in the outside world were as common as cheap goods. No one could see their dignity, and before long, they might even be surrounded and watched like monkeys.

While he waited, announcements periodically rang through the hall, and soul masters whose nicknames were called hurried into one of the passageways.

Zhao Xuan stood quietly. This place filled him with emotion. Who could have imagined such a world existed here?!

"Please proceed to Earth Character Number Seven Soul Arena, Ink-Colored Profound Mystery." The announcement rang out three times through the hall.

"It's my turn."

A smile appeared on Zhao Xuan's face. It was as though a raging blaze had instantly surged up within him, and he felt the blood throughout his body begin to boil.

Sometimes, he found himself rather strange as well. He was not someone who craved battle by nature. His dream was to be a couch potato, lazily drifting through life.

Yet deep within his body, there seemed to be a flame that would never go out, driving him to fight.

He entered the passageway leading to Earth Character Number Seven Arena. At its end, an attendant was waiting.

At this point, dark and shadowy passages stretched off to the left and right. Bright exits could be seen in the distance, and the attendant pointed to one of them.

"Sir, this way."

Zhao Xuan stepped into the darkness. The surroundings became strangely quiet, and the scene made his heart feel uneasy, as though he could clearly hear his own heart pounding in his chest.

That seemed to be precisely the designer's intention. It was as if he whispered from some unknown corner: Feel the darkness. Feel the surging hot blood. Then feel loneliness, walk out of the dark, step into the light, and fight!

The instant he stepped out of the darkness again, the surging heat rushed straight to his head, making his face flush.

"Welcome our other challenger, Ink-Colored Profound Mystery! He is a level 34 Control System Battle Soul Elder!"

"And his opponent is Blood-Colored Lone Wolf, a level 45 Battle Soul Sect Master who has already achieved five consecutive victories in this arena!"

"This is a long-awaited battle across ranks! Roar, everyone!"

Before Zhao Xuan saw the man, he heard his voice. The moment he emerged from the passageway, he heard the host's crazed shout.

The surrounding spectators seemed to boil over. Their clamor echoed through the enclosed space, excited and frenzied cries rising one after another!

"Lone Wolf! Take down that newcomer!"

"Kill him! Let his blood spray everywhere!"

"..."

The spectators around them were insane, yet the arena itself was strangely quiet.

Zhao Xuan first examined the environment. They stood on a fifty-meter-square platform, surrounded by towering stands packed with spectators screaming themselves hoarse.

The arena was dim, and perhaps to heighten the atmosphere, the lamps suspended around it were all faint yellow crystal lights.

Then Zhao Xuan looked across the arena, toward the man with eyes as sharp as a hawk...