Entering the Great Soul Arena

It should not have been at this point in time.

No matter how much War King Academy revered combat and the unrivaled strength of Spirit Masters, it would never do something as rash as forcing growth.

Normally, young Spirit Masters would only develop a certain foundation in combat strength after at least a year of enrollment before being allowed to visit a Great Spirit Arena and broaden their horizons.

But Fang Ling happened to be the exception.

At seven years old, he had been able to kill Fallen Spirit Masters whose combat strength surpassed that of ordinary Spirit Masters, despite fighting above his level.

And now, relying solely on technique without using spirit skills, he could actually withstand the blade techniques of a Soul Ancestor like him.

The Spirit Masters out in society probably could not beat him either.

Geniuses were naturally different.

Since that was the case, then as his teacher, he had no reason to stand in the way of the path chosen by a genius.

Lin Tianyang first went to the Treatment Room to inform his wife, then quickly led Fang Ling out of the academy.

Since they were merely going to take a look and not immediately begin fighting, Shimu agreed to let them go.

The Great Spirit Arena was not far from the academy, only two streets away.

After walking for barely the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the two arrived.

Just as the grand buildings of Spirit Hall served as landmark structures in every city, in cities that possessed a Great Spirit Arena, the arena was equally capable of standing alongside them.

Victor Icepeak Great Spirit Arena was oval in shape and reached a height of one hundred and twenty meters.

Inside, it contained one Main Soul Arena and twenty-eight subsidiary Soul Arenas.

It could accommodate seventy thousand spectators at once.

This included one hundred and twenty VIP boxes.

Its lights burned brightly every night, with a constant stream of people coming and going. Aside from the area around the academy, this was the most prosperous place in the city.

Because the people of this city were fierce by nature, it had many spectators. This place alone contributed more than half of the city's tax revenue.

As Lin Tianyang led Fang Ling toward the registration area, he gave him a general introduction to the place.

"There are three types of spirit fights. The first is gambling, which is simply sparring between opponents. It is forbidden to strike ruthlessly or kill."

"The second is a life-and-death fight, usually used to settle irreconcilable disputes."

He paused, a trace of distaste appearing on his face.

"However, many people enjoy watching others wail on the verge of death, so desperate men often participate in life-and-death fights to earn money."

"The third is a wager fight, essentially an upgraded version of a life-and-death fight. The victor obtains everything in the wager. This is generally how nobles and clans settle disputes. You will not encounter such things, so there is no need to understand them."

"Oh~"

Fang Ling did not remember these things very clearly. Hearing Lin Tianyang explain them now, he immediately understood.

He could try the Gambling Zone first.

Mainly to test the combat standards of the people here.

In the future, he would probably mainly take part in life-and-death fights.

Seeing how attentively he listened, Lin Tianyang felt a surge of accomplishment as a teacher. Then he suddenly remembered an important lesson he had yet to teach.

"By the way, little Fang Ling, did you see that stone monument when we arrived?"

"What monument? The one covered in names?" Fang Ling vaguely recalled glancing at it, but he had not paid much attention.

Lin Tianyang's tone became somewhat grave.

"That is the Death Monument. The names engraved upon it are all Spirit Masters who died in the Soul Arena."

"You are a combat genius, but even people make mistakes and horses stumble. If you do not want to end up like them, remember this: in future spirit fights, be careful, careful, and more careful."

"Yes. Fang Ling will remember Teacher's teachings."

Fang Ling was cautious by nature and would already give his all in every battle, so there was naturally no need for others to remind him of that.

Still, it felt quite nice to receive such thorough concern from his teacher.

He had chosen the right teacher.

There were no melodramatic incidents of anyone looking down on him or trying to show off and get humiliated. Registering for spirit fights was simple, and the process did not take much time.

Lin Tianyang had originally wanted to pay for him, but Fang Ling stopped him.

He had specifically brought money for this.

He then received an Iron Spirit Arena Badge.

The decor of each subsidiary Soul Arena was more or less the same, but they were still divided by rank.

Thus, Lin Tianyang chose one where One-Ring Spirit Masters gathered and led Fang Ling inside.

He gave Fang Ling more detailed information.

Each Soul Arena was divided into two major categories: the Gambling Zone and the Life and Death Zone.

Each category was divided into three formats: one-on-one, two-on-two, and team battles.

A single branch of the Soul Arena had six separate stages.

Lin Tianyang brought Fang Ling to the Gambling Zone.

Tickets for One-Ring Spirit Master matches were cheap. Since Fang Ling was alone, his teacher brought him to the one-on-one spectator stands.

"It's your first time here. Don't rush into competing—watch for now."

Lin Tianyang turned his head, his gaze lingering briefly on Fang Ling's blazing eyes.

"A new fight is about to begin. Watch it first and simulate it in your mind."

"Stop staring at everyone's necks, and change that habit of slashing at people's throats in battle."

"You must remember that Gambit Battles do not allow lethal attacks!"

"Yes, Teacher."

Fang Ling replied awkwardly and shifted his gaze away from the necks of the people on the stage.

But he was thinking about something else entirely.

How could he not stare at their necks? Did he want to fight Gambit Battles?

He wanted Life and Death Battles.

Of course, there was no need to rush.

Rushing would only lead to mistakes. He should watch first.

Fang Ling suppressed his rapidly beating heart and fixed his eyes on the battle in the arena.

The host's opening remarks rang in his ears.

"Up next is the sixth one-on-one Soul Battle of the evening at our Sixth Soul Arena. The competitors will be two Soul Grandmasters."

"They are Long Ze, a Spirit Master with the White Python Beast Martial Soul, versus Luo La, who has already won one match and possesses the Great Wooden Stick Tool Martial Soul."

"Who will..."

After the brief introduction, Fang Ling automatically tuned out the host's rambling.

His attention focused on the battle in the arena.

Both combatants were burly men. At a glance, only two words came to mind: "strong" and "big."

Both were powerfully built, their muscles hard and sharply defined.

Their skin was dark, as though it had been tempered a thousand times, tough and unyielding.

Veins coiled and intertwined across their bodies like dark green snakes.

Their eyes were sharp and fierce, brimming with savage light.

The one with the Great Wooden Stick Tool Martial Soul was slightly thinner, though not by much.

The moment they stepped onto the stage, both threw back their heads and let out earth-shaking roars. The sound crashed like thunder, shaking everyone's hearts.

The temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees beneath the force of their presence, and the tense atmosphere drew wave after wave of loud cheers from the audience.

They look like idiots.

That was Fang Ling's assessment.

He felt absolutely nothing toward this sort of mutual roaring.

They were only One-Ring Spirit Masters. If they wanted to fight, then fight. What were they roaring for?

They both had white spirit rings, yet they acted as if they were incredibly powerful.

Their presence was decent, but those movements were riddled with openings. Tsk...

Just as Fang Ling had expected, they were not very strong.

The battle was simple and brutal. There was some technique, but not much; it mostly relied on brute force, and Fang Ling watched with a deep frown.

The match ended quickly, with the Great Wooden Stick Spirit Master taking the victory.

In the early stages, having a weapon-type Tool Martial Soul always gave one a slight advantage.

The next match began immediately.

The two contestants were just a little stronger.

After watching all evening, it was nearly ten when Lin Tianyang finally brought him back to the academy. "What did you think?"

"They all looked weak. Can I try competing tomorrow?" Fang Ling asked.

"Mm... sure. Then Shimu and I will come watch and cheer you on."

The recommendation results had not come out yet, so he did not know whether he had made it or not.

But thank you all for the monthly votes, and thank you for yesterday's support.

Thank you very much.