Golden Lion's Majesty, First Spirit Fighting Battle

Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena could be called the most magnificent building in Heaven Dou Imperial City aside from the imperial palace. Circular in its overall design, it was painted in alternating gold and silver, exuding an even greater air of nobility. Worthy of being the grand spirit arena of Heaven Dou Imperial City, it was truly imposing; even its decor was far more splendid than the spirit arenas they had passed along the route from Spirit City to Heaven Dou City.

Its scale went without saying. Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena had one main spirit fighting arena, two secondary arenas, and twenty-eight branch arenas, with seating for a full hundred thousand spectators. And being located in Heaven Dou City, it naturally had to accommodate the royal family and nobility. High-class VIP boxes had been built above the ordinary stands, divided into white, red, and black tiers corresponding to three different ranks. Black was the highest, followed by red, then white.

Yet even the lowest-tier white box required one to hold the rank of viscount or possess Soul Power at the Soul Sage level before one could apply to reserve it.

A red box required one to be a Soul Douluo or above the rank of marquis to make a reservation.

As for the highest-tier black VIP boxes, they required either Titled Douluo status or membership in the royal family. However, no one had ever met the former requirement.

After all, no Titled Douluo would have nothing better to do than come here to watch children fight spirit battles. It held no meaning for them.

After spending five seconds briefly marveling at the grandeur of the great spirit arena, Su He continued inside in search of the contestant registration counter.

Spirit fights in the great spirit arena were divided into three types: matches, deathmatches, and wager battles. Soul Masters who came to the arena for money generally chose matches; deathmatches were usually used by enemies to settle their grudges; wager battles involved equal numbers of Soul Masters fighting, deciding both victory and defeat, as well as life and death.

There were also three match formats: one-on-one individual spirit fights, two-on-two group spirit fights, and seven-on-seven team spirit fights. Su He had no teammates, so he could only choose an individual spirit fight.

Registering was very simple. One only had to fill out a form containing information such as name, age, place of birth, and Martial Soul, then undergo a basic Soul Power test to determine the level of one's opponent. After paying ten Gold Soul Coins as the registration fee, one could receive the initial Iron Soul Fighting Badge and begin spirit fighting. An Iron Soul Fighter earned ten gold coins for each victory, equivalent to a Soul Grandmaster's monthly subsidy. It was quite a decent income, so it was no wonder Soul Masters fought tooth and nail to squeeze into the spirit arena.

Su He quickly filled in the information, handed the form to the staff member, and paid the ten Gold Soul Coins. The staff member nodded slightly and said, "Sir, please confirm your spirit fighting alias."

"An alias..." Su He stroked his chin and thought for a moment. "Golden Lion."

Golden Lion—his Martial Soul was the Abyssal Golden Lion. Qian Renxue would surely be able to identify Su He at once upon seeing this information. Other than that, the alias held no great meaning. Su He's visit to the great spirit arena had been discussed with Qian Renxue beforehand in a letter.

It was perfectly normal for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire to take a fancy to a talented young Soul Master from the great spirit arena and recruit him for his own use.

That reason would be enough for Su He to stand openly at Qian Renxue's side.

"Golden Lion Sir, your registration is complete," the staff member said. "Please go to the waiting area until your spirit fight begins. The individual match you registered for will be held in the eighth branch arena."

Su He nodded slightly after hearing this and headed toward his assigned arena.

Though the eighth branch arena was merely a branch arena, it still covered an area of one hundred square meters, enough for Soul Masters to fully display their abilities. The walls and floor around the arena were also made from extremely sturdy special materials. Su He tested them lightly and found that without using Adamant Qi, it would be difficult for him to damage those sturdy materials.

Two Soul Elder-level Battle Spirit Masters were currently engaged in an individual spirit fight on the stage. Their Martial Souls were the Iron Horned Ox and the Savage Bear respectively, both mid-tier Beast Martial Souls. There were not many spectators around, and only about a quarter of the stands were occupied.

One of the Soul Masters had a white-yellow-yellow Soul Ring Configuration and Soul Power at level thirty-five. The other was only level thirty-four, but possessed white-yellow-purple Soul Rings.

Although the Iron Horned Ox Soul Master held a one-level advantage in Soul Power, he had no advantage at all in the battle. A Thousand-Year Soul Ring was immensely powerful.

Sure enough, after the Savage Bear Soul Master unleashed his Third Spirit Skill once more, the Iron Horned Ox Soul Master was sent flying out of the arena with a single blow, ending the spirit fight. The victor raised both hands high, earning cheers and prize money.

Seeing that two more matches remained before his own, Su He sat down to rest for a while.

It had to be said that Soul Master duels, with every punch striking flesh, were indeed highly entertaining. That was also why the great spirit arena's business had always flourished. Everyone could obtain what they wanted here: Soul Masters earned money, while spectators found enjoyment.

At that moment, the match onstage ended. The sweet voice of the female host, dressed in a cheongsam, rang out. "Next is the third individual spirit fight of the eighth branch arena! The competitors are two Soul Elder-level Soul Masters. They are Muli, a level thirty-nine Battle Soul Master with the Beast Martial Soul Goliath Rhinoceros, and Golden Lion, a mysterious and unfathomable level thirty-eight Battle Soul Master making his first appearance today! Let us welcome them!"

From the passage opposite him, Su He saw a sturdy man whose muscles seemed ready to burst through his clothes. He looked to be around thirty years old, and a lifelike rhinoceros tattoo covered his arm. Upon stepping onto the Spirit Fighting Stage, he looked at his opponent—Su He—with contempt.

Su He slowly walked onto the stage as well. Just as he was about to offer a greeting, his opponent interrupted him.

"Kid, this isn't a place for you. Go home early. I don't want to hurt you," Muli said, his words brimming with arrogance. Clearly, he regarded victory in this spirit fight as already his.

Su He laughed silently, shook his head, and said, "You needn't trouble yourself over it."

Seeing that his opponent refused to appreciate his kindness, Muli frowned. "You really don't know when to accept a toast and when to accept punishment. Fine, I'll grant your wish."

"Spirit fight begins!" the host announced.

"Martial Soul Possession! Goliath Rhinoceros!" Muli shouted. Three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—rose from beneath his feet. Muli actually possessed the optimal Soul Ring Configuration, while Su He still made no move at all, as though he were simply waiting to be slaughtered.

"Look, Muli has used Martial Soul Possession!" The spectators had already been drawn in by the action onstage, and quite a few were shouting Muli's name. It seemed Muli was something of a star in the eighth spirit arena.

"Kid, aren't you going to possess your Martial Soul?" Seeing Su He treat him with such disdain, Muli flew into a rage. "Then I'll teach you a proper lesson on behalf of your elders!"

"First Spirit Skill, Goliath Charge!" Muli activated his First Spirit Skill and charged at Su He, only for the latter to easily evade with Three Thousand Lightning Movements. Su He then used Explosive Step to meet him head-on, engaging Muli in close combat with his physical body. Their strength seemed evenly matched, and the battle fell into a stalemate.

"Look at Golden Lion! His movement technique is so strange! And he can actually trade blows with Muli without even possessing his Martial Soul!" The audience below instantly erupted.

"What the hell? I bet fifty Gold Soul Coins on Muli!" Some spectators were frustrated by this development.

"Kid, you're utterly arrogant!" Seeing that Su He still refused to possess his Martial Soul, Muli became instantly enraged. His Second Soul Ring and purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring lit up at once.

"Second Spirit Skill, Goliath Enhancement! Third Spirit Skill, Mountain-Shattering Charge!" The Goliath Rhinoceros leaped into the air and slammed toward Su He like a massive boulder.

Su He's expression finally turned serious. If he continued to underestimate Muli's attack, things could become dangerous.

"Abyssal Golden Lion!" A majestic golden lion appeared behind Su He, and faint leonine traits emerged upon his body. Awe-Inspiring Mountains and Rivers activated automatically. With a furious roar, it delayed Muli's attack for a moment.

The golden lion's fur gleamed with a metallic luster, seeming utterly indestructible. Its terrifying claws were raised high, while its majestic golden eyes radiated incomparable pride and nobility. The Abyssal Golden Lion was supremely arrogant; it told Su He that his opponent was not even worthy of its regard!