Facing a Formidable Enemy, the Prince Appears

"Come take a look! Tickets are half price! Golden Lion, the Soul Elder-level king of consecutive victories, will challenge Crimson Dragon, the Soul Ancestor-level overlord, across ranks today!" Posters advertising Golden Lion versus Crimson Dragon had been plastered all over the Great Spirit Arena. The enormous screen at the entrance was broadcasting tonight's main event, instantly drawing the attention of countless residents.

It had to be said that the Great Spirit Arena's publicity campaign was indeed exceptionally well done. Staff from the Great Spirit Arena were also diligently handing out flyers throughout the streets of Heaven Dou City's central district. Before long, news that a Soul Elder from the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena would challenge a Soul Ancestor-level overlord across ranks had spread throughout all of Heaven Dou City.

At this moment, inside Prince Xue Xing's residence.

Prince Xue Xing, whose face bore the marks of age despite his luxurious attire, frowned as he glanced twice at the flyer delivered by a servant, then disdainfully tossed it into the nearby fire.

"Hmph, he's just a jumping clown. There's no need to care. That little slut Ling Yu must be out of tricks. If she had submitted to this prince sooner, why would there be so much trouble?" Prince Xue Xing snorted disdainfully. "Tell the others to bet on Crimson Dragon again today, and double the stakes! Today, I'll make the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena go completely bankrupt!"

Meanwhile, at the same time Prince Xue Xing received the news, "Xue Qinghe," who was handling official affairs for Xue Ye at the Crown Prince's Mansion, naturally soon received Su He's message asking him to visit the Great Spirit Arena that evening. A faint, imperceptible smile appeared at "Xue Qinghe's" lips. Clearly, Qian Renxue had received Su He's message. Having spent more than ten years together, the two understood each other perfectly; she had already seen through Su He's intentions.

"Pass down the order. Prepare the carriage and head to the Spirit Fighting Arena at dusk."

Knowing that he could hook a big fish tonight, Su He did not dare be careless. With his current strength, he could easily defeat ordinary Soul Ancestors, but he was already somewhat strained against Soul Kings. Against a Soul Emperor, he would have no ability to fight back at all. After all, Su He's Soul Power Level was only thirty-eight.

Thus, he had long since secretly contacted Dugu Bo to cover him from the shadows. Even if Prince Xue Xing jumped over the wall in desperation, Su He would have no safety concerns. Moreover, Su He had already arranged for Dugu Bo to place the full one million Gold Soul Coin bet on him. If nothing unexpected happened, he would make a killing off these nobles today.

As for why Su He was so confident? Just consider what Crimson Dragon's martial soul was: the Blaze Earth Dragon, a variant of the White Armored Earth Dragon. It was a beneficial mutation that granted it the ability to control flames. The White Armored Earth Dragon itself was a draconic martial soul inferior in quality to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, putting it far beneath Su He's Abyssal Golden Lion. Besides, after consuming the Infernal Delicate Apricot, Su He had gained fire immunity. Unless it was Ultimate Fire, it could not harm Su He in the slightest.

With all those conditions in place, Su He truly could not find any reason why he would lose.

Sitting in the lounge, Su He was still dressed in his familiar outfit. He raised the teacup on his left and took a small sip, utterly calm and unflustered.

At that moment, Supervisor Ling Yu entered carrying a stack of documents and placed them before Su He. They detailed Crimson Dragon's four soul skills and other information, but Su He had no interest in any of it.

"Golden Lion Sir, the odds have now reached an astonishing one to fifteen." Ling Yu dropped the bombshell immediately, then her expression grew even more solemn as she slowly said, "And the bets placed today by the nobles aligned with Prince Xue Xing have exceeded twice the usual amount. If Golden Lion Sir loses, our Great Spirit Arena will have to declare bankruptcy." She gave a bitter smile. "This is the only property Xue Chen left for Young Master. Please, Golden Lion Sir, give it your all and help us!"

"Have a little confidence, Supervisor Ling." Su He remained unhurried. "Just watch."

By dusk, the Great Spirit Arena was already ablaze with lights. A pure gold carriage slowly arrived at its entrance, and Prince Xue Xing stepped down under the attendants' care, coming personally to the venue.

He was brimming with confidence. Today, he would drive the Great Spirit Arena into complete bankruptcy, and Ling Yu would have no choice but to throw herself into his arms to survive. Wealth and beauty alike would be his, so he had decided to personally witness this wonderful moment.

Crown Prince Xue Qinghe also stepped down from an ordinary Golden Silk Nanmu carriage with several guards. After greeting the people around him, he entered the Great Spirit Arena. The contrast between him and Prince Xue Xing sparked widespread discussion among the crowd.

Why did Su He call Golden Silk Nanmu ordinary? Granted, it was indeed premium timber, highly practical and resistant to damage. But even people who were not Heaven Dou City nobles could afford a carriage like this as long as they did some business and enjoyed a moderately comfortable life.

Without comparison, there could be no harm.

Compared to the nobles' extravagant ways, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was a breath of fresh air among Heaven Dou's powerful elite. He was also deeply considerate of the people's hardships and often visited ordinary citizens to offer his condolences. It was no wonder the Crown Prince enjoyed such high acclaim among the common folk and received the strong support of the Heaven Dou Empire's citizens.

The ones who had always opposed the Crown Prince's faction in court were the traditional nobles led by Xue Beng and Xue Xing. As nobles with a strong sense of class, they naturally would not allow their interests to be harmed. Today, Su He would make every last one of their wallets bleed. The Heaven Dou Empire had long since rotted to its roots; only harsh medicine could cure it. Making them pay a little money today was merely an appetizer for the plans to come.

In the blink of an eye, dusk arrived, and the spirit fight was about to begin.

Thanks to the Great Spirit Arena's extensive promotion and the half-price ticket discount, seats for today's spirit fighting exhibition were in such high demand that they were completely sold out.

For the first time in history, the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena had arranged this one-on-one spirit fight in its main arena, which could hold one hundred thousand people. Normally, the main arena was reserved for seven-versus-seven team soul master matches featuring the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena's most famous teams. This arrangement truly caught everyone by surprise.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening! Tonight, the first—and only—spirit fight in the main arena will take a form unlike any we have seen before!" The host for tonight's spirit fight was also the arena's most popular host, Pink Butterfly. Her martial soul was the Pink Butterfly, and her graceful figure and beautiful face had earned her immense fame within the arena.

"What we have tonight is a one-on-one spirit fight. The two combatants are..." Pink Butterfly drew out the final word. "The holder of a Gold Soul Fighter badge with fifteen consecutive victories, a mysterious soul master who has rapidly defeated several Soul Ancestors across ranks with Soul Elder-level soul power to claim fifteen straight wins—Golden Lion! Let us welcome him!"

Amid fireworks and cannon salutes, Su He, wearing a Black Gold Mask, flashed onto the stage and won the cheers of countless spectators.

"And his opponent is! The record holder for thirty-three consecutive victories at the Soul Ancestor level, the holder of a Purple Gold Soul Fighter badge—Crimson Dragon! What sparks will fly between this overlord, who reigns supreme among Soul Ancestors through sheer strength, and the Great Spirit Arena's newly risen king among Soul Elders? Please welcome Crimson Dragon!"

Brilliant flames suddenly erupted from the opposite passageway, and a red figure slowly emerged from within.

Crimson Dragon looked to be around twenty years old. His expression was grave and blank, making it impossible for others to read his thoughts. A scar crossed his face, and one glance was enough to tell that he had endured trials of life and death. He possessed a ruthlessness that ordinary soul masters could not hope to match, and it was this ruthlessness that had earned him thirty-three consecutive victories and made him Prince Xue Xing's cash cow.

Crimson Dragon walked into the arena and nodded toward the black VIP box at the highest level. The two combatants then faced each other, and the entire venue's attention was instantly drawn to the clash of their auras.

Inside the most remote black box, "Xue Qinghe" swirled the tea in his hand and took a light sip. Had anyone else in the room seen his expression at that moment, their jaw would have dropped.

The way "Xue Qinghe" looked at Su He actually carried a subtle, indulgent tenderness!

And at that moment, the battle on the Spirit Fighting Stage was on the verge of erupting!

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