Opponent

To be honest, Death Duel Matches were not particularly entertaining. Just as Zhu Zhuqing took her seat, the contestant currently participating in the Death Duel Match on the arena stage had his head bitten off by his opponent, a Blood Red Lion that was over a thousand years old.

In an instant, blood and brain matter splattered across the arena. After a brief scream, the only sound left on the stage was that of the Blood Red Lion chewing.

Fortunately, the gruesome scene did not last long. Several staff members from the Great Spirit Arena soon appeared.

The Great Spirit Arena employees were all Soul Masters, and judging by their movements, they had worked here for quite some time.

Thus, they moved with practiced efficiency and clear division of labor. Before long, they had subdued the frenzied Blood Red Lion and locked it inside a cage that had long been prepared.

At the same time, the other staff members quickly entered the arena and cleaned up the mess on the stage.

In just a few minutes, the blood-soaked arena had been restored to cleanliness. Apart from the lingering smell of blood in the air, there was almost no sign that a brutal battle had taken place here only minutes ago.

"It seems Contestant No. 4 was not very fortunate. His challenge has failed." Not long after the arena was cleaned, the Death Duel Match host's voice rang out.

However, this host's style was completely different from that of the host in the neighboring Gambling Zone. His announcements were extremely concise.

Without any unnecessary words, the host directly announced, "The next match will be a Death Duel between Contestant No. 5 and Contestant No. 9. The two contestants will have ten minutes to consider. If neither side has any objections, the match will begin in ten minutes."

Unlike ordinary spirit fighting matches, Death Duel Matches held in the Life and Death Zone did not restrict the strength range of the two combatants.

In other words, an ordinary one-ring Soul Master could theoretically be matched against a nine-ring Titled Douluo.

Therefore, ten minutes before a Death Duel began, both combatants would receive basic information about their opponent, including their Soul Power rank and record in the Life and Death Zone.

If a participant felt that the gap between their strength and their opponent's was too great and that they had no chance of winning, they could declare forfeiture without any penalty.

However, in the Life and Death Zone, the stronger the opponent one challenged, the greater the rewards.

First came the monetary reward. If the opponent one challenged was of equal strength or even weaker, then even if one won, one could only receive the lowest-tier prize: one thousand gold soul coins.

Only by challenging an opponent with greater Soul Power could one receive a higher reward.

Aside from monetary gains, if a contestant could challenge a stronger Soul Master in a Death Duel Match and defeat them, they would quickly gain immense fame and receive recruitment offers and favor from major factions.

For ordinary Soul Masters, this was undoubtedly a shortcut to success and fame. Of course, it was not an easy shortcut to take.

The vast majority of Soul Masters who sought this shortcut ultimately died on the Death Duel arena.

Compared to ordinary Gambling Matches, Death Duel Matches proceeded much faster. A battle of life and death often had no room for flashy tricks.

Unless some special circumstances arose, the battle could be settled in a short time.

Therefore, Zhu Zhuqing did not have to wait long before her match began.

"The next match will be between Contestant No. 7 and Contestant No. 12. The two of you have ten minutes to consider whether to forfeit." As the host's voice fell—

Very soon, a Life and Death Zone staff member appeared before Zhu Zhuqing. With a polite smile, he said, "Contestant No. 12, here is the basic information on your opponent, Contestant No. 7. You have ten minutes to decide whether to forfeit. The countdown begins now."

As he spoke, the staff member with the professional smile handed Zhu Zhuqing a sheet of paper.

There were only three short lines on it.

Contestant No. 7

Soul Power: 22

Death Duel Matches: 5

The information was extremely brief, showing only her opponent's Soul Power and the number of Death Duel Matches he had participated in.

Information such as his Soul Spirit and Soul Skills would not be made public.

"Not bad. Your luck is fairly good. Your opponent should be about as strong as you," Li Ang said as he read the information.

A contestant who had participated in five Death Duel Matches could no longer be considered a novice on the Death Duel arena. It meant that he had killed at least five opponents there.

If this contestant's Soul Power had been equal to Zhu Zhuqing's, then Zhu Zhuqing's chances of victory would have been quite low. Fortunately, his Soul Power was five levels lower than hers.

Overall, the two of them could be considered evenly matched.

Still, Li Ang reminded Zhu Zhuqing, "Disciple, be careful on the arena later. Remember, before your opponent is dead, you must never let your guard down."

"Okay, Teacher." Zhu Zhuqing's expression did not change. She still looked as cold and aloof as ever. Even Li Ang had no idea whether she truly understood what he meant.

However, Zhu Zhuqing clearly had no intention of forfeiting. A moment later, she nodded directly to the staff member beside her, confirming her participation in the match.

The ten minutes passed quickly. As the host's voice rang out, the contestants for this match had already appeared on the arena stage.

Only then did Zhu Zhuqing finally see what her opponent looked like.

Her opponent this time did not look particularly tall or sturdy. He was even somewhat shorter than she was, and his appearance was utterly ordinary.

However, he was carrying an Executioner's Blade as broad as a door panel over his shoulder. When he saw Zhu Zhuqing, he even gave her a polite smile.

Naturally, there was no further exchange between the two sides. As the host announced the start of the match, Zhu Zhuqing immediately activated her Soul Spirit Avatar and unleashed her First Soul Skill, Hell Stab.

In an instant, Zhu Zhuqing's figure vanished from where she stood. The claws at her fingertips abruptly extended, aiming straight for her opponent's throat as she sought to grievously wound him in a single strike.

Compared to Zhu Zhuqing, her opponent, the short Soul Master, did not seem particularly adept at speed.

Thus, he did not move from where he stood. He merely swung the door-panel-like Executioner's Blade in his hands, gripping the hilt with one hand and supporting the back of the blade with the other. Using its broad surface to shield his vital points, he blocked Zhu Zhuqing's first attack.

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