A Gathering of Spectators

At that moment, when the people nearby heard that Xu Sanshi had accepted the challenge, they immediately erupted in cheers. Before long, the entire East Gate was packed solid with onlookers.

Not far away, Tang Ya, who had been eating snacks, curiously looked toward the crowd at the East Gate. She swallowed the food in her mouth and hurried toward the gathering.

At the Grilled Fish Stall, Huo Yuhao watched Xu Sanshi snatch away the grilled fish he had prepared for Teacher Xiao Ya. His impression of Xu Sanshi plummeted, and he secretly hoped Chen Feng would give that overbearing, unreasonable man named Xu Sanshi a brutal lesson.

After Xu Sanshi agreed to Chen Feng's challenge, the two headed toward Shrek Academy's Soul Battle Arena, followed closely by the mass of Shrek students who had come to watch the excitement.

Before long, Tang Ya arrived at Shrek's East Gate. Still clueless about what had happened, the snack-loving Tang Ya asked Huo Yuhao, "Yuhao, where are the two grilled fish I asked you to save for me? Why are they gone? And what interesting thing happened here just now? Why did so many people suddenly gather? Where did they all go now?"

Hearing Tang Ya fire off questions like a machine gun, Huo Yuhao answered them one by one. "Teacher Xiao Ya, the grilled fish I saved for you was snatched away."

When she heard that her grilled fish had been stolen, Tang Ya puffed out her cheeks in anger. "Yuhao, tell me! Which bastard did it? Where is he now? I'm definitely going to teach him a proper lesson."

Seeing Tang Ya angry, Huo Yuhao hurriedly said, "Teacher Xiao Ya, it was someone named Xu Sanshi who took it. But you don't need to deal with him now. Chen Feng and Xu Sanshi have already gone to the Soul Battle Arena to fight."

Tang Ya immediately cried out, "Why did Chen Feng start fighting that bastard Xu Sanshi? Yuhao, hurry up and tell me."

Huo Yuhao then told Tang Ya everything that had just happened.

After hearing it all, Tang Ya said to Huo Yuhao, "I understand. Yuhao, pack up the Grilled Fish Stall and hurry back to cultivate. I'll go take a look at the Soul Battle Arena."

Then Tang Ya stretched her long legs and ran toward the Soul Battle Arena.

Looking at the money he had earned from selling grilled fish, Huo Yuhao immediately beamed with delight. Just as he was about to close up the stall, a flash of Golden Light entered his vision. Taking a closer look, he saw that it was the Gold Soul Coin Xu Sanshi had thrown to him. Without any false modesty, he happily pocketed it.

Just as Huo Yuhao packed his stall equipment into his Storage Soul Tool—the imitation Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges he had received after joining the Tang Sect—and prepared to head toward the Dormitory Building,

his eyes unconsciously drifted toward the Soul Battle Arena. Unable to suppress his curiosity in the end, he changed direction and headed there instead.

When Huo Yuhao entered the Soul Battle Arena, he discovered that spectators had to pay one Silver Soul Coin to watch the match. His heart immediately ached.

That was a whole Silver Soul Coin, enough to cover a day's meals. At that moment, Huo Yuhao realized that Chen Feng and Xu Sanshi's one-on-one duel had actually attracted the attention of many students.

Aside from the students who had witnessed the commotion at the academy gate earlier, more people continued to arrive to watch.

Huo Yuhao had come relatively early. Sitting in the stands, he spotted Tang Ya at a glance.

"Teacher Xiao Ya!" Huo Yuhao happily greeted Tang Ya.

"Yuhao, you came too!" Tang Ya looked at Huo Yuhao in surprise.

Just as Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya were talking, the broadcast from Shrek Academy's Dormitory Building began to play.

"In half an hour, at Soul Battle Arena One in the Soul Battle Zone, Xu Sanshi, one of the Twin Stars of Shrek Outer Court and the owner of the Outer Courtyard's strongest defensive Martial Soul, will engage in an intense soul battle against Chen Feng, the strongest New Student of the first year. Those interested, hurry to the Soul Battle Arena to watch."

Female Dormitory Building.

"Wow, the Class Monitor is going to have a soul battle! Let's go watch." After hearing the broadcast, several Female Students from Freshman Class Nine immediately planned to head to the Soul Battle Zone and watch Chen Feng's match.

"It sounds like the person fighting the Class Monitor is really strong."

"Of course he's strong. Senior Brother Xu Sanshi is one of the academy's most famous figures. The Class Monitor may be strong, but he's still young. He might not necessarily be able to defeat Senior Brother Xu Sanshi."

"Oh, you little traitor! You actually said the Class Monitor might not win! I'm ignoring you!"

"When did I say that? I support the Class Monitor, but Senior Brother Xu Sanshi really is very strong..."

Among the first-year Female Students, aside from those in Class Nine, the girls from the other classes were also intensely curious about Chen Feng. Many young women left the Dormitory Building and headed toward the Soul Battle Arena... Ning Tian, Wu Feng, Nanmen Yun'er... Cui Yajie... Xiao Xiao, and even Wang Dong left the Dormitory Building and headed toward the Soul Battle Arena.

As for the first-year male New Students, apart from the male students of Freshman Class Nine who had already been thoroughly convinced by Chen Feng, the male students from the other classes were greatly displeased upon hearing the broadcast.

The words "strongest New Student" in the announcement sounded especially grating to certain proud and arrogant male students.

Dai Huabin, the second son of Duke White Tiger, flew into a rage when he heard the broadcast. Dai Huabin believed that he would never lose to anyone his age, and when he heard the announcement from the dormitory broadcast,

he snorted coldly in defiance. "I'd like to see what abilities this Chen Feng has to be called the strongest New Student! The strongest? Did he ask me, Dai Huabin, first?"

After saying that, Dai Huabin left the dormitory and headed toward the Soul Battle Arena...

Quite a few male New Students shared that thought and set off for the Soul Battle Zone.

In the fourth-year Dormitory Building, a blue figure sat cross-legged atop a bed.

This person was Bei Bei. Ever since meeting Chen Feng, Bei Bei had suffered a blow and cultivated diligently. At this moment, lightning crackled densely around him, its blue radiance dazzling and brilliant.

Already at level thirty-nine, Bei Bei finally broke through the level-forty bottleneck under the immense pressure of Chen Feng, his "love rival."

Less than a quarter hour after breaking through level forty, Bei Bei heard the dormitory broadcast announce that Chen Feng and Xu Sanshi would be holding a soul battle.

Bei Bei immediately grew curious. How had Xu Sanshi come into conflict with Chen Feng? He put on his clothes and headed toward the Soul Battle Zone.

At this time, many upper-year students were also quite curious after hearing that Xu Sanshi was going to fight a first-year New Student. They left their dormitories and hurried toward the Soul Battle Zone.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya watched as more and more people streamed in, and they heard that even more students were arriving without end behind them.

Huo Yuhao asked in surprise, "Teacher Xiao Ya, why are so many people coming to watch Chen Feng and Xu Sanshi's soul battle?"

Tang Ya was also rather surprised. There were even more people than when Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi had fought.

After thinking for a moment and looking at the many New Students around them, Tang Ya seemed to understand. She said to Huo Yuhao, "Chen Feng is very famous among the New Students. On top of that, Xu Sanshi is one of the Twin Stars of Shrek Outer Court. One is an older student and the other is a new one, so it makes for a very compelling matchup. That's why so many people came to watch."

The Soul Battle Zone was hexagonal and roughly the same size as Shrek Plaza. The vast open space in the center was where the contestants fought.

Around it stood tier upon tier of rising seats, capable of accommodating roughly three thousand people at once.

At this moment, nearly a thousand people were already seated around the edge of the arena. The stands were filled with a roaring crowd, making for an exceptionally lively scene.

Some students who had followed them from Shrek's East Gate were also telling the later arrivals about the wager between Chen Feng and Xu Sanshi.

The stands immediately became even more lively.