Great Soul Arena

"May I ask if there are any other questions?"

Fu Hua watched the man's stunned expression and gave a light cough to remind him.

Standing in the doorway would block the way.

In truth, she merely wanted the man to forget as soon as possible that she had shattered a crystal ball. After all, that had been gold coins. The Great Soul Arena might look luxurious, but who knew whether they would detain her over such a trivial matter? That would be troublesome.

"Ah! Ah! Y-yes. Please wait a moment, Lord Crimson Kite. I need to consult my superiors about this."

Only after Fu Hua nodded did the man hurriedly take out a Soul Tool used for communication.

Soul Tools were the only weapons on the continent that could enhance Soul Masters. They were divided into offensive, defensive, and auxiliary types. Soul Tools used solely for communication like this one belonged to the auxiliary category.

There were also storage Soul Tools like spatial Soul Tools, but those were extremely precious. They were generally priceless and unavailable on the market; even when one or two occasionally appeared, they cost tens of millions.

Fu Hua recalled the memories concerning Soul Tools in her mind. Meanwhile, the man at the registration desk had already spoken with his superior. Setting down the communicator, he said to Fu Hua, "I have explained the situation to my superior. Since Lord Crimson Kite's circumstances are special—you have already reached level thirty in Soul Power but have not obtained a Soul Ring—you may continue competing at the Soul Grandmaster level, or you may directly challenge a Soul Elder across ranks. What do you think, Lord Crimson Kite?" the man asked with an ingratiating smile.

In fact, his superior's intention was more to have her compete in Soul Elder matches. After all, no one at the Soul Grandmaster level was her match, and the Great Soul Arena had suffered severe losses because of her before. This could be considered a lesson.

However, the man did not state it too bluntly. No matter what, he could not afford to offend a future Soul King—or perhaps even a Soul Emperor.

Fu Hua considered it.

She was not afraid of challenging someone above her level, but...

"Then, will things remain as usual?"

Five months ago, when Fu Hua had first come to the Great Soul Arena, she had been short on gold coins. She had thus wagered all her wealth on herself, naturally under an anonymous identity, merely to earn enough for a change of equipment.

Yet somehow, word had gotten out, and the Great Soul Arena discovered it. Because of this, she made a wager with them: if she lost, she would work for the Great Soul Arena for three years. Otherwise, for every soul match she participated in, they had to give her thirty percent of the profits.

Do not underestimate that thirty percent. Besides the matches themselves, soul matches also had betting pools, and those were the Great Soul Arena's fattest source of profit, bringing in no less than a million each day.

Fu Hua had only asked for thirty percent of the betting profits from matches she personally took part in. It would not be much of a loss to the Great Soul Arena. See how kind Lady Fu Hua was to you? She would even work for free for three years. Keep dreaming!

The result was naturally as expected—of course, as Fu Hua had expected.

After that, she received thirty percent of the profits from every betting match she participated in. No matter what level of Soul Master her opponent was, even if they were two or three levels above Fu Hua, they would still be knocked down with a single punch.

Thus began her path of victory. Unfortunately, Fu Hua's path had opened up, but afterward, everyone who placed bets wagered on her. Forget making a profit; the Great Soul Arena would be thanking the heavens if it did not suffer losses.

Twenty-three battles without a single defeat—she could be called the God of War among the Great Soul Arena's Soul Grandmasters. As long as she competed, they would definitely lose money.

"Uh! Y-yes."

The man broke out in a cold sweat. Why were all experts so strange? This Lord Crimson Kite seemed to be desperately short of money.

Fu Hua understood, and the corner of her lips curled upward. Since you want me to fight so badly, then prepare yourselves!

"Tell your superior that I want fifty percent."

"Uh!" Cold sweat streamed down the registration clerk's forehead.

For some reason, he had the feeling that something terrifying was about to happen.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, the man said in a trembling voice, "Um... the supervisor said that if you choose to challenge across ranks, any percentage you want is acceptable."

Fu Hua raised an eyebrow. They were truly confident.

"Is that so? In that case, one hundred percent... is impossible." Watching the man go from tense to relieved, Fu Hua's eyes filled with mischief. "I'll take... ninety-nine percent."

Watching Fu Hua's retreating figure as she entered the soul arena, the man could not help but let out a huge sigh of relief. At the same time, however, the uneasy feeling in his heart rose again.

If Fu Hua lost, ninety-nine percent would be nothing. But if she won...

At that thought, the man trembled with fear. This would be an absolutely enormous sum. He could only hope things would not turn out as he feared.

Inside the Great Soul Arena, the crowd was deafening, with all kinds of shouts rising one after another. They were even more fired up than warriors fighting bloodily on a battlefield.

"Go! Tear him apart!"

"I bet my entire fortune on you!"

"You're useless! I lost again!"

And so on. Calling it a massive slaughterhouse would not be an exaggeration. Of course, that was simply the atmosphere of this soul arena—a place for nobles to indulge themselves, and a gathering ground for recruiting subordinates.

No matter how many times she saw it, Fu Hua still found it too bloody, even though her own hands had long been stained with blood.

She shook her head and sighed softly before turning back to the waiting room, where she waited for the host to announce the next match.

Perhaps because the Great Soul Arena's higher-ups desperately wanted to see Fu Hua suffer a crushing defeat, she did not have to wait long before she heard the host call her name.

"Ohoho! This soul match is going to be something else!"

With an exaggerated tone, the host thoroughly piqued the audience's curiosity. Once the atmosphere on the stage had reached the right level, he spoke again.

"The next soul match will be a contest with an enormous gap in levels: a level-thirty Soul Grandmaster challenging a level-thirty-seven Soul Elder. At the participant's own request, our Great Soul Arena can only grant this wish."

The moment the host finished speaking, all kinds of shouts erupted from the arena.

"Are you kidding me? A level-thirty Soul Grandmaster is challenging a level-thirty-seven Soul Elder—and one who hasn't even obtained a Soul Ring? Has water gotten into their brain?!"

"With such a huge level gap, isn't the Great Soul Arena just giving us money?"

"Ha! This time, I'm definitely going to make a fortune!"

The atmosphere in the arena instantly became lively. Some wanted to see that fool who didn't know his place get utterly crushed, while others hoped to pick up some easy money. In short, it was humanity's most basic reaction.

The host raised a hand to quiet them, then spoke again through his Soul Tool amplifier. "This time, we'll be taking open bets. Whether you have money or not, come join the fun!"

"Enough nonsense, just tell us the odds!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Hurry up!"

The audience was already growing impatient.

The atmosphere had basically been whipped into a frenzy. No matter what the host said next, it would hardly matter, and he naturally understood that. He spoke again.

"The odds for the level-thirty-seven Battle Soul Elder are one to one."

"Tch, just as expected. How could the Great Soul Arena possibly let us exploit a loophole?"

"Even if it's not much, it's practically free money! I'm betting, I'm betting!"

After the arena quieted down somewhat, the host spoke once more.

"The odds for the level-thirty Soul Grandmaster are one to one hundred."

"Whoa! Those odds... Does the Great Soul Arena have a grudge against her or something?"

"So what if the odds are high? The difference in strength is right there. Who would be dumb enough to bet on her?"

"Mm! With odds that high, if she wins, then wouldn't I..."

"Stop daydreaming. It's obvious that's impossible!"

"That's true."

"Then please place your bets quickly. Once your bets are placed, no more changes. That way, we can begin this exciting Soul Battle," the host said enthusiastically.

Presumably, he already knew the outcome in his heart. Calling it exciting was merely a polite remark.

"Alright, bets are final. Those who haven't placed their bets, please hurry. Ten seconds remaining. Let's count down together—ten, nine, eight..."

"Hurry, hurry! Put down more money! You won't get an opportunity this good again!"

"Right, right! We absolutely can't miss this!"

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?! Stop pushing me!"

"Five, four, three, two, one—betting closed!"

As the host shouted, the crowd before the betting tables instantly dispersed, splitting to either side in stark contrast. Several burly men firmly enclosed the area, preventing anyone from advancing even a step.

"Ah! No way! I bet on the wrong person!"

In the sudden silence, a miserable wail rang out. This man had happened to be the last one squeezed by the crowd, and he had accidentally placed one thousand gold coins on Fu Hua.

He now wore a mournful expression as he begged the burly men standing outside.

"Big brothers, please have mercy and let me through! I really bet on the wrong person! I meant to bet on the level-thirty-seven Battle Soul Elder!"

"Haha, it seems this young man was a little nervous! He actually placed his thousand gold coins on the wrong person. But rules cannot be changed—once bets are placed, no more changes. Alright, now let us welcome the two stars of this Soul Battle!" The host's heavily teasing words shattered the man's last shred of hope.

That was a thousand gold coins! He had saved for so long, intending to double it this time so he could go home and marry a wife. But now... ah, what a pity.

"First, let us welcome our valiant Evil-Eyed Youth! Having fought fifty-six battles, with twenty-nine victories and twenty-seven losses, and two points to his name! After breaking through at level twenty-nine, he unfortunately had to face powerful opponents at level thirty-one and suffered repeated defeats—the Beast Spirit Battle Soul Master, Dai Mubai!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a youth emerged from the host's left. His face was still youthful, no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. His golden hair was dazzling, and his sturdy body resembled a small mountain. Yet what was most unusual were his eyes: they were different colors, with double pupils. This was the visage of an ancient emperor.

The aura of a level-thirty-seven Battle Soul Elder was displayed without reservation.

Cheers immediately erupted throughout the arena.

"Alright, now let us welcome a youth who stands like a god of war among Soul Grandmasters(?). Having fought twenty-three battles, with twenty-three victories and zero defeats, with 3,695 points! In only half a year, she obtained a Silver Soul badge, undefeated among Soul Grandmasters—the level-thirty Tool Soul Master, Crimson Kite!"

The moment the host finished, the audience exploded.

"What? An undefeated record? How is that possible? Even if she deliberately kept her level suppressed, it would still be impossible to guarantee an undefeated record!"

"Could the Great Soul Arena be saying this just to stir up publicity?"

"A Silver Soul badge, achieved in only half a year? What a monster."

"Huh? Undefeated? A Silver Soul badge?" The man who had bet on the wrong person suddenly froze.

Why did it suddenly seem like there might be some hope?

"Impossible, impossible. Even if she has no equal among Soul Grandmasters, Soul Elders are different. One Soul Ring is an insurmountable gap! No matter how formidable she is, she can't possibly remain undefeated."

"And the third Soul Ring is a thousand-year Soul Ring. The gap between a hundred-year and thousand-year Soul Ring isn't so easily overcome."

"Ah! Looks like that undefeated record is about to end. Young people these days are just too arrogant."

No matter what everyone said, what was coming would come.

From the host's right, Fu Hua slowly walked out. Her long ash-gray hair hung loose, and she wore a sharp, fitted outfit. A silver mask concealed her face, making it impossible to see clearly, yet her exposed lips alone were enough to stir the imagination.

That half-veiled, half-hidden feeling only made Fu Hua even more alluring.

Dai Mubai narrowed his Evil Eyes, a strange glint flashing through them. Even he, a playboy who had seen countless women, could not immediately tell the other party's gender. How strange!

"Now that the protagonists from both sides are present, the thrilling Soul Battle is about to begin. Let us wait and see."

Naturally ignoring the host's words, Fu Hua looked across at her opponent. Level thirty-seven, huh? You really must hate me enough to gnash your teeth. Still, I might have to disappoint you.

She did not use any Soul Power, and no one could sense even the slightest fluctuation of Soul Power from her. She was like an ordinary person who had never cultivated Soul Power at all.

Returning to simplicity.

Her calmness was terrifying.

Dai Mubai felt a chill in his heart. This person was no simple opponent.

Even without that flawless record, this bearing alone was enough to make Dai Mubai take her seriously.

"Then, the Soul Battle begins!"

As soon as the host finished speaking, the arena fell into a dreadful silence.

Soul Power surged throughout Dai Mubai's body, revealing the fluctuations of his level thirty-seven Soul Power.

Martial Soul Possession.

His already mountain-like body became even more solid and heavy, as though a massive mountain were pressing down from above. His golden hair instantly turned black and white, while four faint markings on his forehead formed the character for "king."

His hands enlarged, fur sprouting over them until they resembled genuine tiger claws. Three rings of light rose beneath his feet—two yellow and one purple. Hundred-year, hundred-year, thousand-year.

"Dai Mubai, Martial Soul: White Tiger, level thirty-seven battle Soul Elder. Please enlighten me."

Even a lion used its full strength when hunting a rabbit.

After Dai Mubai transformed into the White Tiger, his beastly instincts warned him: danger. Extreme danger. He almost wanted to turn around and flee immediately.

What level thirty and overestimating herself? That was all fucking bullshit. This person was definitely not as simple as a level thirty.

Fu Hua raised an eyebrow, though naturally Dai Mubai could not see it. Her sky-blue eyes turned serious, and her aura became even more composed.

Her left hand rested behind her back while her right hand extended forward.

"I am Crimson Kite. Please enlighten me."