Royal Fight (IV)

The one who walked in from outside was a handsome young man who looked to be around thirty, with exceptionally bright eyes.

(For the appearances of the characters in this book, refer to the anime.)

His expression was somewhat strange. Even Yu Tianheng, captain of the Royal Fight Team, had never seen such a look on him before. He quietly stepped forward a few paces and asked in a low voice, "Teacher Qin, what's wrong?"

A glint flashed through Teacher Qin's eyes, and a profound light appeared within his bright black pupils. "This time, I'm afraid you've encountered worthy opponents. I just got some basic information on your opponents for tonight from the city lord. Take a look."

As he spoke, he walked over to the sofa behind the crystal table and sat down. Light flashed in his hand, and a piece of cloth appeared. He spread it across the tabletop.

The Royal Fight Team members hurriedly gathered around and looked at the cloth.

Vice-captain Dugu Yan read aloud, "Shrek Team, eight members, origins unknown. Seven members have Iron Spirit badges, while one has a Gold Spirit..." Her eyes widened. "A Gold Spirit?! Teacher, isn't the gap in strength between this Shrek Team far too great?"

Teacher Qin replied calmly, "Not necessarily. A month ago, seven of them indeed had Iron Spirit badges. But through their spirit duels over the past month, their Points have already reached the standard of Silver Spirit. Although the exact assessment has not yet been completed, the Soto Great Spirit Arena has decided to grant them Silver Spirit qualifications in advance, specifically so they can challenge you."

"But that isn't what worries me most." Teacher Qin continued. "Do you remember the Blood Blade Team? Before this, there was a team called the Berserker Team whose strength was comparable to theirs. Blood Blade ultimately defeated the Berserker Team, but it was only a narrow and costly victory. It could be said that the two teams were evenly matched. Yet that Berserker Team, which was no weaker than Blood Blade, was completely killed on the Soul Duel Stage within five seconds. Their captain, Mad Rhino, was struck with a single palm and died on the spot, his brains splattering out!"

"Teacher Qin, y-you're not joking, are you?" Yu Feng, the Wind Chime Bird Spirit Master among the seven members of the Royal Fight Team, gave an awkward laugh. He had golden hair and a delicate face beautiful enough to rival a woman's. "Aren't killings forbidden in matches?"

Teacher Qin glanced at him. "Like Blood Blade, the Berserker Team always drew blood when they acted. Their opponents either died or were crippled. Of course, most were crippled rather than killed, and the few deaths were blamed on accidents or bad luck. But this time, they miscalculated. Their opponents forced them straight onto the life-and-death stage."

As he spoke, Teacher Qin pointed at a name on the list of information.

Captain: Proud Blood Tian Ce. Martial Soul: Golden Saint Cloth. Level 39 Battle Soul Grandmaster. Spirit Rings: one yellow, two purple.

Teacher Qin added, "The city lord personally witnessed his Spirit Rings in that battle. They really were one yellow and two purple. It was also after that battle that he was promoted directly from Iron Spirit to Gold Spirit."

Qin Ming said, "Moreover, Shrek has eight people, so we don't know which of the other seven he will replace when he takes the field. Although he has not acted again since the Berserker Team battle, presumably to temper the others, as long as he is present, Shrek stands undefeated from the outset."

Yu Tianheng's expression was equally grim. "According to the theory my uncle proposed back then, the age limit a Spirit Ring can endure is related to a Spirit Master's physical constitution. In other words, if someone possessed the physical strength of a Soul Grandmaster at level twenty, they could possibly endure a thousand-year Spirit Ring... Just what kind of monster are we facing?"

Yu Tianheng gave a bitter laugh. "I don't believe someone like that is only level thirty-nine."

Dugu Yan said in surprise, "But Spirit Rings can't lie, can they?"

Yu Tianheng replied, "Martial Souls come in countless strange forms. Who knows whether one might possess a disguise ability? Even my uncle would not dare claim that he knows every Martial Soul on this continent. So, we must prepare for the worst."

That night, at the Central Grand Spirit Arena of the Soto Great Spirit Arena.

There were no open-air spectator stands around it. Instead, the entire place was made up of sealed private rooms.

Behind the one-way crystal glass were hidden distinguished guests with powerful backgrounds.

None of these people wished to reveal their identities casually, nor would they cheer and shout like ordinary civilian spectators.

What they wanted was the pride and superiority that belonged to their status.

Furthermore, the stakes here were so enormous that all the branch arenas combined could not compare. To avoid conflicts between nobles over gambling, concealing their identities was even more important.

At the very least, no one would know who had won their money. Even if they wanted revenge, they would have no way to act.

Although the crystal glass windows could not reveal what lay inside from the outside, they glittered beneath the dazzling golden lights of the Central Grand Spirit Arena's Soul Guidance Devices.

The Soul Duel Stage here was also exceptionally enormous. Since there were no open-air spectators, it had a diameter of seventy meters.

Not to mention team spirit duels with fewer than ten people, even if a hundred people from each side fought to the death here, there would still be more than enough room.

"Hello, everyone. I am the host for this spirit duel, and my name is Dou Dou. Welcome to the Soto Great Spirit Arena to watch tonight's spirit duel."

"It is Dou Dou's honor to once again host a team spirit duel in the main arena for all our distinguished guests. I hope everyone enjoys themselves tonight. Dou Dou will provide commentary throughout the match. Now, allow me to introduce the competing teams to our honored guests."

Since the Royal Fight Team only had seven members, Shrek Academy could only field seven people as well for the sake of fairness.

In the end, Oscar was still the one who had to bear everything alone.

Because after a month of training at the Soto Great Spirit Arena, Rongrong had finally risen from level twenty-nine to level thirty.

When Rongrong entered Shrek Academy, she had been level twenty-eight. After Grandmaster's three months of hellish training, coupled with the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid medicinal baths provided by Bai Ge, Rongrong had advanced to the peak of level twenty-nine.

Then, after this month at the Suotuo City Great Spirit Arena, Ning Rongrong finally broke through that final threshold three days ago.

Aside from the medicinal power accumulated within her body, this was also because Bai Ge had pushed her far more strictly than Sword Douluo ever had.

Finally, there was the little girl's innate absurdly good luck.

(Rongrong really was absurdly lucky. The tears of the Gengxin City shop owner in the original work bore witness to her record.)

Thus, Bai Ge used Teleportation that very night to travel to the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. He captured a hundred-year Heavenly Spirit Deer and spent three thousand system Points to transform it into a thousand-year Seven-Colored Deer.

Then he brought it back overnight.

After Ning Rongrong killed it, she obtained her Third Spirit Ability: Seven Treasures Have a Name, the Third Is: Spirit.

It boosted Soul Power by forty percent while restoring forty percent of Soul Power, and reduced her own Soul Power consumption by forty percent.

That was the power of a Spirit Ring modified by the system!

Three thousand Points erased resentment, ensured perfect absorption, and increased the Spirit Ring's age by three thousand years.

System Points were indeed precious, but having grown up together, how could Bai Ge fail to understand Rongrong's envy whenever she mentioned the healing abilities of the Nine Heart Begonia?

Gritting his teeth, he made up his mind. He could not possibly let his own woman suffer.

If the Nine Heart Begonia restored health, then they would restore Soul Power.

As for breaking through to Titled Douluo, they would have Aromatic Silk Beauty in the future anyway, so what was there to fear?

Dealing with the Biphosphorus Snake Venom also required fire.

That left only Zhu Zhuqing and Oscar to choose between.

But Zhu Zhuqing was the youngest, the little sister everyone cherished in the palm of their hands. Her status as the group's beloved was beyond dispute.

So the only one who could suffer was Oscar.

The two doors on either side of the Soul Duel Stage opened simultaneously. The members of both teams entered at the same time and walked toward the center of the stage.

The moment both teams appeared, the gazes of Dai Mubai, walking at the front of Shrek, and Yu Tianheng, captain of the Royal Fight Team, collided fiercely in midair.

Both their eyes froze for a moment, and it seemed as if the roar of dragons and the howl of tigers echoed throughout the entire arena.

Bai Ge still walked at the rear, protecting Ning Rongrong in front of him.

Yu Tianheng's heart tightened. As Dai Mubai's pair of evil eyes met his, he immediately felt an intense pressure bearing down on him.

He instantly understood that this opponent, who was merely one level below him, would not be easy to deal with.

They faced each other coldly as dazzling light burst from both pairs of eyes. Before the spirit duel had even begun, their auras had already clashed.

"Spirit Masters participating in the team spirit duel, please take note. You now have one minute to summon your Martial Souls. You may only attack once I announce the start. The match will continue until one side concedes, all members fall, or they are knocked off the Soul Duel Stage."

Hovering in midair, Dou Dou flapped her pair of snow-white dove wings as she spoke to both teams in her gentle, moving voice.

That soft and beautiful voice was a pleasure to the distinguished guests watching from the Great Spirit Arena, but to the members of Shrek and the Royal Fight Team, it signaled that battle was about to begin.

Looking at Dou Dou flying through the air, Bai Ge's mouth twitched. His name was Bai Ge, while Dou Dou's Martial Soul was a white dove.

Which bastard author came up with these names?

At the center of the Soul Duel Stage, all fourteen members of both sides released their Soul Power almost simultaneously. Fourteen powerful fighting intents erupted with a fierce burst!

Dai Mubai threw back his head and let out a long roar. "Brothers, unleash your Martial Souls!"

Dai Mubai's body swelled, his already muscular frame becoming like an iron wall. His palms broadened, white fur sprouted from them, and sharp claws extended.

Tang San stood silently, a faint blue light flickering in his hand.

Pink light shimmered around Xiao Wu. A pair of rabbit ears emerged, and her long legs seemed to lengthen slightly, yet they did not look at all out of place.

Ma Hongjun's hair turned purplish-red, rising straight toward the sky like a mohawk, while purplish-red flames appeared around his body.

Zhu Zhuqing's claws extended, and her formerly black eyes transformed into feline pupils, one gold and one jade-green.

Ning Rongrong stood elegantly, holding a delicate little pagoda in her hand.

Blazing golden light burst forth like a scorching sun, dazzling and brilliant, illuminating the entire venue as brightly as day!

When the radiance faded, armor seemingly forged from gold covered his entire body. His snow-white cape fluttered gently beneath the surging Soul Power, making Bai Ge appear even more like a god descending upon the mortal world.

There will be another update after midnight, also a three-thousand-word chapter. I'll try to finish the battle.

I'm going to have a late-night snack first.