Great Soul Arena: The Journey of Training Begins, Early Victories Emerge

The morning sunlight had just pierced through the woods of Shrek Academy when Flender, dressed in a blue robe, stood in the middle of the training ground. He clutched several yellowed maps in his hand, his face unusually serious. "Simulated training and wilderness combat alone aren't enough. Today, I'm taking you somewhere you can truly hone your skills—the Suotuo Great Soul Arena."

"The Great Soul Arena?" Xiao Wu curiously leaned forward. "Is it like the fighting ring in town, where you can fight other people?"

"Far more intense than that." Flender unfolded the map and pointed to the center of Suotuo City. "It's a specialized arena for Spirit Masters, with individual duels, two-person duels, and team duels. Every victory earns points and Spirit Coins, and points can raise the rank of your Spirit Dueling Badge. For you, it's not only a place to sharpen your practical combat skills, but also a way to quickly build battle experience in preparation for the future Elite Tournament."

When Dai Mubai heard "Great Soul Arena," a familiar glint flashed through his eyes—he had often gone there to train before. Oscar rubbed his hands together and said with a grin, "You get to fight, earn Spirit Coins, and eat good food. That's practically perfect training!"

After packing their equipment, the group set out for Suotuo City with Flender. Half an hour later, a grand circular building came into view—the Great Soul Arena's outer walls were built from dark green-black stone, two enormous stone lions stood at the entrance, and six golden characters reading "Suotuo Great Soul Arena" were carved onto the sign above. A steady stream of people passed through the doors, most of them dressed in Spirit Master attire.

"Dai Mubai, take them to the registration desk and get their Spirit Dueling Badges." Flender pointed at a window to the left of the entrance. "I'll speak to the arena master and arrange suitable opponents for your first matches. Remember, know your limits. Don't challenge opponents too far above your level right from the start."

Dai Mubai nodded and led everyone toward the registration desk. While waiting in line, Tang San looked at the noticeboard beside the window. It explained the rankings of Spirit Dueling Badges, and he could not help asking, "Boss Dai, what level is a Silver Spirit Dueling Badge? What do these badge ranks mean?"

"From lowest to highest, Spirit Dueling Badges are divided into eight ranks: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Purple Gold, Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond." Dai Mubai explained, pointing at the symbols on the noticeboard. "Iron Spirit Dueling Badges are the starting rank. You gain one point for a win and lose one for a defeat. At ten points, you advance to Bronze; at thirty Bronze points, you advance to Silver; at sixty Silver points, you advance to Gold, and so on. The higher your rank, the stronger the opponents you can challenge. You also earn more Spirit Coins and points from victories, and a high-ranking badge is considered proof of strength in the Spirit Master world."

He paused, then added, "I started dueling here at level twenty-nine. I've fought fifty-six matches so far—twenty-nine wins and twenty-seven losses. I have exactly two points, so I'm still at the Bronze Spirit Dueling Badge rank. I lost a few matches before, which dragged my score down."

"Wow, Boss Dai, you've fought that many matches?" Ma Hongjun came over and scratched his head. "I came here with Dean Flanders a few times before. I've fought thirty-three matches in total—twenty-one wins and twelve losses. I have nine points, just one point away from advancing to Bronze Spirit Dueling Badge!"

"Not bad, Hongjun. Your win rate is even higher than mine." Dai Mubai patted him on the shoulder. "After we register, we'll start with individual duels to get familiar with the arena. Then we'll form teams for team duels."

When it was their turn to register, the staff member stared at their ages in astonishment. Most of them were only twelve or thirteen, yet their Soul Power had all exceeded level twenty-five. Tang San and Lin Zhixia were especially remarkable, having reached level twenty-nine at just thirteen years old—far beyond Spirit Masters their age.

"Each person should register for one individual duel event, then one team duel event." Dai Mubai took the registration forms and handed them out. "How about we call the team Shrek's Eight Monsters?"

"Alright!" everyone answered in unison and quickly filled out their forms. When Xiao Wu wrote "Soft Bone Rabbit" in the "Martial Soul" field, she even drew a little rabbit beside it. Lin Zhixia simply wrote "Starfall Bow." As her fingertips brushed across the paper, she remembered Ye Jin, whom she had encountered at the Lantern Festival, and silently made up her mind—I have to grow stronger as quickly as possible here, to prepare for my future revenge.

When they received their Spirit Dueling Badges, every one of them had a black Iron Spirit Dueling Badge engraved with their name and Martial Soul. Tang San held his badge, feeling its cold touch. Anticipation flickered in his eyes—he had long wanted to face a real Spirit Master opponent and see just how strong his Blue Silver Grass control truly was.

Flender came over then, holding several duel schedules. "Alright, your first matches have been arranged. Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Lin Zhixia will compete in individual duels first. Your opponents all hold Bronze Spirit Dueling Badges, and their Soul Power is close to yours. Ma Hongjun, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Oscar will watch for now and familiarize yourselves with the arena rules. Your matches will be arranged in the next round."

The group followed a staff member into the Soul Dueling Arena. The center of the enormous circular venue was paved with hard bluestone slabs, while tier upon tier of spectator stands surrounded it. Quite a few audience members had already taken their seats, and the cheers and shouts were deafening.

"The first match is Dai Mubai versus the Green Python Spirit Master, in Arena 3." Flender pointed toward the arena entrance. "Go on. Watch your safety, and don't reveal too many of your trump cards."

Dai Mubai nodded, tightly gripping his badge as he walked toward Arena 3. Watching his retreating figure, Tang San, Lin Zhixia, and the others stood at the edge of the stands, their eyes fixed on the arena—their training at the Great Soul Arena officially began at this moment, and the legendary battles of Shrek's Eight Monsters were about to unfold here.