A Challenge from Hu Yan Zhen of the Elephant Armor Sect! Marco Polo Takes the Field!

The crowd below instantly erupted, cries of shock and voices of doubt rising one after another.

Si Kong Zhen's appearance had already been shocking enough, yet he was not even the main attraction!

Si Kong Zhen seemed not to hear the commotion below—or rather, he simply did not care.

He continued announcing the rules in a thunderous voice, his tone brimming with absolute confidence:

"Our King's Arena welcomes heroes from across the world to challenge it at any time!"

"By order of The Venerable One, to ensure fairness, no matter whom you send to challenge us, the arena defender sent by King's Hall will have a lower Soul Power Level than the challenger!"

(Lin Jiang had naturally arranged things this way because he understood human greed well. If he stationed a Limit Douluo as the defender, who would dare come up and throw their life away?

Only by letting people see hope would the fish scramble to take the bait.)

Si Kong Zhen suddenly raised his voice, like a thunderbolt crashing down:

"As long as you successfully conquer the arena, you may choose any Divine Artifact obtained by King's Hall this time!"

As his words fell, a massive Light Screen behind the arena abruptly lit up, clearly displaying the images and names of three treasures.

[Book of Wisdom], [Po Jun], and [Extreme Shadow · Rushing Wolf]!

Though separated by the Light Screen, the unique law fluctuations and soul-quaking pressure radiating from those three Divine Artifacts were clearly transmitted into the hearts of every Soul Master present!

"They're real! They're actually real Divine Artifacts!"

"This King's Hall... they're serious! They're really willing to use Divine Artifacts as the stakes!"

"Their Soul Power Level is even lower than ours... Th-this is practically a heaven-sent opportunity!"

A fierce commotion instantly broke out below. Countless people began breathing heavily, greed and fervor gleaming in their eyes!

The initial doubts and hesitation were, at that moment, almost completely drowned beneath their desire for Divine Artifacts!

Si Kong Zhen took in everyone's reactions, a faint curve rising at the corner of his mouth.

The bait was sweet enough. Now, he only needed to wait for the first fish that could not resist leaping from the water!

Just then, a deep voice like muffled thunder suddenly rang out, filled with disdain and provocation:

"Heh heh heh! You're sending Soul Masters with lower Soul Power Levels than ours?"

"Is King's Hall looking down on the heroes of the world?!"

The rolling sound waves instantly drowned out the clamor of the entire venue.

In the VIP seats, a hulking giant built like a small mountain abruptly rose to his feet.

He wore a heavy fur cloak, and merely standing there gave off a suffocating sense of oppression!

The crowd was ignited by this sudden provocation and immediately began cheering along:

"That's right! Too arrogant!"

"Sect Master Hu Yan is right!"

That giant was none other than Hu Yan Zhen, Sect Master of the Elephant Armor Sect, one of the Lower Four Sects and a sect famed for its absolute defense!

With the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, he stepped onto the arena with complete confidence. Every step he took seemed to make the arena tremble faintly.

Inside the VIP room, Hu Liena furrowed her delicate brows slightly and spat out two words from her red lips. "Foolish!"

The Elephant Armor Sect was an affiliated sect of Spirit Hall. If he lost face here, it would be no different from slapping Spirit Hall across the face.

But Hu Yan Zhen had clearly already been blinded by the Divine Artifacts.

Meanwhile, Hu Yan Zhen on the arena was already overflowing with ecstasy!

His Soul Power Level had reached eighty-nine, and his Martial Soul was an elite defensive Beast Martial Soul—the Diamond Mammoth!

He considered himself absolutely invincible beneath the Titled Douluo rank. Even against lower-level Titled Douluo, he could hold his own with the Diamond Mammoth's terrifying defense!

His opponent's Soul Power Level was lower than his?

Hu Yan Zhen had never feared Soul Masters with lower levels in his entire life!

Attacks below level eighty-nine could not even break through his defense!

In his eyes, this was simply King's Hall handing him Divine Artifacts for free!

Hu Yan Zhen secretly rejoiced:

I'll gladly accept this first juicy prize! I can use this chance to spread the fame of my Elephant Armor Sect!

Si Kong Zhen's thunderous voice interrupted Hu Yan Zhen's fantasies:

"Very good! The first challenger, Sect Master Hu Yan Zhen of the Elephant Armor Sect, has already taken the stage!"

"So then, who will King's Hall send to defend the arena?!"

The moment his words fell, everyone's gaze turned in unison toward the massive gates of King's Hall, which had remained tightly shut.

"Bzzzz—!"

Amid a deep hum, the massive gates slowly opened. A beam of light instantly shot out from within, focusing on the entrance.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a figure slid out backward in a moonwalk to the sound of a flippant whistle, He wore an exquisite top hat, its brim deliberately pulled low to conceal his face, leaving only his voice audible:

"Showtime!"

The entire audience instantly erupted in uproar, staring in disbelief at the "slender" figure on the stage.

"Y-You've got to be kidding, right? King's Hall sent out someone this small?"

"He's not even as thick as one of Sect Master Hu Yan's arms, is he? Can he even hurt a Diamond Mammoth?"

"Is he here to be a joke? Even the way he walks is weird!"

Si Kong Zhen's deep voice rang out at just the right moment as he introduced him:

"King's Hall has sent out its defender—Marco Polo! An eighty-seventh-level Agility Attack System Battle Soul Douluo!"

"Eighty-seventh level?! That's two levels lower than Sect Master Hu Yan!"

"Is King's Hall serious? An eighty-seventh-level Soul Master against an eighty-ninth-level Diamond Mammoth? How is that possible?!"

"The Elephant Armor Sect is known as one of the continent's strongest defensive sects!"

"Diamond Mammoths have defenses that almost no one at the same level can break through, let alone someone two levels lower!"

"What a loss! If I'd known, I would've gone up first! How is this any different from giving away a Divine Artifact for free?!"

Regretful and doubtful voices immediately rose from below the stage.

Almost everyone believed that King's Hall was about to hand over a Divine Artifact in this very first match!

On the stage, the atmosphere instantly turned taut, and the battle was on the verge of beginning!

Hu Yan Zhen let out a roar and immediately activated Martial Soul Possession!

His already massive body swelled further, and the seemingly loose fat on his body rapidly tightened as though inflated.

It transformed into grotesquely bulging knots of muscle, while a thick, dark-yellow horny layer with a metallic sheen covered his entire body, as though he had donned diamond armor!

His nose suddenly stretched and lengthened, his upper lip curled back, and two stark-white tusks burst forth, each more than a foot long and radiating savage ferocity!

Marco Polo, standing opposite him, appeared utterly composed.

He did not even assume the battle-ready stance typical of traditional Soul Masters.

He merely raised a hand casually, and two guns wreathed in a yellow glow appeared in his grasp—his martial soul, the Gun of Far Travel!

A roguish smile hung on his lips as he casually pointed the muzzles at Hu Yan Zhen and asked in his distinctive accent:

"Are you ready?"

Hu Yan Zhen was thoroughly enraged by that flippant attitude.

"What the hell are you saying?! Stop pretending to be mysterious, you bastard!"

Si Kong Zhen ignored all that and declared in a thunderous voice:

"Match—begin!"

Almost the instant the word "begin" fell, a sharp glint flashed through Marco Polo's eyes.

His body slid backward like a ghost, while his twin guns were already spewing blazing tongues of fire!

"Let's go, baby!"