Wager

"Don't worry, Xie Xie. Brother Luo is really strong. That bunch over there isn't even enough for him to warm up on."

Tang Wulin walked over to Xie Xie and spoke calmly. His expression was equally relaxed, without the slightest concern that anything might happen to Luo Ze.

"What is wrong with you two?! Do you have no concept of strength or Soul Masters? They're all Two-ring Soul Masters—Two-ring!"

Xie Xie hurriedly stressed the significance of Two-ring Soul Masters. Though One-ring and Two-ring Soul Masters differed by only one number, their strength was worlds apart. The added improvement brought by a single soul ring was far more than just a soul skill.

"Don't worry. If I lose, I'll give you ten times the money you spent on Meal A. Wulin, you can start." Luo Ze spoke slowly and tossed a loudspeaker to Tang Wulin.

The moment Tang Wulin saw the loudspeaker, his eyes lit up. He knew an opportunity to make money had arrived!

With a flash, he ran onto the academy plaza and began shouting, "Come win some money, everyone! Luo Ze from Class Five of the first grade is challenging seven Two-ring Soul Masters from the fifth grade! The odds are one to ten!"

There had already been plenty of students watching, and after Tang Wulin's shout, most of the curious lower-grade students gathered around.

More than the wager itself, they were curious about who was bold enough to challenge seven Two-ring Soul Masters at once.

In less than five minutes, the area around the match arena on the academy field was packed. There were even teachers from several grades among the crowd, all equally curious about this lower-grade student's strength.

"Can we start now?" Seeing the crowd grow larger and larger, Luo Ze could no longer hold himself back and wanted to begin quickly.

"That's what I should be asking you. If you lose, don't go crying to your parents!" Mu Xi said coldly.

Luo Ze did not answer. Instead, he turned to Tang Wulin. "How much?"

"Not too much, not too little. Exactly one hundred thousand," Tang Wulin said slowly.

The wealthy students of Eastsea Academy were all in the upper division, and they had no access to them yet.

"Only one hundred thousand..." Luo Ze's tone carried obvious disappointment. One hundred thousand Federal currency was far below what he had expected.

Luo Ze could earn that amount in a single day by working three jobs. For someone with enormous financial resources who was also badly in need of money, it was still too little!

"You think one hundred thousand is too little? Are you some kind of multimillionaire? And they have seven Level Two Soul Grandmasters! You should be thinking about how to win first!"

Xie Xie could hardly be blamed for thinking that way. An income of one hundred thousand was enough to equal a small family's monthly earnings.

To ensure the fairness of the match, Luo Ze and Mu Xi specifically asked a teacher near the arena to serve as referee.

"Are both sides ready?" the teacher asked slowly, looking at the contestants.

"Teacher, don't ask us. Ask him!" the leading Two-ring Soul Grandmaster said disdainfully.

"Teacher, I'm ready." Compared with his opponent's arrogance, Luo Ze's attitude was much more respectful, earning him quite a bit of goodwill from the teacher.

Hmm, such composure. Even when facing opponents stronger than himself, he remained unruffled. He was a promising talent! The teacher nodded approvingly.

"Both sides ready. The match begins!"

At the teacher's command, the upper-grade Level Two Soul Masters were the first to release their martial souls. Moving at great speed, they formed an encirclement around Luo Ze.

To them, no matter how exceptional Luo Ze's strength was, he was only one person! No matter how powerful he might be, before a team, he was ultimately just an ant!

Besides, so many Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters were watching. If they could take down Luo Ze in a flashy manner, it would be a great chance to make a name for themselves!

"Junior Brother, don't blame your Senior Brothers for not giving you face. Get off the stage obediently. Don't worry, no one will laugh at you!"

The Senior Brothers who had surrounded Luo Ze released their martial souls and used their powerful Soul Power to suppress him, leaving him unable to move.

"This is bad! Luo Ze, break out of there!" Xie Xie called out urgently.

He could sense that these Senior Brothers had Soul Power between twenty-one and twenty-three. They had not just stepped into the Soul Grandmaster realm; they had definitely gained a certain mastery of their soul skills and Soul Power. Luo Ze had no chance at all!

"Don't worry. Brother Luo won't lose."

Tang Wulin comforted Xie Xie. There was not a trace of panic in his eyes—only absolute confidence.

The two had been classmates since primary academy and had even shared a desk. They knew each other extremely well. If Luo Ze truly had no confidence in defeating his opponents, Tang Wulin would never have been sitting here so leisurely by himself.

"But—"

"He will win."

Just as Xie Xie was about to speak, he noticed that a girl in a white dress had appeared beside him.

At first glance, the girl was not especially beautiful, merely delicate-looking. She appeared to be about the same age as the Class Five students, but her figure was above average and well-proportioned. Her violet eyes shone brightly.

When had she come over?!

Xie Xie could not help but feel shocked. His Soul Power ranked among the best of the lower-grade students, yet he had not sensed this girl's presence at all.

Facing the suppression of several people, Luo Ze wore a pained expression. Not because he was being suppressed, but because the Kirin Martial Soul within him kept crashing about, trying to break free from his body.

In the world of Soul Beasts, there was an inviolable iron law: the strength of one's bloodline determined one's status.

Though Luo Ze's Kirin Martial Soul was not a species of this world, the strength of its bloodline was in no way inferior to that of any deceased Dragon Clan member. In terms of bloodline purity, it was even stronger than theirs!

That was precisely why the Kirin Martial Soul became so enraged when it sensed the roars of lower-bloodline martial souls.

Because in the world of Soul Beasts, such roaring and pressure were equivalent to an inferior being provoking a superior one—an absolutely intolerable act.

Unfortunately, these upper-grade students did not notice the trembling within their own martial souls and continued provoking Luo Ze.

Little did they know that their actions were pushing themselves toward the abyss.

"They've lost," Tang Wulin said slowly, announcing the outcome of the match.

"How have they lost? Luo Ze is clearly the one being suppressed!" Xie Xie looked at Tang Wulin in confusion.

But he discovered that Tang Wulin's black eyes had long since turned golden. One look at them filled Xie Xie with an inexplicable fear.

If Luo Ze's Kirin Martial Soul was sacred and proud, then Tang Wulin at this moment resembled a murderous, utterly pure Fierce Beast.

"You?!" Xie Xie's eyes widened as he staggered back several steps.

No one was more familiar with Tang Wulin's current change than he was. This was exactly what happened when a Beast Martial Soul possessed its owner, though the specific manifestation depended on the martial soul's traits.

Take Xie Xie himself, for example. When his Light Dragon Dagger and Dark Dragon Dagger launched attacks, the daggers emitted faint dragon roars to intimidate opponents.

Seeing this, Tang Wulin turned around and blinked mischievously. "Well? Surprised?"

He had never intended to hide it from Xie Xie anyway. They were roommates and classmates; sooner or later, Xie Xie would have found out.

"You! Monster... You're a monster too!" Xie Xie pointed at him helplessly before finally forcing out those words.

Tang Wulin chuckled. Just as he was about to explain further, the Kirin Martial Soul on the stage silently appeared.

With the Bloodline Suppression of an absolute superior, it instantly suppressed every Senior Brother on the arena.

"Now, the match can end."