Morning.
Inside the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City.
Taking advantage of his day off, Yu Xiaogang had come to the Battle Soul Arena to observe things firsthand.
Although the Seven Monsters had only just begun the first stage of their special training, as a responsible teacher, Yu Xiaogang needed to start planning for the second stage in advance.
As he had planned, the second stage would naturally involve practical training inside the Great Soul Arena. To get an early understanding of the intensity of Soul Fighting, Yu Xiaogang had deliberately bought a ticket for a team battle today, intending to watch a Silver Soul-level Team Battle Soul.
After all, the Seven Monsters' goal for the second stage of training was to gain a foothold in Silver Soul-level Team Battle Soul matches.
"Now, let's welcome the two teams into the arena: the Bloodthirsty Team and the Three Swordsmen!"
Frenzied cheers erupted from the stands. Caught up in the atmosphere, Yu Xiaogang rose from his seat and looked toward the arena.
On the left, a team of Soul Masters dressed in red uniforms emerged from backstage, and the spectators began shouting the team's name.
"Bloodthirsty Team! Victory is ours!"
"I bet a hundred Gold Soul Coins! You'd better win!"
The arena was instantly in an uproar. Yu Xiaogang paid no attention to the gamblers going berserk and turned to look to the right.
A team ambled out from backstage, looking listless and showing no sign of discipline whatsoever. Judging by appearances, they were several levels below the Bloodthirsty Team.
But that wasn't the most important thing. What truly baffled everyone in the arena was that the team had only three members!
"Hahaha! No wonder they're called the Three Swordsmen—they've only got three people! They might as well surrender!"
"Aw, I bet too little! If I'd known, I would've put all my spare money down. Damn it!"
The arena was roaring with jeers and laughter. Looking at the Three Swordsmen on the right, Yu Xiaogang wore a curious expression.
Normally, Team Battle Soul matches had between seven and ten participants, with the exact number decided by agreement between the two sides.
But in most cases, the two teams had the same number of members. Nobody wanted to be at a disadvantage, and having one more or one less person could make all the difference in a Soul Fighting match.
In a situation like this, where the Three Swordsmen had voluntarily reduced their numbers, the opposing Bloodthirsty Team would surely agree.
"Anyone who can cultivate to the Soul Ancestor rank at level forty can't be a fool. What exactly are these Three Swordsmen counting on?"
Yu Xiaogang murmured to himself. A well-off-looking, middle-aged man beside him heard his words and gave him an approving look. Smiling, he replied, "You must be a clever fellow, young brother. You understand the saying, 'When something unusual happens, there's bound to be a reason.' Looks like we're kindred spirits."
Seeing that the man might know something about the situation, Yu Xiaogang smiled and asked, "You flatter me. Do you know anything about these Three Swordsmen?"
The well-off-looking man smiled without answering. He narrowed his eyes and put on a lofty air. Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but greet him warmly in his thoughts, but kept a smile on his face.
Seeing that Yu Xiaogang had the patience to wait, the man stopped keeping him in suspense. Leaning close to Yu Xiaogang's ear, he whispered, "Since fate brought us together, I'll give you a little tip. The Three Swordsmen are sure to win this match. There's still time to place your bet."
As he spoke, he winked at Yu Xiaogang, the shrewd glint in his tiny eyes unmistakable.
Yu Xiaogang pondered for a moment, then looked toward the Three Swordsmen in the arena. As if something had come back to him, his eyes suddenly lit up.
After thanking the well-off-looking man, he went to the betting point beside the stands and placed a bet on "Three Swordsmen to win."
The odds were ten to one. He bet one Gold Soul Coin.
It wasn't that Yu Xiaogang was unwilling to stake more. Shrek Academy was short on funds, and scraping together even this one Gold Soul Coin hadn't been easy.
Once both teams had entered and been introduced, the Soul Fighting match officially began!
In the arena, both teams revealed their Martial Souls.
On the Bloodthirsty Team's side, the captain, Xue Tu, had a War Tiger Martial Soul. Four Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet—one white, one yellow, and two purple. A tiger's roar seemed to rumble from within his powerful frame.
Behind Xue Tu, one on either side, stood two black-clad middle-aged men. Their Martial Souls were two similar-looking Black Water Buffaloes. Four Soul Rings rose from beneath each man's feet—one white, two yellow, and one purple.
Farther back stood two thin men whose Martial Souls were a pair of Black Swifts. Their Soul Ring Configurations were also one white, two yellow, and one purple.
Between these two men, at the very back of the team, stood a middle-aged man who looked older than the others. His Martial Soul was a Blood-colored Bead, surrounded by three Soul Rings—one white and two yellow.
Finally, at the center of the team stood a Red-dressed Woman. Her Martial Soul was a Blood-red Spider, with two yellow Soul Rings and one purple Soul Ring—the only optimal Soul Ring Configuration on the team.
The Bloodthirsty Team formed an arrowhead, its fierce momentum aimed directly at the Three Swordsmen across the battle platform.
The Three Swordsmen, meanwhile, still looked rather relaxed. Their Martial Souls were a pink cover, a Swan, and a broken kitchen cleaver.
The pink cover's Soul Ring Configuration was one white, one yellow, and two purple. The other two each had one white, two yellow, and one purple.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang in the stands immediately confirmed his suspicions.
The Three Swordsmen in the arena were the "Vulgar Three Swordsmen" mentioned in the original story.
The pink cover Martial Soul was called the Heavenly Gauze Twin Covers, and its owner was named Bu Le. At that moment, he was staring at the Red-dressed Woman on the Bloodthirsty Team.
In the original story, he had ended up as roast chicken after competing with Ma Hongjun for the phoenix. Later, he had charged headlong down the road of becoming a transvestite.
As for the other two, the Soul Master with the Swan Martial Soul was named E Kao.
The broken cleaver was called Broken Blade, and its owner was named Tian Ya.
These three behaved in a lecherous, shameless way, but they did have some unique insights into cultivating their Martial Souls.
Yu Xiaogang was already counting on having nine Gold Soul Coins come his way. He even exchanged a glance with the well-off-looking man beside him.
The other spectators in the stands, however, didn't see it that way. Once the teams had revealed their Martial Souls and Soul Rings, the match seemed to be headed for a one-sided victory.
After seeing the opposing team's Soul Rings, Xue Tu, the Bloodthirsty Team's captain, finally let go of his last doubts. He raised his left hand to signal the teammates behind him.
At the very back of the team, the older middle-aged man responded to the signal by activating his three Soul Rings—one white and two yellow. The Blood-colored Bead in his hand immediately blazed with light, and three streams of blood-red light poured out. Each split in two, then flowed into the bodies of the other six teammates.
The six teammates' auras grew noticeably stronger as the three streams of blood-red light empowered them.
A cold smile crossed Xue Tu's face. His first white Soul Ring shone brightly, and he transformed into a ferocious tiger, pouncing toward the opposing team.
The two black-clad middle-aged men beside him also activated their first white Soul Rings, transforming into two buffaloes and charging alongside Xue Tu.
Seeing the other side attack, the Vulgar Three Swordsmen finally grew serious.
Bu Le waved one hand, sending out two Heavenly Gauze Twin Covers. They flew one behind the other and trapped Xue Tu, who was charging at the very front.
E Kao and Tian Ya each activated their first white Soul Ring. E Kao released two white feathers, then Tian Ya swung his blade, adding two streams of green Blade Qi to them.
With the green Blade Qi added, the two feathers became far more powerful and shot toward the buffaloes formed by the two black-clad middle-aged men.
Feeling the force of the green-feathered projectiles, the two black-clad middle-aged men didn't dare underestimate them. They immediately activated their second yellow Soul Rings, turning the horns on their heads into shields and raising them in front of themselves.
Thud! Thud!
The feathers pierced through the two horn shields like a pair of arrows, ringing with a hum, but ultimately failed to penetrate them completely. They merely lodged in the shields.
But there was no hint of joy on the two black-clad middle-aged men's faces, because the attacks they had blocked were only their opponents' first Soul Skills.
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