Xue Qinghe's Test

"Your Highness, people have different constitutions..."

"I ate a medicinal herb when my Martial Soul awakened, and my Soul Power Level became what it is now."

Faced with Xue Qinghe's questioning, Chen Xing looked at him with utmost sincerity.

He still said whatever came to mind, relying entirely on improvisation.

Afraid the other party would not believe him, he deliberately summoned his Martial Soul and pointed at the golden patterns on it.

"My Martial Soul didn't originally have these golden patterns. They only appeared after I ate that medicinal herb."

Hearing this, Xue Qinghe indeed began examining the Purple Imperial Bamboo.

Upon closer inspection, the golden patterns were truly mysterious and lifelike, with a faint radiance flowing through them as though they were alive.

When he lightly touched them with his fingertips, he could even sense the immense vitality within.

Then, he raised his head and looked at Chen Xing.

"Where did you find that medicinal herb?"

"What did it look like?"

Xue Qinghe thought to himself that since his strength had been enhanced through an external item, others could likely imitate it as well.

If he could truly obtain such medicinal herbs, it would be equivalent to controlling the talented Soul Masters of the entire continent.

At that thought, his gaze gradually grew heated, making Chen Xing's scalp tingle slightly beneath his stare.

Seeing his expression, Chen Xing leaned back a little.

"I... found it in the Star Dou Forest."

"I don't remember the exact location. That thing looked just like a bamboo leaf."

"But I only found one near there, and I ate it..."

The slightly embarrassed expression on his face was seen by the other party, and it did look convincing enough.

But in the eyes of the young master of Spirit Hall, his story was riddled with holes—so fake it could not have been faker.

He had actually believed this kid just now? A medicinal herb? And he had accidentally eaten it?

Did this guy think I, a prince, was some useless fool?

His golden eyes narrowed slightly as Xue Qinghe studied the youth before him.

He was quite handsome, with sword-like brows and starry eyes, looking like a chivalrous hero who upheld justice.

How could he not utter a single word of truth? No wonder the Ye Clan head had insisted that he be careful around him.

But the most important thing now was to keep him by his side.

No matter what, if such talent could not be used for his own purposes, it would surely become an obstacle to Spirit Hall's unification of the continent in the future.

With that in mind, Xue Qinghe put on that gentle smile again.

"Hahaha! Xiaoxing!"

"If you see that kind of medicinal herb again, don't forget to bring one back for your Brother Xue."

"Your Brother Xue wants to improve too."

The sudden shift in emotion made Chen Xing breathe a sigh of relief.

This time, Xue Qinghe was thinking several moves ahead!

He wanted to play along and temporarily keep Chen Xing under control.

But Chen Xing was thinking on an entirely different level!

He had correctly judged that the other party wanted to recruit him. Therefore, as a six-year-old boy with a secret that had to be hidden, lying was inevitable.

But with the mind of a six-year-old, his lie could not possibly be too airtight.

Sure enough! He had guessed right!

The crisis before him had finally been resolved!

As long as he could stay alive, there would definitely be other chances to escape in the future.

Before long, the carriage arrived at its destination.

The coachman opened the door for them and set down the steps.

Xue Qinghe smiled faintly.

"Come on. Let me see your strength."

As he spoke, he took Chen Xing's little hand again and walked ahead.

The moment they got out of the carriage, a huge circular building came into view. Looking up, it was at least several hundred meters tall.

It was already evening, and the sky was dim.

Yet the building was brightly lit, with enthusiastic cheers occasionally ringing out from inside.

Seeing Chen Xing and Xue Qinghe near the carriage, several attendants hurried over and bowed to Xue Qinghe.

"Welcome, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

One of the smartly dressed managers stepped before Xue Qinghe.

"Your Highness! Have you come to the Spirit Fighting Arena with any instructions this time, or are you here merely to watch the matches?"

"Give him a Soul Power test, then pick a few suitable opponents."

As he spoke, Xue Qinghe released Chen Xing's hand and pushed him a step forward.

He signaled for Chen Xing to follow the manager and complete the procedures.

The Spirit Fighting Arena?

Arranging opponents?

Chen Xing now understood Xue Qinghe's intentions.

Clearly, he wanted to test Chen Xing's actual strength.

Since that was the case, how should he perform?

If he deliberately pretended to be very weak, would Xue Qinghe despise him and let him go?

The moment that thought surfaced, Xue Qinghe spoke as though he could use Mind Reading.

"Go all out. Stop thinking about hiding your strength."

"If I discover that you dare to deliberately hold back, I'll personally send you back to Ye Mansion!"

"I wonder whether the Ye Clan head would be interested in the secrets you're carrying?"

Then, he put on that squinting expression again, making Chen Xing's hair stand on end as he shrank his neck.

Inside the lobby of the Spirit Fighting Arena.

Chen Xing looked at the gleaming golden decorations on the walls and the richly dressed nobles, feeling faintly uneasy.

Since crossing over, this was his first time witnessing such a grand scene.

Even the noisy discussions around him made his heart race slightly.

It would have been nice if he could hold "Xue Qinghe's" hand again right now.

The manager led Chen Xing back and forth through several rooms.

With Xue Qinghe's status backing him, all the procedures were completed quickly.

The Soul Power testing crystal showed that Chen Xing's Soul Power Level was level 32.

While walking, he secretly glanced at the match list in the manager's hand.

With that glance, he saw at least five people listed as his opponents.

Did testing his strength really require this many matches?

On the Soul Fighting Arena.

Chen Xing looked utterly lifeless.

He raised his head toward the luxurious private box at the very top. Through the glass, he saw Xue Qinghe greeting him.

Seriously...

Chen Xing gave him a forced smile, then turned to look at his opponent in the arena.

At that moment, the host began his introduction.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena!"

"At this very moment, the competitors in the arena are:"

"Tie Xi! Soul Power Level 31! Martial Soul: Giant Strength Mad Rhino!"

"Record: 52 wins, 45 losses!"

"The other contestant is today's newcomer."

"Chen Xing! Soul Power Level 32! Martial Soul: Purple Imperial Bamboo!"

"Record: 0 wins, 0 losses!"

Following the host's introduction, a wave of boos instantly erupted from the stands.

Another newcomer!

Newcomer fights are the most boring to watch!

Exactly! What a waste of time. How many newcomers can even last two minutes on the Soul Fighting Arena?

What a pity for Tie Xi. His fighting style is clearly the most violent. We probably won't get to see it today.

The noisy discussions continued without end.

Almost no one thought highly of this match. They believed Chen Xing would certainly lose, and that it would be a completely uninteresting fight.

Inside the private box.

The manager who had just led Chen Xing through the procedures bowed slightly and stood at Xue Qinghe's side.

"Your Highness, everything has been arranged."

"There are seven opponents in total. The highest Soul Power Level is 39, a man named Zhao Hu."

"His Martial Soul is the Fire Demon Tiger, and his fighting style is extremely brutal. He has accidentally killed four people before!"

"But he is the final opponent..."