Destruction and Redemption! Dragon Roar at the Great Soul Arena, the First Bloom of the Nine Heart Begonia [1]

After the earth-shaking "brotherly sparring match" that had rocked the whole school, half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Heaven Dou Junior Spirit Master Academy had returned to its usual calm, but everyone knew that the corner occupied by Elite Class One had become the school's "forbidden zone."

There sat Yu Tianyu, known as the "Demon King," with two school beauties, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, occupying the seats on either side of him like his personal guards.

"Ah... Mm..."

A soft moan, tightly stifled, came from the back corner of the classroom.

Dugu Yan's face was flushed, and a fine sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead as she lay limply across her desk. A warm hand rested against her back. It seemed to hold some kind of magic, steadily drawing the painful toxins out of her body.

"All right, that's the end of today's 'breakfast.'"

Yu Tianyu withdrew his hand and closed his palm. A wisp of visible purple-black poison was drawn into his body, transforming into pure magical energy that nourished him from head to toe.

He casually handed her a handkerchief and teased, "Yan Yan, it's only been half a month. How come you're getting more and more sensitive? You used to be able to talk back while I drew out your poison. Now you're as limp as a wet noodle."

Dugu Yan took the handkerchief and wiped away her sweat. She shot him an annoyed look, but there was no trace of hostility in it anymore—only a hint of charm.

"This is all your fault! You've been drawing out more and more lately... It feels so strange."

She muttered under her breath, savoring the unprecedented lightness in her body. Ever since Yu Tianyu had started helping her "purge her poison" regularly, her cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. Not only had her Soul Power grown more refined, but her skin had become dewy and luminous, and her whole being had taken on a breathtaking beauty.

"It's for your own good. The poison's been building up for too long. If I don't clear it out completely, how are you going to handle my..."

Yu Tianyu deliberately paused halfway through, then grinned at Ye Lingling beside him. "My special training?"

Ye Lingling, who had been quietly reading, paused with her fingers on the page.

Over the past half month, she hadn't shared the same "skin-to-skin contact" with Yu Tianyu as Dugu Yan had, but the three of them had already developed a strange rapport. She had grown used to his flirtatious remarks, as well as the seemingly overbearing but actually thoughtful way he looked after them.

"Yu Tianyu, your Soul Power has been fluctuating a lot lately."

Ye Lingling closed her book. The boy was reflected in her cool, clear eyes. "Are you about to break through to level fifteen?"

"Something like that." Yu Tianyu stretched. "Eating well every day—poison and fire, I mean—it'd be hard not to level up. What about you, Miss Ye? You seem a little troubled lately."

Ye Lingling fell silent for a moment.

She did have something on her mind. Her family kept urging her to cultivate, and the curse of the Nine Heart Begonia hung over her like a Sword of Damocles. As she grew older, the pressure only became more oppressive.

"It's nothing." She shook her head and opened her book again. "I just think the academy's lessons are a little boring."

"Boring?"

Yu Tianyu's eyes lit up. "Perfect. I think all the theory those teachers talk about is useless, too. Since you're bored, how about I take you somewhere exciting tonight?"

Dugu Yan immediately pricked up her ears. "Where? I want to go, too!"

"Not this time." Yu Tianyu shook his head. "Your grandfather scheduled your special training for tonight. Old Poison sent me a message yesterday specifically warning me not to get in the way of your business. Otherwise, he'd come after me."

Dugu Yan instantly deflated and slumped over her desk with a mournful sigh. "Stupid Grandpa... Always ruining my fun."

Yu Tianyu turned to Ye Lingling and invited her, "Well? Are you brave enough to come with me? It's not a grove in the woods. We're going somewhere bloody."

Looking into the flames burning in his eyes, Ye Lingling found herself nodding almost against her will.

"Okay."

After school, Yu Tianyu didn't take Ye Lingling away right away. He realized that Pang Hu—usually his most clingy little sidekick—hadn't shown up all day.

"Where'd that fatso run off to?"

Yu Tianyu frowned. Pang Hu might have been a total weakling, but he was the first underling Yu Tianyu had recruited at the academy. If someone kicked his dog, they were kicking him.

Just then, the dormitory door was flung open.

"Brother Yu..."

A muddy figure, his face bruised and swollen, came in with a pained expression.

It was Pang Hu.

His already plump face had swollen into a pig's head. His left eye was blackened, blood stained the corner of his mouth, and his uniform had been torn in several places.

"What happened?"

The smile vanished from Yu Tianyu's face, replaced by a suffocating chill.

He stepped over and caught Pang Hu, a faint green glow lighting at his fingertips—the feeble healing ability he'd gained by absorbing Dugu Yan's poison.

"Who did this?"

At that, Pang Hu burst into aggrieved sobs. "Waaah... Brother Yu, I've let you down! I went to the Great Soul Arena to earn some money and buy you a decent gift... But then... then I ran into a bunch of thugs!"

"The Great Soul Arena?" Yu Tianyu raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah... I entered a betting match and ran into the Wild Wolf Team. Their leader was a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster, but he suppressed his Soul Power and pretended to be in his teens so he could fight in the rookie matches. I couldn't stand it, so I argued with them. Then they surrounded me and beat me up under the stage..."

Pang Hu sniffled. "They also said... they said everyone in our Elite Class One was trash. And they said you... they said you were just a kept man who climbed to the top by relying on women."

"Crack."

Yu Tianyu crushed one corner of the wooden chair back in his hand.

The air suddenly grew scorching hot, then plunged to freezing in an instant.

Ye Lingling, standing nearby, felt a chill run through her.

"A kept man?"

Yu Tianyu gave an infuriated laugh and wiped the blood from the corner of Pang Hu's mouth. "Good. Very good. I guess I've been keeping too low a profile at the academy. Now any Tom, Dick, or Harry thinks they can climb on my head and shit."

He turned to Ye Lingling.

"I only meant to take you there to look around. But it seems we'll have to spice things up tonight."

"Lingling, are you willing to team up with me and turn that Great Soul Arena upside down?"

Ye Lingling looked at his rage-filled back. She wasn't afraid; instead, she felt a sense of security unlike anything she'd ever known.

So this is what it feels like to be protected by someone strong.

"The Nine Heart Begonia is ready to bloom for you," she said softly, her voice resolute.

Night fell, but Heaven Dou City didn't sleep. Instead, it came alive in all its splendor.

Heaven Dou Great Spirit Fighting Arena.

The enormous building loomed like a beast crouching in the night, blazing with lights and filled with the roar of crowds. It was a proving ground for Spirit Masters, a paradise for gamblers, and a stage where the law of the jungle was laid bare.

Yu Tianyu entered the registration hall with Ye Lingling, who wore a veil, and Pang Hu, who looked nervous.

"Brother Yu, those guys are in the two-on-two Soul Fighting Zone. They like to go there and pick on rookies," Pang Hu reminded him quietly.

"I know."

Yu Tianyu walked straight to the registration desk.

The attendant behind the counter looked up lazily. "Registering? Name, Martial Soul, and level."

"Yu Tianyu, Martial Soul: Dragon Slayer Magic, level fifteen, Power Attack Spirit Master."

"Ye Lingling, Martial Soul: Nine Heart Begonia, level fourteen, Support Spirit Master."

The attendant paused, especially at the words "Nine Heart Begonia." His expression clearly changed, but when he saw their youthful faces, he shook his head.

"Two-on-two? Pick a team name."