On the Fighting Soul Arena, the instant Mad Halberd was sent flying, Xiao Chen hurled his Long Spear.
Before Mad Halberd could steady himself, he saw the Long Spear Xiao Chen had thrown burst apart, transforming into a rain of spears that shot down toward him from all directions.
Mad Halberd's pupils contracted sharply. He hurriedly swung his halberd, doing everything he could to defend himself.
But the Spear Rain was too dense. No matter how thoroughly he swung his halberd, he still couldn't protect every vulnerable spot around him.
He could only do his utmost to guard his vital points, minimizing the damage as much as possible.
By the time the Spear Rain had all fallen, Mad Halberd was covered in tiny wounds. His clothes were in tatters, and blood soaked his entire body.
He knelt on the ground in a wretched state, panting heavily. His aura was feeble, and not a trace remained of his earlier arrogance and wild bravado.
"I concede... urgh... you..."
He struggled to speak, trying to concede. Before the words were out, a streak of spear light tore through the air. It moved so fast that he had no time to react.
Forget his current condition, with his severe injuries—even at the peak of his strength, he wouldn't have been able to dodge it.
The Long Spear pierced straight through his chest.
Mad Halberd's eyes flew wide open, his face full of disbelief.
He had never imagined that his opponent would act with such decisiveness.
Even as his life ebbed away, he still couldn't believe that anyone would dare kill him in Xilu City.
Xiao Chen brushed off his clothes and left, concealing both himself and his name.
The spectator stands fell into complete silence at first, then erupted the next second, noisy discussion sweeping through the arena.
Everyone knew Xiao Chen was no ordinary fighter, but they hadn't expected him to be this powerful.
Level twenty-four against level twenty-eight, a Ten-Year Spirit Ring against a Century Spirit Ring—with such an obvious difference between them, he had still kept Mad Halberd on the back foot the entire time.
That final move, Spear Rain, had made quite a few Soul Elders present feel threatened.
They privately considered the matter. Even if they had faced it themselves, their fate might not have been much better than Mad Halberd's.
"When did a Soul Skill from a White Spirit Ring get so powerful?"
"You actually believe his Spirit Ring is white? He must have some treasure that can change the color of his Spirit Ring!"
"Is there really a treasure like that? How come I've never heard of one?"
"I haven't either, but a White Spirit Ring couldn't possibly have that kind of power!"
"True. That's the only way to explain why he's so strong."
"I wonder who he is. But after killing Mad Halberd, he'll have to deal with Mad Halberd's grandfather. This should be quite a show!"
"..."
The spectators around them discussed the matter excitedly. Most of the Soul Masters thought Xiao Chen had a treasure that could change the color of his Spirit Ring.
Some people who loved watching trouble unfold had already gone to inform Mad Halberd's grandfather.
Xiao Chen had wanted to fight one more match, but the staff told him there seemed to be no one else signed up for the Soul Grandmaster matches, so he had to give up.
Hu Liena, Yan, and Xie Yue had signed up for their individual Soul Fighting matches at different times, so Xiao Chen changed his appearance and went with Chrysanthemum Douluo to the Soul Ancestor spectators' area.
Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena hadn't won every match along the way like Xiao Chen. They had suffered no defeats.
Although they were exceptionally talented and far stronger than Soul Masters of the same rank, the Great Soul Arena in Spirit City was full of hidden talent.
Especially among the seasoned fighters stuck at levels forty-eight and forty-nine. If their Martial Soul attributes happened to counter their opponents', even the three members of the Golden Generation could lose and suffer a defeat.
In their first matches in Xilu City, all three had defeated their opponents cleanly and decisively.
Hu Liena rested for a while. Just as she was preparing to take part in a doubles Soul Fighting match with Xiao Chen, she felt a powerful wave of Soul Power coming from outside the Soul Fighting Arena.
"Lu Zheng, don't cause a scene in the Soul Fighting Arena, or don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
A voice rang out, followed by the immense, imposing pressure of a Spirit Saint. It was Ji Chuan, the person in charge of the Xilu Great Soul Arena.
"Lord Ji Chuan, my grandson was killed. Can't I demand justice?" Lu Zheng's face was livid, his voice filled with grief and indignation.
"The Soul Fighting Arena has its rules. Your grandson signed a life-and-death match with his opponent. They agreed to accept whatever fate befell them, and the other party broke no rules. What justice are you demanding?" Ji Chuan said firmly.
"So what! Whoever killed my grandson will pay with their life!" Lu Zheng roared.
Ji Chuan's expression turned cold. "Lu Zheng, if you dare to attack someone in the Soul Fighting Arena, you may be joining your grandson today!"
Lu Zheng's face changed dramatically.
He had thought that since he and Ji Chuan had always gotten along, Ji Chuan would show him some consideration. He had never expected Ji Chuan to be so stern and unyielding today.
The Lu Family was a prominent clan in Xilu City, but Lu Zheng knew perfectly well that it couldn't afford to offend the Xilu Great Soul Arena.
Besides, he was only a level sixty-eight Soul Emperor. In terms of cultivation and strength, he was no match for the level seventy-three Spirit Saint Ji Chuan.
"Lord Ji Chuan, fine, I won't cause trouble in the Soul Fighting Arena. But you should at least tell me who killed my grandson!" Lu Zheng said.
"Code name Mystic Spear. A level twenty-four Agility Attack System Soul Grandmaster," Ji Chuan replied. There was nothing wrong with telling him; the information could be looked up anyway.
"Lu Zheng, as an old friend of many years, I'll give you one piece of advice: you'd be better off letting this matter go," Ji Chuan continued.
Lu Zheng wouldn't listen. He wasn't a fool; he knew that if Ji Chuan was so determined to protect this person, the man's background was surely no ordinary one.
But Mad Halberd was his only grandson. How could he possibly let this grudge go unavenged?
Lu Zheng immediately ordered the Lu Family members to surround the Xilu Great Soul Arena until not even a drop of water could pass through. Once everything was arranged, he walked straight into the arena.
Ji Chuan didn't stop him, but followed behind him the entire time.
Lu Zheng didn't care. He searched the arena for a long time but didn't see Mystic Spear. Only then did he challenge Ji Chuan. "Lord Ji Chuan, I said I wouldn't cause trouble in the Soul Fighting Arena. Hiding the man from me is a little underhanded, don't you think?"
Ji Chuan replied calmly, "The Soul Fighting Arena never gets involved in private disputes, and it never takes anyone's side."
Lu Zheng knew Ji Chuan's character. Since he said that, he certainly hadn't helped Mystic Spear hide.
After making inquiries, Lu Zheng had learned that Mystic Spear wore a mask during his match. The arena was crowded, and with a change of appearance, he would indeed be difficult to recognize.
Lu Zheng immediately turned his attention to every Soul Grandmaster in the arena.
He didn't rashly start trouble, but stopped every Soul Grandmaster he passed and ordered them to release their Martial Souls on the spot for inspection.
The Soul Masters of Xilu City couldn't afford to offend Lu Zheng, so they had no choice but to comply.
But Lu Zheng searched every branch of the Soul Fighting Arena and still couldn't find a Soul Master whose Martial Soul was a Wooden Spear.
At last, he stopped outside the arena's VIP lounge. It was the only place he hadn't been yet.
Before he could enter, he heard a familiar voice.
"Well, look who it is! The Lu Family Patriarch was supposed to be in seclusion. What brings you to the Great Soul Arena to watch the excitement?" The door to one of the VIP lounges slowly opened, and an old man stepped out, a faintly amused smile on his face.
"Cang Heng!" Lu Zheng's expression darkened when he saw him.
The Cang Family and the Lu Family of Xilu City had never gotten along.
As Xiao Chen fought Mad Halberd, a junior of the Cang Family had happened to be watching. After witnessing Xiao Chen kill Mad Halberd on the spot, he immediately sent word back to the family.
As soon as Cang Heng received the news, he hurried over. He had arrived even earlier than Lu Zheng.
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