Everyone in Xilu Great Soul Arena was stunned by Xiao Chen and Hu Liena.
At first, everyone had thought this battle would be like the two matches "Mystic Spear" had fought before: exciting and intense. It had certainly been exciting, but it had ended far too quickly.
"Lord Ji Chuan, are 'Mystic Spear' and those two on the same side?" Lu Zheng asked, his expression grave.
He knew very well that the higher one's Soul Power Level, the harder it was to defeat a stronger opponent.
"Mystic Spear" defeating someone at Level 28 while only at Level 20 had been impressive enough;
but the String Fox Duo, at Levels 41 and 43, had instantly defeated the Shadow Flame Duo, whose members were at Levels 45 and 46. That was simply monstrous.
He knew that Lu Family could never afford to offend any faction capable of nurturing such monsters.
"I don't know," Ji Chuan replied. Although he knew the truth, that senior had already hidden "Mystic Spear" away. Naturally, he wouldn't reveal it.
Lu Zheng hadn't gotten the answer he wanted, and his expression grew even graver.
Cang Heng, standing nearby, was secretly delighted. He knew that if the String Fox Duo really were on the same side as "Mystic Spear," things would get interesting.
He knew that if Lu Zheng could hold back and exercise restraint, all would be well. But if he lost his temper and rashly picked a fight, the entire Lu Family might be doomed.
Cang Heng didn't fan the flames, because he knew that Cang Family couldn't afford to offend the faction behind the String Fox Duo either.
Now, it all depended on what Lu Zheng would choose to do.
After Xiao Chen and Hu Liena's match ended, Yan and Xie Yue also took part in a doubles Soul Fighting match.
After a fierce battle, the two defeated their opponents. Their match was very exciting, drawing a burst of cheers from the spectators.
The back-and-forth exchanges, the shifting between attack and defense—that was what could ignite the crowd.
Unlike Xiao Chen and Hu Liena, who had won far too cleanly and quickly. Before the audience could even get into it, the match was already over, leaving them wanting more.
Yan and Xie Yue rested for an hour, then the four of them signed up for the team competition together.
The Soul Arena staff were astonished when they heard the four intended to take on seven opponents.
But when they thought of the four's impressive performances earlier, it seemed reasonable after all.
In the end, the staff consulted Ji Chuan. Only after receiving his approval did they let Xiao Chen and the others sign up for the team Soul Fighting match.
The main arena at Xilu Great Soul Arena was surrounded by stands packed with spectators. Not a single seat was empty.
Team battles among Soul Ancestors were a spectacle in their own right.
What's more, Xiao Chen and the others had already shown their full prowess in their earlier matches, stunning the whole audience. Now they were going to face seven opponents with only four people, making for an irresistible draw.
Nearly every Soul Master and civilian in Xilu City who heard the news rushed to the arena to watch the match.
The host's rousing words sent the crowd into a frenzy, and deafening cheers swept through the entire Soul Arena.
The team Xiao Chen and the others faced in their first match wasn't very strong. The seven-person squad was called the Black Rock Team. Its strongest member was at Level 44, and the entire team favored a defensive style.
The seven members of the Black Rock Team had watched Xiao Chen and the others' earlier doubles matches, so they knew how formidable the four were.
Thus, even though they outnumbered their opponents seven to four, they didn't dare underestimate them. Every member looked solemn, without a trace of carelessness.
As soon as the host announced the start of the match, the seven members of the Black Rock Team immediately formed a battle formation. They unleashed defensive Soul Skills to protect themselves while strengthening their mental focus to guard against Hu Liena's mental Charm.
This kind of defensive team fought by wearing down their opponents, steadily and methodically.
As long as their opponents couldn't break through their rock-solid defensive formation, they could keep dragging out the fight behind their sturdy bulwark, gradually exhausting their opponents' Soul Power and patience.
Once the other side's Soul Power and mental strength had been sufficiently depleted, they would suddenly switch from defense to offense, counterattack, and seize the advantage to defeat their opponents.
Teams without strong offensive power really did have a hard time dealing with a defensive team like this.
Unfortunately for them, they had run into the Spirit Hall Golden Generation and Xiao Chen, who had a cheat code.
With the Black Rock Team refusing to attack, Xiao Chen didn't even need to defend.
He stood at the rear without rushing to act, waiting for Yan and Xie Yue to attack the opposing formation.
Hu Liena also activated the area-of-effect Mental Interference from her Fourth Spirit Skill to support them.
Against a team that wasn't particularly strong, Yan and Xie Yue could win even without Xiao Chen and Hu Liena stepping in.
Both were Level 43 Soul Ancestors, so their Soul Power Levels were evenly matched. But the Spirit Hall Golden Generation were no ordinary Soul Ancestors.
Even as a pair of Soul Ancestors specializing in defense, their opponents had little chance of withstanding the two men's combined assault.
What's more, Hu Liena's Mental Interference was supporting them. The Black Rock Team members would lose focus at the slightest mistake, and their sturdy defensive formation soon began to show gaps.
Xiao Chen seized the opportunity and drew his bow, loosing arrow after arrow. The arrows shot through the air at extremely tricky angles, piercing the Black Rock Team's defensive formation one after another and precisely targeting its weak points.
Once all four attacked at the same time, the Black Rock Team could no longer maintain its formation. Before long, it was scattered.
All seven defensive Soul Ancestors had suffered at least a few injuries.
The Black Rock Team captain was decisive and conceded on the spot.
They all knew that the four opponents hadn't used their true strength at any point. If they had gone all out, the Black Rock Team would have suffered far more than minor injuries.
Xiao Chen and the others won their first team battle effortlessly and decisively.
After this match, the name "Yan-Yue String Fox Team" resounded throughout Xilu Great Soul Arena and quickly spread across the entire city.
After the team battle ended, Xiao Chen and the others left the Great Soul Arena and returned to the hotel.
Lu Zheng and his people kept watch outside the Soul Arena all night, but never saw "Mystic Spear." Instead, they became a laughingstock among the people of Xilu City, drawing plenty of gossip.
The next day, after lunch, Xiao Chen and the others returned to the Soul Arena.
After the previous day's battle, Xiao Chen's Soul Power had risen by another level, reaching Level 25.
His astonishingly fast cultivation speed made Hu Liena and the others envious.
Now, they were growing more and more interested in the White Spirit Ring Xiao Chen had mentioned.
The Lu Family members still hadn't left the area outside Xilu Great Soul Arena, and plenty of people inside the Soul Arena were still searching for him.
Ji Chuan had thought that after what happened the day before, "Mystic Spear" wouldn't show up again. To his surprise, he received word from the Soul Arena staff that "Mystic Spear" had once again signed up for a solo Soul Fighting match.
The Lu Family members spotted "Mystic Spear" and immediately sent word back.
Before long, Lu Zheng arrived.
When he got there, Xiao Chen had just defeated his opponent, earning his fourth consecutive victory toward the Bronze Fighting Soul Badge.
Xiao Chen walked off the Fighting Soul Arena. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Lu Zheng standing outside with his hands behind his back, the air around him heavy and his anger barely concealed.
Seeing this, Ji Chuan immediately hurried over and moved to Xiao Chen's side, discreetly shielding him and staying on guard in case Lu Zheng made a move.
The Soul Masters and ordinary spectators watching inside had long since noticed Lu Zheng waiting outside and knew why he was there.
When they saw Lu Zheng stop Xiao Chen, the entire crowd became interested. Everyone waited quietly for a confrontation to unfold, eager to watch the show.
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