Soul Fighting Field

A simple breakthrough?

Tang San's smile froze.

The joy of his breakthrough instantly vanished.

He had fought for his life through the searing pain, finally breaking through level thirty and advancing the Mysterious Heaven Skill another stage.

And Brother Chen?

He had stood nearby "watching" for half an hour, then casually said he had "simply made a breakthrough."

If Tang San had not seen it with his own eyes, he might actually have believed him.

Facing Tang San's burning gaze, Jiang Chen calmly stretched and said in all seriousness,

"Let's stop here for tonight. There's still some Whale Rubber energy left in your body. You'll slowly absorb it while cultivating over the next few days."

Tang San nodded. "I understand, Brother Chen."

With that, he stood and headed toward the dormitories.

Jiang Chen watched Tang San's gradually receding figure, his golden eyes flickering faintly.

After living together for so many years, his suppressive style of education had become almost ineffective on Tang San.

On top of that, Xiao Wu had always treated Tang San like a little brother over the years, indirectly ruining Jiang Chen's later plan to 'revive his lover.'

Moonlight fell across Jiang Chen's face, illuminating one half clearly while the other remained hidden in darkness. Only his golden eyes glimmered faintly in the shadows.

"It seems I can only choose the final plan."

Two days later, at Shrek Academy's training grounds.

Flender looked at the eight little monsters before him and nodded in satisfaction.

"I've seen all the progress you've made these past few days. But training by yourselves isn't enough. It's time for you to go out and 'see the world.'"

Ma Hongjun immediately asked excitedly, "Dean, are we going to some auction house or high-class restaurant?"

"Neither."

Flender adjusted his glasses. "The place where you'll see the world is the Soto Great Soul Arena."

"The Soul Fighting Field?!"

Everyone except Jiang Chen was stunned.

Dai Mubai clearly knew the place, and his expression turned somewhat grave. "Dean, isn't it too soon?"

A sly glint flashed through Flender's eyes behind his lenses.

"Too soon? Not at all. What you lack now isn't training, but real combat. The kind with real blades and real weapons, where losing might mean broken arms and legs."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "Fighting? I like that!"

They had spent the past few days training, leaving her no time to spar with Jiang Chen. Her hands had long been itching.

"Fighting?"

Ning Rongrong could not help getting excited. "Do I get to compete too?"

Under Jiang Chen's hellish special training these past few days, her rate of improvement had been nothing short of astonishing.

Not only had she learned to use her spiritual power to predict an enemy's movements, she could even briefly control weapons to attack.

In addition, Jiang Chen had taught her some basic techniques for exerting force and attacking.

It could be said that Ning Rongrong had evolved from someone too weak to truss a chicken into a Support-type Soul Master with the offensive strength of an adult.

"Every single one of you will participate!"

Flender swept his gaze over them with a smile. "Starting tomorrow, each of you must take part in at least three Soul Fighting matches a day and win at least one. If you fail to meet the required number of matches or victories, you'll do ten extra weighted mountain climbs when you return at night!"

"Ten times?!" Ma Hongjun covered his face and wailed. "Dean, you're trying to kill us!"

After these days of training, weighted mountain climbing had become everyone's nightmare.

Especially later on, when outside attacks had been added to the ordeal, every round trip cost them half their lives.

"What are you whining about? Keep it up and I'll punish you with twenty round trips."

Flender glared at Ma Hongjun and continued, "Before that, I'll briefly introduce the rules of the Great Soul Arena."

"The Soto Great Soul Arena is divided into the Gambling Zone and the Life and Death Zone. We're only going to the Gambling Zone. At worst, you'll leave battered and bruised if you lose. No one will die."

Ning Rongrong muttered softly, "Being battered and bruised still hurts..."

"It's supposed to hurt!"

Flender laughed. "If you don't suffer a few injuries, you'll think battles between Soul Masters are just child's play. And there are three formats in the Soul Fighting Field: one-on-one, two-on-two, and team battles. Everyone must register for an individual Soul Fighting Badge. One point for a win, minus one point for a loss, with extra rewards for consecutive victories."

"From lowest to highest, the ranks are Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Purple Gold, Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond!"

"And one of your graduation requirements is to reach a Silver Soul Fighting Badge before graduation!"

After hearing this, Xiao Wu murmured, "A Silver Soul Fighting Badge... there are only two ranks in between. That doesn't sound too hard."

"Whether it's hard or not, you can ask Dai Mubai." Flender smiled faintly.

Hearing that, everyone turned to Dai Mubai.

Dai Mubai gave a bitter smile and explained stiffly, "I'm currently at level thirty-seven Soul Power. I've fought fifty-six battles in total, with twenty-nine wins and twenty-seven losses. I only have two points."

Everyone was shocked.

Dai Mubai was a level thirty-seven Soul Elder, yet he had accumulated so few points.

Feeling everyone's scrutinizing gazes, Dai Mubai's scalp went numb. "You'll only understand after experiencing it yourselves. All I can tell you is that the more consecutive victories you get, the stronger the opponents you'll encounter."

"Ahem, all right, those are more or less the rules."

Flender coughed lightly, pulling everyone's thoughts back. "We'll leave at noon today. Go form teams and make your plans. When the time comes, gather here again."

"Oh, and one more thing. I suggest that Support-type Soul Masters form teams."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Hongjun sidled up to Oscar and waggled his eyebrows. "Old Oscar, how about we team up? I'll be called 'Evil Fire Phoenix,' and you'll be called 'Sausage Specialty.' Our team name can be... 'Phoenix Sausage.' What do you think?"

Oscar's face darkened. "Get lost! That sounds awful!"

At that moment, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong stepped toward Jiang Chen almost at the same time.

Zhu Zhuqing's long leg halted mid-step. A trace of helplessness flashed through her black eyes, and she did not continue forward.

Just as Jiang Chen was about to move, he saw Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong blocking him from both sides.

"What are you two doing?"

"Forming a team. Didn't the dean say Support-type Soul Masters should participate in teams?"

Ning Rongrong spoke first, naturally grabbing one of Jiang Chen's arms.

"Rongrong, you..."

Xiao Wu had been a step too late. Her arm hung awkwardly in midair, and she did not know what to do for a moment.

At that moment, Ning Rongrong's eyes shifted. She released Jiang Chen's hand, leaned close to Xiao Wu's ear, and whispered a few words.

"That makes sense..."

Xiao Wu murmured, as though realizing something. She stopped competing with Ning Rongrong and instead walked over to Zhu Zhuqing, asking whether she wanted to team up with her.

Seeing that her goal had been achieved, Ning Rongrong skipped back to Jiang Chen's side. "Jiang Chen, what should our team name be?"

Jiang Chen tilted his head. "Did I say I was teaming up with you?"

"How can you be like this?"

Ning Rongrong grabbed his right hand. "I don't care. You have to team up with me. If that doesn't work, I'll pay to hire you for a few days."

As she spoke, she took out a black card from her storage Soul Tool and held it before Jiang Chen.

"There are eight thousand Gold Soul Coins inside. It's all the private money I've saved up. If you team up with me, all this money is yours?"