Glazed Lotus Pagoda

Jiang Chen raised a brow as he looked at the black card with gold trim.

Even he was taken aback by Ning Rongrong's wealth.

Eight thousand Gold Soul Coins—an ordinary Soul Master could save for several lifetimes and never amass that much, yet it was merely Ning Rongrong's personal spending money.

There had always been rumors that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was as wealthy as a nation. Jiang Chen had not believed them at first.

But now, it seemed the rumors had some basis after all.

"Fine. I'll team up with you."

Jiang Chen took the black card Ning Rongrong handed over and slipped it into the Green Lotus Pendant without leaving a trace.

He was not teaming up with her for the Gold Soul Coins. He wanted to know what reason Ning Rongrong had used to make Xiao Wu give up teaming with him.

Yes, that was it.

When Ning Rongrong saw Jiang Chen accept the black card, she not only had no objection but even smiled.

Not far away, Ma Hongjun stared so hard his eyes nearly popped out.

"Holy shit! That's eight thousand Gold Soul Coins! It's enough to buy my life!"

Oscar rolled his eyes at him. "Wake up. Your life isn't worth that much."

Dai Mubai stood nearby, a flash of heat passing through his heterochromatic eyes. But when he thought of Ning Rongrong's identity and Jiang Chen's strength, he could only suppress the stirrings in his heart.

Before long, everyone had divided into teams.

Jiang Chen and Ning Rongrong formed one team, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing formed another, while Oscar and Ma Hongjun formed a third.

Tang San and Dai Mubai, meanwhile, chose to take on solo challenges.

When the time came, Flender swept his gaze over the teams with satisfaction.

"Alright, stop dragging your feet. We're leaving now! Our destination is the Soto Great Soul Arena!"

"Yes!"

Everyone answered, then headed out in twos and threes.

Jiang Chen and Ning Rongrong walked side by side at the back of the group.

Ning Rongrong's steps were light, her skirt swaying as she walked. Every so often, she turned her head to sneak a glance at Jiang Chen, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Hey." Jiang Chen suddenly spoke. "What did you say to Xiao Wu just now? She actually gave up on teaming with me."

Ning Rongrong blinked, looking completely innocent. "I only said... 'Zhuqing must be so lonely by herself. Can you really bear to watch her be left alone?' Then she ran over there."

"That's it?"

"What else?" Ning Rongrong lifted her chin. "I'm a very kind person. How could I bear to see one of my sisters left on her own?"

Jiang Chen glanced at her and could not be bothered to expose her.

Those two were probably worried that Dai Mubai would latch onto Zhu Zhuqing, which was why they had discussed teaming up together.

Up ahead, Ma Hongjun had an arm slung around Oscar's shoulders as he muttered, "Old Oscar, are we really calling ourselves the 'Sausage Phoenix'? It sounds like a snack stall..."

Oscar looked utterly dead inside. "You were the one who insisted on teaming with me, okay? How about Phoenix Legend instead?"

"Pfft..." Xiao Wu could not hold back her laughter. "You two really suit each other."

Zhu Zhuqing walked quietly beside them, but her lips curved faintly at those words as well.

Half an hour later, Suotuo City's towering walls appeared in view.

Flender led the group through the city gate and headed straight for the enormous circular building blazing with lights in the city center.

The closer they got, the more clearly they could hear the faint cheers and thunderous roars coming from within.

Ning Rongrong gradually slowed down, the fingers clutching her skirt turning slightly white.

"Scared?"

Jiang Chen turned to look at her pale little face.

"W-who's scared!" Ning Rongrong stubbornly raised her neck. "There's nothing I haven't seen!"

Though her words were tough, her body subconsciously moved half a step closer to Jiang Chen.

Seeing that, Jiang Chen added, "Let's make this clear first. I'll only handle fights against opponents stronger than you."

"W-what?"

Ning Rongrong hurriedly looked at him. "You mean you want me, a weak girl, to fight?"

Jiang Chen shook his head. "You're not a weak girl. You're a level twenty-eight Soul Grandmaster."

"Besides, I'll be watching from the side. As long as you still have one breath left, you won't die."

During the special training these past few days, Ning Rongrong had improved the most besides Tang San.

If Tang San had not taken Whale Rubber last night and tempered his body with Red Lotus Karma Fire, even his progress would not have matched hers.

"Hehe, then I'm relieved."

After Jiang Chen said that, much of Ning Rongrong's nervousness faded.

She was not afraid of fighting. But from childhood, she had been taught that Support-type Soul Masters were meant to hide behind their teammates, making it difficult for her to take the initiative and attack.

Yet for some reason, whenever Jiang Chen was beside her, she felt completely secure.

Perhaps it was because of Jiang Chen's miraculous healing abilities.

As they spoke, the group arrived at the entrance of the Great Soul Arena.

Beneath the massive archway, crowds surged back and forth. A deafening wave of noise mixed with faint Soul Power fluctuations rushed toward them.

Flender pointed at the rooms ahead. "Badge registration is inside. Handle it yourselves. Remember, each of you must fight at least three matches a day and win one. Anyone who fails will go back and climb the mountain ten times with weights."

Before Ma Hongjun could even begin to wail, Flender sent him a glare that forced the sound back down his throat.

"Go on. I'll come get you when you're done tonight."

Flender waved his hand, and with a flash, he disappeared into the crowd, slipping away faster than anyone else.

"The dean is really skilled at dumping work on others..." Oscar muttered.

Ma Hongjun chimed in, "He probably went to a newly opened casino nearby."

"How do you know?"

"Uh..."

"Enough."

Dai Mubai glared at the two of them, then took the lead toward the interior. "The registration desk is over there. Follow me."

The registration process was not complicated: pay the fee, test Soul Power, and register a name.

When it was Ning Rongrong's turn, the staff member looked up at her slender arms and legs, then checked her Soul Power Level before confirming again.

"A level twenty-eight Support-type Soul Master. Are you sure you want to register for a team battle?"

"I'm sure!"

Ning Rongrong's tone was firm.

After all, she and Jiang Chen would be fighting two against two. It was not like she would be fighting alone.

"Very well. I'll process that for you now."

Seeing this, the staff member stopped trying to dissuade her and began handling the paperwork.

Before long, Ning Rongrong received her own badge as well.

"Right, we also need to register a two-person team. As for the team name..."

Ning Rongrong paused and turned to Jiang Chen, her eyes carrying a hint of inquiry.

"Let's call it Glazed Lotus Pagoda," Jiang Chen said without hesitation.

"Glazed Lotus Pagoda..."

Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up slightly.

It was a good name. It carried the essence of her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda while also alluding to Jiang Chen's Glazed Green Lotus.

"Alright, then we'll be called Glazed Lotus Pagoda!"

She made the decision readily and turned to report their team name to the staff member.

After registration was complete, everyone gathered in the waiting area.

Oscar and Ma Hongjun's Sausage Phoenix team had already been called first. Amid stifled laughter from the people around them, the two forced themselves to walk down the passageway.

Dai Mubai and Tang San each received an Iron Soul Fighting Badge and entered the solo preparation area one after another.

"Glazed Lotus Pagoda Duo, please proceed to Soul Fighting Field Seven to prepare. Your opponents are the Gale Duo."

The announcement rang out, and Ning Rongrong subconsciously tightened her grip on her badge.

Jiang Chen stood up and casually patted the back of her head. "What are you spacing out for? Let's go. The sooner we finish, the sooner we're done."

"Be gentler!"

Ning Rongrong covered her head and hurriedly jogged after him, still muttering, "If I can't beat them later, you can't blame me for holding you back..."

"Don't worry."

Without looking back, Jiang Chen said, "If you hold me back, I'll leave you on the platform to surrender on your own. I've already got the eight thousand Gold Soul Coins anyway."

"How dare you!"

"Let go. Put on your mask."