Autumn had deepened, and the night breeze in Heaven Dou City had already turned chilly.
The excitement at the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena, however, burned hotter than the midsummer sun.
A full month had passed since Ling Xiao first set foot in this Soul Fighting Arena.
Twenty-nine nights, twenty-nine matches, not a single defeat!
Zero, the young man wearing a half-face mask, had swept through Heaven Dou City's Soul Master circles like a hurricane.
No one knew where he came from, and no one had seen the true face beneath his mask.
They knew only that he was ten years old, a twenty-fourth-rank control-type Soul Grandmaster, and that he wielded his spear with peerless skill.
Across twenty-nine matches, he had rarely used a Soul Skill. With nothing but a Cold Spear, he had defeated every famous Soul Grandmaster in the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena.
From a child mocked and jeered at by the entire arena to the Spear God known throughout the Great Soul Arena.
It had taken him only one month.
Tonight was his thirtieth match.
For this highly anticipated event, the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena had specially scheduled the match at the Central Main Soul Fighting Arena, which could hold tens of thousands of spectators.
Tickets had sold out long ago.
Countless spectators had made the trip just to witness for themselves whether this mysterious young man could claim his thirtieth consecutive victory.
As night fell, the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena filled with a surging tide of people.
Ling Xiao was dressed simply as always, a gun case slung over his back and that half-face mask on.
He walked into the Great Soul Arena at an unhurried pace.
Along the way, Soul Masters and attendants who saw him stopped and respectfully stepped aside, their eyes filled with awe and curiosity.
Without looking around, he headed straight for the registration desk.
The staff member in charge of registration saw him and immediately stood, handing over a registration form that had already been prepared.
"Lord Zero, your registration information has already been entered. This is your token for your thirtieth Soul Fighting match. You can wait in the Central Waiting Area."
Ling Xiao took the badge and casually tucked it into his clothes.
He gave a slight nod without saying a word, then turned and headed for the Central Waiting Area.
Those seated inside were all famous Soul Fighters in the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena. The weakest among them was a Soul Elder of at least rank thirty.
When Ling Xiao walked in, the once-noisy waiting area quieted somewhat.
Everyone's gaze turned to him.
Some were curious, some awestruck, and some eager to fight.
His twenty-nine consecutive victories had proven his strength. No one dared treat him like an ordinary child.
Ling Xiao paid no attention to the gazes around him.
He went straight to a seat in the corner of the waiting area and set his spear beside him.
He closed his eyes and rested.
A cool, distant air about him warned others to keep their distance.
The waiting area once again filled with quiet murmurs.
Everyone was talking in hushed voices about tonight's match, wondering whether the mysterious masked boy could claim his thirtieth consecutive victory.
Just then, someone pushed open the door to the waiting area from outside.
A figure dressed in purple walked in.
She was a girl of about fifteen, wearing a form-fitting outfit that showed off her newly blossoming figure.
A few loose strands of hair fell beside her cheeks, setting off skin as pale as snow.
Most striking of all were her eyes.
They were jade green, like emeralds.
When they moved, they held an uncanny, captivating allure.
The moment she entered, the entire waiting area turned to look at her.
Ling Xiao knew her.
The genius of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, control-type Soul Master Dugu Yan.
The only granddaughter of Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.
Dugu Yan ignored the gazes directed at her.
Her jade-green eyes swept across the waiting area, finally settling on Ling Xiao, resting with his eyes closed in the corner.
Her red lips curved into an amused smile as she walked straight toward him.
Everyone in the waiting area held their breath and craned their necks to watch.
Dugu Yan stopped in front of Ling Xiao.
She folded her arms and tilted her head slightly.
Her eyes traveled over the boy before her, from his mask to the spear beside him, then back to his face.
The waiting area was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was waiting for her to speak.
At last, Dugu Yan's clear, lilting voice rang out, touched with a hint of flirtation.
"You're Zero?"
Ling Xiao slowly opened his eyes.
The gaze behind his mask was calm and unruffled as it rested on the purple-haired, green-eyed girl before him.
He said nothing, only giving a slight nod in reply.
His cool response made Dugu Yan raise an eyebrow, her amusement deepening.
She had met plenty of Soul Masters who fawned over her and went out of their way to please her. They all treated her with the utmost respect, wary of her grandfather's reputation.
This was the first time she had seen someone act so indifferent toward her.
"Just like the rumors say: mysterious as can be, and unwilling to show your face."
Dugu Yan smiled and stepped closer.
A hint of playfulness danced in her jade-green eyes. "Still, that cool, aloof air of yours lives up to its reputation. No wonder so many people are crazy about you."
Ling Xiao's expression remained unchanged as he replied coolly.
"Need something?"
His unresponsive manner made Dugu Yan laugh, her figure trembling with mirth.
Only after she had laughed her fill did she straighten up and lift her chin at Ling Xiao, a flash of fighting spirit in her eyes.
"Of course I do. Let me introduce myself. I'm Dugu Yan, your opponent for your thirtieth match tonight."
Who would have thought the Great Soul Arena would arrange for Zero's thirtieth opponent to be Dugu Yan!
The genius girl of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Poison Douluo's own granddaughter!
One was a twenty-fourth-rank Soul Grandmaster, the other a twenty-seventh-rank Soul Grandmaster.
A full three ranks of Soul Power separated them!
Ling Xiao merely looked up at Dugu Yan, his gaze calm. "I see."
His placid response was beyond Dugu Yan's expectations.
She had assumed that after hearing her name and rank, he would at least look a little wary, even if he didn't panic.
Instead, he was still as unruffled as ever.
"You're certainly good at keeping your cool."
Dugu Yan blinked, running a fingertip lightly along a lock of hair.
"I specially asked the Great Soul Arena for the chance to challenge you. Don't think winning twenty-nine matches makes you invincible. My Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphorous Serpent—and it's poisonous."
She leaned forward slightly, bringing her jade-green eyes closer.
"If you're not careful, you might lose to me tonight, even after winning your first twenty-nine matches. And if you're bitten by my snake venom, there's no guarantee you'll be rescued in time."
She made the threat sound playful and alluring.
Watching them, everyone in the waiting area thought the mysterious Zero was probably in for a defeat this time.
The legend of thirty consecutive victories would likely end here.
But Ling Xiao looked at Dugu Yan, who was close enough to touch, and said coldly, "We'll settle it in the arena. There's no point talking."
In other words, whatever tricks she had, she could show them in the arena. Enough with the empty talk.
Dugu Yan froze.
In all her life, no one had ever dared speak to her like that.
Not even her classmates at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Even the princes and princesses of the imperial family treated her with deference, out of respect for her grandfather.
After a few seconds, Dugu Yan burst out laughing instead.
"Interesting. This is really interesting. You're nothing like those toadies who only know how to flatter people. I'm looking forward to tonight's match more and more."
"I hope you don't disappoint me."
Before you continue