After traveling for half an hour, Ye Que and the others followed Guangyu Douluo to the underground district of Heaven Dou City.
It was a completely different world from Heaven Dou City above. It could even be called a Slaughter City from ten thousand years ago. Soul Masters lay sprawled everywhere, and people rummaged through trash cans for food.
Whenever they saw someone who looked normal, they were just like Ye Que and the others: faces covered with black cloth as they headed toward the huge fortress at the end of the main road.
Everything that could be found in Heaven Dou City could be found here, too. The only unfortunate thing was that there were no guards to keep the peace.
Ye Que furrowed his brow, an uncomfortable feeling rising in his heart.
As an Angel Soul Master, he instinctively despised these corrupt, decadent vibes.
Yu Mengdi felt uncomfortable as well, but said nothing.
Ye Wuqing looked around, a little curious. He had only ever heard of the underground district of Heaven Dou City and had never visited before.
Beside them, Guangyu Douluo walked and explained, "As you can see, the underground district of Heaven Dou City is where these Soul Masters scrape by. Behind the glittering city above is a whole crowd of Soul Masters struggling at the bottom. No faction has ever raised them, so they're left to drift through the streets. But that's also given them their freedom."
"Over time, these unstable elements became a major headache for the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. The royals couldn't create a faction like Spirit Hall to gather and manage the Soul Masters."
"In the end, they came up with a solution: develop a culture of mindless entertainment."
"This culture came from the way babies cry incessantly, much to their parents' distress. Eventually, the parents discovered that giving the baby a pacifier satisfied both the baby's spiritual needs and the parents' desire to care for it."
"The imperial family used this idea to build Soul Master arenas, casinos, and all kinds of entertainment venues underground. They met every need of the Soul Masters at the bottom, and those unstable elements were brought under control."
Hearing Guangyu Douluo explain it, Ye Que and the others understood why Heaven Dou City looked so glittering aboveground, while a completely different scene lay beneath it.
In that case, these people couldn't really be called degenerates. They simply lacked the means to climb the social ladder.
Ye Que glanced at the Soul Masters on the street and remembered the days when he had been constantly on the run.
How were these people any different from the person he used to be?
Under the rule of the nobles, the number of unfortunate people only kept growing.
He became even more determined to rebuild Spirit Hall.
If they gathered all these people together and assigned them different jobs, while giving them decent living conditions, the continent would develop much faster—instead of constantly sucking the blood of the Soul Masters at the bottom.
Yu Mengdi felt the same way as Ye Que.
If only Spirit Hall still existed. With enough subsidies for Soul Masters, those at the bottom wouldn't have to live in such misery...
Soon, the group arrived at a huge fortress, and the greeter at the entrance immediately ushered them inside.
They hadn't even entered the main hall when they heard applause like a tidal wave, along with the frenzied howls of gamblers.
"No way! How could Number 32 lose? My five million Gold Soul Coins are gone..."
"Hahaha, I won! My all-in paid off! I started with a million, and the odds were ten to one. I've made a fortune, hahaha!"
"Give me my money back! I'll never gamble again..."
"Can minors apply for a refund?"
The voices came one after another, leaving Ye Que and the others at a loss.
Was this place some kind of huge casino?
Guangyu Douluo chuckled and pointed to the arena beneath the enormous circular auditorium. Several people were fighting there. "As I told you, this place is similar to a Soul Fighting Arena. The only difference is that there's no ranking system. It's one of the best places to earn money and gain practical experience."
"There are several different formats: free-for-alls, one-on-one matches, and doubles."
"Once the house sets the odds, they can change at any moment. You place your bets based on the current odds, and if you hit a major upset, you can win as much as twenty times your stake."
"The Soul Masters who come here are all desperate people, here for the money. Some even bet on themselves before signing up to fight, then strike it rich in a single battle."
Ye Que narrowed his eyes. "This really is a good place. Only by stepping out of a blood-soaked slaughter can you become a true powerhouse."
"Will we be held responsible if we kill someone by mistake?" Ye Wuqing asked.
Guangyu Douluo shook his head. "No. Once you step in here, everyone's after money. You can even spot Evil Soul Masters from time to time. Nobody cares whether a fighter lives or dies."
"If you're strong enough, you can force your way in and save someone. After all, strength rules."
"I'm here, so I'll guarantee your safety. Do your best and fight without holding back."
"Make money. Bring in as much as you can for the academy."
At that, Ye Que's eyes flashed.
During the fight just now, he thought he'd spotted an Evil Soul Master with a sinister aura.
"Let's sign up. I want to see how strong the Soul Masters here are, too."
Ye Wuqing rolled up his sleeves, a faintly smug look on his face. He was brimming with confidence in his own strength.
He'd prove to everyone what a high-ranked five-ring Soul King could do.
If he couldn't beat Ye Que, that was purely because Ye Que countered him. Against these desperate fighters, he wouldn't hold back at all.
Ye Que and Yu Mengdi exchanged glances, then left the main hall and headed to the registration desk.
Before long, they passed through several corridors and arrived in a large lobby.
Everyone here hid their auras well. When they ran into one another, they kept quiet. Only the Soul Fighting Casino staff greeted people with smiles.
Ye Que went to the registration desk. "I'd like to sign up."
The beautiful receptionist smiled warmly. "Lord Soul Master, give us your name, Martial Soul, and Soul Power Level, and you'll receive eligibility to fight in our casino. After that, you can join any format you like."
"Oh, and try not to use your real name."
Without hesitation, Ye Que replied, "Tang Yin. Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul, level 48 Power Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor."
The beautiful staff member couldn't help but stare in shock when she heard the words "Clear Sky Hammer."
The Clear Sky Sect hadn't appeared in public for hundreds of years. And now, she'd actually met someone from the Clear Sky Sect here.
But she was only surprised for a moment before registering Tang Yin's eligibility and handing Ye Que a Soul Tool identification badge for competitors.
As long as Ye Que showed this Soul Tool at the Soul Fighting Casino, he would be Tang Yin.
Then Ye Wuqing said, "Ye Wuque. Golden Leaf Martial Soul, level 56 Power Attack System Battle Soul King."
"Little Yuzi. Holy Angel Martial Soul, level 48 Power Attack System Battle Soul King," Yu Mengdi said.
The beautiful staff member registered them all, her eyes wide with shock.
Only after Tang Yin and the others had left the lobby did she look away, disbelief still written across her face.
The Clear Sky Hammer and the Holy Angel Martial Soul—how had the owners of those two Martial Souls become friends?
Whatever. Better not to think about it.
Meanwhile, after getting their eligibility badges, Ye Que and the others returned to the main hall and found seats.
At that moment, a Soul King-level battle was underway. The odds on both sides were almost the same—around 1.3 to 1, barely worth the effort.
Even so, the cheering was still like a tidal wave.
Ye Que watched for a while, then got up and headed toward the one-on-one arena. "I'll go test the waters in my first match. Watch the odds and place your bets. If you make money, remember to share some with me."
Ye Wuqing and Yu Mengdi exchanged a glance, realizing their chance to get rich had come.
When a newcomer like Ye Que entered a match for the first time against an experienced fighter, an upset was most likely.
Either he'd prove so strong that he crushed all expectations and make them rich in one go, or he'd end up getting trounced and leave the gamblers disappointed.
Before you continue