On the high platform, Xu Tianran sat beside the imperial throne, his face stern as he fixed his gaze on the arena. The seat beside him was empty, reserved for Xu Yanli, but today Xu Yanli wouldn't be sitting there.
Today, he would be standing on the competition stage.
In the Shrek seating area, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Ling Luochеn, and the others had taken their seats long ago. Their faces were expressionless, but their hands gripped the armrests so tightly that their knuckles had turned white.
In the Sun Moon Empire's seating area, Xiao Hongchen sat with one leg crossed over the other, a blade of grass between his lips. He looked carefree, but his eyes never left the contestants' passage.
Meng Hongchen sat beside him, holding the Vermilion Clear Ice Toad in her arms. It was her little Soul Spirit, and she couldn't hide the tension in her eyes.
A little after eight in the morning, a long horn suddenly sounded, ringing throughout the Soul Fighting Arena.
Two figures emerged almost at the same time from the shadows of the contestants' passage.
On the left was Wang Dong'er. Her pink-and-blue hair fell over her shoulders, and she wore a pale golden gown with a matching ribbon tied around her waist. Her steps were steady, her expression calm.
She didn't walk quickly, but every step was firm. She kept her Soul Power aura completely concealed, making it impossible to gauge her strength.
On the right was Xu Yanli, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe with a matching cloak draped over it. His golden hair was tied behind his head, and the Jade Fan he never went without hung at his waist.
He walked even more slowly, with a hint of nonchalance, as if he were going out for a