On the arena.
The host slowly descended from the air and landed in the center of the arena. He announced the results, his voice carrying through the Amplifying Soul Tool.
"What a wonderful Soul Fighting match! Let's congratulate the Dragon-Cloud Duo on their victory."
"After leaving the arena, don't forget to register your points. We look forward to your next match."
The three left the arena amid the audience's cheers. Below, Shi Mo helped his older brother, Shi Mo.
"Boss, don't you usually like to go on the offensive? Today, for Yanyan's kiss, you actually resorted to tricks. I look down on you!"
"That's called having a tactical mind. You're the one who failed to anticipate it." Yu Tianheng didn't take Shi Mo's words to heart at all.
So what if he'd resorted to a trick? He wasn't stupid. Was he supposed to leave Shi Mo on the arena so the brothers could gang up on him?
As they chatted, the four headed toward the point registration desk.
On the arena, the host's voice rang out again. The excitement continued, and the thrilling matches kept coming.
After registering their points, the four returned to their private box.
"Yanyan, my reward..." Yu Tianheng took the initiative and asked for his reward, not giving Dugu Yan any chance to put him off. He hadn't forgotten what she'd said before the match: if he won, she'd reward him with a kiss.
Shi Mo and Shi Mo, along with Ling Yun, all fixed their eyes on Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng, their gazes darting back and forth between the two.
Ye Lingling, meanwhile, looked at Ling Yun.
Dugu Yan ignored Shi Mo and Shi Mo's stares; she was used to them by now. But with Ling Yun watching her, she felt uncharacteristically uneasy. Her face warmed, and she was terribly embarrassed. Still, she was willing to own what she'd done. She walked up to Yu Tianheng, pecked him on the cheek, then pretended nothing had happened and changed the subject.
"Shi Mo, what happened to you? How could you make such a basic mistake and get kicked off the arena?"
Shi Mo's heart sank. Some things really shouldn't be watched.
"I'll reflect on it. I didn't read the battle properly, and I didn't think things through. My combat instincts need work..."
Shi Mo spoke at length, analyzing every detail of the match in a way that sounded perfectly reasonable.
Dugu Yan cut him off. "All right, all right. As long as you understand!"
"Lingling, come on. Let's enter the two-on-two Soul Fighting matches too. Our Twin Beauties Duo hasn't been on the arena in ages."
Ye Lingling nodded. The two quickly made their way to the registration desk, signed up, then returned to the private box to wait.
The brothers, Shi Mo and Shi Mo, sat in the private box and meditated. Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan snuggled together.
Ye Lingling stood quietly in front of the box's glass wall, watching the arena outside and the Soul Fighting matches underway.
The glass was one-way, so no one outside could see in. It also blocked some mental power and provided excellent soundproofing.
Ye Lingling watched the bizarre Soul Skills and mentally worked through how she could protect herself from them.
As a support-type Soul Master, the most important thing was to protect herself as much as possible while supporting her teammates.
Before long, the announcer's voice rang out again. It was Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's turn to compete.
Their match was on Soul Fighting Arena Twenty-One. Their opponents were a tall one and a short one.
"Attention, spectators! The third round of matches on Soul Fighting Arena Twenty-One is about to begin. Allow me to introduce the competitors."
"The Twin Beauties Duo consists of Ye Lingling, whose Martial Soul is the Nine Heart Begonia, and Dugu Yan, whose Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphorous Serpent."
"The Twin Rats Duo consists of Huang Yue, whose Martial Soul is a Weasel, and Wang Ying, whose Martial Soul is a field mouse."
"Who will emerge victorious? What kind of thrilling match will they bring us?"
"Now, open your eyes wide and watch closely!"
"Competitors, take note: you have one minute to release your Martial Souls. The match will begin in one minute."
After the host finished speaking, the two opponents didn't release their Martial Souls right away. Huang Yue, the tall, skinny one, spoke up. "You little girls should know what's good for you and admit defeat. Otherwise, when Uncle beats you, you'll be crying your eyes out!"
Dugu Yan looked at Huang Yue. His hair was neatly combed, with a yellow tuft only in the middle and bare skin on either side. He looked to be in his thirties and had quite a distinctive appearance.
His eyes were unusually bright, but for some reason, he gave off the impression that he was scheming and insincere.
"If you want us to surrender, Mister, you'd better show us what you can do!"
"You look so weak that Lingling doesn't even need to get involved. I can beat you both on my own. When you lose and can't find a crack in the ground to crawl into, don't blame me for going too hard on you."
Dugu Yan said this partly to get the last word, and partly to plant the mistaken impression that Ye Lingling was a powerful fighter too. Plenty of people didn't know about the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, and Ye Lingling had only used her Soul Skills a handful of times at the Great Soul Arena.
The short, stocky, middle-aged Wang Ying chimed in. "You've got quite a mouth on you, little girl. Uncle will make sure to give you a proper welcome."
"Your screams are sure to sound lovely!"
"Uncle can hardly wait!"
As Wang Ying spoke, lecherous light gleamed in his eyes. Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent matured quickly, the result of the combined effects of Soul Power and Soul Rings. Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were both around 1.7 meters tall.
If not for the unmistakable childishness in their faces, they wouldn't have looked much different from adults.
Wang Ying had always been a lecher, a veritable fiend among lechers. How could he keep his mouth shut when he saw two beautiful girls?
He still had a little sense. He knew they were in Heaven Dou City, and that two such young Soul Grandmasters must have someone powerful backing them. He didn't dare make his words too crude; he was afraid one careless step would keep him from seeing the next day's sun.
Wang Ying was just a self-taught rogue. Dugu Yan didn't have the words "Poison Douluo's granddaughter" written on her face.
Wang Ying had no idea what sort of person he'd offended. He continued, "And you, my other little beauty—so aloof and proud, with such a slender figure. Uncle will make sure you both surrender nice and easy."
"I'm sure this Soul Fighting match will be exceptionally thrilling!"
"Get ready for the audience's cheers! Heh heh heh..."
After hearing him, killing intent surged in Dugu Yan's heart, and fury flared within her. She wasn't a good-tempered person. As far as she was concerned, Wang Ying deserved to die. If the arena rules didn't forbid killing, she would have used the poison of her Martial Soul Origin to corrode him until not even dregs remained.
He could escape the death penalty, but not the punishment.
She saw the lecherous gleam in Wang Ying's eyes clearly. If he dared to act so brazenly in front of so many spectators, who knew what he was like in private?
She had already decided to cripple Wang Ying.
Dugu Yan released her Martial Soul. After her Jade Phosphorous Serpent possessed her, her legs became a snake's tail, swaying back and forth across the arena, and her eyes turned into vertical pupils.
Two yellow Soul Rings revolved slowly around her waist. She unleashed her Level 28 Soul Power without holding anything back, pressing it toward her opponents.
Wang Ying and Huang Yue released their Martial Souls as well.
After Huang Yue's Martial Soul possessed him, his arms became covered in fur, his fingernails turned into claws, and a tail appeared behind him. One white and one yellow Soul Ring revolved around his waist.
After Wang Ying's Martial Soul possessed him, his teeth jutted out and a few whiskers sprouted from the corners of his mouth. His arms grew short, his nails turned sharp and long, and a bloodthirsty light flickered in his eyes. He looked every bit like a giant rat.
His Soul Rings were also the optimal configuration: two yellow rings.
Ye Lingling didn't release her Martial Soul. She stood at the edge of the arena, ready to jump down if anything urgent happened and avoid being attacked.
"The match begins," the host announced.
The audience erupted, with almost everyone cheering for Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling.
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