"Little Sister Huo Wu, you're finally here! I've been waiting ages!"
"You missed quite a show!"
Feng Xiaotian darted out from some corner and hurried over to them with a beaming smile.
"Oh? Brother Xiaotian, you're here too? What a coincidence!"
The moment Huo Wushuang saw him, he warmly went over and slung an arm around his shoulders, giving him a hearty pat.
"You got here early, Brother Xiaotian. Things were pretty rowdy around here just now. What happened?"
"Yeah! Come on, tell us!"
The Blazing Fire Academy team crowded around him, all talking over one another as they urged him to explain.
They weren't the least bit surprised to see Feng Xiaotian.
Only Huo Wu stood off to one side with her arms crossed, her brows knitted in impatience and distaste.
Yet her ears perked up despite herself.
Feng Xiaotian's gaze lingered on Huo Wu for a moment. Only after he was sure she was listening too
did he clear his throat and announce loudly:
"In the previous Wager Match, someone put up a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!
And without releasing his Martial Soul or using a Soul Skill from start to finish, he beat his opponent until they were on their knees begging for mercy!"
"The fight just ended, and he's already put up another hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
"What? A hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins?"
Huo Wushuang and Huo Yun both sucked in a sharp breath. That was nearly enough to cover their team's expenses for a whole year!
"He beat his opponent without using his Martial Soul or Soul Skills?"
Huo Wu raised one eyebrow, a look of undisguised disdain curling her lips.
"Just how useless was the opponent?"
"His opponent was a spoiled young master from a minor family. His Martial Soul and fighting skills weren't much to speak of, but he wasn't exactly useless."
Feng Xiaotian replied noncommittally, then added,
"That guy was pretty capable!"
"Pretty capable?"
"Hmph, perfect. We need just this kind of whetstone!"
Huo Wu lifted her small chin, her face full of pride.
The Blazing Fire Team had come to Heaven Dou City for two reasons. First, with the Soul Master Tournament drawing near, they urgently needed real combat experience to sharpen their skills.
The Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City was the perfect place for that.
Second, both she and her older brother, Huo Wushuang, were on the verge of a breakthrough and hoped that battle might offer them a chance to break through.
Besides, Sunset Forest was close by.
Once they broke through, they could add their Soul Rings while they were at it!
"Come on, all of you, follow me. We're signing up! I want to see just how capable this guy is."
Huo Wu gave a cold snort and headed for the registration desk.
Inspired by her call, the whole team quickly followed.
They were both coveting the hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins and fired up by Qian Renxue's behavior.
After all, they were young and full of hot-blooded zeal!
"Come on, Brother Xiaotian. Let's go see what all the fuss is about."
Once everyone around him had left, Huo Wushuang said to Feng Xiaotian with a helpless look.
He might have been the captain of Blazing Fire Academy, but his teammates only listened to his opinions on major matters.
The rest of the time, his fiery little sister called the shots.
As soon as they reached the registration desk,
they saw Qian Renxue surrounded by Soul Masters with hostile expressions,
layer upon layer of them.
If a few Soul Fighting Arena staff members hadn't been holding them back, a fight might already have broken out.
"Huh—"
"I thought this was some arrogant, untamable tough guy. Turns out it's just a pretty boy with a delicate face, like a little girl."
Huo Wu looked the young man over from across the crowd, raising her brows in surprise.
"Everyone! If you want to take part in a Wager Match,
sign up, then return to the waiting hall.
If anyone dares to cause trouble inside the Soul Fighting Arena, don't blame this old man for showing no mercy!"
As the commotion grew, the staff realized the situation was getting out of hand and hurriedly called in an expert to keep things under control.
An old man with grizzled hair had appeared behind the crowd at some point.
He stood with his hands behind his back and gave a cold snort.
A vast pressure crashed down like a raging tide, pressing in from all sides and making everyone present catch their breath.
"That old man's pressure... it's no weaker than Grandpa's. He must be a Soul Douluo!"
"Heaven Dou City really is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers!"
Huo Wu's small face paled, and the fearless air she'd had moments before vanished.
The teammates behind her shrank their necks like startled quail.
With the expert holding them in check,
the restless participants immediately lost most of their nerve,
and one by one, they slunk back to the waiting hall.
But as they passed Qian Renxue, their eyes still burned with resentment, and they continued to keep her hemmed in.
"Kid, pray you don't end up in my hands. Otherwise, I'll make sure you learn the price of your arrogance!"
Despite the crowd's threats, Qian Renxue remained perfectly calm.
That changed Huo Wushuang and Feng Xiaotian's impression of her quite a bit.
She might have been arrogant, but her nerves were far stronger than most people's.
They even began to think she might be worth getting to know.
Before the crowd could discuss it for long, the matchups appeared on the waiting hall's big screen.
Fei Xue vs. Flame Queen!
And Flame Queen was the name Huo Wu had registered under at the Soul Fighting Arena!
"The vice-captain got picked!"
"A hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins! Holy crap!"
The Blazing Fire Team members immediately erupted with excitement. It felt just like winning the grand prize.
As for who would win?
Huo Wu was the leading figure among her academy's younger generation. Her talent and strength put her in the top tier of the entire Heaven Dou Empire.
She had this match in the bag!
"Hey—you!"
"Bad luck for you. I'm your opponent. I don't like your attitude at all—"
Huo Wu was a little surprised to have been drawn from the crowd, but her surprise quickly gave way to curiosity and confidence.
She lifted her small chin and looked toward Qian Renxue.
"But since there's a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins on the line, I'll be sure to leave you some dignity when I take you down!"
When the others saw that the randomly selected opponent was a young girl,
they were initially filled with disappointment and frustration.
But then they noticed the bright red Blazing Fire Academy badge on her chest, and swallowed their complaints.
Everyone in the Heaven Dou Empire knew the Four Elements Academies by name.
They'd rather let this Flame Queen represent them.
The thought that she could beat their opponent for them and avenge their humiliation made it just about acceptable!
However, in the face of Huo Wu's provocation, Qian Renxue only smiled faintly.
"Let's talk after you've beaten me."
With that, she headed toward the arena.
"She's so full of herself!"
The Blazing Fire Team members were so enraged by her arrogant disregard for everyone that they were practically spitting fire.
"Putting on airs in front of everyone else is one thing, but she's even trying that with our Blazing Fire Team!"
"Vice-captain, don't hold back! Teach him a lesson!"
Huo Wu was so furious that her small chest heaved up and down several times.
She stamped her foot and gritted her teeth.
"Hmph! I was going to go easy on him and spare him some humiliation.
Since he's so ungrateful,
don't blame me for showing no mercy. I'll beat him until he's crawling on the ground!"
"Little Sister Huo Wu, be careful!"
Feng Xiaotian didn't join in the cheering. Instead, he furrowed his brow and lowered his voice to give her a serious warning.
"That guy's no ordinary opponent. He might be hiding something. Don't let yourself get hurt."
"Shut up! Do I need you to teach me how to fight?"
Huo Wu turned and glared at Feng Xiaotian, then stormed off toward the arena.
Huo Wushuang had meant to offer a few words of advice too, but after seeing Feng Xiaotian get snapped at like that,
he wisely shut his mouth and said no more!
Before you continue