On Being Featured

The Soul Fighting Zone was located in the northwest corner of the Martial Soul Department. It was an important area of Shrek Academy,

and one of the places upperclassmen frequented most.

Shrek Academy discouraged students from fighting among themselves. Anyone caught deliberately provoking another student into a private fight would be severely punished, and in the worst cases, expelled.

However, if both parties agreed, they could step into the ring and fight openly,

until a winner was decided.

That was one of the Soul Fighting Zone's main purposes.

Both parties had to pay ten Gold Soul Coins to cover the venue, the referee's assessment, and any subsequent aid or treatment.

Spectators who wanted to watch

also had to pay one Silver Soul Coin as an admission fee.

After the match,

the total ticket revenue was split fifty-fifty: half went to the Academy and half to the winner.

In other words, matches could earn you money.

It looked like a good way to make a profit,

and some students had indeed made money this way.

But in practice, it wasn't easy.

The ten Gold Soul Coins paid to enter were nonrefundable. Win or lose, once you paid, the money was gone. One Gold Soul Coin was worth ten Silver Soul Coins, which meant you needed ticket sales from a hundred spectators just to cover the entry fee.

And the Academy took half,

so you actually needed two hundred people to show up.

It wasn't something you could do with a snap of your fingers.

Besides, that only got your costs back. There was no telling how much you'd actually earn.

And every loss cost you ten Gold Soul Coins. For most students, Soul Fighting was more money out than in.

"What did the announcement just say? Xu Sanshi's fighting who?"

"I think his name was Lu Ran..."

"Could it be that guy from a few days ago?"

"Come on, let's go!"

"..."

"Did you hear? Hurry up!"

The Soul Fighting Zone made free announcements to let students know who would be fighting next, so they could come pay to watch.

Popular figures at the Academy could draw larger crowds,

and Xu Sanshi happened to be one of the popular figures at Shrek Outer Court.

His name was known far and wide.

There were two reasons for that.

First,

he was the young master of the Mysterious Underworld Sect, with a lofty status and remarkable talent. Alongside Bei Bei, whose Martial Soul was the Blue Lightning Overlord Dragon, he was known as one of the Outer Court's Twin Stars.

One specialized in absolute offense, the other in absolute defense.

They were among the students most likely to advance to the Inner Academy.

And second...

His behavior was one of a kind. Even in a place as big as Shrek Academy, it was exceedingly rare, and stood in stark contrast to his status.

That meant even more people knew about him.

On top of that, more than ten days ago, Jiang Nannan had thrown herself into Lu Ran's arms in public. There hadn't been many people there, but other students had seen it,

and they'd witnessed it all with their own eyes.

The expedition had barely set off when the news exploded across the Outer Court. Xu Sanshi had been so furious he wanted to chase after them and demand an explanation, but in the end, he gave up because he didn't dare.

The entire Outer Court was waiting to see what happened next,

eagerly hoping Lu Ran would return.

Now there was finally news,

so of course they had to get there as soon as possible!

By the time the referee announced that Lu Ran and Xu Sanshi were entering the ring, the entire spectator area was already packed.

The crowd was a sea of people, and the noise was deafening.

"Is that guy Lu Ran?"

"..."

"Is he a freshman?"

"Have you seen him before?"

"I don't think he's a freshman. Then how's he allowed to fight?"

"Who knows? If the referee says it's fine, it's fine."

Lu Ran and Xu Sanshi stepped into the ring.

The spectators erupted in one roar after another.

Xu Sanshi smiled confidently and spread his arms, welcoming the crashing waves of cheers.

"Do you hear that?"

He stared at Lu Ran and held out one hand, palm facing inward, slowly curling it into a fist. His grin revealed a row of gleaming white teeth. "That's for me!"

The referee took his place. "Begin."

Whoosh!

Xu Sanshi summoned his black Xuanming Tortoise Martial Soul. Three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—appeared as he charged at Lu Ran.

"Come..."

He never finished.

"Bang!"

"Thud!"

The whole arena fell silent at once.

"..."

After several seconds of silence,

the spectators' mouths slowly fell open as they struggled to accept the unbelievable scene.

It had all happened too fast...

Xu Sanshi hadn't even finished speaking when a Rock Pillar rose from the ground and sent him straight into the air. Then another Rock Pillar struck him midair, sending him flying out of the ring like a kite with its string cut.

He skidded several meters across the stone floor.

The spectators' eyes followed the attack in reverse,

but the Rock Pillar that had risen from the ground had already disappeared, as if nothing had happened.

Lu Ran had merely extended a finger and stood there calmly. A Purple Soul Ring floated beside him—

a Thousand-Year Soul Ring!

The whole thing had taken only a few seconds...

And he had defeated the three-ringed Xuanming Tortoise, renowned for its defense!!

The arena roared—

In an instant,

the whole place erupted!

"Holy crap, Xu Sanshi's already down?!"

"No way?!"

"How is that possible?!"

"..."

The students burst into an uproar. Who exactly was Lu Ran?! Where had that Purple Soul Ring come from?! Was he a three-ring Soul Master?! How old was he?!

Countless questions filled their minds,

and they were desperate for answers, but there was no way they could get them right now.

The referee was stunned too. In all his years, he had never seen a one-sided beating like this. Even at Shrek Academy, famous for its talented students,

Lu Ran was a three-ring Soul Master unlike any he had ever seen.

He came back to himself and announced:

"The winner, Lu Ran!"

Another deafening roar rose from the stands. Their bowl-like shape was perfect for amplifying sound, and now the noise was so immense it seemed almost tangible.

In the crowd,

Jiang Nannan clutched her chest and let out a sigh of relief. The nervousness in her beautiful eyes finally faded.

She gazed at Lu Ran in excitement.

So he was this strong.

"Ahem..."

On the ground, Xu Sanshi lay there dazed, blood trickling from his nose and mouth.

What happened...

Why was I lying down...

He looked up at the cheering students around him. Enduring the pain in his leg, he struggled to his feet.

"Cough..."

A sweet, metallic taste rose from his lungs.

He thought back over what had just happened. It seemed a Rock Pillar had burst from the ground, breaking through the defense he was so proud of. In midair, he had tried to defend himself, but when he attempted to use his Soul Skill, something had suddenly held him back. His Martial Soul had also felt an inexplicable pressure.

He had never felt anything like it in all these years.

He instinctively rubbed his itchy chin, only to find his hand covered in blood...

I could lose?

I lost?

Did I lose?

Xu Sanshi couldn't believe it.

On the ring, Lu Ran wasn't particularly concerned with any of this. Amid the thunderous cheers, he turned and walked off.

Out of the corner of his eye, he happened to notice a young man and woman in the audience.

They looked about thirteen or fourteen, and both wore school uniforms.

The girl's long black hair was tied in a ponytail down her back. Her eyes were big and lively, her nose pert, and her face an almost perfect oval.

Her expression, though, was beyond her control. Her mouth was still hanging open.

The young man to her right had short, deep-blue hair that gleamed like a gemstone in the sunlight. He wasn't very old, yet he had an air of refinement about him.

His handsome face also showed a hint of surprise.

They seemed to be Bei Bei and Tang Ya, two of the Tang Sect's most prominent figures these days.

Noticing Lu Ran's gaze,

Bei Bei's handsome face warmed with a gentle smile,

which he returned.

Lu Ran was about to look away when he happened to spot a graceful figure in the crowd,

also looking his way—

Ling Luochеn.

His body stiffened.

Over the years, Lu Ran and Ling Luochеn had often spoken, and they were on familiar terms.

He just hadn't expected her to be here.

It really was a small world, even in such a vast place as Shrek.

Lu Ran pretended not to see her

and walked over to Jiang Nannan.

"The nuisance has been taken care of. Let's go."

"Okay!"

Jiang Nannan obediently held out her hand and smiled sweetly.