The Soul Fighting Zone was an extremely important area within Shrek Academy, located in the northwest corner of the Martial Soul Department. It was also a place frequently visited by many upperclassmen.
All kinds of competitions could be held here, with dedicated teachers serving as referees, responsible for determining victory and defeat, protecting the students, and providing timely aid and treatment.
Of course, these services required payment. For a Soul Fighting match, both sides had to pay at least ten Gold Soul Coins as a venue fee.
Even so, the students still flocked here tirelessly, because they could spar without any restrictions and need not worry about causing injuries by striking too heavily. The referee teachers would precisely control the situation.
At the same time, Soul Fighting Zone matches were open to all students. They only needed to pay one Silver Soul Coin for admission to enter and watch.
A voice suddenly rang out across Shrek Academy through an amplifying Soul Tool.
"First grade Huo Yuhao is challenging fifth-year Xu Sanshi. This Soul Fighting match will be held in the Soul Fighting Zone shortly."
"..."
It was repeated three times in succession.
Tang San, who had been strolling along one of the academy paths, halted upon hearing the news. A chill flashed through his eyes.
He had originally planned to go out for dinner, but now he had to head to the Soul Fighting Zone. He needed to verify whether Huo Yuhao had been reborn like him.
Inside a lounge in the Soul Fighting Zone.
"Bei Bei, your Xiao Ya is really taking someone else's side. She even used such a sinister thing on me."
As Xu Sanshi complained, he lifted his shirt toward Bei Bei. On the right side of his waist was a swollen lump as large as an infant's fist.
Although he was still maintaining his Martial Soul release, and the skin around it seemed as hard as iron.
His words still revealed his apprehension. "Hurry up and get that thing out for me. I still have to go on stage later..."
Bei Bei looked at the swelling on Xu Sanshi's body and frowned slightly. He clearly had not expected Tang Ya to use that hidden weapon, and could only respond helplessly.
"Withdraw your Martial Soul first. Then I'll help you remove the Dragon Whisker Needle."
Xu Sanshi did as instructed and slowly withdrew his Martial Soul.
Without the restraint of his Martial Soul, waves of piercing pain immediately surged from where the Dragon Whisker Needle had entered. Even with his cultivation and willpower, his body still began to tremble uncontrollably.
Bei Bei's right hand rapidly tapped several times around Xu Sanshi's wound. Then both of his hands moved at once, streams of gentle Soul Power continuously flowing into the tightly curled muscles.
His movements were incomparably fast, and every rhythmic motion of his fingers carried a different degree of Soul Power.
After a short while, a golden thread even thinner than a strand of hair was slowly expelled from the muscles around Xu Sanshi's waist.
Bei Bei gave it a light tug. The golden thread sprang free and swiftly shrank into a golden bead the size of a grain of millet. With a flick of his wrist, he put it away.
Xu Sanshi let out a long breath of relief, moved his body around, and was about to leave the lounge.
"Sanshi, why don't you just forget it?"
Bei Bei watched Xu Sanshi's eager expression, worry still lingering between his brows.
"Since that person dared accept your provocation, he probably isn't simple."
Xu Sanshi merely snorted coldly and shot Bei Bei a sidelong glance.
"Bei Bei, how old is that pretty boy? Even if he's a genius, his cultivation can be no higher than Soul Elder. But I'm Xu Sanshi, the First Shield of the Outer Court. Do you really think I'd be afraid of him?"
As he headed toward the Soul Fighting Platform, he continued speaking without pause.
"Don't worry, Bei Bei. I know my limits. At most, I'll beat him so badly he won't be able to get out of bed for a few months, so that pretty boy can learn that some people aren't his to touch."
Bei Bei's bitter smile deepened after hearing that. He shook his head helplessly and muttered inwardly, If you really do that, you'll never catch Jiang Nannan in this lifetime.
Still, Bei Bei did not continue trying to persuade Xu Sanshi. Though he felt faintly uneasy, he did not believe that a freshman who had just enrolled could truly defeat Xu Sanshi. At most, he figured it would end in a draw.
The Soul Fighting Zone was a massive hexagonal venue, roughly the same size as Shrek Plaza.
The center was a large stretch of open ground, clearly intended for students to compete and spar.
Around it were tiers of gradually rising seats. By rough estimate, they could accommodate around three thousand people at once.
By the time Huo Yuhao stepped onto the Soul Fighting Platform, quite a few people had already taken seats around it.
And beside Xu Sanshi stood a teacher who appeared to be around forty years old.
The teacher responsible for judging the match examined Huo Yuhao with considerable interest. After all, it was his first time seeing a freshman directly challenge an upperclassman, let alone one of the renowned Twin Stars of the Outer Court.
"Little Yuhao, go for it! Beat that turtle up good!"
The moment Huo Yuhao had taken his position, he heard a crisp, loud shout from the seats in the direction he had come from.
Looking toward the sound, he saw Tang Ya excitedly standing up and vigorously waving her arm as she cheered him on.
Jiang Nannan, beside Tang Ya, was more reserved and did not shout like Tang Ya. She merely waved at Huo Yuhao and silently mouthed, "Good luck."
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao revealed a gentle smile. He waved toward Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya, then gave them a slight nod.
The handsome black-haired youth, paired with his spotless white academy uniform, naturally exuded an air of noble refinement.
That elegant gesture immediately drew excited squeals from the female students seated on Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya's side.
"Wow! This junior is so handsome!"
"Junior, good luck! I'm rooting for you!"
"Junior, I love you!"
As for Bei Bei on the other side of the platform, seeing Tang Ya enthusiastically cheering Huo Yuhao on made his feelings even more inexplicable, and his brows unconsciously furrowed.
Xu Sanshi, standing opposite Huo Yuhao, heard those voices, especially after seeing Jiang Nannan's gesture. He immediately snorted coldly, his tone filled with undisguised contempt and provocation.
"Pretty boy, are you ready to get beaten senseless by me?"
"Old turtle, I hope your strength is as tough as your shell."
Huo Yuhao responded indifferently. After being repeatedly provoked by Xu Sanshi, even considering his past life, he now found Xu Sanshi deeply unpleasant.
"You..."
Xu Sanshi was thoroughly choked by Huo Yuhao's neither soft nor hard "old turtle." His eyes widened as he gritted his teeth and said,
"I was originally planning to go easy on you and just beat you up. Now, get ready to spend the next few months lying in bed."
Seeing the hostility between them growing increasingly intense, the referee teacher gave a light cough, then walked to the center of the field and said in a deep voice,
"First grade Huo Yuhao is challenging fifth-year Xu Sanshi. If Xu Sanshi loses the match, he must additionally pay ten Gold Soul Coins. Are you both ready?"
Huo Yuhao and Xu Sanshi nodded to the referee at the same time.
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