Xuan Qing's Little Thoughts

Xuan Qing stood above Suotuo City, looking down at the familiar streets below with a sense of nostalgia.

"Zi Ji, do you remember this place? You found me right here, at that breakfast stall."

Zi Ji nodded, her gaze softening.

"I remember. Time flies so fast! In the blink of an eye, it's been nearly three years."

Back then, he hadn't been out for long and was searching everywhere for a child with blue hair, only to run into her right here.

Xuan Qing turned his gaze toward Dugu Bo.

"Old Poison, does your status as a Title Douluo carry any weight around here?"

This time, it was Dugu Bo's turn to look at him as if he were an idiot.

"Isn't that a load of nonsense? Where would the status of a Title Douluo not be useful? Speak up. What kind of mischief are you planning now?"

"We're heading straight to the Great Soul Arena. Your granddaughter and the others will surely be there. We'll just find a VIP box, sip some tea, and wait. We can't just stand around on the street; that would be beneath us."

Dugu Bo thought about it and agreed. After the three of them landed, they suppressed their auras and walked into the city.

When the three arrived at the entrance of the Great Soul Arena, the guards seemed to think they were trouble and tried to block them, but Dugu Bo let out a cold snort, slightly releasing the pressure of a Title Douluo.

The guards' legs went weak, and they nearly collapsed to their knees. They respectfully cleared the path, and one of them immediately ran off to notify the supervisor.

When Supervisor Ao heard that a Title Douluo had arrived, he scurried over to welcome them, and upon seeing it was Dugu Bo, he became even more deferential.

"Your Excellency Dugu, forgive me for not meeting you sooner. Please, come in! Please, come in!"

Dugu Bo waved his hand.

"Prepare a private room for us. Make it a good one, somewhere quiet. Also, don't tell Dugu Yan of the Heaven Dou Team that I'm here."

Supervisor Ao nodded repeatedly.

"Understood, understood! Rest assured, Your Excellency, it will be kept strictly confidential."

He personally led the three to the best private room, which offered a wide view overlooking the entire central main arena.

The box was fully stocked with tea and fruit platters. Dugu Bo sat down and picked up a teacup, but he had no heart to drink.

Xuan Qing took a sip of tea and set his cup down.

"You two wait here for a while. I'm going out for a stroll. I've never been to the Great Soul Arena before. I might even go and fight a match; after all, I've never participated in a soul fight, so I want to test the feel of it."

Dugu Bo glanced at him.

"Aren't you just going to bully children?"

Xuan Qing's reply was righteous and confident.

"I'm only ten years old today! Who is bullying whom, exactly?"

Dugu Bo watched him leave and turned to ask Zi Ji.

"Senior, is the young master really only ten years old?"

Zi Ji nodded.

"That's right. When I found him, he was only six-plus years old. He is indeed not yet ten."

Dugu Bo gasped. A Soul Elder under ten years old—he knew Xuan Qing was strong, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong. It was truly terrifying.

Xuan Qing left the box and went straight to the registration desk. He wanted to probe the true strength of the Shrek Seven Devils to see if they were as formidable as written in the original records.

The person at the registration desk was a young girl with a sweet smile.

"Hello, are you here to register for a soul fight?"

Xuan Qing nodded.

"Very well, please state your rank and Martial Soul."

"Level 37 Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder, Martial Soul Azure Dragon."

The girl was clearly stunned for a moment.

"Azure Dragon? I've never heard of this Martial Soul. Are you sure it's an Azure Dragon?"

"I am sure. Is there a problem?"

The girl quickly shook her head. "No, no! Then, will you be using a code name or your real name?"

Xuan Qing thought for a moment.

"Use a code name. Call me Meng Zhang Divine Lord. Don't write it wrong."

The girl wrote down the code name and handed him a badge.

Xuan Qing took it and asked, "I heard there is a team here called the Shrek Seven Devils? I want to challenge their entire team."

The girl's eyes widened.

"You... what did you say? Challenge the entire team? That's seven people!"

"I know, which is why I am initiating a gambling soul fight."

He pulled out a Gold Soul Coin card and placed it on the counter.

"One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. If you win, you take it; if you lose, you get a beating from me. Fair, isn't it?"

The girl's hand trembled. One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins! That was no small sum. She hesitated for a moment.

"A gambling match requires consent from both parties, and..."

Xuan Qing lowered his voice.

"A friendly tip: I came here with His Excellency Dugu. Don't ask questions you shouldn't."

The girl's expression shifted, and she understood immediately.

"Please wait a moment! I... I will go consult the supervisor."

She trotted away and soon returned with Supervisor Ao. Supervisor Ao looked at Xuan Qing, then at the Gold Soul Coin card, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Young Master, this... this is against the rules. The Shrek Seven Devils have never participated in a gambling match. I need to ask for their opinion."

Xuan Qing nodded.

"Naturally. I would not force anyone. Go ask; I shall wait here."

Supervisor Ao wiped his sweat and hurried to the lounge of the Shrek Seven Devils. Since this matter involved Dugu Bo, he dared not be negligent.

Inside the lounge, the Shrek Seven Devils were preparing for tonight's match against the Heaven Dou Royal Team, a team of considerable strength.

Yu Xiaogang was laying out the strategy when Tang San and the others heard a knock on the door, and Supervisor Ao walked in.

"Pardon the intrusion, but there is a matter I must consult you on."

Yu Xiaogang frowned.

"What is it? We are about to compete."

Supervisor Ao offered a fawning smile.

"A young master at the Soul Elder level wishes to challenge your entire team. It is a gambling match with a stake of one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."

"If you win, the money is yours. If you lose... you get a beating from him. He calls himself Meng Zhang Divine Lord, and his Martial Soul is the Azure Dragon."

The lounge fell instantly silent. Dai Mubai laughed first: "One against seven? And he's just a Soul Elder? Is he out of his mind?"

Ma Hongjun also chuckled: "One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins? This money is too easy to earn! It's delivered to our doorstep; it would be a waste not to take it!"

Tang San, however, frowned. He felt he had heard the name Meng Zhang Divine Lord somewhere, but he couldn't quite place it. Besides, a one-on-seven challenge—the opponent couldn't be a fool.

Yu Xiaogang shook his head: "We have a team soul fight today. Another individual match will affect your performance. Refuse it."

Tang San suddenly spoke up: "Teacher, let's accept. One against seven—I don't believe he can be that formidable. Besides, we need the money."

He truly needed the funds; establishing the Tang Sect required a massive amount of capital, and one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins was no small amount.

Oscar was also tempted: "That's right, Master! It's one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins! That's enough to last us a long time!"

Ning Rongrong remained silent. She was contemplating the Azure Dragon Martial Soul. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possessed countless ancient texts, yet she didn't recall any records of such a Martial Soul.

Xiao Wu crossed her arms: "If Third Brother says we fight, then we fight. Are the seven of us afraid of just one person?"

Zhu Zhuqing stood to the side, silent, feeling that something was not quite right.

A calculating light flashed in Flender's eyes. One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins! When had he ever seen so much money?

Zhao Wuji was also rubbing his hands together on the side.

With so many in favor, Yu Xiaogang could not resist and nodded. Furthermore, he did not believe the opponent possessed any trump card that would allow him to take on seven people at once.

Supervisor Ao breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then I shall go arrange the match. It will begin in the central plaza in half an hour."

Soon, the broadcast echoed, its voice spreading throughout the entire Great Soul Arena.

"Will Meng Zhang Divine Lord and the Shrek Seven Devils please proceed to the central main soul arena for the soul fight!"

The audience erupted. One against seven? And a gambling match? This was going to be a spectacle!

The host's passionate voice rang out: "Ladies and gentlemen! The soul fight that follows will be recorded in the annals of the Shrek Great Soul Arena!"

"On the left, our old friends, the Shrek Seven Devils! Twenty-seven team battles, twenty-seven victories, undefeated!"

"On the right, a newcomer who just registered today, a thirty-seventh-level Power Attack System Soul Elder, Meng Zhang Divine Lord! He will challenge all seven opponents alone!"

Spotlights hit both entrances. The Shrek Seven Devils walked out first, with Dai Mubai leading and Tang San bringing up the rear.

The seven stood firm, and their soul rings lit up in unison. Dai Mubai, Tang San, Oscar, and Xiao Wu all displayed two yellow and one purple.

Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing all had two yellow rings—the standard optimal soul ring configuration, drawing cheers from the crowd.

But when Xuan Qing walked out of the tunnel and stood on the other side of the arena, the entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

Because the soul rings on his body were terrifying: one yellow, one purple, one black.

His third soul ring was already ten thousand years old!

In the private box, Dugu Bo's eyes nearly popped out of his head. This was the first time he had seen Xuan Qing reveal his soul rings.

Zi Ji, however, remained calm; she had known all along.

The person most affected was Yu Xiaogang. Sitting in the box and seeing that black soul ring, he became completely frantic.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! According to my Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, the limit for a second soul ring is seven hundred and sixty-four years!"

"The limit for a third soul ring is one thousand seven hundred and sixty years! Exceeding it by even a little would cause the body to explode and die!"

"This black soul ring... it is at least ten thousand years! This defies theory! This is impossible!"