Xuan Qing stood above Suotuo City, looking down at its familiar streets, his heart filled with emotion.
"Zi JI, do you remember this place? This is where you found me back then, right by that breakfast stall."
Zi JI nodded, her gaze softening.
"I remember. Time really flies! In the blink of an eye, it's been almost three years."
He had only just come out at the time and was searching everywhere for a child with blue-green hair. As it happened, he had met her here.
Xuan Qing looked at Dugu Bo again.
"Old Poison, does your status as a Titled Douluo carry any weight around here?"
This time, Dugu Bo gave him a look as if he were an idiot.
"Isn't that a stupid question? Where wouldn't the status of a Titled Douluo carry weight? Get to the point. What bad idea have you come up with now?"
"Let's go straight to the Great Soul Arena. Your granddaughter and the others are sure to go there too. We can get a VIP box and sit back with some tea while we wait. We can't just stand around in the street, can we? That'd be so undignified."
Dugu Bo thought it over and decided that made sense. The three of them descended, concealed their auras, and entered the city.
When the three reached the entrance to the Great Soul Arena, one of the guards seemed to be spoiling for trouble and moved to stop them. Dugu Bo gave a cold snort and released a trace of a Titled Douluo's pressure.
The guard's legs gave way, and he nearly fell to his knees. He stepped aside with the utmost respect, while another guard immediately went to notify the supervisor.
When Supervisor Ao heard that a Titled Douluo had arrived, he came running to greet him. Upon seeing that it was Dugu Bo, he became even more deferential.
"Lord Dugu, what an honor! Forgive us for not welcoming you sooner. Please, come in! Come in!"
Dugu Bo waved a hand.
"Prepare a private box for us. Make sure it's a good one, somewhere quiet. And don't tell Dugu Yan of the Heaven Dou Team that I'm here."
Supervisor Ao nodded repeatedly.
"Understood, understood! Rest assured, my lord. This will be kept completely confidential."
He personally led the three of them to the finest private box. It offered an unobstructed view of the entire central main Soul Fighting Arena.
The box was fully stocked with tea, refreshments, and fruit. Dugu Bo sat down and picked up a teacup, but he had no mind to drink.
Xuan Qing took a sip of tea and set down his cup.
"You two wait here for a bit. I'll go have a look around. I've never been to the Great Soul Arena before. Maybe I'll fight a match while I'm at it. I've never fought in a Soul Fighting match, so I might as well see how it feels."
Dugu Bo glanced at him.
"Weren't you going to bully some children?"
Xuan Qing's reply was perfectly confident.
"I'm only ten years old today! Who's bullying whom?"
Dugu Bo watched him leave, then turned to Zi JI and asked,
"Senior, is your young master really only ten?"
Zi JI nodded.
"That's right. He was only a little over six when I found him. He really is still under ten."
Dugu Bo drew in a sharp breath. A Soul Elder under ten! He knew Xuan Qing was strong, but he had never expected him to be this strong. It was truly terrifying.
Xuan Qing left the private box and went straight to the registration desk. He wanted to test the Shrek Seven Devils and see if they were as strong as the original story had made them out to be.
The girl at the registration desk was young, with a sweet smile.
"Hello. Would you like to register for a Soul Fighting match?"
Xuan Qing nodded.
"All right. Please tell me your level and Martial Soul."
"Thirty-seven-level Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder. Martial Soul: Azure Dragon."
The girl was clearly taken aback.
"Azure Dragon? I've never heard of that Martial Soul. Are you sure it's the Azure Dragon?"
"I'm sure. Is there a problem?"
The girl hurriedly shook her head. "No, no! Would you like to use an alias or your real name?"
Xuan Qing thought for a moment.
"I'll use an alias. Call me Divine Lord Meng Zhang. Make sure you spell it right."
The girl wrote down the alias and handed him a badge.
Xuan Qing took it and asked,
"I heard you have a team here called the Shrek Seven Devils. I'd like to challenge the whole team."
The girl's eyes widened.
"Y-you said what? Challenge the whole team? That's seven people!"
"I know. That's why I want to enter a betting match."
He pulled out a Gold Soul Coin card.
"One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. You win, you take it. You lose, I beat you up. Seems fair, right?"
The girl's hand trembled. One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins! That was no small sum! She hesitated.
"Both sides have to agree to a betting match, and besides..."
Xuan Qing lowered his voice.
"Friendly advice: I came here with Lord Dugu. Don't ask questions you shouldn't."
The girl's expression changed. She understood immediately.
"Please wait! I...I'll go ask the supervisor."
She hurried away and soon returned with Supervisor Ao. He looked at Xuan Qing, then at the Gold Soul Coin card, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Young master, this...this isn't in keeping with the rules. The Shrek Seven Devils have never entered a betting match. I'll need to ask for their opinion."
Xuan Qing nodded.
"Of course. I won't force them. Go ask. I'll wait here."
Supervisor Ao wiped his sweat and hurried to the Shrek Seven Devils' rest room. This matter involved Dugu Bo, so he didn't dare take it lightly.
Inside the rest room, the Shrek Seven Devils were preparing for that evening's match. Their opponents were the Heaven Dou Royal Team, a formidable team.
Yu Xiaogang was laying out the strategy when the sound of a knock interrupted them. Supervisor Ao walked in.
"Sorry to disturb you. There's something I need to ask your opinion on."
Yu Xiaogang frowned.
"What is it? We're about to compete."
Supervisor Ao smiled apologetically.
"A young master at the Soul Elder level wants to challenge your whole team. It's a betting match, with a stake of one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."
"If you win, the money is yours. If you lose...he'll beat you up. He calls himself Divine Lord Meng Zhang, and his Martial Soul is the Azure Dragon."
The rest room fell silent. Dai Mubai was the first to laugh. "One against seven? And he's only a Soul Elder? Is something wrong with his head?"
Ma Hongjun laughed too. "One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins? That's easy money! It's being handed to us on a platter. We'd be fools to turn it down!"
Tang San frowned, though. He felt like he had heard the name Azure Dragon somewhere, but couldn't remember where. And anyone who challenged seven people alone couldn't be stupid.
Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "We have a team Soul Fighting match today. Another individual match would affect your performance. Turn him down."
Tang San suddenly spoke up. "Teacher, let's accept. One against seven—I refuse to believe he can be that strong. Besides, we need money."
He truly did need money. Establishing the Tang Sect would require a great deal of funding, and one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins was no small sum.
Oscar was tempted too. "Exactly, Grandmaster! One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins! That'd keep us going for ages!"
Ning Rongrong said nothing. She was thinking about the Azure Dragon Martial Soul. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had a vast collection of ancient texts, but she couldn't recall seeing any record of such a Martial Soul.
Xiao Wu folded her arms. "If Third Brother says we should fight, then we'll fight. Are the seven of us really afraid of one person?"
Zhu Zhuqing was silent beside them, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
A calculating glint flashed in Flender's eyes. One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins! When had he ever seen that much money?
Zhao Wuji was rubbing his hands together nearby too.
Most of them were in favor, and Yu Xiaogang couldn't sway them. He had no choice but to nod. Besides, he didn't believe their opponent had any hidden trump card that could let him take on seven people at once.
Supervisor Ao breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then I'll make the arrangements. The match will start in the Central Arena within half an hour."
Soon, the announcement rang out, its voice carrying throughout the Great Soul Arena.
"Divine Lord Meng Zhang and the Shrek Seven Devils, please come to the central main Soul Fighting Arena for your match!"
The crowd erupted. One against seven? And it was a betting match? This was going to be quite a show!
The host's impassioned voice rang out. "Ladies and gentlemen! The match about to begin will go down in the annals of the Shrek Great Soul Arena!"
"On the left, our old friends, the Shrek Seven Devils! Twenty-seven victories in twenty-seven team matches, and still undefeated!"
"On the right, a newcomer who registered today: a thirty-seven-level Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder, Divine Lord Meng Zhang! He'll be taking on all seven by himself!"
Spotlights shone on the entrances on both sides. The Shrek Seven Devils came out first, with Dai Mubai leading and Tang San bringing up the rear.
The seven took their places, and their Soul Rings lit up in unison. Dai Mubai, Tang San, Oscar, and Xiao Wu each had two yellow rings and one purple ring.
Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing each had two yellow rings. It was a standard optimal Soul Ring Configuration, and the crowd roared its approval.
But when Xuan Qing came through the passage and took his place at the other end of the arena, the entire place fell silent.
The Soul Rings around him were simply too terrifying: one yellow, one purple, and one black.
His third Soul Ring was a ten-thousand-year ring!
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 was quite calm. She had known about them for a long time.
The one most shaken was Yu Xiaogang. Sitting in the private box, he saw that black Soul Ring and went completely wild.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! According to my Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, the limit for the Second Soul Ring is seven hundred and sixty-four years!"
"The limit for the third Soul Ring is one thousand seven hundred and sixty years! Exceed it by even a little, and your body will explode!"
"That black Soul Ring...is at least ten thousand years old! It defies theory! This is impossible!"
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