Soul Fighting Arena: Yu Yan's Match

After Wednesday's Soul Ring theory class, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu, having saved up enough Gold Soul Coins, headed to the Great Soul Arena in Balaque City.

The Balak Great Soul Arena was an oval-domed structure standing 150 meters tall. Built primarily from marble, it exuded luxury and grandeur.

A massive stone monument stood at the entrance to the Soul Fighting Arena. Its front recorded the Soul Masters who had earned honors within Balaque City's Soul Fighting Arena, while its back recorded the Soul Masters who had died there. It was said to symbolize honor and death.

The Balak Great Soul Arena contained one main Soul Fighting Arena and twenty-eight branch Soul Fighting Arenas, accommodating ninety thousand spectators at once.

The Soul Fighting Arena was a competitive venue operated by a third-party force jointly established by the seven great Soul Master families. It was a place for Soul Masters to hone themselves and earn money.

Registration for the Soul Fighting Arena cost ten Gold Soul Coins. Yu Yan and Xiao Wu did not have enough coins between them, so after a discussion that barely counted as one, Yu Yan would fight the first match.

Once Yu Yan won and earned the ten Gold Soul Coin reward, Xiao Wu would use the ten coins he had won to register for her own match.

After filling in his basic personal information on the registration form handed over by the staff, displaying his Martial Soul, and testing his Soul Power, Yu Yan received an Iron Grade Badge from the Soul Fighting Arena.

The type of Soul Fighting Yu Yan entered was naturally a competitive match where killing was forbidden.

Before long, Yu Yan faced his first Soul Fighting match.

Before entering the contestant passageway for the one-on-one Soul Fighting area, Yu Yan handed his remaining four Gold Soul Coins to Xiao Wu. "Remember to bet on me winning in the arena's wagering pool later."

Yu Yan did not merely intend to earn the ten Gold Soul Coins for victory. He also intended to make money from the betting.

As for losing?

That was utterly impossible.

"Got it, got it."

Xiao Wu took the Gold Soul Coins and gave Yu Yan an OK gesture.

Yu Yan's match was held in the No. 28 Branch Soul Fighting Arena, a place for One-Ring Soul Masters to fight one-on-one, located in a corner of the Balak Great Soul Arena.

Even so, this branch arena had a diameter of twenty meters, enough for One-Ring Soul Masters to fight to their fullest. Until Yu Yan achieved five consecutive victories or broke through to Soul Grandmaster, he would be competing here.

On the fighting platform of the No. 28 Branch Soul Fighting Arena stood an elderly man with completely white hair and beard. After clearing his throat, he amplified his voice with Soul Power.

"Next up is the next match of the 28th Division Soul Fighting Arena. The two Soul Masters taking the stage are the Level 15 Soul Master Wu Xu, who possesses the beast Martial Soul Black Wolf, and his opponent. Wu Xu has achieved an excellent record of three consecutive victories in this arena. I believe everyone knows of Wu Xu's strength, but his opponent is no less remarkable."

The old man deliberately paused, drawing the audience's interest. Only after someone urged him on did he continue.

"His opponent is the Level 12 Soul Master Yu Yan, who possesses the mutated beast Martial Soul Ice and Fire Twin Fish. This contestant's Martial Soul is highly unusual. According to him, it is a Companion Martial Soul born as one body with twins. Its Martial Soul form consists of two fish: one Fire Fish and one Ice Fish."

"A twin Martial Soul in one body—none of you have seen one before, have you? To be honest, this old man has never seen one either."

"Who will emerge victorious from this match? Let us wait and see. Now, please welcome both Soul Masters to the stage."

After the old man's introduction, every spectator focused on the arena. They all wanted to see what the so-called Companion Martial Soul, Ice and Fire Twin Fish, actually looked like.

Yu Yan had considered concealing his identity, but it was simply difficult to hide one's identity on Douluo Continent, especially when his Martial Soul was so unusual.

In the stands, after placing all her Gold Soul Coins on Yu Yan, Xiao Wu sat down and muttered at the old man, "He really talks too much."

Wu Xu was a sturdy middle-aged man. A scar ran across his face, giving him a fierce appearance.

"What a tiny kid."

Standing on the fighting platform, Wu Xu looked at the small child approaching from the other side, his eyes showing a strange expression. He wondered whether he ought to go easier on him later.

After absorbing his Soul Ring, Yu Yan looked no different from an eight- or nine-year-old child. Yet before Wu Xu, a man in his thirties, he was just a little kid.

Wu Xu was not the only one. When the audience saw Yu Yan's age, they too showed surprised expressions. A jumble of discussion rose from the stands as they marveled at how young he was.

Yu Yan said nothing. He revealed the Ice and Fire Twin Fish Martial Soul and his Soul Ring.

Two large energy-formed fish, one ice and one fire, circled Yu Yan. His yellow hundred-year Soul Ring pulsed up and down, drawing everyone's attention as they examined the strange Martial Soul they had never seen before with curious eyes.

Wu Xu discarded his contempt and summoned his Black Wolf Martial Soul, entering Martial Soul Possession.

The instant Martial Soul Possession was complete, several Black Wolf traits appeared on Wu Xu's body. As his yellow Soul Ring pulsed, Wu Xu's speed increased considerably. He circled Yu Yan like a wolf, searching for an opening to attack.

To Yu Yan, who often fought Xiao Wu, Wu Xu's speed was not fast at all. He could clearly see Wu Xu's path of movement.

The Ice Fish among the Ice and Fire Twin Fish completed Martial Soul Possession. A faint chill surrounded Yu Yan, and an icy blue gleam appeared in his eyes.

When Wu Xu changed direction, Yu Yan sprang forward and charged at him even faster than Wu Xu could move.

Unable to evade in time, Wu Xu did not think much about it. He threw a punch at Yu Yan, intending to knock him back.

Could a child possibly surpass him in strength?

Just before the two collided, Yu Yan swiftly activated his Ice Fish Skill. Frost Scale Armor appeared around his arm.

Between a fist of flesh and blood and solid Frost Scale Armor, which was harder was obvious at a glance.

Besides, Yu Yan's strength was no less than Wu Xu's. In a fantasy world, judging strength by age was an incredibly foolish thing to do.

When their fists collided, Wu Xu was sent flying backward by Yu Yan's punch.

Having witnessed that wildly exaggerated scene, everyone present except Xiao Wu fell into shock once more. Some even rubbed their eyes and looked back at the arena, hoping they had simply seen it wrong.

Wu Xu steadied himself again. His hand had been injured in the collision, and a wound on the back of his arm was bleeding.

He could hardly believe that a child who looked eight or nine years old had sent him flying with one punch, but the pain in his hand told him it was true.

This little fellow was unexpectedly powerful.

"First Spirit Skill, Wolf Strike."

Unwilling to be defeated by a child, Wu Xu shouted and activated his First Spirit Skill.

Faint black energy appeared around Wu Xu's body, and his speed increased by seventy percent. He became a black shadow, rushing around Yu Yan as he searched for a chance to land a decisive blow.