Soul Fighting

Six years later.

On the graduation day of the Junior Soul Master Academy, Di Lintian brought Na'er to Heaven Dou City. He calculated that Tang San should have already set out for Suotuo City. He just wondered whether Tang San, whose first Soul Ring was only a ten-year one, could pass Shrek's assessment.

"You're going to the Soul Arena to take part in soul fights?"

Na'er looked at Di Lintian in confusion. "With your strength, no one below Soul Ancestor can withstand a single move from you. Even Soul Kings can't defeat you. Why participate in such a pointless soul fight?"

"Na'er, my current stats are indeed high, but I have no actual combat experience whatsoever," Di Lintian said. "So, during the soul fights, I won't use any Soul Skills. I'll use them to hone my combat techniques."

Na'er did not understand what Di Lintian meant by stats, but she roughly grasped his meaning. "You mean your Soul Skills are powerful, but you lack the combat techniques to match them?"

"That's about right." Di Lintian nodded.

Heaven Dou City Great Soul Arena.

Holding a black Dragon Scale Sword, Di Lintian entered the Great Soul Arena and headed straight for the front desk.

This black Dragon Scale Sword had been forged by Di Lintian from one of his own Reverse Scales. Every ten thousand years, he shed a Reverse Scale.

"Registration." The two words left Di Lintian's mouth without the slightest emotion.

"The registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins." The receptionist handed Di Lintian a form.

Di Lintian took the form and examined it carefully. It required him to fill in his name, Martial Soul, Soul Power, and age.

After filling it out, Di Lintian handed it to the receptionist along with ten Gold Soul Coins.

"Mr. Sword Demon, this is your Iron Soul Fighting Badge. You gain one point for every victory and lose one point for every defeat. Once your Iron Soul Fighting Badge reaches one hundred points, it will be upgraded to a Copper Soul Fighting Badge. Once the Copper Soul Fighting Badge reaches one hundred points, it will be upgraded to a Silver Soul Fighting Badge, and so on."

"There are three types of soul fights. The first is a Sparring Match, where you compete against each other and are not allowed to kill. The other two are Death Matches and Gambling Matches, where you may kill your opponent. Of course, if you lose, your opponent may kill you as well."

The receptionist skillfully explained the rules of the Soul Arena to Di Lintian.

Di Lintian nodded, took the Iron Soul Fighting Badge, and walked to the registration counter for contestants.

"Registration. Death Match."

At the counter, Di Lintian passed his Iron Soul Fighting Badge through the window to the staff member inside.

"Registration complete. Go wait in the rest area." The staff member passed Di Lintian's Iron Soul Fighting Badge back through the window.

Di Lintian did not head to the rest area. Instead, he stood in the spectator stands, observing how the fighters below handled every detail of their battles.

Before long, an announcement rang throughout the Great Soul Arena.

"Please proceed to Soul Fighting Area Three, Sword Demon and Fierce God!"

"Area Three? Isn't Area Three the Death Arena? This is also the first Death Match of the day. Hurry, hurry!"

Behind Di Lintian, someone urged his companion in front of him.

Di Lintian followed the crowd toward Soul Fighting Area Three.

"Hello, everyone. I am Guang Bo, the host for this soul fight." Guang Bo wore a well-tailored tailcoat and stood on the suspended platform above the Soul Fighting Arena. He announced loudly, "Today's soul fight features... a newcomer participating in soul fights for the first time, the Battle Soul Elder Sword Demon. This is his first soul fight, so please look forward to it. As for his opponent, he is the Battle Soul Elder—Fierce God, who has achieved ten consecutive victories in the Death Arena!"

Guang Bo pointed toward the entrance on the left side of the Soul Fighting Arena and raised his voice. "Now, please welcome Fierce God!"

"Fierce God! Fierce God!"

"Fierce God, kill that Sword Demon!"

"Fierce God, I bet everything on you! You have to kill him!"

Deafening cheers erupted from the spectator stands. Amid those cheers, a middle-aged man covered in bulging muscles walked out.

"Next is his opponent, the one who has just registered for an Iron Soul Fighting Badge—Sword Demon!"

The cheers from the stands vanished instantly. In the silent Soul Arena, Di Lintian walked out holding the Dragon Scale Sword.

"Mr. Sword Demon, weapons are not permitted in the Soul Arena." Guang Bo, standing on the suspended platform, kindly reminded him after noticing the sword in Di Lintian's hand.

"This is my Martial Soul." When Di Lintian had filled out the form, he had written Dragon Scale Sword.

"It seems contestant Sword Demon came well prepared. He completed Martial Soul Possession before even entering the arena. Then—let the soul fight begin!"

Fierce God instantly underwent Martial Soul Possession. Three Soul Rings—white, yellow, and yellow—rose beneath his feet. Sharp wolf claws extended from the backs of his hands, resembling Wolverine's claws. His hair turned blood-red, and the phantom of a blood-colored Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf emerged behind him.

No wonder he participated in Death Matches. His Martial Soul is a Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf. In Douluo Dalu II, he would absolutely be considered an Evil Soul Master.

The Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf Martial Soul was just like its name—absorbing blood made it stronger. The opponents who died at Fierce God's hands had surely all become dried corpses.

After possessing the Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf, Fierce God dropped to all fours and charged at Di Lintian at high speed. When he reached him, he rose upright, his sharp wolf claws raking toward Di Lintian's face.

"Pretty boy, you ran into me in your very first match. I'll make sure to torture you properly," Fierce God said with a vicious grin.

"That depends on whether you have the ability." Di Lintian replied coldly, raising the Dragon Scale Sword horizontally to block Fierce God's wolf claws.

After blocking the claws, Di Lintian tapped lightly against the ground with his toes and swiftly drifted backward with a nimble figure.

This was the experience Di Lintian had gained from observing other people's soul fights. Against Soul Masters with powerful close-combat abilities, one had to maintain an appropriate distance. If they had already closed in, one had to quickly widen the distance and restart the battle.

"First Soul Skill, Frenzy!"

The white Soul Ring beneath Fierce God's feet flashed, slightly increasing his speed and attack power.

No wonder this guy was so arrogant. Even his first Soul Skill was Frenzy.

After activating his first Soul Skill, Fierce God dropped to all fours again and rapidly arrived before Di Lintian.

Facing Fierce God, who had closed in once more, Di Lintian smiled faintly. Using Roaming Dragon Steps, he retreated one step, then aimed the Dragon Scale Sword at Fierce God's throat and waited for him to run into it himself.

Over six years, Di Lintian had learned several martial techniques recorded in the Nine Abysses Dao Treasury and could already use them proficiently.

Fierce God truly deserved to be a ruthless man who had achieved ten consecutive victories in the Death Arena. Seeing Di Lintian make a move, he immediately made the best possible choice.

He quickly rolled to the right. This would leave him with a huge opening. If his opponent had been an enemy with abundant combat experience, they would certainly seize the chance to slash him with a sword.

But if he did not evade, that black sword would likely pierce through his throat.

When weighing two evils, one chose the lesser.

Although Di Lintian lacked combat techniques as a human, he did not lack combat experience. The Dragon Scale Sword in his hand shifted from a thrust to a slash, smashing down at one of Fierce God's completely unguarded arms.

Di Lintian somewhat regretted forging the Dragon Scale Sword. He should have forged a hammer instead. How had he gotten carried away and made a sword?

The Dragon Scale Sword slammed down at the joint between Fierce God's body and arm. It met no resistance whatsoever. Wherever the blade passed, Fierce God's flesh, skin, tendons, and bones split apart at once.

An arm flew high into the air, blood spraying wildly from the wound.

A rich bloody stench instantly spread through the air.