"Come on, I choose you!"
As his words fell, a pink ball of fluff instantly appeared in front of him.
"Mi!"
Hu Lie's charging figure abruptly halted, nearly wrenching his back.
He stared at the little fluffy, pink thing hovering in midair, completely dumbfounded.
"Th-this... what is this thing? Your Martial Soul?" Hu Lie's voice was full of disbelief.
The stands erupted in an uproar, followed by a burst of laughter.
Among the crowd, several young wives and girls who had already been riveted to the arena by Ye Qiong's striking looks were now instantly drawn to the pink ball of fluff. Their eyes filled with hearts, and they didn't join in the laughter at all.
"Oh my gosh! What kind of adorable little darling is this? It's so fluffy and cute!"
A girl in a pink dress clutched her companion's arm, her voice trembling.
"I want to pet it! Is it a little pink rabbit? Or a puppy?"
The young wife beside her pressed a hand to her heart, her eyes full of affection. "It's even softer and cuddlier than my pet Soul Beast. Even if it can't fight, just looking at it is healing! The handsome guy's good-looking, and his Martial Soul is this adorable. I'm shipping them forever!"
The ordinary spectators' jeers remained piercing. "Hahahaha! I thought he had some powerful Martial Soul, but this is all?"
"A fluffy little animal? Is he here to make us laugh?"
"A Soul Ancestor challenging a Soul King, and he brings out a Martial Soul meant for show? He must just be here to show off!"
The four girls in the stands were just as bewildered.
Ning Rongrong: "Can Mimi really fight?"
As she watched Mimi below, she looked like a mother worrying over her adorable, fragile child.
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, though her eyes never left Mimi. "I don't know."
Dugu Yan: "Seriously? With such an incredible Soul Ring Configuration, his Martial Soul turns out to be this? The contrast is way too big!" Her voice was full of confusion.
Ye Lingling: "Maybe it has some special ability?"
At the audience's reaction, Ye Qiong's lips curved in a faint smile.
Mimi looked adorable and a little foolish, but its strength was nowhere near as weak as it appeared. These people's mockery was nothing but a display of their ignorance.
Hu Lie came to his senses, his face full of contempt. "Kid, stop wasting time. You think a little thing like this can fight me?"
In his eyes, that pink ball of fluff wasn't even worthy of being an opponent for his Martial Soul. One strike would be enough.
His First Soul Ring lit up. Soul Power poured into his blade, and pale golden tiger stripes appeared along its length.
Ye Qiong's gaze sharpened. So, he's finally making a move? Heh. This is just right—let's show them what Mimi can do.
"First Soul Skill, Fierce Tiger Slash!"
Hu Lie gathered strength for half a second, his eyes gleaming with ferocity. He abruptly slashed forward, sending a curved blade of energy shaped like a pouncing tiger roaring toward Mimi, wrapped in lethal intent!
He held nothing back with this strike. Clearly, he meant to take his opponent's life in one blow.
Before the blade of energy even arrived, its fierce wind already stung people's faces, carrying a thick smell of blood.
"Watch out!"
Ning Rongrong couldn't help crying out in alarm. Dugu Yan subconsciously clenched her fists, while Ye Lingling instinctively summoned her Nine Heart Begonia, seeming ready to help—but she'd forgotten she was up in the stands.
The girls in the audience were panicking too.
"Look out! Dodge!"
"That blade looks terrifying! Don't let it hurt Little Dumpling!"
Ye Qiong didn't dodge or flinch. He simply said, "Mimi, dodge."
He had absolute confidence in Mimi's speed. This attack couldn't hurt it at all.
"Mi!"
The little pink ball of fluff swayed and vanished from its spot in an instant, as if it had teleported, effortlessly dodging the blade of energy.
Its nimble movement instantly sent the girls in the stands cheering.
"So fast! It's so agile!"
"I knew it wasn't ordinary! It's even faster than a regular agility-type Soul Beast, isn't it?"
The blade of energy skimmed past Ye Qiong's clothes and slammed into the edge of the arena behind him, leaving a deep gash.
Hu Lie's attack missed, and the killing intent in his eyes grew stronger. He didn't think it was because Mimi was strong; he just figured it had gotten lucky.
He let out a vicious laugh as his Second Soul Ring suddenly lit up. "Let's see how long you can keep dodging! Second Soul Skill, Tiger Roar Slash!"
As he swung his blade, a tiger's roar packed with spiritual force suddenly burst forth. The sound wave surged straight toward Ye Qiong as if it had substance!
This spiritual suppression wasn't a mere distraction. It was meant to shatter Ye Qiong's mental defenses and leave him unable to fight back, so Hu Lie could then take his head with one strike.
Ye Qiong sneered inwardly. He dares use an attack of this level and make a fool of himself?
Spiritual suppression!
Everyone thought Ye Qiong, whose Soul Power was lower than Hu Lie's, would inevitably be stunned for a moment.
The audience's chatter rose again. "It's a spiritual attack! That kid's finished!" "The gap in Soul Power speaks for itself. He can't withstand it!"
The young wives and girls were instantly worried too. A girl in a yellow dress covered her mouth, her eyes full of concern. "Will the handsome guy be all right? That spiritual attack is so nasty!"
"Little Dumpling, hurry and help him!"
Yet the moment the sound wave drew near Ye Qiong, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, making no ripples at all.
Ye Qiong's spiritual power was incredibly formidable. This level of spiritual suppression was no different to him from a gentle breeze brushing his face.
He even had time to glance at the stands and notice the girls worrying about him. Something stirred faintly in his heart. Looks like the attention I'm getting for my looks is even greater than I expected.
Hu Lie's pupils suddenly contracted. "How is that possible?! How can your spiritual power be so strong?"
Just as he faltered, Ye Qiong spoke again.
"We can do anything."
His Second Soul Ring lit up, and an invisible force flowed into Mimi.
"Mimi!"
The pink ball of fluff waved its tiny fists. Its originally harmless aura suddenly sharpened. It darted to Hu Lie's side, and the light of the Third Soul Ring flared.
"Don't worry. I'm here." Ye Qiong's voice was soothing—not only to Mimi, but also to the people worrying about him.
"Mimi, Mimi!"
Its tiny fists moved faster than the eye could follow, raining blows down on Hu Lie's waist.
"Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!"
A rapid string of impacts rang out. Hu Lie felt wave after wave of pain in his waist, and his whole body staggered backward uncontrollably.
His heart surged with shock. Wh-what kind of strength is this? How can a seemingly harmless little animal have such powerful attacks?
The entire arena fell into deathly silence once more. The mockery had barely faded from the spectators' faces before extreme shock replaced it.
The spectators who had been jeering now stood with their mouths wide enough to fit an egg, while the young wives and girls erupted with excitement.
"Wow! Amazing! Little Dumpling is awesome!"
"Who was just saying it couldn't fight? Come out and eat your words!"
"Cute and strong—what kind of divine Martial Soul is this? I want one too!"
"I knew I wasn't wrong! They're the best pair!"
"What... just happened?"
"That little thing... knocked Hu Lie back?"
"Did I see that right? A Soul King at level fifty-three was knocked back by the Martial Soul of a level forty-two Soul Ancestor?" The audience's chatter was full of disbelief.
The four girls in the stands stared with wide eyes, their mouths forming O's.
"S-so fast! So strong!" Dugu Yan stammered, her earlier confusion long since replaced by shock.
Ning Rongrong excitedly waved her little fists. "I knew it! There was more to it! Mimi is incredible!"
Hu Lie steadied himself, both shocked and furious. He felt more humiliated than ever before.
A Soul King with nineteen consecutive victories had actually been knocked back by a Soul Ancestor's pet-like Martial Soul. If word got out, how could he ever show his face in the Soul Fighting Arena again?
"Damn it! Third Soul Skill, Tiger-Slaying River Cross!"
Before you continue