Soto Grand Arena

Lin Fan spoke up with a suggestion.

"All right..."

Zhu Zhuqing thought it over, then nodded.

She had seen Lin Fan's strength clearly before. With the cultivation of a Soul King and five extraordinarily powerful Soul Rings, he was more than qualified to teach her, a twenty-seventh-rank Soul Grandmaster!

After they finished eating, the three of them went to the small garden behind the hotel. Lin Fan and Zhu Zhuqing squared off, ready to fight, while Xiao Wu watched from the side, munching on a carrot.

"Come on. Give it everything you've got!"

There was no need for Lin Fan to remind her. Zhu Zhuqing had no intention of holding back. Two Soul Rings slowly rose beneath her feet, and the Nether Civet Martial Soul appeared behind her!

Her bright eyes turned into mismatched, catlike eyes. Her fingernails extended into sharp claws, giving her an alluring, exotic air.

The next moment, Zhu Zhuqing crouched low, poised like a kitten ready to pounce on its prey!

As she bent down, Lin Fan nearly got a nosebleed. He swallowed hard!

"Wow... that's quite a sight..."

"You lecher!"

Zhu Zhuqing's pretty face flushed slightly. Her figure vanished from where she stood, leaving several afterimages. When she appeared again, she was right in front of Lin Fan, her sharp claws swiping straight at his lower body!

"You naughty little kitten! Do you want to spend the rest of your life alone?!"

Lin Fan felt a chill below the waist and hurriedly twisted aside to dodge Zhu Zhuqing's attack!

"You're too mischievous. You need to be punished!"

As they brushed past each other, the faint scent of a young woman made Lin Fan's heart stir. He turned around and gave Zhu Zhuqing a firm smack on the backside!

Smack!

Lin Fan hadn't used any Soul Power, but he'd hit a little too hard. Even Xiao Wu heard it from far away, and Zhu Zhuqing stumbled from the force!

"You!"

Zhu Zhuqing's face turned red as a ripe apple. She was furious and mortified!

"First Soul Skill, Hell Stab!"

Zhu Zhuqing crossed her arms in an X. As her shout rang out, she lunged forward, her sharp claws cutting through the air with a piercing whistle!

Clang!

Unfortunately, when the dazzling attack struck Lin Fan, it made a sound like metal clashing!

And because Zhu Zhuqing had put too much force into it, she crashed straight into Lin Fan's arms!

Lin Fan took the opportunity to slip an arm around her slender waist.

Their eyes met. Their breaths mingled, and Lin Fan could even feel Zhu Zhuqing's heart pounding!

"You lecher! Nether Hundred Claws!"

After being teased again and again, Zhu Zhuqing's heart was in turmoil. In a fit of anger, she unleashed her second Soul Skill, sending hundreds of claw shadows toward Lin Fan's handsome face!

"A face this handsome would be a real shame to scar!"

But the instant she struck, Zhu Zhuqing regretted it!

When it came to looks, Lin Fan was certainly the most handsome man she had ever seen. More importantly, he had a unique charm. The curve of his lips when he smiled was enough to captivate any young woman!

But when Zhu Zhuqing's attack landed, it passed straight through Lin Fan!

"What incredible speed!"

Looking at the fading afterimage before her, Zhu Zhuqing was startled!

She was naturally no match for Lin Fan in strength, but as an agility-type Soul Master, she was confident in her speed!

In his earlier fight against Dai Mubai, Lin Fan had shown off his powerful physique and Soul Power, but not his speed. That had given Zhu Zhuqing the mistaken impression that he was slow.

"Zhuqing, sometimes my speed is even greater. We can compare notes sometime..."

Lin Fan grinned as he spoke.

By now, beads of sweat covered Zhu Zhuqing's face and fair neck. With her flushed cheeks, graceful figure, and rapid breathing, she looked especially striking.

"Hmph! I'm not fighting you anymore. Sparring with you won't improve my strength at all!"

Annoyed, Zhu Zhuqing walked over to the pavilion and sat down. She folded her arms and turned her head away, no longer looking at Lin Fan!

Their fight had been more like playful flirting. Between the close contact and Lin Fan's teasing remarks, Zhu Zhuqing, who was just beginning to understand matters of the heart, had found it difficult to keep her composure!

How could she improve her strength in a fight when her thoughts were already wandering?

"This kind of sparring is too slow for improving your strength. If we tried a different kind of training, I could help you raise your Soul Power by five ranks in a single day!"

Lin Fan spoke in a temptingly persuasive voice, like the wolf in Grandma's clothing trying to lure Little Red Riding Hood.

"Do you take me for a child? What kind of training could raise someone's Soul Power by five ranks in a day?!"

Zhu Zhuqing didn't believe a single word Lin Fan said!

And she couldn't be blamed. If Lin Fan could really do that, even mighty Titled Douluo would line up to kneel before him and beg to become his disciples!

"Xiao Wu, explain it to her."

Lin Fan shrugged. Since Xiao Wu had experienced it herself and benefited from it, she was better qualified to speak.

Xiao Wu nodded, then leaned close to Zhu Zhuqing's ear, her pretty face turning red...

"Xiao Wu, is that really true?!"

Zhu Zhuqing's face turned as red as the sunset. Her voice brimmed with astonishment and disbelief. Xiao Wu's words had completely overturned everything she thought she knew!

If doing that kind of thing between a man and a woman could improve one's strength, then that scoundrel Dai Mubai wouldn't have been sent flying by a single punch from Lin Fan!

"I couldn't believe it at first either, but it's true!"

Xiao Wu released her Martial Soul. Three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—shone beneath her feet.

Whoosh!

Zhu Zhuqing let out a long breath. She considered herself gifted in cultivation and had reached rank twenty-seven at the age of twelve!

Xiao Wu was only a few months older than her, yet her Soul Power had already reached the thirties. Could Lin Fan's claim really be true?

Chapter 20: Soto Grand Arena

"On the entire Douluo Continent, I'm the only one with this ability. I don't help just anyone. Most women wouldn't catch my eye!"

Lin Fan looked smug.

Zhu Zhuqing had to admit that, even though Lin Fan was a lecher, he clearly carried himself with more distinction!

Back at the hotel, Dai Mubai had brought along a pair of twin sisters who were both beautiful and well-proportioned, but Lin Fan hadn't even glanced at them!

In any case, Zhu Zhuqing was very confident in her own looks and figure!

But after Dai Mubai's betrayal, she had grown wary and distrustful of men. There was no way she could accept another man so quickly, let alone become intimate with him!

Still, she did feel quite favorably toward Lin Fan.

"Zhuqing, don't worry. I won't pressure you. I, Lin Fan, am confident that one day you'll willingly become my woman!"

Seeing the mood grow quiet, Lin Fan went over to Zhu Zhuqing and looked into her pretty face as he spoke.

Lin Fan's expression was utterly serious, without a trace of his usual joking manner. His words rang out with the force of an oath!

Faced with such a serious Lin Fan, Zhu Zhuqing froze for a moment before slowly lowering her head. She didn't know what to say.

"How about this? There's a Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City, and matches are held every day. The three of us could form a team and go there to get some real combat experience. What do you think?"

Lin Fan thought it over and came up with a compromise.

As long as Zhu Zhuqing stayed by his side, Lin Fan was confident he could win her over. It was only a matter of time, and he genuinely enjoyed the process of pursuing a girl.

"Sure, sure! This is the perfect chance to test out my new Soul Skill!"

"Staying cooped up at the inn every day is wearing me out!"

Before Zhu Zhuqing could speak, Xiao Wu was the first to voice her approval. She even shot Lin Fan a reproachful look.

"Can you blame me? You're just too charming!"

Lin Fan couldn't help grumbling to himself. Xiao Wu was young, but her figure was already comparable to that of a nineteen- or twenty-year-old woman on Earth, if not more developed!

Especially those long legs—so fair, soft, and straight. Having them draped over his shoulders felt incredible!

"Fine. Let's go register now!"

Zhu Zhuqing accepted Lin Fan's suggestion too.

The Soto Grand Arena wasn't far from the Rose Hotel. It took the three of them only about ten minutes to get there!

Even from a distance, they could see a massive building standing before them. It was more than a hundred meters tall and looked magnificent!

Once inside, even Lin Fan couldn't help feeling a little shocked. The arena was spacious, with row upon row of densely packed seats that could hold fifty or sixty thousand people at once!

"Hit him! That's it—smash his head!"

"Come on, Iron Blood Team! I bet ten Gold Soul Coins on you!"

"Damn, what a bunch of weaklings! I just lost twenty Gold Soul Coins—that was everything I had!"

The stands were already packed with spectators, and the noisy crowd was a mix of cheers and complaints.

Matches at the arena came in two forms. One was sparring, where the fight stopped once a winner was decided.

The other had no rules. Once you stepped onto the Soul Fighting Arena, you kept attacking until one side died or their opponent showed mercy!

The three of them first went to take a look at the no-rules arena. Before long, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing had gone pale, their hands resting lightly against their chests.

Ah!

Screams rang out from the arena. One of the fighters, a man in his twenties, had already had an arm chopped off, and blood was everywhere!

His opponent had no intention of sparing him. With a savage grin, he pulled out a dagger and stabbed the man again and again until he stopped breathing!

Even Lin Fan found the bloody scene hard to stomach!

Though he had lived two lives, Lin Fan had never killed anyone with his own hands. It was only natural that seeing something like this for the first time left him feeling queasy and afraid!

But Lin Fan understood that from the moment he had crossed over to the Douluo Continent, he had been destined to get used to such scenes. If you didn't kill others, you would be the one to die!

Of course, it would take time to get used to it.

"Come on. Let's go register over there."

After steadying himself, Lin Fan led Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing toward the registration desk for the sparring matches.

But halfway there, Lin Fan stopped the two girls. A faint, knowing smile played at the corners of his mouth!

A familiar figure had appeared ahead: Tang San!

Besides Tang San, the useless Yu Xiaogang was there too, along with a short, plump man with a lecherous expression and a tall, slender young man with white hair.

"Those two should be Ma Hongjun and Oscar!"

Lin Fan's guess was right. After Tang Hao had left with Tang San, he hadn't kept the boy by his side. Instead, he had left Tang San to continue training with Grandmaster.

After joining Shrek Academy, Tang San had naturally teamed up with Ma Hongjun and Oscar!

As for why Dai Mubai wasn't there, Lin Fan knew the reason better than anyone. He hadn't held back earlier, and even with Dai Mubai's strong constitution, it would take ten days or half a month for him to recover completely!

"Wait, the Shrek Seven Devils are still missing someone... Ning Rongrong!"

Lin Fan suddenly realized something!

He had intercepted Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu along the way, but Ning Rongrong had yet to show up.

"Rongrong probably hasn't arrived at Shrek Academy yet. Otherwise, she'd definitely have come along to take part in the Soul Fighting matches. Looks like I'll have to find a chance...!"

Lin Fan already had a plan!

The three beauties of Shrek each had their own charms, and there was no need to mention their looks. They were all stunning beauties!

Xiao Wu had her legs, Zhu Zhuqing her youthful face and ample figure, and from the original story, Ning Rongrong seemed like a mischievous little spirit with a bit of a young lady's temper.

The thought of a top-tier beauty like her marrying Oscar was unbearable to Lin Fan!

Oscar looked fairly handsome, but he couldn't compare with Lin Fan!