Grand Soul Arena, the Seven Monsters' First Battle

"How much can you improve by fighting each other at the academy all day?"

"Starting tomorrow, at Soto City's Grand Soul Arena, each of you must fight at least two individual matches per week and at least one team match. If you can't win, don't come back for meals."

The next day, Flander pushed up his glasses, wearing an expression that clearly said he was doing this for their own good.

"Dean, are you sure this isn't just because you want a cut of the profits?" Xiao Wu exposed him without mercy.

Flander's expression did not change. "Nonsense. The academy has to eat too. Every time you win a match, I'll take twenty percent of the arena prize money as tuition. That's reasonable, right?"

Everyone groaned, but no one truly objected.

The Grand Soul Arena was an excellent place for Soul Masters to hone themselves in real combat. Opponents came in all strengths and fighting styles, making it far more valuable than sparring behind closed doors at the academy.

Early the next morning, all eight of them marched grandly toward Soto City's Grand Soul Arena.

Soto City's Grand Soul Arena covered a vast area. The circular gray building crouched in the western part of the city like a colossal beast, and the two rows of towering stone pillars at its entrance were carved with reliefs of all kinds of martial souls.

The morning sunlight shone upon the building's outer walls, casting a cold gleam over the patterns of blades, swords, axes, and hammers.

A long line had already formed at the entrance, mostly young Soul Masters in their early twenties standing in groups of three or five as they waited to register.

"Wow, this place is pretty impressive." Ma Hongjun clicked his tongue as he looked up at the heavy iron gates.

"Stop staring. Go register." Yun Tian led the way toward the entrance, with Tang San and Xiao Wu close behind.

The moment two holders of Silver Soul Badges appeared, the steward in charge of registration at the entrance gave them a few extra looks.

People their age with silver badges were rare in Soto City.

The registration process was simpler than expected.

They filled out personal information, tested their soul power levels, paid the registration fee, and each received an iron identification plate engraved with a number.

Team matches required a group of at least five people. On behalf of the team, Yun Tian registered a new team name.

It was called the Shrek Seven Monsters. Although there were eight of them now, the name had already been decided.

"Why are we called the Seven Monsters? There are eight of us." Oscar raised his hand with a question.

"Because I have a feeling one of us will leave someday."

Yun Tian answered casually without explaining further.

They looked at one another, but no one pressed the matter.

They seemed to know who that person would be.

Yun Tian had already met the requirements for graduation. If he did not leave, who would?

After the registration was completed, an arena staff member handed them a match schedule.

There happened to be open slots for individual matches that morning, so all eight of them could compete immediately.

Yun Tian glanced over the arrangements and pushed Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ma Hongjun forward. "You three will fight individual matches first. We'll watch."

"What about you?" Tang San asked.

"I'll go last." Yun Tian gestured toward the arena. "Go get a feel for the level of the opponents here first."

Tang San had no objections and turned toward the contestants' passage.

Xiao Wu walked beside him, rolling her wrists as she muttered, "It's been a long time since I fought an individual match. I wonder if the people here are any good."

"With silver badges in the lowest-tier matches, you'll basically be crushing weaklings," Yun Tian added from behind. "Don't be too ruthless. Leave them some dignity."

Without turning around, Xiao Wu waved a hand to show that she understood.

The first match was Tang San against a level-thirty-one Iron-Armed Bear Soul Master.

The Soul Master looked to be in his early twenties, with knotted muscles and arms covered in a layer of dark gray, metallic fur. He entered the arena with great momentum, letting out a roar as he charged fiercely at Tang San.

Tang San stood still. Only when his opponent was five steps away did he raise a hand.

Blue Silver Grass silently burst from the ground. Three vines precisely wrapped around the man's ankles, waist, and abdomen, tightening, constricting, and letting poison seep in. The entire process took less than three breaths.

Before the Iron-Armed Bear Soul Master could throw a second punch, he had already been bound into an immobile dumpling by the Blue Silver Grass.

Tang San had not even moved his feet, and his second soul ring had not lit up.

The referee at ringside froze for a second before announcing, "Blue Silver Grass, Tang San, victory!"

Scattered applause and murmurs rose from the stands.

Those with a discerning eye had already seen the signs.

Vine-type martial souls were common, but such swift and precise control was absolutely not something an ordinary Soul Master could achieve.

Xiao Wu stepped into the arena immediately afterward. Her opponent was a level-thirty-one Bloodthirsty Wolf Soul Master.

That Wolf Soul Master had clearly seen Tang San's overwhelming victory, and his face was somewhat tense.

Xiao Wu was nowhere near as refined as Tang San. The instant the referee finished speaking, she shot forward. Two punches and a kick landed in rapid succession at close range. The Soft-Boned Rabbit's speed gave her opponent no time to react, and in the end, Xiao Wu swept his legs out from under him. The back of his head nearly smashed into the edge of the arena.

"Soft-Boned Rabbit, Xiao Wu, victory!"

As Xiao Wu jumped down from the arena, she dusted off her hands and gave Yun Tian in the stands a look that said, Well?

Yun Tian smiled and nodded.

Ma Hongjun's opponent was a level-thirty fire-element Soul Master. The moment they met, the two began hurling flames at each other, turning that section of the arena pitch-black with soot.

Although Ma Hongjun won, it was an ugly victory. His school uniform had two burned holes, and the ends of his hair had been singed.

When he returned to the resting area, Xiao Wu laughed so hard she could not straighten up. Ma Hongjun fussed with his hair and muttered, "What do you know? This is called a tactical sacrifice!"

After the individual matches, the afternoon brought their team-match debut.

The Shrek Seven Monsters registered for a team battle for the first time and were assigned to the lowest-ranking silver division.

Their opponents were a motley team called Crimson Wolf. All five members were independent Soul Masters between levels twenty-five and twenty-eight. Their coordination was rough, their equipment shabby, and they looked like seasoned veterans who had spent years scraping together prize money in the lower-tier arenas.

But seasoned veterans had their own way of fighting. Once the match began, the five clustered tightly together. Two defense-type Soul Masters took the front, a control-type Soul Master provided support from the middle, and two attack-type Soul Masters roamed the flanks. Their style was crude but steady, and for a while, their formation could not be torn open.

"Tang San, circle around the left flank. Xiao Wu, break through from the front. Ma Hongjun, suppress the right flank with firepower." Yun Tian stood in the middle of the team without making a move, leaving command to Tang San. "Zhu Zhuqing, target their control Soul Master in the rear. Ning Rongrong, boost Ma Hongjun's strength. Oscar, keep an eye on healing."

One command after another was issued, and the seven immediately moved into position.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass silently spread across the ground toward the enemy's rear. By the time their control Soul Master sensed that something was wrong, it had already wrapped around his ankles.

Xiao Wu's frontal charge drew the attention of the two defense Soul Masters, while Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fireline pressed forward from the right flank and forced the enemy attackers back.

Zhu Zhuqing's figure flashed through the smoke and dust. The claw blades of her Nether Spirit Cat precisely severed the enemy control Soul Master's circulation of soul power from behind.

He was forced out of the match before he could even unleash a soul skill.

The enemy formation instantly collapsed.

The remaining four members of the Crimson Wolf Team scrambled to regroup, but Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had already covered half the arena. Under Ma Hongjun's fiery cover, Xiao Wu knocked down two flank fighters in succession.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the last opponent raised both hands.

"Shrek Seven Monsters, victory!"

When the referee announced the result, the stands erupted with far more heated discussion than during the individual matches.

This new team coordinated smoothly, divided their roles clearly, and commanded decisively. They did not look like a team fighting its first group battle at all.

Back in the resting area, Ma Hongjun slapped Tang San on the shoulder. "Third Brother, your control was incredible! That control Soul Master was eliminated before he could even use a soul skill!"

"Zhu Zhuqing's timing for the entry was good," Tang San said truthfully.

Zhu Zhuqing leaned against the wall, her expression calm. She did not reply, but there was a little more warmth than usual in the depths of her cat-like eyes.

Ning Rongrong sat on a bench, fanning herself with a small fan as she murmured, "My first team battle felt pretty good... but we're still nowhere near the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's official guard teams."

"Rongrong, don't compare us to professional guard teams." Oscar handed her a sausage. "Tired? Want to replenish your soul power?"

Ning Rongrong took the sausage and bit into it, frowning. "Can't you improve the taste of your sausages...?"

"It's good enough that they fill you up!" Oscar rolled his eyes.

Yun Tian stood by the window, watching the next match in the arena with a faint upward curve at the corner of his lips.

Today's three individual matches and one team battle had not been intense, but they were enough for this team to find its rhythm of coordination.

Building teamwork took time, but time was the one thing they lacked least.

The lights of the Grand Soul Arena poured down from the dome, shining warmly upon this team that had only just begun.