Suotuo City.
This was the central metropolis of the Balak Kingdom, surrounded by towering walls of blue stone. Its streets were broad and bustling, with Soul Masters, shops, and Soul Tool carriages everywhere.
The entire city was a mixed bag, with opportunities and conflicts lurking around every corner.
At the very heart of the city stood the massive oval-shaped Great Soul Arena, the city's core. Countless Soul Masters came here to battle, while gamblers dreaming of getting rich overnight frequented the place.
Inside the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena.
Within a luxurious VIP viewing box.
Two women and six men watched the Soul Battle taking place in the arena below.
Qin Ming held an information sheet in his hand. As he looked at the scene before him, a trace of helplessness flashed through his eyes.
"Yan-zi, Lingling, why are you sitting so close to Xiaotian again?"
Yu Tianheng, standing nearby, looked at the young man between the two women with eyes full of unwillingness and jealousy.
The boy was only twelve years old. His handsome, fair side profile was defined yet gentle, his dark gray tousled hair fluffy and slightly messy, with a few strands hanging over his forehead. His narrow eyes were cold and tranquil, and he naturally carried a sharp, composed aura.
He wore fitted black-and-gold attire patterned with golden trim, with a clean moon-white inner layer. His shoulders were covered by black-and-gold pauldrons carved with spikes, elaborate gilded patterns extending from them across his clothes. A broad gray-black cape fell in layered folds behind him, its edges gleaming with faint silver-white light. He possessed both nobility and sharpness.
The young man pressed between Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling was Yun Tian.
Over the past five years, he had first gone to Heaven Dou City. The three education committee members had valued his talent and admitted him directly into Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Later, through his strength, he had become both a member and the captain of the Imperial Battle Team.
"Hehe, the captain really has incredible luck with women!"
Yu Feng looked delighted by the drama, making the jealousy in Yu Tianheng's eyes intensify.
"What's the problem? Xiaotian hasn't objected."
Dugu Yan curled her lips. Not only did she refuse to move away, she edged even closer.
Though Ye Lingling said nothing, she copied Dugu Yan and shifted a little closer as well. Her pair of fair little hands clenched lightly together, revealing her nervousness.
"You really don't need to sit so close to me. We're watching the match."
Yun Tian spoke blandly. He did not even know why he attracted the two women. Could it be because he was too handsome?
Ever since joining the Imperial Battle Team several years ago, he had kept an extremely low profile and never took the initiative to provoke anyone. Yet unexpectedly, both Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling seemed to have changed completely.
"Sigh, our opponents today aren't simple."
Qin Ming spoke solemnly. Shrek Academy—he was extremely familiar with those words, because it was his alma mater. Its dean, Flender the Four-Eyed Owl, and Zhao Wuji the Vigorous Vajra Bear were both Soul Sages.
As for the students,
Tang San, a level twenty-six Soul Grandmaster, Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass.
Xiao Wu, a level thirty-two Soul Elder, Martial Soul: Soft Bone Rabbit.
Ning Rongrong...
Tang San's first Soul Ring was actually white.
Even so, they were all only eleven or twelve years old. Calling them geniuses would not be an exaggeration, and they had already achieved consecutive victories in this Great Soul Arena.
He worried that the Imperial Battle Team members would lose because they underestimated their opponents. That would truly be more loss than gain.
Only after noticing that Qin Ming's eyes held some nostalgia but no excessive fanatical reverence did Yun Tian finally relax.
That was because Qin Ming's traits included [Purple Shrek Loyalty], whose effect was that Qin Ming would defend Shrek's honor to the death.
Yun Tian decisively deleted that trait. What was good about being Shrek's dog? There was no salary, no resources, and he would even die for Shrek later on. Wouldn't it be better to stay at Heaven Dou Royal Academy and live well?
Besides, Qin Ming's Soul Rings were also highly questionable: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple! That was right—his fifth Soul Ring was actually purple. It was hard to imagine that Flender and the others had not even been willing to help Qin Ming find a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
After introducing the Shrek group, Qin Ming finally looked toward the Imperial Battle Team.
Yun Tian looked completely calm. Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan sat beside him, neither willing to yield to the other. Yu Tianheng stared at Yun Tian with jealousy on his face. The Shi Mo brothers remained silent, Yu Feng was enjoying the show, and even the substitute Osler was silent.
Watching this scene, Qin Ming felt utterly helpless.
"Don't worry, Teacher Qin Ming. Who cares about Shrek? Before my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, they're all trash!"
Yu Tianheng rose to his feet and shouted. He wanted to prove himself and make Yan-zi look at him in a new light!
When he noticed Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling looking over, Yu Tianheng was delighted inside. Sure enough, simply showing off could attract girls' attention. Even Ye Lingling, who had always been so aloof, had been drawn in by him.
"Little Brother Yun Tian, what are we eating tonight?"
"Xiaotian, I want some fruit. Can you feed me?"
"Damn it!"
Yu Tianheng's heart was torn apart piece by piece. So he was merely one part of their flirtatious fun?
"Xiaotian, tell us what you think."
Qin Ming saw that Yun Tian had been watching the match below the entire time, and a trace of appreciation flashed through his eyes. This was what a teacher's good student should be like—he had never disappointed him since enrolling!
At Qin Ming's words, Yun Tian did not say much about the others and only mentioned Tang San's information. "That Tang San also graduated from Notting Academy, just like me."
"He is skilled with hidden weapons and poison. Yan-zi, he can easily break your poison, so try to seize the right opportunities when the time comes."
"Skilled with hidden weapons? Isn't that what despicable villains use?"
Dugu Yan was somewhat unconvinced. Yun Tian's claim that her poison could easily be countered made her dissatisfied.
"Battle does not care whether something is despicable. We can use hidden weapons or Soul Tools too. It's all the same; what matters is how we deal with them."
Yun Tian glanced indifferently at Dugu Yan before continuing, "As for the others, there's no need to worry. I alone am enough."
Boom!
A restrained yet formidable aura erupted, and everyone in the viewing box revealed surprised expressions.
That aura was unmistakably that of a Soul Ancestor!
"Xiaotian, you broke through!? You were level forty-four not long ago, and today you've broken through another level already?"
"Just luck."
"The captain is amazing!"
Yu Feng, Shi Mo, and the others all expressed their shock and congratulations. Only Yu Tianheng clenched his fists tightly. Not only was Yun Tian's Martial Soul immensely powerful, his cultivation speed also far surpassed Yu Tianheng's.
They were not even twelve years old; they were six or seven years older than Yun Tian.
How was he supposed to compete with that?
What could he even use to compete?
Thinking of this, Yu Tianheng decided to vent his anger on Shrek Academy later. My dragon claws are not without their edge!
"Mm, good. Xiaotian, since you are so confident, I can rest assured. But you must not be careless. I understand Dean Flender and Teacher Zhao Wuji's teaching methods fairly well."
At this point, he still did not know that the one teaching the Shrek group had long since become some short, flat-headed man who had only reached level twenty-nine by the age of fifty.
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