Challenge

A flash of light crossed the tabletop.

Several crystal-clear herbs were neatly arranged there, each one giving off a rich medicinal fragrance.

Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted slightly.

Though she was not well versed in medicinal knowledge, she came from the Star Luo Zhu Family and had seen her share of things.

Any one of these herbs would be enough to make Soul Masters fight desperately over it.

Yet what truly made her breathing stop was the dark chunk of resin lying quietly in the corner.

Whale Rubber.

And it was not young, either.

She reached out and picked it up. Her palm felt its warmth, while faint golden patterns flowed within it.

"This..."

Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth, yet no sound came out.

She had run through every trading house in Suotuo City today. Even when she found Whale Rubber, the cheapest piece cost several hundred Gold Soul Coins—far beyond what she could afford.

Yet judging from the quality of the piece in her hand, it was at least five hundred years old.

Zhu Zhuqing held the Whale Rubber, her shoulders trembling faintly.

It was not as though she had never received kindness from others.

The Star Luo Zhu Family might have been a great clan, but she understood the warmth and coldness of human relationships within it better than anyone.

From childhood to adulthood, the only person she could rely on was herself.

Her family's harshness, her sister's suppression, and her fiancé's flight had forced her slender shoulders to bear burdens no one her age should have carried.

From Star Luo to Heaven Dou, she had crossed two great empires and passed through countless dangers.

Those dead soldiers ordered to capture her always held back when they attacked, herding her in a certain direction as though a cat were playing with a mouse.

She did not know where they were trying to drive her. She only knew that she could not stop.

If she stopped, she would die.

Until today, when she met that red-haired youth.

Someone she had known for less than a day had treated her wounds, shown her the way, given her Whale Rubber, and told her, "If you can't make it elsewhere in the future, you can come find me in Sunset Forest."

She had thought she had already lost all feeling.

But at this moment, holding that warm piece of Whale Rubber—

she suddenly felt as though something in her chest had cracked open.

Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, pressed the Whale Rubber against her chest, closed her eyes, and spoke softly.

"Ye Feng... I'll remember you."

Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena, solo arena section.

Blazing soul tool lights focused on the center of the arena, illuminating that round figure with exceptional clarity.

Ma Hongjun stood on the stage, purplish-red flames curling around him. Beneath his mask, his tiny eyes narrowed into slits, and a smug grin hung on his lips.

Across from him, a Soul Elder-level opponent lay sprawled at the edge of the arena, his entire body charred black and wisps of smoke rising from him as the staff hurriedly carried him away.

"Seventh match! Let us congratulate contestant Evil Fire Phoenix for claiming seven consecutive victories!"

Before the host could finish, Ma Hongjun rudely cut him off.

"What's so great about seven straight wins?"

Ma Hongjun sneered and swept his gaze across the audience, his voice brimming with provocation. "Fatty here is fighting ten matches tonight! I'll keep going until that damn Karma Fire Phoenix shows himself!"

The audience instantly erupted.

"What are you acting so cocky for? When Karma Fire Phoenix gets here, you won't even withstand one move!"

"Exactly! And you're bragging about seven wins? Karma Fire Phoenix won fifty in a row and was never as arrogant as you!"

"Fatty, you're only good at bullying weaklings. The moment you run into a real expert, you'll be the first one to kneel!"

Ma Hongjun's fat face flushed red at those words. Pointing at the stands, he cursed furiously.

"Bullshit! What Karma Fire Phoenix? He's just a cowardly turtle! Fatty here has been standing around for three days, and he hasn't even dared to fart!"

He paused, then added, "If you ask me, that Karma Fire Phoenix is just a pathetic chicken! He doesn't dare face Fatty head-on at all!"

"Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena is nothing special either. You can't even find a decent opponent here. You're worse than the rundown shack back in Suotuo City!"

The instant he finished speaking, the curses from the stands grew even fiercer.

"Say that again, motherfucker?"

"A pathetic chicken? You're not even worthy of carrying Karma Fire Phoenix's shoes!"

"Say one more word if you've got the guts!"

Ma Hongjun sneered, spread his arms, and the purplish-red flames around him surged explosively, forming a scorching pillar of fire that shot into the sky.

"I'll say it! That pathetic chicken is trash! Everyone in Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena is trash! Fatty here can take all of you on by myself!"

At the edge of the arena section, Dai Mubai leaned against the wall by the passage entrance, arms folded and brows tightly furrowed.

Watching the increasingly arrogant fatty on the stage, he sighed.

"This fatty really knows how to cause trouble."

He recalled the registration area not long ago. If he had not seized the chance to land a sneak attack, this fatty would probably be lying in a hospital by now.

Just then, the audience suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Immediately afterward, an unusual commotion rose from the entrance.

Dai Mubai instinctively turned his head and saw a tall, slender figure slowly walking into the Soul Arena.

Long fiery-red hair glimmered beneath the lights. Golden eyes were calm as still water, and a faint, ambiguous smile curved his lips.

He wore an ordinary crimson combat outfit and a red-gold phoenix mask as he walked toward the arena step by step.

"That is..."

Dai Mubai's pupils shrank.

Karma Fire Phoenix.

"Holy shit, he's here!"

"Karma Fire Phoenix is here!"

"I told you he'd definitely come!"

The audience instantly boiled over. Countless people rose to their feet, craning their necks toward the entrance.

Ma Hongjun, standing on the stage, noticed the disturbance at the entrance as well.

He narrowed his tiny eyes at the approaching figure, a contemptuous curve lifting his lips.

"Well, well, you finally showed up?"

With his hands on his hips, he looked down at Ye Feng from above, his voice full of provocation. "You're that Karma Fire Phoenix? I thought you were too scared to come!"

Ye Feng stopped and looked up at the fatty on the stage, raising an eyebrow.

"You're that Evil Fire Phoenix?"

"That's right, Fatty himself!"

Ma Hongjun puffed out his belly as purplish-red flames flared around him. "What, scared? If you're scared, kneel and call me Grandpa three times. If Fatty's in a good mood, maybe I'll let you off!"

Ye Feng chuckled softly.

The laugh was quiet, yet it made the entire Soul Arena fall silent.

He raised a hand, and a tiny red-gold flame ignited on his index finger.

The flame was only the size of a fingernail. It danced beneath the lights, quiet as a tame pet.

Ma Hongjun stared fixedly at that wisp of flame, fine beads of sweat seeping across his forehead.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something fierce to save face, but it felt as though something had clogged his throat. Not a single word came out.

How could this be?

His Evil Fire Phoenix was a top-tier beast martial soul!

How could a mere wisp of flame suppress him so badly that he could barely breathe?

Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth and forcibly activated the Soul Power within him. With a boom, the purplish-red flames surged violently, forming a blazing pillar of fire around his body.

But the moment that pillar rose, it was as though it had encountered its natural predator. It abruptly contracted inward, and the edges of the purplish-red flames began to tremble faintly.

"This..."

Ma Hongjun's pupils contracted, and he instinctively stepped back half a pace.

Ye Feng played with the little flame, his tone casual. "You said just now that you wanted to challenge me?"