When Arrogance Invites Disaster

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

The midsummer sun was scorching, but the atmosphere inside Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena was even hotter than the weather outside.

"Boom!"

Another figure crashed heavily onto the granite floor, skidding several meters before barely stopping at the edge of the arena.

He was a level twenty-eight Grand Soul Master with the Blazing Mad Leopard martial soul, renowned for his speed and explosive power. He was somewhat famous within Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.

Yet now, his clothes were torn, his aura weak. After struggling a few times, he ultimately failed to get back up.

On the other side of the arena, Zhang Fei slowly withdrew his right palm.

"Winner of this spirit battle: Dragon Travels the World! Congratulations to Dragon Travels the World for achieving... thirty consecutive victories!"

The host's voice echoed throughout the venue through a soul tool amplifier, the end of his announcement trembling slightly with excitement.

Deafening cheers erupted from the stands, wave after wave of sound rolling through the arena.

"Dragon Travels the World! Dragon Travels the World! Dragon Travels the World!"

Zhang Fei waved to the surrounding audience, then calmly headed toward the competitors' passage.

Over the past month, he had already grown accustomed to scenes like this.

Every day, he arrived at the Great Spirit Arena on time, registered, fought, defeated his opponent, collected his points, and returned to the residence.

With a thousand-year second soul ring and a Saint Dragon-grade martial soul, there was simply no opponent of the same rank who could confront him head-on.

Whether they possessed beast martial souls or tool martial souls, Grand Soul Masters in their twenties were already intimidated before battle by the pressure of the Golden Dragon.

Combined with the physique far beyond ordinary people that he had gained through Ice-Fire Body Tempering, as well as a second soul skill surpassing those of his peers, he could often end a fight within a few exchanges.

His soul power had also steadily improved through the tempering of one spirit battle after another. Two months had passed since he obtained his second soul ring, and he had now broken through to level twenty-three.

"Mr. Dragon Travels the World, congratulations."

The female receptionist's gaze toward Zhang Fei had long changed from professional courtesy to admiration. A trace of a young girl's particular shyness lingered on her face as she secretly glanced at him twice more before hurriedly lowering her eyes.

"Your Silver Spirit Fighting Badge has reached two thousand two hundred and forty-one points."

"Thanks."

Zhang Fei waved his hand, turned gracefully, and left the Great Spirit Arena.

At the same time, he muttered inwardly, Without teammates to form a group, I can only participate in one spirit battle a day. The pace is still a little slow. Maybe I should try challenging someone above my rank?

After leaving the Great Spirit Arena, the sunlight remained scorching. He narrowed his eyes and followed the familiar streets toward the Crown Prince's Residence.

Before he had gone far, Zhang Fei slowed slightly, his brow faintly furrowing.

He could feel several gazes following him like shadows from behind.

Over the past month, his purple second soul ring and Golden Dragon martial soul had indeed drawn the covetous attention of quite a few forces.

Absorbing a soul ring beyond the age limit, a top-tier dragon martial soul, a nine-year-old Grand Soul Master... any one of these was enough to tempt the major sects.

Who knew how many pairs of eyes were watching him from the shadows, trying to uncover his background?

But Zhang Fei was not worried.

On Spirit Hall's side, Qian Renxue's status as the young master of the Hall of Consecrates kept them in check. With She Long, a genuine elder, there as well, Spirit Hall certainly would not come looking for trouble with him.

On the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's side, Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe had a deep master-disciple relationship, invisibly resolving many unnecessary troubles.

As for the other minor clans and sects, with the identity of "Crown Prince Xue Qinghe" behind him, they naturally would not dare take such a risk.

Having someone powerful to rely on really is comfortable.

Zhang Fei felt pleased with himself, his steps growing lighter. The corners of his lips even curled into a cocky smile.

However, as the saying went, arrogance invited disaster.

What Zhang Fei did not know was that, in the shadows, there truly was a pair of eyes that had never once looked away from him.

The owner of those eyes came from one of the proudest sects of all: the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

When Zhang Fei rose to fame in Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena, his Golden Dragon martial soul naturally could not escape the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's informants.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan prided itself on possessing the strongest beast martial soul under heaven, and everyone in the sect valued that honor more than life itself.

Now, a "Golden Dragon" had suddenly emerged. Its dragon's might was pure and orthodox, and it even seemed to surpass the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. To them, this was no different from receiving a vicious slap across the face in the very thing they were proudest of.

After Yu Yuanzhen, the sect master far away in Thunderclap Gorge, learned of this, he sent the vice sect master—his own younger brother, Yu Luomian—to the Heaven Dou royal family to demand Zhang Fei.

Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, main hall.

The midsummer sunlight made the golden bricks within the hall gleam brilliantly.

Xue Ye the Great sat in the seat of honor, dressed in a bright yellow robe. His features were refined, but his brow was tightly furrowed, clearly indicating a headache.

Prince Xue Xing stood to his right, his expression gloomy and his eyes shifting uncertainly.

Xue Qinghe stood to his left. Her face was calm, though a trace of suppressed anger lay hidden deep within her eyes.

Standing opposite them was an elderly man who appeared to be around sixty. His face was sinister, and his half-lidded triangular eyes carried a condescending arrogance. He wore a dark blue robe embroidered with a fierce blue thunder dragon across the chest. He was Yu Luomian, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's second-in-command.

An eighty-seventh-level Soul Douluo, with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul.

"Your Majesty Xue Ye, I will not waste words on the purpose of my visit today."

Yu Luomian offered no pleasantries. Going straight to the point, he spoke forcefully. "I have heard that His Highness the Crown Prince adopted an orphan named Zhang Fei several years ago. This child awakened a dragon-type martial soul and possesses extraordinary talent. My elder brother, the sect master, considered that our bloodlines share the same origin and believes this child may be a clansman who was lost outside long ago. To avoid affecting the friendship between our two sides, I ask that Your Majesty Xue Ye return this child to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, so that he may acknowledge his ancestors and return to the clan."

His words sounded polite, but they were domineering to the extreme.

Xue Ye the Great frowned slightly upon hearing them.

He sneered inwardly. This Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is truly shameless. Any dragon-type martial soul belongs to your clan? There are countless dragon martial souls in this world. Should they all bear the surname Yu?

Yet the Heaven Dou royal family's circumstances forced him to remain wary.

Although the Heaven Dou Empire regarded the royal family as supreme, it did not govern with an iron fist like the Star Luo Empire.

The royal family's inherited Swan martial soul possessed little offensive power. Thus, every emperor throughout the generations had been forced to strengthen relations with the major sects within the empire and rely on their power to stabilize imperial authority.

Both the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan were within the Heaven Dou Empire's borders, and the royal family relied heavily on them.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan in particular was a pack of madmen whose pride ran deep into their bones. Once they turned hostile, the consequences would be unimaginable.

This matter put Xue Ye the Great in a very difficult position.

Just as Xue Ye the Great fell silent, Xue Qinghe, who was usually gentle, elegant, and unhurried, could no longer restrain herself.

Someone actually dared set their sights on what belonged to her. How could she possibly tolerate that?

She abruptly rose to her feet and snorted coldly. "Vice Sect Master Yu, your words are truly ridiculous!"

Yu Luomian frowned, his triangular eyes turning toward her.

Xue Qinghe met his gaze without yielding and shouted angrily, "Your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is truly overbearing! Xiao Fei's martial soul is not even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, so how has he become a member of your sect? I think you clearly saw that Xiao Fei's talent is unparalleled and want to claim him for yourselves! With conduct like this, do you deserve to be called one of the Upper Three Sects? You have truly cast aside all shame!"

Her words gave the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan absolutely no face.