The Three Bald Men

The flames came roaring in without warning, covering an enormous area!

"Watch out!"

Lin Jiang reacted with ghostly speed, sensing that something was wrong the instant Ma Hongjun's expression changed drastically.

With a low shout, the first soul ring beneath his feet, disguised as white, flickered faintly—yet in truth, it was a formidable soul skill surpassing six thousand years in power!

Several incomparably thick Azure Divine Vines, gleaming with a metallic luster, burst from the ground in an instant.

As though alive, they swiftly and precisely intertwined before Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing, forming a solid emerald barrier that shielded the three girls completely behind it.

The scorching evil fire slammed into the vine wall, hissing as it burned, but the incredibly resilient vines held it firmly at bay, leaving the three behind them completely unharmed.

However, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Oscar on the other side were in for a disaster!

They had no time to react before the uncontrolled purple-red evil fire, carrying the foul energy within Ma Hongjun's body, swallowed all three of them like an enraged fire serpent!

"Ahhh—!" Miserable screams burst from all three at once!

How could the flames of the Evil Fire Phoenix be ordinary fire? They clung to the body and bones, nearly impossible to extinguish!

The three instantly became human torches, rolling wildly across the floor, slapping at themselves and screaming as they desperately tried to put out the flames.

But the evil fire was like a festering disease clinging to their bones. The more they struggled, the fiercer it seemed to burn!

"My hair!!" "My eyebrows! My damn eyebrows!" "My clothes! They're gone!"

Within only a few breaths, suffocating heat and the stench of scorched flesh filled the air.

When the flames finally began to die out after exhausting their soul power, all that remained were three blackened, smoking figures curled up on the ground.

Their hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes had all been burned clean away, leaving gleaming bald heads that stood out especially clearly beneath the morning light.

Their clothes had turned to ashes as well, with only a few charred strips of fabric barely hanging from their bodies. They could not conceal the blistered, reddened skin beneath, leaving the three utterly wretched and miserable!

The trio lay curled up, groaning in agony as wisps of smoke still rose from their bald heads.

As for the culprit, Ma Hongjun, after unleashing that earth-shaking burst of "evil fire,"

he looked as if he had been hollowed out, yet also as though his meridians had suddenly opened. His chubby face alternated between red and white,

and the soul power around him surged violently. He actually floated several inches above the ground, wobbling like a burning ball of meat,

spinning around in a dizzy haze while muttering unconsciously, "Ow... I'm flying, I'm flying... I couldn't hold it in..."

The entire hall fell into dead silence.

Only three bald, blackened men groaning on the ground remained, along with one fat ball floating in midair, the lingering burnt smell, and a certain subtle, indescribable odor.

Protected behind the Azure Vine barrier, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing stared dumbfoundedly at the unimaginable disaster before them, unable to recover for a long while.

Yu Xiaogang struggled to climb up from the floor. His face was even more waxen than before, one hand still instinctively covering his rear as he staggered forward.

Looking at the three smoking bald heads before him, their entire bodies scorched black and utterly barren,

especially Tang San, who could not even stand steadily after being helped up and whose fingers had been burned bright red, Yu Xiaogang felt his vision darken.

"I... I was originally going to announce this morning..."

His voice was hoarse, carrying pain and despair.

"Our Shrek... received an urgent invitation from the Soto Great Soul Arena... Tonight, at the central main soul arena, we'll face... the Huangdou Battle Team!"

He drew a breath and watched Tang San struggle to raise his burned-red hand, his voice trembling as though on the verge of tears.

"Little San... don't... don't force yourself! The Huangdou Battle Team's strength is unfathomable. Every member is a top-tier Soul Elder, with martial souls, soul rings, and tactics all among the very best!

Even if all of us were in perfect condition, the odds would only be even... But now..."

His eyes swept over Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Oscar's miserable state before he closed them in pain.

"Just concede... withdraw directly. It may be humiliating, but it's better than..."

"Master!"

A clear, steady voice interrupted him.

Lin Jiang stepped forward, standing tall. His gaze was calm, yet filled with unquestionable confidence.

"Why fear defeat before the battle even begins? Don't we still have people?"

His eyes swept over Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing behind him before finally settling on Ma Hongjun, who was still clutching his stomach and floating around dizzily.

"Me, Xiao Wu, Rongrong, Zhu Qing, and Fatty. The five of us will fight!"

Lin Jiang had long since calculated everything in his heart.

The Huangdou Battle Team? This was precisely the opportunity he had been waiting for!

Especially Dugu Yan, the Jade Phosphor Serpent soul master—she was the key to reaching Poison Douluo Dugu Bo and the treasure land containing immortal medicinal herbs, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!

How could he let such an opportunity slip away because of Tang San and the others' accident?

Yu Xiaogang abruptly opened his eyes as though he had heard the most absurd fantasy.

"Nonsense! Five against seven? And with an incomplete lineup! Without Little San's control and Mubai's assault power, how could you possibly..."

"We haven't fought yet. How do you know we're certain to lose?"

Lin Jiang interrupted him again, his voice resolute.

"Even if this is a hopeless battle, Shrek must still fight with backbone and style! Let everyone know that we aren't cowards who surrender easily!"

"That's right! Brother Jiang is right!"

Ning Rongrong immediately stepped to Lin Jiang's side, raising her little face with trust and support shining in her eyes.

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but one gave a firm look while the other nodded slightly. Their stance was already clear.

Yu Xiaogang looked at the four young people before him, their gazes blazing. Especially when he met Lin Jiang's unfathomable eyes, as if everything were already under control, the objections on his lips suddenly caught in his throat.

"This... sigh... fine..." In the end, he let out a dejected sigh, as though all his strength had been drained away.

Lin Jiang turned to Ma Hongjun, who was still dazed. "Fatty, can you still fight? We need your evil fire tonight."

Ma Hongjun clutched his still-gurgling stomach. His face paled, but he gritted his teeth. "Fine! I can... I can hold it in!"

Before long, staff members sent by the Soto Great Soul Arena rushed over after hearing the news. They were startled as well when they saw the three mangled, bald, blackened men on the floor,

and hurriedly carried away the groaning Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Oscar for emergency treatment.

Yu Xiaogang watched the three being carried away, then looked at the five-person team led by Lin Jiang. Though their numbers were incomplete, their morale was strangely high, leaving his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Tonight, an unprecedented brutal battle awaited them in the central main soul arena...

Night fell, yet the central main soul arena of the Soto Great Soul Arena shone as brightly as day.

The stands, capable of holding tens of thousands, were packed to the brim, and the roaring noise nearly seemed capable of lifting the roof off.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the enormous, magnificent soul arena, while the air brimmed with fervor and anticipation.

A deep mechanical rumble suddenly rose from the center of the arena.

A circular platform two meters in diameter slowly rose from the floor, lifted by a thick golden pillar beneath it.

Yet even more eye-catching was the breathtakingly beautiful woman leaning against that golden pillar.