Taking on trash like this doesn't require a Martial Soul!

"Zhu Zhuqing, Level 28."

After Zhu Zhuqing finished reporting her information,

the middle-aged man quickly wrote down both of their details in the registration book,

then took out two small iron badges from beneath the counter and pushed them over.

"Iron Soul Duel Badges. All newly registered contestants start as Iron Soul Duel."

"Match types are divided into Solo Match, Two-on-Two, and Team Match. The winning side receives ten Gold Soul Coins, and their score increases by one point."

"The more you win, the faster you advance."

Lin Ye picked up the two badges and tossed one to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Sign us up for a Two-on-Two."

"Two-on-Two?"

The middle-aged man flipped through his booklet.

"There are two Iron Soul Duel matches left this afternoon, both at No. 7 Soul Arena. The first begins in fifteen minutes."

"We'll take the first one."

"Alright. No. 7 Soul Arena, Two-on-Two, Lin Ye and Zhu Zhuqing, Red Team."

The woman said without even raising her head.

"Turn left at the entrance and go straight to the end."

Lin Ye then led Zhu Zhuqing toward the arena.

As they walked, Lin Ye looked at the badge in his hand and muttered to himself,

"Iron Soul Duel Badges are the lowest-tier badges."

"If I want to advance to a Bronze Soul Duel Badge or even a Silver Soul Duel Badge, it looks like I'll need to win enough matches in the Iron Soul Duel District."

At the same time,

Zhu Zhuqing pinned her badge to her waist,

but her gaze still lingered on Lin Ye.

Level 37.

Those three words kept tumbling through her mind.

"Hey, big kitty, what are you thinking about? Why have you been so quiet?"

"Hmm?"

"...I'm fine."

Lin Ye glanced at her and smiled faintly.

"Let's go. The match is about to start."

"Alright."

The two soon arrived at No. 7 Soul Arena.

Compared to the bustling main hall outside, this place was clearly even noisier.

At a glance,

they could see a Soul Arena roughly thirty meters in diameter at the center,

surrounded by tiered stands.

The stands were already packed with people.

"So this is No. 7 Soul Arena? I didn't expect it to be this lively."

Although Iron Soul Duel matches were not considered high-level,

the contestants were young and hot-blooded. Their fights were passionate and intense, making them highly entertaining.

Just then, the referee's voice rang out.

"Match Seventeen, Two-on-Two!"

Standing at the edge of the arena, the referee announced loudly,

"Red Team: Level 37 Lin Ye, Level 28 Zhu Zhuqing!"

"Blue Team: Level 38 Niu Dali, Level 28 Zhou Hai!"

As the referee announced them, Lin Ye and Zhu Zhuqing stepped onto the Soul Arena from the passageway.

Across from them, two men stepped onto the platform as well.

The man on the left was built like an iron tower, with a gleaming bald head and bulging muscles all over his body.

He was Niu Dali, a Level 38 Soul Elder.

The man on the right was tall and thin, with a gloomy complexion and a somewhat frail appearance.

He was Zhou Hai, a Level 28 Great Soul Master.

The moment Niu Dali stepped onto the stage, he noticed Zhu Zhuqing.

His gaze swept over her from head to toe, and he grinned.

"Oh? There's even a pretty little thing on the other side?"

"That figure, that face... absolute top quality!"

Zhou Hai beside him sneered as well.

"And there's a kid too. Isn't this match a free win?"

Zhu Zhuqing, on the other hand, remained expressionless as she looked coldly at them.

Lin Ye stood beside her with both hands in his pockets, not moving an inch.

"Both sides, prepare! Release your Martial Souls!"

The referee gave the order.

Niu Dali was the first to move.

"Iron-armored Rhinoceros, possess me!"

Buzz!

A heavy gray Soul Power erupted from his body.

At the same time, a pair of short, thick rhinoceros horns emerged from his forehead, while his limbs became covered in a layer of iron-gray armor.

Then three Soul Rings rose beneath his feet.

Yellow, yellow, purple.

A standard three-ring Soul Elder configuration.

"Green Fang Snake, possess me!"

Zhou Hai beside him released his Martial Soul immediately afterward.

His skinny arms were instantly covered in green scales.

Two yellow Soul Rings lit up as well.

However,

just as everyone waited for the Red Team to release their Martial Souls,

Lin Ye did nothing at all.

He still stood there with both hands in his pockets, without even changing his posture.

The referee froze for a moment.

"The Red Team's... contestant Lin Ye? Please release your Martial Soul."

"There's no need."

Lin Ye said coldly.

"A match at this level doesn't require a Martial Soul."

The moment those words fell,

the entire arena fell silent.

Then,

a wave of laughter surged in from every direction.

"Hahahahaha!"

Niu Dali was the first to burst out laughing.

"Kid, what did you say?"

He pointed at Lin Ye, laughing so hard he nearly doubled over.

"You're a Level 37 Soul Elder, fighting me, a Level 38 Soul Elder, and you're not even releasing your Martial Soul? Is there something wrong with your head?"

The audience erupted as well.

"Is this guy crazy? He's entering a Soul Duel without releasing his Martial Soul?"

"Who's he trying to impress? He'll be crying when someone punches him flat in a moment."

"This kid doesn't look very old, but he sure talks big."

Zhou Hai beside Niu Dali sneered and shook his head.

"Brother Niu, stop wasting words on him. Just go over and knock him down with one punch."

Even Zhu Zhuqing, standing beside Lin Ye, frowned slightly.

What the hell was this bastard doing?

She turned her head and glanced at Lin Ye.

However,

Lin Ye merely gave her a look.

His gaze was calm, without the slightest hint of tension.

Zhu Zhuqing then withdrew her gaze, lowered her body slightly, and entered a combat stance.

Lin Ye must have had his reasons for doing this!

If he said there was no need, then there was no need.

"In that case, the match begins!"

The referee lowered his arm.

Niu Dali suddenly let out a roar, driving his Iron-armored Rhinoceros Spirit to its limit as he stomped down hard.

He charged straight toward Lin Ye!

"First Spirit Skill, Iron Armor Charge!"

Niu Dali's speed abruptly surged, and gray Soul Power condensed in front of him into a charging barrier.

A full-force charge from a Level 38 Soul Elder was something even a Soul Master of the same level would have to think twice before taking head-on.

Niu Dali was incredibly fast at the moment,

but before Lin Ye's Spiritual Power, which rivaled that of a Soul King, he was slower than a snail!

"Kid, I'll ram you to death!"

However,

at the instant Niu Dali was about to hit Lin Ye,

Lin Ye swiftly shifted aside, opening a distance of one step.

One step.

Only one step.

In that instant,

Niu Dali's charge brushed past the hem of his clothes. The massive momentum carried him another five or six meters before he managed to stop.

"What? His reaction was that fast?"

Niu Dali's eyes widened.

They had been so close, yet he had not even touched him?

Niu Dali quickly analyzed the reason.

That had definitely not been a simple dodge.

The angle of that sidestep had been just enough to evade the range of his charge.

Any more would have been excessive; any less, and he would have been grazed.

That level of precision, down to the smallest fraction, could never have been luck.

"Damn it, I didn't expect this kid to actually have some skill!"

"Second Soul Skill..."

Niu Dali had no time to think further. He turned, about to continue his pursuit.

But a black shadow was faster than him.

Lin Ye had already appeared in front of him.

"Hmph, big rhino, take this!"

Before he could even finish speaking, Lin Ye's fist had already slammed into Niu Dali's crossed arms.

Lin Ye still did not use his Martial Soul for this punch!

Boom!

After the blow,

Niu Dali slid backward seven or eight meters, his feet plowing two deep grooves into the stone floor.

Niu Dali's face was filled with shock!

A single punch without Martial Soul enhancement had actually forced back a Level 38 Soul Elder like him?

That strength...