Ye Fan and Xu Jiujiu's Wager

The next day, Shrek Academy faced Tianhun Royal Soul Master Academy in the Continental Soul Master Tournament.

"Bets are open! Shrek Academy, one to five! Heavenly Soul Royal Academy, one to 1.2!"

People outside the arena were constantly shouting to attract bettors.

Ye Fan's team and Xu Jiujiu's team arrived at the venue almost at the same time.

"What a coincidence. You're here to watch the match too?"

Xu Jiujiu was the first to extend her claw toward Ye Fan, but Ye Fan swiftly dodged away.

After steadying himself, Ye Fan praised Xu Jiujiu.

"Yes, Your Highness. You were truly valiant yesterday—a heroine who outshone men."

Hearing Ye Fan's praise, Xu Jiujiu finally abandoned her wicked thoughts. She casually praised him in return. "You're no simple kid either. You've made it to the top sixteen, yet you still haven't made a move."

"Tell your big sister the truth. Do you have some secret trump card?"

As she spoke, Xu Jiujiu tried to inch closer to Ye Fan.

Meng Hongchen moved even faster and pressed herself against Ye Fan first.

"Hmph. Your Highness will find out soon enough."

The moment the two women met, the air was thick with gunpowder.

Helpless, Ye Fan could only change the subject. "Hehe, Your Highness, I heard there's a betting pool taking wagers."

"How about we place a few bets?"

"Fine!"

Xu Jiujiu's eyes immediately lit up.

She also wanted to know what Ye Fan and the others thought of Shrek Academy: were they hiding their strength, or had something truly gone wrong?

Quite a few thrill-seekers had gathered around the betting pool.

Following the principle of ladies first, Ye Fan spoke up.

"Your Highness, you're a lady. You go first!"

"Fine!" Xu Jiujiu did not stand on ceremony.

"Then I won't hold back. I'll bet twenty million Gold Soul Coins on Heavenly Soul Royal Academy to win!"

After placing her bet, Xu Jiujiu turned her gaze toward Ye Fan.

Then it was Ye Fan and the others' turn to wager.

Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, Ma Rulong, and the others wanted to follow Xu Jiujiu and bet on Tianhun Royal Soul Master Academy.

Anyone with a discerning eye could tell from the information on the players who had appeared earlier that Tianhun Royal Soul Master Academy had the higher chance of winning.

Ye Fan could not help reminding them, "Brother Xiao Xiao, Sister Meng Meng, Ma Rulong..."

"My advice is to bet on Shrek Academy!"

"Ye Fan, are you serious?"

As soon as Ye Fan finished speaking, Ma Rulong began to hesitate.

"Bets are final once placed! Are you customers betting or not? If not, move aside and rest. Don't interfere with other customers placing their bets."

Just then, a staff member at the betting pool urged Ma Rulong and the others.

Unable to withstand the staff member's urging, Ma Rulong, Lin Xi, and the others eventually gritted their teeth and placed bets of two million Gold Soul Coins on Tianhun Royal Soul Master Academy.

"Ah..."

Ye Fan could only sigh helplessly. He could hardly tell them that he could foresee the future—that Shrek Academy would be sending out two Soul Emperor powerhouses in this match.

Ye Fan could not control whether Ma Rulong and the others wanted to throw their money away.

However, he tightly grabbed the hands Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were about to use to place their bets.

"Xiao Fan, are we really betting on Shrek Academy?"

"Yes! Brother Xiao Xiao, Sister Meng Meng, trust me."

Immediately afterward, Ye Fan was the first to place a bet of five million Gold Soul Coins on Shrek Academy.

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen exchanged a glance. Their eyes eventually hardened with resolve, and each followed Ye Fan with a bet of five million Gold Soul Coins.

"Bets are final."

As the staff member collected Ye Fan and the others' Gold Soul Coins, Ye Fan's team had finished placing their wagers.

Next, Ye Fan and Xu Jiujiu each led their teams into the arena and took their seats to watch the match.

Ye Fan and Xu Jiujiu briefly met each other's eyes and nodded in greeting.

When Meng Hongchen saw Ye Fan and Xu Jiujiu exchanging glances so affectionately, anger immediately surged within her. She viciously pinched Ye Fan's waist.

"Hmph!"

Ye Fan endured the pain and withdrew his gaze.

He said to Meng Hongchen, "Sister Meng Meng, stop messing around. We're watching the match."

Ma Rulong, Lin Xi, and the others watched Ye Fan suffer with expressions that said they wanted to laugh but did not dare to.

In the end, Xiao Hongchen stepped in to smooth things over for Ye Fan.

"Meng Meng, Xiao Fan, the match is starting. Stop fooling around."

Xiao Hongchen made sure not to take sides and offended neither of them.

Only then did Meng Hongchen let it go. She sat forward, puffing up with anger as she planted herself squarely between Ye Fan and Xu Jiujiu's lines of sight.

The match began, and both sides' members took the field.

As a favorite to win the championship, Heavenly Soul Royal Academy was the first to appear.

Ye Fan recalled the intelligence Ma Zhanshan had provided:

"Gu Zhujian [Captain], martial soul: Violet Radiant Bamboo | Level 57 assault-type battle Soul King;"

"Qian Yuan [Vice-Captain], martial soul: Terrorclaw Bear | Level 53 assault-type battle Soul King;"

"Xiao Feng, martial soul: Mystery Orb (spiritual type) | Level 54 control-type battle Soul King;"

"Chi Hengyu, martial soul: Adamantine Greatshield | Level 52 defense-type battle Soul King;"

"Han Linger, martial soul: Azure Luan (agility-attack type) | Level 51 agility-attack battle Soul King;"

"Qing Feng, control-type Soul Ancestor;"

"Tang Niuniu, support-type Soul Ancestor."

Xiao Hongchen and the others similarly recalled Ma Zhanshan's intelligence, comparing it one by one with the Tianhun Royal Soul Master Academy members on the field.

In terms of soul power cultivation, this was a team not to be underestimated.

At that moment, as Tianhun Royal Soul Master Academy's students revealed their martial souls one after another, thunderous cheers immediately erupted throughout the venue.

"Heavenly Soul Royal Academy will win!"

"Heavenly Soul Royal Academy will win!"

"Shrek Academy will win!"

Outside the arena, there were noticeably more cheers for Heavenly Soul Royal Academy.

In years past, as a favorite to win the championship, Shrek Academy should have had more spectators supporting it.

However, Shrek Academy had stumbled through the elimination rounds and round-robin stage, then forfeited its last two matches without fighting, causing many people to lose money.

Many of the gambling spectators watching the match had already lost confidence in Shrek Academy.

"Heavenly Soul Royal Academy will win!"

"Shrek Academy, you deserters!"

"Well, who would have thought that one day, Shrek Academy would become the target of everyone's scorn across Douluo Continent in this way?"

Ye Fan found it rather amusing as well.

On the field, Shrek Academy's members all wore grim expressions.

"Damn it. Dai Yueheng, the two of us will handle the frontal engagement later. Yuhao will be responsible for controlling the field at all times."

These two were none other than Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, Shrek Academy's representatives for today's match.

Below the stage, Ye Fan saw that Shrek's lineup for the day had changed.

Looking closely, he realized that the woman in red was the Shrek inner court disciple he had encountered by chance in the Star Dou Great Forest a year ago.

"It's her? So she's Ma Xiaotao."

"Then that other six-ring Soul Emperor must be Dai Yueheng."

Ye Fan thought this to himself.

Meng Hongchen also recalled Ma Xiaotao's identity on the field.

"Xiao Fan, haven't we met that woman in red before?"

"Yes!"

"She should be the true captain of Shrek Academy's team this time. Her name is Ma Xiaotao."

Ye Fan pretended to analyze the situation.

Meanwhile, beside Xu Jiujiu, Nebula Douluo suddenly opened his murky old eyes, and faint glimmers of sharp light shone within them.

"Miss, Shrek Academy has sent out two Soul Emperor powerhouses."

"So they really were hiding their strength?"

"Looks like your twenty million Gold Soul Coins are about to go down the drain."

Nebula Douluo spoke to Xu Jiujiu in a half-joking tone.

Xu Jiujiu felt a burst of annoyance upon hearing this, but she quickly regained her composure. Looking curiously toward Ye Fan in the distance, she wondered, "Strange. Did Ye Fan bet on Shrek Academy by luck, or does he know something?"