Master!

The group left the main arena and headed toward the exit of the Soul Arena.

Along the way, Bei Yuxuan handed a ring to Lu Chen and lowered his voice.

"Inside is the seventy-thousand-year Shadow Ghost Leopard right leg bone, along with a level-six close-combat soul tool.

This is your reward for helping me, Brother Lu. Please accept it. Don't refuse."

Lu Chen took the ring and smiled as he nodded.

"Since it's a token of Brother Bei's goodwill, I'll gladly accept it."

Tang Ya stared at the ring and couldn't help swallowing.

A seventy-thousand-year Soul Bone—it was a supreme treasure coveted by every Soul Master.

And he had just gotten it?

Old Chen suddenly cut in, his tone concerned.

"Young Master, Wang Ou is no weakling. Why not leave with young friend Lu first?"

"Yeah, Bei Yuxuan."

Tang Ya joined in persuading him. "Luo Du is extremely sinister. He might have already set up an ambush outside.

Come with us. It'll be easier for Old Chen to fight if you're together."

Though they had only known each other for a short time, she could tell that Bei Yuxuan and Luo Du were definitely not cut from the same cloth.

Bei Yuxuan stopped and gently shook his head. "What Luo Du truly wants is my Soul Bone—and my life.

I'll draw his attention from the front. Brother Lu, Miss Tang, you can take the chance to disguise yourselves and leave."

He folded up his fan and smiled faintly. "Besides, he has trump cards, and so do I.

If I truly want to leave, he can't stop me.

This is where we part. Next time you visit Duke Beiyu's Estate, I'll be the host and drink Brother Lu under the table."

"Are you really sure about this?" Lu Chen frowned.

Bei Yuxuan looked completely confident. "Trust me!"

"Fine. I'll come find you next time."

With that, Lu Chen pulled Tang Ya toward the crowd.

"Little Chen, are we really not helping him?" Tang Ya asked quietly.

Lu Chen remained calm. "Don't underestimate the resources of a Duke's Estate.

Rather than worrying about him, we're the ones in greater danger now."

"What do you mean?" Tang Ya looked utterly confused.

"We've already been marked, and there are quite a few of them."

Tang Ya was startled and instinctively wanted to turn around, but Lu Chen grabbed her and stopped her.

"Don't look back. Just walk normally."

Tang Ya forcibly suppressed the panic in her heart and steadied her steps.

"Why would they target us? Bei Yuxuan gave you that Soul Bone in secret."

Lu Chen sounded somewhat helpless. "Did you forget Luo Du's storage soul tool ring?

They might not know the ring's exact value, but would something worn by a duke's son be cheap?

We should be grateful that the experts all went after Bei Yuxuan's Soul Bone. The ones left behind are only low-level Soul Masters."

Tang Ya suddenly understood, but then grew anxious again. "What do we do now? There might be people watching the entrance to the Soul Arena too."

"I have a way."

With that, Lu Chen led Tang Ya back into the Soul Arena.

"Boss, why is that kid suddenly heading back inside? Did he notice us?"

Not far behind Lu Chen, a hawk-nosed man asked in confusion.

Beside him, a burly man with a scar running across his cheek snorted coldly.

"So what if he did? We're two Soul Elders. Are we supposed to fear a mere Soul Scholar? Come on, follow them!"

After saying that, the two continued to trail them quietly.

Quite a few people around them had the same idea and secretly followed as well.

This scene happened to be witnessed by the Body Sect group as they emerged from the VIP room.

"That brat is this cowardly?" Du Bushi was speechless.

He had been planning to make a flashy entrance and save Lu Chen once he was in danger.

That way, Lu Chen would admire him and wholeheartedly join his sect.

Yet the brat had actually turned around and run back inside.

Chen Lü asked, "Sect Master, should we go find him directly?"

Du Bushi rubbed his chin. "Let's follow him and see. I want to see how this brat plans to escape from a pack of hungry wolves."

Before long, Lu Chen led Tang Ya to the Soul Arena manager's office.

"What are we doing here? The Soul Arena manager won't protect us for nothing."

Tang Ya looked at the office before them, completely puzzled.

"That's because you haven't offered enough money."

Lu Chen was about to knock when a steady voice came from inside. "Come in."

The corners of Lu Chen's lips curled up slightly as he pushed the door open and walked in.

The first thing he saw was a middle-aged man seated behind a semicircular desk.

Lu Chen recognized him immediately. He was the Soul Douluo from the earlier wager.

"My surname is Shi. You can call me Uncle Shi, or Manager Shi."

Shi Feng smiled faintly, without the slightest air of superiority.

Lu Chen respectfully bowed, then grinned.

"Manager Shi sounds too distant. Uncle Shi sounds much closer."

Tang Ya hurriedly followed with an "Uncle Shi."

Shi Feng laughed heartily, then asked, "What do you need from me?"

"Well... I'm afraid of the dark, so I'd like to trouble Uncle Shi to escort me to the nearest Body Sect branch. Of course, I can pay."

Originally, he had wanted to draw the Body Sect members to him.

But the Soul Bone was too valuable. To be safe, Lu Chen had no choice but to seek their protection first.

Shi Feng's mouth twitched slightly.

Afraid of the dark, my ass. Just say you're afraid of dying!

As the Soul Arena manager, he had seen plenty of people following others after matches to murder them and steal their treasures.

Those desperate outlaws with no backing would dare to take a bite even if their target was a Body Sect disciple.

"Your martial soul is of high quality. By all rights, you should be a core disciple of the Body Sect. Why didn't you bring any guards with you?"

"Sigh, I did..."

Lu Chen sighed, casually spinning a lie. "But this is a sect assessment. He can only intervene when my life is in danger.

Once he acts, my vacation ends, and I'll be forced to return to the sect."

He said this because he was wary of Shi Feng harboring ill intentions. One could never be too careful.

But these words completely bewildered Du Bushi outside the door.

"Since when did our sect have a rule like that? Why don't I know about it?"

Vina burst out laughing. "Sect Master, he just made it up."

"This brat actually dares to use the Body Sect's name to swindle people!" Chen Lü said helplessly.

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Shi Feng suddenly understood.

He didn't know much about the Body Sect's internal affairs, but he did know that major sects often set up various trials to cultivate a sense of crisis in the next generation.

Lu Chen chuckled. "Uncle Shi, I won't make you do this for nothing. I'll pay one hundred thousand gold soul coins. What do you think?"

"Not good!"

The moment those words left his mouth, before Shi Feng could respond, the office door was violently kicked open.

Du Bushi glared at Lu Chen, furious at his lack of backbone.

"You brat, are you really that afraid of dying?

The sect's outer branch is less than three kilometers from here.

You actually want to spend one hundred thousand gold soul coins to hire a Soul Douluo to escort you such a short distance? Do you have so much money that you don't know where to spend it?"

Lu Chen wiped the saliva splashed onto his face and stared blankly at the absurdly burly figure before him.

Short hair, a full beard, green skin!

His eyes widened in shock as he cried out in delight, "Holy shit! Du... pfft, Master!"

Du Bushi was so choked by the sudden "Master" that he couldn't speak for a long while.

For a moment, he even forgot what he had originally wanted to say.

Vina, Chen Lü, and Jiang Yixi all stared in stunned disbelief.

"Master, my ass. This guy's skin is practically thicker than a city wall!"

Chen Lü's mouth twitched as he inwardly cursed.

"B-Body Douluo!"

Shi Feng shot to his feet and stood frozen in place.

He stared at Lu Chen in disbelief. "This kid is actually the disciple of Du Bushi, the Body Sect's master?!"