Bei Yuxuan looked at the two of them apologetically. "Brother Lu, Miss Tang, I'm sorry. You were both frightened because of me."
Lu Chen smiled. "It's nothing. Just a small matter."
Just then, a steady voice boomed from deep within the Soul Arena like a great bell:
"Making trouble in Tianling Soul Arena—do you think the Duke's Estate carries more weight than His Majesty?
"Or do you think your own skills surpass those of the consecrated elders?"
As the voice fell, a middle-aged man in a black robe appeared in the arena out of thin air.
Soul Power gathered beneath his feet, and eight Soul Rings pulsed in orderly succession.
Though he was merely a Soul Douluo, the emblem on his chest Soul Tool badge—marked "Soul Arena Manager"—made Old Lady Wang snort coldly.
She slowly withdrew her Martial Soul.
Tianling Soul Arena was no longer private property like it had been ten thousand years ago.
It had long since been acquired by the imperial family. With the Tianhun Imperial Family backing it, no one dared to truly start a fight here.
"Please calm down, Your Excellencies and young masters."
The Soul Arena manager spoke in a calm, even tone, offering both sides a way out. "The arena's rules state that blood may only be shed on the stage."
Luo Du took a deep breath and forcibly calmed the panic that Lu Chen's aura had frightened out of him.
With a cold laugh, he looked past the manager at Bei Yuxuan, deliberately stressing the word "friends."
"Bei Yuxuan, since you found these two 'friends,' do you dare wager another match? Or are you... afraid?"
Then he glanced at Lu Chen and said in a mocking tone, "Your friend's aura was pretty intimidating just now. He almost scared me to death."
As he spoke, he deliberately pulled a face and made an exaggerated expression of fear.
The mockery could not have been clearer.
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes. Ignoring the other man's taunts, he carefully examined Luo Du.
Looking at his arrogant and overbearing demeanor, a strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart.
Luo Du seemed to be deliberately hiding something. Everything he did appeared intended to provoke Bei Yuxuan and force him into accepting the wager.
"Enough!"
Bei Yuxuan's face darkened to the extreme. Unable to contain his anger any longer, he glared at Luo Du. "How do you want to wager?"
"Young Master, time is almost up. Let's go inside first."
Seeing that Bei Yuxuan had been blinded by rage, Old Chen hurriedly tried to dissuade him.
At those words, Luo Du's gaze abruptly turned cold. Like a venomous snake, he swept his eyes toward Old Chen, a savage glint flashing in them.
Seeing this, Lu Chen became certain.
Luo Du definitely wanted something from Bei Yuxuan.
And Old Chen had clearly seen through that as well, which was why he had spoken up to remind him.
Lu Chen glanced over the three young people behind Luo Du, then looked at Bei Yuxuan curiously. "How did you usually wager in the past?"
Bei Yuxuan froze for a moment before explaining in a low voice, "Each side sends three people for three matches: Soul Master, Soul Grandmaster, and Soul Elder. Best two out of three, and the loser hands over the wagered items."
"Do all three people have to fight? Can one person fight consecutively?"
Hearing this, Bei Yuxuan's heart stirred. He instantly understood Lu Chen's meaning and nodded.
"Yes. Lower-ranked fighters can challenge higher ranks, but not the other way around."
The two exchanged a glance and silently understood each other.
Then Bei Yuxuan looked at Luo Du, his tone icy.
"You deliberately mocked me and pressed me step by step. Your goal was the Seventy-Thousand-Year Silver-armored Giant Bear Left Arm Soul Bone on me, wasn't it?"
As his words fell, Bei Yuxuan spread open his palm.
A Left Arm Soul Bone appeared in his hand. It emitted a dark black sheen tinged with faint crimson, its joints thick and sturdy like heavy armor.
The instant they saw the Soul Bone, everyone present sucked in a breath of cold air before the entire place erupted!
"A Seventy-Thousand-Year Soul Bone! Are they insane? The Bei Yu Family is really going all out!"
"As expected of a top-tier Duke's Estate! That's practically a walking mountain of gold!"
A Seventy-Thousand-Year Soul Bone would fetch at least sixty million Gold Soul Coins at an auction house.
And even then, it was usually priceless and impossible to buy!
Other than top forces, ordinary people would not even have the chance to see one.
Even the Soul Arena manager's heart pounded violently when he saw the faintly crimson Soul Bone.
Luo Du's breathing immediately quickened, and a greedy glint of success flashed in his eyes.
This Soul Bone was precisely the target his father had specifically ordered him to obtain at all costs!
Even a Duke's Estate could not easily acquire a high-year Soul Bone.
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow. He had not expected Luo Du's target to be a Soul Bone.
But upon further thought, it made sense.
To Soul Masters, Soul Bones were the most alluring treasures aside from Soul Rings.
"Young Master, this Soul Bone was specially selected for you by the master..."
Old Chen hurriedly tried to stop him, but Bei Yuxuan raised a hand and cut him off before he could finish.
"I know."
His eyes remained locked on Luo Du. "This stake is still too small. Since we're wagering, let's wager big!"
With that, he took out a black card from his storage Soul Tool Ring.
Its edges were inlaid with gold, while the words "Soul Coin Savings" were engraved in the center.
"There are five million Gold Soul Coins in here. It's what I earned over the past five years."
"Five million Gold Soul Coins!"
Tang Ya swallowed. "They said Young Master Bei Yu was a business genius. I didn't believe it before, but it turns out it's true!"
That amount of money was more than most people could earn in dozens of lifetimes.
"Good! You've got guts!"
Luo Du grinned and also took several items from his ring.
A six-thousand-year Spirit Cat Right Arm Bone, a level-six defensive Soul Tool, a level-six close-combat Soul Tool, and more.
These were all things Bei Yuxuan had lost to him yesterday.
Finally, he took out a jet-black right leg bone with faint afterimages flickering around it.
"A Seventy-Thousand-Year Shadow Ghost Leopard Right Leg Bone, plus three million Gold Soul Coins from this card. That's enough to offset your wager."
"Gasp!"
The crowd sucked in another breath of cold air.
"Another Seventy-Thousand-Year Soul Bone!"
"Is this the foundation of top aristocrats? Terrifying!"
Bei Yuxuan's face grew even darker. "As expected, this bastard came here for this Soul Bone.
"Maybe he had been plotting this from the moment I entered Heavenly Spirit City."
Bei Yuxuan was no fool. Looking back on the past two days, he immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Luo Du knew that he was impulsive by nature, especially unable to tolerate losing to the Luo Family.
After losing yesterday, he had gone out early this morning to find fighters to help him win the wager back.
And then he had happened to encounter Lu Chen...
Luo Du must have long since sent people to patrol near the Soul Arena and monitor his every move.
After sorting through his thoughts, Bei Yuxuan's anger only intensified. He looked at Lu Chen and gritted his teeth.
"Brother Lu, as long as you help me win this wager, all the spoils will be yours!"
At those words, even Lu Chen's breathing could not help quickening slightly.
When he had encouraged Bei Yuxuan to wager, he had merely wanted to earn more Gold Soul Coins.
He had never expected their stakes to be Soul Bones, with a total value approaching one hundred million!
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Lu Chen smiled faintly. "No need. I only want that Seventy-Thousand-Year Soul Bone."
According to the contract, the benefits he would receive already greatly exceeded sixty percent.
"Hmph, you? Aren't you afraid the wind will cut your tongue off?"
Luo Du snorted disdainfully and casually handed the Soul Bones and other items to the Soul Arena manager.
Then he shot Lu Chen a savage grin and made a throat-slitting gesture. "I hope you can last a little longer later."
With that, he led his people into the Soul Arena first.
Although Lu Chen's aura had frightened him earlier.
The Soul Power fluctuations in this guy's body were only around level ten.
A piece of trash who had just broken through, facing a veteran level-nineteen Soul Master—he would be utterly crushed.
"As expected, everyone in the Bei Yu Family is an idiot. They were actually bewitched by an outsider.
"That Seventy-Thousand-Year Soul Bone is mine for the taking!"
Luo Du smiled confidently. Everything was under control.
Lu Chen licked his lips as he watched their departing backs.
A trace of madness flashed through his eyes. "I can't wait any longer."
Seeing both groups enter, the onlookers immediately became excited.
"A wager worth over ten million! You don't see this more than a few times a year!"
"Quit wasting time! Buy tickets already! I want seats in the front row!"
The area outside went completely wild. With such enormous stakes, everyone wanted to join the excitement.
The Soul Arena manager's grin nearly reached his ears. He hurriedly called over several more employees to inspect tickets.
Then he walked inside happily.
Meanwhile!
In a street corner outside the Soul Arena.
An old man wearing a broad cloak, with an unusually burly build, silently watched everything unfold.
Behind him stood two women and one man.
One of the girls was breathtakingly beautiful, yet she possessed a rationality and intelligence that did not belong to someone her age.
"Sect Master, with such a huge wager, should we go in and watch?"
One young man with particularly long legs could not help speaking, his tone full of excitement.
"We should go in and take a look."
The old man's shifty eyes stared at the Soul Bone in the manager's hands, a trace of greed flashing in them.
"Sect Master, the Soul Arena is royal property and values its reputation above all else. You mustn't do anything reckless."
The beautiful girl looked somewhat helpless as she reminded him.
"Ahem, I know."
The old man looked slightly embarrassed and coughed to hide it. "Let's go in.
"That little fellow's body is very strange. His blood and vitality are exceptionally vigorous. He might possess a Body Martial Soul!"
Before you continue