Gambling District

Zhao Lie stood at the edge of the Spirit Arena Stage, looking at his unconscious partner below the stage before glancing at the calm-faced young man before him. He swallowed hard.

With a bitter smile, he raised both hands voluntarily. "I surrender."

Only then did the host snap back to his senses and hurriedly announce, "Star Sea Team wins!"

The audience fell silent for a moment before erupting into deafening cheers and applause.

Those who had been mocking them earlier were now clapping louder than anyone else.

That was the rule of the Spirit Arena: strength reigned supreme.

Ning Chen lowered his fist, and the silver glow on the Starlight Bracer slowly faded.

He turned to glance at Ye Lingling behind him. She was still standing where she had been, her face somewhat pale, but her eyes no longer held the helplessness from before.

As she watched Ning Chen's back, something quietly changed in her clear eyes.

"Let's go," Ning Chen said calmly.

Ye Lingling came back to her senses and quickly followed him. "Thank you," she said softly.

Ning Chen did not look back, merely waving a hand. "Protect yourself better next time."

Ye Lingling gave a soft hum and followed him down from the Spirit Arena Stage.

Each type of battle in the Contest Arena could only be fought once per day.

After Ning Chen and Ye Lingling had completed a two-on-two match, they could only do one-on-one battles or group battles.

There was still some time before the group battle Qin Ming had arranged. With Ye Lingling beside him, Ning Chen could hardly leave her behind and go fight a one-on-one match alone.

An idea came to him, and he looked at Ye Lingling. "You can only fight once a day in the Contest Arena, so accumulating points is too slow. Want to try your luck in the Gambling Arena?"

"The Gambling Arena?"

Ye Lingling hesitated. Teacher Qin Ming did not recommend that newcomers to the Spirit Arena visit the Gambling Arena during the early stages.

The Gambling Arena used all kinds of gold, silver, and treasures as stakes. Not only was it easy to get carried away, but more importantly, its danger level was on an entirely different scale from the Contest Arena.

"It's fine. Let's just try one match first. If it really doesn't work out, we'll give up on earning points through battles in the Gambling Arena. How about it?"

Battles in the Spirit Arena allowed him to encounter all kinds of Soul Masters and see all sorts of methods. That was exactly what Ning Chen had been looking forward to.

"Well... all right."

Remembering how Ning Chen had protected her during the battle just now, Ye Lingling hesitated for a while before finally nodding.

Having reached an agreement, the two headed for the Spirit Arena District where the Gambling Arena was located.

After passing through an arched gateway, they crossed from the Contest District into the Gambling District.

The air seemed to turn thick the instant they crossed that threshold.

If the Contest District was an orderly arena, then the Gambling District was a naked jungle.

The dome here was lower, and the lighting was dimmer.

The shouts from the stands were far more unrestrained than those in the Contest District. There was no elegant applause here, only coarse roars and curses.

Some stood on their seats, waving betting slips in their hands. Others stared fixedly at the Spirit Arena Stage with bloodshot eyes, muttering under their breaths.

The air was thick with the mingled scents of sweat, alcohol, and a faint trace of blood.

Ning Chen calmly swept his gaze across the surroundings, taking in every detail.

Ye Lingling's reaction, however, was much more obvious.

The moment she entered the Gambling District, her body stiffened slightly.

The gazes coming from all directions—greedy, appraising, and naked—pricked at her skin like fine needles.

Quite a few Soul Masters noticed the cool-faced, exceptionally poised girl.

Their gazes lingered on her for far too long. Some even licked their lips without any attempt at concealment, their eyes full of covetousness.

Ye Lingling bit down on her lower lip, her face even paler than it had been when she stepped onto the stage earlier.

She said nothing and merely moved a step closer to Ning Chen, walking forward almost shoulder to shoulder with him.

Ning Chen noticed her unease. His steps paused slightly as he turned to look at her.

"Stay close."

His tone was calm, without any extra reassurance.

Yet those simple words eased Ye Lingling's taut nerves slightly.

She gave a soft hum and stayed even closer to him.

Ning Chen had not expected the Gambling District to be like this. No wonder Qin Ming had forbidden them from coming here.

But since he had come, Ning Chen naturally had no intention of backing down.

They went to the counter and registered.

Although their team consisted of one Soul Elder and one Soul Ancestor, two-on-two matches in the Gambling Arena calculated a team's level according to the member with the highest Soul Power cultivation.

Thus, Ning Chen and Ye Lingling's Star Sea Team could only be considered a Soul Ancestor-level team.

The minimum stake for a gambling Spirit Arena battle was one hundred Gold Soul Coins. Ning Chen directly wagered one thousand Gold Soul Coins, which was already an unusually generous sum.

Although Ye Lingling was not short on money, she was still a little shocked to see Ning Chen put down a thousand gold coins without hesitation.

However, she did not want to take advantage of Ning Chen either. If they lost the gambling match, she would pay seventy percent of the Gold Soul Coins.

After all, she was a support Soul Master, and her Soul Power Level was relatively low.

Ning Chen had no objection, though he did not think he would lose.

With the Nine Yang Divine Skill, Voidstep, and the Thousand Mountains Formula, even if he suppressed his Soul Power to the Soul Ancestor realm, he was confident that he could not possibly lose to two Soul Masters of the same realm.

After placing his wager, Ning Chen led Ye Lingling to wait nearby.

Not long after Ning Chen and Ye Lingling sat down in the waiting area, they noticed a lanky man walking toward the registration counter.

The man appeared to be around thirty-five or thirty-six. He was nearly 1.9 meters tall, but his build was thin, like a bamboo pole.

He wore a gray-black leather vest that exposed two long, lean arms with distinct muscle lines.

His short brownish-yellow hair stood up in a messy tangle. His cheekbones protruded, his chin was sharp, and a shrewd gleam flickered in his triangular eyes.

He exchanged a few words with the staff at the registration counter, but his eyes kept drifting toward Ning Chen and Ye Lingling.

His gaze lingered noticeably longer on Ye Lingling, and a meaningful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

A moment later, the lanky man turned around and walked straight toward Ning Chen and Ye Lingling.

He stopped before them and looked Ning Chen over from above before turning his gaze to Ye Lingling.

His eyes swept repeatedly over her face and body. Grinning, he said, "Well, where did this little beauty come from? You're really gorgeous."

Ye Lingling frowned slightly and did not answer, only shifting a little closer to Ning Chen.

Seeing her avoid him only made the lanky man more eager. He stepped closer, tilted his head, and said with a leering grin, "What's so interesting about partnering with a pretty boy like this?

Look at those skinny arms and legs of his. Can he protect you? Why not team up with big brother instead? I guarantee you'll live well and eat well. Isn't that better than fighting for your life here?"

He paused, his gaze growing even more blatant as he lowered his voice. "By the way, little beauty, how much for one night? Name your price. Big brother has plenty of money—I guarantee I'll satisfy you."