Chicken Feed or a Mantis Trying to Stop a Chariot?

The entrance passage to the Soul Fighting Platform opened, and both sides entered.

There were no cheers or screams, because the only spectators were Xu Bayan's group and the four people on Meriel's side.

Mu Sen was among Meriel's group, along with a man and a woman. The man was Gu Meng, the Hundred Beasts Team's leading teacher. He looked to be in his forties or fifties, broad and powerfully built, dressed in a black robe.

The other woman possessed beauty and talent no less remarkable than Meriel's. She looked around seventeen or eighteen and was the Queen's close friend despite their age difference—the third princess of the Maitexier Duchy, a neighboring eastern nation. Her name was Hua Yuerong.

She had thick, glossy black hair arranged with a sparkling diamond mesh hair ornament. Wearing a pink-and-white noble princess dress, her skin was as smooth and pale as jade. Her enchanting peach-blossom eyes paired with her pure, watery face created a contrast of temperaments that drew the eye unconsciously, while her slender waist displayed endless charm.

If Meriel was a ripe and radiant red rose, then Hua Yuerong was an innocent white lotus, freshly awakened by the summer breeze.

With both women present, Xiao Kong did not even take out his little book, glancing their way every so often.

Just seeing them was already a profit.

At this moment, Meriel introduced Hua Yuerong to Xu Bayan.

"Your Excellency Demon Bear, this is my good friend, Hua Yuerong, the third princess of the Maitexier Duchy, our eastern neighboring nation. She is also the major owner behind the Seven Star Auction House."

Hua Yuerong crossed her palms over her lower abdomen and dipped slightly in a noble greeting, her voice lively and pleasant.

"Yuerong greets Your Excellency. The fame of Demon Bear Douluo has long resounded throughout the continent. Thanks to my sister's invitation, I have finally had the fortune of meeting you in person today."

Xu Bayan placed his right hand over his chest in return, smiling. "Haha, I didn't expect the real me to be a scruffy bearded man. Are you a little disappointed?"

"Of course not, Your Excellency must be joking. Titled Douluo are the most revered beings among all Soul Masters. How could I possibly be disappointed?" Hua Yuerong smiled softly.

Meriel cut in from the side. "Hehe~ Your Excellency Demon Bear possesses more than just strength. With such vigorous and imposing bearing, I believe that even fifty years from now, you will still be just as grand and domineering."

"Then I'll borrow the Queen's auspicious words, haha."

Meriel continued, "The main reason Sister Yuerong came is because she herself is extremely interested in team Soul Fighting. When she heard that Your Excellency was here, it stirred her curiosity and admiration even more, so she hoped Your Excellency would permit her to observe. Of course, Sister Yuerong did not come empty-handed. She brought a box of the Maitexier Duchy's precious Red Jade Snake Fruit as stakes for the Soul Fight. This snake fruit can raise the Soul Power Level of Soul Masters below the Soul Elder rank without any side effects."

"Of course she may. Welcome. Take your seats—the Soul Fight is about to begin."

With that, Xu Bayan led his group to the VIP seats in the stands, while Meriel, Mu Sen, and the others sat on the opposite side.

At this point, both sides had already entered the central team battle Soul Fighting Platform.

This Soul Fighting Platform was circular and a hundred meters in diameter. It was the largest and highest-standard team battle platform in the entire Great Soul Arena.

The host for this Soul Fight, Luoli, stood at the center of the platform. Seeing both sides' Soul Masters appear, Luoli smiled and waved her right hand. Pale white Soul Power flashed, and a strangely shaped staff accompanied by four brilliant Soul Rings appeared in her hand.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple—Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.

The staff was less than a meter long, and its shaft was fairly ordinary. What truly caught the eye was the pair of snow-white wings marked with golden patterns at its tip.

When the staff was first summoned, the wings at its top were folded. As Luoli's second Soul Ring lit up, the wings abruptly unfurled. Though the spread wings only reached about a meter wide, they carried the beautiful female host into the air.

The White Feather Staff—this was Luoli's Martial Soul, an auxiliary-type tool Martial Soul capable of flight.

Holding her staff, Luoli flew to the host's platform and announced, "The stakes are on the platform! The winning side will receive one Phoenix-Feathered Red Demon Bird and one box of Red Jade Snake Fruit provided by the Seven Star Auction House."

As her words fell, a metal pillar rose at the edge of the Soul Fighting Platform. Atop it were the stakes for this Soul Fight.

A cage and a box.

Inside the cage was the rare soul beast, the Phoenix-Feathered Red Demon Bird. Beside it was the box of Red Jade Snake Fruit, capable of raising the Soul Power Level of Soul Masters below the Soul Elder rank.

The metal pillar holding the stakes stood over ten meters tall, right beside the host's platform.

Hearing the host's words, both teams raised their eyes toward the stakes. Only one person remained calm, his gaze fixed on his opponents throughout.

That person was Xu Huxiao.

Even a lion used its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Although he possessed powerful strength and confidence in claiming victory, Xu Huxiao had always maintained reverence toward battle.

This opposing team, composed entirely of assault-type Soul Masters, wore matching black-and-red combat outfits. Every one of them was tall and sturdily built, with the tallest nearly reaching one meter eighty.

They basically had the physiques of adult Soul Masters.

Compared to their team's casual attire, they appeared somewhat less imposing.

Moreover, the Hundred Beasts Team's formation was simply a straight horizontal line.

Yan, with his neat crimson hair, stood at the center of that line.

"Going by the logic of team battle games, the other side has no fragile backline fighters to protect. A simple simultaneous charge like this truly creates the strongest pressure and is also the most effective combat method."

Xu Huxiao watched his opponents closely. By now, his own team had also formed up, connected according to their positions in an arrowhead formation.

At the very front stood Xu Huxiao, Hu Liena, and Xie Yue in a vertical line. Behind them were the Ao Siblings on either side, with Yun Ji and Bao Jingjing at the rear.

In other words, on the surface, Xu Huxiao alone was holding the very front in this Soul Fight.

Both sides had completed their formations.

The battle was about to begin!

In the VIP seating area.

Gu Meng, the Hundred Beasts Team's leading teacher, approached Xu Bayan's viewing area with a smile.

"Your Excellency Demon Bear, forgive my presumption. I heard that one of the team members below is Your Excellency's son. This Hundred Beasts Team of ours was selected from the most talented Soul Masters in our country. Fists and feet have no eyes in a Soul Fight, and I fear Your Excellency's young master's precious body may be injured. Perhaps there are Soul Masters here who could replace him?"

Gu Meng kept his posture low, but the contempt hidden in his words was impossible to miss.

Seeing Xu Bayan remain expressionless and silent, Gu Meng immediately clasped his hands, bowing another thirty degrees at the waist in apparent panic. "Please forgive me, Your Excellency. I absolutely did not mean to belittle your young master. I was merely considering his safety, so I..."

Xu Bayan raised a hand to cut him off. "No need. Master Gu is overthinking it."

"Yes, yes. Forgive the disturbance, Your Excellency," Gu Meng said repeatedly.

Just as Gu Meng was about to leave, Xu Bayan asked instead, "This team is Master Gu's work?"

"I am untalented, but I am indeed this team's leading teacher."

"Oh, this Hundred Beasts Team looks quite formidable. It must be the result of Master Gu's excellent training. Not bad."

"Your Excellency flatters me."

Gu Meng wagged his tail and beamed, unable to conceal his delight.

He had actually received praise in person from Elder Demon Bear of Spirit Hall. Once they won this Soul Fight, he could use the opportunity to promote Master Gu's name again and expand his influence.

Humility and pride—two utterly different expressions—were displayed vividly on Gu Meng at this moment.

Xiao Kong and Jin Huan both looked down on Soul Masters as sycophantic as Gu Meng, their faces showing disgust. But since Xu Bayan said nothing further, they could not speak carelessly either.

Still, someone was bound to speak frankly.

"This teacher can rest assured. They are nothing but chicken feed and stray dogs. They cannot possibly hurt Young Master Huxiao." Luo Ming snorted. Clearly, Gu Meng's veiled, sarcastic disparagement had displeased him greatly.

Xu Bayan laughed loudly but did not rebuke Luo Ming, because that was exactly what he wanted to say. Since the other party had been so respectful, it was inconvenient for him to speak too harshly. Luo Ming's retort had perfectly spoken for him.

Gu Meng gave an awkward laugh and returned to his seat on the other side.

At this moment, the Soul Fight below officially began.

After receiving confirmation from both captains that they were ready, host Luoli immediately announced,

"Five-second countdown. Five, four, three, two, one—team battle Soul Fight, begin!"

Orleans and the opposing captain, Yan, shouted at the same time.

"Brothers, summon your Martial Souls!"

At once, Soul Power surged through the arena, and circles of brilliant Soul Rings appeared alongside the revealed Martial Souls.

Golden light flowed across Xu Huxiao's body. Two yellow Soul Rings pulsed ceaselessly as his arms became covered in solid metallic texture. The Platinum Dragon-Scaled Twin Arms had possessed him.

"Come fight!"

After a loud roar, dragon-shaped force flickered around Xu Huxiao's body. He had already entered the Martial Dao Essence Realm, doubling the power of his palm force.

Then he took the lead, charging directly at the seven assault fighters on the opposite side.

Xu Huxiao's charging speed was not fast. Yan, positioned at the center of the Hundred Beasts Team's formation, saw that Xu Huxiao was alone before them and sneered.

"What a death wish. Brothers, attack together! I will claim the glory of victory before Mother in an overwhelming fashion!"

"Alright, charge!"

"Crush them!"

The first Soul Rings of the Hundred Beasts Team members lit up in unison. Their bodies swelled as lights of various colors flashed. Lions, tigers, berserk bulls... a multitude of beasts roared, and in an instant, their momentum reached its peak.

Then, using that united momentum, they began their charge.

Faced with such berserk, beast-like ferocity, an ordinary Soul Master would surely have their mind intimidated by the pressure. Being able to display fifty or sixty percent of their strength would already be considered impressive.

But the one meeting them head-on was Xu Huxiao. The stronger his opponents were, the fiercer his fighting spirit and interest became.

He would not be affected by the slightest negative influence.

In the blink of an eye, only three or five steps separated Xu Huxiao and Yan. Xu Huxiao could see faint flames winding around Yan's body, while his skin had taken on a heavy earthy-yellow color.

This was Yan's first Soul Skill, the Flame Demon Vajra Body. It granted him a hundred and fifty percent increase in defense and an eighty percent increase in strength. This Soul Skill had reached the limit of four hundred and twenty years. Paired with the powerful dual fire-and-earth attributes of the Flame Lord Martial Soul, almost no one of the same rank had been able to break Yan's defense in the several Soul Fights he had experienced.

Although he had learned before the match that Xu Huxiao was four levels above him, unfortunately, his opponent had not inherited the Blood Demon Berserker Bear Martial Soul, but rather a low-grade mutated Twin Arms Martial Soul.

Why was it low-grade? Could the attribute enhancement from merely a pair of arms compare to the overall bodily enhancement granted by his Flame Lord?

Yan's answer was, of course not!

"Kid, so what if you're four levels above me? The gap in Martial Soul and Soul Skill power isn't something you can make up for with cultivation. Take this punch as a lesson bestowed upon you by this prince."

Though Yan said that, he was not the only one attacking Xu Huxiao. The Wang brothers, Wang Dahu and Wang Daniu, were charging alongside him.

They were biological brothers, each having inherited one of their parents' Martial Souls.

Just like their names, their Martial Souls were respectively the tiger, king of the forest, and the Ironclad Berserk Bull, famed for its strength and defense.

The Niu Hu Brothers immediately understood their captain's intent upon hearing his words.

Grab this kid and let the captain deal the damage!

At this moment, the Hundred Beasts Team's seven members still maintained their straight charging line, while directly opposite them, the closest target was only Xu Huxiao.

The scene looked exactly like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

But was it truly an act of overestimating oneself?