Flender's Heart Was Bleeding

Above Suotuo City, a black shadow darted back and forth, drawing the gazes of pedestrians below.

"Damn, what was that?"

"A bird? It flew that fast?"

"What bird? Didn't you see that owl seemed to have seven Spirit Rings? It's a Seven-Ring Soul Sage!"

Flender had no time to care about the gossip below.

His eyes were bloodshot as he spread his Mental Power to its limit, sweeping every street, alley, and corner of Suotuo City as though plowing a field.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Still nothing!

That brat who had stolen his ring had seemingly vanished from the face of the earth, leaving behind not even the faintest trace of Soul Power.

Flender hung frozen in the air for half an incense stick's time. His face changed from livid to purple, then from purple to ashen gray, finally settling into an expression of utter complexity.

He wanted to cry, but no tears came.

He wanted to curse, but he did not know who to curse.

He slowly descended into the small courtyard behind the shop, withdrew his Martial Soul, and leaned against the wall as though all strength had been drained from him.

"My storage ring..."

"Never mind the value of the ring itself. There were more than three thousand Gold Soul Coins inside, along with all those fine materials I collected..."

He muttered to himself, raising his right hand to stare at his empty finger. Even his eyes had reddened.

The more he spoke, the more his heart ached. Clutching his chest, he felt as if his heart were cramping.

But soon, he touched the inside of his lapel and felt the slight hardness hidden there, letting out a small sigh of relief.

Thank goodness.

Having roamed the continent for so many years, how could Flender possibly put all his eggs in one basket?

This spare ring hidden close to his body was his entire fortune.

His Soul Tool notes focused on cultivation, most of his savings, and several treasures he had kept hidden away were all inside this one.

The losses were considerable, but they would not bankrupt him.

But even so, that had still been a storage ring!

Thinking of this, Flender grimaced again.

What infuriated him most was not the financial loss, but his pride!

He was a dignified Seven-Ring Soul Sage, one of the Golden Iron Triangle, the Flying Horn, and the dean of Shrek Academy. Yet today, a brat who looked barely twelve or thirteen had stolen his ring, and he could not even catch up!

"If word gets out..."

He shuddered.

How would he ever show his face in the Soul Master world again?

How would he establish authority before those little monsters at Shrek?

Having his ring swiped right in front of him by some snot-nosed kid?

Just thinking about it, he could already picture Zhao Wuji laughing so hard he would double over.

"No!"

"This must die with me! No one can ever find out!"

Flender abruptly sat upright and clenched his fists.

He gritted his teeth and stared at the ceiling as if he wanted to burn Huang Yun's figure into his mind.

"Brat, don't let me run into you again, or I'll tie you to a pillar and beat your ass to mush with a ruler. I'll teach you what it means to respect your elders!"

He had talked tough, but he knew perfectly well that with that brat's speed, whether they would ever meet again in this lifetime was anyone's guess.

Flender let out a long sigh, lowered his head, and trudged back into the shop, slamming the door shut.

On this day, Suotuo City's most famous profiteer suffered a devastating loss.

He could only count himself unlucky.

Meanwhile, inside an inconspicuous inn at the end of some alley in Suotuo City, Huang Yun sat on the edge of a bed with one leg crossed over the other, happily counting his spoils.

He had used Teleportation and Lightning in succession, escaping through various buildings.

Naturally, Flender had no chance of finding him.

Before him, the Plate Crystal remained intact, gleaming faintly gold beneath the lamplight.

He had turned Flender's storage ring upside down, pouring Gold Soul Coins across the bedsheets. A rough count put the total at around three thousand.

There were also several manuscripts. Huang Yun flipped through them, found them uninteresting, and casually tossed them aside.

There were also assorted medicinal herbs and ores, probably worth a few hundred Gold Soul Coins.

"Tsk, that old fox was really poor. A dignified Soul Saint, and he only had three thousand Gold Soul Coins?" Huang Yun rubbed his chin. "Still, that fits his portrayal in the original story. And this Plate Crystal alone made the trip worthwhile."

He rose from the bed, cradled the Plate Crystal in his palm, focused his mind, and condensed a threadlike wisp of blue Soul Power at his fingertips.

The Lightning Falcon Wuhun granted him not only speed, but also extraordinarily precise control.

His fingers now moved as swiftly as afterimages, lightly working over the Plate Crystal's surface as golden threads as fine as cow hairs were carefully peeled away one by one.

One, two, three...

Huang Yun's movements were swift and steady.

Soon, densely packed Dragon Whisker Needles were neatly arranged across the tabletop.

Each needle was no more than an inch long, pale gold and nearly transparent, difficult to see even beneath the lamplight.

He pointed a finger, pouring Soul Power into them. The densely packed Dragon Whisker Needles rose into the air like living creatures.

They darted nimbly around his fingertips, sometimes forming lines, sometimes scattering apart, silent and swift as streaks of light.

"Beautiful."

Huang Yun grinned. "From now on, if I don't like the look of someone, I can send a needle flying from far away. No one will know. Any defense-type Soul Master is just a little brother in front of me."

He tucked the Dragon Whisker Needles into a hidden pocket in his sleeve and nodded in satisfaction.

Early the next morning.

Huang Yun ate a steaming bowl of shredded pork noodles at a roadside stall. As he wiped his mouth, several burly men dressed like Soul Masters at the next table chatted animatedly.

After eating his fill, he wiped his mouth, tossed down a few Copper Soul Coins, and leisurely left the noodle stall.

It was Huang Yun's first time in Suotuo City, but the Great Soul Arena's reputation had long been known to him.

Over the years, he had traveled the continent from south to north and visited no fewer than ten Soul Arenas of all sizes. Every place had its own rules and features.

But when it came to the liveliest and most mixed crowd, Suotuo City's was still the best.

After all, it was close to the border, with a large flow of Soul Masters and all manner of people coming and going.

He walked along the main street for the time it took half an incense stick to burn before a majestic circular building came into view.

Its stone outer walls stood seven or eight zhang high, covered in carvings of various Martial Souls. Soul Tool torches that never went out burned atop two rows of stone pillars at the entrance, making the doorway bright even in broad daylight.

Soul Masters came and went in an endless stream, and the place was as bustling as a marketplace.

Huang Yun took out a black half-mask from his robes and put it on.

It was a habit he had developed during years of travel. If he could avoid showing his face, he would. It saved trouble.

The moment he entered the main hall, a wave of noise crashed over him.

A massive Soul Tool screen displayed the day's match information.

Huang Yun walked straight to the counter and tapped it.

"I want to register for the matches."

The girl behind the counter looked up at him. "The registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins. Codename, level, and Martial Soul type."

Huang Yun took out ten gold coins and tossed them over. "Codename: The Flash. Peak Level-Thirty-Nine Soul Elder. Agility attack type."

The girl lowered her head to register him, then handed over an iron number tag. "Registration complete. Your starting score is zero. Each participant may fight one match per day. Would you like to register for today's individual match now?"

Huang Yun nodded. "Yes."

"Please wait. The system will randomly match you with an opponent."

The girl operated the Soul Tool several times. A line of information appeared on the screen. She glanced at it, and her expression changed slightly before she looked at Huang Yun with a meaningful smile.

"Your first opponent has been successfully matched. He is a Level-Thirty-Seven Soul Elder of the battle type, codenamed Evil-Eyed White Tiger. The match will begin shortly."

Huang Yun accepted the number tag. When he heard Evil-Eyed White Tiger, one of his eyebrows rose slightly.

Evil-Eyed White Tiger, the leader of the Shrek Seven Monsters and the third prince of the Star Luo Empire who had ended up away from home.

Judging by the timeline, Dai Mubai was currently studying at Shrek Academy. Tang San and Xiao Wu were probably about to arrive as well.

"Alright, I understand."

He answered calmly, turned away from the counter, found a chair in a corner, and closed his eyes to rest.

But his mind had already begun turning.

Dai Mubai, Dai Mubai. One of the chosen geniuses of the original story. The White Tiger Wuhun was fierce and tyrannical, and as a Level-Thirty-Seven Soul Elder, he truly stood at the peak among the younger generation.

Unfortunately...

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

You ran into me.

Your attacks are utterly worthless before my speed.