The Soul Duel Arena Bows Its Head, Full of Swagger

Facing the crisscrossing torrent of poisonous ice sword strikes, Xiao Xiao remained unfazed as her First Soul Ring lit up!

First Soul Skill, Cauldron's Quake!

Duang~~~

A deafening roar suddenly erupted!

The pitch-black cauldron shook violently, and terrifying sound waves swept outward, instantly unleashing a powerful dizzying effect.

With a thought from Xiao Xiao, the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron instantly split into three!

The three small black cauldrons formed a triangular formation around her, vibrating at high speed as layer upon layer of shockwave ripples spread outward.

Any icy phantom that approached would have its image distort and its light shatter the instant it touched the ripples.

Meng Hongchen's true body, hidden among the illusions, felt her mind grow heavy and dizzy, her body involuntarily stiffening slightly.

Now!

Xiao Xiao's gaze sharpened, and her second black Soul Ring blazed brilliantly!

Second Soul Skill, Cauldron's Surge!

The three Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons merged into one, transforming into a colossal black cauldron dozens of meters wide. Carrying the weight of ten thousand tons, it locked onto Meng Hongchen in midair and crashed toward her!

Meng Hongchen forcibly broke free from the brief dizziness. A ruthless glint flashed through her eyes, and she did not retreat in the slightest!

"Since we're fighting up close, I'll break it head-on!"

"Fourth Soul Skill: Ice Replenishment!"

In an instant, the icefire energy around her surged wildly. The previously gentler cold poison erupted, her overall attributes soared, and red-and-blue energy coiled around her twin swords.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Icefire Poison Dragon Drill!"

The twin swords crossed and spun forward. Red-and-blue icefire energy intertwined madly, rotating at high speed as it condensed into a savage and domineering icefire poison dragon!

The poison dragon bared its fangs and claws, crashing head-on into the incoming giant cauldron!

Boom!

The Icefire Poison Dragon collided fiercely with the giant cauldron. Poisonous force raged, the cauldron trembled violently, and a terrifying energy storm swept across the entire arena!

After the two forces deadlocked for an instant, Meng Hongchen used the recoil to fly backward. The ice wings on her back flapped repeatedly before she barely managed to hover in midair.

After the brief stalemate, Meng Hongchen's eyes turned completely cold. She knew that ordinary attacks simply could not break through the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron's defenses.

She no longer held back. With a flash, she once again used Ice Refraction to move around the arena, constantly releasing ice poison to harass Xiao Xiao while searching for an opening.

Seeing this, Xiao Xiao activated her Fourth Soul Ring.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Cauldron Seal!"

Meng Hongchen, moving through the air, instantly felt the circulation of her Soul Power slow down.

Cauldron Seal instantly locked Meng Hongchen down!

In midair, Meng Hongchen's rapidly shifting body suddenly froze.

My Soul Power... what's going on?!

Meng Hongchen's pupils contracted sharply, and panic surged within her.

She had never seen such an overbearing sealing ability.

Xiao Xiao let out a delicate shout, her fingers directing the three giant cauldrons.

Buzz!

The three giant cauldrons hovering high in the air suddenly converged into one and slammed down with the force of ten thousand tons!

Dong!

The arena's hard high-grade soul tool stone slabs instantly cracked with dense patterns. Terrifying shockwaves spread madly from the point of impact.

Meng Hongchen, at the center, was completely unable to resist. It was as though a mountain had smashed into her, sending her flying off the stage like a kite with its string cut.

"Match over! Abyssal Bard wins!"

The entire venue fell silent for a second before erupting into earth-shaking uproar and cheers!

Gu Qiu'er and Xiao Xiao had won both of their matches today in crushing fashion, without a single defeat!

Meanwhile, the spectators who had recognized the trio's strength early and placed heavy bets on them were all ecstatic, having won extremely generous payouts.

Inside a private viewing box at the Soul Duel Arena, the Great Soul Arena's owner, dressed in luxurious robes, wore a face so gloomy it was nearly black. His expression was filled with helplessness and frustration.

He was truly at his wit's end now.

The brother-and-sister duo, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, the ace fighters he had originally hired to oversee the Soul Duel Arena and who were known as the twin prodigies of the younger generation, already represented the highest level among Mingdu's young civilian talents.

Yet now, even they had lost.

With all his strongest fighters defeated, he no longer had anyone under his command capable of contending with them. There was simply no way to stop the trio from continuing to sweep through the Soul Duel Arena and harvest betting payouts.

Over the past two months, he had never stopped investigating them.

He had secretly mobilized every connection and intelligence resource at his disposal, frantically gathering information on Lu Yuan and the other two. He wanted to uncover their origins, find their weaknesses, and gain leverage over them. He had even considered pressuring them, plotting against them, and forcing them to leave.

Yet the information he eventually uncovered was pitifully sparse, almost entirely blank.

Other than the date the trio had arrived in Mingdu and the address of the hotel where they were staying, there was nothing about their family backgrounds, sect origins, masters, past experiences, or anything else. Their records were suspiciously clean.

The less he could discover about them, the more wary the owner became.

Those with no known roots yet terrifying strength were all the more unfathomable. They were certainly not people an ordinary force could afford to provoke.

He could not confront them head-on, he did not dare make a move in secret, and if he allowed the trio to keep fighting, the Soul Duel Arena would sooner or later be drained dry and bankrupted.

Left with no other choice, the owner finally gritted his teeth and decided to seek peace.

A short while later, the post-match settlement was completed.

Lu Yuan, Gu Qiu'er, and Xiao Xiao prepared to collect today's massive betting dividends. This was undoubtedly going to be an extremely considerable sum.

After all, their opponents had been the famed Hongchen siblings of the Sun Moon Empire, and far too many people had placed bets.

Just as the three were about to turn and leave, a voice sounded behind them.

"Three young friends, please wait."

The Great Soul Arena's owner personally hurried over. All the gloom had vanished from his face, replaced with a polite and humble smile. He held a Gold Soul Coin card in his hand.

"I am the manager of this Mingdu Great Soul Arena. The arena will pay out all wagers from today's matches in full, without a single coin missing. All of your earnings have already been credited."

He first demonstrated his sincerity, then changed the subject and said earnestly, "In addition, our Soul Duel Arena is willing to offer further compensation as a gesture of friendship toward you three."

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

He had originally thought the man could not accept defeat and intended to dispute the payment, but he had not expected him to proactively offer money in exchange for peace.

"If you have something to say, Boss, just say it."

The owner gave a bitter smile and said frankly, "I only ask that you three show mercy. Your talents are peerless and your combat strength unmatched. If you continue fighting match after match at the Soul Duel Arena, this small establishment of mine truly cannot withstand the losses."

"I only ask that you fight less frequently here in the future. There is no need to take the stage every day and crush your opponents. If you are willing, our Soul Duel Arena will grant you the highest level of hospitality and the best treatment from now on."

Lu Yuan considered it briefly, and his mind immediately reached a decision.

Less often was fine. At their age, cultivation was what mattered most anyway.

As for soul duels, once every few days would do.

"Fine."

Upon hearing that, the huge weight hanging over the owner's heart instantly lifted. He let out a long breath, his face filled with relieved joy.

"Thank you for granting my request, young friends! Thank you!"

He hurriedly presented the gold card with both hands, his attitude respectful and sincere, not daring to show even the slightest negligence.

Lu Yuan and the other two accepted the gold card without lingering, then turned and slowly walked out through the grand gates of the Great Soul Arena.

The night was deep, and the evening breeze was faintly cool.

Mingdu's streets glittered with lights. The night market bustled with noise and life.

"Let's get some late-night food before heading back to the hotel to rest."

Lu Yuan suggested softly.

Gu Qiu'er and Xiao Xiao both nodded slightly. They were somewhat physically and mentally exhausted after the battle, so this was the perfect chance to relax for a while!

The moment the three stepped out onto the plaza before the Soul Duel Arena's main gates, they suddenly came to a stop.

Below the stone steps beneath the dim lights, two familiar figures had already been waiting for quite some time.

They were none other than the Hongchen siblings who had just lost.

The brother and sister had not left. Instead, they quietly waited by the entrance, their eyes fixed directly on Lu Yuan and the other two. They had clearly been waiting for them on purpose.

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Lu Yuan asked, "What is it? Do you need something?"

"Or did you come looking for medical expenses?"

Meng Hongchen covered her mouth and laughed softly. "That won't be necessary. We're not short on that little bit of money."

She blinked her beautiful large eyes and carefully looked Lu Yuan over.

She had not gotten a clear look at Lu Yuan inside the Soul Duel Arena just now. Seeing him up close now, she had not expected him to be quite handsome...

"Then who exactly are you waiting here for?"

Meng Hongchen said, "Oh, my brother wants to talk to you!"

She gestured toward Xiao Hongchen.

Xiao Hongchen swept back his hair and said with full swagger, "Oi! I acknowledge your strength. You've earned the right to speak with me face-to-face!"

Meng Hongchen: "..."

Lu Yuan, Gu Qiu'er, and Xiao Xiao: "..."