A Young Master, a Silver Soul Fighter Team at the Arena, and Miss Zhu as Well!

Zhu Zhuqing was utterly unfazed as the man before her threw back his head and let out a deafening roar.

The man before her was clearly a strength-type battle soul master, but he was probably only level thirty-two or thirty-three. The pressure he gave off was nowhere near what Xu Peinian had made her feel.

That was what Zhu Zhuqing thought.

Strategically, she despised her enemy, but tactically, she still took him seriously.

"Haha, little girl, with a body like yours, I can hardly bear to hit you. How about this? Just admit defeat, then come to my room and keep me company for the night. That way, I won't ruin that tender skin of yours. What do you say?"

Zhu Zhuqing's brows furrowed slightly, and a flash of icy light passed through her cold eyes beneath the mask.

His crude remarks disgusted her.

"I hope you can still talk so big later!"

Her icy voice made those who heard it feel as though they had fallen into a frozen spring.

As soon as she spoke, Zhu Zhuqing took the initiative. Her legs beneath the leather outfit suddenly tensed, then she shot forward in a burst of speed, leaving only an afterimage where she had stood.

The burly man named Niu Lai immediately contracted his pupils and assumed a defensive stance.

He was an old hand at the Great Soul Arena. Naturally, he would not truly underestimate her just because she was a woman.

If Zhu Zhuqing had still been the agility-type battle soul master she once was, she might have felt some pressure against a strength-type opponent of the same level.

But after refining the Black Jade Divine Bamboo to improve her Soul Power and physical strength, coupled with Xu Peinian's special training, dealing with this big brute who possessed nothing but raw strength was effortless.

Weaving and shifting, Zhu Zhuqing rapidly closed in on Niu Lai.

When they were only a few steps apart, the claws in her hands suddenly extended, and her eyes abruptly changed color.

Her left eye turned dark green, while her right became clear blue.

Two yellow and one purple soul rings appeared around Zhu Zhuqing, and her speed immediately surged once more.

First soul skill, Hell Stab!

An afterimage flashed past, and Zhu Zhuqing was already standing safely behind Niu Lai.

The arena fell silent for a breath. Then, with a loud "bang," Niu Lai's mountain-like body toppled stiffly forward, kicking up a cloud of dust across the platform.

One strike.

Enemy defeated.

Before the host and audience could even react, the battle had already come to an end.

"Congratulations to Zhu Zhuqing for winning this match! Record: one win, zero losses. Niu Lai's record: sixteen wins and twelve losses."

The middle-aged host, whose open mouth could have fit a goose egg, was the first to recover. Holding his microphone, he immediately announced the result of the soul battle.

Even if Brother Sum of the Axe Gang had been present, he would have had to praise his professionalism.

Applause soon rang out from the stands, mixed with a few sighs and curses directed at Niu Lai.

But Zhu Zhuqing did not care about any of it. She coldly turned and left the stage, returning to the rest area to wait for her next soul battle.

That night,

Zhu Zhuqing won battle after battle.

Early the next morning,

A weary-looking Xu Peinian leaned against a chair in the small forest, slowly pressing the acupoints beside the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

After extracting two key points from last night's conversation and preparing to get straight to the heart of the matter, he had met with Hu Liena's resistance and refusal.

Damn this gentlemanly manner of mine. I should have devoured that vixen Hu Liena clean last night. Sigh, I still went soft at the final step.

"Young Master, news has arrived from over there."

A respectful whisper came from the woods behind him, and Xu Peinian subconsciously sat up straight.

"Speak. What news?"

"The person following Miss Zhu Zhuqing sent word back. Miss Zhu went to the Balak Kingdom under the Heaven Dou Empire and participated in soul battles at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City."

Upon hearing the name Suotuo City, Xu Peinian's gaze abruptly sharpened.

Was it coincidence, or fate's arrangement?

Would Zhu Zhuqing ultimately be unable to avoid meeting Dai Mubai and the others?

"I understand. Go inform Grandpa Qian and have him ask a consecrated one to accompany me on a trip."

"Yes."

The forest fell silent once more, but Xu Peinian's thoughts became increasingly active.

Because Zhu Zhuqing had won several consecutive matches on the first night, the strength of her opponents was noticeably higher the following day.

However, for Zhu Zhuqing, who had already reached level thirty-six, none of them were particularly troublesome.

After another victory in a solo match, Zhu Zhuqing's winning streak had reached a terrifying ten consecutive wins.

"Next to take the stage is the Imperial Fighting Team!"

"Roar! Roar! Roar!!!"

Deafening cries from the audience rang out from the main soul arena.

After fighting so many battles, Zhu Zhuqing was somewhat tired as well. Hearing the commotion, she grew a little curious. After paying an admission fee, she headed straight into the stands of the main soul arena to watch the match and relax her body at the same time.

On the enormous soul battle platform at the center of the main arena, two seven-man teams composed entirely of Soul Elders stood on opposite sides.

Yet it was obvious that the team on the left was far stronger than the other, whether in terms of presence or lineup.

Perhaps due to Xu Peinian taking Dugu Yan away, the Imperial Fighting Team had arrived at the Suotuo Great Soul Arena earlier than in the original story.

The Shrek Six Monsters had probably only just arrived at the Great Soul Arena, and the Three-Five Combination had only been formed not long ago.

In other words, the Imperial Fighting Team currently had no rivals at the Suotuo Great Soul Arena.

The Imperial Fighting Team had only made its appearance one day earlier, and the organizers had no idea that these were people specially brought in by the nobles to take their money. Thus, the atmosphere throughout the venue remained fairly lively.

"The match officially begins!"

At the host's command, all fourteen people summoned their martial souls at once, revealing soul rings in interwoven white, yellow, and purple.

"Roar!"

This dazzling sight caused the audience in the stands to erupt into thunderous cheers once again.

Feeling the presence of the Imperial Fighting Team's members, Zhu Zhuqing frowned, unable to help taking them seriously.

The battle began very quickly.

The Imperial Fighting Team's captain, Yu Tianheng, made the first move, immediately unleashing his second soul skill—Thunderbolt.

The opposing seven hastily defended, but this area attack instantly disrupted their rhythm. All of them suffered injuries to varying degrees, and it even carried a paralyzing effect.

The Imperial Fighting Team gave them no opportunity to catch their breath. The two Shi Mo charged from the front, while Osler and Yu Feng flanked them from the left and right.

The battle ended as quickly as it had begun.

As the dust on the arena dispersed, the seven members of the Imperial Fighting Team stood where they were without a scratch. As for their opponents, every one of them lay unconscious on the ground.

The outcome had been decided.

Zhu Zhuqing did not continue watching. She turned and left directly.

"Greetings, Young Master."

Xu Peinian casually waved a hand, signaling that the man need not stand on ceremony.

"What is the situation inside?"

"A powerful Silver Soul Fighter team has arrived at the Suotuo Great Soul Arena. From what we have learned, it should be the first team of Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

"Hmm?"

Xu Peinian's dissatisfied nasal grunt softly echoed through the air.

That was not the information he wanted to hear.

This black-clothed subordinate appeared to be an "honest and straightforward" sort. Only then did he realize it, and he answered in a trembling voice:

"Miss Zhu is... is also inside. She has achieved ten consecutive victories in solo soul battles and advanced to Silver Soul Fighter."

"Oh? Zhuqing's performance has not disappointed the care I put into teaching her for so long. In that case, it seems I need not show myself so soon."

The corner of Xu Peinian's mouth curled into an amused smile, as if he had thought of something interesting.