Soto Great Soul Arena

Suotuo City was livelier at night than it was by day.

The Great Soul Arena stood in the city center, its entrance crowded and noisy.

Even more people packed the space beneath the lights.

Flender stood at the entrance with the others.

"This is a place you'll be coming to often."

Xiao Wu looked up at the Great Soul Arena.

"It's huge!"

Oscar said from beside her, "And expensive."

Flender glanced at him.

"You can earn money by raising the rank of your dueling badge."

Oscar perked up at once.

"Wise as ever, Dean."

Yuan Yu laughed. "That was a quick change."

Oscar took it in stride.

"Poor people think fast."

Flender took them inside to register.

The clerk at the desk looked perfectly calm at first.

Then Yuan Yu handed over his information.

"Name: Yuan Yu. Age: twelve. Martial Soul: Sun Wheel Blade. Level: fifty-five."

The clerk's pen stopped.

She looked up at Yuan Yu.

"What level?"

"Fifty-five," Yuan Yu said.

The clerk turned to Flender.

Flender adjusted his glasses.

"That's not a mistake."

The clerk still didn't believe him.

Yuan Yu raised a hand.

Five God-given Spirit Rings rose around him.

Aqua blue, crimson gold, violet white, blue-green gold, and dark gold.

A hush fell over the hall.

Nearby, a Soul Elder who was registering opened his mouth, then silently took back his form and checked it again.

Twelve years old.

A five-ring Soul King.

He suddenly felt as though he'd wasted his entire life.

The clerk took a deep breath.

"What dueling title would you like?"

Yuan Yu thought for a moment.

"Myriad Phenomena."

Flender's eyes flickered.

It was the first time he'd heard Yuan Yu choose to use those words.

The clerk wrote them down.

"Myriad Phenomena, Soul King-level Individual Soul Duel."

As her pen touched the paper, several nearby Soul Masters glanced over.

Dai Mubai said quietly, "That's quite a title."

Yuan Yu smiled.

"It'll fit even better someday."

Ning Rongrong glanced at him.

From anyone else, those words might have sounded arrogant.

But from Yuan Yu, they somehow weren't irritating.

He had the strength to back them up.

Tang San and Xiao Wu registered too.

Both used their real names.

Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun each registered as well.

Oscar and Ning Rongrong were support-type Soul Masters, so they wouldn't take part in Individual Soul Duels.

But Flender insisted they watch.

"Support types, more than anyone, need to understand how their teammates fight."

Ning Rongrong didn't argue.

She had been much quieter today.

Once registration was finished, the Spirit Arena's manager came over in person.

He was a middle-aged man with a courteous smile.

"Dean Flender, I've heard so much about you."

Flender looked at him.

"Skip the pleasantries. What do you want?"

The manager turned to Yuan Yu, his eyes bright.

"A twelve-year-old Soul King has never appeared at the Soto Great Soul Arena. If we schedule an Individual Soul Duel for him tonight, it's sure to draw a crowd."

Flender smiled too.

"What's our cut?"

The manager froze for a moment.

Yuan Yu put a hand to his forehead.

The dean of Shrek really never missed a chance to make money.

The manager quickly recovered.

"We can discuss that."

"Then let's discuss it," Flender said.

Fifteen minutes later, Flender returned looking thoroughly pleased.

Yuan Yu asked, "Dean, how much did you sell me for?"

Flender coughed.

"Sell you? I'm giving you a chance to train."

"And make money on the side," Oscar murmured.

"You're running extra laps tonight," Flender said.

Oscar immediately shut his mouth.

Tang San fought the first Individual Soul Duel.

His opponent was a level twenty-seven Soul Grandmaster.

Tang San revealed few of his Hidden Weapons, winning with only Blue Silver Grass and his footwork.

Xiao Wu fought in the second match.

Her grappling techniques suited the Spirit Arena. Once she closed in, her opponent barely had room to fight back.

When Ma Hongjun took the stage and unleashed his flames, the Evil Fire Phoenix made an imposing sight.

He might have talked nonsense, but he was serious when he fought.

Zhu Zhuqing went up for the third match.

Her opponent was a Soul Grandmaster with a beast Martial Soul. He was strong, but a little slow.

Zhu Zhuqing gave him no chance to get close.

After the match began, she circled him three times. On her fourth dart forward, her claws stopped just short of his throat.

He conceded immediately.

Xiao Wu's eyes shone as she watched.

"Zhuqing is so fast."

Ning Rongrong was watching closely too.

She realized that Zhu Zhuqing's usual silence didn't mean she faded into the background.

On the Dueling Platform, her composure was almost frightening.

Dai Mubai fought last.

The moment he unleashed his White Tiger Martial Soul, he dominated the stage with his presence.

His opponent held out for quite a while, but every blow he blocked drove him back another step.

In the end, Dai Mubai forced him to the edge of the platform with a White Tiger Fierce Light Wave.

His opponent conceded.

After watching, Yuan Yu rubbed his chin.

"Boss Dai fights pretty fiercely."

"He always does," Ma Hongjun said.

Yuan Yu looked toward Dai Mubai as he left the platform but said nothing.

He could see that Dai Mubai fought fiercely because something was weighing on him.

That urgency didn't seem to be about winning a single duel.

Yuan Yu sat in the stands, watching and making mental notes.

Everyone had weaknesses.

Tang San was steady, but he kept some of his techniques well hidden.

Xiao Wu could strike with explosive force, but she would struggle if an opponent kept her at a distance.

Ma Hongjun's flames were fierce, but when his emotions grew unstable, so did his fire.

Zhu Zhuqing was fast, but she lacked the power to finish a fight in one decisive blow.

Dai Mubai was formidable in a head-on clash, but agile opponents could easily frustrate him.

Watching the arena, Ning Rongrong suddenly asked, "Are you thinking about how to beat them?"

Yuan Yu shook his head.

"I'm thinking about how to help them win."

Ning Rongrong paused.

Yuan Yu turned to her.

"The same goes for support types. You can't just watch who's strongest. You have to see who needs you, and when."

Ning Rongrong said nothing.

But this time, she didn't argue.

Before long, an announcement rang out.

"Next up: a Soul King-level Individual Soul Duel!"

"Myriad Phenomena versus Ironback Bear!"

The stands erupted in excitement.

A Soul King-level duel was already more exciting than one between Soul Grandmasters.

And word from the registration hall had spread.

A twelve-year-old Soul King.

God-given Spirit Rings.

A background in Spirit Hall.

Together, those details were enough to set the entire Spirit Arena buzzing.

Yuan Yu stood.

Xiao Wu waved.

"Go, Yuan Yu!"

Ma Hongjun shouted even louder.

"Finish quickly so you can come back and watch the next match!"

Yuan Yu looked back.

"Fatty, that's some practical encouragement."

Ma Hongjun grinned.

Tang San watched Yuan Yu walk toward the Dueling Platform.

He was looking forward to this too.

During the test earlier that day, Yuan Yu had spent the whole time protecting the arena.

That wasn't how Yuan Yu really fought.

Tonight, he would see this five-ring Soul King fight alone.

Ironback Bear was already standing on the Dueling Platform.

He was a burly, middle-aged Soul Master, level fifty-seven, with an Ironback Bear Martial Soul.

When he saw Yuan Yu step onto the platform, he frowned.

"Did the Spirit Arena make a mistake?"

Yuan Yu drew his blade.

"Probably not."

The Ironback Bear looked uneasy.

"Kid, I won't go easy on you just because you're young."

Yuan Yu smiled.

"Don't you dare."

Five God-given Spirit Rings rose behind him.

The arena erupted.

The Ironback Bear's expression turned dead serious.