Suotuo Great Soul Arena

Soto City was livelier at night than during the day.

The Great Soul Arena stood in the city center, with crowds streaming through its entrance and noise everywhere.

Even more people packed together 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 beside her, "And expensive."

Flender glanced at him.

"You can earn money by upgrading your spirit-fighting badge."

Oscar perked up at once.

“A wise decision, Dean.”

Yuan Yu laughed. “That changed your tune fast.”

Oscar took it in stride.

"Poor people have quick reflexes."

Flender took them inside to register.

The woman handling registration at the front 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.”

Her pen stopped.

She looked up at Yuan Yu.

"What level?"

“Fifty-five,” Yuan Yu said.

She turned to Flender.

Flender adjusted his glasses.

"It's correct."

She still didn't believe it.

Yuan Yu raised a hand.

Five God-given Spirit Rings rose around him.

Water-blue, red-gold, violet-white, green-gold, and dark gold.

A hush swept through the hall.

A Soul Elder registering nearby opened his mouth, then silently took back his form and checked it.

Twelve years old.

A five-ring Soul King.

All at once, he felt as though he'd wasted his entire life.

The registrar took a deep breath.

"What spirit-fighting 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 himself.

The registrar wrote it down.

“Myriad Phenomena, Soul King-level Individual Soul Duel.”

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

Dai Mubai murmured, “That's quite a title.”

Yuan Yu smiled.

"It'll carry even more weight one day."

Ning Rongrong glanced at him.

From anyone else, that would have sounded arrogant.

Coming from Yuan Yu, it somehow wasn't irritating.

He had the strength to back it up.

Tang San and Xiao Wu registered too.

Both used their real names.

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

Oscar and Ning Rongrong were support types, so they wouldn't take part in Individual Soul Duel.

But Flender insisted they watch.

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

Ning Rongrong didn't argue.

She had been much quieter today.

After registration, the Spirit Arena 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 Suotuo Great Soul Arena. If we arrange an individual match 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 recovered quickly.

"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.

"What do you mean, 'sell'? I'm giving you a chance to train."

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

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

Oscar shut up at once.

Tang San's Individual Soul Duel was first.

His opponent was a level twenty-seven Soul Grandmaster.

Tang San kept most of his Hidden Weapons concealed, winning with Blue Silver Grass and footwork alone.

Xiao Wu fought in the second match.

Her grappling techniques suited the Spirit Arena. Once she closed in, her opponent had almost no room to fight back.

When Ma Hongjun stepped onto the platform and unleashed his flames, the Evil Fire Phoenix made an imposing sight.

He might talk nonsense, but when it came to fighting, he didn't mess around.

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.

Once 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 watched closely too.

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

On the Dueling Platform, her composure was frightening.

Dai Mubai fought last.

The moment he released his White Tiger Martial Soul, his presence dominated the arena.

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

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

His opponent conceded.

Yuan Yu rubbed his chin as he watched.

"Boss Dai fights hard."

"He's always like that," Ma Hongjun said.

Yuan Yu looked toward Dai Mubai as he stepped off the platform, but said nothing.

He could tell Dai Mubai fought fiercely because something was eating at him.

That urgency didn't seem to come from wanting to win one match.

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

Everyone had weaknesses.

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

Xiao Wu was explosive, but she'd struggle if an opponent kept her at a distance.

Ma Hongjun had tremendous firepower, but when his emotions slipped, his flames became erratic too.

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

Dai Mubai was strong head-on, but nimble opponents could easily get under his skin.

Ning Rongrong watched the arena, then 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 looked at her.

"The same goes for support types. You can't just see who's strong. 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 immediately came alive.

Soul King-level matches were already a bigger draw than Soul Grandmaster-level ones.

And word from the registration hall had spread.

A twelve-year-old Soul King.

God-given Spirit Ring.

A background in Spirit Hall.

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

Yuan Yu stood.

Xiao Wu waved.

“Go, Yuan Yu!”

Ma Hongjun shouted even louder.

"Make it quick! You can come back and watch the next match!"

Yuan Yu looked back.

"Fatty, that's some practical encouragement."

Ma Hongjun chuckled.

Tang San watched Yuan Yu walk toward the Dueling Platform.

He was looking forward to this too.

During the daytime test, Yuan Yu had focused on protecting the field.

That wasn't how Yuan Yu truly fought.

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

Ironback Bear was already standing on the Dueling Platform.

He was a burly, middle-aged Soul Master at level fifty-seven, with the 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's expression darkened.

"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 entire arena erupted.

The Ironback Bear's expression turned deadly serious.