Myriad Phenomena's Arena Debut, Five Rings Ablaze

The lights over the Dueling Platform blazed.

Yuan Yu stood beneath them in white, his Sun Wheel Blade drawn.

He was too young.

So young that his presence on a Soul King-level Dueling Platform seemed wrong.

But with five God-given Spirit Rings shining behind him, no one could see him as a child anymore.

The Ironback Bear released his martial soul.

A massive bear's shadow rose behind him. His shoulders and back swelled with muscle, and he grew noticeably taller.

Five Spirit Rings appeared.

Two yellow, two purple, and one black.

A standard Soul King configuration.

Cheers rose from the stands.

The Ironback Bear had fought many matches at the Soto Great Soul Arena.

His win rate was respectable.

His fighting style was simple.

Tough.

He could take a hit.

He could hit back hard.

Plenty of Soul Kings had suffered for underestimating him.

The announcer raised his voice.

"Let the match begin!"

The Ironback Bear charged at once.

Every step shook the Dueling Platform.

No tricks.

Just a head-on rush.

Yuan Yu did not retreat.

The Rock Pattern lit up.

He held his Sun Wheel Blade across his body.

Bang!

The Ironback Bear slammed down a fist.

Stone cracked beneath Yuan Yu's feet as he slid several feet backward.

But he did not fall.

Surprise flickered in the Ironback Bear's eyes.

"You've got some skill."

Yuan Yu shook out his hand.

"And you're pretty heavy."

The Ironback Bear snorted and brought down a second punch.

This time, Yuan Yu did not block.

The Water Pattern flashed. He sidestepped, drawing his blade down along the man's arm.

The Ironback Bear's punch missed and struck the Dueling Platform.

Stone chips flew.

Yuan Yu turned with the motion.

"Water Breathing: Third Form."

"Flowing Dance."

Water-blue arcs swept around the Ironback Bear three times.

None of the strikes was heavy.

But each landed on a joint or a point where he gathered force.

The Ironback Bear's movements faltered. With a roar, his third Spirit Ring lit up.

The bear's shadow thickened.

His defense rose another notch.

The blade left only shallow marks.

Ma Hongjun stared from the stands.

"His skin's ridiculously thick."

Dai Mubai said, "The Ironback Bear is a defensive assault-type martial soul."

Ning Rongrong watched the platform.

"Can Yuan Yu get through his defense?"

Tang San said, "He can."

Xiao Wu asked, "How do you know?"

Tang San watched Yuan Yu's footwork.

"He hasn't gotten impatient."

On the Dueling Platform, the Ironback Bear had noticed it too.

The boy before him was far too steady.

Forced back, he did not panic.

Unable to break through, he did not rush.

The Ironback Bear suddenly felt he could not let the fight drag on.

His fifth Spirit Ring lit up.

As the black Spirit Ring flared, the bear's shadow loomed over him.

A dark, iron-colored sheen coated his arms, and his strength surged.

"Ironback Mountain-Crusher!"

Both fists came crashing down.

A direct hit would make even an ordinary Soul King cough blood.

Yuan Yu looked up.

Violet-white lightning flashed beneath his feet.

"Thunder Breathing: First Form."

"Thunderclap and Flash."

Lightning flickered.

He vanished from beneath the falling fists.

The Ironback Bear's attack smashed into the ground, shaking the entire Dueling Platform.

Yuan Yu was already behind him.

The Sun Wheel Blade slid half an inch into its sheath, then flashed out again.

No lightning this time.

This time, it was flame.

"Flame Breathing: First Form."

"Unquenchable Fire."

A red-gold slash swept across the Ironback Bear's back.

The Ironback Bear's defense was formidable, but the strike did more than cut the surface.

A thread of fire slipped into a gap in the flow of his Soul Power, sending a burning numbness across his back.

He grunted and spun around.

Yuan Yu had already withdrawn.

The cheers from the stands grew louder.

A ruthless glint entered the Ironback Bear's eyes.

"You dodge pretty fast, kid."

Yuan Yu said, "And you're pretty hard to beat."

"Then stop dodging!"

The Ironback Bear charged again.

This time, he gathered all his Soul Power into his arms, clearly intent on settling the match with one blow.

Yuan Yu watched him.

The Rock Pattern lit up.

He did not use lightning again.

Nor did he use wind.

He gripped his blade with both hands, its edge angled upward.

Dark-gold lines of light rose from beneath his feet and wound around the Sun Wheel Blade.

As the Ironback Bear reached him, Yuan Yu brought the blade down.

"Stone Breathing: Second Form."

"Heaven-Surface Shatter."

The strike did not cut flesh.

The back of the blade struck the Ironback Bear's crossed arms.

Boom!

The bear's shadow shuddered from the impact.

He staggered back several steps. His knees buckled, and he nearly fell to them.

Yuan Yu did not pursue him.

The Sun Wheel Blade stopped an inch from his forehead.

For a heartbeat, the arena fell silent.

Only then did the announcer react.

"Myriad Phenomena wins!"

Cheers erupted.

Breathing hard, the Ironback Bear stared at the blade before him.

He knew that if Yuan Yu had used the edge for that final strike, he would already be bleeding.

He withdrew his martial soul.

"I lost."

Yuan Yu sheathed his blade.

"Good match."

The Ironback Bear gave him a look.

"I've never met a kid like you."

Yuan Yu smiled. "You might not meet many Soul Kings like me, either."

The Ironback Bear froze, then laughed.

"You've got some nerve."

"Just telling the truth."

Yuan Yu turned and stepped off the platform.

In the stands, Xiao Wu was the first to rush over.

"You won way too fast!"

Ma Hongjun was brimming with excitement.

"You can fight like that in the Soul King Division?"

Dai Mubai said, "He's no ordinary Soul King."

Ning Rongrong looked at Yuan Yu, and what remained of her pride sank a little further.

Fifty-fifth rank at twelve.

And he could defeat a veteran Soul King.

She suddenly understood why Flender said Shrek only accepted monsters.

Many of the geniuses she had known had been lifted up by praise.

This one had fought his way there.

Flender came over, looking thoroughly pleased.

"Not bad."

Yuan Yu asked, "Where's the prize money?"

Flender's smile stiffened.

"The academy will hold on to it for now."

Yuan Yu looked at him.

"Dean, you know I'm from Spirit Hall, right?"

"I do."

"And you know I'm not short of money, right?"

"I do."

"Then why are you keeping it?"

Flender pushed up his glasses.

"It's called teaching you to be frugal."

Yuan Yu fell silent for a moment.

"I suddenly understand why Teacher Zhao got beaten up."

Beside him, Zhao Wuji's face darkened.

"Yuan Yu."

Yuan Yu immediately changed the subject.

"Dean, how are we handling the Team Battle?"

Flender's expression grew more serious.

"The Soul Arena wants to arrange a special Team Battle for you."

Tang San frowned.

"Special?"

Flender nodded.

"Under the normal rules, adding Yuan Yu to the team would push your matchmaking level too high. But the Soul Arena wants a spectacle, so they're willing to pit you against a higher-level team in an exhibition challenge."

Xiao Wu asked, "How strong are they?"

Flender said, "Four Soul Elders, three Soul Grandmasters, and a captain who's a level-forty-one Soul Ancestor."

Everyone's expression changed.

Ma Hongjun said, "Dean, are you trying to make money or get us killed?"

Flender did not smile.

"You can refuse."

Everyone looked at Yuan Yu.

He did not agree right away.

He looked at Tang San, then at Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing.

"Do you want to fight?"

Xiao Wu was the first to answer. "Yes."

Tang San thought for a moment.

"If the rules let us concede, we can try."

Zhu Zhuqing said, "Let's fight."

Ning Rongrong gritted her teeth.

"I can do it too."

Yuan Yu nodded.

"Then we'll fight."

Something shifted in Flender's eyes.

"What will your role be?"

Yuan Yu rested his Sun Wheel Blade on his shoulder.

"I'll make sure they don't lose too badly."

Ma Hongjun was about to laugh.

Then Yuan Yu added,

"I mean the other team."

Everyone froze.

A heartbeat later, Xiao Wu burst out laughing.

And just like that, the Shrek Eight Monsters' first Team Battle was set.