Two against one in the arena, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect takes notice

"Uncle Gu, do you have any way to improve our support-type Soul Masters' chances of survival? Armor alloyed with Black Gold offers barely any protection."

Ning Fengzhi looked at Bone Douluo before him.

"There isn't much I can do either. There are only so many ways to improve your chances of survival: develop a self-created soul skill, rely on a Soul Bone, or try your luck digging a rare Defensive Soul Tool out of some ruins."

Gu Rong picked up a slice of raw lamb between his withered fingers, laid it on the grill, then sprinkled some seasoning over it.

"Support-type Soul Masters are destined to rely on their companions. It's truly difficult for them to develop substantial combat strength or the ability to protect themselves."

Ning Fengzhi let out a long, helpless sigh.

"If nothing else works, we'll have to increase the Black Gold content in the armor. Our sect's senior members should switch to armor made entirely of Black Gold as well. I'll visit the Iron Dragon Blacksmith Shop again in a few days. Our lives are at stake, after all. We can't afford to take this lightly."

Tang Shan could no longer hear what followed. Clearly, the two had begun communicating privately through voice transmission.

So they were only here to buy armor.

Tang Shan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they hadn't come specifically for him, all was well.

"Little brother, try this."

Su Yuntao took a massive roast leg of lamb off the grill and held it out to Tang Shan.

Tang Shan didn't stand on ceremony. He grabbed it and immediately bit down.

Charred, tender, crisp, fragrant—a hundred flavors burst forth and mingled in his mouth, making him salivate uncontrollably.

He tore off a large chunk and chewed it carefully. It was rich without being greasy, tender without being dry.

"Delicious!"

Tang Shan couldn't help praising it even as he kept chewing.

Su Yuntao raised his chin proudly.

"Well? Pretty good, isn't it?"

Tang Shan nodded emphatically.

"Boss, two more big legs of lamb!"

Su Yuntao called toward the owner.

"Coming right up!"

The owner worked swiftly, giving the legs of lamb a quick preparation before bringing them to Tang Shan's table.

Half an hour later, the two brothers leaned back in their chairs, full and satisfied, too languid to move.

"Little brother, do you think I could beat two opponents on my own?"

Su Yuntao asked casually.

Tang Shan's eyes flashed.

"Why not give it a try and find out, big brother?"

"All right. I'll rest a little longer, then sign up for a one-against-two Soul Grandmaster match once the food's settled."

About fifteen minutes later, Su Yuntao stood up and stretched, his bones giving a series of crisp cracks.

"Little brother, want to come watch?"

Tang Shan nodded, making a show of glancing around the shop.

"Sure. Let's take a look."

With that, the two rose and left the shop.

"Fengzhi, did you hear that? A Soul Grandmaster wants to fight two opponents at once."

Gu Rong popped the last piece of lamb into his mouth, a note of interest in his voice.

"Uncle Gu, shall we go take a look at the Soul Fighting Arena later?"

Ning Fengzhi suggested.

"But didn't Shuyu want some lamb from this place too? Shouldn't we bring some back for her?"

Gu Rong hesitated. As a sect master and a Titled Douluo, they had made a special trip to this shop because Ning Fengzhi's wife enjoyed its lamb. They had come both to eat and to get some to take home.

Ning Fengzhi wore a gentle smile. "It's fine. The key to this shop's food is the ingredients and seasoning. We can take some back and grill it ourselves. It won't be much different from cooking it here. We have to do the grilling ourselves either way.

"It's rare for you to take an interest in soul fighting, Uncle Gu. There's no harm in going to watch. It'll give me a chance to reminisce about my own arena matches when I was young."

"Welcome to the Great Soul Arena, everyone! Today's two-on-two match is a little unusual, so tickets cost a little more, but I guarantee it will be worth every coin!"

Holding an Amplifying Soul Tool, the announcer did his utmost to stir up the crowd in the stands.

Enthusiastic shouts filled the entire Main Soul Fighting Arena.

"Now, allow me to introduce the two sides competing in this match. I'll introduce one contestant from each side first, then move on to the second.

"The team to my left is called 'Lone Wolf.' I'm sure those of you who frequent the Main Soul Fighting Arena are no strangers to that name.

"That's right! As you've guessed, one member of this team is the undefeated solo competitor with a thousand-year second soul ring, the Soul Grandmaster hailed as living proof of Grandmaster's theories—Lone Wolf!"

Roar!

The cheers surged again, instantly driving the atmosphere throughout the arena to its peak.

Wearing a wolf-shaped mask, Su Yuntao emerged slowly from the passage with his arms hanging naturally at his sides and his body tilted slightly forward. He looked like a lethal hunter poised to strike, carrying the momentum of victory after victory.

The private box at the top of the stands measured forty to fifty square meters. With a carpet made from Soul Beast pelts, plush sofas, and paintings that proclaimed its prestige, every corner exuded luxury.

Reclining on a sofa, Gu Rong grew more interested.

"A thousand-year second soul ring. To think someone like that would be found in this little Star City."

Ning Fengzhi, who had been savoring a glass of wine, also turned part of his attention to the arena below.

"Let's see how old he is. If he's suitable, we might try recruiting him into our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I wonder how he managed to form a thousand-year second soul ring, though. Was it a Soul Bone or some natural treasure?"

"Most likely a natural treasure. You know, the physical enhancement from a single Thousand-Year Soul Bone is nowhere near enough to let someone form a thousand-year second soul ring. Surely you're not suggesting this boy possesses a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, a 'Blood River Treasure'? That's hardly realistic."

Gu Rong quickly reached his conclusion.

The mention of the man responsible for this thousand-year second soul ring prompted Ning Fengzhi to remark, "Grandmaster truly possesses vast knowledge. I'd love to speak with him face-to-face. Better still if we could bring him into our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Gu Rong shook his head. "That probably isn't realistic. I discussed it with the Old Bastard, and we both believe Grandmaster is most likely a Super Douluo above level ninety-five. His published theories may seem simple and chiefly benefit lower-level Soul Masters, but they make everything clear with just a few words. Before that, even when we had our suspicions, we were nowhere near able to explain things as clearly and thoroughly as he does."

"Is his cultivation truly that profound?"

Hearing Gu Rong's words, Ning Fengzhi's expression grew more serious.

"He can only be stronger than we imagine."

A trace of respect entered Gu Rong's voice as well.

"Fengzhi, his published theories may chiefly help lower-level Soul Masters cultivate, but they also provide fertile ground for the emergence of higher-level Soul Masters, giving them better conditions to develop.

"For example, suppose someone has Blue Silver Grass as their martial soul, but a powerful faction backing them finds two exceptionally high-quality Soul Beasts for them: a four-hundred-year-old dark gold terrorclaw bear and a four-hundred-year-old azure vine. Which would you have chosen in the past, Fengzhi? And which would you choose after reading Grandmaster's theories?"

Ning Fengzhi answered without hesitation, "Before reading the theories, I would certainly have chosen the dark gold terrorclaw bear. After reading them, I would definitely choose the azure vine."

"Exactly. That's what Grandmaster's theories are like. They seem simple and straightforward, yet they go straight to the heart of the matter. If it were me, even if the plant-type Soul Beast wasn't high-grade and was merely ultimate-grade, I would choose it without hesitation. Even with a low-grade plant-type Soul Beast, provided it was old enough, I would hesitate and consider whether the dark gold terrorclaw bear's Soul Ring might kill off the martial soul's potential for future advancement."

"Grandmaster truly is an extraordinary man!"

Meanwhile, in the arena, the announcer finished introducing Su Yuntao and went on to introduce one member of the opposing team.

Su Yuntao's opponents called their team "Blade and Sword in Harmony." He even recognized the blade-wielding Soul Master: Dao Long, his opponent in his very first arena match.

"Next, let me introduce the second member of the blade-and-sword team. His codename is 'Sword Qi,' and his record stands at twenty-one wins and twelve losses. He, too, is a formidable Soul Grandmaster.

"And those are all the contestants in today's match!"

As his words fell, the Main Soul Fighting Arena went briefly silent before a commotion broke out. Spectators whispered among themselves, clearly having noticed the problem.

One contestant's details had been left out. Most likely, the announcer had made a mistake.

Faced with the crowd's unrest, the announcer kept smiling. Only once the atmosphere had built sufficiently did he bring the Amplifying Soul Tool to his lips again. "I'm sure you've all noticed something unusual. There are only three contestants on the floor, yet this is clearly a two-on-two match. But I can tell you this is no mistake—our Soul Grandmaster Lone Wolf intends to take on two opponents alone! Just as his title suggests, he walks alone, as fierce as a lone wolf! Let's give Soul Grandmaster Lone Wolf our warmest applause. Win or lose, his courage deserves our admiration!"

After a brief silence, cheers erupted with a crash. The rolling roar spread outward from the Great Soul Arena like thunder.

"Riling them up like this—aren't they afraid something might go wrong?"

Seated in the stands, Tang Shan looked helplessly at the wildly excited spectators around him, unable to help admiring the arena management's skill.

Once people got worked up, impulsive spending was only natural. The arena would make a fortune this time, not to mention its income from gambling. Money was practically pouring in.

Watching the battle about to unfold below, Ning Fengzhi asked the attendant beside him, "Do you have information on this Soul Master?"

The female attendant bowed slightly and answered softly, "Yes, sir. Would you like me to fetch it for you?"

"Bring me a copy."

"Certainly."

The attendant bowed and withdrew from the box.

"Oh? This young fellow is no ordinary fighter. His moves have a clear structure to them. He's already beginning to develop his own style."

Gu Rong watched Su Yuntao face off against the other two Soul Masters, a trace of surprise in his eyes.

"He's developed his own fighting style?"

Ning Fengzhi was rather surprised as well. Only after numerous battles, and after understanding their own strengths, weaknesses, and temperament, could someone gradually develop a personal fighting style. Then they could work on self-created soul skills tailored to that style.

Generally speaking, those who reached that point were either true geniuses, capable of distilling the essence of combat from a handful of battles, or Soul Masters who had roamed the continent for years and arrived there naturally after countless trials.

Yet now he was being told that a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster had accomplished it. That was rather unexpected.

"He isn't a top-tier combat genius. Right now, the two sides are evenly matched. A true genius could grow in real time during battle, but this 'Lone Wolf' hasn't demonstrated that ability. He's handling them with increasing ease, but that improvement comes purely from his accumulated combat experience. He has some talent, but nothing exceptional."

Just then, the female attendant from earlier entered the box carrying a set of documents.

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