A Stir at the Arena, Half the Twelve Regular Meridians

Compared to the Great Soul Arena in Star City, Ironwall City's arena was nowhere near as noisy. Instead, an air of grim intensity hung over it.

Much like Ironwall City itself, it was steady and solemn.

Once inside, Su Yuntao took out his Bronze Soul Fighter badge to register. The attendant was not a beautiful young woman, as was common at other Soul Fighting Arenas, but a stern-faced middle-aged man. He wore ordinary clothes, yet stood straight as a pine. His expression was calm, and every word and gesture carried the hard edge of a soldier;

A vicious scar across his left cheek made him look all the more formidable.

"Fighting name?" he asked, brisk and direct.

"Lone Wolf," Su Yuntao answered honestly.

The man nodded and indicated that Su Yuntao should pay the registration fee. Su Yuntao pulled a pouch of Gold Soul Coins from his clothes. The man took it, weighed it in his hand, and tossed it behind the counter without opening it to count the coins.

"You're registered. Wait in the back."

Su Yuntao nodded and had just turned away when a measured voice came from behind him.

"You're burning to fight. Join the army. It's where you belong, and a place where battle thrives."

Su Yuntao looked back in surprise. The middle-aged man gazed at him calmly, as though he had said nothing at all.

Tang Shan, standing beside him, was surprised too.

"No, thank you," Su Yuntao declined. "I do enjoy fighting, but I don't enjoy war. The army is more about war than fighting."

With that, he and Tang Shan headed to the waiting area.

The middle-aged man did not take offense at the refusal. Instead, he murmured with a hint of regret, "Such a fierce will to fight. With the right training,