Watching the soul fights, finally meeting

On the enormous stage, soul rings flickered beneath two soul masters, radiating considerable soul power. Dazzling soul skills erupted one after another, driving the atmosphere in the Soul Fighting Arena to fever pitch again and again.

Xue Qinghe emerged from the passage with several imperial guards at his side, following a sharp-faced, monkey-cheeked man.

As soon as they left the passage, the sharp-faced man rose onto his toes and scanned the surroundings. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he pointed toward a corner below the stands.

"He's right there, Your Highness. Look, that fellow sitting cross-legged at the very bottom of the stands. He's a Soul Grandmaster. I think his title is Lone Wolf."

Xue Qinghe studied the young man with interest. After a moment, he asked in puzzlement, "Why is he sitting below the stands instead of resting in them or going up to challenge someone?"

"Because he's a complete battle maniac."

The sharp-faced man couldn't resist complaining.

"As you know, Your Highness, contestants with enough of a reputation receive not only prize money when they win a soul fight, but also a share of ticket sales. This Lone Wolf negotiated special terms with the arena, though. He waived his share in exchange for skipping registration and being allowed to fight whenever he wanted. The arena also has to arrange sufficiently strong opponents for him."

A strange look crossed Xue Qinghe's face as he listened. This was the first time he had heard of such a bizarre request.

"Earlier, Lone Wolf challenged two Soul Grandmasters by himself and used up quite a bit of soul power. He should be recovering now. Once he's back to full strength, he'll probably start challenging people again. Look, he's standing up."

Below the stands, Su Yuntao rose, his soul power fully replenished, and