The King of Hell Went Shopping, and the Fox's Fur Bristled

The morning market in Spirit City has incredibly strict rules.

The large Plate road was so wet from the water that it reflected people's images. Even the vendors selling steamed buns and soup on both sides of the road dared to only breathe loudly when they called out their wares, for fear of disturbing the tranquility of the Papal Hall on the mountain. The Soul Master coming and going on the street, when passing by the foot of the mountain, all put their hands on their chests and shrank their necks as they walked along the edge.

But early this morning, a group of thugs barged into the street, acting all high and mighty.

Ma Hongjun, with two chubby hands clutching two steaming hot beef sesame cakes, butter dripping from his mouth, and the golden seal bestowed by the Xue Ye tucked under his arm, sauntered into the largest gold shop by the roadside.

"Shopkeeper! Weigh it for me!"

The fat man slammed the heavy gold nugget onto the counter with a loud crash, causing the old accountant behind the counter, who wore reading glasses, to fall to the ground with a thud.

"Sir... sir, this is engraved with the golden eagle of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. It's an official seal. How can I accept it?" The old man trembled and waved his hands.

"Who said they wanted to pawn it?" Ma Hongjun rolled his eyes, swallowing the dry noodles in his mouth. "I'm just asking you, how much does this piece of junk weigh? How many whole roasted lambs can it buy in your city? Calculate it now, or I'll smash your door with it!"

Outside the shop, Tai Long, shirtless, squatted on the white Stone Railing in front of the Spirit Hall, picking his teeth with an iron skewer in his hand. His big eyes glared at the Platinum Heavy-Armored Guards patrolling the street, his face trembling with menacing bulge.

The dozen or so guards, each carrying a sword at their waist, were so angry that their molars were grinding together, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords, the veins on the backs of their hands throbbing, but none of them dared to draw their swords.

For no other reason than that these scoundrels were following two old monsters at a leisurely pace, a couple of steps behind.

Dugu Bo, wrapped in a green robe that reeked of rotten grass, slowly peeled two hot tea eggs in his hands; beside him, Chen Xin, dressed in a white linen jacket, walked with his hands behind his back, his steps extremely light, but the cold, hard killing aura emanating from him made the commander leading the team break out in a cold sweat.

"Ling Yun, there's a sugar figurine maker up ahead! Hurry up!"

Xiao Wu, dressed in a pink and white short skirt, skipped and hopped, pulling hard on Ling Yun's short sleeves, the red rope on her braid swinging back and forth.

Ling Yun had his hands in his pockets, letting her pull him along. He chewed on a mint and swayed forward with a duck-like gait, as leisurely as if he were taking a stroll in a threshing ground in the countryside.

"What nonsense! I'll hang you on the golden roof of the main hall on the mountaintop and dry you like a rabbit." Ling Yun glanced at her and casually took out two pieces of silver from his pocket and threw them into the copper plate on the stall.

Xiao Wu took the bright red candy rabbit, bit off half of its ear, stuck her tongue out at Ling Yun, and didn't take it seriously at all.

At the very back of the group, Tang San, dressed in black, walked with his head down, stepping on his shadow on the ground.

He looked at Ling Yun's disheveled appearance, his right hand inside his sleeve gripping the heavy iron box on the inside of his right arm so tightly that his fingernails dug into the cracks of the cast iron, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Go ahead and wander around, do whatever you want. But once you're on the Arena in the Papal Hall, the Spirit Hall has thousands of people, and plenty of knives are waiting to stab you in the heart!

As we were walking, the wide intersection ahead suddenly fell silent.

Pedestrians on both sides shrank back against the wall, and a pungent smell of raw sulfur hit them in the face.

Step, step, step.

Three people walked out side by side from the black iron gate of the Main God Hall.

The man in the middle was extremely tall, with black hair draped over his shoulders. He had two large, dark red, curved Moon Blade at his waist, and his eyes were as sinister as a mountain eagle's. To his left was a burly man with half his shirt off, wearing heavy red armor. His fists had large knuckles, and he exuded a fiery aura.

The most eye-catching one is the young woman on the right with an extremely domineering figure.

She wore a tight-fitting black and gold short leather jacket, her dark gold short hair hung down to her ears, and her face was so alluring and seductive that it was almost demonic. A smile played on her lips, and her whole body exuded a sweet and cloying scent that seemed to seep straight into one's bones.

The Spirit Hall Golden Generation.

Xie Yue, Yan, Hu Liena.

"This is the mudfish that the Heaven Dou Division picked out?"

Bare-chested Yan stepped out of the gate, the white jade bricks beneath his feet instantly scorched black by the heat emanating from his body, and his booming voice made the shop signs on the street sway violently.

"I thought they were some tough guys with three heads and six arms, but they're just a bunch of fledglings who haven't even shed their feathers yet! They survived in the Canyon thanks to their old bastard protecting them, and now they dare to swagger around on the streets of our Spirit City?!"

Ma Hongjun, chewing on a sesame seed cake, suddenly bulged his small eyes, puffed out his cheeks, and loudly choked back:

"Where did this red-haired stray dog come from, barking in the middle of the street?! Yesterday in the hunting grounds, those fire-playing ancestors from the Blazing Fire Academy just knelt down and begged me for forgiveness! Is your rotten iron suit filled with stove ash or raw lard? If you're itching for a beating, get up here and I'll pluck all your hair off with a single breath of pure yang fire!"

"Court death!!"

Sparks flew from Yan's eyes, and he slammed his fists down, causing five Soul Ring —two yellow, two purple, and one black—to explode out in an instant. Behind him, a Flame Lord, its body bubbling with magma, roared up!

Five-Ring Soul King!

The civilians who had gathered to watch the spectacle were so frightened that they scrambled back in fear.

Ling Yun, standing opposite, didn't even glance at the fire monster.

His gaze lingered on Hu Liena's seductive face.

Hu Liena smiled, and in her narrow, foxy eyes, a pink light silently swirled. Her five Soul Ring— two yellow, two purple, and one black—remained hidden, but the Psywave of her innate allure transformed into an invisible, intangible needle that pierced straight towards Ling Yun's brow!

A spiritual test!

This arrogant disciple of the Pope, upon hearing the rumors of the fourth ring of Ling Yun and the skull of the Remnant Dream, decided to use his special training in mental charm to give this ignorant commoner captain a taste of his own medicine the moment they met!

But that pink spiritual needle had just pierced the area three inches in front of Ling Yun's brow.

Buzz--!

Deep within his sea of consciousness, the top-grade spiritual Soul Bone that had recently fused into his skull suddenly unleashed a chilling undercurrent!

It's not just a pure act of resistance.

Greninja's Dark-type coldness and ruthlessness, through its vast and micro-managed Divine Sense, transformed into a irrational high-pressure water wave reverse slash, forcefully pulling back the mental connection that Hu Liena was thrusting at!

Backlash!

"Ugh!!"

Hu Liena's charming smile suddenly froze, a painful groan escaped her throat, and a look of utter terror flashed in her narrow, fox-like eyes!

It felt like a red-hot iron rod had been churning inside her head, and a sharp pain exploded in her mind. Her alluring figure swayed violently, and she staggered back three steps. If Xie Yue hadn't caught her from behind, she would have collapsed on the street!

"Nana?!" Xie Yue's expression changed drastically, and his hand instantly reached for the Moon Blade at his waist, his killing intent surging!

A covert confrontation lasting only half a blink of an eye.

Hu Liena, a Soul King specializing in mental charm techniques and a fifth-ring control system Soul King, had her Divine Sense directly shattered by the impact!

Ling Yun leisurely pulled a half-eaten wooden skewer from his pocket, flicked it onto the Plate at Yan's feet, and a nonchalant yet sarcastic smirk played on his lips.

"Don't try to act like a wild fox, pissing and harassing people in the streets before your fur has fully grown."

He put his hands back into his pockets, his eyelids drooping, as he glanced at Hu Liena's deathly pale face.

"Go back and tell that woman sitting on the dragon throne in your Papal Hall to make the draw for the Grand Finals."

"Don't let these three clay nuggets shatter before I even get to the Arena and warm up my muscles."

After saying that, Ling Yun lost all interest in even glancing at them again. He grabbed Xiao Wu, and slowly walked past the Golden Generation on the Plate path.

Dai Mubai followed with a cold laugh, while Ma Hongjun gave Yan a big thumbs-down gesture, who was furious.

"Damn it! I'll tear him apart!!" Yan roared, his body wreathed in flames, as he lunged forward, but Hu Liena, her face covered in cold sweat, grabbed his wrist tightly.

"Don't go..." Hu Liena clutched her throbbing, cracking brow, her face deathly pale, her voice trembling uncontrollably, "His... his spiritual power... is an abyss!"

Xie Yue stood still, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the Moon Blade bulging, his eyes as cold as two newly forged knives, staring intently at the departing deep blue figure, without uttering a word.

Shortly afterward, the gates of the Papal Hall opened wide.

The red-painted wooden plaque for the Grand Finals was carried out by eight cardinals and placed heavily on a stone pillar in the center of the square.

The team leaders from various colleges, who were watching in the audience, only glanced at it, and their expressions all changed instantly.

Lottery Results--

The top seed from the Heaven Dou Empire, Blue Tyrant Academy, received a bye in the first round; in the second round of the knockout stage, they directly faced the top seed from the Star Luo Empire — Star Luo Empire Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy!

Above the wooden sign, three white jade boxes, suspended in mid-air, slowly opened.

An Explosive Burning Flame Right Arm Bone fiery red light, a Rapid Advance Wind Chasing Left Leg Bone with a Blue light, and a skull radiating boundless Psywave — Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull!

The three top-grade Soul Bone shone brightly in the sunlight, instantly turning the eyes of all the Soul Master in the entire square bloodshot!

In the shadowy shade behind the crowd, Tang San stared intently at the Wisdom Skull in mid-air, his fingers digging deep into the iron seams of the Sinking Silver Mechanism, his teeth almost Crunch.

Star Luo Royal Academy!

Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing are destined mortal enemies!

The Spirit Hall grouped these two arch-rivals together to completely exhaust Blue Tyrant's trump cards before the finals!

Standing at the very front of the square, Dai Mubai looked up at the large red characters opposite him, his joints cracking like popping beans, his Shiny eyes filled with the ferocity of a hungry wolf encountering a piece of fat meat.

Ling Yun beside him, his hands in his pockets, a cold smirk playing on his lips.

Using someone else to do the dirty work?

Perfect, I'll use those idiots from the Star Luo Empire as stepping stones for my punches.