Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena

Zhang Fei nodded repeatedly as he listened, excitement already stirring in his heart.

Of course he knew what the Great Soul Arena was.

It was a platform for actual combat jointly established by the continent's most prestigious Seven Great Soul Master Families, with a branch in almost every major city.

After registering, Soul Masters could accumulate points through one-on-one, two-on-two, and even team battles, winning Gold Soul Coins and earning corresponding badges.

The badges came in eight ranks, from lowest to highest: iron, copper, silver, gold, amethyst gold, sapphire, ruby, and diamond.

Based on the nature and rules of combat, Soul Fighting fell into three main categories: sparring matches, life-and-death matches, and gambling matches.

The most common were sparring matches, which focused on exchanging pointers and stopping short of serious injury. Killing was forbidden, and the aim was to improve practical combat experience.

Soul Masters like Zhang Fei, whose purpose was training, generally entered sparring matches.

"When do I go?" Zhang Fei asked, itching to try, his eyes shining.

"Finish your morning training first. This afternoon, go register and sign up for a match yourself. You won't be done until you earn a Gold Soul Fighting Badge."

"You got it!" Without another word, Zhang Fei turned and hoisted the Stone Lock from the ground onto his shoulder.

Strangely enough, the stone that had made his shoulders ache just moments earlier now seemed a little lighter.

He drew a deep breath, straightened his back, and steadily raised the Stone Lock over his head, pouring all his excitement into his arms.

Truth be told, Zhang Fei had wanted a change of opponent for a long time.

Every day, he sparred with the two Titled Douluo, She Long and Pufferfish. They called it sparring, but it was really just taking a beating.

For Zhang Fei, it was always defending, dodging, getting beaten down, climbing back up, and getting beaten down again.

Constantly facing the crushing might of Titled Douluo, fighting battles without a shred of hope from beginning to end, had left him despairing of victory. It wore away at his spirit so badly that his heart of cultivation was on the verge of shattering.

Honestly, Zhang Fei had no idea how he currently measured up against others of his level, and he could hardly wait to test his edge.

As soon as training ended, Zhang Fei took a quick shower, changed into a clean, trim black training outfit, and rushed out of the Crown Prince's Residence like a whirlwind.

The afternoon sunshine was just right, and people streamed along Heaven Dou City's busiest central street.

With light steps, Zhang Fei crossed two long streets before a breathtakingly magnificent building appeared before him.

The Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena.

It stood in the busiest part of central Heaven Dou City, occupying an enormous area. Shaped like an ancient beast lying prone, it had a rounded dome built from massive gray-green stones and an archway dozens of meters high gaping open at the front.

Carriages and people streamed past its entrance in a lively bustle.

There were lavishly dressed noble Soul Masters surrounded by attendants, lone travelers radiating menace, and even plenty of academy students wearing matching team uniforms.

Zhang Fei tilted his head back to look at the building, his heart involuntarily beating faster.

This was the world of Soul Masters.

He took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The hall was brightly lit and filled with a boiling clamor of voices.

Straight ahead stood a long row of reception counters, with a huge crystal screen hanging behind them. It scrolled through the matchups for that day's battles, betting odds, and profiles of popular competitors. Dense lines of text rolled past one after another, dazzling the eye.

Zhang Fei approached a counter with fewer people.

A pretty young receptionist sat behind it, wearing a professional smile. "Hello. How may I help you?"

"I'd like to register for Soul Fighting."

"Certainly. Please provide your Martial Soul, age, and Soul Power Level, and pay the registration fee of ten Gold Soul Coins."

Zhang Fei thought it over. His identity and age were already common knowledge among the nobility, so there was nothing to hide. He answered, "Golden Dragon Martial Soul, nine years old, level twenty-two Power Attack System Battle Soul Master."

I'm actually only eight and a half, but rounding up isn't going too far, right?

Even so, the receptionist's smile froze on her face, and the fingers holding her pen trembled slightly. "Y-you said what? Nine years old? Level twenty-two?"

Her voice rose involuntarily, drawing looks from people at several nearby counters.

"What, is that not allowed?" Zhang Fei raised an eyebrow, pulled the black card Ning Fengzhi had given him from inside his clothes, and slapped it on the counter. "Ten Gold Soul Coins. Charge the card."

The receptionist came back to her senses and hurriedly waved her hands. "No, no, no, it's allowed. It's just... please wait a moment!"

She swallowed, lowered her head, and hurried through his registration, her pen scratching across the paper.

"Please provide your Soul Fighting alias."

Zhang Fei considered for a moment, the corners of his lips curving upward.

"Dragon Travels the World."

"Very well, Mr. Dragon Travels the World. Here is your badge. Since this is your first time participating in Soul Fighting, you'll begin at the lowest rank, with an Iron Soul Badge. Please keep it safe." The receptionist took out a palm-sized iron badge and handed it over.

Zhang Fei accepted it. The badge was iron-gray, with an intricate design engraved on the front and a string of numbers on the back.

The receptionist asked, "Would you like to sign up for a match today?"

"Sign me up for a one-on-one sparring match."

"Certainly. You're now registered. You may wait for notification in the competitors' lounge. Your turn should come within an hour."

Zhang Fei nodded, put the iron badge into his Storage Ring, and turned toward the competitors' lounge.

The competitors' lounge was a circular hall lined with seats, filled with Soul Masters waiting to take the stage.

Some rested with their eyes closed, some rubbed their hands nervously, and others discussed tactics in low voices in groups of three or five.

Zhang Fei found a corner to sit in and surveyed his surroundings with interest.

Through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, he could see the Great Soul Arena's interior layout.

At the center was the main fighting stage, over a hundred meters in diameter, its floor paved with special black-iron stone. Only Soul Masters with a Silver Soul Badge or higher, or those with exceptional fame, could step onto that stage.

Five slightly smaller secondary fighting stages were arranged around it, and waves of thunderous noise and cheering spectators rose from them.

He leaned back in his chair and waited quietly.

"Mr. Dragon Travels the World, your opponent has been selected," a staff member said, approaching respectfully. "He's a Soul Grandmaster with an Ironback Ape Martial Soul, alias 'Iron Mountain,' with level twenty-six Soul Power. He's currently on a three-match winning streak. Your match will take place on the third fighting stage, and you're up next. Please follow me."

Zhang Fei rose and followed the staff member down a long competitors' passage to the entrance of a secondary Soul Fighting Arena.

This secondary Soul Fighting Arena was circular, about fifty meters in diameter, its floor paved with hard green granite.

The surrounding spectator seats rose in concentric tiers, packed with a dark mass of people. At a glance, there were at least three or four thousand.

"Next, let's welcome the two competitors for our seventh one-on-one sparring match!"

A beautiful female announcer with a stunning figure stood in the center of the arena, holding an Amplifying Soul Tool. Her voice carried throughout the venue through the Soul Tool.

"First, the Soul Grandmaster who has already claimed three consecutive victories, Iron Mountain! His Martial Soul: Ironback Ape!"

"Roar!"

At the other end of the passage, a burly man built like an iron tower strode out.

He stood nearly two meters tall, with broad shoulders, a thick back, and muscles coiling over his bare arms.

As he entered, he beat his chest with both arms, producing deep, booming thuds.

Cheers and whistles erupted from the stands. Many gamblers waved their betting slips, shouting Iron Mountain's name.

"And his opponent is a newcomer making his first appearance. Please welcome Dragon Travels the World!"