Soul Fighting Zone

Mu Jin gave Ning Tian a long, searching look.

Since the young lady of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had said that, he would have to reassess Nezha's strength.

He took a deep breath, hesitated no longer, and turned to face the class. His voice rose sharply, crisp and decisive:

"Everyone, on your feet. Gather at the Soul Fighting Zone. Today's lesson will be practical combat. Here at Shrek Academy, nothing matters more than actual combat. All right, move out."

With that, he turned and headed for the classroom door, his short, slender-heeled boots tapping out a brisk rhythm against the floor.

Some of the bolder girls immediately crowded around Nezha, chattering over one another as they approached. Some offered him water, others asked whether he needed help carrying anything, and a few simply asked, "What does our class monitor like to eat?"

At the sight, Ning Tian and Wu Feng almost instinctively hooked their arms around Nezha's, one on either side, and forcibly dragged him out of the crowd. Flanking him like a pair of door gods, the two girls kept the overenthusiastic female students at bay.

Sandwiched between them, Nezha wore an expression as serene as drifting clouds in a gentle breeze, as though nothing had happened.

The boys were much less polite. They all raised their middle fingers at Nezha, their anger and defiance practically written across their foreheads, and headed outside amid a chorus of curses.

"Nezha, just watch how we deal with you later! Don't think being a Soul Elder makes you invincible!"

"Nezha, you've got some fat, swollen guts! Just watch how we beat your ass!"

"Just you wait! We'll settle this in the Soul Fighting Arena!"

Faced with their taunts, Nezha did not so much as lift an eyelid. Ning Tian and Wu Feng simply escorted him out of the classroom between them, his steps as leisurely as if he were taking a stroll.

The Soul Fighting Zone.

The Soul Fighting Zone was an extremely important area of Shrek Academy, situated in the northwestern corner of the Martial Soul Department, toward Shrek City. The entire zone was hexagonal and roughly the same size as Shrek Square. A vast open space occupied its center, serving as the students' battleground.

Around it, rows of seats rose in successive tiers, with enough room for roughly three thousand spectators.

During the day, the Soul Fighting Zone was not open for general use. It served as a venue for Shrek Academy's practical combat classes, with no fees required.

The venue was only available for student use from the end of classes until midnight each day. Students who wanted to engage in soul fighting had to pay and register first, after which they could fight freely here.

For each soul fighting match, the two sides had to pay at least ten Gold Soul Coins as a venue fee.

Spectators had to pay an admission fee of one Silver Soul Coin. If the two contestants were relatively well-known students at the academy, the academy would even broadcast announcements through soul-tool loudspeakers in the dormitory areas free of charge, drawing more people to watch.

The academy took half the admission proceeds, while the other half went to the winner. This was also a place many senior students frequented. Not only could they gain actual combat experience, they could also earn money, without having to worry about safety. Dedicated teachers served as referees, determining the outcome, protecting the students, and providing aid and treatment.

In addition, winning matches in the Soul Fighting Zone earned students credits that could add points to their year-end examinations. From the fourth year onward, soul fighting credits were mandatory for advancing to the next year.

By now, everyone from Freshman Class Nine had arrived.

The girls sat in twos and threes in the surrounding stands, whispering excitedly to one another, their gazes all fixed on the arena.

Wu Feng sat with one leg crossed over the other, her fiery-red ponytail tossed behind her shoulder and a smile at her lips as she waited for a good show.

Ning Tian sat quietly, her long platinum-blond hair falling around her as her azure eyes watched the center of the arena calmly.

The boys, meanwhile, poured onto the platform. More than twenty of them stood together, rubbing their fists and flexing their hands, making quite an imposing display.

As far as they were concerned, even if Nezha was a Soul Elder, there were more than twenty of them. One Soul Skill apiece would be enough to wipe him out. Lose? They honestly could not imagine how they could lose.

The girls of Class Nine clustered around Ning Tian and Wu Feng, chattering about Nezha's bold feat of taking on the entire class alone. Some were worried, some were excited, and some had already begun planning how to bring their class monitor water and wipe away his sweat afterward.

Nezha stood in the Soul Fighting Arena, the Fire-Tipped Spear in his hand. Its scarlet shaft hummed, and the violet flame at its tip flickered in the sunlight, casting its glow over his sharply defined face.

His gaze swept over the boys of Class Nine as they arranged their formation opposite him, undisguised arrogance gleaming in his eyes.

The boys of Class Nine huddled together in the Soul Fighting Arena, discussing tactics.

The Defense System Soul Masters stood at the front, their varied Martial Souls forming a makeshift defensive line. The Power Attack System Soul Masters followed close behind, the lights of their Soul Rings flaring and interweaving. The Control System Soul Masters occupied the middle to coordinate support, while the Support System Soul Masters stood at the rear.

Their formation was far from sophisticated, and even somewhat awkward. After all, most of them did not know one another. Managing to arrange themselves into even a rough set of ranks in so little time already counted as an exceptional performance.

Because there were so many participants, Mu Jin had also requested three referees from the academy.

Together with Mu Jin himself, the three referees made four Soul Emperor-level experts stationed around the edges of the Soul Fighting Arena, each guarding a different direction. They were more than capable of handling any unexpected situation.

One referee looked at the dense crowd in the Soul Fighting Arena, his brow furrowed tightly enough to crush a mosquito, then turned to Mu Jin. "Teacher Mu Jin, what's going on here? Is this a free-for-all? If this many students fight a free-for-all, the four of us will have a hard time keeping everyone safe."

Mu Jin folded his arms across his chest. His narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes swept over the lone fiery-red figure in the arena, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. His tone was casual. "Of course it isn't a free-for-all. It's a one-against-many match. Our class monitor, Nezha, intends to take on every boy in the class by himself."

All three referees froze.

What the hell? Did I hear that wrong?

One referee's brow tightened further, and he lowered his voice a little, as though afraid he had misheard something. "One person fighting more than twenty students? Most of these freshmen may only be at the Soul Master level, but nearly eight of them are Soul Grandmasters. Even the sixth-year Soul Ancestor students at Shrek Academy might not be able to defeat them. This is sheer recklessness..."

Another referee said nothing. He merely narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Nezha from head to toe.

After watching for quite a while, he suddenly spoke, a trace of irrepressible surprise in his tone. "That young fellow with the spear has soul power of a quality you'd hardly expect from a Soul Elder. And his presence is formidable. Standing there, he's like a spear himself, its keen edge held in reserve, yet exuding pressure from every inch. Mu Jin, is he your class monitor?"

Mu Jin smiled and nodded, his long, chestnut waves swaying gently against his shoulders. "That's right. He's our class monitor. I'm rather looking forward to his performance myself."

The three referees exchanged looks and said no more. Their discernment was naturally sharp enough to earn them positions as referees in the Soul Fighting Arena, and the boy's aura was indeed utterly different from that of an ordinary freshman. Two of them went to stand on either side of the arena, letting a little soul power radiate from their bodies as they prepared to intervene at any moment.

Standing at the edge of the arena, Mu Jin took a deep breath and raised his right hand high.

In the Soul Fighting Arena, Nezha held the Fire-Tipped Spear and lightly tapped its butt against the ground. A hairline crack split the stone floor.

He tilted his head, looking at the boys opposite him as they continued encouraging one another, and the corner of his mouth curled upward.

The four Soul Emperor referees watched the arena, holding their breath and focusing intently.

Mu Jin slashed his hand downward.

"Let the soul fighting begin!"