Soul Skills (First Martial Soul): Iron Tower, Bronze Wall; Defensive Steel Hardening; Might Subdues a Thousand Armies; Beast in a Cage's Struggle; Pagoda Subdues Mountains and Rivers; Xingtian Subdues Demons; Demon-Subduing Tower True Form; Pagoda Protects the True Form; Netherworld Subdues Gods and Demons Soul Skills (Second Martial Soul): Death God's Darkness...]
The improvement to his constitution did not appear on the system panel. He could only feel that his constitution had been strengthened. His looks, however, had risen from the initial 86 to 88, an increase of two points.
Honestly, Zhao Ling could not tell what had changed. Ah Yin, beside him, instinctively felt that something about him was different, though she could not say exactly what. In any case, he was just a little more handsome and attracted her more than before.
After closing the Personal Attribute Panel, Zhao Ling saw that Ah Yin was still watching him and smiled gently.
"What is it? Why do you keep staring at my face? Have you fallen for me? If you have, just say so..."
"Uh..." The corner of Ah Yin's mouth twitched, and she hurriedly averted her gaze.
He looked presentable enough, but what a foul mouth he had.
After silently grumbling, she pointed toward a nearby platform where a match had already begun.
"Let's go watch that one... Both sides seem pretty strong. It should be worth watching."
"Sure, let's go..." Zhao Ling nodded and walked toward the nearby platform with Ah Yin.
While Zhao Ling was not paying attention, Ah Yin silently opened the updated diary copy with her mind. Reading the sprawling four or five hundred Chinese characters of new content, she could not help rolling her eyes.
Zhao Ling was as shameless as ever, actually thinking of winning both her and Bibi Dong over. Where did he get all that confidence?
Didn't he know that she and Bibi Dong could see every last one of his little schemes?
Oh, he really didn't know yet. Never mind, then. Let him keep dreaming.
In any case, she absolutely would not stand by and watch Zhao Ling woo Bibi Dong. He could only woo her.
At that thought, Ah Yin took the initiative to loop her hand around Zhao Ling's arm, nestling against it like a little bird seeking shelter. Zhao Ling stiffened, his head buzzing.
What was going on? He and Ah Yin had only known each other for less than a week. Why was she suddenly holding his arm and resting her face against his shoulder?
W-wasn't she being a little too intimate?
Something was wrong. Something was wrong with this girl! Ah Yin was so pure and lovely, with such a noble, dignified air.
Why would she suddenly take the initiative to nestle against him like a little bird? Zhao Ling wondered if he was dreaming.
Yes, a dream. He had to be dreaming! Zhao Ling pinched his cheek. Since the Damage Transfer Ability's effect had already passed its three-minute limit, he could feel the pain in his cheek.
It looked like this wasn't a dream. Ah Yin really was leaning against him. Had something upset her?
Zhao Ling thought it over and finally attributed it to Bibi Dong's remark, "Your looks are more to my taste." So she was jealous?
Having figured it all out, Zhao Ling understood. Who would have thought that a single remark from Bibi Dong would make Ah Yin throw herself into his arms? What a divine assist.
He could not help maliciously wondering what Tang Hao would think if he saw his future wife nestling against him like a little bird. Would he be so depressed that he wanted to cough up blood?
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong, already seated in the VIP section, noticed another update to the diary copy and opened the illusory diary with her mind.
Reading the first part, she revealed a gentle smile. It seemed Zhao Ling wasn't that stupid after all.
He knew she had certain designs on him, and he happened to have designs on her too. Did this count as them running toward each other?
But when she saw him mention the woman named Ah Yin again, even fantasizing about keeping a foot in two boats, displeasure rose within her.
Wasn't he ugly enough without dreaming so beautifully? Always thinking about enjoying two women at once-wasn't he afraid of stuffing himself to death?
When she looked toward Ah Yin, who was nestling against Zhao Ling nearby like a little bird, she nearly exploded on the spot.
What the fuck? Could this woman named Ah Yin be any more shameless?
She was actually taking advantage of being the pavilion nearest the water to catch the moon first, snuggling into Zhao Ling's arms. Didn't she know what fair competition meant? Damn it!
(Important: some readers mentioned that having people of different ranks fight in the Great Soul Arena went against the original setting. A Soul Elder fighting a Soul King couldn't happen.
All right, I admit my brain was waterlogged, but it's difficult to change things now. Please make do with it. I kneel in thanks.)
Chapter 26: A Secret Contest
Bibi Dong was furious. Zhao Ling clearly favored her more, so what right did this woman named Ah Yin have to fight her for him?
If she could tolerate this, what couldn't she tolerate? Bibi Dong was about to rush over and fight the other woman for Zhao Ling when Chrysanthemum Douluo called her back.
"Miss, where are you going? It'll be your turn to enter the ring soon. You mustn't act rashly."
Bibi Dong stiffened, the flames of anger in her heart instantly doused. It seemed she had been impulsive. Fortunately, she hadn't rushed over to fight that woman named Ah Yin for Zhao Ling.
Otherwise, if these people from Spirit Hall saw it, especially Elder Ju, word would definitely reach that beast of a teacher of hers.
If her beastly teacher misunderstood something and brought forward the fate described in the diary, the loss would outweigh the gain.
She had to endure it. She had to suppress the urge to rush over and fight for him. There was no helping it; she was different from that woman named Ah Yin.
She was the Spirit Hall Pope's sole disciple, the future Saintess, and even the future Pope.
She could not simply follow her whims in many matters. At least until she was strong enough to control all of this, she could not act recklessly.
She glared at Ah Yin resentfully. As though sensing that displeased gaze, Ah Yin deliberately turned and gave Bibi Dong a provocative smile, nearly driving her into a rampage on the spot.
Bibi Dong's teeth itched with hatred. Damn it, this was infuriating! That woman named Ah Yin was even deliberately provoking her. She was going crazy!
Just wait. Just you wait! This wasn't over. Zhao Ling had to belong to her, Bibi Dong, in the future. Hmph!
Bibi Dong sat back down and sulked. Seeing her puffed-up expression, Ah Yin covered her mouth and snickered.
Hehe, so what if you're a little prettier than me? I'm the woman standing beside Zhao Ling right now.
Come fight me for him if you have what it takes. If you don't, stop glaring at me like that. Hmph, victory.
Noticing that Ah Yin was in a very good mood, Zhao Ling looked at her in puzzlement. "What is it? Did something good happen? Why are you so happy?"
Ah Yin forced back her smile and replied without thinking, "No, I just feel that meeting you is the happiest thing that's ever happened to me. Brother Ling, don't you feel the same?"
That "Brother Ling" made Zhao Ling's very bones melt. Honestly, he really was happy to have met Ah Yin so early, giving him a chance to steal this gentle, beautiful woman from Tang Hao.
"Of course. Meeting you is the greatest blessing of my life. It feels like a dream."
Zhao Ling's face was full of gentle smiles, his starry eyes fixed on Ah Yin's breathtaking face.
"Then..." Ah Yin suddenly pointed at the fair, smooth spot between her brows and playfully blinked her beautiful eyes.
"Then you wouldn't mind giving me a kiss, would you?"
What? Ah Yin actually wanted him to kiss her? Looking at her breathtaking face, Zhao Ling immediately smiled. Mind? What a joke. How could he mind?
She was asking him to kiss her. Wouldn't he be an idiot if he hesitated? He lowered his head and kissed her between the brows.
Watching this, Bibi Dong immediately overturned the table in front of her, sending the teacups and tea utensils crashing to the floor.
Damn it! Zhao Ling had never even kissed her, yet he was kissing that woman named Ah Yin.
Wasn't she a little better than that woman named Ah Yin in both looks and popularity? He had said himself that he lusted after her more.
But he, but he... had kissed another woman in public. Damn it!
Chrysanthemum Douluo and the people from Spirit Hall stared in surprise at Bibi Dong, who had suddenly overturned the little table in front of her, and exchanged bewildered looks.
What was wrong with the young lady? Why had she suddenly flown into a rage and overturned the table? Chrysanthemum Douluo followed Bibi Dong's gaze toward Zhao Ling and Ah Yin, then sank into thought.
Huh... why was the young lady staring at those two? Could she have fallen for that man named Zhao Ling?
At that thought, Chrysanthemum Douluo shook his head like a rattle drum. Impossible, absolutely impossible. What an exceptional daughter of heaven the young lady was!
Though Zhao Ling was very powerful, his looks weren't outstanding. He could only be called handsome. When the young lady had studied at the Martial Soul Advanced Soul Master Academy, countless men among her suitors had been better-looking than Zhao Ling.
Even among the outstanding talents they had brought along this time, two or three men were more handsome than Zhao Ling. Even if the young lady were blind, surely she wouldn't abandon them to fall for him.
Could it be that she'd been single too long and had cracked a little after suddenly being force-fed a display of affection? Possible. Very possible.
With that thought, Chrysanthemum Douluo considered whether he should suggest to His Holiness the Pope that they find the young lady a boyfriend or something.
Uh... After thinking it over, he flung the idea beyond the ninth heaven. What a joke. The young lady would become the Saintess and even inherit the Pope's mantle. How could she be held back by romance?
If he brought this up to His Holiness, he might end up in more trouble than he could carry. He couldn't afford to provoke that. He really couldn't.
After roughly a dozen minutes, it was finally Bibi Dong's turn to enter the ring.
Perhaps because she was holding back her anger, Chrysanthemum Douluo could feel the undisguised killing intent radiating from her.
He had a vague feeling that any opponents the young lady encountered today would be in for bad luck.
Seeing Bibi Dong enter the ring, Zhao Ling's interest immediately soared. It was finally this girl's turn to compete.
He remembered that the Great Soul Arena offered betting on matches and hurriedly looked around. Once he spotted where to place bets, he hastily led Ah Yin toward the betting table.
Before betting closed, Zhao Ling and Ah Yin squeezed through the crowd, and he put every one of the mere 300 Gold Soul Coins he had on Bibi Dong.
"I'm betting on that woman to win. Put all my winnings on her afterward, too!"
Perhaps because Bibi Dong was a girl, or perhaps because she had never competed in the Great Soul Arena before, not a single person around the betting table besides Zhao Ling was willing to bet on her.
Almost everyone bet on her opponent, creating a huge difference in the two sides' odds, reaching an astonishing 8:1.
In other words, if someone bet one Gold Soul Coin and Bibi Dong won, the payout would be eight times the stake. If her opponent won, the bookmaker would only have to pay out 0.125 times the stake.
Looking at those odds, Zhao Ling felt a little pained. Sigh, he really was poor now. He only had 300 Gold Soul Coins to his name.
He had painstakingly saved those back when his level was low. Even winning this match at odds of 8:1 would only earn him 2,400 Gold Soul Coins.
What could he do with 2,400 Gold Soul Coins? Now that he was moving through the human world and wanted to woo those beautiful girls, money was absolutely indispensable.
If he had tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins right now, he could slam them onto the table and turn them into over two hundred thousand. How satisfying would that be? Unfortunately, he was poor.
Chapter 27: Taking Bullying Too Far
Fortunately, most people did not know Bibi Dong's strength yet. Throwing in these 300 Gold Soul Coins would turn them into over two thousand. Repeating that a few more times would build up a tidy sum. That was still quite satisfying.
Naturally, nobody knew what Zhao Ling was thinking. Everyone around the table looked at him as though he were an idiot, unable to understand why he would bet on that woman.
The woman looked frail and weak. Although she had beaten up that Soul Master below level twenty, she had not shown how strong she actually was.
Many people secretly mocked this foolish fellow. He would probably lose every last coin this time.
Zhao Ling did not care what they thought. Only after personally watching the bookmaker close the bets did he happily lead Ah Yin back to Bibi Dong's platform to watch.
Bibi Dong's opponent was a man who looked around forty. Completely unaware of his impending misfortune, his eyes lit up when he saw her enter the ring.
He recognized her as the beautiful woman who had volunteered to wipe the blood off that Soul Master below level twenty yesterday.
Greed and desire immediately flashed through his eyes, and a lewd smile spread across his face.
"Little lady, you'd better get out of the ring. This is no place for a woman like you. If you want a one-on-one duel with me, there's no need to have it in the ring. A bed works just as well."
As he unhurriedly counseled Bibi Dong, his gaze traced her graceful figure without the slightest restraint.
In his eyes, Bibi Dong was merely an ordinary, very pretty girl of sixteen or seventeen. Having Soul Power in the thirties would already be impressive. There was no way she could be his match.
He was showing great mercy by advising her to forfeit for her own good. She ought to be grateful and repay his peach with a plum.
But Bibi Dong had no patience for any of this. A cold glint flashed in her eyes, and she wasted no more words on him.
The phantom of her Death Spider Emperor Martial Soul appeared behind her. Five Soul Rings-one yellow, three purple, and one black-slowly rose, her presence surged, and an icy smile spread across her lips.
"Bibi Dong, level fifty-three Control-type Battle Soul King. Please show me your skills."
The entire arena erupted. One yellow, three purple, and one black-five whole Soul Rings?
What was going on? This girl who looked sixteen or seventeen was actually a level fifty-three Battle Soul King? What terrifying talent was this?
The spectators who had bet on Bibi Dong's opponent felt their hearts go cold. It was over. Completely over.
Bibi Dong's opponent's pupils instantly contracted, and he could not help questioning his entire life.
He was nearly forty and only level fifty-one. What breed of freak was this opponent?
The moment the referee announced the start, Bibi Dong's opponent hurriedly released his Martial Soul, intending to unleash a thunderous strike against her.
But the furious Bibi Dong moved even faster. Her third Soul Skill, Death Spider Web Restraint, shot toward his face. The web tightly bound his mouth and nostrils, leaving him unable to surrender.
As he burned with anxiety and tried to pull the web off his face, Bibi Dong closed in, raining a dense barrage of attacks onto his face.
Although the gap between their Soul Power Levels was small, the difference in their actual combat strength was appallingly vast.
With his mouth and nostrils bound, the unlucky man could neither surrender nor resist Bibi Dong's attacks.
In less than three or four minutes, he had been beaten beyond recognition. Every punch struck flesh, quickly pounding his face into a pig's head before Bibi Dong finally threw him out of the ring.
Zhao Ling could tell that, if this had not been a match where casually killing an opponent was forbidden rather than a fight to the death, Bibi Dong would probably have slaughtered her opponent just now.
After her opponent was thrown out of the ring, the referee immediately declared Bibi Dong the winner and asked whether she needed to rest.
Before you continue