First Life-and-Death Battle

After registering, the two were quickly assigned their places in the lineup, both in the Third Sub-Arena.

However, Lin Yang would face Soul Grandmasters, while Xiao Wu's opponents were all Soul Masters.

The two headed toward the Third Sub-Arena, but before they reached the entrance, a staff member stopped them.

"Sorry, you two. This is the Life-and-Death Zone. The Contest Zone is on the other side."

The meanings of those two starkly different names were obvious at a glance.

In the Contest Zone, fighters stopped once a winner was decided. Killing blows were strictly forbidden.

Continue reading for the complete book.

In the Life-and-Death Zone, however, life and death were of no concern. Unless a fighter personally conceded or jumped off the platform, their opponent had the right to kill them on the spot, even if they were unconscious.

Without question, the Life-and-Death Zone was the bloodiest, most frenzied area of the Great Soul Arena, with the highest death rate.

Yet at the staff member's well-intentioned reminder, Lin Yang's expression remained unchanged. He merely said in a low voice,

"We registered for the Life-and-Death Zone."

A flicker of surprise flashed through the staff member's eyes before he composed his expression and said,

"Please sign the Life-and-Death Battle Contract."

It was simply a contract stating, in essence, that contestants entered the arena voluntarily and no responsibility would be taken for the consequences.

Lin Yang and Xiao Wu readily signed their names, then entered the Third Sub-Arena.

The moment they stepped inside, a deafening uproar rushed at them, instantly flooding their ears.

Only after taking a few seconds to adjust did Lin Yang turn toward the spectator stands.

At a glance, virtually every seat was occupied. Everyone's eyes were bloodshot as they roared themselves hoarse, as though a feast of pleasure were underway.

On the platform, two One-Ring Soul Masters were locked in a fight to the death.

Both were drenched in blood, yet their eyes held nothing but killing intent and hatred concentrated to the extreme.

When their Soul Power ran out, they clawed with their hands, kicked with their feet, and bit with their teeth.

Whatever means they used, whether fighting openly or resorting to ambushes and underhanded tricks, whoever walked off the platform alive was the winner.

This... was the Life-and-Death Arena!

At the sight, Xiao Wu's face involuntarily paled, and she instinctively grabbed Lin Yang's arm.

Lin Yang remained expressionless.

He had seen scenes more sickening and bloodier than this more times than he could count. He had long since grown numb.

Casting Xiao Wu a brief glance, Lin Yang spoke, his voice reaching her ears calmly and clearly.

"Look closely. These people, on the platform and below it, aren't human now. They're ghosts-evil ghosts in human skin, devouring raw flesh and drinking blood."

"Hypocrisy, cunning, treachery, and baseness are the underlying colors of this place, and the truest face of human nature."

"Before you go up there, I have only one piece of advice: don't waste your sympathy and kindness pitying them. Those things are... worthless here."

With that, Lin Yang turned and headed toward the contestants' rest area first.

Xiao Wu watched the contestants tearing into each other with frenzied bites. Her gaze shifted several times before a trace of resolve finally flashed through it.

She stepped forward and quickly caught up with Lin Yang.

All the Soul Fighting contestants shared one rest area.

When they saw Lin Yang and Xiao Wu, two youngsters who looked only around ten, walking openly inside,

the other contestants wore varied expressions.

Some were surprised, some suspicious, but more were indifferent or simply ignored them.

Most were meditating, working to keep themselves in peak condition as they awaited their upcoming life-and-death battles.

Here, everyone was a potential opponent.

Unless they were overflowing with saintly compassion, no one would assume these two children had come to the wrong place.

If they really had, then all anyone could say was, "What good luck!"

Soon, a staff member came to notify Lin Yang that his turn was approaching.

Lin Yang rose with an unruffled expression and headed to the waiting area.

Other staff were clearing the remaining blood and flesh from the platform.

The announcer was also working the crowd, making sure the atmosphere that had just heated up did not cool down.

"Next up is the seventh one-on-one life-and-death Soul Fighting match in our Third Sub-Arena."

The announcer's voice boomed. A Yellow Soul Ring shone beneath his feet, amplifying his voice several times over so that even those seated in the corners could hear him clearly.

"Two Soul Grandmasters will be taking the stage this time. One is our familiar face, Soul Grandmaster Gan Kang, the 'Head-Hunting Madman.' His Martial Soul is a hyena, and he currently holds seven consecutive victories."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a thin, stooped middle-aged man appeared on the platform.

His gaze was vicious and venomous, like that of a real hyena.

His appearance immediately sent wild cheers surging through the crowd. Clearly, he was very popular.

"Tch, what trash!"

Already seated in the stands, Xiao Wu curled her lip in utter disdain.

"The other is our newcomer, Soul Grandmaster Blade Ghost. His Martial Soul is a blade."

When Lin Yang emerged, a wave of boos immediately rose from the stands.

Compared with the savage, ruthless Gan Kang, this Blade Ghost had an impressive-sounding name but looked utterly unintimidating. Could he be nothing but a pewter spearhead with a silvery sheen?

"Haha, won't this little chick get eaten by the hyena in a single exchange?"

"Little brat, go home and drink your milk!" someone jeered.

Lin Yang turned a deaf ear to the filthy taunts and merely stepped onto the platform in silence.

"Looks like I really am in luck today." Gan Kang licked his lips, a hint of secret delight and cruelty in his bloodshot eyes.

Lin Yang ignored him, simply closing his eyes to await the start of the match.

"Ladies and gentlemen, will our Soul Grandmaster Gan Kang secure his eighth consecutive victory, or will our Soul Grandmaster Blade Ghost make his debut showing? Let's wait and see!"

Seeing that the crowd was sufficiently stirred up, the announcer wasted no more words and declared crisply, "Let the Soul Fighting begin!"

The instant the words fell, Gan Kang became a yellow blur and charged at Lin Yang.

Two Soul Rings, one white and one yellow, circled him, their light flowing.

"Boy, this is no place for a pampered young master like you. Be smarter in your next life."

Mockery filled Gan Kang's face. A layer of cold, clawlike light already covered his hand as he viciously raked it toward Lin Yang's head.

As the distance shrank, he could almost see the scene of brains bursting in his hand the next instant.

Just then, Lin Yang opened his eyes. His dark eyes held nothing but indifference, their calm unbroken by even a ripple.

Something's wrong!

The instincts Gan Kang had honed through years of bloody fighting sent a chill through his heart, instantly alerting him that something was amiss.

He immediately stopped short and shot backward.

Trying to leave?

Too late!

Lin Yang moved. He did not summon his Martial Soul, merely raising his hand and clamping it onto Gan Kang's head like lightning before smashing it down.

Boom!

A crater burst open in the floor cut from gray essence rock.

Gan Kang lay limp among the broken stones, blood streaming from all seven orifices. His body twitched a few times, then stopped moving.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The surrounding spectators had been wearing mocking expressions a second earlier, waiting for a good show. Now those expressions froze on their faces.

An invisible giant hand seemed to choke off the clamor, plunging the entire arena into deathly silence.

Yet only a few short seconds later, a roar even louder than before threatened to lift the roof.

Shock! Disbelief! Excitement! Ecstasy!

Their varied expressions seemed to encompass every face of humanity.

Everyone's eyes widened into circles, as though trying to see just who this young man beneath the mask really was.

Lin Yang shook his hand, then turned toward the announcer and asked quietly,

"Can you announce the result now?"

At those words, the announcer snapped back to his senses and hurriedly proclaimed Blade Ghost's victory in a loud voice.

After returning to the rest area, Lin Yang could clearly sense the others' wariness toward him.

He took another exit to the spectator stands, found Xiao Wu, and sat beside her before asking in a low voice,

"Are you ready?"

Xiao Wu drew a deep breath and nodded firmly. "I'm ready."