Five years later.
The dome of the Soul Fighting Arena towered into the clouds. A massive crystal chandelier shone brilliantly, illuminating the entire arena as brightly as day.
The spectator stands were packed. Nobles dressed in splendid formal attire held wineglasses as they chatted among themselves.
Their eyes were fixed on the center of the arena, waiting for the performance to begin. Tension and excitement hung in the air, as though even breathing had grown heavy.
In the center of the arena stood Toji, who had grown to 1.7 meters tall. At fourteen, he was lean and muscular, his clearly defined muscles giving him an air of strength.
His upper body was bare, and scars old and new covered his skin, each seeming to tell of his life-and-death battles in the Soul Fighting Arena over the past five years. He had undergone a complete transformation and was no longer the child who had felt somewhat inferior five years ago because his Martial Soul had no Soul Power.
Over those five years, his body had undergone its third breakthrough at the limit between life and death. He had successfully attained physical cultivation equivalent to a three-ring Soul Elder and gained his third passive Soul Skill, Immunity to a Hundred Poisons.
Now, he was more like a savage beast poised to strike.
Across from him, an enormous Thousand-Year Soul Beast, an Earth Bear, slowly emerged through the gate.
The Earth Bear stood a full five meters tall. Its body was covered in thick, earthy yellow fur, as though it wore a suit of indestructible armor.
Its eyes were scarlet, its fangs were bared, and thick saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth. It looked utterly ferocious.
"Roar-"
The Earth Bear let out a deafening roar, its gaze locked firmly on Toji, as though it already regarded him as prey.
In the stands, the nobles wore eager expressions, thrilled beyond measure at what was about to unfold.
The commentator stood on a raised platform, an Amplifying Soul Tool in hand, his voice ringing out in passionate, soaring tones:
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to today's event at the Soul Fighting Arena! Next up is an unprecedented showdown! Our Soul Fighting Arena star, known as Toji the Tyrant, will face a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Earth Bear!"
"As everyone knows, Toji excels at crushing his opponents with sheer strength. And today, this Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Earth Bear, likewise reigns supreme through strength. It's the fiercest and most powerful Soul Beast raised in our Soul Fighting Arena!"
"Although this Earth Bear has only just become a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, its terrifying strength can put even some Soul Ancestors with perfect Soul Ring configurations at a disadvantage!"
"This promises to be a clash of strength against strength, a life-and-death battle between the two! Let's wait and see whether Toji, known as the Tyrant for his violence throughout every match, can create another miracle and become the strongest man the Soul Fighting Arena has ever seen!"
The nobles in the stands kept their eyes fixed on the center of the arena.
"I bet the Tyrant will win again."
"Bullshit. No matter how strong he is, even if he's swept through most Hundred-Year Soul Beasts and all the major Soul Master teams over the past five years, this is a Thousand-Year Soul Beast-and a bear, at that. It can even beat a Soul Ancestor. If he wins, I'll eat it."
"Heh, then let's wait and see. I'll make it clear now: I'm betting ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. Do you dare match it?"
"You're on. Who's afraid of who? I refuse to believe a man without a shred of Soul Power can beat a thousand-year Earth Bear!"
Exchanges like this could be seen throughout the stands.
"Begin!" The referee's voice rang out from the edge of the arena, and the Earth Bear attacked almost instantly.
It was as fast as lightning, its enormous claws whistling through the air as they lunged straight for Toji's throat and chest.
Toji quickly darted to the side, narrowly evading the blow.
Bang!
The Earth Bear's claws slammed into the ground, and its force shook cracks through the surface.
Seeing that its attack had missed, the Earth Bear's eyes gradually turned bloodred, and the earthy yellow fur covering its body quivered slightly as its Soul Power surged.
"Roar-"
A low growl rumbled from its throat. Immediately afterward, dense earth elements gathered around its body.
In an instant, the entire floor of the Soul Fighting Arena seemed to come alive. Heavy earth and stone surged like waves, the ground ripped open by an invisible force as cracks spread rapidly like a spiderweb.
Then the ground shook violently, and countless hard stones were hurled up from below, blotting out the sky as they smashed toward Toji.
Whoosh!
The shattered stones spread out like an unfurling fan and swept toward Toji with a piercing rush of air.
Each stone was as large as a fist, its surface rough and sharp. If they struck him, even Toji's body, tempered through countless trials, would inevitably suffer injury.
Toji crouched slightly, his right fist clenched tight and the muscles in his arm taut as steel. The next second, he swung his fist and smashed it into the ground.
Boom-
A powerful force poured through Toji's fist into the ground, like an invisible dragon racing beneath the earth.
The ground trembled slightly under Toji's force. Then that force collided violently with the force of earth and stone stirred up by the Earth Bear.
Bang!
The two forces met in midair with a tremendous, muffled boom.
Cracks split through the ground. The stones hung motionless in the air for an instant, then shattered into countless tiny fragments that sprayed in all directions.
Toji did not stop. He tapped the ground lightly with his toes and sprang into the air like an arrow loosed from a bow. Raising his right leg high, he swept it fiercely through the air at the stone fragments flying toward his face.
Bang!
Toji's leg was like a sharp blade, instantly kicking apart the fragments that filled the air.
His strength reduced the fragments to powder that scattered on the wind. Yet their sharp edges also sliced through Toji's skin in an instant. Blood gushed from his leg like a fountain, and flesh flew in a gruesome scene.
Whoosh-
Blood streamed down Toji's leg and fell onto the floor of the Soul Fighting Arena with a drip, drip.
His leg was covered in wounds of varying depths, a bloody mess in which stark white bone was even visible.
Blood stained his lower leg red and ran down his ankle, forming a small pool on the ground.
Yet the injury drew only a muffled grunt from Toji and did nothing to slow his attack.
His figure flashed like a gust of wind, crossing the distance between him and the Earth Bear in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the enormous beast.
Toji punched the Earth Bear's head to one side, then sprang into the air and unleashed a flurry of flying kicks at the massive beast.
Every kick struck with the force of thunder, landing squarely on the Earth Bear's chest.
The muffled thuds of the kicks echoed through the Soul Fighting Arena as the Earth Bear stumbled backward, leaving deep footprints in the ground with every step.
In a contest of strength, was the Earth Bear actually no match for Toji?
As the commentator delivered his passionate, rapid-fire narration, Toji twisted and landed one final, vicious kick. Its force was even more astonishing, sending the Earth Bear's enormous body flying backward before it crashed heavily to the ground.
The staggering difference in size made it look as though a man had hurled an entire elephant away. Many nobles who had bet against Toji could no longer remain calm.
"You useless thing, get him! He's just a little brat without any Soul Power! Rush up, grab him, and bite him to death!"
The nobles who had bet on Toji swirled their wineglasses and laughed at the others, seeing that they had even abandoned their usual manners.
After kicking the Earth Bear away, Toji landed steadily on its most vulnerable spot, its belly. Without hesitation, he thrust out both hands and plunged them deep into its flesh.
Blood gushed out instantly, staining Toji's hands red. He could feel the organs inside the Earth Bear struggling, but his hands held them tightly, not letting them escape.
The Earth Bear let out a roar of pain and writhed desperately on the ground, trying to throw Toji off.
Yet Toji's strength far exceeded the Earth Bear's imagination. His hands gripped its flesh tightly, and then he tore with all his might.
With a tremendous ripping sound, the Earth Bear's body was torn clean in two.
Its entrails and blood spilled out in an instant, splattering across the entire Soul Fighting Arena.
Everyone in the Soul Fighting Arena fell silent at the sight, staring dumbfounded at Toji in the arena as though they could not believe their eyes.
How was that possible?
That was a thousand-year Earth Bear! Even an ordinary Soul Ancestor wouldn't dare face it head-on.
Yet this little brat had torn it apart with his bare hands?
Even the commentator froze for a moment, but his professionalism quickly brought him back to his senses. With unparalleled passion, he roared:
"Ladies and gentlemen! A miracle has happened once again! Toji, only fourteen years old, has torn a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, an Earth Bear, apart with his bare hands! This is an unprecedented victory! Let us cheer for the Soul Fighting Arena's brand-new star, Toji the Tyrant!"
Toji remained expressionless. Ignoring the commotion in the arena, he silently turned and left.
Once he had returned all the way backstage, where no one could see him, Toji's leg gave way uncontrollably, and he nearly fell. Fortunately, a staff member nearby caught him.
"Quick, call a doctor."
"No need. I'll be fine soon." Toji shook his head. The muscles in his leg squirmed rapidly, and before long, he could walk again.
Unyielding Fortitude had triggered, making his physical stats a little stronger. Of course, this passive Soul Skill would only trigger when he was injured.
In other words, the more severely he was injured, the greater the boost to his combat power. When he was at death's door, the effect would increase a thousandfold.
Toji had discovered this ability only after his body had successfully broken through its limits for the third time.
Relying on Unyielding Fortitude, Toji had turned the tables and killed countless Soul Beasts and Soul Masters over those five years. He could practically be said to have crawled out of a pile of corpses.
His monthly pay had also risen from three Gold Soul Coins to ten.
Motherfucker, that evil capitalist. I've earned him so much money, and he's only raised my pay by this little.
I'll rebel sooner or later.
Toji arrived at Liang Wu's office, gently pushed open the door, and walked in.
Liang Wu was all smiles, reclining in his chair with his legs on the desk. He looked much more carefree.
How could he not be carefree? Thanks to Toji, many nobles had been drawn in to watch the matches. There was no telling how much he had earned from betting alone.
The turnover from a single match was already over several hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.
Liang Wu could be said to have filled his pots and bowls to overflowing.
Not to mention that later, the nobles had each developed teams of their own to fight other teams in the Soul Fighting Arena, as well as Soul Master teams to compete against Toji.
Liang Wu had earned so much that his mouth had twisted into a grin.
So the moment Liang Wu saw Toji, his money tree, he immediately lowered his legs and sat up straight.
"Why don't you get yourself bandaged up?"
"Just a flesh wound. It's nothing." Toji shook his head. "Boss, I'd like to ask for some time off."
Liang Wu was somewhat surprised. After all, this was the first time Toji had made such a request.
"Why?"
"I want to go back to Heaven Dou City and have a look."
"Oh, you want to visit that noble family, the Zhang Family you told me about before, right?" Liang Wu nodded, understanding, and began rummaging through a cabinet. "They helped you out, so you really should visit them more often. Granted."
Toji said:
"Thank you, boss."
"Heh, I haven't given you much time off these past five years. Don't wear yourself out." Liang Wu found a bag in the cabinet and pushed it in front of Toji. "This is your bonus for today, one hundred Gold Soul Coins. When you go back to Heaven Dou City, don't forget to buy them some gifts."
"Mm."
Toji picked up the bag of Gold Soul Coins, turned, and walked away.
I finally have a chance to get out.