The letter was straightforward.
"Come to the First Prince's residence for a meeting!"
Xue Qinghe had invited Xiao Yan to the First Prince's residence.
Yu Tianming waved a hand. "More danger than safety. That First Prince has the heart of a wolf. He definitely isn't looking for you for anything good."
Xiao Yan nodded.
The current First Prince was no longer the Xue Qinghe of old!
Who lay beneath that disguise!?
Does he want to draw me into the First Prince's residence? Perhaps he's inviting me there now to test my talent!? Xiao Yan speculated.
"When is it!?"
"One week from now. It seems a Soul Master competition will be held specifically for the occasion!" Yu Tianming read the letter carefully, catching every necessary detail.
"That means I still have a week to prepare."
Yu Tianming clicked his tongue. "You brat, are you really planning to wade into those muddy waters!?"
"No matter how powerful a genius is, if he hasn't grown up yet, he's still only a genius. He can't be considered a powerhouse!"
Yu Tianming was warning Xiao Yan because he feared Xiao Yan had improved too much recently and lost himself.
The First Prince's faction, headed by Xue Qinghe, was the most promising contender for the throne.
The political storm within it was beyond the foresight of ordinary people.
Xiao Yan waved a hand and smiled faintly. "I won't wade into those muddy waters, of course, but I do need to take part in that Soul Master competition. It'll be very helpful for improving my strength."
The letter stated that the invitation was intended for outstanding young Soul Masters throughout the city!
That was enough to make him look forward to it!
Xiao Yan was eager to test just how wide the gap was between him and other Soul Masters of his generation, and whether his strength was enough to crush an entire generation and suppress everyone!
"I can't shake the feeling that little fox is full of rotten schemes," Yu Tianming said with a sigh.
"If the sky falls, it'll crush the tall ones first. He wouldn't go so far as to make a move against a little Soul Master like me, who's only a little over level twenty," Xiao Yan said optimistically, trying to reassure Yu Tianming.
Xiao Yan added, "It's the same with Yu Xin's situation."
"Whatever Xue Qinghe intends to do, it must be for the throne. Xue Can is dead, and Yu Xin poses no threat at all. She isn't worth risking exposure to strike again."
Yu Tianming felt a little more at ease. "Be careful. Starting tomorrow, you can go to the intermediate Soul Master arena and test your skills first. Before competing against those so-called imperial city geniuses, you ought to warm up."
Intermediate Soul Master arenas had been established in many places.
Heaven Dou Imperial City's intermediate Soul Master arena undoubtedly ranked near the top in terms of overall strength. There were some genuinely powerful geniuses in the arena who held the top few rankings.
"Academy geniuses, independent cultivators from among the people, scions of prominent families, and members of the imperial family-the arena is a mix of fish and dragons, with all sorts. It's a good place to hone your practical combat skills."
Yu Tianming looked at Xiao Yan. "There's no time like the present. We can go join the fun tonight."
"Sure."
The two left under the gazes of a group of Spirit Hall attendants.
The gatekeepers' eyes burned, while the maids' faces turned rosy.
"That young gentleman is so handsome. He's already come into contact with an important figure from Spirit Hall at such a young age. His future is boundless!" A maid gazed dreamily after Xiao Yan.
An attendant beside her curled his lip. "No matter how much you swoon, you're nothing but a maid in his eyes. To a young genius like him, we're all just servants."
The maid's lips curved upward. She looked at the guard and laughed like a silver bell. "After all that, could it be you like me!?"
The young attendant, barely in his early twenties, immediately flailed and stammered.
The maid gave a cold laugh.
She said in a coquettish voice, "Perhaps that's about what I am in that young master's eyes. But in my eyes, how are you any different!?"
With that, the maid swayed gracefully away, her full skirts swishing as she strolled off, her figure alluring.
The attendant muttered, "So I'm the simp."
The Soul Master arena stood on the edge of Heaven Dou City, outside the central district, and consisted of a towering colosseum.
The arena was enormous, with room for ten thousand spectators.
"Most of the spectators here are ordinary people. Just to feast their eyes and indulge their dreams of being Soul Masters, they don't hesitate to spend a week's wages on a ticket!" Yu Tianming bought two tickets and entered the arena with Xiao Yan.
Outside, the queue stretched an immense distance.
Even at night, not a seat was empty.
Soul Masters had a dedicated passage, so they could pass through unhindered and enter quickly.
The civilian spectators, meanwhile, had fire in their eyes as they clutched their tickets, as though they themselves were the Lord Soul Masters fighting bloodily for their lives in the arena. For a moment, the satisfaction of crossing class boundaries welled up in them.
"That must be why these people are willing to spend so much to come to the arena."
Xiao Yan and Yu Tianming went to the first three rows, found some seats at random, and sat down.
The area around them was packed. Most people had Soul Power fluctuations. The first three rows were the VIP section, occupied almost entirely by Soul Masters, the nobles among the spectators.
Even when watching a match, there were class distinctions.
One could imagine how deeply feudal the Douluo Continent was, to the point that Soul Masters held a supreme position.
It was precisely because of this that the necessity of Spirit Hall became apparent.
An organization capable of restraining all Soul Masters was something everyone under heaven who was not a powerhouse hoped would exist!
"In tonight's fourth match, Dai Mubai faces Qing Keke!"
The announcer and referee shouted, and the fourth match began in an instant!
"Dai Mubai is tonight's undisputed dark horse! In his previous matches, he defeated every opponent and made it here to face Qing Keke, the defender of the fourth round!"
"His Soul Power is level twenty-six, and his Martial Soul is the White Tiger!"
The referee introduced the youth on the stage with great fervor.
The spectators erupted at once, waving glow sticks and cheering.
"Young Master Dai!"
"Dai Mubai is fucking awesome!!"
"From now on, this place is called the Dai Mubai Arena!"
The youth's golden hair hung loose down his back. His face was handsome and resolute, as though carved with a knife from stone.
Most striking of all were his mismatched pupils. His deep-blue eyes were cold, yet revealed a hint of wicked light that set the hearts of countless lovestruck girls pounding.
Countless wayward youths lost all sense of restraint.
He was an undisputed genius. At the age of twelve, he already possessed level twenty-six Soul Power!
Most Soul Masters his age hadn't even reached level twenty!
Xiao Yan, that ultimate freak, was an exception, of course.
The defender, Qing Keke, had an ordinary face and was also much older.
He was a youth of medium build and ordinary appearance, around seventeen or eighteen years old.
"Qing Keke, a highly qualified defender, currently has level twenty-nine Soul Power!"
"There are only two levels of Soul Power between them. Can Dai Mubai continue his dark-horse legend and set an unprecedented record!?"
"Everyone, watch and see!"
The referee prattled on for quite a while, finally raising the curtain on the battle.
Xiao Yan sat up straight.
In the heterochromatic-eyed youth's gaze, he saw a fierce will to fight.
This battle of a lower rank challenging a higher one was bound to be exciting!
(End of chapter)