The Arena
The Soul Train was an invention that upended the Douluo World, and one of the principal achievements of Illustrious Virtue Hall's Soul Tool revolution.
Inside Mingdu Station, an announcement rang out, echoing through the spacious hall and reaching the ears of everyone inside.
"Attention, passengers. Train K002 from Fasinuo City to Mingdu has arrived at this station. Passengers disembarking, please leave through the designated doors in an orderly manner. Mind the gap between the platform and the train, take your belongings with you, and proceed to the exit in an orderly fashion."
On train K002, a girl with long, dark green hair stared out the window in shock. Even though she had seen plenty of sights along the way, she was still awestruck the moment she saw Mingdu Station.
"Wow, Sister Bing'er, Sister Xue Wu, look! This is unbelievable! How much money did this cost? We don't have anything like this back home."
The train had reached the platform. Outside the window was a gigantic dome, assembled from countless interlocking hexagonal steel frames and fitted with all manner of Soul Tools. Light poured evenly down from overhead.
Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu were surprised as well, but they clearly hadn't forgotten their status. Under Shui Bing'er's threatening gaze, Shui Yue'er reined in her expression too and quietly followed the others out of the steel behemoth.
Only after they left the station did Mingdu truly unfold before their eyes. From the station exit, their gaze traveled unobstructed all the way to the horizon. Towering buildings stood throughout the city, and statues, Soul Aircraft, and cars could be seen everywhere.
More than a million people were visible to the naked eye alone. As they stood there looking down, the girls felt the city's immensity and their own smallness all the more keenly. On a screen that soared into the sky in the eastern part of the city were the words naming their destination: Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy!
"With skills like that, you still want to enter our Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy? These country bumpkins from the Douluo Continent really don't know their own limits."
At the academy gates, native Soul Masters of the Sun Moon Empire stood on arena platforms, sneering at a group of youths whose clothing looked out of place beside theirs. Though the girls were splendidly dressed and had an extraordinary bearing, in the eyes of Mingdu's natives, they were still country bumpkins.
There actually wasn't much difference in their clothing. The main difference was that the Mingdu Soul Masters all carried three or four Soul Tools, while the people from the Douluo Continent carried bundles, luggage, and the like.
On the most conspicuous platform, a fourteen-year-old, level twenty-three beast Soul Master from the Douluo Continent was easily defeated by a twelve-year-old boy from Mingdu. Suppressed by Soul Tools, Soul Masters from the Douluo Continent were no match for their opponents even when their Soul Power Level was two or three levels higher.
In the crowd, a girl with long, dark red hair falling in waves to her waist was clearly struggling to hold her temper. She wanted to step onto the platform and teach the jeering boy a lesson. She looked no older than nineteen, yet she was already a level forty-one Soul Ancestor.
Among the people from the Douluo Continent were several others no weaker than her, but the Mingdu Soul Masters likewise had several Soul Ancestors, who were watching them with amused expressions.
"Heaven Dou Empire, Blazing Fire Academy, Huo Wu. Nineteen years old, level forty-one control-type Battle Soul Ancestor. Please enlighten me!"
The girl with long, dark red waves was Huo Wu. Unable to endure the Mingdu Soul Masters' mockery any longer, she stepped through the air and flew to the middle of the platform, her voice full of fire.
She stood in the middle of the platform, tall and slender, with fair skin, delicate features, and a pair of large eyes flashing with a searing light. Dressed in form-fitting, fiery red clothes, she looked like a walking flame.
Even the Mingdu Soul Masters couldn't help letting their mockery falter a little at the sight of her. The girl before them was truly beautiful, enough to rank among the best even in Mingdu. Her height in particular had to be over 180 centimeters.
"Hahaha, little sister, you've got courage! Wang Xiu of Mingdu Imperial Academy, twenty years old, level forty agility-attack-type Battle Soul Ancestor. I'm here to seek your guidance!"
Someone soon stepped out from among the Mingdu Soul Masters. Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet; he too was a Soul Ancestor. The difference was that he wore no fewer than three defensive Soul Tools. Even if they were only tier three, they were enough to show that he came from a wealthy family.
Huo Wu's expression grew grave. She summoned her Martial Soul, "Fire Shadow," and looked at Wang Xiu with a serious expression. She had seen how formidable Soul Tools were, so naturally she wouldn't underestimate him.
Wang Xiu, on the other hand, wasn't taking her too seriously. Although his Soul Power was rather unstable-an affliction common to Soul Masters of the Sun Moon Empire, who used potions to aid their cultivation-the help of Soul Tools was enough for him to crush opponents at the same realm. Of course, that was assuming his opponent didn't use Soul Tools.
Wang Xiu chose not to release his Martial Soul. Instead, he looked at Huo Wu with a lecherous grin and instantly activated a hand-cannon-type Soul Tool. Huo Wu felt a wave of unease.
Instant-release Soul Tools were another kind improved by Illustrious Virtue Hall. They could fire once without any windup, and their subsequent charging speed had also been greatly increased. Unlike fixed-installation Soul Cannons, these Soul Tools focused on being small and portable, capable of catching an opponent off guard.
His move was extremely sinister. He didn't intend to hurt Huo Wu, but to use the blast of flames from the explosion to tear her clothes apart. Huo Wu had clearly realized it too, but she had no good way to stop it.
After all, the platform was only so big, and whether she defended or attacked, she couldn't stop the exploding flames. Was she supposed to slink off the platform like this? How would the students from the Douluo Continent hold their heads up in the future, and how would she?
"You think having the advantage of Soul Tools lets you bully your fellow students as you please? Soul Tools were invented to help you survive on the battlefield and make life more convenient, not for you to use in these filthy acts!"
Just as the hand cannon's shot was about to hit Huo Wu, a clear voice rang out in rebuke, and the shot vanished into thin air. Everyone, Huo Wu included, turned to look. In the distance, a masked youth about 1.8 meters tall was slowly approaching, wearing a snow-white tiger-skin cloak over a dark purple robe.
Beside him, a girl with a black scorpion braid hanging past her calves was also glaring angrily at Wang Xiu on the platform.
The girl wore a short pink top that hugged her already well-developed figure. She was only about 1.65 meters tall, and her figure was slightly inferior to Huo Wu's, but she had a pretty little face and delicate features. Her beauty far surpassed that of every female Soul Master present.
"Pah! It's bad enough that you're bullying someone who can't use Soul Tools, but you even launched a sneak attack and tried to tear her clothes off! You villain, let Sister Xiao Wu teach you a lesson!"
Xiao Wu's disgruntled expression left all the male Soul Masters around her staring in a daze. They all had but one thought: What a beautiful girl!
The two were Xu De and Xiao Wu. Six years had passed, and Xiao Wu was now far stronger and much prettier than she had been in the original story.
After all, living conditions in the Sun Moon Empire were much better than at Nuoding Academy. With Xu De around, Xiao Wu could eat whatever she wanted, and people regularly attended to and cared for her. Her figure, looks, bearing, and breadth of experience were beyond comparison with when she had lived at Nuoding Academy.
As the surrounding male Soul Masters looked on with jealousy blazing in their eyes, Xu De pulled Xiao Wu into his arms, pinched her cheek, and said gently, "Be good. A villain like that isn't worth your trouble. Leave him to your big brother."
Xiao Wu was a little shy. Although they had established their relationship with the Sun Moon Emperor as their witness, and over the years had often slept in the same bed, embraced intimately, and even kissed, this was their first time being so affectionate in public.
Xiao Wu nestled in Xu De's arms, her cheeks red. In a voice as faint as a mosquito's, she softly murmured her assent.
Xu De let go and looked toward the platform with a quiet chuckle. Huo Wu met his gaze and was dazed for a moment. Though she couldn't see his face, the youth's bearing and tall, strong build likewise put the other Soul Masters present to shame.
Wang Xiu was somewhat annoyed by now. He gave a cold snort and was about to speak when an afterimage flashed before him. Before anyone present could react, Wang Xiu was blasted into the air, and Xu De stood where he had been.
Wang Xiu fell off the platform, but he was clearly still unwilling to yield. Just as he was about to speak again, his clothes spontaneously caught fire. In mere moments, nothing was left but a lone pair of underpants. Only then did everyone present realize just how terrifyingly powerful the youth before them was.
Seeing the youth's spirited manner, Xiao Wu couldn't help clapping and cheering.
What they didn't notice, however, was a frail youth in plain blue clothes among the Soul Masters from the Douluo Continent, staring fixedly at Xiao Wu. When he saw her intimate behavior with Xu De, he clenched his fists even tighter, his nails digging deep into his palms.