Chen Wu Duo (I)
The gentle Soul Power slowly seeped into the skin and meridians, flowing gently along the sore muscles, gradually soothing the fatigue and injuries left by the fight, and clearing the stagnant blood and qi.
Xiao Wu's cheeks flushed slightly, and her ears blushed. She subconsciously lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling gently. Her heartbeat quickened, and she dared not look directly into Lin Chen's eyes.
"Well done." Lin Chen withdrew his hand, his tone tinged with approval. "You found the opening very accurately at the end. Ears are a common weakness for Defense System; their skulls are thin, and a head injury from a shock would knock them unconscious."
"Of course!" Xiao Wu suppressed her shyness, pretended to be calm, raised her chin, took the towel to wipe her sweat, her eyes curved into crescents, and her tone was slightly smug, "I'm very smart too, okay?"
As night deepened, the noise in the Soul Fighting Arena showed no signs of abating.
In the waiting area, everyone's matches came to an end one after another.
The brothers Shi Mo and Shi Mo, returned first, both with their heads hanging low and looking dejected. Shi Mo plopped down on a bench and muttered, "Sigh, we lost."
"How did you lose?" Xiao Wu leaned closer and asked curiously.
Shi Mo scratched his head, a few red marks still on his face. "The two opponents were both Power Attack System, their Martial Soul were both Blazing Fire Blade, their burst damage was too high. We immediately activated our Tortoise Shell Barrier with all our might, trying to hold on first, but they slashed more than twenty times, every slash hitting the same spot. Our Soul Power couldn't keep up, and the shield broke."
"We won one game and lost one," Shi Mo Mill added in a gruff voice. "The game we won was against two Control System, and it took us ages to grind them down. One win and one loss, it's like we fought for nothing."
Both were level 27 Soul Grandmaster participating in the Soul Grandmaster level doubles competition. They thought they could win easily, but unexpectedly, they were defeated by the two powerful attacking duo.
Just then, two more people walked in from the entrance of the passage.
Yu Tianheng walked ahead, his expression calm, his silver-patterned uniform still faintly warm from the lightning. Ye Lingling followed beside him, her white robes swaying slightly, her breath still a little labored.
"Tian Heng Tianheng, Senior Lingling, how are you?" Xiao Wu asked hurriedly.
Yu Tianheng smiled slightly, "It's nothing, I won both singles matches. I also won the doubles match. The opponents were a combination of control and agility attack, and Thunder completely dominated the field, they couldn't even raise their heads."
Ye Lingling spoke softly, her voice gentle. "Our coordination isn't quite there yet. There were two instances where the healing was a bit slow, but thankfully the opponent wasn't very strong, and nothing went wrong."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Dugu Yan walked back angrily, kicking over a chair next to her with her brows furrowed.
"So annoying! What a load of rubbish!" She pouted, looking annoyed. "I won two out of three matches, but in the last one I encountered a Control System with a Broken Spirit Purifying Flower Martial Soul. She neutralized all my poison! The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison just vanished after touching it. Fighting her for ages felt like scratching an itch. It's infuriating!"
She had thought that her poison attacks were virtually unmatched among her peers, but she never expected to be defeated by Control System who was immune to toxins, leaving her seething with anger.
Everyone chattered about their respective battles, and Qin Ming, along with instructors Lin Wuyuan and Wang Ze, also came over. Qin Ming held a ledger-like animal skin scroll in his hand, a smile on his face.
"Come closer, everyone, let me calculate your scores and points for today."
The crowd immediately gathered around.
Qin Ming flipped through the animal skin scroll and announced loudly, "First up is the individual competition: Lin Chen, three wins out of three, three consecutive wins, +3 points; Xiao Wu, three wins out of three, three consecutive wins, +3 points; Yu Tianheng, two wins out of two, two consecutive wins, +2 points; Dugu Yan, two wins and one loss in three matches, +1 point."
"Then comes the doubles: Yu Tianheng and Ye Lingling, one Soul Elder level doubles match, win, each gets +1 point; Shi Mo and Shi Mo, two Soul Grandmaster level doubles matches, one win and one loss, each gets +0 points."
For their first time competing in the Great Soul Arena, this result is already quite impressive. In particular, Lin Chen and Xiao Wu's three consecutive victories have given everyone a boost of confidence.
"And there's more good news." Qin Ming smiled and waved the animal hide scroll in his hand, his smile widening. "Our bet has made us a fortune."
"How much did you earn?" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she quickly came closer.
Qin Ming smiled and looked up, his eyes full of laughter. "Lin Chen's odds for the first match were 1 to 3, and for the next two matches they were 1 to 2 and 1 to 1.5; Xiao Wu was not favored before the third match against Defense System, but her odds were 1 to 4, and she still won without a doubt; plus, Tian Heng won both the singles and doubles matches, so with the principal and profit, we have about 18,000 Gold Soul Coin."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Eighteen thousand Gold Soul Coin —equivalent to more than ten years' savings for an ordinary Soul Master —were earned in a single night.
As Qin Ming spoke, he took out a heavy bag of Gold Soul Coin from his Soul Tool and handed it to Lin Chen: "This is your share. Five hundred Gold Soul Coin as principal, which, according to the ratio, adds up to two thousand Gold Soul Coin including interest. It's a pity you only bet on the first round."
Lin Chen didn't refuse, reaching out to take it; its weight felt substantial to his fingertips. He casually stored it in his Chaos Space, saying calmly, "Thank you, Instructor Qin."
He had already planned to use the Soul Fighting Arena to accumulate resources, and this money could be used to purchase cultivation herbs and rare ores to pave the way for future plans.
Qin Ming then distributed the winnings according to each person's bet.
After chatting and laughing for a while, seeing that it was getting late, the group packed up and left the Soul Fighting Arena.
As I stepped out of the main gate, the moonlight was bright in the dead of night. The streets of Heaven Dou City were bathed in a warm yellow glow from the Soul Guidance Lamp, and the steam from the night market stalls, carrying the aroma of steamed buns, mingled with the cool night breeze, dispelling all my fatigue.
As the group walked along the long street toward the academy, they discussed the day's gains and losses in small groups. The Shi Mo brothers pondered the rhythm of defensive endurance, Dugu Yan muttered about how to fight against opponents immune to poison next time, and Yu Tianheng and Ye Lingling also discussed in hushed tones the timing of their teamwork in the doubles match.
When I returned to the college, the moon was high in the sky, its silvery light bathing the lakeside path.
The others said their goodbyes and returned to their dormitories, but Lin Chen and Xiao Wu didn't rush off. The two strolled slowly along the lakeside. The night breeze swept across the lake, creating tiny, silvery ripples. Willow branches drooped down from the shore, brushing against the water and spreading out circles of ripples. The chirping of insects in the grass rose and fell, making the night exceptionally quiet.
"Brother Lin Chen, aren't you tired after playing three games today?" Xiao Wu clung to Lin Chen's arm, tilting her head to look at him. Moonlight shone on her face, casting faint shadows on her eyelashes. "My legs are a little weak after playing three games, but you didn't even flinch."
"It's alright." Lin Chen softened his voice and looked down at her. "You played very well in the third match. That last move, finding an opening in Hu Pang's ear, was very clever; I didn't even expect it."
His praise made Xiao Wu's cheeks flush slightly, and she couldn't help but smile, "Of course! But it's still Brother Lin Chen who taught me so well."
A night breeze carried the dampness of the lake and a faint fragrance of lotus blossoms.
Xiao Wu subconsciously moved closer to Lin Chen, gently nuzzling her head against his arm. Their shadows overlapped in the moonlight, long and close together.