In this division of the Battle Arena, there were both Soul Elders and Soul Sects competing, though most of the participants were of the Soul Elder level.
Yan's match seemed to be scheduled rather late; he had yet to hear the host call his name.
After watching several rounds, he chose a quiet corner to sit down, closed his eyes, and focused on adjusting his state of mind — preparing himself fully for the battle ahead.
The noise and chatter around him faded into the background. None of it mattered. He was completely immersed in his own world.
In the earlier matches, only two Water-attribute soul masters had appeared.
Yan had taken note of their performances. Their strength was mediocre at best — most likely because they were still at the level of thirty-something-level Battle Soul Elders.
He was already thoroughly familiar with the rules of the Battle Arena.
Only those who achieved a sufficient number of consecutive victories, reached a certain rank in their Arena Badges, or possessed a high enough cultivation level could qualify to compete in the Main Battle Arena.
As a first-time participant, Yan naturally didn't yet have such qualifications. Still, that didn't stop him from displaying his strength in the Sub-Arena.
Just as he sat there in quiet meditation, the loudspeaker in the rest area suddenly broadcast the host's excited voice:
"Dear audience members, next we'll be witnessing a match between two Battle Soul Sects! Please welcome our contestants — Yama and Zhao Qiang (OC) — to prepare for the stage!"
The spirited announcement made Yan open his eyes instantly.
At last, it was his turn.
Leaving the rest area, he strode directly down the corridor leading toward the platform.
Although this was only a sub-arena, the platform itself was far from small — thirty meters in diameter, providing ample space for the soul masters to unleash their full power.
In the center of the stage stood the host, a middle-aged man dressed smartly in a tailcoat.
"Up next is the eighth one-on-one match of our Tokes Battle Arena tonight! Both contestants are Battle Soul Sects.
On one side, we have Yama, possessing the Fire Human martial soul.
On the other, Zhao Qiang, whose martial soul is the Beast Soul — Rhinoceros.
This will be Yama's debut appearance here at the Tokes Grand Battle Arena, while Zhao Qiang comes in with an impressive three-win streak!
Will Zhao Qiang, the seasoned Battle Soul Sect, continue his triumphant streak?
Or will the newcomer, Yama, seize his first victory in the arena tonight?
Let's wait and see!
Now, contestants, please enter the stage!"
The earlier matches had all been between Soul Elders.
Now that two Soul Sects were facing off, the excitement among the audience exploded. The entire spectator area grew restless with anticipation.
Yan's gaze swept briefly across the roaring crowd. Though he didn't spot Yue Guan, he knew the man was there — watching him silently from among the masses.
As the host's voice faded, a towering man nearly two and a half meters tall stepped heavily onto the stage.
From his weathered face, it was clear he was well into his thirties.
"Zhao Qiang! Zhao Qiang will win!"
"Zhao Qiang, victory!"
Cheers erupted from the audience.
Many of them had witnessed Zhao Qiang's previous matches and were confident in his strength. After all, he already had a three-match winning streak.
Zhao Qiang stood calmly in the center of the ring, his gaze sharp, brimming with confidence and dominance. His steady, oppressive aura seemed to weigh down the entire stage — as though victory was already his.
Under everyone's eyes, Yan also stepped slowly onto the platform.
He was tall and broad-shouldered himself, yet beside Zhao Qiang's massive frame, he seemed almost small.
After taking the Icegrass Silkworm Pearl, the fiery aura that had usually surrounded his body was greatly subdued; the overwhelming presence he once exuded was gone.
Standing across from Zhao Qiang, he seemed comparatively unassuming — even weaker.
As soon as Yan appeared, the audience grew even more animated, the chatter intensifying:
"What? That kid is Zhao Qiang's opponent?"
"He looks so young — barely a teenager! Is he really a Battle Soul Sect?"
"Zhao Qiang's got this in the bag. There's no suspense at all."
When Zhao Qiang saw Yan, he too was stunned.
He had noticed the boy earlier in the rest area but had assumed he was just another low-level Soul Elder around level thirty. He hadn't paid him any mind.
"Hey, brat. Is your soul power really above forty? I'd hate to be accused of bullying a kid — why don't you just surrender now and save yourself some pain?"
His tone dripped with condescension.
Yan smirked.
"Big dumb ox, who are you looking down on? You've been around for over thirty years and that's all you've got. If you were really that great, you wouldn't still be fighting a Battle Soul Sect like me — you'd already be in the higher divisions."
His words hit Zhao Qiang squarely, leaving him speechless for a moment.
The audience roared in response.
"That kid actually dared to talk back to Zhao Qiang! Maybe he really has some skill!"
"Or maybe he's just got a sharp tongue!"
"We'll see soon enough — the match will tell us."
Yan ignored the murmurs, his expression calm and composed.
He'd fought his share of strength-type soul masters before — even defeating a Diamond Mammoth Soul King once. What was one rhino compared to that?
Zhao Qiang glared furiously at him.
Though Yan's fiery aura was restrained, the dark red glow in his eyes, the flickering flame-patterns along his neck, and the proud defiance in his bearing made his wild spirit unmistakable.
The host's voice rang out again:
"Contestants, please release your Martial Souls and Spirit Rings!
The match will officially begin in one minute!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Zhao Qiang stomped heavily on the stage.
The ground trembled beneath his step, and a vast surge of power erupted from his body.
With a thunderous roar, his energy burst outward, transforming into the image of a gigantic rhinoceros.
Its body was huge and muscular, limbs thick as stone pillars. Its eyes glowed with savage light, and the aura radiating from it made the entire arena feel solemn and oppressive.
Almost simultaneously, four spirit rings — three yellow and one purple — rose from beneath Zhao Qiang's feet.
With the fusion of his Rhinoceros Martial Soul and his spirit rings, his presence became utterly overwhelming.
The spectators gasped in awe, feeling the full weight of his might.
But Yan was not to be outdone.
With a wave of his hand, flames flared behind him — a surge of blazing energy that quickly coalesced into the silhouette of a fiery humanoid figure.
Four spirit rings — two yellow and two purple — circled around him in dazzling brilliance.
The sight left the audience stunned.
The Tokes Grand Battle Arena was located close to Tianshui City, a region known for its abundance of water-attribute soul masters. Because of that, many fire-attribute soul masters often came here to challenge themselves.
Yet, even with all they had seen, this was the first time anyone had witnessed such a bizarre fire-attribute Martial Soul.
The blazing figure behind Yan wasn't just a man of flame — it resembled a half-beast, with six horn-like protrusions jutting from its head, exuding both primal fury and divine majesty.
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