Among fire-attribute Soul Masters, humanoid martial souls such as Flame Men or Fire Shadows were not uncommon.
However, Yan's martial soul was the Flame Lord, an ancient top-tier beast-type martial soul — a rarity even among rarities.
Ordinary soul masters had never seen such a thing before, let alone the average spectator.
When Zhao Qiang caught sight of Yan's soul ring configuration, his heart couldn't help but jolt in shock.
The crowd immediately burst into chatter again.
"That's the optimal soul ring configuration! Looks like the kid's got some serious talent."
"Maybe so, but he's still so young — probably doesn't have much combat experience."
"Yeah, Zhao Qiang's soul power is already level forty-seven. That should be more than enough to handle him."
At the host's signal, the match officially began.
Zhao Qiang sneered, "Kid, my soul power's already reached level forty-seven. Even if you're a fire-attribute Soul Master, you can't possibly win. It's not too late to surrender now — get off the stage before you get hurt."
Yan's voice was calm, his tone razor-sharp: "Level forty-seven? That's all? And you dare brag in front of me?"
"Humph! You don't know what's good for you! Fine then — don't blame me when I smash you into the dirt! I'll beat you until you cry for mercy!"
Yan shot back coldly, "You big dumb ox, you're the one who's going to end up roasted like a grilled rhino. Stop wasting your breath and make your move already!"
Furious at being mocked, Zhao Qiang roared. His first soul ring lit up, and he charged toward Yan with terrifying speed.
The sheer pressure of his advance made the entire arena tremble.
Seeing this, Yan leapt into the air — his body flashing forward like a streak of crimson light.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared directly behind the massive rhino.
Almost simultaneously, Yan's third soul ring lit up — his Third Soul Skill: Infernal Flame burst forth in an instant.
A torrent of blazing fire erupted, engulfing the giant rhino completely.
With a thunderous stomp, a golden-yellow aura flared under Zhao Qiang's feet, wrapping his massive body in a layer of protective light.
"You think that kind of flame can hurt me? Don't make me laugh!"
But before he could finish the sentence, he felt a wave of scorching heat surge up from beneath him.
Without warning, a column of molten magma erupted from the ground — a blazing geyser that struck his body head-on.
It was Yan's First Soul Skill: Infernal Magma Surge
The explosive force shattered Zhao Qiang's protective barrier in an instant.
The magma slammed into him, burning through his defenses. He screamed in agony, his huge frame staggering backward uncontrollably.
Before Zhao Qiang could regain his footing, Yan's Flame Fist crashed into his face, followed by a series of brutal kicks to his chest.
The giant body flew backward and slammed hard into the edge of the arena.
"Get off the stage!"
Yan's final kick landed squarely on Zhao Qiang's torso, sending him flying clear off the platform.
A dull thud echoed through the hall — and then, silence.
The entire audience was stunned into speechlessness.
Everything had happened so fast.
Not even a full minute had passed from the start of the match to its conclusion.
Everyone was still processing what they had just witnessed.
Who could have imagined that this young Soul Master, who looked no older than his teens, could so effortlessly defeat a forty-seventh-level Soul Sect?
"I-Is it over already?"
"That kid's incredible! He won so easily!"
Yan turned toward the host, who was still frozen in shock, and said calmly, "Host, the match is over. You can announce the result now."
"Ah—oh! Right!"
The host immediately raised his voice:
"This match is over! Soul Sect Yama claims victory — one win, zero losses!
Congratulations, respected Soul Sect Yama. Please proceed to the service desk to collect your points and rewards."
"Alright."
The crowd, still in disbelief, erupted into murmurs once more as Yan turned and walked calmly off the stage without looking back.
On the other side, several staff members rushed to lift the battered Zhao Qiang. His body was covered in severe burns — without a healing-type Soul Master, it would take at least half a month for him to recover, and even then, the scars might never fade.
Later, Yan collected his reward — battle points and ten gold soul coins — at the service counter.
At the same time, Yue Guan emerged from the spectator area. The two exchanged a knowing smile before leaving the Great Spirit Arena together.
As soon as they stepped outside, Yue Guan chuckled.
"Kid, it seems you've improved quite a bit. Even without using your external spirit bone, you made that opponent look utterly helpless."
Yan nodded. "Mm. After half a year of special training, both our battle skills and tactics have advanced a lot. I've also learned how to defeat stronger opponents while conserving soul power."
Yue Guan nodded with satisfaction.
"Lin Zhendong really does know how to train talent. Otherwise, he wouldn't be your instructor."
"You're right about that."
"Let's go. Time to head back."
"Okay."
That night, back at the hotel, Yan meditated briefly before reviewing the section of The Compendium of Rare Flora and Herbs detailing plants that might exist in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well — then finally drifted off to sleep.
The next day, after dinner, Yan and Yue Guan returned to the Great Spirit Arena once again.
By this time, the effects of the first Ice Silkworm Pearl had worn off after twelve hours.
Before entering the arena, Yan swallowed the second one.
He did this deliberately — once both pearls were consumed, he'd have a perfect reason to make a trip to the Sunset Forest.
Inside the arena, the front desk receptionist immediately recognized him.
"Respected Mr. Yama, good evening! Are you here to compete again tonight?"
"Yes. I'm signing up for the one-on-one matches."
"Understood. After your performance last night, you've become quite famous here in the Tokes Great Spirit Arena."
"Oh?"
"Yes! Finishing a battle in under a minute — and defeating a level forty-seven Soul Sect no less — that's never happened before in our arena!"
The receptionist's eyes sparkled with admiration. Then she added a friendly reminder:
"You've already won once. If you win four more matches in a row, you'll qualify to enter the Main Spirit Arena."
"Got it. Thank you."
"You're welcome!"
After registering, Yan headed straight to the Soul Master rest area to await his next match.
Just like the previous night, Yue Guan bought a ticket for the same section to watch.
That night, Yan's opponent was a level forty-six Tool Soul Master. The result was, once again, no surprise — Yan won decisively.
And just like before, it took less than one minute.
Unlike the previous match, however, this time Yan used his Second Soul Skill: Granite Crush.
Two consecutive one-minute victories — both flawless wins — made his reputation in the arena soar even higher.
As they exited the arena, Yue Guan teased with a grin:
"You're something else, kid. Facing Soul Masters of the same rank, you've got no pressure at all."
Yan smiled faintly. "Elder Ju, maybe it's just because I haven't yet faced a water-attribute Soul Master who counters my element."
"After those two flashy wins, I'd say it won't be long before some water-type Soul Masters come to challenge you."
Yan nodded.
"Elder Ju, I've already finished both Ice Silkworm Pearls. Even if I wanted to keep a low profile now, it's too late. Why don't we head to the Sunset Forest next?"