The next day.
7 PM.
The Soul Arena was bustling with people, crowded and noisy.
The audience was arguing endlessly about how many sword strikes Jian Jiu would need to defeat the 'Scruffy Fire Phoenix' when suddenly, a series of gasps erupted from the Soul Arena entrance.
All eyes were drawn to it.
A pair of elegant and aloof mother and daughter, surrounded by many powerful Spirit Masters, gracefully entered.
"This is... the Nine Heart Begonia Ye Family?!"
"Is that the Ye Family Head?! Even she's here today!"
Before the gasps could subside, the audience near the entrance reacted as if they had seen a ghost, standing up in terror, trying to distance themselves as if fleeing.
Those behind, not understanding why, then saw who had arrived... A grey-robed old man slowly stepped in, tall and slender, with white hair and beard, and a pair of ancient eyes flickering with a faint green light.
The Soul Arena was a place of fierce malevolence, stained with blood.
Yet, the chilling aura emanating from this old man actually overshadowed the years of bloodlust and hostility accumulated in the arena.
Some spectators' teeth chattered, and cold sweat dripped down their bodies.
"This... this is... Poison Douluo Dugu Bo!"
"A Title Douluo level existence, why would he condescend to come to the Soul Arena?!"
"Don't tell me even Dugu Bo is here to see Jian Jiu!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
The audience's shock had not yet subsided.
Several Spirit Masters in Imperial Guard uniforms had already cleared a path.
Then, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, a gentle smile playing on his lips, stepped in.
The continuous arrival of important figures had already left the audience dizzy with shock.
In such a bloody place as the Soul Arena, these important figures usually concealed their presence if they came.
But today, it was as if they had all agreed to appear openly.
"Now it's confirmed! They're definitely not here to see Jian Jiu!"
"It makes sense for the Ye Family to recruit talent, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Excellency Poison Douluo... no matter how amazing Jian Jiu is, he probably wouldn't catch their eye, right?"
The murmuring from the stands faintly reached Xue Qinghe's ears.
Her eyes flashed, and she turned to Dugu Bo, bowing as she said:
"Senior Dugu, you're in high spirits today; could you also be here for Jian Jiu?"
"Hm?"
Dugu Bo raised his long, white eyebrows.
Being old and shrewd, he instantly understood Xue Qinghe's intention, glanced at her with a hint of surprise, and followed her lead:
"I heard there's a promising sword user here, quite reminiscent of Chen Xin in his younger days. I specifically came to see him."
"I presume the Ye Family Head is here for the same reason?"
Madam Ye's gaze shifted, and she nodded, saying:
"His Excellency Poison Douluo is absolutely right."
"Jian Jiu... our Ye Family indeed values him greatly."
The audience watched in a daze as these important figures, in just a few words, steered the conversation towards "Jian Jiu."
This scene had an indescribable strangeness to it.
It was as if... they were deliberately building momentum for Jian Jiu.
Only after the Ye Family, Dugu Bo, and Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had successively entered the VIP boxes upstairs did the audience gradually recover from their shock.
Time quietly reached 8 PM.
The temperature inside the Soul Arena seemed to rise with it.
Countless gazes anxiously fixed on the stage entrance, eager with anticipation.
In the front row, Yu Feng's face was pale, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Jian Jiu, please, cripple him for me!"
Ao Si Luo pouted.
"You said Jian Jiu was nothing back then."
"Now you're pinning your hopes of revenge on him?"
Yu Feng's chest tightened, he opened his mouth, and then said dejectedly:
"I was blind, alright!"
On the other side of the stands.
Zhao Wuji folded his arms, listening to the fervent praise for Jian Jiu around him, and curled his lips in disdain.
"What is Jian Jiu?"
"Which of the seven little monsters from Shrek isn't stronger than this so-called Jian Jiu?"
As a teacher who watched the Shrek Seven Devils grow up, Zhao Wuji had blind faith in them.
"Teacher..."
A plainly dressed middle-aged man beside him said gravely:
"You shouldn't underestimate this person."
"He did indeed defeat Yu Tianheng with a single sword strike back then."
Zhao Wuji waved his hand dismissively:
"Qin Ming, don't worry."
"The little monsters who came out of our Shrek won't lose."
Qin Ming opened his mouth, but it was too late to persuade him further.
Because on the stage, two figures had already appeared.
8 PM.
The host, not daring to delay, immediately announced the start of the Soul Battle.
Shouts like a mountain tsunami rose to the sky, almost overturning the dome of the Soul Arena.
Li Dixian wore a plain white robe, his posture as straight as bamboo.
From a dozen meters away, Ma Hongjun rubbed his chin, sizing up the white-robed swordsman opposite him.
"So you're that... Jian Jiu?"
Listening to the intense, wave-like shouts, a look of interest appeared on his chubby face.
"Your popularity in the Imperial City Soul Arena is really high, huh."
"Heh, what do you think, what kind of expressions will these idiots who are cheering for you have when I defeat you?"
Before Li Dixian could respond, he suddenly lowered his voice and asked:
"What's your relationship with Zhu Zhuqing?"
"Hm?"
Li Dixian's eyes flashed.
Ma Hongjun, who caught this subtle reaction, clenched his knuckles with a 'crack' and squinted:
"You really do know Zhu Zhuqing."
"Then you shouldn't expect to leave this stage in one piece today."
Bang—!!!
The moment his words fell, the air on the stage suddenly twisted.
A clear phoenix cry erupted from Ma Hongjun's body.
Surging purple evil flames instantly covered his entire body, as if turning the entire stage into a furnace.
The front-row spectators were forced back by the scorching heatwave that rushed towards them.
A bright yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet.
"First Spirit Ability—Phoenix Fire Line!"
Ma Hongjun was arrogant in his words but extremely cautious in his heart, choosing to test with his First Spirit Ability first.
A torrent of purple demonic fire, like a violent, surging waterfall, poured down directly onto Li Dixian.
Under the disbelieving gazes of the entire audience, the white-robed swordsman seemed to be mesmerized by the fire waterfall, standing still, unmoving.
Allowing the purple flame torrent to engulf him.
Boom—!
The purple evil flames exploded.
A fiercely burning purple fireball appeared on the stage.
Dead silence!
The entire Soul Arena fell into a deathly silence!
Even Ma Hongjun himself was stunned for a moment, then burst into wild laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
"What kind of damn Jian Jiu?!"
"He can't even withstand my First Spirit Ability!"
He was extremely confident.
Engulfed by the Phoenix Evil Flame, even a Soul Elder at level forty would lose a layer of skin!
This Jian Jiu was certainly dead!
Below the stage, Yu Feng and Ao Si Luo were in disbelief.
Jian Jiu, who had swept aside Yu Tianheng with one sword, lost so easily?
Zhao Wuji's voice boomed like a bell, laughing triumphantly.
"Look!"
"What did I tell you!"
"This so-called Jian Jiu is no match for Fatty at all!"
Qin Ming frowned, looking at the purple flame fireball on the stage with confusion.
In stark contrast to the heavy, deathly silent atmosphere below the stage, in the VIP box, Dugu Bo comforted his anxious granddaughter, Yan Yan.
"Yan Yan, don't worry, Dixian is fine."
Dugu Bo's emerald eyes flashed with a hint of surprise.
"This kid is truly a monster."
"Why can't this scorching flame harm him in the slightest?"
"Hm?"
How keen was Dugu Bo's perception?
The next second, his old face showed astonishment.
"No, that's not right!"
"Not only can it not harm him!"
"Dixian... is actually actively absorbing the flame's energy?!"
In the other two VIP boxes, Madam Ye, with her weaker strength, saw things vaguely, like looking at flowers through a fog.
Meanwhile, Porcupinefish and Snake Lance were no less shocked than Dugu Bo.
"What's wrong with this kid?!"
"He doesn't even have a fire-attribute Spirit!"
"Why can he absorb flames?!"
On the stage, the purple fireball did not burst and spread as usual.
Instead... it was shrinking strangely.
As if being greedily swallowed by an invisible giant mouth.
At this sight, everyone realized something was wrong.
As the purple flames were about to disappear, a plain white figure walked out, stepping on the lingering flame waves.
He flicked off the flickering sparks from his clothes, and purple fiery afterglow adorned each strand of his dark hair, as if he wore a ribbon of flowing purple flames.
Under countless gazes that almost solidified with fervor, Li Dixian slowly raised his eyes.
Behind the faceless mask, two gazes sharper than sword edges were fixed on Ma Hongjun's chubby face, which was stiff with extreme shock.
The air solidified.
It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
A calm voice, without a ripple, sounded:
"Is that all?"
A brief, suffocating pause, like an invisible heavy hammer striking everyone's hearts.
"Is that all?"
The second sound, with a faint, almost confirming doubt, was more grating than the sharpest mockery.
Then, the voice suddenly rose a notch, yet it was like a clap of thunder, carrying the utmost contempt that crushed all pride, slamming down hard:
"Evil Flame—"
"Is that all?!"
There will be another chapter this afternoon. Dear readers, the humble author wants to try and climb the monthly vote rankings (whispers)... it will increase exposure... the humble author bows and bows... Thank you, dear readers, get some sleep if you have time...