Flender no longer dwelled on the rather unpleasant exchange.
He lightly tapped his toes and unfurled his wings, soaring towards Soto City, leaving only his hoarse voice behind on the training ground.
"Hurry and catch up!"
Hearing this, everyone quickly followed.
Flender maintained a speed that wouldn't leave them too far behind.
Due to varying strengths, the entire group split into several echelons.
Leading the pack was Zhu Zhuqing, who already possessed the cultivation of a Spirit Elder.
As an agility-attack system Spirit Master, she had a natural advantage in speed.
Following her was Dai Mubai, whose expression wasn't very good.
Looking at the graceful figure ahead, the anger in his heart grew stronger.
He had gone to find Zhu Zhuqing that afternoon.
He had thought that by lowering his stance and speaking to her first, their relationship might ease a little.
But after only a few words, he completely broke down.
Even now, that scene kept replaying in his mind.
Her icy face held a sneer, and her disdainful tone drove him crazy.
If it weren't for her being with Xiao Wu, and him being outnumbered, he would have likely started a fight.
Behind Dai Mubai was Tang San; he followed very closely, his feet leaving multiple afterimages. Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track focused on subtlety, so its effect on linear acceleration was limited.
At this moment, his mind was still replaying the conversation between Ning Rongrong and Flender.
He did not agree with what Ning Rongrong had said.
He had never considered Blue Silver Grass a limitation.
He always believed Grandmaster's famous saying:
There are no useless Spirits, only useless Spirit Masters!
Besides, he didn't just have Blue Silver Grass as his Spirit! His Clear Sky Hammer was the number one Tool Spirit in the world!
In his opinion, his future held infinite possibilities!
A smile appeared on Tang San's lips, and his steps seemed to lighten considerably. His gaze drifted backward, where a pink figure was located.
In the fourth echelon, Fatty Ma Hongjun was in a league of his own, followed not far behind by the food system Spirit Master, Oscar!
No one spoke, only Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu, who were running beside Oscar, chatted and laughed.
Listening to the laughter coming from beside him, Oscar looked at the girl in green, whose smile was like a blooming flower, with a hint of fear in his eyes.
Ning Rongrong's previous murderous words made him uneasy.
"Xiao Wu, you definitely haven't eaten enough! I brought delicious food for both you and Zhuqing! Look—"
Xiao Wu followed beside Ning Rongrong, watching her take out a carrot from her spirit tool, her crimson eyes sparkling!
"That's great! Thank you, Rongrong!"
"You're welcome!" Ning Rongrong smiled and handed her the carrot.
"Rongrong, you were so amazing just now, how did you do it?" Xiao Wu gnawed on the carrot in her hand, curiously looking at Ning Rongrong.
"Haha... Most of that was taught to me by Ye Qiu!"
...
In the front of the group,
Dai Mubai, unwilling to fall behind Zhu Zhuqing, exerted all his strength, relying on his abundant spirit power to rush forward.
He came alongside Zhu Zhuqing, his challenging evil eyes meeting hers.
"Boring..." Zhu Zhuqing's gaze touched and immediately left, her speed suddenly slowing down, falling directly behind Tang San and Ma Hongjun.
She came to the side of Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu.
"Zhuqing! Do you want to... eat some too?" Xiao Wu, munching on her food, spoke a little incoherently.
"No need! I'm full..." The frost on Zhu Zhuqing's face softened a bit, and she politely declined her.
"Zhuqing, you carry such heavy things every day, you should eat more! Here, this is the caviar bread I specially bought for you!"
"Rongrong! Can't you speak properly... Always like this—"
A blush spread across Zhu Zhuqing's face, and she gave her a charming glare, reaching out to take the bread in her hand.
Dai Mubai, running at the very front, had a livid face, like a fierce tiger ready to devour someone!
Led by Flender, the seven Shrek students quickly entered the gates of Soto City.
Everyone also stopped running.
"Dean, where are we going for class?"
Tang San quickly walked behind Flender, curiously looking around.
These places didn't look like anywhere suitable for Spirit Master teaching activities.
"Our destination... is over there!"
Flender extended his index finger, pushed up his glasses, and then tilted his head back, pointing forward.
"There!?"
Tang San and the others looked up in that direction.
They could only see a vast dome, wide and towering, appearing to be just a corner of a building.
"Alright, come with me first. We'll introduce it as we go! That place is called the Great Spirit Arena!"
Flender walked slowly forward with his hands behind his back.
Behind him, Tang San listened attentively, while Ma Hongjun's eyes wandered everywhere, regardless of age, size, or gender, occasionally swallowing his saliva.
Oscar, compared to him, was much more reserved, his eyes somewhat obscure.
Dai Mubai had no interest today, and Ma Hongjun tried to share his joy with him several times, but he remained indifferent.
Although Xiao Wu had spent some time in Soto City, she had never properly explored it, and everything in this big city seemed very curious to her.
Whenever she encountered something new, she would jump forward to take a good look, and if Zhu Zhuqing hadn't been guarding her, she might have already gotten lost.
Flender's voice came from ahead.
"The Great Spirit Arena, simply put, is... a place for Spirit Masters to spar and exchange, and also an excellent venue for various forces to display their strength! It's also a place for gamblers to seek excitement!"
"Dean, I don't understand, Spirit Masters are clearly a noble profession, why should they be displayed like monkeys for people to watch?"
Tang San frowned, feeling a dislike for such places in his heart.
Such places should not exist!
"Heh heh... You're wrong. Although I don't like this place either, it is undoubtedly the only place that can provide Spirit Masters with a relatively fair environment for combat!"
"Its system is already very complete, it can be said to be a third-party force independent of the Empire and Spirit Hall. Here, even if you kill some powerful figures during a Spirit battle, your safety can be guaranteed..."
"..."
After Flender's explanation, Tang San and the other novices gained a certain understanding of the Great Spirit Arena.
Gradually, they finally approached this behemoth nestled within Soto City.
It was oval in shape, over a hundred meters tall, and just looking from the entrance to either side, one could not see how far the walls extended.
"What a tall, huge building!"
Xiao Wu's eyes filled with wonder as she looked up, as if she couldn't see the end of it.
"Of course, it not only has one main Soul Arena and twenty-four sub-Soul Arenas, but also over a hundred private rooms, capable of accommodating sixty thousand spectators at once!"
Oscar explained from the side.
"Alright, I won't say anything more. Tonight's lesson is practical training at the Soto Battle Arena. If you have any questions later, you can ask the staff here, or ask Hongjun and Mubai!"
"My requirement for you is to at least have a Silver Soul medal by graduation! I hope you won't disappoint me!"
Flender led them into the Soul Arena, gave some more instructions, and then left alone for the audience seats.
"Boss Dai, is this Silver Soul medal very difficult to get?"
Facing Tang San's question, Dai Mubai wasn't in the mood to answer him. He turned to look at Ma Hongjun, who was staring at the staff.
"Fatty, you explain it to them!"
"Hmm? Alright!" Ma Hongjun put away his lewd expression, cleared his throat, and began to speak slowly.
According to him,
The Great Spirit Arena has eight badge levels, distinguished by the quality of minerals, from lowest to highest: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Purple Gold, Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond.
Badge upgrade conditions:
Iron Soul to Bronze Soul: Points reach 100 (win one match +1 point, lose one match -1 point; if you win 5 consecutive matches, each subsequent consecutive win +10 points; if you win more than 10 consecutive matches, each subsequent win +100 points).
Bronze Soul to Silver Soul: Points reach 1000 (in battles between Bronze Souls, each win +10 points, each loss -10 points; the ratio for consecutive wins is the same as for Iron Souls).
Soul battles are also divided into three types: competitive, death match, and gambling match.
What Tang San and the others needed to participate in was the competitive type.
Generally, there would be no casualties.
They could only be matched with opponents of the same spirit power level.
"My current record is 33 battles, 21 wins, 12 losses, with a Nine Iron Soul medal."
"Boss Dai also currently has an Iron Soul medal, with 29 wins, 27 losses, only two points!"
After listening to Ma Hongjun's explanation, Tang San couldn't help but show a bitter smile. He could only say that it was indeed an academy that only accepted monsters.
The way classes and assessments were conducted was also unique.
"Hey! I say, you dead Fatty, you two are too bad, aren't you? You've fought so many matches, and you only have that many points!"
Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips, eager to try out this Soul battle.
"Hmph! What do you know? This Silver Soul medal isn't that easy to achieve! At your level, if you encounter a level 39 Spirit Elder, your only outcome will be failure!"
Dai Mubai snorted coldly. When he said 'failure', his gaze specifically swept over Zhu Zhuqing.
"Alright, more talk is useless. You should go register first! We'll wait for you inside."
Dai Mubai patted Tang San's shoulder, then turned and left with Ma Hongjun and Oscar.
"Xiao Wu, let's go register first..." Tang San turned to call Xiao Wu to come with him.
But all he saw was their backs.
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong had already walked towards the registration area.
"Xiao Wu, wait for me..."
Tang San's expression froze, but he quickly adjusted, quickly chasing after Xiao Wu.
Hearing Tang San's call, Xiao Wu's beautiful brows furrowed.
Even Ning Rongrong couldn't stand it anymore.
"This guy, he's really annoying!"
"Just ignore him!" Xiao Wu held Zhu Zhuqing's arm, and Ning Rongrong held the other side.
Facing the two's constant rubbing, Zhu Zhuqing could only blush and silently endure.
"By the way... Rongrong, you're a support system, how are you going to complete the mission?"
"Didn't that Fatty just say it? I can participate in two-on-two Soul battles, but you and Zhuqing are both Spirit Elders now, so neither of you can take me!"
Thinking of this, Ning Rongrong felt a bit deflated. She didn't want to partner with Tang San or that dead Fatty!
The registration process was not complicated; each person just needed to pay a ten gold coin processing fee.
Then, they tested spirit power and registered names, ages, and other information.
Soon, Xiao Wu and the others received their own Iron Soul medals.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing even formed a Cat and Rabbit team together.
As the three girls and Tang San entered the sub-Soul Arena where Dai Mubai and the others were,
Zhu Zhuqing heard her name.
When she heard her opponent's name clearly, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She looked forward and met a pair of gloating evil eyes.
In the middle of the Soul Arena, a middle-aged man in a tuxedo stood, loudly announcing the start of the next Soul battle.
"Next, we will have a one-on-one Soul battle, featuring two Spirit Elders! They are, the Battle Spirit Elder Zhu Zhuqing, who possesses the Beast Spirit Hell Civet, against the Battle Spirit Elder Dai Mubai, who possesses the Beast Spirit White Tiger and has already won two consecutive matches!"
"Let's welcome our two Spirit Elders to the stage! Give them a cheer!"
As the middle-aged man's high-pitched voice rang out, a burst of cheers immediately erupted from the surrounding stands.
Some people who had placed bets even started cheering for Dai Mubai!
"Heh!" Dai Mubai sneered at Zhu Zhuqing, then turned and walked towards the Soul Arena passage.
"Zhuqing, this guy definitely has ill intentions. You need to be careful later," Xiao Wu said worriedly, holding Zhu Zhuqing's arm. She was well aware of what had happened that afternoon.
"Don't worry, he won't be my opponent!" Zhu Zhuqing smiled confidently and walked towards the Soul Arena passage.
"Go, Zhuqing!" Ning Rongrong cheered for her as she walked away.
The Soul Arena match had not officially begun yet.
As soon as Zhu Zhuqing appeared, the stands erupted in cheers, with some even whistling.
Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall down to her hips, and a black leather outfit tightly hugged her curvy figure, making her look tall and shapely with a perfect waist-to-hip ratio.
Her cold expression and indifferent eyes further ignited the desires of the wolf-like crowd.
Their morals followed their looks.
Some of the people who were originally cheering for Dai Mubai had already switched sides.
"I announce that this Soul Arena match... officially begins!" At the host's signal, both individuals had already activated their Spirits!
Tiger roars and civet cries.
Dai Mubai's muscles bulged, white fur grew on his body, tiger claws extended from his hands, and his eyes glowed with an unusual color.
Three spirit rings, two yellow and one purple, rose from beneath his feet.
Zhu Zhuqing's head sprouted a pair of adorable cat ears, and a slender tail appeared behind her. Her left eye was emerald green, and her right eye was clear blue, adding to her charm.
Three spirit rings, one yellow and two purple, rose from beneath her feet.
"Oh! My goodness... Our newcomer Spirit Elder, Zhu Zhuqing, her Second Soul Skill is actually purple! It seems the outcome of this Soul Arena match has become uncertain."
As soon as Zhu Zhuqing's Second Soul Skill appeared, another wave of overwhelming cheers erupted in the stands.
Those who understood the Spirit Master profession were already gaping in astonishment.
"Zhuqing... You wouldn't think you can defeat me just with your second ring, would you? Do I need to go easy on you?"
Dai Mubai's tall tiger-like body stood in the Soul Arena, looking at Zhu Zhuqing not far in front of him, a teasing expression on his face.
"No need at all! You can't win against me!" Zhu Zhuqing's face showed no emotion, as if she were looking at a stranger.
She had absolute confidence in this battle; no matter what, she had the Shadow Spider Lance as a fallback!
"Are you really going to be so heartless? I'm still your fiancé, after all!"
Dai Mubai dropped his teasing expression, his face showing anger. He was furious at Zhu Zhuqing's disdain.
"I've already said it, you're not worthy! The person I came here to find isn't you!"
"Hmph! Enough!" Dai Mubai roared.
No matter what she said, her mouth always mentioned that wild man!
Dai Mubai's face darkened, and the anger and irritation he had felt since meeting Zhu Zhuqing exploded within him.
"Do you think this is something you can resist? If you don't cooperate with me, your fate won't be any better! Today... I'll make you face reality!"
As Dai Mubai finished speaking, the purple spirit ring beneath his feet lit up.
"Third Soul Skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
His muscles bulged further, his fur grew again, black stripes appeared on his skin, the 'King' character on his forehead looked even more majestic, and his claws grew sharply.
He wanted to use his strongest form to crush Zhu Zhuqing's confidence!
Whoosh! With a push of his hind paws, he directly attacked towards Zhu Zhuqing's direction.
"Perfect! I also want to see what progress you've made since you fled here like a stray dog to seek pleasure!"
Zhu Zhuqing responded coldly, but her speed was not slow, and she had already started running around the Soul Arena.
Her slightly lowered body seemed to be staring at her prey, ready for a fatal blow at any moment!
"First Soul Skill, Hell Rush Stab!"
Her speed increased dramatically, and Zhu Zhuqing quickly used Hell Rush Stab twice.
The first time, she thrust behind Dai Mubai, then quickly turned around and stabbed towards his back.
"First Soul Skill, White Tiger Body Barrier!"
Dai Mubai stopped his body, and his first spirit ring suddenly lit up.
A circle of white ripples spread out, and Zhu Zhuqing's claws immediately found it difficult to advance.
Failing to hit, Zhu Zhuqing immediately retreated.
There was a five-level spirit power gap between the two.
Facing Dai Mubai's extreme output, regardless of spirit power consumption, Zhu Zhuqing's attacks seemed somewhat inferior.
"Zhuqing! Why are you running!"
Second Soul Skill, White Tiger Light Wave!
Dai Mubai sneered.
He suddenly spat out a milky-white ball of light, which went straight for Zhu Zhuqing.
He understood Zhu Zhuqing's strength very well and dared not hold back in the slightest. He couldn't afford to lose this Soul Arena match, nor could he bear the shame of losing!
"Third Soul Skill, Hell Decapitation!"
Zhu Zhuqing fought and retreated, her two sharp claws seemingly combined. She suddenly swung them, and a crescent-shaped purple blade directly collided with the white light ball.
Bang!
The two collided, and the aftermath spread around, blowing Zhu Zhuqing's black hair.
"Dai Mubai, is that all you've got?" Zhu Zhuqing's expression was very calm. "If so, it's about to end!"
"Heh heh... How could it end like this!" Dai Mubai's waist sank, and he instantly transformed into a white lightning bolt, circling Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing frowned. Dai Mubai's current speed was surprisingly no less than her own.
"Sacrificing most of his spirit power to increase speed and defense?"
Looking at the white halo around Dai Mubai, it was clear that he was constantly maintaining his First Soul Skill.
"Your Second Soul Skill can even break Teacher Zhao's defense, and I indeed cannot withstand it. But now you also cannot pinpoint my location. Next... I just need to defeat you before my spirit power runs out!"
"Second Soul Skill, White Tiger Light Wave!"
As he spoke, a beam of light shot towards Zhu Zhuqing.
As Zhu Zhuqing dodged, Dai Mubai immediately seized the opportunity. Without waiting for her to react, he moved in close, intending to engage Zhu Zhuqing in close-quarters combat!
"This guy is truly shameless!" Ning Rongrong's indignant voice came from the Soul Arena waiting area.
Although Xiao Wu and the others couldn't hear their conversation, they could understand the situation on the field.
Since Dai Mubai had violently leveled the speed advantage, Zhu Zhuqing could only be forced to clash with him head-on a few times.
Her face turned a bit pale, feeling quite uncomfortable.
"Third Soul Skill, Hell Decapitation!"
Dai Mubai's figure enlarged in her sight again. Zhu Zhuqing immediately retreated backward and used her long-range attack.
Swish! Dai Mubai barely dodged the sharp blade.
He wasn't feeling too good either; his spirit power consumption was much more severe than he had anticipated.
Swish! Without a moment's pause, he immediately rushed towards Zhu Zhuqing again.
His tiger claws extended, but he only struck empty air!
His heterochromatic eyes trembled slightly; he had only attacked an afterimage!
"Dai Mubai! You're really too naive!"
Zhu Zhuqing's figure appeared behind him, with eight spider legs on her back. (PS: Some readers find the spider legs too bulky, but they are not the kind with enlarged limbs like in the anime, but rather slender and simple ones like Hollander's, designed for flexibility!)
This was none other than Zhu Zhuqing's external Spirit Bone, the Shadow Spider Lance!
After activating it, all of Zhu Zhuqing's attributes received a massive boost. Her current speed was already far superior to Dai Mubai's!
"How is that possible!?"
Dai Mubai's face showed an expression of disbelief. He had clearly increased his speed to the maximum. With such a huge spirit power gap, how could he... lose!
A sharp claw was placed on Dai Mubai's neck, and with a slight pressure, several bloodstains appeared.
The spider lance was also pointed directly at the back of his head!
"You lost!"
As Zhu Zhuqing's words fell, a round of enthusiastic applause erupted throughout the entire arena.
And insults directed at Dai Mubai; they had all lost money.
"How exciting! It seems the outcome of this Soul Arena match is decided. Congratulations to the newcomer Zhu Zhuqing for winning her first point in the Great Spirit Arena!"
The host's voice echoed throughout the arena, and Zhu Zhuqing quickly put away her spider lance!
She glanced around, relieved that no one seemed to recognize it.
Without another look at Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing quickly left the Soul Arena.
"What was that thing!? Is it some kind of special Spirit Ability?"
Tang San looked at the things growing out of Zhu Zhuqing's back with confusion.
"Zhuqing! You're really amazing!" Ning Rongrong quickly ran over and hugged her.
Xiao Wu had also arrived beside them.
"Boss Dai, are you alright?"
Just now, Ma Hongjun's Soul Arena match had also begun.
Oscar, who was still here, had already seen Dai Mubai slowly walking over.
He and Tang San went to meet him.
"I'm fine!"
Dai Mubai's eyes were fixed on Zhu Zhuqing's direction. He still couldn't understand why he had lost.
"Zhuqing, let's go! Our duo Soul Arena match is about to begin too!" Xiao Wu pulled Ning Rongrong away, holding Zhu Zhuqing's arm, ready to leave.
At this moment, Ning Rongrong also noticed Dai Mubai's gaze. She put her hands on her hips, a disdainful smile on her face.
"What are you looking at! Zhuqing's loser!"
"Dare to look at me with that kind of gaze again?!" Dai Mubai's chilling voice was somewhat eerie. He hated that look directed at a loser.
"Haha... Xiao Wu was right, what White Tiger! You're just a sick cat! You only dare to be fierce with a support like me!"
Ning Rongrong still remembered that this guy didn't want her to stay before and even wanted to throw her things out.
"Ning Rongrong! Do you think your status as the young mistress of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is so impressive? I'm not afraid of you. If you push me too far, do you believe I'll just 'fry first, then kill' you?!"
Dai Mubai's evil eyes gleamed coldly, his face icy!
"Oh my, I'm so scared! You bully the weak and fear the strong, you impotently enraged sick... Ah!"
"Rongrong!"
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, who hadn't gone far, heard Ning Rongrong's scream and quickly turned back to help.
"Boss Dai!"
Dai Mubai had reached his limit of patience. His spirit power surged, directly knocking Ning Rongrong to the ground.
Tang San and Oscar wanted to stop him, but it was too late!
"Today, I'll show you whether I bully the weak and fear the strong, and whether I'm impotent!"
"Dai Mubai! Stop it... Rongrong, be careful!"
Ning Rongrong covered her backside, looked up, and saw a hand reaching towards her.
"Ah! What is this?!" A piercing scream rang out.
...
In the night, a blue-haired young man had just stepped through the gates of Soto City when he suddenly froze.
"Amaterasu on Rongrong was triggered? Did Dai Mubai still say that sentence?... He really dared!"
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