"Grandpa, are you saying Wang Zhong came to the Great Soul Arena?"
"But he's only seven years old!"
Outside the Great Soul Arena, Dugu Yan's green eyes widened as she stared at the magnificent arena before her, saying in astonishment.
"Yanyan, there are always some people in this world beyond your imagination."
"Their talent and aptitude cannot be limited even by their age."
Dugu Bo explained to his granddaughter, hands behind his back, then continued, "Let's go, let's go in and see what this little fellow is all about."
Leading Dugu Yan into the Great Soul Arena, they arrived beside a gladiatorial soul stage using a special spiritual lock.
There were eighty-one soul stages in the Great Soul Arena, each located in a different position. The central soul stage was the largest and most magnificent, attracting the most attention and the most enthusiastic audience. As soon as you entered, you could see the soul fights on stage.
It was truly a sight for sore eyes!
However, reaching the central soul stage was not easy. It had extremely high requirements for both opposing soul masters, demanding them to be among the top in terms of strength, reputation, and influence within the arena.
It could be said that soul masters in the arena considered stepping onto that stage an honor!
Radiating from the central soul stage, eight secondary stages were positioned at each of its eight corners. These were known as gladiatorial soul stages.
Although the gladiatorial soul stages were not as grand or eye-catching as the central soul stage, any soul master who could enter them was undoubtedly among the most powerful and dazzling of their peers.
This was also where the battles were most intense, most passionate, most thrilling, and most exhilarating.
Because this place was full of variables; you never knew who would be the victor and who would be the vanquished among the two who stepped onto the stage.
And from the center of each gladiatorial soul stage, nine soul stages were spread out, numbered from one to nine.
Although the nine soul stages were numbered, there was no real difference between them; they existed merely to help soul masters find their respective stages.
These ninety-one stages were all located within the Great Soul Arena, and each stage was divided into three levels: the stage itself at the bottom, the audience seats in the middle, and private rooms at the top.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Northeast Corner Soul Arena!"
"Today, we will witness an extremely exciting duel between soul masters!"
...
Leading Dugu Yan to the spectator stands, Dugu Bo turned his gaze towards the two people standing at the center of the stage.
To be precise, it was the one on the right. Although the person was wearing a black, long-sleeved tight-fitting outfit and their face was covered by a wooden mask, the lingering spiritual power on them made Dugu Bo recognize him as Wang Zhong at a glance.
Dugu Yan also focused her gaze on Wang Zhong. Like Dugu Bo, she recognized Wang Zhong immediately, but not through spiritual power, but through eye color and scent.
The fang she had given Wang Zhong came from a soul beast called a saliva incense snake. This soul beast was not poisonous itself, but it preyed on venomous snakes and its fangs secreted a scent that attracted them.
This scent was long-lasting. Although Wang Zhong had put it into his soul guiding device after receiving it, the residual scent on his body was something that Dugu Yan, with her unique sense of smell from her Jade Phosphor Serpent martial spirit, could not miss.
At this moment, she looked at the projected information on the screen, her mouth gaping wide.
"Wooden Man, Level Thirty-five Soul Elder! Thirty-five consecutive victories, undefeated!"
"Grandpa, he, he... how can his strength be so great!"
Dugu Yan had intended to call Wang Zhong by his name, but seeing "Wooden Man" displayed on the screen, the intelligent girl knew that Wang Zhong was hiding his identity, so she changed the almost-spoken name to "he."
"Yanyan, it's clear that guy is a genius!"
Dugu Bo stroked Dugu Yan, who only reached his ribs, and sighed softly.
On stage, the excitable host, in his enthusiastic tone, continuously stirred the emotions of everyone in the audience.
"First, on my left, we have the contestant known as Wooden Man, who joined the arena a month ago and became an Iron Soul Master!"
"In one month, our contestant Wooden Man has fought and won continuously, with no defeats to date. No one has ever seen him use his soul skills; he has defeated opponents who seemed incredibly strong to us, relying solely on his strength and speed!"
"Therefore, the contestant Wooden Man has reached this crucial soul duel today!"
"With just one more victory, the contestant Wooden Man will earn the final one hundred points and advance to the Silver Soul Master rank! He will become the fastest soul master to reach the Silver Soul Master rank since the arena's establishment!"
"In just thirty-seven days! If the contestant Wooden Man succeeds, this will be a record that will go down in history, and we are the witnesses!"
The passionate voice, combined with the astonishing reality, caused many to cheer excitedly.
"Wooden Man!"
"Wooden Man!"
"Wooden Man!"
...
The entire spectator area around the stage was abuzz with excitement at this moment.
Witnessing the birth of a historical moment was something few could resist. Even without participating, they felt a sense of shared glory!
"Hmph, putting on a show!"
Opposite Wang Zhong, a young man sneered dismissively.
He wore a green robe, his long black hair tied at his waist, with a tall build and a handsome face. His eyes held the arrogance and aloofness of someone from a noble family.
"Feng Pei, one of the most outstanding juniors of the Feng Sword Sect."
"Twenty years old, Level Thirty-nine, Battle Soul Master, with the Wind Sword martial spirit!"
"Participated in four hundred and thirty-six soul duels, won three hundred and eighty-six, with nine hundred and ninety-nine points!"
"Just one point short!"
Listening to the host's introduction, Wang Zhong finally gained a clear understanding of the soul duel rules within the Great Soul Arena. For a promotion match, his opponent would inevitably also be in a promotion match!
Either they were one point short, or they had a consecutive win streak and one match left!
In short, the promotion match would be several times more difficult than all the previous soul duels combined.
Everyone was just one match away from promotion, and no one would generously yield victory. Everyone would fight with all their might, sparing no effort.
"Wooden Man, that's a fake name, isn't it!"
"Putting on airs and hiding your true face like a coward, you dare not even use your real name. What qualifications do you have to compete with me on the same stage!"
"I'll give you a chance. Surrender now and step off the stage, so as not to dirty my young master's sword."
Feng Pei stood with his hands behind his back, his head held high, looking down at Wang Zhong with a condescending and arrogant tone.
Wang Zhong's brow twitched repeatedly.
He had thought Dugu Bo was arrogant, but now he had encountered someone even more so! The latter, after all, was a Titled Douluo and had the right to be arrogant. But Feng Pei, Wang Zhong, with his limited vision, couldn't see what gave him the right to be.