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Dai Mubai, who was hailed as the "Flirtatious Prince," now appeared calm and composed, seemingly a gentleman. However, his occasional glances at passing young women betrayed his true nature.
Of course, Dai Mubai still maintained a semblance of propriety—his observations were subtle, and his gaze wasn't overly intense.
Moreover, he wouldn't spare a second glance at women who lacked beauty or had poor figures. After all, even though he was down on his luck, his taste hadn't diminished.
On the other hand, Ma Hongjun scrutinized every woman they passed, from head to toe.
Especially when encountering curvaceous, youthful beauties, Ma Hongjun's eyes would lock onto them with an intense, almost predatory gaze—only drooling was missing.
"Brother, stay away from that deadbeat fatty in the future!"
Noticing Ma Hongjun's lecherous gaze, Xiao Wu whispered to Chu Chengzhou.
"Mm!"
Chu Chengzhou nodded.
Though looks couldn't kill, the disdainful glares from every passing young woman were certainly affecting their mood.
Even though only Ma Hongjun was being lecherous, people might associate him with Chu Chengzhou since they were together.
At this moment, Flender suddenly stopped walking and, without turning his head, called out to the four behind him: "Follow me!"
With that, Flender led the group into an inconspicuous teahouse by the street. After ordering five of the cheapest cups of tea, they sat around a round table.
Looking at the murky tea filled with tea leaves, Chu Chengzhou furrowed his brows. This was worse than plain boiled water!
A miser was still a miser—even with money in his pocket.
"Principal Flender, our first class isn't going to be here, is it?"
As soon as they sat down, Xiao Wu asked, puzzled.
"Of course not. Your class will be there."
As he spoke, Flender raised his hand and pointed outside.
Following his finger, Chu Chengzhou saw a cluster of towering buildings not far from the teahouse.
From their vantage point, the buildings were nearly a hundred meters tall, massive and imposing, appearing solemn under the night sky with faint lights flickering.
"Brother, what is that?"
Xiao Wu asked Chu Chengzhou curiously.
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be Suotuo City's Great Spirit Arena?"
Though Chu Chengzhou hadn't been to Suotuo City's Great Spirit Arena before, since it was where Shrek Academy held its evening classes, it had to be the arena.
Flender nodded slightly: "Correct, that's Suotuo City's Great Spirit Arena!
The Great Spirit Arena is something only cities of main city status can have, and it's named after the city it's located in. Its scale is a symbol of whether a city—or even a nation—is prosperous.
The so-called Great Spirit Arena is a place for martial soul battles and where soul masters fight each other.
Whether in the Tian Dou Empire or the Star Luo Empire, there's a saying: The Spirit Arena determines the rise and fall of a nation.
You're no ordinary individuals but exceptionally talented prodigies. Since you're prodigies, you must have the training methods of prodigies."
Upon hearing this, Dai Mubai inwardly sneered and glanced at Chu Chengzhou.
A 29th-level Soul Grandmaster at 16—could this guy really be considered exceptionally talented? What about me, a 35th-level Soul Elder at 15? Am I not a peerless genius?
Hmph~! Thirty years… no, three years east, three years west—we'll see how it goes!
Noticing Dai Mubai's gaze, Chu Chengzhou turned to him, gave him a chilling smile, and then casually flipped him off.
Dai Mubai: "..."
Flender paused and continued in a low voice: "Your martial souls are different, and each of you has your own cultivation methods.
What the academy can teach you is how to better utilize your martial souls, help you obtain better soul rings, gain more combat experience, and unlock your potential as much as possible.
Among all the things you need to learn, the most important is combat experience.
At the same level and strength, the amount of combat experience often determines the outcome of a battle.
Only through continuous real combat can you improve your adaptability in battle. Therefore, Suotuo City's Great Spirit Arena will be your regular classroom in the future!"
Xiao Wu frowned and asked: "Principal Flender, isn't being a soul master the noblest profession? Why is there a place like the Great Spirit Arena? Isn't this just like performing for people's amusement?"
"Performing for people's amusement?"
Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but glance at Xiao Wu.
He wondered what it would look like if Xiao Wu were to perform with Er Ming?
One thing was certain—the ticket prices would be exorbitant, unaffordable for the average person.
Upon hearing this, Flender shook his head: "Xiao Wu, you're mistaken. Though I don't particularly like places like the Great Spirit Arena, I must admit it's an important venue for showcasing the value of soul masters. Don't underestimate it.
The Great Spirit Arena has its own complete system and can be considered a unique faction. It was jointly founded by the seven most prestigious soul master families on the continent and doesn't belong to either of the two empires or the Spirit Hall—it's a third-party faction, wealthy enough to rival nations.
Soul masters who gain fame in the Great Spirit Arena become shining stars across the nation. Not only do they receive immense benefits, but they also gain great renown.
Moreover, the Great Spirit Arena is a relatively fair place. Even if you kill the heir of a major family here, you don't need to worry about retaliation!"
"Really? No retaliation?"
Chu Chengzhou was somewhat surprised and subtly glanced at Dai Mubai beside him.
Dai Mubai: "..."
Does this guy actually plan to kill me?
Of course, Chu Chengzhou was only trying to scare Dai Mubai—he wouldn't dare act recklessly. Regardless of whether Flender would intervene, Dai Mubai's identity as the third prince of the Star Luo Empire made him hesitate.
Though the White Tiger Dai family didn't publicly have any Title Douluo, they definitely had some hidden ones—possibly even more than one.
It was said that there were only about ten Title Douluo on the continent, but in reality, the Spirit Hall alone had twenty or thirty, many of whom were high-level Title Douluo above 95 levels.
Everyone hides their cards—who doesn't?
"I was just joking. Did you take it seriously?"
Flender didn't notice Chu Chengzhou's gaze and simply rolled his eyes at him.
Though the Great Spirit Arena claimed fairness, where in the world was true fairness?
Being a soul master wasn't just about fighting—it also involved human relationships.
If a close friend or relative was killed on the arena stage, wouldn't someone with strength seek revenge?
Even if they couldn't retaliate openly, assassinations were always an option.
The Great Spirit Arena wasn't running a charity—it wouldn't bother avenging victims. More likely, it would simply ignore such matters.
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