, lottery was held, ranking was implemented, soul battles were fought, and betting was placed. Every word could ignite the deepest desires in the gamblers' hearts.
The gaps left for soul masters to rest and recover their soul power, and the constantly adjusting odds, all touched the enthusiasm of the crowd.
This rare competition, which had the interest of soul battles and the nature of ranking and rewards, began.
The first to appear was Wang Qi. As the soul master with the lowest soul power level and the youngest age, Wang Qi's opponent was an eighteenth-level commoner soul master from Blazing Fire City.
"Kid, do you even know where you are before you dare to come up here? Aren't you afraid of getting hurt? If you're afraid of getting hurt, you should get off now, so I don't have to explain to your parents."
The commoner soul master's words came to an abrupt halt. Not only the commoner soul master was silent, but also the spectators present.
It was too fast, too sudden. No one expected Wang Qi to make a sudden move, and no one expected that Wang Qi's sudden move would result in an instant kill.
Without using soul power, and without releasing martial souls, the two fought as if they were ordinary people fighting. They hit vital points and ended the battle instantly.
"Referee, is this reasonable? We haven't even released our Martial Souls yet! Is
this all you're showing us in this match? Pay me back!" A gambler suddenly ran onto the stage, grabbing the referee's collar with bloodshot eyes. He had thought he'd make a small fortune, but instead, he'd lost everything. How could he accept this?
"This..." The referee helplessly turned to Lin Yan, his eyes questioning.
"It didn't seem to be stated at the beginning that we needed to release our Martial Souls before fighting, did it? Even if there was such a rule, you didn't announce it beforehand. I'm the winner of this match, so I don't accept a rematch."
Before Lin Yan could speak, Wang Qi directly explained to the referee, while grabbing the foul-mouthed commoner Soul Master and throwing him off the stage, then squatting down to eat snacks.
Lin Yan glanced at Wang Qi, then nodded to the referee.
"Sir, I know what you're thinking, but I advise you to calm down." The referee stomped his foot, and two Soul Rings, one white and one yellow, appeared beneath his feet. His eyes seemed to be swallowed by darkness as he stared intently at the troublemaking commoner.
"Is it quiet now? Since it's quiet, I will announce the result of this match. As for the explanation, I will explain it to everyone after I announce the result."
"Congratulations to the Third Generation Vermilion Bird for winning the first match, and congratulations to the Third Generation Vermilion Bird for advancing to the quarterfinals."
"Now I will reiterate the rules of the match. On the arena, our rule is that no weapons are allowed except for the use of Martial Souls and oneself. As for the rules? The rule of our arena is that there are no rules. As long as you don't kill your opponent, you are not breaking the rules. Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome this carnival in the coming time!"
What is the most exciting match in the Great Soul Arena? Ordinary Soul Battles? No. A gamble between two people with a grudge? Interesting, but how to put it, almost unless it is a life-or-death feud, people will not go to their deaths in a gamble.
The most exciting, most attractive, and most profitable Soul Battle in the Great Soul Arena is the deathmatch. There are no restrictions on means or methods. One-on-one, two-on-two, five-on-five, seven-on-seven, no matter the method or the reason, the moment the two people step onto the arena, it is destined that only one of them can leave the arena.
The clash between wildness and blood, the struggle between life and death—this is the most exciting competition in the deathmatch arena.
What's the point of watching a battle if there's no bloodshed?
Therefore, Lin Yan not only doesn't restrict the combatants, but also encourages them to go all out; as long as they don't kill, there's generally no problem.
The oppressive atmosphere instantly exploded, and Wang Qi sighed as he looked at the red-eyed figures appearing in the crowd.
"The thrill and excitement of this kind of betting, this life-or-death struggle, it's truly a dirty game."
Touching the pendant hanging on his chest, Wang Qi continued eating snacks and watching the match.
About an hour passed, and finally it was Wang Qi's second match—the quarterfinals.
Wang Qi's opponent was a student from the intermediate class of Blazing Fire Academy. As his opponent, he naturally noticed Wang Qi's victory over the commoner Soul Master and his immediate completion of Martial Soul Possession upon stepping onto the stage.
However, this student seemed to have underestimated Wang Qi's strength and control over his Martial Soul. The moment the referee gave the order to begin, Wang Qi sprinted towards his opponent at full speed. In less than ten meters, he instantly completed Martial Soul Possession while running. His opponent barely had time to react before Wang Qi struck him in the stomach. Taking advantage of the moment when his waist bent, Wang Qi kicked him off the stage with a back leg.
"It's over, referee, announce the result."
"In this quarter-final Soul Battle, the third-generation Vermilion Bird contestant has won. Let us once again congratulate the third-generation Vermilion Bird contestant for fighting beyond his level!"
The morning passed quickly. Wang Qi was preparing to continue exploring Blazing Fire City and take a break when he was stopped at the restaurant entrance by the admissions officer from Blazing Fire Academy and the Huo Wushuang siblings.
"Little brother, didn't we agree before? You were supposed to wait for me in the simulated environment training room at noon? Why are you..."
"I didn't agree."
"You're such a naughty brat. Wushuang, Huowu, I've brought this brat. As for whether you can persuade him, that's up to you two."
After saying that, the tall beauty left, leaving Huo Wushuang and his sister and Wang Qi staring at each other.
"What do you want? You're not inviting me to join Blazing Fire Academy, are you? I don't remember Blazing Fire Academy being short of students."
Wang Qi cut to the chase when the two spoke.
Huo Wushuang scratched his head awkwardly. Huowu stepped forward and said to Wang Qi, "Your strength is not bad. I think you're suitable to be my..."
"You think it's useless, or is Blazing Fire Academy a bandit's den? You forcibly take away all the soul masters who don't join Blazing Fire Academy?" Wang Qi said indifferently, which made Huowu clench her fist and punch Wang Qi's head in anger.
Wang Qi tilted his head slightly, grabbed Huo Wu's shoulder and pulled her sharply, his knee thrusting forward. Just as he was about to strike Huo Wu, Wang Qi sensed danger and quickly retreated.
Looking at Huo Wu, who had completed her Martial Soul Possession, Wang Qi frowned.
"Are you going to attack?"
"Huo Wu, calm down, don't be impulsive." Seeing that Huo Wu was blinded by anger, Huo Wushuang quickly suppressed Huo Wu's impending rage and clasped his hands in apology to Wang Qi.
"Friend, I apologize. My sister has a rather impulsive personality. I apologize on her behalf. I am a member of the Huo family from Blazing City. If you encounter any trouble in Blazing City, you can mention my name."
"As for inviting you to join Blazing Academy, I'm not sure how to bring it up right now. However, I can promise you here that if you don't find an academy more suitable for you during your travels, you can come to our Blazing Academy. I guarantee you can enjoy advanced resources ahead of time."
"My name is Huo Wushuang, and this is my sister, Huo Wu. May I ask your name, friend?"
Wang Qi took the token from Huo Wushuang, glanced at Huo Wushuang, then at Huo Wu, who resembled a little lion ready to erupt at any moment, and tossed the token back.
"This is useless to me. A mid-level cultivation room token from the simulated environment cultivation room is much better."
(End of Chapter)