Flender glanced at the sky. "It's about time. Let's head over. I'll explain the rest once we're there."
After settling the tea bill, the group of six exited the teahouse and made their way toward the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena.
As they approached, the overwhelming presence of the arena became more and more apparent. When Li Chang'an and Xiao Wu had first arrived in Suotuo City, they hadn't visited this part of town—so they had no idea such a colossal structure existed here.
The Suotuo Great Spirit Arena was built in an oval shape, towering 120 meters high. Inside, it was divided into a main arena and twenty-four sub-arenas. It could host up to sixty thousand spectators simultaneously, including one hundred luxury VIP booths. This place wasn't just a site for spirit masters to duel and exchange skills—it was also where various factions showcased their strength.
As they walked, Flender gave them a basic rundown of the arena's rules and structure.
There were three types of spirit fights here. The first was sparring matches, friendly bouts meant for training and skill exchange—severe injuries or killing were strictly prohibited.
The second type was life-and-death duels, used to settle irreconcilable conflicts.
The third type was wager matches, where both sides placed a bet, and the arena acted as the neutral referee. Equal numbers of spirit masters would be fielded by both parties, and the victors would claim everything outlined in the bet. These wager matches were, by default, life-and-death battles. Nobles and clans often resorted to this method when serious disputes arose.
Match formats also fell into three categories: one-on-one, two-on-two, and team battles. For team fights, the number of participants was negotiated between the two sides, but according to arena regulations, it usually ranged between seven to ten members.
As they entered the arena, the first thing that caught their eyes was a massive stone tablet, densely engraved with names.
Flender explained, "These are all the spirit masters who died in combat here."
Registering for the spirit fights was quite simple. You just had to fill out a form with your name, age, place of birth, and martial soul, and you'd be issued a basic Iron Spirit Arena Badge. Of course, each participant also had to pay ten gold coins as a registration fee.
At this point, Flender turned to Li Chang'an. "Changsheng, you're already a Spirit King. There might not be many suitable matches for you here. You'll act as team leader."
Li Chang'an immediately frowned—he had been counting on the Spirit Arena to help him accumulate points. After all, with tens of thousands in the audience, even one point per person added up quickly. But he already had a plan in mind.
He came to a stop, and carefully set up a barrier of soul power to isolate their conversation from outsiders.
"To be honest, Dean… I actually have twin martial souls. My second martial soul only has two spirit rings, and I have a way to suppress my spirit power to around Rank 30. So, I'd like to participate in the fights myself—and I'm aiming to earn the Amethyst Badge!"
That was a bombshell. Everyone was stunned. They had all heard of twin martial souls before, but seeing one in person was another matter entirely. The most shocked among them was Tang San—he never imagined there would be someone else with twin martial souls!
Of course, Li Chang'an had no intention of actually using his Donghuang Bell in battle. He planned to use the Pangu Axe and disguise it through the transformation skills of his Thousand Morph ability. As for spirit power and rings, he could use the Thousand Morph spirit bone to conceal those as well.
Why go through all the trouble? Simple—Xiao Wu was just over Rank 20, which made them a perfect team match. As for Zhu Zhuqing… jumping on that opportunity right now would seem a bit too forward.
Coincidentally, as Li Chang'an spoke, two people looked up: one was Xiao Wu, the other was—Zhu Zhuqing.
"…Alright then," Flender said after a moment of surprise. "If that's the case, you can join the competition too." There was really nothing he could do to stop him. He'd just have to watch over them more closely.
Inside the arena, everyone paid their fees and completed their registration. They also underwent a spirit power test—much like the ones done by the Spirit Hall—to determine their current ranks. Dai Mubai explained that every participant had to undergo such a test before each match to ensure fair pairings.
Just as Li Chang'an had said, his measured spirit power came out as level 29—right on target.
"Brother, let's team up!" Xiao Wu beamed. "Let's call ourselves… hmm…"
She racked her brain, but couldn't come up with a good name that fit both of their names.
Li Chang'an gently patted her hand and smiled. "Let's go with The Unreasonable Duo. It's just a name, after all."
Xiao Wu thought about it for a second and nodded. Then she bounced off to complete the registration.
Ma Hongjun had originally wanted to team up with Zhu Zhuqing, but she turned him down without hesitation. Left with no other choice, he paired up with Tang San instead. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had mismatched power levels, so they both opted for solo matches.
Li Chang'an and the others also registered for solo matches—it was a good opportunity for individual growth and combat experience.
One small detail worth noting: after registration, they each received a mask from the arena to wear during matches, both for anonymity and safety.
Soon, all six had been assigned to their matches. Since they had registered together, they were placed in the same section—Sub-Arena 14, located in the Sparring Zone. Dai Mubai's opponent was of Spirit Elder rank, while the others, including Li Chang'an, were matched against Grandmaster-level spirit masters.
The Suotuo Great Spirit Arena was a well-oiled machine. Ticket prices varied by match type and venue. The sparring matches, like the ones Li Chang'an and the others were about to enter, had the lowest ticket prices—and the smallest audiences.
The fighters were gathered in a large waiting room, where they could rest before their turn came up.
Match pairings in the one-on-one arena were determined by a lottery. While waiting, participants could either rest or watch other matches. Each sub-arena had designated viewing areas for contestants, positioned close to the battle ring.
Xiao Wu was the first of the six to be called. Naturally, the others chose to watch her match. Under the guidance of a staff member, they were led to a special section at the side of the ring, just below the spectator stands, with a clear view of the entire stage.
Despite being a sub-arena, the platform was still quite large—twenty meters in diameter, offering plenty of room for spirit masters to show their skills. Unfortunately, because it was a sparring zone match, attendance was sparse—only about one-fifth of the seats were filled.
Li Chang'an wasn't worried about Xiao Wu's safety, but he still spread his spiritual sense across the arena—just in case.
As expected, there were no surprises. No slip-ups. Xiao Wu ended the fight in an effortless and straightforward manner—charm, close in, finish.
Once she closed the distance, there was no way a fellow spirit master at the same level could resist. The outcome was inevitable.
Of course, in Li Chang'an's eyes, it wasn't Xiao Wu's combat that amazed him the most—it was her waist technique. The way she could bend… her knees could practically touch her shoulders. That wasn't just a combat asset—it was an indulgent pleasure he could never put into words...
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