As soon as Dugu Feng stepped out from the staircase onto the top floor, he sensed an aura of evil and madness.
He abruptly looked up to see a formidable man dressed in black standing there, a sinister smile playing on his lips as he watched the Soul Duel below. Suddenly, the man turned his gaze toward Dugu Feng and the others.
His expression shifted instantly into one of hearty laughter: "Patriarch Dugu, Hei Mo has been waiting here for quite some time. The Great Soul Arena has always been controlled by the seven most prestigious families on the continent. Now that the Defense Clan has withdrawn, my Black Tiger Sect, with the recommendation of the Sacred Dragon Sect, wishes to join the Great Soul Arena. I hope Patriarch Dugu will go easy on us during the Soul Duel!"
"The Black Tiger Sect? A sect that isn't even part of the Lower Four Sects dares to muddy the waters?" Dugu Shuo sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.
The formidable man who called himself Hei Mo stiffened slightly but maintained his smile. "Not now, perhaps, but who knows about the future? If the Dugu Family could show some leniency during the Soul Duel, Hei Mo would remember this favor!"
Hei Mo clasped his fists, his tone carrying a hint of sincerity.
"Patriarch Hei Mo, do you know what prestige means? Prestige is power. Without power, how can you speak of prestige? The Soul Duel concerns family honor—let the arena decide the truth!" Old Snake coldly mocked.
Old Snake might as well have pointed at Hei Mo's nose and called him delusional for wanting a share of the benefits without the strength to back it up.
Hei Mo could no longer force a smile. With a stiff fist-clasp, he turned and left, inwardly cursing. The Dugu Family truly refused to yield to either soft or hard tactics. If not for his fear of their poison, he would have retorted without hesitation.
"Hmph!" Dugu Shuo let out a cold laugh before leading Dugu Feng into the VIP room.
The room was extravagantly decorated, with a dazzling Western-style ambiance. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the space brightly. Dugu Shuo sat on the sofa, his expression icy. "Feng'er, do you remember the information about the Black Tiger Sect?"
Without hesitation, Dugu Feng replied, "The Black Tiger Sect is located within the Star Luo Empire. Their strongest member is a Soul Saint with the Black Demon Tiger Martial Soul, possessing both wind and evil attributes. The Black Demon Tiger carries a trace of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's bloodline. The Black Tiger Sect has long-standing enmity with the White Tiger Sect and the Star Luo Imperial Family, enduring constant suppression from the Dai Family. This time, they must have joined the Spirit Hall—otherwise, they wouldn't dare compete for the share of benefits left by the Clear Sky Sect's withdrawal."
He knew full well that the Black Tiger Sect would later become one of the Lower Four Sects, undoubtedly due to their allegiance to the Spirit Hall.
"There's one thing you got wrong. Hei Mo has already advanced to Soul Douluo. His increased strength has given him greater delusions," Dugu Shuo said coldly.
Soul Douluo!
Dugu Feng was surprised. The Black Tiger Sect was locked in an irreconcilable feud with the Dai Family and the White Tiger Sect. Despite enduring years of suppression within the Star Luo Empire, they had managed to survive—proof that the sect had its strengths. Their Martial Soul possessed dual attributes of evil and wind. According to the family's previous intelligence, Hei Mo had been a Soul Saint, but now he had advanced to Soul Douluo. His strength among Soul Douluo was likely extraordinary—this was the source of Hei Mo's confidence.
Bibi Dong really knew how to stir up trouble, Dugu Feng sighed inwardly.
The Tian Dou Empire had rallied the Elephant Armor Sect to prepare for a counterattack, while the Star Luo Empire had reclaimed the Black Tiger Sect, aiming to seize another share of benefits.
Though Bibi Dong was far away in Spirit City, she had been scheming extensively behind the scenes.
"The new Pope of the Spirit Hall is no simple figure. She actually poisoned Xue Ye the Great while also rallying other forces in the Soul Master world to covet the Great Soul Arena. Her ambitions are immense!" Dugu Shuo remarked expressionlessly.
The poison afflicting Xue Ye the Great was the same as the one that had struck Ge Ying, and along the way, the incident involving the Sacred Dragon Sect had occurred.
Dugu Shuo had nearly pieced everything together.
The only thing he hadn't deduced was that Xue Qinghe was actually Qian Renxue in disguise.
"Feng'er, after this Soul Duel, you and Old Scorpion should leave the family for a while. Head north to train and absorb your second Spirit Ring," Dugu Shuo said, looking at Dugu Feng.
"Yes, Father!" Dugu Feng quickly agreed.
He understood well—this was the Dugu Family's way of survival.
Never put all your eggs in one basket.
With poison, the most crucial aspect was deterrence. As long as that hidden threat remained, the family would stay safe.
Moreover, the Spirit Hall was indeed formidable, and the family had become its stumbling block. Caution was necessary.
That madwoman Bibi Dong—she would have to taste his Overlord Venom someday. Let's see if her spider venom was stronger or his Overlord Venom.
After speaking with his father, Dugu Feng left the room.
A few steps ahead was a railing made of marble. Through it, he could clearly see the fierce battles and wagers taking place in the Great Soul Arena below, enjoying the feeling of being high above.
It was no less impressive than the grand stadiums back on Earth. The exhilarating roars from below rivaled those of major sporting events.
Before Dugu Feng could be drawn to the duels below, his attention was caught by two young women sitting on a circular platform not far away—an excellent vantage point.
They seemed to be discussing his family.
Dugu Feng immediately pricked up his ears.
"Zhuqing, the Dugu Family has arrived. Among their team is a one-ring Soul Master. According to the Sacred Dragon Sect's intelligence, he's the young master of the Dugu Family. If you take the stage, you'll face him in a Soul Duel.
But it's fine if you lose. The duels among the six great families follow a challenge format.
As long as a family wins against the other five in one Soul Master tier, it's enough. And in the Soul Expert tier, no one can match me!"
The speaker was a tall young woman with an exceptionally voluptuous figure—the kind where she couldn't see her feet when looking down.
She wore a purple leather outfit, cinched at the waist with a black belt that perfectly accentuated her curves. As she spoke, her smile was as warm as a spring breeze.
Beside her, gazing down at the Great Soul Arena, was a slightly younger girl dressed similarly, though her expression was much colder.
Yet in terms of beauty, her icy demeanor was no less striking.
"Sister, I won't admit defeat. No matter how potent his poison is, it depends on whether he can release it before my attacks land!" Zhu Zhuqing said coldly.
Dugu Feng was startled—these were the Zhu sisters.
But judging by their figures, who else could they be?
Even Zhu Zhuqing, despite her young age, had already begun developing, her chest slightly rounded. Paired with her frosty demeanor, she somehow seemed even more alluring than her sister, Zhu Zhuyun.
The challenge format Zhu Zhuyun had mentioned was the dueling method used by the six great families.
In reality, it was more akin to a sparring match, with rules that weren't overly strict.
From Soul Master to Soul Douluo, there were eight realms. Each family only needed to dominate in one realm to maintain their interests in the Great Soul Arena.
Similarly, if a new family wanted to join, like the Hei Mo Sect, they would also need to defeat one of the six great families in a particular realm.
There was considerable leeway in this arrangement.
If there were no major conflicts of interest, it was mostly about sparring to gauge each other's strength.