"And the other contestant," the announcer on stage deliberately paused for dramatic effect, "is the Soul Grandmaster who has already secured three consecutive victories in our arena—Huo——Wu!"
The stands weren't as packed as one might expect.
One-on-one duels at the Soul Grandmaster level rarely drew big crowds in any city. What truly captivated audiences were always team battles.
Still, when Huo Wu stepped onto the arena floor, a wave of cheers erupted from the audience.
And not only that—
While cheering for Huo Wu, they didn't miss the chance to mentally mock Yang Fan, the obvious rookie.
Well… they'd clearly bet against him.
"As our esteemed guests may have noticed," the announcer continued, "this is an underdog challenge! Level 19 soul master Yao Chen faces off against Level 25 Soul Grandmaster Huo Wu!"
Another ripple of murmurs swept through the stands.
Rank-challenging duels had existed since the dawn of soul arenas—but they were exceedingly rare.
A one-ring soul master challenging a two-ring opponent? That was practically absurd!
Your opponent can unleash two soul skills—you only have one. How could such a match possibly be fair?
"Now, let us enjoy this thrilling spectacle!"
At this point, Huo Wu was still just a girl who looked twelve or thirteen—fiery red hair framing a face radiating youthful vigor and sharp, assertive confidence.
She was clearly annoyed at being matched against such an obvious weakling!
Perhaps due to early development common in girls, she stood nearly 1.7 meters tall.
"You have one minute to prepare."
The moment the referee spoke, Huo Wu immediately released her two soul rings.
A crimson silhouette flickered into existence behind her—her martial soul: Fire Shadow.
"Contestants should summon their martial souls during preparation time," the referee said, assuming Yang Fan was a complete novice unfamiliar with arena rules.
But even after the reminder, Yang Fan remained motionless—earning himself a look from the referee that clearly said, "What a weirdo."
The minute vanished in an instant…
As soon as the referee declared the match begun, Huo Wu's long, powerful legs launched her forward like a bolt of lightning.
Mid-sprint, her first soul ring flared—and orange-red flames erupted around her fist.
The dozens of meters between them closed in a heartbeat.
In the blink of an eye—
A jet-black Heavy Xuan Ruler materialized in Yang Fan's hands.
Thanks to two months of grueling training and the physical enhancements from the Blue Emperor Soul Bone Pill, he could now barely manage to swing the massive weapon.
Its sudden appearance caught Huo Wu completely off guard.
Her flaming punch struck the ruler with a dull thud—and in the next instant, she was sent flying backward by the impact.
Meanwhile, Yang Fan stood firm—the ruler's sheer weight anchoring him the moment it touched the ground.
Unlike the Continental Soul Master Tournament, the Great Spirit Arena allowed any weapon, including martial souls.
Huo Wu's arrogance vanished, replaced by grim focus.
That single exchange had shattered her underestimation of this faceless, short opponent.
"Flame Meteor!"
First the declaration—then the execution.
Huo Wu roared as both her soul rings flashed simultaneously.
Behind her, the Fire Shadow surged with soul power, dancing in sync with her movements. From midair, a blazing trail shot downward—strikingly reminiscent of a falling meteor.
Yang Fan pivoted sharply. Dou Qi surged from his core, channeled through his arm into the Heavy Xuan Ruler.
In the same motion, he leapt high—and swung horizontally at Huo Wu, five meters away.
A crescent-shaped blade of Dou Qi ripped through the air.
THUD!
Huo Wu crashed hard onto the arena floor.
She'd tried to block—but failed utterly.
"Good lad," Yao Lao murmured inwardly.
Though seasoned by countless battles and normally unshakable as a still pond, Yao Lao couldn't suppress a surge of excitement at Yang Fan's performance.
The move was crude—undeniably ugly—but Yao Lao recognized the unmistakable shadow of the Flame Splitting Tsunami in it.
He'd only used that Earth-Tier technique once—back when cleaving the waterfall to reach the Blue Silver Emperor.
Yet this brat had somehow figured out a bit of its essence after just a single glimpse.
"I learn from the best," Yang Fan replied modestly.
He knew he hadn't grasped the true essence.
Dou technique scrolls were inscribed with soul energy—when read, that imprint would embed itself directly into the mind.
That was the real secret of a technique.
All he'd done was use the Heavy Xuan Ruler as a conduit to slam raw Dou Qi into Huo Wu.
"Winner of the third one-on-one duel—Yao Chen!"
While the crowd reeled in shock, Yang Fan quietly slipped off the arena.
At the payout counter, he collected his prize: ten gold soul coins—enough to recoup his registration fee.
Ten gold coins…
At this rate, it would take ages to save enough for the auction house. And even then, there was no guarantee the Blazing Dragon Gallbladder Grass would appear—it was a treasure you could only find by sheer luck.
To break free from this bind, he had two options:
1) Use earnings to buy herbs, refine pills, and resell for profit.
2) Quickly advance from Iron-tier to Bronze-tier duelist for higher payouts.
He chose both.
"Yao Chen!"
Yang Fan didn't need to turn around—he recognized Huo Wu's voice instantly.
Run!
This girl might try to steal his winnings.
"Yao Chen! I challenge you to another match!"
Just as she was about to give chase, her brother Huo Wushuang grabbed her arm.
"Sister, what are you doing?"
"I just want to fight him again!"
Huo Wu glared furiously in the direction Yang Fan had vanished.
"Let it go," Huo Wushuang sighed. "Victory and defeat are part of battle."
"I have to fight him again!"
If her opponent had been a seasoned Level 29 soul master, she might have accepted the loss.
But he was only Level 19—with a single soul ring!
A prodigy raised in adoration since childhood couldn't stomach such humiliation.
"Ah…" Huo Wushuang shook his head helplessly.
His sister had already exhausted both her soul skills—while her opponent hadn't even summoned his martial soul.
…
Yang Fan turned down two side streets and, in an empty alley, removed his black cloak.
"Master… my body…"
"You've noticed already?"
"Yes!"
This duel had revealed something astonishing:
His self-recovery ability was… terrifying.
By the time he'd walked out of the arena, all the Dou Qi and energy he'd expended had fully replenished.
"That's a gift from the Blue Emperor Soul Bone Pill," Yao Lao explained.
Suddenly, Yang Fan understood.
In the original story, after absorbing the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone, Tang San gained two abilities:
"Wildfire Cannot Destroy the Grass, It Grows Again With the Spring Wind" and flight.
Yao Lao's pill lacked the flight ability—but it had woven the regenerative essence of "Wildfire Cannot Destroy" directly into its core.
That soul bone skill could even regrow severed limbs.
Whether the pill retained that extreme regenerative power remained unknown.
Yang Fan hoped he'd never have to find out.
If possible, he wished he'd never need to use it at all.
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