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After a night of deep thought, Yang Fan summarized his options for obtaining a soul bone:
Option One: Hunt soul beasts.
The most direct method in Soul Land.
That's why the towns on the outskirts of the soul beast forests were always bustling—not just with freelance soul masters earning coin by helping others hunt soul rings, but also with those hoping to "farm" soul bones to boost their own power.
This group made up the vast majority.
Option Two: Auction house bidding.
This required sheer, unpredictable luck.
Option Three: Kill soul masters who already possessed soul bones.
Though rare, soul bones weren't extinct. A handful of soul masters did possess them—but they kept this secret closely guarded. Every known bearer was undeniably powerful.
Yang Fan deeply felt the weight of his path ahead.
Just one Tier-4 pill was already giving him a headache.
…
That afternoon, Yang Fan plunged into Tian Dou City's largest apothecary—and didn't emerge until evening.
So expensive!
Four stalks of Ink Leaf Lotus, two Snake Saliva Fruits, and one Spirit-Gathering Grass cost him 300 gold soul coins!
On top of that, Yao Lao had him buy extra herbs for healing, body protection, and mental fortification—just in case.
In total, he spent 500 gold soul coins in a single afternoon.
Fortunately, his recent promotion from Iron to Bronze tier meant he now earned 100 gold coins per win. Without those duel winnings, he wouldn't have walked out of that shop today.
The apothecary was near the city center—close to the Arena.
Yang Fan grabbed a quick bite and headed straight there.
For someone as broke as him, skipping even one duel felt like starvation.
…
Night fell.
The arena glittered with lights, packed with spectators.
Only three kinds of people came here:
1) Spectators spending money
2) Soul masters earning coin
3) Ambitious youths seeking self-improvement.
Yang Fan fit neatly into categories two and three.
At registration, he tossed his Bronze-tier badge onto the counter.
He'd become something of a minor celebrity in the arena—after all, daily underdog victories were rare.
The clerk recognized the black cloak instantly and processed his sign-up without a word.
No conversation passed between them.
"I'd like to register for a one-on-one duel!"
A towering figure loomed behind Yang Fan, radiating cold hostility.
It was Raging Rhino, captain of the Mad Battle Team—over two meters tall, a veritable mountain beside Yang Fan.
"Little one," Yao Lao murmured, "your opponent has arrived."
Yang Fan gave a slight nod.
He understood.
The arena's matchmaking was simple: opponents were paired based on registration order.
If no one was queued before you, the next registrant became your match.
(He didn't know if team battles worked the same—but one-on-one duels definitely did.)
Raging Rhino had clearly been waiting for him, aiming to ambush him in a solo duel.
…
Since Yang Fan was first to arrive today, the arena scheduled him immediately.
"Esteemed guests, good evening!" the announcer boomed.
"Our first one-on-one duel of the night features a newcomer to solo combat—Raging Rhino!"
Though new to one-on-one fights, Raging Rhino had already made a name for himself by leading his team to consecutive victories in team battles.
"And his opponent—the Level 19 soul master who's been defying ranks with every victory… Yao——Chen!"
The moment Yang Fan stepped onto the platform, cheers erupted from the stands.
Tonight's crowd was noticeably larger—though he couldn't tell if they came for him or his hulking opponent.
"I heard you're strong," Raging Rhino sneered across the arena, flashing a taunting gesture. "I'll test that myself."
His ambush wasn't driven by petty pride—it was business.
The Mad Battle Team had heavily bet on this match.
He simply refused to believe a one-ring soul master could be any real threat.
Before the referee even announced the one-minute prep time, Raging Rhino arrogantly summoned his martial soul.
His martial soul was a rhinoceros—a defense-leaning strength-type soul.
Similar to the Armor Plated Giant Rhinoceros, but vastly inferior in quality.
As his soul activated, one white and one yellow soul ring appeared at his feet.
While unremarkable in elite circles, such rings were common and standard among the freelance soul masters in the arena.
Most commoner soul masters, lacking the skill to hunt stronger beasts, settled for easy-to-kill ten-year soul beasts.
Raging Rhino's confidence came purely from his Level 29 soul power.
"Begin!"
Upon activation, his body swelled, his skin hardening into armor-like keratin. His head transformed most dramatically—a half-foot-long horn glowing amber-brown.
With a thunderous roar, his ten-year soul ring flared white.
He charged forward with unstoppable momentum, aiming straight for Yang Fan.
The Mad Battle Team's reputation for leaving opponents dead or crippled stemmed directly from their captain's brutal style.
"A strong-attack soul master, huh?" Yang Fan mused.
His Dou Qi core surged instantly.
Whether facing strong-attack, control, or agility types—his response never changed.
Crimson Dou Qi erupted from his palm, engulfing the Flame Splitting Tsunami in flame.
As Raging Rhino's fist descended, Yang Fan swung his ruler upward—
Chasing Stars · Blazing Fire!
An Earth-Tier Low-grade technique—mastery promised mountain-splitting power.
The blazing Dou Qi collided with Raging Rhino's massive fist midair, detonating like a compressed gas explosion.
Fiery energy recoiled instantly, sending an invisible shockwave that staggered Raging Rhino backward.
Though Chasing Stars · Blazing Fire was designed for Yang Fan's Flaming Soul Breaking Spear, it still worked with the ruler—just with reduced effectiveness.
"That's all you've got?" Raging Rhino mocked, regaining his footing.
"What kind of man did your mother sleep with to birth such a runt?"
Psychological warfare.
Underestimating Yang Fan, Raging Rhino tried to disrupt his rhythm with insults—a tactic his team had used repeatedly to probe opponents' limits.
And it worked.
Those words struck a nerve—and Yang Fan's attack pattern shifted instantly.
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