Chapter 60: The Soul Duel Begins!

"Hello, my name is Cheng Xiao, a level 35 Assault-type Battle Soul Master." Cheng Xiao extended his right hand towards Ye Lingling in a gesture of goodwill.

"Hello, my name is Ye Lingling, a level 35 Support-type Tool Soul Master." Ye Lingling also extended her hand, shaking Cheng Xiao's.

"Alright, everyone get ready. We'll head into the Great Heaven Dou Soul Arena now." After Cheng Xiao and Ye Lingling exchanged names, Qin Ming waved at the rest of the Royal Battle Team and led the group toward the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena.

The entire Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena was oval-shaped, with a height of about 120 meters. Inside, there was one main Soul Arena and thirty-six subsidiary arenas, capable of accommodating around 100,000 spectators at the same time, including more than 1,000 VIP boxes.

The Soul Arena wasn't just a place for Soul Masters to prove their strength; it was also a platform where various sects and forces showcased their wealth.

As they approached the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena, Qin Ming briefly explained the rules and structure of the arena to Cheng Xiao. Their purpose in coming here was to engage in Soul Duels to improve their combat skills, not for life-and-death battles.

There were various types of Soul Duels, roughly divided into tactical duels, life-and-death duels, gambling duels, and tournament duels. The matches were held in three formats: one-on-one, two-on-two, and team battles.

The number of participants in team battles was usually agreed upon by both sides. According to the arena's rules, the number was generally limited to seven to ten participants.

Upon entering the arena, Cheng Xiao saw a massive stone tablet inscribed with densely packed names. Qin Ming told him that these were the names of Soul Masters who had died in the arena.

Cheng Xiao nodded slightly, indicating his understanding.

Registering for Soul Duels was a quick and straightforward process. One just needed to fill out a form with their name, age, birthplace, and Martial Soul. After completing the form, they would receive an entry-level Iron Soul Badge. However, to Cheng Xiao's surprise, registration required a fee of ten gold Soul coins.

After paying the fee, Cheng Xiao felt a pang of pain. After all, ten gold Soul coins was not a small amount! Once registration was complete, the duel order was arranged. Qin Ming took Cheng Xiao to the tactical duel area, said a few brief words, and then left on his own.

Soon, the Royal Battle Team's one-on-one duels were arranged. Except for the support-type Soul Master Ye Lingling, who didn't participate in combat, the other members were assigned to their respective match areas for their Soul Duels.

The Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena felt like a gladiatorial arena to Cheng Xiao, except the combatants were Soul Masters instead of warriors and beasts.

Participating Soul Masters were all placed in a spacious room to rest and await their matches.

As the Royal Battle Team members arrived in the resting area, the other Soul Masters who recognized their name instinctively kept their distance, fearing they might accidentally offend this group of prominent Soul Masters.

"Teacher, are you sure it's alright to pair Lingling with Cheng Xiao?" Dugu Yan asked, frowning slightly as she looked at Cheng Xiao, who was silently sitting next to Ye Lingling. "His Soul power level might not be low, but none of us have seen him fight. If Lingling gets hurt, I won't let him off easily!"

Hearing this, Yu Tianheng, who stood beside Dugu Yan, smiled wryly but reassured her in a soft tone, "Yan, if he's reached the level of a Soul Elder at his age, he must have some extraordinary abilities. Lingling should be fine pairing up with him."

"That said, remember what Teacher Qin Ming mentioned earlier. During the duel, don't casually use your Jade Phosphor Serpent venom."

"I know, I know. Tianheng, you're starting to sound just like Teacher Qin Ming—so annoying." Dugu Yan shot Yu Tianheng a glare and huffed.

"It's for your own good," Yu Tianheng said, shaking his head, feeling somewhat helpless toward Dugu Yan's personality.

The matchups in the one-on-one duel area were determined by drawing lots. While other Soul Masters dueled, the waiting Soul Masters could either watch the matches or rest to maintain their condition.

Aside from life-and-death duels, the arena prohibited fatal injuries, which could be seen as a protective mechanism.

The first to take the stage from the Royal Battle Team was Oslo. Using his incredible speed, he easily defeated his opponent and won the match.

The second match featured Yu Tianheng. As the team captain of the Royal Battle Team, not only was he personally strong, but he also possessed the top-tier Beast Martial Soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Upon seeing Yu Tianheng's Martial Soul, his opponent immediately lost the will to fight. For ordinary Soul Masters, facing a top-tier Martial Soul meant having no chance at all.

As the matches continued, it was finally Cheng Xiao's turn. To his surprise, his opponent was Dugu Yan! On the dueling platform, a female host holding a microphone stood in the center. She cleared her throat, her voice ethereal as she announced, "Now, let's welcome the fourth match in the sixth division of the Soul Duel! The two competing Soul Elders are Beast Martial Soul Battle Soul Elder Dugu Yan and Beast Martial Soul Battle Soul Elder Cheng Xiao. Let's look forward to the sparks these two Soul Elders will ignite! Please welcome the contestants to the stage!"

As the host finished speaking, the audience in the Soul Arena erupted in cheers. The regulars who loved Soul Duels were well aware of Dugu Yan's reputation, and now they were eager to see her torment another Soul Elder with her venomous poison.

"Please, show me your full strength." Upon learning that she would be dueling Cheng Xiao, Dugu Yan's expression grew more serious. She wanted to see just what kind of power this twelve-year-old Soul Elder possessed.

"It will be my honor," Cheng Xiao replied with a slight smile, accepting her request without hesitation.

With that, Dugu Yan said nothing more. She glanced at the anxious Yu Tianheng, then strode towards the Soul Masters' entrance with her long legs.

As Dugu Yan left, Cheng Xiao prepared to follow, but Ye Lingling, who had been sitting silently beside him, suddenly tugged at his sleeve. Normally, she wasn't fond of speaking to others, but she made an exception this time.

"Cheng Xiao, Yan Yan has a bad temper. If she uses her serpent venom, you should surrender and jump off the platform. My Martial Soul can't neutralize her poison."

Cheng Xiao was momentarily stunned by Ye Lingling's words. Then, after nodding in acknowledgment, he strode toward the Soul Masters' entrance.

After Cheng Xiao left, the remaining members of the Royal Battle Team in the resting room were all in disbelief. Normally, Ye Lingling barely spoke more than three sentences a day to anyone except Dugu Yan. Yet here she was, showing kindness to a boy who had just joined their team?

Yu Feng practically fell to his knees. Other than Yu Tianheng, who had a girlfriend, both he and Oslo were single. The Shi brothers were clueless about romance. But now, he had the distinct feeling that the hidden gem of their team was being stolen away by a "blonde boy." But wait, Cheng Xiao wasn't blonde at all! The real blonde was Oslo! Cheng Xiao had black hair!

While Yufeng was grappling with these thoughts, Cheng Xiao and Dugu Yan were already standing on the dueling platform. As they faced off from opposite sides, the crowd, well aware of Dugu Yan's fearsome reputation, began cheering. Many of them had bet on Dugu Yan, and if she won this match, they stood to gain a substantial amount of gold Soul coins.

Still, some audience members had bet on Cheng Xiao, though their wagers were much smaller compared to those placed on Dugu Yan.

"Teacher Qin Ming, was it your intention for Cheng Xiao to face Yan in his first match in the Great Soul Arena? With his Iron Soul Badge, encountering Yan seems like no coincidence," Yu Tianheng asked, glancing at the two combatants through the large crystal window, speaking softly to Qin Ming.

"You guessed right." Qin Ming patted Yu Tianheng's shoulder and smiled. "Tianheng, I value you the most in the Royal Battle Team. Originally, I intended to have you face Cheng Xiao in a duel. But after some thought, I decided it would be better to let Yan handle it."

"Cheng Xiao is currently at level 35. I believe it will be easy for him to earn a Silver Soul Badge. But since he's part of the Royal Battle Team now, you are all one unit. Most Soul Elders at the Silver Badge level are those with less talent. Cheng Xiao could likely defeat them without much effort, but that wouldn't give me a clear sense of his true strength."

"Dugu Yan is proud and confident. If Cheng Xiao can take her down a notch, it won't be a bad thing. Tianheng, you understand what I mean, don't you?" Qin Ming finished, then sat down on a nearby sofa.

Yu Tianheng pondered for a moment. "I understand, Teacher Qin."

Qin Ming nodded, his eyes glinting with a deep wisdom. "You should observe Cheng Xiao's Martial Soul abilities and strength. As the captain of the Royal Battle Team, it's essential for you to thoroughly understand the Martial Souls and abilities of all your team members."

"Yes, Teacher," Yu Tianheng replied, his expression serious. He turned his gaze back toward the Soul Masters' dueling platform, now focusing entirely on the match between Cheng Xiao and Dugu Yan.

As someone who possesses the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, he was undoubtedly proud and conceited. But now, he had no choice but to stay fully alert, for the psychological pressure Cheng Xiao brought him was quite significant.