Under the guidance of the staff, Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and the eight-person team led by Yu Chen arrived at the meeting room of the Soto City Arena of Souls.
The layout of the meeting room was simple: a table, over a dozen stools, and wooden bookshelves lining the walls.
At that moment, a middle-aged man who appeared to be around thirty-four years old, with neatly combed hair and glasses, was tidying up the bookshelf.
"Hello, my name is Lu Yang, the supervisor of the Soto City Arena of Souls," the man said, turning to greet Yu Xiaogang with a polite nod. "You must be the leaders of the Shrek Academy team?"
His gaze shifted, pausing on Yu Chen. "And this young man wearing the dragon mask—he should be the famed 'Nine Heavens Canglong,' correct?"
Just like those outside the arena, Lu Yang's attention remained fixated on Yu Chen as soon as he entered.
Each arena under the Heaven Dou Empire's jurisdiction is overseen by designated officials, and Lu Yang was the one assigned to Soto City.
"Excuse me, Supervisor Lu, what do you need from us?" Yu Xiaogang asked, frowning slightly.
"I believe you've already heard," Lu Yang began, his voice growing grave. "Recently, a powerful foreign team has emerged in the Arena of Souls. Their winning streak matches yours—100%."
"This team has caused quite a stir. Spectators are betting heavily, and we've suffered major financial losses."
"There's no comparable team at their level in the eight-player category. Not one can stand against them—until now. That's why I'm reaching out to Shrek Academy."
Yu Xiaogang's expression didn't change. He had already heard rumors about this mysterious team.
"Could you share their information with us?" he asked.
"If your team is willing, it would be a great help to Soto City's arena," Lu Yang replied. He handed over a thick folder along with a gleaming Golden Soul Card. "This is ten thousand gold soul coins as a token of gratitude."
Yu Xiaogang skimmed the documents. As he did, his brow furrowed.
"No wonder they're undefeated."
"The captain is actually... a member of the family."
"Xiao Chen, I'll leave the decision to you," he said, handing the data to Yu Chen.
The document detailed the team's eight members. Leading the list was: Yu Tianheng, age 20, thirty-ninth-level Assault Battle Soul Master. Martial Spirit: Blue Electric Tyrannosaurus!
"Ding! Divine Selection System activated. Host, please make a choice:
Option 1: Refuse the battle. Reward: A century-old soul beast.
Option 2: Accept the match but forfeit during battle. Reward: 8,888 copper coins.
Option 3: Accept and win the match. Reward: 60,000-year Phoenix Spirit Ring!
You have 30 seconds to choose."
Yu Chen reviewed the choices in his mind. The reward for the first was negligible—he could easily hunt a century-old beast in the Soul Hunting Forest. The copper coins in the second option were beneath his notice.
But the third option—the 60,000-year Phoenix Spirit Ring—was highly valuable. His second martial spirit, Suzaku, still only had one ring. This reward was just what he needed.
And putting rewards aside, Yu Chen also wanted to see how strong Yu Tianheng—the so-called family genius—truly was.
"Let's fight, then," Yu Chen said calmly.
"Brother Chen…" Oscar hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"The Emperor Team's average age is seven or eight years older than ours, and their strength is tremendous! Yu Tianheng is already Level 39, and the rest are all above Level 30!"
"And their martial spirits are monstrous! The captain's Blue Electric Tyrannosaurus is one of the three great offensive spirits of the empire. There's also Xuanwu Turtle, the top defensive spirit, and the deputy captain has the Jade-Scaled Snake, known for its poison and agility!"
"We have almost no chance of winning!"
The Emperor Team was from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, filled with elite talents—and Yu Tianheng was at the top.
"Yu Tianheng's Blue Electric Tyrannosaurus isn't just ordinary," Yu Xiaogang added. "It's the rare Seventh-Generation Tyrant Dragon—once considered a future clan patriarch."
"Seventh-Generation?" Oscar echoed, stunned.
"So what?" Yu Chen's face remained composed.
"..."
"Yes! Why should we be afraid?" Ma Hongjun shouted. "No matter the odds—we have Brother Chen!"
His words reignited the team's fighting spirit. With Yu Chen as their pillar, everyone felt invincible.
"Very well. Please proceed and schedule our match against the Emperor Team," Yu Xiaogang said, smiling faintly as he turned to Lu Yang.
Flender took the Golden Soul Card from Lu Yang, his face lighting up at the sight of the 10,000 gold soul coins.
"Excellent! I'll arrange everything immediately!" Lu Yang replied and hurried out.
While he made the arrangements, Yu Chen and the others went to the second floor to observe the battles underway.
The Soto Arena of Souls was vast, spanning five floors. Each level was massive, accommodating thousands of spectators.
On the second floor, the stands were packed. Roars of excitement and cheers echoed through the hall. Many were gamblers, eyes bloodshot from tension, hoping their bets would pay off.
At that moment, a mid-tier eight-player battle was happening onstage. The teams were roughly Level 15, making the fight dull.
This had been the fourth or fifth such match—when finally, a booming voice announced over the arena:
"Next up: Eight-player Match—Shrek Academy vs. Emperor Team!"
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