Chapter 14 The Great Soul Battle Arena

The afternoon sun was beating down hard on the training ground of Rekdo Academy. The air was thick with a faint sour smell of sweat, a lingering reminder of the students' intense training sessions. Frank, the academy's dean, had just wrapped up a fierce demonstration training and was looking for a quiet spot to catch his breath. But his peace was shattered by a shrill argument.

He furrowed his brow and followed the sound. Leo and Ava were standing at the edge of the training ground. The tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Ava's face was beet-red, her eyes wide open, and her finger was practically jabbing at Leo's nose. She yelled, all worked up, "Do you even know what you're saying? Have you got any idea who I'm affiliated with!"

Leo, on the other hand, was as cool as a cucumber. He had his hands casually stuffed in his pockets, a smug little smile playing on his lips. "I don't give a hoot who you're with. I'll say what I think is right," he replied nonchalantly.

Frank's heart skipped a beat, and he rushed over in a hurry. Just as he reached them, Ava cranked up the volume and bellowed, "I'm from the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect! If you keep running your mouth, you'll be in deep trouble!"

Frank froze in his tracks. The relaxed look on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of sheer tension and worry. The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect was the top dog in the whole continent. They had the strongest auxiliary martial spirit across the land, and there were two powerful titled Douluo in the sect. Their strength was off the charts. Frank couldn't believe that Leo, this hothead, had managed to mess with such a powerful and untouchable force.

"Shut it, both of you!" Frank barked. His voice echoed across the training ground.

Leo and Ava both clammed up at the dean's roar. Frank walked up to Leo, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and helplessness. "Leo, don't you know how powerful the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect is? How dare you say such things!" he snapped.

"Hey, Frank, didn't you say we students shouldn't be afraid of anything?" Leo scratched his messy hair, putting on an innocent face, but there was a hint of slyness in his eyes.

Frank felt his blood boiling. He was so mad he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. "When on earth did I say that?" he growled.

Are you kidding me? The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect was a force to be reckoned with. He, a mere academy dean, had no way to stand up to them. If they got on the sect's bad side because of this, the whole academy could be in big trouble.

"Blake, the senior, told me it's the academy's rule," Leo said, pointing to Blake, who was standing not far away, looking as if he were in the right.

Blake had been standing there, arms crossed, enjoying the show. He came from an aristocratic family and knew all too well how formidable the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect was. Even the royal families of the two great empires treated the sect's master with the utmost respect. Now that the academy's students had stirred up such a big mess, he was eager to see how Frank, who was known for protecting his students, would handle it. Would he stand up to the powerful sect, or would he have to back down? But he never expected the trouble to land right on his own doorstep.

"Leo, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever comes to your mind. When did I say that?" Blake was so startled that his face turned as white as a sheet, and his voice involuntarily rose a few notches. "Even if I did say something like that, I never told you to mess with the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect!"

"Didn't you say that looting is not allowed in the academy, but fighting and gambling are encouraged?" Leo retorted matter-of-factly, a stubborn glint in his eyes.

Blake stomped his foot in frustration. "Yeah, I said that, but I never said you shouldn't be afraid of anything!" he shot back.

"Oh, I must have gotten it wrong," Leo said sheepishly, scratching his head and flashing an awkward smile. Then he turned and started walking in the direction Ava had run off.

Seeing Leo leave, Blake blurted out, "Leo, where are you going?"

"Since fighting is encouraged, I'm gonna go give her a beating," Leo replied, looking dead serious.

"Pfft..." Aria, who was standing nearby, couldn't hold back her laughter. She covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking. She never thought Leo could be so funny. But then she quickly composed herself, going back to her usual aloof self. She stole a glance at the others, relieved to see that no one had noticed her outburst.

At this moment, no one was paying attention to her. Even Xiao Wu was doubled over, clutching her stomach and laughing so hard that tears were welling up in her eyes. "Leo, you're such a riot!" she kept muttering. The once tense atmosphere was completely shattered by Leo's few words, and everyone relaxed.

"Leo, come on, man! I'll call you boss if you want. Just don't cause any more trouble," Blake pleaded, looking anxious. He was terrified that if Leo really went to beat up Ava, he'd be implicated. If the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect came looking for trouble, even though he was the third prince of the Xingluo Empire, he'd be in hot water.

"Ahem, that's enough. Let's get ready for today's first class. Follow me to the Great Soul Battle Arena in Soto City," Frank said. He had already seen through Leo's intentions and couldn't help but think highly of him. This kid was really something, being able to divert everyone's attention so skillfully.

Blake let out a sigh of relief when he heard Frank's words, but then he suddenly looked surprised. "Dean, are we really taking them there on the first day?" he asked.

"You guys are all special cases. If you're special, you need a special way of training," Frank said casually. "Let's go," he added, and then led the way towards the academy gate with firm steps.

Blake nodded and turned to call out to the others. "Everyone, keep up and don't fall behind!" he shouted.

"What's the Great Soul Battle Arena like?" Ryan asked, hurrying to catch up with Blake and walking side by side with him, his face full of curiosity.

Before Blake could answer, Frank's voice drifted over from the front. "It's a place where soul masters compete with their martial spirits, and also a place where gamblers place their bets. For you guys, it's the best platform to gain practical combat experience."

"Isn't that like making us perform like monkeys for others to watch?" Xiao Wu asked, looking puzzled, her brows knitted together.

"You've got it all wrong. I'm not a big fan of that place either, but I have to admit that the Great Soul Battle Arena is definitely a place where soul masters can prove their worth. It has a complete system, independent power, and most importantly, it's relatively fair," Frank said loudly, not just explaining to Xiao Wu but to everyone. His tone was firm and left no room for doubt.

The group nodded, half-understanding. Their eyes showed a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

The distance from Rekdo Academy to Soto City wasn't far. With Frank deliberately speeding up, they soon arrived in Soto City.

The night in Soto City was bustling, like a city that never sleeps. The streets were ablaze with lights of all colors, creating a dazzling display. The shops on both sides of the street were brightly lit, and the noise and excitement were even greater than during the day. People were coming and going, and the sounds of vendors shouting and people chatting filled the air, giving the city a vibrant and lively feel.

They walked along the streets of Soto City until they saw a huge, imposing building. In the darkness of the night, it looked deep and mysterious, like a dormant giant. Faint lights flickered from the large building, and they could even hear the cheers and shouts of the audience inside.

This was the only Great Soul Battle Arena in Soto City!

"Remember what I just said. After each participant registers, they'll get an Iron Soul Badge. For each win, you get one point, and for each loss, you lose one point. Once you reach a hundred points, you can be promoted to a Copper Soul Fighter. Before you graduate, I expect you to at least get a Silver Soul Badge," Frank said, stopping in front of the arena and looking serious.

"Yes, Dean!" everyone replied in unison, their voices full of determination.

Seeing how confident these young students were, Frank nodded in satisfaction. "Mubai, you take them to register. I have some other things to attend to," he said.

"Yes, Dean," Blake replied, nodding. He waved to the group and led the way into the arena, explaining things to them as they walked.

Once they were inside the arena, Ryan asked, full of curiosity, "Senior Dai, what level is the Silver Soul Badge?"

"There are eight levels of badges, from the lowest to the highest: Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Purple Gold, Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond," Blake explained to everyone, looking earnest.

"Seems like the Silver Soul Badge isn't that hard to get. It's only the third level," Xiao Wu said casually, a hint of nonchalance in her smile.

Blake smiled and shook his head. "It's not that easy. When I was level 29 and participated in the battles in the Great Soul Battle Arena, my current record is 29 wins and 27 losses, with only two points," he said.

"What!" Xiao Wu exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. She knew how strong Blake was, and she couldn't believe that after so many battles, he only had two points.

Even Ryan found it hard to believe. With Blake's strength, it was incredible that he only had two points after over fifty battles. The battles in the Great Soul Battle Arena must be really tough.

"Hey, don't be too disappointed. The battles in the Great Soul Battle Arena are grouped by levels. When I was level 29 and started competing, I quickly reached level 30 after winning a few matches. After that, I was facing opponents who were level 38 or 39, so I lost a lot of battles," Blake explained.

"I see," the group said, finally feeling a bit more at ease. Leo, of course, was an exception.

"Alright, let's go register. The registration fee is ten gold soul coins. The battle forms can be one-on-one, two-on-two, or group battles. Since our Rekdo Academy students aren't all here, we'll skip the group battles for now. If you want to form a two-on-two team, you can register for that," Blake said.

Just as he was about to ask Aria if she wanted to team up with him, he saw Aria walk up to Leo with a look of anticipation. "Leo, let's form a two-on-two team..."