Arena Rank Game

After exploring the nearby area, I finally got understanding to my location and returned to Rose Hotel where I had booked a room. With two soul rings now in my possession, I realized I could venture to the Great Spirit Arena to increase my battle experience. Until now, my combat experience had been limited to soul beasts no older than 2000-3000 years, and against humans, I'd only faced untrained bandits rather than properly skilled soul masters.

Completely exhausted, I returned to my room and began exploring my newfound abilities more thoroughly. I discovered that each time a soul ring was unlocked, my spirit skills became that much more powerful. This explained why Tian Meng offence type spirit skills were little nerfed. But what truly made me dangerous was the soul bone I carried within me.

The Domain of Spirit Severance resembled Gojo's Domain Unlimited Void in many ways. Though weakened by my own limitations, it remained a devastating skill against those with spiritual power inferior to mine. With my spiritual attribute martial, I could potentially cross power levels and defeat much stronger opponents.

With nothing more to accomplish that day, I decided to get a full night's rest. Despite being able to recover strength faster through meditation, I chose to spend a day resting after my significant advancement.

The following morning, I awoke feeling unusually refreshed and calm. I suspected It was because of my upgradation to the Spiritual Sea Realm, which explained why everything felt so light. The transformation was comparable to upgrading a device's RAM from 2MB to 64GB—my thoughts flowed faster, and I could multitask mentally with newfound ease. A curious thought occurred to me: could I try multitasking?

To test my new capabilities, I simultaneously created two guns, one in each hand. Then I dismissed them and attempted something more complex—an assault rifle in one hand and a submachine gun in the other. This took more concentration but proved possible. I briefly considered creating the Three Sword Style but quickly dismissed the idea as impractical for my fighting approach. Even Two Sword Style seemed unnecessary since I had already committed to mastering Iaido to its fullest potential.

After completing my morning training routine, I disguised myself, changing my hair and my eyes to a complete crimson. I maintained my original height, knowing that altering it might make my body feel unfamiliar and affect my combat abilities. As a final touch, I wrapped a blindfold around my eyes—not that it would hinder me, as I could see through it with my spiritual perception.

The Great Spirit Arena bustled with activity, more spectators than participants filling its vast expanse. I made my way to the registration desk and placed 10 gold coins on the counter. Behind it sat a woman of average appearance but with a curved figure and mature charm.

"I'm sorry, but this isn't the reception for betting," she informed me, her eyes darting to the gold coins.

"I'm here to register for solo arena battles," I replied, keeping my expression neutral.

"My apologies for the misunderstanding. I'll process your registration. What stage name would you like to use?"

"Red Hair."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that name, little sister?"

"Yes, please continue."

"How many soul rings do you possess?"

"Soul Grandmaster, two soul rings."

"You've been registered. Your match will begin in an incense time. Please wait."

With a nod, I followed the attendant she indicated to the waiting room. The space was filled with participants, most over twenty years old, none particularly catching my interest. I realized that with my accumulated abilities, I'd grown somewhat cocky. Perhaps I needed to find worthy opponents who could truly push me to my limits.

I claimed a corner of the room, preferring solitude. Murmurs about my appearance spread—speculations about my age, my blindfold, whether I was a genius or soon to be traumatized. I ignored them all, focusing instead on the upcoming fight.

The Great Spirit Arena functioned like the Ranking Mode of the Douluo Continent. The hierarchy consisted of Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Amethyst, Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond Ranks. Each victory earned one point, with win streaks multiplying the points gained. One hundred points were required to reach Bronze rank from Iron, with progress accelerating through consecutive victories.

Finally, my name was called.

"The next battle will be between The Roaring Beast, Han Guye, and The Rookie Soul Grandmaster, Red Hair!"

The crowd erupted with chants for my opponent. "Han Guye! Han Guye! Han Guye!" Their voices merged into a thunderous roar.

"Let's see if a rookie can change anything, or if Han Guye will achieve his tenth consecutive victory and earn Bronze rank!"

I couldn't shake the feeling that the match had been arranged to facilitate his promotion. Such coincidences seemed too convenient—perhaps the 'Child of Destiny' effect was at work. If I had known that being a Child of Destiny would bring such complications, I might have chosen a different path.

"Now, both contestants, reveal your martial spirits!"

As announced, my opponent manifested his martial spirit—a tiger with purple fur, two yellow soul ring. A mutated martial soul, I surmised. In response, I created an ordinary katana with a red tint. While not as powerful as Shimotsuki, it suited my purpose of concealing my true identity. I assumed the drawing stance characteristic of Iaido, and two yellow soul rings illuminated behind me.

"Hey little girl," Han Guye called out, his voice dripping with condescension. "You still have time to withdraw. It's okay to lose your first match. I don't want to bully a child—it would stain my reputation." When I didn't respond, irritation flashed across his face.

"Begin!"

The Dance of Blades

Neither of us moved immediately. Han Guye was clearly waiting for me to attack first, a strategy that would typically favor him. Despite recognizing this, I decided to make the first move.

In a flash of movement almost imperceptible to the audience, I closed the distance between us. My blade gleamed as it traced a precise arc through the air, deliberately avoiding a fatal strike but leaving a thin cut across his neck before I positioned myself behind him. The entire arena fell silent, the absence of sound more deafening than any roar.

"That's all? You seem easier than I thought," I remarked, breaking the silence.

Han Guye's face contorted with rage. With a bestial growl, he charged toward me, his movements fueled by anger rather than technique. I parried his first two strikes using scabbard with minimal effort, the metallic ring of our weapons echoing through the arena. Then, using his momentum against him, I vaulted over his form in a graceful arc, landing in a perfect stance before drawing my katana again to leave another slight cut, this time on his arm.

"You little—!" He spun around, his attacks growing more frenzied. Now I had to focus on dodging, though my thought acceleration made his movements appear almost sluggish. My heightened spiritual power allowed me to anticipate his actions before he even committed to them, though I recognized my need for greater battle instinct to react subconsciously rather than analytically.

Han Guye suddenly stopped his barrage and took a step back. His eyes narrowed as he activated his first soul skill. "Tiger's Roar!" A concussive blast of sound erupted from his mouth, expanding in a conical wave toward me.

I planted my feet firmly and crossed my arms before my face, enduring the impact rather than dodging. The force pushed me back several meters, my heels leaving trails in the arena floor, but I remained standing. The audience gasped collectively.

"Impressive that you withstood that," Han Guye admitted. "But let's see how you handle this. Second soul skill: Purple Tiger's Claw!"

His hands transformed, morphing into massive purple claws that glowed with spiritual energy. He lunged forward with newfound speed, slashing at me with movements that mimicked a real tiger's hunting patterns.

I weaved between his attacks, my body flowing like water around stones. His claws came within millimeters of my skin, close enough that I could feel the displacement of air. The crowd watched in astonished silence as I evaded his assault without drawing my weapon, my blindfolded face betraying no emotion.

"Fight back!" he roared, frustration evident in his voice. "Stop dancing and fight me properly!"

"If you insist," I replied softly.

I activated my first fake soul skill, "Phantom Step." My form blurred, creating multiple afterimages made from illusion skill of my soul bone to conceal my position as I am mixed into one of them. His head whipped back and forth, trying to identify the real me among the illusions. With a startled grunt, he lashed out randomly, his claws passing harmlessly through one of my images.

From his blind spot, I struck. Not with my blade, but with the hilt of my sword, driving it into the small of his back with precisely calculated force. He stumbled forward, momentarily losing balance.

"You're too rigid," I commented. "Your anger makes you predictable."

His response was a roar of fury as he spun around, activating both soul skills simultaneously. The combined spiritual energy created a purple aura around him as he charged, his movements now faster and more powerful.

I decided it was time to take this more seriously. Drawing my katana fully, I activated my second fake soul skill: "Crimson Flash." My blade glowed with a deep red light, leaving trails of crimson energy as I moved it through complex patterns, which was actually Ether Spirit ray surrounding my blade and disguised as red light.

Our weapons met in a shower of sparks and spiritual energy. The clash sent ripples of force throughout the arena, causing some spectators in the front rows to shield their eyes. For several seconds, we exchanged blows at a speed that rendered our movements nearly invisible to the untrained eye.

Han Guye fought with increasing desperation, his technique growing sloppier as frustration overtook him. I maintained perfect form, each movement economical and precise, never wasting energy or losing balance.

"How?" he grunted between strikes. "You're just a child!"

I didn't respond, focusing instead on reading his patterns. After deflecting another furious assault, I saw my opening. As he overextended on a particularly aggressive lunge, I sidestepped and brought my blade down in a perfect arc—not to cut him, but to sever the spiritual connection to his soul skill.

The purple glow around his claws flickered and died. Han Guye stared at his hands in disbelief, then at me with renewed fury. "What did you do?"

"I disrupted your spiritual flow," I explained calmly. "It will return in a few minutes, but by then..."

I didn't finish my sentence. Instead, I sheathed my sword and assumed the classic Iaido stance—feet positioned precisely, right hand hovering over the hilt, left hand ready to support the scabbard. The arena grew so quiet that the soft sound of my breathing seemed to echo.

Han Guye, recognizing the danger, charged with a desperate yell. I remained perfectly still until he was almost upon me. Then, in one fluid motion too fast for most spectators to follow, I drew, struck, and resheathed my blade.

Han Guye froze mid-step, a thin line of red appearing across his chest and was hit by spiritual shock. Not deep enough to cause serious injury, but sufficient to end the match. He dropped to his knees, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"The winner is... Red Hair!" the announcer declared after a moment of stunned silence.

The crowd erupted, their earlier loyalty to Han Guye forgotten in the face of the spectacular display they had witnessed. Chants of "Red Hair! Red Hair!" began to fill the arena.

I turned and walked away without acknowledging the cheers, my mind already analyzing the battle. I had revealed more of my abilities than intended, but the disguise should prevent any connection to my true identity. More importantly, I had confirmed what I suspected—I needed opponents who could truly challenge me if I hoped to grow stronger.

As I exited the arena floor, I could feel countless eyes following me, curiosity and speculation filling the air. I had made quite an entrance into the Great Spirit Arena. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new opponents, and hopefully, worthy adversaries who could push me beyond my current limitations.

For now, though, I had proven one thing: despite my appearance, I was not someone to be underestimated. And as I disappeared into the shadows of the preparation area, I allowed myself a small smile beneath my blindfold. This was just the beginning of my journey in this world.

"Congratulations on your victory," said a voice behind me.

I turned to see the receptionist from earlier, her expression now one of respect rather than dismissal. "Your next match will be scheduled for tomorrow morning. Given your performance today, you've already attracted attention from higher-ranked competitors."

"Good," I replied simply. "I look forward to it."

The rush of adrenaline from the battle was slowly fading, but the clarity of mind remained. I was not yet satisfied, should I just go into Soul Elder(3 soul ring) lobby. Hah, I need to control my overconfidence, otherwise it will became another weakness.

As I left the Great Spirit Arena, I sensed someone following me. As I went to more isolated place, I turned and spotted a silver hair and green eye guy, and surprising handsome for his age. 

"Ohh, What a kid following me doing here??" I asked with straight face. But hearing his next word I isolated my mental space from sensing anything outside.

"Tell me, People die when___"

"They are killed."

"Just because you're correct___"

"doesn't means you're right."

"The archer class is really is___"

"Made of archers!"

"When you have birthday"

"You celebrate being born."

"Hahaha, I finally found a person from blue star beside me."

"Sorry, I don't know you. I am from Earth."

(A/n: Please comment on every chapter.)