The black carp was grilled to a golden crisp, fragrant and rich, the fresh fish flavor mingling with spices and perilla leaves, wafting an intoxicating aroma. From the fish's body, streams of fish oil dripped onto the glowing charcoal, intensifying the rich, enticing scent. The moment one bit into the fish skin, a crisp crackling sound echoed. The skin, carefully grilled, was a perfect golden hue without the slightest hint of charring. Beneath the skin lay tender, savory, and succulent flakes of meat. (M2: *Slurp*... I'm craving this so much!)
With just one bite, the attitude of the yellow-robed disciple changed 180 degrees. He didn't care about anything else, didn't even bother to open his mouth to praise it, and immediately took two or three more bites, finishing the black carp in one go.
At this moment, the disciples standing by, waiting for the results, immediately understood. In an instant, Huo Yuhao's first batch of grilled fish was completely sold out. In a flash, he had earned twenty soul coins, which was two silver soul coins.
With just four grilled fish, Huo Yuhao had easily achieved an excellent reputation. The area in front of the academy gate was already bustling, so his stall was instantly surrounded by a crowd, blocking all entrances and exits.
"Delicious, truly too delicious."
The yellow-robed disciple who had been the first customer struggled to push his way back in. "Junior Brother, give me three more. I'm having dinner at your stall tonight."
The disciple standing next to him, who seemed to be from a higher class, heard this and said coldly: "Go to the back of the line."
Huo Yuhao hadn't expected his grilled fish to be so appealing. He turned with an apologetic expression to the disciples surrounding his stall and said: "I apologize, Senior Brothers. Today is my first day selling. I'm only selling eighteen fish, and I've already sold four, so there are only fourteen left. Please line up in order, and those Senior Brothers who couldn't make it in time can come back tomorrow."
As he spoke, he put the money he had just earned into his Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges. Eighteen fish would yield about nine silver soul coins. After deducting the cost of ingredients for today and tomorrow, he would have enough money for his meals. Huo Yuhao was not the type to be greedy and sacrifice long-term gains for short-term profits. He knew that his cultivation was the most important thing right now, and there would be plenty of opportunities to earn money later.
Batch after batch of fish was placed on the grill. He grilled each batch to the same quality, absolutely not cutting corners just because many people were waiting. Every disciple who ate the grilled fish was extremely satisfied, some even promising to come back and support him tomorrow. Huo Yuhao consistently stuck to his first-come, first-served policy. After all, grilled fish was best eaten fresh off the grill; if left to sit, its flavor would diminish significantly over time.
Just then, from the main gate of Shrek Academy, several female students in purple uniforms emerged. The last girl to appear immediately drew countless gazes.
This girl was only about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a slender, delicate figure. Her long, golden hair cascaded down her back, her skin was as white as snow, her eyes sparkled, and her demeanor was exceptionally elegant. Her face was refined, pure, and gentle like the full moon, a beauty beyond words. The moment this world-shaking beauty appeared, other beauties seemed to dim by several shades.
"Senior Sister, it smells so good, what is that scent?" A female disciple, looking surprised, turned to ask the stunning girl. Though this disciple was also beautiful, standing next to her, she was like a firefly compared to the full moon – how could they even compare!
That beautiful young woman naturally also caught the scent, so all of them couldn't help but turn their faces towards Huo Yuhao's stall.
Perhaps her beauty was too dazzling, for when she shifted her attention to this spot, everyone around immediately moved aside, clearing a path for her to approach. The young woman saw this but showed no arrogance. She turned and nodded in thanks to the other disciples before slowly stepping forward. Seeing her grateful smile, those disciples all blushed, their hearts pounding with excitement.
As soon as he clearly saw the young woman's exquisite face, Huo Yuhao was no exception, momentarily stunned. He had previously thought Tang Ya was the most beautiful young woman, but these purple-clad girls before him truly broadened his horizons. One could say Tang Ya's beauty was lively and full of spirit, while these girls' beauty was gentle and warm.
"Junior Disciple, how much is this grilled fish?"
The exquisite young woman asked softly.
By this time, Huo Yuhao had already sold all eighteen fish; the last two on the grill were the portion he had saved for Tang Ya.
"Senior Disciple, five soul coins a piece."
The exquisite young woman frowned slightly and said:
"That's a bit expensive. Your total cost and labor shouldn't be more than three soul coins. You're making quite a profit."
Huo Yuhao was a little startled after hearing her words. He hadn't expected a girl like her to haggle over the price of a fish; no student had done that until now.
"I'm sorry, my grilled fish is fixed at five soul coins, and I've sold out for today."
Huo Yuhao said calmly. This price was what Tang Ya told him to sell it for, and he wouldn't easily change it. Besides, this income was very important to him; after deducting all expenses, it was just enough for his needs.
The beautiful young woman was silent for a moment, then said with an apologetic expression:
"I'm truly sorry, I was just calculating roughly. If there's a chance later, I'll come to your stall to try it." After she finished speaking, she turned and left.
Huo Yuhao suddenly felt the atmosphere around him change strangely. Just moments ago, everyone was clearly looking at him eagerly, but now they were all staring with puzzled expressions.
"You kid, do you dare not sell?" A deep, powerful voice, full of anger, rang out. Immediately after, a golden light streaked towards Huo Yuhao's stall.
Bang!!!
The light struck directly into his grill; it was clearly a gold soul coin. Immediately after, a figure swiftly glided over, passing directly by the purple-clad young woman to Huo Yuhao's stall, then immediately raised a hand, intending to snatch the two grilled fish still on the grill.
Huo Yuhao, wanting to maintain precise heat when grilling fish, always used his Spirit Eye Martial Soul. When that powerful voice rang out, he already felt a strong pressure bearing down, and he immediately, instinctively, unleashed his Spiritual Detection.
Although that hand swiftly reached for the two grilled fish, Huo Yuhao, thanks to his Spiritual Detection, could completely foresee everything. He immediately quickly grabbed the two fish and retreated a few steps. This was the portion he had saved for Tang Ya; how could he let someone else easily take it?
The person's hand, at this moment, did not catch the grilled fish; instead, it grabbed glowing red coals.
Only then did Huo Yuhao clearly see the person's appearance.
This person, unexpectedly, was a disciple in a black uniform, whose age seemed comparable to Bei Bei's, and whose tall, imposing physique could rival Hua Tai Tou's. With thick eyebrows and a square face, he truly possessed the heroic appearance of a righteous champion.
— You brat, do you have a death wish?
The young man in black roared, crushing the burning charcoal in his hand, sending sparks flying. He kicked over the grill with his right foot, then took another step and lunged for Huo Yuhao's chest.
Huo Yuhao used his spiritual detection ability. The young man in black's attack was not as simple as it seemed. His claw strike seemed to possess myriad transformations. Although Huo Yuhao could find openings, his cultivation was too weak at the moment to dodge. In a flash, he was caught.
— Hmph.
The young man in black lifted his right hand, grabbing Huo Yuhao and hoisting him high. With his left hand, he snatched the two grilled fish.
The young man in black's actions were incredibly swift; by the time he succeeded, everyone else was only just realizing what had happened.
Two voices rang out almost simultaneously.
— What do you want?
— Stop!
The first to speak was a stunning young woman, her face now filled with fury. Her body shot forward like lightning, unleashing a palm strike at the young man in black.
The young man in black hadn't expected anyone else to attack him, leaving him no time to defend. One hand was still gripping Huo Yuhao, the other holding the grilled fish. To block his opponent, he would definitely have to release one of them.
Ultimately, he decided to release Huo Yuhao, flicking his wrist to throw him aside. Then he swung his arm up to meet the palm strike.
— Boom…
Both bodies trembled and recoiled, neither gaining an advantage.
The one who had just attacked was Tang Ya, and the other was Huo Yuhao's senior brother, Bei Bei.
Huo Yuhao's body was thrown outwards, spinning twice before Bei Bei caught him.
Tang Ya's beautiful face was now contorted with rage.
— Xu Sanshi, how dare you bully my people! I'll fight you to the death!
As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her right hand, and a golden light shot towards Xu Sanshi.
The young man in black swung his right hand again, and a mass of black light flashed, seemingly intent on devouring the golden light. But immediately after, the golden light, as if sentient, subtly slipped through the dense black light, carrying its Soul Power into the young man in black's body.
The young man in black's body trembled, his eyes glazed over, then a furious rage erupted within him. Three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—rose from his feet. His originally fair skin turned grayish-black, his body swelled, and a black Turtle Shell Shield, about a foot in size, suddenly appeared on his right hand.
Huo Yuhao immediately used his spiritual detection ability. At this moment, he sensed that the aura the young man in black emitted with his Martial Soul was in no way inferior to Bei Bei's when he unleashed his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
— Tang Ya, don't think that just because Bei Bei is backing you up, I won't dare to do anything to you!
The young man in black roared, his eyes blazing with fire.
Tang Ya sneered:
— Bring it on, do you think I'm scared of you?
Bei Bei said calmly:
— Xu Sanshi, you bullied my junior brother. You must give a clear explanation for today's incident, otherwise, we'll settle this in the Soul Dueling Zone!
Xu Sanshi smiled, pointing at Huo Yuhao:
— He's your junior brother?
Bei Bei nodded.
Xu Sanshi said coldly:
— So what? He showed no respect to Jiang Nannan, which I consider disrespecting me. And I already paid for those two grilled fish.
Tang Ya angrily retorted:
— Those were Little Huo's, left for me! Bei Bei, don't waste words on him. Just attack, hit him hard! I'll take care of everything else!
Beibei’s face, which had been angry, immediately twitched after hearing Tang Ya speak. She truly was a little devil who feared nothing more than peace.
Xu Sanshi pouted:
“Little Ya is as aggressive as ever, huh? It’s fine, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a fight. Let’s head to the Soul Dueling Zone!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked away, taking a few steps to reach Jiang Nannan. His expression immediately softened as he gently offered up two grilled fish:
“Nannan, just eat these two fish. I have something to do and will be back in a bit.”
Jiang Nannan, however, was incredibly cold at this moment, as if she held a grudge against Xu Sanshi:
“I’ve already told you, Jiang Nannan and Xu Sanshi can never be anything. If you have something to do, go do it and don’t bother me!”
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her back and walked straight away.
Xu Sanshi’s face flushed. He tried to hold his head high, glaring at the surrounding crowd:
“What are you looking at? What do you want? Beibei, let’s go!”
After speaking, he immediately walked away, his arm tossing the two grilled fish towards Huo Yuhao.
Tang Ya, standing in front of Huo Yuhao, gently caught them, took a direct bite, and with her other hand, pulled Huo Yuhao:
“Come on, let’s go join the fun!”
The Soul Dueling Zone was a crucial area at Shrek Academy, located in the northwest corner of the Soul Master Department, not far from the Soul Tool Experimentation Zone. It was also a gathering place for many high-level disciples, where duels could be held. Teachers served as referees to determine winners and losers, provide protection, and offer first aid to injured students, all, of course, for a fee.
To hold a soul duel, both parties had to pay ten gold soul coins as a venue fee, yet disciples continued to participate without cease. This was because fighting here had no restrictions, and there was no fear of accidentally killing someone; as soon as danger appeared, the referees would immediately intervene. Winners also received a small cash prize and accumulation points, which provided an advantage in class promotion exams.
After entering the fourth year, one absolutely needed accumulation points from the Soul Dueling Zone to continue advancing classes. For example, to go from the fourth year to the fifth year, one had to defeat ten opponents of the same level. To go from the fifth year to the sixth year required even more. After the sixth year, if one wished to enter the inner court, accumulation points from the Soul Dueling Zone became even more crucial.
The Soul Dueling Zone was open to all disciples for participation or spectating. To watch, one only needed to pay a single soul coin as an admission fee.
What surprised Huo Yuhao was that the duel between Beibei and Xu Sanshi attracted a great number of students. Even high-level or low-level students who were watching other matches rushed over.
“Teacher Little Ya, the academy is really good at making money!”
Huo Yuhao couldn’t help but exclaim with emotion after hearing Tang Ya’s brief introduction to the Soul Dueling Zone.
Tang Ya said:
“This is normal. Such a large academy has huge expenses. If we don’t come up with many ways to earn some money, how can we sustain ourselves? Besides, the tax revenue from Shrek City isn’t small at all, which is why our academy is known as the wealthiest academy on the continent. Oh right, Little Yuhao, your fish grilling skills have improved another notch! Or perhaps it’s thanks to my excellent seasoning. It’s truly delicious.”
Before they even reached the Soul Dueling Zone, the two grilled fish had already been devoured by Tang Ya. Huo Yuhao had been hungry for a while, so he quickly stopped by the cafeteria to buy dinner before heading to the Soul Dueling Zone with Tang Ya. By the time the two arrived, the place was already bustling with people. News traveled faster and faster, and disciples streamed in, an endless procession.
Tang Ya took out two silver soul coins to pay the entrance fee for herself and Huo Yuhao. The Soul Dueling Zone was a hexagonal structure, almost the size of Shrek Plaza. In the very center was a large empty space, which was where the students would compete. Around it were rows of seats, estimated to hold about three thousand spectators simultaneously.
At this moment, there were already two or three hundred people in the audience seats. Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya sat down in the nearest corner to watch. There was no one in the arena yet; they didn't know where Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi had gone.
Tang Ya knew Huo Yuhao wasn't familiar with the rules of the Soul Dueling Zone, so she turned to explain to him.
"The Soul Dueling Zone is open daily from after classes until midnight. Disciples who wish to compete must pay a registration fee. If prominent disciples want to duel each other, the academy will waive the registration fee. Instead, they'll announce the news throughout the dormitories via soul-tool loudspeakers so that more people know and come to watch the fight. The academy keeps half of the entrance fees, and the winner gets the rest. Your Senior Brother used to make quite a bit of money from this Soul Dueling Zone. Moreover, that Xu Sanshi is a fifth-year student, while your Senior Brother is only a fourth-year. Being one rank higher counts as challenging across ranks. So, if Xu Sanshi loses, he'll have to pay an additional silver soul coin. Both your Senior Brother and Xu Sanshi are famous disciples in the Outer Court; they're both hailed as geniuses. Today, I estimate there could be up to five hundred people coming to watch this fight."
Huo Yuhao asked, "Then who was that girl named Jiang Nannan earlier?"
Tang Ya raised her hand and tapped Huo Yuhao's head, saying, "You're just a kid, you should focus on studying, not ogling pretty girls all day, hmph!"
Huo Yuhao winced from the pain but dared not ask again. He turned to open his lunchbox and began to eat diligently.
Tang Ya chuckled at his honest demeanor and said, "Oh, forget it, it's fine to tell you a little. Jiang Nannan is the most beautiful girl in the Outer Court. She comes from an ordinary family, and her personality can be described as gentle, making her well-liked by many. What do you think of her? Is she pretty?"
Huo Yuhao quickly shook his head repeatedly.
Tang Ya looked at his reaction and smugly continued, "Right, right, I don't think she's pretty at all, hmph! And that Xu Sanshi has a very powerful mutated martial soul called the Xuanming Tortoise. This martial soul has two attributes, with extremely strong defense, likened to an iron wall. His cultivation is only on par with Bei Bei's, and both of them have Beast Martial Souls. Don't worry, I actually got angry on your behalf earlier; one Dragon Beard Needle is more than enough to make him suffer. He can pursue Jiang Nannan all he wants, but he can't mess with my people.
"It's strange, though. Jiang Nannan's personality isn't usually like that. In the past, many other male disciples pursued her, but I heard she didn't accept anyone, politely refusing them all. Xu Sanshi, however, is different. Whenever they meet, he either mocks her or acts coldly. I wonder if he took advantage of her or something.
"But, these spectators are truly innocent... They only know that Bei Bei is famous for his attack power and Xu Sanshi for his defense, but they don't know that these two already knew each other. I guess this time we'll make a little money, since we're already at the Soul Dueling Zone anyway."
Huo Yuhao asked in surprise, "Does Senior Brother know that Xu Sanshi?"
Tang Ya nodded and replied,
– Xiao Yuhao, don’t worry. We may know him, but I, your senior brother, will definitely fight him. I can’t let him bully you with such impunity.
***
Soul Dueling Arena – Lounge
– Beibei, your Tang Ya is too cruel! Look, just look at this…
Xu Sanshi, with a disgruntled expression, turned and pulled up the side of his shirt, poking at Beibei. His side was swollen with a lump the size of a child’s fist. And that was after he had used his martial soul to protect that area of flesh; it was as hard as iron and stone, yet it still couldn’t hold out.
Beibei snorted and said:
– Serves you right! Who told you to bully our junior brother? Stop talking nonsense, hand over the Profound Water Pill and I’ll help you deal with this Dragon Beard Needle. Otherwise, you’ll have to get this piece of flesh cut off. This Dragon Beard Needle is a unique secret passed down by the first generation ancestor of the Tang Sect to the sect master. Tang Ya was truly angry this time.
Xu Sanshi said:
– Was that kid just now really from the Tang Sect? I didn’t see any skill from him! Profound Water Pill? Dream on! Hurry up, I can’t keep maintaining my martial soul like this. The Dragon Beard Needle is really too dangerous, it hurts like hell! It’s also because of the Soul Breaking Force; I was caught off guard just now and took that move from Tang Ya. How regrettable…
Beibei tilted his head back, looking at the sky, and said:
– Suit yourself, it’s fine if you don’t give it. But you hit my junior brother and destroyed his stall, so just stay here and contend with the Dragon Beard Needle. Anyway, the competition is about to begin. I don’t believe you’d dare to keep the Dragon Beard Needle in you and duel with me.
Xu Sanshi cursed angrily:
– Alright, fine. Beibei, you just wait. Just wait and see how I deal with you in the Soul Dueling Arena later. I won’t hold back.
Beibei smiled and said:
– Do I need you to show mercy?
As he spoke, he waved his right hand dismissively.
Xu Sanshi, disgruntled, took out a jade porcelain bottle and tossed it towards Beibei. Beibei raised his hand, caught it, and said:
– Many thanks. Withdraw your martial soul, and I’ll take out the Dragon Beard Needle.
Xu Sanshi slowly withdrew his martial soul. Without the martial soul suppressing it, waves of sharp pain immediately surged from his side, making him tremble uncontrollably.
Beibei’s right hand tapped a few times around the wound, then he used both hands to channel streams of soul power into it. His movements were incredibly swift and precise, each finger carrying a thread of soul power of varying intensity. A moment later, a tiny, hair-thin, pale yellow needle was slowly drawn out from Xu Sanshi’s side. As soon as the needle left Xu Sanshi’s body, it zipped and transformed into a small, bean-sized metallic pellet. Beibei casually collected it.
Xu Sanshi’s expression was as if a great burden had been lifted. He let out an angry sigh and said:
– Beibei, you’re taking advantage of my predicament to profit. Don’t you know how precious this Profound Water Pill is? Let’s make a bet now. If I win this match, you return the Profound Water Pill to me?
Beibei smiled leisurely and said:
– And if you lose?
Xu Sanshi snorted and said:
– I’ll give you a thousand gold soul coins.
Beibei shook his head and said:
– No way. How can a thousand gold soul coins compare to a Profound Water Pill? This bet isn’t fair, I’m not playing.
Xu Sanshi said angrily:
– I’m offering so much money and you still don’t agree? I’ll go back on my word!
Beibei sighed softly and said:
– Do I look like I lack money? Alright, I’ll give you a chance. I know you have another Profound Water Pill; take one out and bet with me.
A flicker of doubt flashed in Xu Sanshi’s eyes.
—Why do I suddenly feel like I’m about to fall into your trap? You look like you’re sure to win against me, don’t you?
Bei Bei said with a smile.
—You’re the one who wants to bet, not me. You can always refuse, but if you do bet and happen to lose, don’t complain too much.
Xu Sanshi snorted and said:
—Me? Lose? While I’m not sure I can beat you, it won’t be easy for you to beat me either. What about a draw?
Bei Bei, not easily fooled, immediately replied:
—So, what now? Make up your mind already, stop dawdling like a woman.
Xu Sanshi gritted his teeth and said:
—Alright, I’ll bet with you. Your strength might not necessarily surpass mine, but you’re incredibly cunning; you only do things when you’re sure of success. But fine, if I really fall for your trick, next time I’ll just ask my father for a few more portions when I go home.
Bei Bei maintained his cheerful expression as before, making Xu Sanshi observe him for a long time without detecting anything unusual.
—Actually, you’re not a stupid person. But anything related to Jiang Nannan makes you three parts foolish. I really don’t know if I should say you two are fated enemies from a past life. That Jiang Nannan, while beautiful, there’s no shortage of beauties in this academy, why do you bother with unrequited love for her and suffer so much?
Xu Sanshi said angrily:
—Don’t talk about my painful matters anymore. If you’re so capable, why don’t you give Tang Ya to me?
Bei Bei stood up and said:
—You should focus on recovering your soul power to its best state. Otherwise, if you lose to me later, you’ll just say it’s unfair. I’ll head out first.
As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped out onto the arena.
Tang Ya’s earlier prediction was completely accurate. There were already over four hundred disciples in the stands, and the number of students coming to watch was growing, making it not difficult at all to reach the predicted five hundred.
—Huo Yuhao.
A voice full of indignation rang out beside him, making Huo Yuhao jump. He turned his head and saw Wang Dong stomping angrily towards him.
—You came too?
Huo Yuhao asked with a slight guilty conscience. The moment he saw Wang Dong, he remembered the fair, delicate figure from earlier…
Wang Dong’s face flushed as he sat down next to Huo Yuhao, whispering:
—Tell me, what did you see earlier?
Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment before saying:
—Huh? I… I didn’t see anything?
Wang Dong said angrily:
—Next time you enter without knocking, I’ll kill you.
Huo Yuhao knew he was in the wrong but still tried to argue.
—We’re both guys, what’s there to be afraid of? What harm is there in taking a peek?
—What did you say?
Wang Dong furiously raised his right hand to hit Huo Yuhao.
Suddenly, a slender hand swept past, pushing Wang Dong’s hand aside, and Tang Ya’s voice also rang out.
—Little Yuhao, why haven’t you introduced your friend to me?
Only then did Wang Dong notice Tang Ya sitting beside them. The moment he saw Tang Ya’s exquisite beauty, he was slightly stunned, but quickly recovered. He snorted and turned his face away, no longer paying attention to Huo Yuhao. Actually, after Huo Yuhao had run off earlier, he had already finished dressing. He then searched for that guy but couldn’t find him, so he returned to his room intending to meditate. However, for some reason, he couldn’t calm his mind. Just then, he heard the announcement on the loudspeaker introducing this match, so he decided to go out and clear his head. Who would have thought that as soon as he arrived, he would run into Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya?
Huo Yuhao immediately opened his mouth and gave a simple introduction.
—Little Ya-laoshi, this is Wang Dong, my roommate. Wang Dong, this is Tang Ya, our senior sister.
Wang Dong looked at Tang Ya and nodded. Tang Ya smiled and said:
"What a handsome junior! I like him very much. Xiao Yuhao, why don't you persuade this junior to join our Tang Sect right away?"
Wang Dong was slightly startled when he heard the words "Tang Sect". He asked in surprise:
"You are from the Tang Sect?"
Tang Ya nodded and said:
"Yes, but currently there are only three of us left in the Tang Sect. I am the current Sect Master of the Tang Sect. How about that? Aren't you shocked? Come on, join the Tang Sect! We warmly welcome you."
In truth, she had only said it casually, for fun. Don't think that Tang Ya usually seemed careless; in reality, she was just feigning ignorance. If one didn't realize this, they would surely suffer at her hands! From the start, she had already seen that Wang Dong was extraordinary, with hidden brilliance, powerful soul power, and a cultivation far surpassing Huo Yuhao's.
But, to her surprise, Wang Dong paused for a moment, then turned and nodded at her, saying:
"Alright! I've long heard of the Tang Sect's hidden weapons. Tang Sect Master, I wish to join the Tang Sect, please accept me."
"Huh? You really want to join our Tang Sect? There are only three of us left right now, you know?" Tang Ya said, startled, her eyes filled with surprise and confusion as she looked at Wang Dong.
Wang Dong nodded again and said:
"I hope to join the Tang Sect; I want to learn hidden weapons."
Tang Ya's expression turned serious at this moment, and she said:
"Let me think about this first. Later, Huo Yuhao will give you a convincing answer."
As they were talking, Bei Bei walked out of the lounge and onto the arena floor. The moment he appeared, the students watching from the stands immediately cheered his name.
"Lightning Bei Bei! Lightning Bei Bei!"
Bei Bei smiled and waved at the students in the stands, his gaze seemingly searching for someone.
Tang Ya stood up and waved at him. Only then did Bei Bei spot their seats. Because of the distance, they couldn't converse, so he looked at Tang Ya and made a few gestures.
The two had known each other for a long time. Tang Ya understood with just a glance, and immediately made a few gestures back, indicating that she understood. She then sat down and quietly asked Huo Yuhao.
"Xiao Yuhao, what's the maximum range of Spirit Detection Resonance?"
Huo Yuhao replied:
"If it's only for detecting in one direction, it's about fifty meters."
He had just tested the maximum range of this soul skill with Wang Dong. Normally, it could only reach thirty meters, but if used to detect in just one direction, it could extend to over fifty meters, nearly doubling its range... but the soul power consumption was much greater...
Tang Ya immediately raised her right hand, and made a few more gestures for Bei Bei. Upon seeing them, Bei Bei nodded at her.
At this moment, Xu Sanshi also entered the arena, accompanied by a teacher around forty years old.
Inside the Soul Arena, Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei were glaring coldly at each other. This wasn't the first time the two had competed in the Soul Arena. In their previous matches, there had been wins and losses, but most ended in draws. Thanks to these matches in the Soul Arena, they had earned a considerable amount of money, so they naturally couldn't reveal their true relationship.
The teacher who had just arrived was the referee. He said in a deep voice:
"Fourth-year Bei Bei challenges fifth-year Xu Sanshi. If Xu Sanshi loses, he must pay an additional ten gold soul coins. Are you two ready?"
Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi simultaneously turned and nodded at the referee.