Note: if you want us to continue translate this story and to get access to +20 advance Chapters or you can purchase the full story from Patreon shop I hope to support us on Patreon.com/flokixy without your support we can't continue 💜
The Dueling Arena was one of the most significant areas within Shrek Academy, located in the northwestern corner of the Martial Soul Department, close to Shrek City. It was a place frequented by many senior students, offering a venue for various matches. Specialized teachers acted as referees, ensuring fair judgment, protecting participants, and providing medical aid when necessary.
Of course, all of this came at a cost.
To participate in a Soul Duel, both parties had to pay at least ten gold soul coins as a venue fee. Despite this, many students were still eager to compete here. The arena allowed unrestricted combat without fear of causing serious harm, as the supervising teachers ensured that things didn't spiral out of control.
The Dueling Arena was open to all students—provided they paid the entrance fee of one silver soul coin.
For high-profile individuals like Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, their impending duel naturally drew the attention of countless students. Most of those who had witnessed the earlier commotion at the academy gates, regardless of grade level, followed along to watch the spectacle.
As for their subsequent match with Yuwen Tuo, however, it garnered little interest. After all, Yuwen Tuo was merely a single-ring soul master. Many assumed that Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi had agreed to the challenge simply to teach him a lesson and put him in his place.
"Yuwen Tuo, what on earth are you thinking? Even if you want to participate in a Soul Duel, you should fight someone closer to your level! Why jump straight into challenging the two strongest in the outer court?" Xiao Xiao walked beside Yuwen Tuo, her voice filled with concern. "It's not too late to cancel now. Losing face is one thing, but if you face Bei Bei, whose attacks are far stronger, you could get seriously injured."
Yuwen Tuo ignored Xiao Xiao's incessant chatter and instead patted her head with a smile. "Xiao Xiao, look over there—they've set up a betting pool. Let's go join in."
Xiao Xiao blushed furiously at his casual affectionate gesture, torn between embarrassment and frustration. "Honestly, you big dummy! Are you even listening to me?"
"Place your bets! Place your bets! The strongest attacker versus the strongest defender in the outer court—place your wagers now!" Sure enough, a bookmaker had already set up shop.
There were two parts to the betting:
Part One: The match between Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi. If Xu Sanshi won, the payout was 2.65x; if Bei Bei won, it was 2.80x; and for a draw, the odds were 3.05x.
Surprisingly, Bei Bei's odds were slightly higher than Xu Sanshi's, indicating that more people were betting on Xu Sanshi. This made sense since Xu Sanshi was a fifth-year student while Bei Bei was in his fourth year. Though their martial souls and soul power cultivation were evenly matched, experience would likely be the deciding factor.
In reality, Bei Bei could have advanced to the fifth year long ago—and he was actually older than Xu Sanshi—but he chose to stay behind in the fourth year to accompany Tang Ya.
Part Two: Whichever of the two emerged victorious would then face Yuwen Tuo. Regardless of whether it was Bei Bei or Xu Sanshi, the odds for them winning against Yuwen Tuo were an overwhelming 1.05x. On the other hand, Yuwen Tuo's odds skyrocketed to an astonishing 1:100—a clear indication that everyone viewed his challenge as suicidal folly.
Despite these staggering odds, no one placed bets on Yuwen Tuo. After all, why throw money away?
Seeing this, Xiao Xiao grew even angrier. "What's wrong with these people? How can so many underestimate you? I'm going to show my support!"
She seemed to momentarily forget her earlier attempts to dissuade Yuwen Tuo from taking such a reckless step. Now, she only wanted to defend his honor.
Her earlier advice stemmed from genuine concern for his safety—not disdain—and she couldn't stand others looking down on him so blatantly.
"Six gold soul coins—all on Yuwen Tuo!" Xiao Xiao slammed six gold soul coins onto the table.
Yuwen Tuo was genuinely surprised. After deducting expenses for food and miscellaneous training costs, Xiao Xiao only had about two gold soul coins left as pocket money each month. By betting all six, she was essentially wagering three months' worth of savings in one go.
Even though she knew there was a high chance she'd lose everything, she still insisted. She wanted to make it clear that someone believed in Yuwen Tuo.
"Thank you, Xiao Xiao!" Yuwen Tuo said sincerely. "I won't let you down."
He stepped forward and pulled out a gold soul coin card. "Three thousand gold soul coins—all on myself."
This was his entire fortune. To be fair, Ma Xiaotao hadn't stinted on giving him money over the years. With few expenses during his six years at Shrek, he had managed to save it all.
He wasn't worried about the bookmaker being unable to pay out because he knew the true identity of the house—they were backed by the grand Dueling Arena itself.
An ancient and powerful organization with resources far surpassing ordinary factions.
"Are you sure?" The bookmaker thought Yuwen Tuo must be insane.
How could a mere single-ring soul master dare bet his entire life savings on himself? Did he really believe he could defeat a three-ring soul master?
"I'm sure," Yuwen Tuo replied firmly.
"Alright then, bets are locked in."
"Yuwen Tuo…" Xiao Xiao was stunned and began to speak, but Yuwen Tuo pressed a finger to her lips.
"Shh!" He smiled. "Xiao Xiao, just believe in me this time. When I win, I'll buy you a soul bone as a gift."
"Mm… do your best!" Xiao Xiao nodded reluctantly. What else could she do now that the bets were final? She decided to trust this boy who had captured her heart for the first time.
---
Dueling Arena, Resting Room
"Bei Bei, your little Tang Ya is ruthless. Just look at this!" Xu Sanshi complained bitterly, lifting his shirt to reveal a large lump on his right side. It looked as though he'd been bitten repeatedly by mosquitoes, swelling upon swelling.
Bei Bei snorted. "Serves you right for bullying my junior apprentice. Here's the deal: give me one Xuan Water Pill, and I'll help you remove the Dragon's Whisker Needle. Otherwise, you'll have to cut out that piece of flesh yourself. These needles were passed down from the first ancestor of our Tang Sect—it's an honor for you to have been hit by them."
Xu Sanshi retorted, "That kid earlier is really part of your Tang Sect? I didn't see anything special about him! Forget about the Xuan Water Pill—I need to maintain my martial soul, which consumes soul power. And these Dragon's Whisker Needles specialize in breaking through soul defenses. Thanks to Tang Ya's trickery, I got careless. So frustrating!"
"Suit yourself—whether you give it or not is up to you. You beat up my junior apprentice and ruined his stall. Enjoy living with the Dragon's Whisker Needle. Besides, we're about to duel—I doubt you can compete with me carrying that around." Bei Bei smirked maliciously.
Xu Sanshi growled, "Fine, Bei Bei, just wait. Watch how I crush you later—I won't hold back."