Huge welcome and thank you to our new Patron: Carl Cedric Cuerdo!
New story! Please support by adding to your collection! Thank you :)
------------------------------------------------------
'Iron Fist' truly lived up to his name. His five consecutive victories weren't fake. Despite facing Little Bai's sharp claws and teeth, he managed to block blow after blow and even launched counterattacks from time to time.
Meanwhile, Little Bai fought with tenacity, perfectly showcasing its tough and resilient nature.
Under Chu Chengzhou's strategy, a support-type summon had been transformed into what appeared to be a defense-type summon.
Even when struck by the powerful Mighty Ape Fist, Little Bai didn't flinch. Even if it was repeatedly knocked back by the opponent's offensive soul skills, it would rise again in the next moment as if nothing had happened, continuing to fight on.
It was as though the powerful Mighty Ape Fist could only tickle it.
Five minutes later, 'Iron Fist's soul power was nearly depleted, and the battle situation turned against him.
There was no helping it—after all, he was only a 29th-level Soul Grandmaster. How many times could his soul power sustain the use of century-level soul skills?
He had considered bypassing Little Bai to attack Chu Chengzhou.
After all, fighting in the arena was different from life-and-death battles outside. Spirit Fighter matches had rules—if a soul master left the platform, it was equivalent to forfeiting.
If he could knock Chu Chengzhou, who was standing idly like a bystander, off the platform, he would win the match.
Unfortunately, Little Bai's true strength wasn't what it appeared to be—it gave no opportunity for the opponent to succeed.
Every time it was knocked back by the Mighty Ape Fist soul skill, just as 'Iron Fist' tried to eliminate Chu Chengzhou, Little Bai always managed to intervene in time, forcing him to engage in combat.
"Stop! I concede!"
After using his soul skill once more to knock Little Bai flying, 'Iron Fist' retreated to the edge of the platform and shouted at Chu Chengzhou.
"My thanks!"
Chu Chengzhou gave a slight bow. With a wave of his True Spirit Flag, Little Bai, which was about to charge again, immediately transformed into a streak of white-gold light and merged back into the flag.
"What an exciting match! I declare that the 'Summoner' is the winner of this Spirit Fight!"
The suited referee flapped his eagle wings and promptly arrived to announce the result of the match.
Immediately, thunderous applause erupted from the audience in the second one-on-one main arena.
Audiences bought tickets to watch Spirit Fights for the excitement.
The thrill came from either dazzling displays of soul skills or hard-hitting physical combat.
But audiences experienced visual fatigue. Battles between soul masters were something they had grown tired of.
However, a battle between a soul beast and a soul master—claws tearing into flesh and punches landing heavily—was something most spectators rarely saw.
The clash between Little Bai and 'Iron Fist' undoubtedly hit the sweet spot for the audience.
It was like watching Tyson fight a human—how could it compare to Tyson battling a lion?
Of course, the match wasn't without flaws. For instance, the 'Summoner,' who stood on the platform like a bystander, was an eyesore.
But the flaws didn't overshadow the brilliance. This match was undoubtedly the most exciting one in today's Suotuo Great Spirit Arena!
---
Great Spirit Arena, Counter Window
"Sir, congratulations! The odds for this Spirit Fight were 1:1.8. Your bet of 100,000 gold soul coins has been paid out at 180,000 gold soul coins. After deducting the 5% commission, you'll receive 171,000 gold soul coins!"
The staff behind the counter handed Chu Chengzhou seventeen gold coin cards, each worth 10,000 gold soul coins, along with ten cylindrical bundles of 100 gold soul coins wrapped in brown paper, their faces filled with envy.
Their envy stemmed from two things: first, Chu Chengzhou's ability to casually throw down 100,000 gold soul coins at such a young age, clearly indicating a prestigious background.
Second, his 100,000 gold soul coin bet had not only recovered his initial stake but also netted him over 70,000 additional gold soul coins.
And this was the allure of the Great Spirit Arena's betting counters!
Of course, regardless of whether the gamblers won or lost, the Great Spirit Arena, which profited from commissions, always came out ahead.
Taking the payout, Chu Chengzhou nodded in satisfaction.
Just as he had anticipated—as long as the odds for his Spirit Fight victories didn't collapse, the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena would essentially become his personal ATM.
Unfortunately, while the records for two-on-two Spirit Fights could stack onto one-on-one Spirit Fights, the reverse wasn't true.
Though he had achieved seven consecutive wins in solo fights, his record with Ma Hongjun in two-on-two fights was only at three consecutive wins—not yet eligible to compete in the main arena for two-on-two matches.
Otherwise, if he had taken the 170,000 gold soul coins in his possession and bet it all again, by the time he left the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena, his savings would far exceed 200,000 gold soul coins.
If Chu Chengzhou was the biggest winner, then Flender was the second-biggest.
Flender had emptied his pockets earlier—even misappropriating "public funds"—and placed a direct bet of 20,000 gold soul coins.
At odds of 1:1.8, the payout was 36,000 gold soul coins, leaving him with 34,200 after deductions—a net profit of 14,200, more than Zhao Wujie and Xiao Wu combined.
Still, this didn't dampen the joyous mood of the Shrek group.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, a week had passed.
Before dawn, Chu Chengzhou began his daily morning meditation inside the dormitory.
Suddenly, a surge of intense soul power fluctuations rippled through Chu Chengzhou's body during his meditation, quickly subsiding afterward.
"I've finally reached level 30!"
Feeling the heightened soul power within him, Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but feel immense joy.
Reaching level 30 meant he could now add his third soul ring and advance to a three-ring Soul Elder.
Moreover, after advancing to a three-ring Soul Elder, his AFK cultivation hack would likely upgrade again, further accelerating his growth. This was far more thrilling to him than earning millions from the Great Spirit Arena.
Indeed, just a week ago, after his first big win at the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena, he had less than 200,000 gold soul coins in his pocket.
But now, a week later, the amount of gold soul coins in his possession had exceeded a million—specifically, over two million.
Keep in mind, Chu Chengzhou's all-in bets weren't just on himself. Xiao Wu, whose combat prowess was virtually unbeatable at the three-ring level, was also one of his all-in betting targets.
However, the gamblers at the Great Spirit Arena weren't fools. Despite Chu Chengzhou and Xiao Wu consistently feigning weakness in their matches, their winning odds had still begun to collapse.
Though there were still a few stubborn gamblers unwilling to believe, such die-hard types were rare.
Of course, Chu Chengzhou believed that after advancing to a three-ring Soul Elder, he'd likely be able to rake in more money at the Great Spirit Arena again.
After all, while a level 29 'Summoner' could dominate two-ring soul masters, surely a newly promoted three-ring 'Summoner' wouldn't be able to sweep all three-ring soul masters, right?
On paper, a freshly promoted three-ring Soul Elder would stand little chance against higher-ranked Soul Elders. As a result, the odds would naturally rebound significantly.
However, he couldn't return to the Great Spirit Arena anytime soon. Participating in Spirit Fights required soul power level checks. If others advanced to three-ring Soul Elders at level 31, but he jumped straight to level 32 or 33, it would raise suspicions about his abilities.
Ceasing his meditation, Chu Chengzhou left the dormitory and went directly to find Flender.
------------------------------------------------------
Double Chapters Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)