Led by Flender, Du Feng, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun entered the Soto Grand Soul Arena.
As soon as they stepped inside, a massive stone tablet came into view, densely engraved with countless names.
Flender glanced at it and explained calmly, "These are the names of Soul Masters who died in the arena."
Looking at the countless names carved into the stone, Du Feng felt a chill run down his spine.
So many powerful Soul Masters—people who once stood among the elite of the continent—had actually lost their lives in this place.
The registration process for participating in soul battles was very simple. One only needed to fill out a form with basic personal information, including their name, age, martial soul, and place of origin. After paying a registration fee of ten Gold Soul Coins, they would receive the most basic identification—the Iron Soul Badge.
At the same time, the Grand Soul Arena also tested their soul power to determine their level, making it easier to arrange suitable opponents later.
After completing their registration, Du Feng and the others officially entered the ranking system for soul battles.
Flender led them to the strategic soul battle area, gave them a few final instructions, and then headed toward the spectator stands.
Soon afterward, a staff member guided the three of them to the Fourteenth Spirit Arena District and led them to the resting area.
Because Du Feng was a newcomer participating in soul battles for the first time, he was assigned to a sub-arena.
All the Soul Masters competing in the Fourteenth District gathered in a spacious waiting room where they could rest and watch other battles while waiting for their turn.
After observing several matches between other Soul Masters, it was finally Du Feng's turn.
Du Feng stepped onto the battle stage for the first time.
Because this was only a sub-arena, the audience was not particularly large—only about two-fifths of the seats were occupied. However, the arena itself was still quite spacious, with a diameter of around twenty meters.
Standing in the center of the stage was a middle-aged man dressed in a tuxedo. He spoke loudly as he addressed the audience.
"Next, we present the sixth one-on-one spirit battle of the Fourteenth Arena District!"
"On one side, we have the newcomer Du Feng, whose beast-type martial soul is the Purple Crystal Bear!"
"On the other side, we have Ying Tian, who has already achieved three consecutive victories with his plant-type martial soul—the Ghost Vine!"
"Will Soul Master Ying Tian secure his fourth consecutive victory tonight, or will the newcomer Du Feng defeat him and claim his first win in the arena?"
"Let's find out!"
"Please welcome the two Soul Masters to the stage!"
The audience in the stands responded with only scattered applause. The atmosphere felt somewhat forced, as if people were clapping merely out of obligation.
Du Feng quickly stepped onto the stage.
It was his first time fighting in a competition arena like this. Standing under the bright lights with spectators watching made him feel slightly uncomfortable.
Soon, Du Feng saw his opponent.
Ying Tian appeared like a frail scholar. However, his face had an unhealthy pale color—perhaps an effect of his Ghost Vine martial soul.
At the host's signal, the battle began.
Neither of them exchanged pleasantries. Both immediately activated their Martial Soul Possession.
Soul rings rose around their bodies.
Du Feng noticed that Ying Tian also possessed an excellent soul ring configuration—two yellow rings and one purple ring.
This opponent was clearly no ordinary Soul Master.
Ying Tian activated his Ghost Vine martial soul. Thick vines rapidly spread across the arena, covering most of the battlefield within just a few seconds.
The vines lashed through the air like whips.
Du Feng immediately judged that his opponent was a control-type Soul Master.
If he failed to break through the Ghost Vine's blockade and close the distance, he would likely suffer his first defeat here tonight.
Without hesitation, Du Feng activated his second soul skill—Crystallization—strengthening his defensive power.
Ignoring the whipping vines, he raised his arms to protect his head and charged straight toward Ying Tian.
After enduring several strikes from the vines, he successfully closed the distance.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable—and realizing the Ghost Vine's attacks had little effect on Du Feng—Ying Tian quickly raised his vines and activated his first soul skill.
"Entanglement!"
Ghost Vines surged forward, attempting to bind Du Feng.
The moment Du Feng saw Ying Tian's first soul ring light up, he understood that a soul skill had been activated. Vines rushed toward him from every direction.
Du Feng immediately extended the sharp claws of his martial soul and infused them with soul power.
With several powerful swings, he easily knocked aside the incoming vines. Some were even pierced by his bear claws and torn apart.
Ying Tian was shocked.
He quickly activated his second soul skill—Tenacity—enhancing the durability of his Ghost Vines, while simultaneously using Entanglement again.
Seeing his opponent attempt the same strategy again, Du Feng remained calm.
However, when he tried to slash through the vines this time, he discovered that the Ghost Vines had become far tougher.
His bear claws could no longer cut through them.
Realizing the danger, Du Feng immediately activated both his first and third soul skills simultaneously, amplifying the power of his first skill—Mighty Force—to its limit.
With a powerful burst of strength, he broke free from the vines' restraints.
Ying Tian was momentarily stunned.
Even with both his first and second soul skills enhanced, Du Feng had broken through instantly. His mind went blank.
Before he could react, Du Feng had already arrived in front of him.
Sharp bear claws stopped directly at Ying Tian's throat.
Ying Tian's face twisted with frustration.
But he had no choice.
"I… concede."
The host immediately stepped forward.
"Victory goes to Soul Master Du Feng!"
"Record: one win, zero losses!"
"Soul Master Ying Tian: three wins, two losses."
"Soul Master Du Feng, please proceed to the registration desk after leaving the stage to record your points."
Du Feng had officially achieved his first victory in the Soul Arena.
He felt relieved.
His opponent had reacted too slowly. Being stunned at such a crucial moment had cost him the match. Judging from Ying Tian's unwilling expression, his third soul skill was likely quite powerful.
Moreover, for a control-type Soul Master, once their control over the battlefield was broken, they had essentially lost the foundation of their combat style.
Indeed, reaction speed was extremely important in real combat.
Fortunately, Du Feng had sparred countless times with Du Tu and Zhao Wuji. Otherwise, this battle might have dragged on for quite a while before a winner was decided.
After checking his soul power level, Du Feng decided not to continue fighting that night.
He was currently only at level 32, which placed him at a disadvantage if he continued.
After registering his victory, he received a reward of ten Gold Soul Coins.
Then he went to find Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun.