Tianshui City was not considered far from Heaven Dou City, but Shui Bing'er usually stayed at her academy.
However, in one year, Heaven Dou City would host the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. As Tianshui Academy was a popular team for the competition, they had naturally arrived at the Imperial City early.
In previous years' tournaments, the Tianshui team's results were not ideal.
However, because the team members were all female, they enjoyed high popularity.
This year, however, Tianshui Academy had produced a genius contestant in Shui Bing'er. In addition to her and Shui Yue'er's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, her Ice Phoenix Martial Soul was itself one of the highest quality Beast Martial Souls.
At the same time, the pressure Shui Bing'er faced was also immense.
This was especially true after she arrived in Heaven Dou City and discovered that the Heaven Dou Imperial Team actually had a level 49 Soul Ancestor.
After inquiring, Shui Bing'er learned this person was named Dugu Yan, the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo, and was three years older than herself.
In Shui Bing'er's heart, she was confident she could also reach this level in three years.
However, the thought of her and her team having to face a Soul King contestant in a year's time filled Shui Bing'er's heart with a sense of defeat.
At this moment, Shui Bing'er looked at Lu Feng. This person was young and had an extraordinary temperament. His understanding of Martial Souls and soul skills could be described as unique, far surpassing his peers.
In her heart, she concluded that Lu Feng was either from a great family or a top student from a certain academy. Working at the Spirit Arena was perhaps just a hobby of his.
"Please don't let him be from the Heaven Dou Imperial Team," Shui Bing'er silently prayed.
At this time, a new round of battle began on the spirit battle stage, and the audience's attention shifted back to the contestants.
"Huh, they're both acquaintances?" Lu Feng's eyes flickered as he looked at the two people before him.
"The Strength Clan... loyal supporters of the Hammer Brothers."
The young man in front of him was about 1.8 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a wide back. A sharp light flashed in his eyes, and his chestnut-red short hair made him look full of energy.
His opponent was a beautiful woman, tall and slender, with ear-length short hair. A green, tight-fitting outfit wrapped around her already well-developed figure, and she exuded an air of youthfulness.
The young man looked at his seemingly delicate opponent and said in a gruff, booming voice, "Tai Long, Martial Soul Power Gorilla, level 34 power attack system Battle Soul Elder. Please enlighten me."
Immediately, Tai Long provocatively crooked his finger, signaling his opponent to attack first.
The woman snorted coldly. She raised her right hand, and a bright green light shone. A scepter, entirely emerald-green and shaped like a snake's head, appeared in her hand.
"Meng Yiran, Martial Soul Snake Staff, level 35 power attack system Battle Soul Elder. Please enlighten me."
As her voice fell, Meng Yiran waved her Martial Soul. Her third soul ring shone, and a swath of green light surged out from the Martial Soul.
The next moment, the green light spread, and nearly half the spirit battle stage was enveloped in poison.
"Contestant Meng Yiran attacks first. Her third soul skill is a large-area poison. She immediately creates a battle environment most favorable to herself."
"Contestant Tai Long has used a defensive-type soul skill, minimizing the poison's effect on him."
Following Lu Feng's commentary, the match gradually intensified.
Although Tai Long was a bit reckless, he was also somewhat shrewd. His initial taunt had successfully provoked Meng Yiran's anger.
During the match, Meng Yiran waved her Martial Soul, attacking frequently. However, Tai Long's Martial Soul was the Power Gorilla, which had a certain immunity to poison. Furthermore, strength was his specialty, especially in close combat.
Although Meng Yiran's attacks were sharp, Lu Feng could already foresee the scene of her bitter defeat.
"Contestant Meng Yiran uses her first soul skill, Snake Blade. But contestant Tai Long is not so easily dealt with. He launches a counter-attack with a powerful heavy punch."
"Clashing head-on with the Power Gorilla Martial Soul is truly unwise."
At this moment, Meng Yiran's hair was somewhat disheveled, and she was panting heavily. She had truly suffered a great loss in the previous exchange.
She was just preparing for a final desperate attempt when Lu Feng's words suddenly reached her ears.
Meng Yiran turned her head to look at Lu Feng. This handsome host... she seemed to have seen him somewhere before.
Suddenly, she realized sharply that she seemed to have fallen into her opponent's trap from the very beginning.
"Such a simple taunt... and I actually fell for it?"
"Huu..." Meng Yiran took a deep breath, striving to adjust her emotions.
The next moment, she moved.
However, she did not attack again, but instead deployed her snake poison to defend the area around her.
Tai Long's expression changed. He turned his head to look at Lu Feng, a trace of hostility rising in his eyes.
"This host talks too much!"
However, Tai Long didn't pay it too much mind. He had already established an absolute advantage. It was too late for his opponent to react now.
"Bang!"
Tai Long's body slammed heavily onto the ground.
An intense burning sensation came from his wound, accompanied by severe paralysis. No matter how he struggled, he could not get back up.
"What terrifying snake poison. Burning, paralysis, and a spiritual toxin. It seems contestant Meng Yiran's third soul ring has an extraordinary origin."
"It should be the legendary Jade Phosphor King Serpent." Lu Feng added, looking at the emerald-green scepter in Meng Yiran's hand.
As his words fell, a burst of discussion erupted from the audience.
"What's a Jade Phosphor King Serpent? I've only heard of the Jade Phosphor Serpent," a short spectator said.
"You don't even know that? Legend says that Poison Douluo Dugu Bo's Martial Soul is precisely the Jade Phosphor King Serpent!" another burly man compensated.
"Nonsense! Senior Dugu's Martial Soul is the Serpent Emperor, the Emperor of the Jade Phosphor Serpents!" a spectator in a red shirt with a buzz cut explained haughtily.
The audience members all expressed their own opinions, but everyone approved of Lu Feng's commentary.
At this moment, a commotion arose. Lu Feng looked up and saw the red-shirted spectator and the other burly man had, for some reason, started fighting.
On the stage, Meng Yiran stared at Lu Feng, her eyes glittering uncertainly.
Her third soul ring did indeed come from a Jade Phosphor King Serpent. Back then, she and her grandmother had searched for several days in the Star Dou Forest to find this specific variant.
"This person's insight is so sharp!" Meng Yiran thought to herself.
On the other side, Tai Long struggled to his feet, pointed at Lu Feng, and yelled, "I report! Your referee helped the contestant cheat!"
He raised his right hand high as he spoke.
A supervisor walked up to him and smiled faintly. "Contestant Tai Long, what is your issue?"
Tai Long said loudly, "If he hadn't just reminded my opponent, I would have already won the match. I don't accept the result of this match."
As his voice fell, everyone's gaze turned over.
"Big sister, this person is really thick-skinned," Shui Yue'er whispered, linking her arm with Shui Bing'er's.
Shui Bing'er smiled faintly and did not reply. She had heard of the Strength Clan's ill reputation even back in Tianshui City.
In Shui Bing'er's view, Lu Feng's commentary wasn't a violation, but Tai Long was seizing on it, clearly just trying to find an excuse for himself.
"Contestant Tai Long, our Spirit Arena will definitely handle this matter seriously. However, we will not be changing the outcome of the match at this time," the supervisor said, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Hmph!" Tai Long snorted coldly. He also recognized the evasiveness in the supervisor's words.
Saying they'll handle it seriously just means they'll drag it out until it's forgotten.
"Kid, you just wait! This matter isn't over!" Tai Long pointed at Lu Feng's nose and said viciously.
He then spat heavily on the ground and turned to leave the Spirit Arena.
At this point, the supervisor patted Lu Feng's shoulder and said, "Lu Feng, don't mind him. The Suotuo City Great Supervisor is my uncle. He already mentioned in his recommendation letter that we are very much looking forward to this style of hosting."
Lu Feng heard this and nodded.
He wasn't bothered by Tai Long's words. Forget Tai Long, Lu Feng didn't even pay any mind to his grandfather, the Strength Clan's patriarch—Tai Tan.
At this moment, Shui Bing'er walked over slowly and said to Lu Feng with a smile, "Hello."
Her demeanor was very graceful, and the faint smile on her lips gave people an easy sense of affinity.
"Hello. Is there something I can help you with?" Lu Feng looked at the two and said with a smile.
"My name is Shui Bing'er, captain of the Tianshui team. This is my sister, Shui Yue'er. Although this might be a bit forward, I wanted to ask, seeing as you're so young, are you a student at one of the academies?" Shui Bing'er asked directly.
Shui Bing'er had always loved academy life. She spent even more time at the academy than she did at home.
Therefore, it was for the honor of her academy that she had come to 'scout the situation'.
"Oh? So it's the two young mistresses from Tianshui Academy. I've long heard of you. My name is Lu Feng, and I am a member of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy," Lu Feng smiled faintly.
"Ah? You really are from the Heaven Dou Imperial Team?" Shui Yue'er's lips pouted when she heard this.
"Your academy has produced several genius students this year. Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and now you," Shui Yue'er praised generously.
"If I'm not mistaken, you should be a Soul Ancestor, right?" Shui Yue'er asked.
Lu Feng smiled. He hadn't expected them to come over just for this. I thought my hosting was just that good, and I'd gained two more fans.
"I am indeed at the Soul Ancestor cultivation level. However, I am only a member of the second team," Lu Feng said with a faint smile.
"The second team!"
Shui Yue'er exclaimed upon hearing this. "With your cultivation as a Soul Ancestor, you actually can't get into the first team!"
"Hahaha."
Lu Feng laughed loudly, then said seriously, "Our first team is aiming for the championship this time."
"The direct heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the direct heir of the Black Tortoise Sect, the successor of the Poison Douluo, and the successor of the Nine Star Begonia."
"Not to mention, the son of the Heaven Dou Empire's number one Duke, the son of the Heaven Dou Empire's cabinet minister, and the heir to the second richest family in the Heaven Dou Empire—the Ao Clan's successor, Aosiluo."
Shui Yue'er immediately exclaimed, "Your first team is that amazing? I only knew Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan. I didn't expect you to have other experts!"
Lu Feng smiled faintly. "Brother Ao is usually quite low-key and doesn't like to show his face at the Spirit Arena. It's normal that you don't know him."
"Haa~"
In the Suotuo City Grand Hotel, Aosiluo let out a bored yawn.
"Panther, did you go fooling around again last night? You don't seem to have much energy," Yu Feng said with a chuckle.
"Hmph, you bird-brain, what do you know. If I'm yawning, it must be because a beauty is missing me!"