Long Chen and Dugu Bo arrived in Soto City at dusk.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the bustling city, draping it in a golden veil.
Soto City is located within the Kingdom of Barak. As an important commercial center of the Kingdom of Barak, it not only enjoys a superior geographical location but is also a transportation hub connecting the north and south of the kingdom, so its prosperity is self-evident.
The streets are lined with all kinds of shops, from high-end Soul Master equipment stores to ordinary general stores, from fragrant taverns to bustling entertainment venues, all of which showcase the city's vitality and diversity.
Long Chen and Dugu Bo walked side by side on the bustling street, feeling the rich atmosphere of life around them.
"It's really lively here."
Long Chen smiled, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
Dugu Bo nodded slightly.
"You've been stuck in the mountains for over a year, and apart from this old man, there's no one to talk to. You must be feeling really stifled, right?"
"A little bit, haha~"
"Let's grab something to eat first, then head over to the Soul Arena."
The two found a restaurant on the street.
After dinner, Long Chen and Dugu Bo walked towards the Soto Great Soul Arena under the cover of night.
As they drew closer, a magnificent building came into view.
That is the symbol of Soto City—the Soto Grand Arena.
The Battle Arena is located in the heart of the city, covering a vast area. Its exterior adopts the unique architectural style of the Kingdom of Barak, blending sturdiness and magnificence.
The towering buildings glowed with a faint golden light in the night, adding to their luxurious and solemn appearance.
The entrance to the Soul Arena was brightly lit.
The colorful lights intertwined, creating a dreamy yet vibrant atmosphere.
The crowd was bustling and lively.
There were nobles dressed in gorgeous clothes and commoners dressed in simple clothes, all of whom were filled with anticipation and enthusiasm for the Soul Fighting Competition.
Soto Arena is considered a relatively large arena.
Its interior is divided into one main arena and twenty-four sub-arenas, which can accommodate 60,000 spectators at the same time.
Long Chen knew the rules of the Soul Arena, which were roughly divided into three categories.
One approach is a game of strategy, where participants learn from each other, but killing is prohibited.
One type is a life-or-death battle, where one can disregard the life or death of their opponent.
Another type is a wager, where both sides send out the same number of Soul Masters to compete, and the winner receives everything stipulated in the wager.
There are three types of matches: one-on-one, two-on-two, and group battles.
Long Chen and Dugu Bo entered the Soul Arena and went directly to the ticket counter.
He wanted to know if the members of the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy were here.
"Hello, does the Royal Fighting Team have a match tonight?"
A young female staff member at the front desk glanced at Long Chen and replied casually:
"The Royal Fighting Team has matches, but their matches are in the main arena in the center, and there are no more VIP rooms available."
Dugu Bo asked somewhat impatiently:
"Little girl, what do you mean?"
The receptionist glanced at Dugu Bo, and was immediately terrified. She hurriedly explained:
"Dear guest, I'm sorry. Our main arena does not have any open-air stands; it's all VIP rooms. There are twelve premium VIP rooms and three hundred and twenty regular VIP rooms, all of which have been reserved."
"With so many VIP rooms, isn't there a single one empty?"
"There really aren't any left. The premium VIP rooms all have their owners, and the regular VIP rooms are also fully booked at the beginning of each year."
Dugu Bo's expression changed.
"Little girl, I don't want to make things difficult for you. Call your supervisor over."
"Okay, please wait a moment."
After the girl left, Long Chen smiled and said:
"Brother Bo, are you going to force this?"
Dugu Bo smiled as well.
"Xiao Chen, remember this: in this world, strength is what matters most. With strength, you have everything. Those so-called nobles are nothing in my eyes. I, Dugu Bo, have made countless enemies in my life, and I don't care about offending a few more."
"You're still so willful."
Long Chen gave Dugu Bo a thumbs up.
No matter what, he had to get into the central arena and not let the Shrek Seven Devils succeed.
A moment later, the girl brought a middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man sensed the powerful aura emanating from Dugu Bo the moment he saw him, knowing that the newcomer was no ordinary person.
"Distinguished guest, hello. I am Manager Ao of this arena. May I ask how I can assist you?"
"My request is simple: I want to watch the matches at the main arena for the next few days, a regular VIP room will do. Don't worry, I won't shortchange you a penny."
Manager Ao smiled and said:
"Our front desk staff should have explained to you that our VIP rooms were already fully booked."
"I don't care, you just need to find a way to make room for me. I'm just here to watch the game, I have no other intentions."
Manager Ao was somewhat angry. He was no ordinary person to be the manager of the Soto Great Soul Arena; he had extensive connections.
But Dugu Bo's aura was simply too powerful, and he knew very well that this was someone he could not afford to offend.
So, suppressing his anger, he tentatively asked:
"Distinguished guest, may I ask who you are?"
"My surname is Dugu, and my title is Poison."
Dugu Bo was too lazy to argue with him and directly revealed his name.
Upon hearing this, Manager Ao was startled, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
The number of titled Douluo in the Heaven Dou Empire is very small, and Poison Douluo Dugu Bo is an absolutely fearsome figure.
He had an eccentric personality, preferred to work alone, killed countless people, and never respected anyone.
Manager Ao naturally wouldn't dare offend such a ruthless person.
"So it's Poison Douluo Senior Dugu. It's our honor that you've graced us with your presence at the Soto Soul Arena. We apologize for our poor hospitality earlier."
"It's alright now. Are there any VIP rooms available?"
"Yes! Yes! Please wait a moment, I'll arrange it for you right away."
After Manager Ao left, Long Chen and Dugu Bo exchanged a smile.
"Brother Bo, you're really something."
"Xiao Chen, this is the benefit of strength. You'll understand in the future."
A short while later, Supervisor Ao returned.
"Senior Dugu, a VIP room has been arranged for you. Please follow me."
Afterwards, Manager Ao personally led Dugu Bo and Long Chen to a VIP room and politely declined Dugu Bo's offer to pay for the tickets.
The main arena in the center was extremely quiet.
There are no open-air stands here; it consists entirely of enclosed boxes.
People in the VIP boxes can clearly see everything on the ring through the crystal glass.
However, the situation inside the private room cannot be clearly seen from the outside.
The VIPs who come here all have powerful backgrounds and often place large bets.
To avoid conflicts arising from gambling, no one wanted to reveal their identities here.
What they want is a low-key, luxurious, and superior feeling.