"It's me."
Maidemus strode confidently onto the Soul Arena of Xilu City, his golden eyes gleaming slightly.
He looked at the Soul Arena of Xilu City with a touch of nostalgia.
Although it was much simpler than the one at Shrek Academy, it held many memories.
"Wait a minute? That's Maidemus?!"
"Maidemus? He's back in Xilu City!"
"Haha, our pride of Xilu City is back!"
"Maidemus!"
"Maidemus!!"
"Maidemus!!"
As Maidemus slowly walked onto the Soul Arena, all the spectators in the entire Soul Arena began to chant Maidemus's name in unison.
The voices from all directions twisted into one, making the entire Soul Arena feel a slight tremor.
Xiao Hongchen's heterochromatic eyes widened, his tone filled with surprise.
"Maidemus?! Didn't you go to Shrek Academy?"
Maidemus stretched his shoulders and said,
"I took a few days off."
"I came back to Xilu City to visit."
Xiao Hongchen smiled and said,
"How did you know I was at the Soul Arena?"
Ignoring the deafening cheers of the bloodthirsty spectators around him, Maidemus said calmly to Xiao Hongchen,
"Your sister, Meng Hongchen, brought us here. She said you were fighting here."
"I was bored, so I came over to take a look."
Xiao Hongchen cracked his neck, making a crisp sound, and his smile grew even brighter.
"In that case, let's have a match!"
"It's been so long since I fought you!"
"I'm feeling really uncomfortable!"
"This is a good opportunity for you to see my newly improved Soul Tool!"
The referee of the Great Soul Arena came to the center at this moment, looking at Maidemus and Xiao Hongchen with a sad expression on his face.
He seemed to see that day again, the scene of his own Soul Arena collapsing.
Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the audience, he whispered,
"Hey, you two, go easy on me this time."
"I'll treat you two to dinner later."
Xiao Hongchen waved his hand, completely unconcerned.
"What are you afraid of?!"
"If the Soul Arena collapses, I'll pay for the repairs."
"I'm not short of money."
Seeing that both of them were like this, the referee didn't say anything more and immediately waved his hand, saying,
"You're familiar with the rules."
"Then, let the Soul Battle begin!"
Xiao Hongchen revealed a sly smile, and more than a hundred metal balls flew around his body, then quickly transformed into Soul Guidance Cannons.
Many of the Soul Guidance Cannons clearly showed structural features, obviously Xiao Hongchen had improved the Soul Guidance Devices based on his knowledge.
More than a hundred Soul Guidance Devices enveloped Xiao Hongchen like a metal hedgehog.
The number and control of these Soul Guidance Cannons were completely incomparable to He Caitou's.
If it weren't for Bai E and the others this year, Shrek Academy's outer court would truly have no one who could compare to Xiao Hongchen.
Medemos's eyes revealed seriousness.
He instantly activated his first and second soul skills, and the scarlet flames were highly compressed into scarlet crystals.
The ultimate power flowed within his body, and his entire body was enveloped in golden-red flames.
At this moment, half of the arena was crimson belonging to Medemos, and the other half was gold belonging to Xiao Hongchen, their auras clashing fiercely.
The entire Great Soul Arena fell silent, awaiting the exciting battle to come.
...
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"
"Meng, don't pat that spot!"
Backstage at the Soul Arena, Meng Hongchen patted Xiao Hongchen's shoulder helplessly, making him wince in pain.
"Who told you to fight so hard?"
"You haven't had any intense battles for months, and today you suddenly went all out.
Aren't you afraid of leaving hidden injuries?"
Feng Jin smiled gently from the side, then summoned her Martial Soul and unleashed her first Soul Skill on Xiao Hongchen and Medemos.
Xiao Hongchen felt the inexhaustible life force within his body, and the intense itching from his wounds, and couldn't help but sigh.
"No matter how many times I experience it, I'll always be amazed by Feng Jin's healing soul skill."
Meng Hongchen came to Feng Jin's side, her signature white side ponytail swaying slightly as she said,
"By the way, didn't you guys go to Shrek Academy?"
"Why are you back today?"
Bai E patted Medmos on the shoulder and said with a smile,
"The school organized an assessment today, and they gave us two days off afterward, so we came back here to visit."
Xiao Hongchen said after hearing this,
"You don't need to tell me in detail, I know it must be the Shrek Academy's reserve team selection."
"You guys should all be in there, right?"
Bai E nodded gently.
After feeling that his injuries had almost healed, Xiao Hongchen stood up and said,
"That's good!"
"Let's compete again in this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament!"
"In a one-on-one fight, I'm no match for Medmos."
"But in a team battle, I won't lose."
"You guys better be careful!"
Just then, Feng Jin pulled Meng Hongchen and Xia Die's hands and said,
"Let's go, it's been a long time since we've been back to Xilu City."
"Let's go have a meal together!"
Meng Hongchen, who was stroking the Shadow Cat in Xia Die's arms, said,
"Okay!"
"Xiao and I will probably be returning to the Sun Moon Empire tomorrow afternoon."
"Let's go out for a meal together."
"Also, Xiao Die, your cat is really fat! What does it eat?"
Hearing the criticism, the Shadow Cat opened its eyes, glanced at Meng Hongchen, and then turned its head away from her.
Xia Die stroked the Shadow Cat's round head, her voice ethereal and melodious.
"I don't know either."
"Father and Sister Su Tong are feeding it."
"However, I plan to control its diet and let it exercise more."
The Shadow Cat trembled slightly, jumped off Xia Die's arms, gently rubbed its large head against her calf, and then made a squeaking sound.
"Meow~"
A charming smile appeared on Xia Die's indifferent face. She squatted down slightly and stroked its fur, saying:
"No way."
"You really need to lose weight."
"The clothes I made for you a few months ago probably won't fit anymore."
"Father also said you should lose weight."
The Shadow Cat stopped grabbing, lying on its side on the ground, refusing to move.
Xia Die picked it up again and stood up to look at everyone.
After seeing that everyone agreed to the dinner proposal, Bai E happily led everyone towards the streets of Xilu City.
On the streets, Bai E was amazed by the development of Xilu City.
Soul tools were everywhere, and there were even miniature soul tool all-terrain vehicles used for cleaning speeding through the alleys.
The shop signs around were now displayed on screens, and many shops were selling a large number of everyday soul tools.
In the distance, there was even a large shopping mall called RT-Mart, with people coming and going!
The surrounding buildings were getting taller and taller, and most of the pedestrians on the road were unfamiliar faces, probably ordinary people who had just moved to Xilu City in the last few months.
"Wow, Xiru City is even more prosperous than Shrek City now!"
"But it's a pity we can't see the stars from here."
Feng Jin circled around, looking at Xiru City, which now resembled a modern metropolis.
The colorful neon lights on the ground created light pollution in the sky, blocking the light from the stars—a regret brought about by development.
Xiao Hongchen looked at the scene in Xiru City, comparing it with Mingdu, and finally said nothing.
During this time, he had personally witnessed Xiru City enter a period of rapid development, with a large number of inexpensive soul tools enriching the lives of Xiru City's residents.
The economic development driven by soul tool factories attracted countless merchants and commoners seeking a living.
If it were any other city, they would probably be worrying about food at this time, but Xiru City didn't have that problem at all.
The entire city expanded again and again, and it was expected to become a megacity in just a few years.
"This is the birthplace of the Soul Tool Revolution; Soul Tool Machines and Soul Tool Factories are all here."
"This place can be considered the wholesale center for Soul Tools in the Douluo Three Kingdoms, so of course the economy is booming!"
Bai E nodded, a sunny smile spreading across his face.
He was happy to see his hometown developing so rapidly.
"But speaking of which, why are there so many maid cafes here?"
"You can see one on every other street."
"And the maids here are all so pretty!"
Xiao Hongchen was speechless at this question; he couldn't answer.
However, he quite liked these maid cafes; the service was good, and the coffee was delicious.
"Um, maybe the higher-ups in Xilu City like these?"
Feng Jin pulled Xia Die along, looking at the maid cafes, and said,
"Die Bao! Let's try them next time!"
"They look pretty good!"
Xia Die hesitated a bit. She didn't like crowded places; she was a little socially awkward. But seeing Feng Jin's sparkling eyes, she finally nodded and said,
"Yeah."
Bai E stared at the crossroads for a long time, then excitedly pointed in a direction and said,
"Our usual restaurant should be over there!"
Xiao Hongchen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile, and said,
"Then what are
we waiting for?" "Let's go straight there. It's on me today!"
"Eat whatever you want!"
…
In one of the few private rooms in Mingdu, a handsome blond man looked at Mingdu's unique night view through a huge floor-to-ceiling window.
"Mingdu's night view is truly tranquil yet dazzling."
"Right, Miss Orange?"
Behind the blond man was a beautiful woman, whose once bright eyes were now dull and lifeless.
"Otto, what exactly do I have to offer? For you to let me return to the Crown Prince's residence?"
Otto smiled and turned away, his back to the night sky of Mingdu.
"Whether or not you can return to the Crown Prince's residence is a matter only His Highness can decide."
"I…"
Ju Zi interrupted Otto, saying,
"I know you can do it!"
Otto showed no displeasure at being interrupted.
He casually picked up a glass of red wine from the table beside him and approached Ju Zi, saying,
"Since Miss Ju Zi is so eager, I'll be frank."
"Alright."
"I can let you return to the Crown Prince's residence, and even let you join the military."
"I can give you enough power to avenge your enemy Dai Hao and the Star Luo Empire."
"But what can you offer me?"
Ju Zi trembled, her eyes fixed on Otto, saying,
"You…"
Otto interrupted her, his tone confident.
"How did I know?"
"Heh, what kind of secret is that?"
"Something that can be found out with a simple investigation."
"Also, Miss Orange, your eyes seem unable to hide secrets."
"Next time, remember to practice beforehand, don't wear your heart on your sleeve."
"Still the same question, what can you bring me?"
Otto handed Orange the red wine in his hand. Orange's eyes narrowed slightly, and she tremblingly accepted the wine.
"What's in this? Poison?"
Otto didn't look at her anymore, turning back to admire the night view of Mingdu.
"Maybe there is, maybe there isn't."
"It depends on what you think."
Orange's throat moved. She had no way out; she wanted revenge!
She tilted her head back, downed the red wine in one gulp, and then said, word by word:
"I will offer you my loyalty!"
Otto looked at Orange with slight interest. The people in this world weren't very bright, but they certainly knew how to act.
"Go back and wait."
"I will arrange for you to go where you most want to go."
Orange bowed to Otto and then left.
Otto picked up the wine glass she had just drunk from, watching her retreating figure.
"That's why I said, Miss Orange, you can't keep a secret."
"Is it revenge? Or ambition?"
"How interesting."
(End of Chapter)
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