Fasno Province, Snowfall Royal City, Great Spirit Arena, central main battle stage.
"I… I surrender."
With a somewhat helpless voice echoing out, the surrounding spectator stands immediately erupted in wild cheers.
Of course, there were also groans—because people had lost money.
This was a match where a rank 32 Soul Elder leapt across realms to face a rank 42 Soul Ancestor. No one had thought the former would win.
"Xiao Hai is really getting stronger and stronger." In the section reserved for registered contestants, Yu Feng couldn't help but comment.
"Counting the points, after this match, Xiao Hai should be able to directly advance to the Purple Gold Spirit Arena Badge, right?" On the side, Oslo looked at him with admiration. "Winning a Purple Gold Badge in such a short time, while still only at the Soul Elder level, should be a record in Spirit Arena history."
"…" Not far away, Yu Tianheng's fist clenched tightly, a trace of gloom flashing in his eyes.
Since the start of the circuit battle, nearly two months had passed. He could clearly feel the widening gap between himself and Yang Yunhai. From a rank 39 Soul Elder, Yang Yunhai had moved to challenging Soul Ancestors head-on. His progress was something Yu Tianheng had witnessed with his own eyes.
And he had to admit—he was no longer Yang Yunhai's match.
"Mm, the points are enough. Consecutive wins while leaping realms grant quite a lot." Qin Ming smiled and nodded.
Yang Yunhai setting a record by winning the Purple Gold Badge at the Soul Elder level was something that, as team leader, made him feel deeply proud as well.
"Come on, it's about time. We should get ready for the team match." He turned his head and continued.
"Yes!" Everyone nodded together and stood, leaving the viewing area.
Meanwhile, amid the cheers of the crowd, Yang Yunhai strode into the tunnel, disappearing into the shadows.
"Xiao Hai, that was awesome!" The moment he rejoined the team, Yu Feng gave him a big thumbs up, eyes full of admiration.
Yang Yunhai just smiled. "It was more of a trick. If the opponent's level had been higher, my control might not have held up."
Though it was a leap across realms, he had never yet challenged someone beyond rank 42. Control-type Soul Masters defeating an opponent ten levels above them wasn't unheard of in the Soul Master world, so it was still within reason.
Anything higher than that, however, went beyond what was considered normal.
At his current stage, he felt it was better not to show off too much.
Besides, his spirit power had already broken through to rank 37 more than a month ago. Honestly speaking, even against a rank 42 Soul Ancestor, he could win easily. But to conceal his strength, he had to make it look a little harder than it really was.
Fighting weaker opponents didn't provide much tempering, but it was still useful for testing his Martial Soul's abilities.
'Once I break through to Soul Ancestor, I'll definitely be able to defeat Xiao Hai.' Yu Tianheng's face softened slightly, but his heart couldn't feel happy.
Defeating a Soul Elder as a Soul Ancestor wasn't worth bragging about—especially when he was the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, possessing its Martial Soul.
"Hehe, Xiao Hai, tell us—how much did you bet this time?" Yu Feng asked with a mischievous grin.
Leaping challenges were popular anywhere, and the Spirit Arena was no exception. With deliberate promotion from the staff, the odds were always sky-high.
Thanks to this, every time Yang Yunhai entered a new city, he always left with pockets full.
The main Spirit Arenas across major cities might know about his strength, but the locals usually didn't.
"Pretty much all in. Since it's all winnings anyway, I don't mind." Yang Yunhai smiled.
Yu Feng's eyes widened. "Damn, Xiao Hai, you're rich now! Tonight you have to treat us—I'm going to eat you dry!"
"Heh, like you didn't place bets yourself?" Dugu Yan suddenly cut in coldly.
"A little, just a little," Yu Feng shrank his neck, quickly grinning in embarrassment.
The teammates around them chuckled. They had all placed bets too. With a powerhouse like Yang Yunhai in the team, they were all riding the wave.
"Alright, the match is starting. Let's head in." Qin Ming's voice called out at that moment.
Yu Feng instantly breathed a sigh of relief, falling silent and slipping into the background. Under Yu Tianheng's lead, the team entered the tunnel.
After the group disappeared from view, Qin Ming turned back, taking Yang Yunhai with him to the spectator area.
This time, the opposing team wasn't particularly strong. He didn't think Yang Yunhai would be needed.
Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, the team returned victorious.
"Heh, just a few more wins and our team will be promoted to a Gold Spirit Arena Badge team." Yu Feng grinned as they walked back.
Since Yang Yunhai rarely fought in team matches, their win rate was good but they lacked long winning streaks. Losses also meant lost points. So their score hadn't risen fast enough, and since advancing from Silver to Gold required a lot of points, they still hadn't reached it yet.
"Next matches, as long as we don't lose, we've got a real shot. We'll need to push harder." Shi Mo, the honest one, was full of fighting spirit.
Honestly, he didn't want the team's Gold Badge to rely on Yang Yunhai alone.
Not far away, Qin Ming smiled faintly.
Yang Yunhai was a good benchmark. Whenever they faced powerful veteran teams, he could put him on the field, letting the others clearly see the gap. That way, they'd train harder and improve faster.
Indeed, quite a few team members were already close to breakthroughs.
When they rejoined him, Qin Ming smiled. "Alright, that's it for today's training."
"Rest well tonight. Tomorrow morning we'll head out for Barak Kingdom. First to Suotuo City, then north to Silves City. After that, we'll return to Heaven Dou City for some rest. We've been away nearly two months—everyone should take time to go home."
"Yes!"
At the thought of returning home, many faces lit up with joy.
If they could secure the team's Gold Badge, it would make for a great story to brag about back home. As for a personal Gold Badge, none of them held much hope.
'Suotuo City…' Yang Yunhai's eyes flickered.
By the timeline of the original story, the Shrek Team should still be in Suotuo City competing in the Spirit Arena.
'And with Dugu Bo following along, if there's a fight, Xiao Wu's identity might be exposed. With Dugu Yan's current strength, she still isn't strong enough to take Xiao Wu's ring. A 100,000-year spirit ring is no small matter. Dugu Bo won't just want the bone—he'll want the ring too. With a Soul Tool capable of storing living creatures, keeping her captive is more likely. So there's still time to maneuver.'
'But I need to plant some warnings. If Dugu Bo suddenly acts rashly and tries to capture Xiao Wu, Tang Hao would hunt him down without hesitation.'
'And right now, Dugu Bo is no match for Tang Hao.'
Lost in thought, Yang Yunhai's expression turned serious.
"Let's go, I'll take you all to settle up." Qin Ming's voice brought him back.
Yang Yunhai nodded and followed the team out of the spectator area.
Back at the rest area, the manager was already waiting.
"Honored Blue Silver Controller, congratulations on breaking our Spirit Arena's record and earning a Purple Gold Badge. Here is your badge, along with your payout. Please accept them."
After announcing the final tally, the manager politely handed over a badge and a gold card.
"…" Several teammates' mouths twitched.
Blue Silver Controller—that was the title Yang Yunhai had casually written down at registration. Every time it was said aloud, they felt it sounded comical. Most likely, the host and manager thought the same, but rules were rules.
In the Spirit Arena, staff weren't allowed to reveal any contestant's personal information beyond registration details.
Unless, of course, you wrote down your real name to show off.
"Thank you." Yang Yunhai nodded and accepted the items.
The manager remained polite as he handled the rest of the team's settlements. After all, the team included the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo. That alone warranted his personal attention.
Soon, everything was done, and the manager excused himself.
(End of Chapter)