Chapter 40: Imperial Battle - Douluo: Martial Soul of Lightning

The atmosphere among the group had reached a euphoric high. Everyone could clearly see that Lin Jie and Dai Mubai had been at odds before—so for them to put aside their differences and shake hands tonight was cause for celebration.

The students cheered and toasted each other, diving headfirst into a night of wild drinking.

Alcohol, after all, only became more intoxicating the longer one drank—especially in such a lively setting. No one knew how much they ended up consuming. Lin Jie drank his fair share; although he didn't get drunk enough to pass out, his head was spinning by the end. Eventually, everyone stumbled back to their rooms in various states of inebriation.

By the time morning came, the group awoke groggily, with hazy recollections of the night before. Dai Mubai, however, remembered everything with perfect clarity. He—so proud and prideful—had actually taken the initiative to make peace with someone he disliked. Now, sitting in his room with a hand on his aching forehead, he wasn't quite sure how to feel.

What shocked everyone most was Ning Rongrong. For such a delicate noble girl, she could really hold her liquor.

The spirit battles continued day after day. In the blink of an eye, a full month had passed. During that time, the eight students from Shrek Academy had made a name for themselves at the Suotuo Spirit Arena. Surprisingly, the happiest person wasn't one of the fighters—it was Flender.

That old miser placed all his coins on the Shrek team before every group battle—and with their flawless record, he was making a small fortune.

In one month, the Shrek Eight Devils had participated in twenty-seven group battles.

And they'd won all twenty-seven.

At the sub–rank-30 level, they were now virtually unmatched.

Lin Jie and Zhu Zhuqing's duo—Night Bamboo—had achieved a 27-win streak. Tang San and Xiao Wu's team—Sanwu—had matched that record with their own 27 wins.

Dai Mubai and Oscar's team, White Tiger Wings, had 26 wins and 1 loss.

Ning Rongrong and Ma Hongjun's pairing, Seven Treasure Phoenix, had a less impressive—but still respectable—record: 20 wins and 7 losses. Since Rongrong was already at Spirit Elder rank and Ma Hongjun was only level 29, they had to enter battles at the 30-level tier.

As for the solo battles, Lin Jie and Tang San remained undefeated. Dai Mubai had lost one match. Zhu Zhuqing, in the 30-level bracket, maintained a winning streak, though she had lost once to Tang San back when she was still competing at the 20-level tier. The only one still competing in that tier was Ma Hongjun—and his Evil Fire Phoenix was proving extremely effective. His win rate was stellar.

Tonight, the Shrek team returned once more to Suotuo Spirit Arena—by coincidence, on the exact same date as their first match one month ago.

The city of Suotuo was lively under the night sky. The Spirit Arena bustled with excitement, and the entrance was jammed with carriages belonging to nobles.

As usual, the group made their way to the registration area for the group battles. When the staff saw their Shrek Academy registration badges, they immediately apologized and asked them to wait before disappearing into the office. Moments later, the staff returned with another man in tow.

After a brief discussion with the arena's director, Yu Xiaogang agreed to let them face a team comprised entirely of Spirit Masters with Silver Spirit Arena Badges.

Over the past month, Yu Xiaogang had watched many of Lin Jie and Zhu Zhuqing's battles and knew they hadn't even shown their full strength. Zhu Zhuqing in particular had barely used her external Spirit Bone. He was confident that the Shrek students could handle a stronger challenge, so he accepted the matchup.

Inside the lounge, Yu Xiaogang informed the students about the match. Everyone accepted without hesitation.

According to Spirit Arena rules, team battles must have no more than ten participants and no fewer than seven. The team they would face was officially registered as:

Imperial Battle Team — All members held Silver Spirit Arena Badges.

Captain: Yu Tianheng

Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon

Rank: 39, Power Attack System Battle Spirit Master