After bidding farewell to Xue Qinghe, Shen An returned to the teahouse with Tom and Ye Zi.
Xue Qinghe watched Shen An's figure disappear, then quietly transformed and headed toward the Soto Martial Soul Hall.
As soon as Tom returned to Soto City, it became visibly excited. After all, it was a cat that loved its home.
The teahouse was completely dark, with no lights on. Shen An whispered, "Let's keep it quiet when we go in. We don't want to wake anyone."
Ye Zi bit her lip and nodded heavily. Looking at the teahouse in front of her, she felt a sense of unreality. Was she really going to live here from now on? It felt so good to finally have a place to call her own, no longer having to rely on others.
Tom, on the other hand, first nodded its little head, then showed a fearful expression. Shen An immediately knew it was remembering the tragic events of that night.
"Ye Zi, how about you carry Tom inside? I'll open the door."
Although Ye Zi was a bit confused, she obediently picked up Tom. Shen An quietly opened the door and carefully stepped inside.
Click
The soft sound of the door opening was followed by light footsteps coming down from upstairs.
Shen An's third soul skill naturally enhanced his vision, allowing him to easily see two figures approaching.
Zhu Zhuqing lit a candle, instantly illuminating the room. Shen An sat obediently at the table, while Ning Rongrong scrutinized Ye Zi with a critical eye.
"Oh, Boss Shen, you've made quite the catch. You go out for a bit and come back with a young girl. And she's quite pretty too," Ning Rongrong said with a sarcastic tone.
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, her initial joy at Shen An's return dissipating somewhat upon seeing Ye Zi. What was this girl's relationship with Shen An?
When Ning Rongrong saw Ye Zi holding Tom, she became even more displeased. Out of nowhere, someone had come into their home and was holding her cat.
"Hmph, Tom, come here. It's been a while since I last held you."
Tom, sensing the tense atmosphere, quickly jumped into Ning Rongrong's arms, its survival instincts kicking in. Ning Rongrong's expression softened slightly.
Ye Zi's face turned red with embarrassment. It seemed the two girls, who appeared to be the mistresses of the house, weren't very welcoming.
Shen An explained, "Don't misunderstand. Ye Zi is here to help take care of the teahouse."
He then recounted how he had met Ye Zi, omitting the part about encountering the Titan Giant Ape.
Such things were better kept to himself, as there was no need to worry the two girls unnecessarily.
Ning Rongrong, feeling a bit guilty, said, "Alright, alright, I was wrong to jump to conclusions. Ye Zi can stay here from now on."
Her eyes then lit up as she changed the subject. "By the way, Pang Tao sent someone to look for you today. He said the Grand Soul Arena has been challenged. If you have time, you should go check it out tomorrow."
This surprised Shen An. How could the Grand Soul Arena be challenged? Wasn't it just a competitive platform, one that was always profitable?
But since Pang Tao had come looking for him, there must be a good reason. Shen An made a mental note to visit the arena the next day.
"Alright, it's getting late. Let's talk more tomorrow."
---
"Brother Shen, you're finally here! I've been waiting for you like I was waiting for the stars and the moon."
The next day, as soon as Shen An arrived at the Grand Soul Arena, Pang Tao came out to greet him.
Shen An was a bit confused. Had the arena really been challenged?
"Brother Pang, I just got back last night. What exactly happened?"
Pang Tao sighed. "The day after you left, a team of soul masters arrived. Every member of the team is at least a Silver Soul Fighter, and they're incredibly strong. They specifically asked to challenge you."
"Challenge me? But if it's just a challenge, why are you so worried?"
Pang Tao smiled bitterly. "That's true, but they've also been participating in team battles. Many nobles have placed heavy bets on them, causing huge losses for the arena."
"Our strongest team at the Soul Elder level is no match for them, and we can't break the rules by bringing in higher-level soul masters to fight them."
"You have no idea how much we've been losing. If this continues, we might..."
Shen An's heart stirred slightly. "So, Brother Pang, you want me to fight them?"
"Yes, Brother Shen. I can arrange a team for you. If you take the lead, we might have a chance to defeat them."
Shen An laughed. "Brother Pang, you still don't have enough faith in me. I've already advanced to the three-ring Soul Elder level. Is it really just a 'chance' to win?"
"It's just that these people are too strong. They all have the best soul ring configurations..." Pang Tao suddenly stopped, realizing that the person in front of him had broken the conventional limits of soul ring configurations.
"Brother Shen, team battles are different from individual fights. In a one-on-one battle, even if you hadn't advanced to Soul Elder, I would still believe you're invincible."
"But team battles are different. When soul masters with good synergy combine their skills, their combat power increases exponentially."
Pang Tao said solemnly, "Brother Shen, if you can defeat these people and stop the arena's losses, I will owe you a favor."
Shen An smiled. "Brother Pang, you're too kind. Since you've asked, I'll do my best. How about this? I can fight tonight. The sooner we end this, the sooner we can stop the arena's losses."
Shen An's words were filled with confidence in his own strength.
Even though he had been powerless against the Titan Giant Ape, when it came to people at his level, he could confidently say they were all trash.
With his ultimate martial soul, three limit-breaking soul rings, Tom's sword skills, and his divided mind control, Shen An was feeling quite arrogant.
It just so happened that his fame had been growing slowly lately. Since he hadn't shown his face in a while, he might as well use this mysterious soul master team as a stepping stone to boost his reputation.
For the past three days, the eyes of nobles and commoners alike had been on this team. If Shen An could defeat them, it would definitely cause a small explosion of attention.
Pang Tao hesitated. "Isn't tonight too soon? Shouldn't you spend some time practicing with the team?"
"Brother Pang, there's no need. Just give me four random teammates, along with Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing. That'll be enough."
Seeing Shen An's overwhelming confidence and remembering his past achievements, Pang Tao gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, then tonight it is. I'll spread the word right away."
---
In the VIP lounge of the Grand Soul Arena.
"Boss, the people at the Soto Soul Arena are too weak. There's no one who can put up a fight. This isn't even good for training," a handsome young man with short golden hair said to Yu Tianheng, who was sitting on the couch.
A young man in black added, "It's all because of that 'strongest newcomer' they were promoting in Soto City. Word even reached Heaven Dou City. But as soon as we got here, the guy ran away."
"I've looked into it. This so-called strongest newcomer is just a two-ring Soul Grandmaster. People were making him out to be some kind of legend, saying he could fight Soul Elders. But now it seems like it was all just hype."
Yu Tianheng opened his eyes, disappointment evident in his expression. "A soul master who doesn't even have the courage to face a challenge will never become strong. This 'strongest newcomer' is just a product of small-town bragging."
"Shen An, huh? What a disappointment."