Chapter 31: Keep It Up, Big Brothers Guarding the Gates
Too weak. The Soul Guard stationed at the first gate was far too weak. He didn't even choose to withstand a single Soul Crystal Spear before surrendering.
To be fair, it wasn't entirely the Soul Guard's fault. After taking one [Force Repulse], he was already half-crippled. If he had taken a Soul Crystal Spear... was that even a Soul Crystal Spear? It was a 'key' to heaven.
As it turned out, Su Xiao's choice of combat abilities was spot on. This was his first time at the Soul Arena, and he had only temporarily grasped soul-type abilities. Forget deep development; he wasn't even proficient in using them in battle.
So, Su Xiao's initial plan was mobility + control + high-power attacks. But after seeing that skill points were rewarded based on soul strength, he changed his mind. He chose the simplest, most brutal abilities possible to compensate for his lack of finesse.
He maxed out the [Force Repulse] ability. Combined with the range and power boost from his soul strength, this unassuming [Force Repulse] had become an enhanced version of [Shinra Tensei], just without the massive range of a charged [Shinra Tensei].
Each use of this ability cost Su Xiao roughly 270 to 300 soul energy. With his soul energy cap of 42,000 points, he could use it over a hundred times.
Since [Force Repulse] was a low-tier soul ability, its initial power wasn't great, but it had a short cooldown. With subsequent level bonuses and the cooldown reduction from his soul strength, the cooldown for [Force Repulse] was around 3 seconds.
The exact time wasn't fixed, ranging from 2.7 to 3.5 seconds, depending on the force of the previous [Force Repulse] blast.
The so-called cooldown was the frequency his body could withstand. He could force a use before the cooldown ended, but it would likely fail because his body hadn't recovered, potentially backfiring and harming himself.
A 3-second [Force Repulse] and a 15-second Soul Crystal Spear (original cooldown 5 minutes) — the combination was unbearable for anyone. It was too simple and brutal: [Force Repulse] slammed the enemy into a wall, and the Soul Crystal Spear finished them off.
In the audience, Wood, Zuiyasi, and Aido'er had varied expressions upon hearing Su Xiao say the challenge wasn't difficult.
After defeating the Soul Guard, Su Xiao received the following prompts.
[Prompt: You have defeated the First Gate Guardian · Soul Guard.]
[You have obtained Soul Candy × 5 (Permanent Enhancement Item).]
[You have obtained Arena Second Gate Entry Permit (Consumable).]
[Your Soul Skill Slots +2.]
[You have obtained 30 Arena Skill Points (Reward based on combat time; the shorter the time to defeat the opponent, the more skill points obtained).]
...
[Soul Candy]
Origin: Soul Arena (Unique)
Quality: Holy Spirit Rank (Soul Item)
Type: Permanent Soul Enhancement Item.
Effect: Permanently increases Soul Strength upon consumption. The lower the user's Soul Strength, the greater the increase.
Rating: 1000 points.
Description: The sweet taste of the soul. The candy itself is very proper, but whether the person using it is proper is unknown.
Selling Price: 50 Soul Coins.
...
Five candies appeared in Su Xiao's hand. He didn't eat them. His soul strength was already too high, and he was used to eating Soul Crystals (Small) like candy. Suddenly changing flavors felt strange.
He couldn't use these Soul Candies himself, but Bubu Wang, Amu, Baha, and Beini could. He'd hand them out later.
Besides that, these were rare trade items. If he encountered some ghostly or wandering soul-type beings, he could toss out a candy to lure them in, potentially saving his life in a critical moment.
Gulu liked collecting and tasting various candies. Soul Candy would definitely be a top choice. Su Xiao estimated that if Gulu had enough Soul Coins, she would grit her teeth and buy one or two for 1000 to 1500 Soul Coins each.
Besides the Soul Candies, there were other gains. Su Xiao walked to the stone platform above the audience seats and placed one hand on the metal book.
His Soul Skill Slots increased by 2. Adding the one he had free before, he now had a total of 3 Soul Skill Slots. The 7 skill points he had left became 37.
Su Xiao browsed through the various soul-type abilities. While mobility abilities like [Soul Leap] were good, he felt he didn't need to run around the battlefield. It was the enemy who should be running. He just needed to stand there, fire [Force Repulse] every 3 seconds, and even if the enemy evaded the [Soul Crystal Spear], the power of [Force Repulse] was nothing to scoff at.
[Force Repulse, X.]
Attack Power: ★★★★★
Release Speed: ★★★★★★
Knockback Force: ★★★★★★★★
Required Skill Slots: 1.
...
Low-tier soul abilities only had a low floor; their ceiling wasn't low at all. Since he had chosen a positional battle strategy, he needed to increase his margin for error.
Without time to familiarize himself with abilities, 'Defense' was several tiers higher than 'Evasion'. Soon, Su Xiao found an ability that occupied 3 skill slots.
[Soul Chain, Lv.1.]
Rank: Low-tier Soul Ability
Release Speed: ★★
Range: ★★
Toughness: ★★★
Required Skill Slots: 3.
...
Su Xiao chose to master this ability. Since it was a temporary mastery, the ability immediately appeared within the soul imprint on the back of his right hand.
With a clatter, a semi-transparent chain appeared behind Su Xiao. It was about as thick as an index finger, with a dense spiral structure. It had a barbed tip at one end, and the other end disappeared into the air behind him.
Under Su Xiao's control, the [Soul Chain] extended as it shot out, reaching its limit at about thirty meters. It whipped back like a snake's tail, cracking the air with a sharp *pop*.
Clatter~
The [Soul Chain] retracted, fully coiling into his sleeve. Inside his clothes, it wrapped around his torso, providing considerable defense.
Satisfied, Su Xiao poured all 37 skill points into it. At Lv.10, only its strength increased, but at Lv.20 and Lv.30, the number of [Soul Chains] increased from one to three.
During a challenge in the Soul Arena, one grew stronger with each battle, eventually challenging the Soul Lord after overcoming the trials of five gates.
Clearly, Su Xiao would never experience that joy. In the first match, he didn't even see what the Soul Guard looked like before the guy was blasted back to where he came from. That didn't quite fit the 'overcoming trials' narrative.
After another power-up within the Soul Arena, Su Xiao was ready for the second challenge. He walked down to the arena floor and chose to continue.
[Prompt: Due to the Soul Lord using a special privilege, the challenge cannot continue temporarily. The Hunter must wait 10 minutes before continuing the challenge.]
Seeing this prompt, Su Xiao frowned, unsure what the Soul Lord was planning.
Actually, the Soul Lord wasn't planning anything. He was just pissed off. On this seemingly ordinary day, a Law Destroyer with a soul strength of 590 points came to challenge him.
The Soul Lord, who was sitting in the Soul Spirit Temple, found it unbelievable and specially requested a re-verification.
Why couldn't Su Xiao continue? Simple. The Soul Lord had gathered the five guardians from gates one to five for a meeting.
Around a round table were six chairs, including the five main seats. They were shrouded in soul mist, making the occupants unclear. The chair backs had numbers 0 to 4.
Sitting in seat number 5 was their Soul Guard comrade. He was clad in full body armor, his right arm in a cast, hanging from his neck by a cloth strap.
"Lao Wu, how many exchanges did you have with that person?"
The figure in seat number 4 spoke.
"Uh~, cough~, this... cough~"
The Soul Guard was evasive. It wasn't that he wanted to hide information, but being blasted back as soon as he appeared, with a broken arm, was just too embarrassing.
"Useless."
The person in seat number 3 spoke. Her pupils, formed by red rings, were unforgettable at a glance.
"You..."
The Soul Guard was furious. In his extreme anger, he glared at number 3. He couldn't win a fight, so he could only glare.
"The enemy's soul power is weaker than mine, but according to the arena rules, he will grow stronger with each battle. So, I need you all to go all out."
When the Soul Lord said, 'The enemy's soul power is weaker than mine,' his conscience ached. But he had to fool these guardians. If they surrendered one by one, the challenger's strength would reach terrifying levels. He might get blasted into the wall by a single [Force Repulse], impossible to pry out.
Imagine: you're in your hard-won home, drinking spirit spring wine, holding a soul beauty, and suddenly a challenger with 590 soul strength shows up. Who could handle that?
Thinking this, the Soul Lord cursed his bad luck and declared the meeting over. Everyone must try their best to block that monster.
Back in the first gate arena, Su Xiao sat in the audience, tossing a Soul Candy and then reeling it back with a Soul Chain to tease Bubu Wang while familiarizing himself with the ability. Soon, Bubu lay on the ground, covering his head with his front paws, sulking and not moving. He was throwing a tantrum.
Su Xiao stopped teasing Bubu and tossed the Soul Candy in his hand. As it flew near Bubu's head, the dog tilted his head and caught it in his mouth, instantly returning to his happy-go-lucky self. Soon, he was sitting behind Su Xiao, his chin resting on Su Xiao's head, his big tail wagging like a broom.
After a short wait, a prompt appeared. He could continue the challenge.
He walked to the passage where the Soul Guard had appeared. The gate in front rose, revealing a restroom and a passage leading further in.
Su Xiao went through the passage and another arena appeared. Snow was falling heavily, frost covered the surrounding audience seats, and the central fighting ground was paved with cold-toned cyan gravel.
A figure with two swords on his back stood facing away from Su Xiao. This was the Second Gate Guardian · Soul Shadow Hunter.
The Soul Shadow Hunter stood up from the ground. Still facing away, he slightly turned his head and said in a very magnetic voice, "So, you're the challenger? Well..."
*BOOM!!*
Su Xiao extended one hand flat, not fully straightening it, but casually pointing forward. The moment he raised his hand, [Force Repulse] was activated.
On the other side, the Soul Shadow Hunter, who had just been full of swagger, acting like 'it's your honor to challenge me,' was now embedded in the opposite wall in a V-shape.
*BANG!*
A spear, seemingly made of crystal and reinforced with soul power, flew out. It struck the back of the Soul Shadow Hunter's head, piercing his skull and pinning him firmly to the wall.
To ensure the Soul Shadow Hunter was dead, Su Xiao waited 3 seconds and fired another [Force Repulse]. This blasted another layer of frozen earth around him.
"Good sir, stop! I surrender!"
The Soul Shadow Hunter, who hadn't even drawn his sword because he was trying to look cool, shouted.
Surprised, Su Xiao saw that the guy was still alive despite such injuries. He controlled three Soul Chains. Two wrapped around the torso, and the last one wrapped around the head. He yanked the guy out of the wall, then pulled the three chains in different directions, tearing the Soul Shadow Hunter apart.
Then, Su Xiao controlled the chain around the head, flicking it so the barbed tip pierced the severed neck, lifting the head in front of him. He found the Soul Shadow Hunter was still alive.
"I'm immortal in the Soul Arena. We sold our souls to this arena. We can't leave, but we gained immortality."
The Soul Shadow Hunter's head spoke, though how he made sound without a torso was a mystery.
"So, I won't die here either?"
"No, you will. You're the challenger. You get rewards for each victory, so you should bear the risk."
Hearing this, Su Xiao understood the Soul Arena's mechanics. Challengers could surrender before defeat, but if they didn't surrender in time, they would still die.
Su Xiao controlled the Soul Chain to fling the Soul Shadow Hunter's head aside. The head disappeared mid-air.
[Prompt: You have defeated the Second Gate Guardian · Soul Shadow Hunter.]
[You have obtained Soul Candy × 10 (Permanent Enhancement Item).]
[You have obtained Arena Third Gate Entry Permit (Consumable).]
[You have obtained Natural Eternal Spring Water (Drinking accelerates stamina recovery. This item cannot be taken out of the Soul Arena).]
[You have obtained 30 Arena Skill Points.]
...
Su Xiao closed the prompts and dumped all the skill points into [Soul Chain], pushing it to Lv.67, increasing the number of chains to six.
To Su Xiao, the Soul Arena seemed like some facility certified by the Void Tree, similar to the Trial Grounds or Skill Upgrade Hall in Reincarnation Paradise.
He walked to the back of the frost-covered arena. A frozen stone gate rumbled open, and he entered a dark passage with a faint light source ahead.
As he walked forward, the warm-toned light became clearer, revealing it to be lamplight. The cheers of the audience gradually reached his ears, and a wave of hot air hit him.
When Su Xiao exited the passage, the space opened up. It was another arena, with relatively high surrounding seats. There was at least a 4-meter drop from the arena floor to the innermost ring of the audience.
Enthusiastic cheers came from all directions. The thousand-seat audience was full. Spectators of various races were gathered: giant insect races, void races, and even some races from primordial worlds.
These spectators all shared one trait: they were semi-transparent soul bodies.
There were exceptions: Wood, Zuiyasi, Aido'er, Bubu Wang, and Baha were among them, watching the battle.
On the fighting ground below, a graceful figure sat on an iron chair. She wore a mask covering the lower half of her face, spiked high-heeled boots, revealing clothes, and a long whip covered in blood-red barbs. Her combat style was clear. This was the Third Gate Guardian · Thorn Maiden.
"Coming here so fast, I—"
*BOOM!!*
As Su Xiao raised his hand, the powerful shockwave from [Force Repulse] spread. The Thorn Maiden and her chair slammed into the wall behind her. The chair was instantly flattened to the thickness of paper. The Thorn Maiden was tougher; besides being half-embedded in the wall, only cracks appeared on the skin of her abdomen.
With a *gag*, the Thorn Maiden bent over. Viscous blood flowed from the air holes of her half-mask. Her eyes were wide, and her trembling pupils held only disbelief.
"Wait!"
*BOOM!*
A Soul Crystal Spear shot past, obliterating the Thorn Maiden's left arm and shoulder. The shot was off-target, as it was a newly mastered temporary ability.
The impact from the Soul Crystal Spear made the Thorn Maiden stumble back a few steps. Gritting her teeth, she relied on her extreme speed to close the distance, simultaneously lashing her barbed whip towards Su Xiao's neck.
The whip whistled towards him. Su Xiao, with one hand raised, silently counted in his head. Just as the whip reached his neck:
'Force Repulse.'
*BOOM!!*
The shockwave spread from Su Xiao as the center. The incoming whip and the Thorn Maiden, who was several meters away, were both sent flying backward. The Thorn Maiden crashed into the wall behind her with a loud bang, sending gravel flying. Her half-mask fell off, blood flowing from her mouth and nose. She slid down from the dent in the wall and landed with a *thud*.
A Soul Chain coiled around her calf, flung her into the air, and then whipped through the air, *crack*, exploding the Thorn Maiden's head. Brutal and decisive.
The headless corpse fell to the ground, twitched twice, then dared not move. The headless Thorn Maiden could still move, but she was a sadist, not a masochist. She had no desire to be tortured.
The previously cheering audience suddenly fell silent. The soul spectators looked at each other, a bit dazed.
Say what you will about the Third Gate Guardian, she was different. She had come just a *tiny* bit close to attacking Su Xiao.
[Prompt: You have defeated the Third Gate Guardian · Thorn Maiden.]
[You have obtained Arena Fourth Gate Entry Permit (Consumable).]
[You have obtained 30 Arena Skill Points.]
...
Only 30 Arena Skill Points. Better than nothing. Su Xiao used these 30 points to max out the [Soul Chain] ability, bringing the number of chains to nine.
At that moment, the silent audience erupted in thunderous cheers. Except for Wood, Zuiyasi, Aido'er, Bubu Wang, and Baha, all the other spectators started throwing Soul Coins down. A large group throwing coins—a bunch of coin-throwers.
Clatter~
The Soul Coins landed, hovering less than 5 centimeters above the ground, standing upright. Soon, the fighting ground was covered in Soul Coins.
These Soul Coins seemed attracted to Su Xiao, all flowing towards him and disappearing into his storage space. His current Soul Coin count rapidly increased. After a total increase of 5372 coins, the surrounding Soul Coins were all collected.
This was the prize for winning the third match. Over 5000 Soul Coins. Aside from robbing the little rich girl from Apocalypse Paradise, this was a huge gain. The Soul Arena's rewards were surprisingly generous.
The door to the fourth gate opened. Su Xiao entered another long passage. When he reached the end, he arrived at a dilapidated arena with hardened, compacted sand on the ground.
A thin, old man stood opposite him. He wore a white robe, his hair was dry and sparse, but his eyes were bright. This was the Fourth Gate Guardian · Soul Mage.
The Soul Mage stood there, his heart full of bitterness. As a cautious old man, he had used his own methods to obtain some information about Su Xiao beforehand. Seeing the 590 soul strength, he was shocked. Then he found out Su Xiao was a Law Destroyer. The Soul Mage felt like he'd been struck by lightning. A Law Destroyer with 590 soul strength? He, a soul mage, could fight that? Scratching an itch would be more effective.
"You are confused. You clearly have powerful soul strength, but you can only use a fraction of its power through your swordsmanship."
The Soul Mage spoke, trying to look kind and benevolent.
"Don't be confused. Your soul strength is enough. It's an advantage in many situations, but don't over-pursue this aspect. Even if you're in the Paradise camp, the soul system is a growth system, just like your swordsmanship. Without enough time and battles to hone and settle, you won't see results. Think about how pathetic those quick-fix technique types are.
Instead of developing soul-type abilities, it's better to continue specializing in swordsmanship, eventually reaching the point where you can cut souls with your blade. Isn't that better?
This way, you have powerful swordsmanship and fully utilize your soul strength, much better than wasting energy on developing the soul system and ending up mediocre in both. You've come this far; you understand the principle of biting off more than you can chew. However, some auxiliary soul growth abilities, the soul-type passive abilities in your Paradise, are worth learning more of. Those can be improved with resources, which suits your situation perfectly."
The Soul Mage summarized these words based on his 200-plus years of life and combat experience. Why did he say this? Because the value of this summary, based on a century of soul cultivation experience, was naturally high. With such sincerity, when the fight started, the opponent, out of face, wouldn't be too harsh.
Truly, the older, the wiser.
*BOOM!!*
The shockwave hit. The Soul Mage mentally cursed the 'good kid' and pointed his staff forward, creating a barrier.
With a *boom*, the barrier shattered. The Soul Mage stumbled back a few steps, smiled, and chose to surrender. After one exchange, the surrender was successful.
"You win."
The Soul Mage pointed to the metal gate slowly opening behind him, indicating Su Xiao could challenge the next gate.
[Prompt: You have defeated the Fourth Gate Guardian · Soul Mage.]
[You have obtained Arena Fifth Gate Entry Permit (Consumable).]
[You have obtained Soul Coin Pouch (Opening yields 1 to 10,000 Soul Coins).]
...
This time, Su Xiao's soul-type abilities didn't improve. He guessed it was because his current combat power had reached some upper limit, so the arena stopped rewarding skill points.
He put away the Soul Coin Pouch and walked into the passage. He hadn't gone all out in this round. The Soul Mage's shared experience was valuable. Although Su Xiao's soul strength was high, he shouldn't pursue this path. It was too late; his soul strength had only gradually risen in the mid-to-late stages.
Moreover, there was a clear conflict between the soul system and swordsmanship combat styles. It was better to focus on swordsmanship, eventually reaching the point of cutting souls with the blade, perfectly utilizing the advantage of high soul strength.
Compared to developing soul-type abilities, letting soul strength fully enhance his already powerful swordsmanship would result in combat power far beyond 1+1=2. This kind of development couldn't be matched by practicing swordsmanship while also cultivating active soul-type abilities.
Lost in thought, Su Xiao exited the dark passage and entered a long corridor about ten meters wide and nearly thirty meters high. On both walls, about six meters above the ground, were fire basins.
At the end of the corridor was a pair of large metal double doors. In front of the doors stood a figure over six meters tall. He was clad in heavy armor, holding a nearly 5-meter-tall tower shield in his left hand and a long-handled warhammer in his right.
This was the Fifth Gate Guardian · Black Steel Knight. Behind him was the Soul Spirit Temple. Defeating the Black Steel Knight was the prerequisite to entering the temple and competing with the Soul Lord.
"Challenger, step forward."
The Black Steel Knight's voice was deep and heavy. His oppressive presence made one's shoulders feel heavy and legs weak. The size difference was immense. This was a formidable enemy.
2 minutes later.
The surrounding corridor was covered in cracks, and the overall space had expanded. This was because the walls and ceiling had been compacted by the shockwaves.
As for the Black Steel Knight, the six-meter-tall, fully armored figure was now in a backward arch pose, his upper body embedded in the left door of the metal gate. This left his legs dangling freely. Perhaps he still had some consciousness, as his right leg twitched occasionally.
The tower shield he had been holding was shattered into over a dozen pieces, scattered around him, embedded in the left metal gate.
The Black Steel Knight didn't look like a final boss guarding a gate. He looked like a warrior trying to hold back a rampaging boss. He had tried his best.
[Prompt: You have defeated the Fifth Gate Guardian · Soul Mage.]
[You have obtained 'Ripe Soul Fruit'.]
...
[Ripe Soul Fruit]
Origin: Black Abyss / Green Ocean Star / Plant Kingdom / Heaven's Relic / Soul Arena...
Quality: Immortal Rank
Type: Permanent Enhancement Item
Effect: Greatly enhances Soul Strength upon consumption (No effect if Soul Strength exceeds 150 points). Awakens a second talent upon consumption. 100% chance to awaken an S-grade talent, 70% chance for SS-grade, 25% chance for SSS-grade.
Rating: 1500+ (Immortal Rank item rating is 1000 to 1500 points.)
Description: A gift from the Soul Vine to its planter.
Selling Price: 2030 Soul Coins.
...
This was a good item. Su Xiao couldn't use it himself, but for void races, it was a rare treasure.
Back then, Su Xiao had even gone to the Black Abyss to snatch a [Soul Fruit] to awaken his Blood Beast talent. But that Soul Fruit wasn't as good as this one for talent awakening. His previous SSS-grade Blood Beast talent wasn't due to luck, but because he had absorbed the blood energy from the ancient battlefield.
This [Soul Fruit] had a full one-in-four chance of awakening an SSS-grade second talent. The Demon Race, Feather Race, and Star Clan would pay high prices to cultivate their younger generation.
At the Starry Sky Seat, White Bull and Saintess Seat would be willing to buy this at a high price. White Bull would use it to cultivate promising young subordinates. Saintess Seat had a family; taking this item home might even prompt an internal competition among the younger elites, with the winner earning the right to use this [Soul Fruit].
Thinking this, Su Xiao suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity with this plot.
The Black Steel Knight was stuck in the left metal door, so Su Xiao pushed open the right door and entered the Soul Spirit Temple.
The temple was vast. At the far end, a burly figure sat on a wide chair seemingly made of semi-transparent crystal. He wore a golden mask and a black-purple feathered cape. This was the Soul Lord.
Near the right side of the temple was a pool with rising mist. One look told you it was extraordinary.
In the left corner of the temple was a shelf displaying some items, protected by a semi-transparent light film.
"Challenger, you are impressive. Since you have come to see me, take this. It is your prize."
The Soul Lord picked up a small wooden box from the armrest of his chair. What do you do when you can't win? You bluff.
"Leave now. Your journey in the Soul Arena is over. You have passed all the trials—"
*BOOM!!*
[Force Repulse] erupted. A Soul Crystal Spear appeared above Su Xiao. Several Soul Chains writhed behind him like snakes.
"How dare you!"
The Soul Lord was furious, both because his bluff failed and because the enemy was stronger than he had anticipated.
A booming sound came from the temple. Three minutes later.
*BOOM!*
The Soul Lord was blasted out of the temple. He spat out a mouthful of blood, then the burly figure got up and charged back in.
Five minutes later.
Another loud crash. The Soul Lord tumbled out of the temple again. The golden mask on his face was cracked, and his feathered cape was stripped bare. But the Soul Lord was the final boss of the arena after all. He roared and charged back in. Soon, he was blasted out again.
Ten minutes later.
*Drip, drip~*
Blood dripped from the Soul Crystal Spear. The Soul Lord was pinned to the wall. He tremblingly raised his hand and said, "I... I surrender."
[Prompt: You have defeated the Soul Lord.]
[You have passed all trials. Random drawing in progress...]
[Drawing complete.]
[You have obtained Skill Book · Soul Crystal Spear (Can be consumed to immediately master this ability, or studied manually).]
[You have obtained World Key × 1.]
[You have obtained World-class Treasure Chest × 1.]
...
The rewards for clearing the Soul Arena were richer than imagined. Su Xiao put away the skill book, chest, and key. He could feel the soul imprint on the back of his right hand beginning to peel away. Once he left the Soul Arena, abilities like [Force Repulse] and [Soul Chain] would disappear along with the imprint.
Because Su Xiao had defeated the Soul Lord, the temple's seal was lifted for Bubu Wang and Baha. They appeared outside the temple door and came in, looking around.
The Soul Crystal Spears pinned to the wall disappeared. The Soul Lord landed with a *thud*. He sat against the wall, saying nothing. Revenge? Impossible. They could never leave the Soul Arena. That was the price they paid for their long lives.
Su Xiao surveyed the temple. He walked to the small shelf in the left corner, easily broke the seal, and told Bubu Wang and Baha to start loading up. Grab everything first, look at it later.
He stopped by the pool on the right. He reached his hand in and received a prompt. This was a branch spring of the Eternal Spring.
Realizing this, Su Xiao sent Bubu Wang in as a diver. The dog swam to the bottom and, sure enough, found a marble-sized light ball. This was a branch 'Spring Source' of the Eternal Spring. As long as the main spring of the Eternal Spring didn't dry up, this 'Spring Source' would continuously produce Eternal Spring water.
Seeing the 'Spring Source' discovered, the Soul Lord, sitting by the wall, was very unsettled. But after thinking it over, he could only pretend not to see it.
By the pool, Su Xiao took out the [Eternal Crystal Vial (Light Gold)] and used it as a container to store the 'Spring Source'.
He planned to move this 'Spring Source' to his Exclusive Room. Then, when he was in Reincarnation Paradise, he could soak in it when he had nothing to do. This Eternal Spring 'Spring Source' had hot spring properties. Regularly soaking in it would not only restore stamina but also permanently increase his stamina cap, along with other benefits.
Soon, the temple was cleared out. Even some floor tiles made of ancient amber were pried up. The Soul Lord's heart ached so much he was almost in tears.
Finally, Su Xiao stopped in front of the Soul Throne. Seeing this, the Soul Lord inwardly rejoiced that the throne was immovable.
*BOOM!*
A loud crash echoed as Su Xiao delivered a straight kick to the Soul Throne.
A few minutes later, the armrests and back of the throne were gone, turned into semi-transparent crystal blocks, neatly stacked by Bubu and Baha. The poor Soul Throne was reduced to just a base, which couldn't be kicked off anymore. Su Xiao's foot hurt from kicking it.
The Soul Lord stared in disbelief. His only thought was: Are these people bandits?
After packing everything up and taking it all away, Su Xiao looked at the Soul Lord and asked, "Where's the exit?"
"You!"
The Soul Lord's voice trembled, but sensing Su Xiao's gaze turning hostile, a smile gradually appeared on his face.
"This way, please."
The Soul Lord frantically consoled himself: as long as he sent this robber away, everything would be fine. At this moment, he deeply understood that the rumors were true. Law Destroyers were all bandits.
Over ten minutes later, at the entrance of the Soul Arena, Su Xiao nodded to the six people in front of the main gate and turned to walk back the way he came.
In front of the Soul Arena's main gate, the Soul Lord, Thorn Maiden, Soul Guard, Black Steel Knight, Soul Shadow Hunter, and Soul Mage all waved goodbye to Su Xiao. Their faces were filled with 'reluctant' and 'warm' smiles.
As Su Xiao walked further away, the smiles on the six faces gradually faded, replaced by anger. Sensing this, Su Xiao, who had walked some distance, stopped and turned to look back.
The moment Su Xiao turned, the anger on the six faces instantly vanished, replaced by the 'reluctant' and 'warm' smiles. The Soul Lord even shouted, "Come visit us again sometime, hahahaha!"