Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

The Soul Arena's manager, Pang Tao, entered the hall. Seeing the destruction all around, his eyelid twitched uncontrollably.

He had checked Shen An's records—could a Soul Grandmaster really have caused such devastation?

Shen An was just about to negotiate with Pang Tao to reduce the compensation fee, but before he could speak, Ning Rongrong stepped forward.

"We caused the damage. If compensation is needed, just take my token and ask the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan for it."

Hearing this, Shen An's gaze softened as he looked at Ning Rongrong.

She might be arrogant and spoiled, but in critical moments, she was reliable.

When it came to money, she really paid up.

When it came to problems, she really stepped up.

...

Pang Tao carefully handed the token back to Ning Rongrong.

"Miss Ning, you must be joking. This is just some facility damage—not worth any compensation. Besides, allowing someone to break in was our fault in the first place."

"That intruder was a high-level Soul Saint, someone we truly couldn't stop. Please forgive us."

Ning Rongrong waved her hand. "No problem. Since that's the case, we'll be leaving now."

But Pang Tao quickly called out, "Wait, Miss Ning! Since you and your friends were startled tonight, I've prepared 3,000 gold soul coins as a token of our apologies."

The moment a Soul Saint barged in, Pang Tao had panicked.

If something had happened to Ning Rongrong, he wasn't sure if the Soul Arena would still exist by tomorrow.

"I don't need money. Give it to them." Ning Rongrong casually pointed at Shen An and Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, declining the offer.

Shen An, however, fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile, Tom the Cat was frantically pacing, panicking at the thought of them refusing free money.

...

After a moment, Shen An stepped forward, his face breaking into a wide grin.

"Ah, you're far too polite! We already damaged your facilities, and now you're offering us money—this is making me feel quite embarrassed."

"However… since you're being so generous, I do have a small request."

Pang Tao, who had been relieved at first, suddenly felt his heart tighten.

Refusing money? That meant he wanted something even bigger.

But with Ning Rongrong here, as long as the request wasn't too outrageous, he had no choice but to agree.

Gritting his teeth, Pang Tao said, "Fine. It was our fault tonight. Speak freely, young man."

Shen An's smile widened.

"Brother Pang, I don't care for money. What I truly love… is fame."

"Could you arrange more high-profile battles for me in the Soul Arena and help spread my name?"

Pang Tao gave Shen An a strange look.

Most people who came to the Soul Arena wanted both wealth and fame—but money was always the primary goal.

Yet this guy?

No interest in money—only in fame?

How rare.

But that made things easier.

Promoting someone cost him nothing.

"Of course! That's no problem at all. My name is Pang Tao. From now on, just call me Brother Pang."

Shen An grinned, "Many thanks, Brother Pang!"

...

Shen An checked his soul power reserves—he still had about 30% left.

Enough for another match.

Fighting Tang San and the others had been about helping Zhu Zhuqing get justice.

But his real goal?

Making a name for himself in the Soul Arena and earning reputation points.

Ning Rongrong frowned. "Why are you so obsessed with fighting? Aren't you tired?"

Shen An laughed heartily.

"When there's joy in the struggle, one never grows weary."

How could grinding reputation points, drawing rewards, and improving himself ever be boring?

Pang Tao quickly arranged another battle—this time, during the most crowded time slot.

As a Soul Emperor, Pang Tao had a sharp eye.

Shen An was strong.

Even with Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda boosting him, his talent still shone through.

After analyzing the battlefield, Pang Tao directly scheduled him to fight the strongest Grand Soul Master in the arena.

The stronger the opponent, the more recognition Shen An would gain.

And for the Soul Arena, a rising star meant more business.

Pang Tao looked at Shen An as if he were a golden goose, thinking:

"He wants fame, and we want profit—everyone wins!"

Ning Rongrong sighed. "Fine, fine. You're such a battle maniac. I'll join you in a 2v2 match later."

"Our team is already registered anyway."

Zhu Zhuqing had wanted to offer to team up with Shen An, but before she could speak, Ning Rongrong beat her to it.

Zhu Zhuqing's expression darkened.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her delicate teeth sinking into them—as if she was silently venting her frustration.

"I was supposed to be first..."

...

As expected, Shen An won his next match.

Despite being less tense than his fight with Tang San, this battle required more focus.

Why?

Because he had to carefully control his strength, ensuring he didn't accidentally split his opponent in half.

His opponent wasn't even as strong as any of Shrek's combat-oriented students.

Since the Soul Arena limited competitors to one match per day, they moved on to their 2v2 match.

The 2v2 arena was packed, with over half the seats occupied.

Shen An and Ning Rongrong's opponents were already waiting.

The announcer began the introductions.

Shen An walked ahead of Ning Rongrong, his tall frame shielding her.

At nearly 1.8 meters, his maturity and powerful aura made it hard to believe he was only fourteen.

Ning Rongrong, watching his broad shoulders in front of her, felt her face heat up.

"What the hell is this weird sense of security?"

...

Seated in the stands, Zhu Zhuqing grumpily stroked Tom the Cat while watching Shen An and Ning Rongrong.

"Annoying."

Unconsciously, she tightened her grip.

"Meow!"

Tom yelped as a chunk of his blue fur was pulled out.

Startled, Zhu Zhuqing realized what she had done and quickly apologized.

"Sorry, Tom! I was lost in thought."

Tom wiped his teary eyes, carefully gathered the missing fur, and pulled out a bottle of glue labeled '502'.

He dabbed some glue on his bald spot and stuck the fur back on, leaving Zhu Zhuqing speechless.

"Why does Tom always have these weird items?!"

...

Their opponents were a muscle-bound powerhouse and a seductively dressed woman.

The announcer hyped up the crowd:

"Next, we have an exciting battle! The four-match-winning Red Rock Duo will face today's rising stars—Team An Rong! Who will claim victory?!"

Shen An immediately frowned.

"An Rong?!"

He turned to glare at Ning Rongrong.

She awkwardly avoided his gaze, mumbling:

"Well… you told me to name the team. And 'An Rong' sounds nice—peace and prosperity!"

Zhu Zhuqing, hearing this from the audience, clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her palm.

"Meow—!"

Once again, poor Tom lost another patch of fur, his tears streaming down.

The Heavenly Emperor Cat… was bald again.