Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

Real battles don't come with all the fancy frills. In that brief clash just now, Pang Tao had already seen how formidable Shen An was.

That's why he'd said what he did—he wanted to call off the spar. He was already convinced that Shen An had invincible strength among Soul Grandmasters.

But Shen An's eyes still burned with fighting spirit. It wasn't every day he got to face a six-ring Soul Emperor he could go all out against without worrying about causing serious harm. And now Pang Tao wanted to stop?

I've already taken my pants off, and you won't let me have my fun? At least let me unleash my big move first!

The hovering Nine-Leaf Sword Grass suddenly began vibrating intensely. The Nine-Leaf Phantom Sword, which had been attacking Pang Tao's shield, shot straight toward the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass.

A smirk tugged at Shen An's lips. Yesterday, when fighting the Shrek Four, he hadn't used this move. But today, facing a defense-type six-ring Soul Emperor, it was the perfect chance to test it out.

Pang Tao gave a wry smile. He could tell Shen An was getting into the groove. Fine then—today, he'd do Ning Rongrong, the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, a favor and invest in Shen An while he was at it.

In Pang Tao's eyes, Shen An was young, with an exceptional martial soul and combat talent. Giving him some face wouldn't hurt.

If Ning Rongrong weren't always by Shen An's side, Pang Tao might've even tried recruiting him outright.

Clasping his arms together, Pang Tao said, "Little Brother Shen, you're really getting into this, huh? Alright, come at me with everything you've got—let's make it a good one."

"Haha, thanks for indulging me, Brother Pang! Here I come—watch out!"

Shen An laughed, his eyes gleaming unnaturally bright. With a flick of his sword hand, his soul power drained rapidly—twenty percent, forty percent, all the way to seventy percent.

In the air, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass and Nine-Leaf Phantom Sword began spinning together, merging into one. Their aura surged dramatically.

What had once looked like a longsword became even more extraordinary. The fusion of phantom and reality turned the emerald-green blade into a weapon wreathed in cyan light, radiating endless sword qi. Just looking at it stung the eyes.

Pang Tao had expected Shen An's next strike to be powerful, given his seriousness, but he hadn't anticipated this level of intensity. This sword actually gave him a faint sense of danger.

He abandoned his plan to use his first soul skill and switched to his fifth: Black Light Armor. A burst of dark light erupted from him, and the black rhino hide on his body transformed into a tangible, armor-like energy field.

The Nine-Leaf Sword Grass spiraled high above the hall before charging down at blinding speed—like a shooting star, unstoppable.

Whoosh!

Oh crap! Pang Tao's expression shifted. This is way too damn fast! If Shen An hadn't warned him to brace himself, he might've been caught off guard.

The sword light roared in, slicing through the air with a shrill scream. The spinning blade tore into Pang Tao's Black Light Armor with relentless force.

Clang!

The impact shoved Pang Tao backward, cracks forming in his black armor. He kept pouring fresh soul power into it to repair the damage.

Huff.

Finally, the sword light flashed and faded, returning to Shen An's side. Shen An's face was slightly pale—the move had taken a massive toll on his soul power.

He could tell that dragging this out would just turn into a war of attrition, and he'd be the first to collapse. So, he decisively sheathed his sword. No point in pushing it.

This technique had been a spur-of-the-moment idea. Since the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass could split into the Nine-Leaf Phantom Sword—a formless yet tangible entity—couldn't he fuse them back together?

Both stemmed from the same source, after all. The phantom sword came from his sword grass martial soul, supported by his soul rings. Shen An saw it as a highly stable energy construct.

So he'd tried using his Sword Mastery skill to merge the phantom and the real. Sure enough, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass emerged in a brand-new form.

In this state, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass was downright tyrannical—its speed and destructive power amplified several times over.

But against a prepared defense-type Soul Emperor wielding a ten-thousand-year soul skill, it still fell short.

While Shen An felt a twinge of regret, Pang Tao was dumbfounded. What kind of monster is this kid? He actually cracked my ten-thousand-year soul skill's defense!

Sure, it hadn't fully broken through, but Pang Tao had been constantly feeding soul power into his armor to sustain it!

After a moment of silence, Pang Tao strode over to Shen An, grabbed his hand, and said earnestly, "Please, you have to join my team!"

"Oh, wait—no, I mean, Little Brother Shen, I hope we can start our cooperation as soon as possible!" He glanced at Ning Rongrong and quickly corrected himself.

That was close. The little miss is right here—I can't let her think I'm trying to poach Shen An for my own faction, Pang Tao thought.

Ning Rongrong's eyes sparkled as she watched Shen An. This guy's pretty cool with a sword, she mused.

Unlike Ning Rongrong, who'd been engrossed in the fight, Tom was bored out of his mind, playing on a handheld gaming console. Fighting and killing weren't a housecat's thing.

Compared to thrilling battles, Tom preferred a comfy, laid-back life—lazing around was his true calling.

Shen An smiled at Pang Tao's words. Clearly, his strength had passed the test.

"So, Brother Pang, what's the next step?"

Pang Tao replied, "Little Brother Shen, take a break to recover your soul power first. Once you're back in shape, I'll set up some matches for you."

"Tonight, you'll debut as a newcomer from Soto Soul Arena and fight three rounds. To draw maximum attention, it'd be best if you act a little arrogant on stage."

Shen An rubbed his chin. Arrogant, huh? The most arrogant he'd ever been was probably when he first arrived in the Douluo Continent and roared like a dragon at that black bear.

After giving a few simple instructions, Pang Tao said he'd handle the rest—Shen An just needed to win. Then he left to make arrangements.

Soto Soul Arena was undeniably the hottest spot in Soto City, its popularity never waning.

Soul masters came here for all sorts of reasons—some to test their combat skills and chase fame or fortune, others for the thrill of battle, and some just to broaden their horizons.

But Pang Tao felt the arena had grown a bit stale lately. Regular one-on-one matches weren't even filling half the seats.

He needed someone to shake things up, and Shen An's arrival was a perfect fit.

Shen An was currently a Soul Grandmaster, and the Soul Grandmaster and Soul Elder ranks had the largest pool of soul masters. He could establish himself as unbeatable among his peers.

Not only would that draw cocky Soto City soul masters to challenge him, but it'd also boost the arena's popularity.

Soon, Pang Tao had the staff spread the word: a teenage genius would compete tonight, and anyone who beat him could win ten thousand gold soul coins.

The soul masters at the arena couldn't help but perk up. How rare is this? They're making such a bold claim!

Word spread through Soto City, and plenty of skilled Soul Grandmasters rushed over upon hearing the news.

They wanted to see just who this guy was, claiming to dominate all Soul Grandmasters—and maybe pocket that ten thousand gold while they were at it.

Meanwhile, Shen An rested with his eyes closed in the lounge. He was looking forward to this—not necessarily the fights, but the chance to gain fame and reputation points. That was what really excited him.