Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

Shen An stood with his sword resting on his shoulder, looking down at the soul masters below with a friendly smile. "Who's next?"

Zhu Zhuqing, watching from a distance, took in the scene. From the boy who had relied on Tom to survive in the wilderness to the young man now standing tall and confident, it was truly remarkable.

'He's grown so fast. Maybe one day, he'll really stand in front of me and break the chains of my family's fate,' Zhu Zhuqing thought to herself.

The audience in the Soul Fighting Arena erupted in cheers. Why had they come to watch this match? To see just how impressive the arena's newest prodigy was.

Or perhaps to watch the seasoned soul masters humiliate this newcomer. Either outcome would have been entertaining for them. The audience just wanted a good show.

And now, this "strongest newcomer" wasn't just someone they knew—it was Brother Shen, the tea house owner. Moreover, he had effortlessly defeated a Great Soul Master with a Copper Soul Fighting Badge. How could they not cheer?

The soul masters in the arena stared at Chen Liu, who was writhing in pain on the ground, and then at the young boy on the stage. A sense of unreality washed over them.

What a formidable young man. Such sharp reflexes. So fast. Such a sharp sword.

Many of the soul masters in the rest area had earned Copper Soul Fighting Badges themselves and were confident they could defeat Chen Liu. But none of them could have done it as cleanly as Shen An, as if cutting through grass.

Indeed, the Great Soul Fighting Arena wouldn't do anything to tarnish its reputation. The soul masters silently acknowledged this.

Many of them were now hesitating about whether to step onto the stage. Based on Shen An's performance just now, an average soul master wouldn't stand a chance. Especially since Shen An hadn't even used his soul rings—he had relied solely on his soul power and martial soul's innate abilities.

Even control-type soul masters were asking themselves if they could restrain Shen An's ghostly speed. They all came to the same conclusion: no.

The hostess, Doudou, flew in circles above the arena, her gentle voice ringing out once more. "Are there any other soul masters who wish to challenge? Generous rewards await!"

Shen An suddenly smiled and said, "Taking them on one by one seems a bit tedious. How about three at once? Otherwise, how can I live up to the title of 'strongest'?"

The crowd erupted in shock. Such arrogance! Such confidence! This was truly eye-opening. This match was worth every penny!

Doudou looked troubled and glanced at Pang Tao. Shen An's request left her unsure of what to do. The Soul Fighting Arena had never allowed one-on-many matches before.

Pang Tao pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. This kid was really something. Fine, let him have his way. With Shen An's strength, it shouldn't be a problem.

Moreover, such a spectacle would undoubtedly bring even more attention to the arena. Who didn't love watching a young, brash prodigy?

So Pang Tao nodded to Doudou.

Three soul masters who knew each other exchanged glances. One of them, a tall and burly man, asked, "Miss Doudou, is this for real?"

After receiving Pang Tao's confirmation, Doudou replied softly, "Of course. If you win, your Soul Fighting points will double, and the gold soul coins will be split among the three of you."

The three hesitated no longer. Two men and one woman stepped onto the stage. While three against one might seem unfair, the rewards were too tempting. If they didn't act fast, someone else would.

"Zhang Gang, level 29 Attack-Type Soul Master. Martial Soul: Stone Axe."

"Jiang Pei, level 29 Control-Type Soul Master. Martial Soul: Chessboard."

"Huang Qi, level 27 Support-Type Soul Master. Martial Soul: Purple Lotus."

The audience's cheers grew even louder. Three against one? This was something they had never seen in the Soul Fighting Arena. Could the young man on stage really handle it?

The spectators were brimming with curiosity, their eyes glued to the stage, not daring to blink for fear of missing a single moment.

Shen An smiled faintly. "No need for introductions. Come at me together."

The three soul masters frowned. While Shen An had easily defeated Chen Liu earlier, his dismissive attitude toward them was too much.

In truth, they misunderstood. Shen An wasn't looking down on them—he just wanted to end the fight quickly. To him, it didn't matter who came; they would all lose.

The three summoned their martial souls. Gray light, black-and-white light, and purple light intertwined, their soul power causing their clothes to flutter.

One had the optimal soul ring configuration, while the other two had one white and one yellow soul ring each. The light from their soul rings began to converge.

Shen An narrowed his eyes. They were preparing to unleash their ultimate moves. While he was confident he could defeat them even if they used their strongest skills, why let things get complicated when he could simplify them?

When fighting Chen Liu, Shen An had relied solely on his soul power, physical attributes, and the sharpness of his martial soul, without using his soul rings. But now, facing three opponents, he felt it was necessary to take things more seriously.

A yellow and a purple soul ring appeared around Shen An, causing the entire arena to gasp in disbelief. A thousand-year second soul ring? What kind of monstrous talent was this?!

Zhang Gang and the others broke out in a cold sweat. A thousand-year-second soul ring? Which major family's prodigy was this?!

"Wind Chaser, Sword Control."

The Nine-Leaf Phantom Sword materialized, splitting off from the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass in Shen An's hand. Shen An took a step forward, like a stone dropping into a calm lake.

That single step unleashed the sword energy hidden within the dual swords, both the green light in the sky and the swordsman on the ground attacking the three opponents simultaneously.

As the saying goes, in a team fight, you either take out the damage dealer first or the healer. But Shen An was different—he chose to take out everyone at once. With his dual swords, he had plenty of options.

"Not good!"

Among the three, Huang Qi's soul skill was interrupted by the sudden sword light. She could only frantically dodge, but as a support-type soul master, how could she evade a flying sword?

Zhang Gang, who had been preparing to attack Shen An, had no choice but to intercept the green sword light aimed at Huang Qi.

Meanwhile, Jiang Pei, the control-type soul master, faced Shen An head-on. Holding his chessboard, he hurriedly placed pieces, summoning black and white chess pieces that hurtled toward Shen An.

Shen An felt his soul power slow down slightly. He realized this must be the effect of a control-type soul skill. He swung his sword at the chess pieces, which exploded into nothingness upon contact.

Jiang Pei's speed in placing pieces couldn't keep up with Shen An's sword strikes. Before he knew it, Shen An was right in front of him, the sharpness of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass making his blood run cold.

What kind of monster was this? His chess pieces, which could trap soul masters of the same level, were being sliced apart in just a few strikes. Jiang Pei looked despairingly at Zhang Gang, who was struggling against the Nine-Leaf Phantom Sword.

Zhang Gang's sturdy stone axe clashed repeatedly with the flying sword, the metallic clangs making his hands ache.

He felt utterly helpless. Who was the real attack-type soul master here? Shen An hadn't even moved, and just his flying sword was enough to push Zhang Gang to his limits, barely able to protect Huang Qi.

Seeing that Zhang Gang was of no help, Jiang Pei could only raise his chessboard and clumsily swing it at Shen An's sword.

Shen An couldn't help but laugh. Using a chessboard as a weapon? Only someone like Liu Qi, the legendary Chess Saint of the Han Dynasty, could pull that off.

With a flick of his sword, Shen An sent the chessboard flying and pointed the tip of his blade at Jiang Pei's throat.

"Jump off the stage yourself," Shen An said before turning to face Zhang Gang, who was already covered in wounds. Fortunately, Huang Qi's healing had kept him from being too badly injured.

Seeing Shen An charging toward him, Zhang Gang activated his second soul skill and desperately slashed at the sword light. "I surrender!" he shouted.

How could they fight? The control-type soul master was already out, and he could barely handle the flying sword on his own.

Zhang Gang and the others looked at Shen An's youthful face, feeling as if the world had gone mad.

"Three against one, and we were completely crushed. Is this the true strength of the Soul Fighting Arena's strongest newcomer?"

This thought echoed in the minds of every audience member and soul master present.

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Note: Liu Qi, the Chess Saint of the Han Dynasty, was known for a legendary incident where he was about to lose a chess match and, in a fit of rage, killed his opponent, Prince Liu Xian of Wu, with the chessboard. Hence, netizens jokingly call him the "Chess Saint of the Han Dynasty"—after all, if your opponent is dead, you win.