Chapter 10: The Power Behind the Great Spirit Arenas
The healing light radiating from Ye Qingxin's Nine-Heart Begonia was constant and strong.
Yet, the stronger it shone, the heavier Dugu Feng's expression became.
For a Soul Sage like Ye Qingxin to exert such effort—the injuries must be severe.
Just how badly had Old Scorpion been wounded?
Outwardly, he only looked pale, with no visible wounds.
It had to be internal.
"Old Scorpion's fifth soul skill is earth-burrowing. He must have been attacked underground this time. Though he managed to survive, the enemy's strike shook through the ground and rattled his internal organs. The trauma went straight to his vitals.
That means the power gap was tremendous—the attacker was at least a Soul Sage."
The whisper came from Old Snake, calm but grim.
Dugu Feng's mind raced, recalling the continent's current state.
The battle where Tang Hao gravely injured Qian Xunji had happened six years ago—the same year he was born.
That meant he and Tang San were about the same age.
Since then, Bibi Dong had succeeded as Pope of Spirit Hall, and the Clear Sky Clan had retreated from public life.
Though the storm had settled, the balance of power was broken. Behind the scenes, every faction was maneuvering, struggling for position in the new order.
Bibi Dong was both ambitious and brilliant. By now, she must have extended Spirit Hall's influence deep into both Empires and major sects.
In such times, the Dugu Clan could not remain isolated.
Perhaps Old Scorpion's injury was connected to these movements?
Moments later, Ye Qingxin withdrew his martial spirit, saying, "Brother Dugu, his condition has stabilized. But for a complete recovery, he'll need at least three more treatments."
Fatigue lined his face—he had clearly given his all. Ye Lingling stepped forward, gently supporting him by the arm.
"Thank you, Brother Ye," Dugu Shuo said earnestly.
"There's no need for thanks between us," Ye Qingxin replied, smiling faintly. His eyes shifted to Dugu Feng, surprise flickering within them. "And this must be Feng'er. It's been years—he's grown so much!"
"I greet Clan Leader Ye," Dugu Feng said respectfully, bowing with perfect posture.
"No need for such formality, child. You may call me Uncle Ye."
Dugu Feng blinked—so he was now a generation above Ye Lingling?
"Greetings, Uncle Ye," he corrected quickly.
Ye Qingxin smiled. "You'll soon be entering the Heaven Dou Junior Soul Master Academy. Lingling still has one year left there. You two can look after each other."
"Yes, Uncle Ye." Dugu Feng's voice was calm, though he sneaked a glance at Ye Lingling. She responded with her usual quiet composure.
Ye Qingxin turned back to Dugu Shuo. "I'll take my leave. Times are turbulent, Brother Dugu—be cautious."
"I understand," Dugu Shuo replied gravely, accompanying Ye Qingxin and Ye Lingling out.
Once they were gone, Dugu Feng and Old Snake approached Old Scorpion.
After a moment, Old Scorpion stirred and opened his eyes. "It was Huyan Lie—no doubt!"
Huyan Lie? The name was unfamiliar, though Dugu Feng recalled a Huyan Zhen from the Elephant Armored Sect. Could they be related?
"Huyan Zhen is only a Soul Douluo," Old Snake hissed coldly. "For this Huyan Lie to attack you so boldly… what is the Elephant Armored Sect plotting?"
"Precisely," Dugu Shuo said, reentering the hall after seeing Ye Qingxin off. "Old Scorpion, what anomalies did you observe from them at the Six Great Families' meeting?"
He then turned to Dugu Feng. "Feng'er, now that your martial spirit has awakened, you'll start attending clan councils. You should learn how the world truly works."
"The Great Spirit Arena," he began, "isn't just a stage for battle between soul masters—it's also how powers resolve disputes. It's the system that keeps peace within the soul master world.
"It is jointly controlled by seven great families—or rather, seven factions—and our Dugu Clan is one of them.
"Six years ago, after the Clear Sky Clan's withdrawal, the Yu Clan that represented them among the seven was unanimously removed by the other six factions.
"But that vacancy left great profit on the table.
"You know the Great Spirit Arenas—wealth beyond imagination. Every match rakes in gold through tickets, bets, and fees. Even a small share is a fortune.
"The six factions continuously fought over it. For now, the revenue is evenly distributed—half-year shares between six. Old Scorpion was sent on my behalf to retrieve our portion."
Dugu Feng was stunned.
The Great Spirit Arenas—the colossal institutions where soul masters battled, and fortunes flowed—were under the control of seven ancient families?
Furthermore, from Dugu Shuo's words, the arenas weren't merely for entertainment.
They served a judicial role—conflict resolution through combat, a substitute for law itself.
"And the other six factions?" Dugu Feng asked, intrigued.
"The Ge Family of Heaven Dou Empire; the Five Elements Alliance; the Zhu Family, the Tuoba Family, and the Dai Family of Star Luo Empire; and finally, the former Yu Clan," Dugu Shuo explained patiently.
Dugu Feng frowned in thought. "But the Great Spirit Arenas don't belong to either empire—or to Spirit Hall. How does the Dai Family hold a seat?"
"I'll clarify that," Old Snake intervened. "There are two Dai lineages in Star Luo—the royal family and the White Tiger Clan. They're closely tied but still distinct powers.
"The Ge Family serves Heaven Dou's royal house loyally. On the surface, the two empires and Spirit Hall seem uninvolved—but in reality, each supports different factions from the shadows.
"And the Upper Three Sects? They're the ones truly pulling the strings."
Dugu Feng immediately understood.
The Tuoba Family—they were Spirit Hall's proxy, already openly devoted under the name of Holy Dragon Sect.
In the end, Douluo's power came down to the Upper Three Sects, Spirit Hall, and the two Great Empires.
Who supported the Dugu Clan, then? It wasn't hard to guess—at least, they were aligned with Heaven Dou's royal lineage.
Old Scorpion, seeing comprehension dawn on Dugu Feng's face, continued, "The Five Elements Alliance sent the Huyan Clan's Huyan Lie to represent them this meeting. He acted normal during discussions.
"But on my way back, I spotted him again—he hadn't returned home but lingered near Sunset Forest. I suspected something amiss.
"So I followed in secret using my earth-burrow skill.
"I learned he had discovered news of a soul bone—and planned to hunt down the bearer. I pursued him but was ambushed before reaching the forest's edge.
The attacks came from below—massive, seismic blasts of power—forcing me out and crippling me."
Even recounting it made his voice tremble with lingering fear.
"A soul bone…" Old Snake breathed in shock.
Dugu Shuo's eyes flickered darkly; his expression turned grave.
That news was earthshattering.
Even the Dugu Clan, wealthy beyond compare, possessed no soul bones.
Such treasures were unimaginably rare. Whoever found one would absorb it immediately—there was simply no buying or bargaining for them.
No wonder their clan's foundation still fell short of the Upper Three Sects or Spirit Hall.
(END CHAPTER)
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