Chapter 32: Speaking with Strength
Dragon Chen and Dugu Bo arrived in Soto City just as dusk was falling.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a golden veil over the bustling city.
Soto City is located within the Balak Kingdom and serves as a vital commercial hub. Its superior geographical location and role as a transportation nexus connecting the kingdom's north and south naturally make its prosperity self-evident.
Along the streets, various shops were dazzling, from high-end Spirit Master equipment stores to ordinary general stores, from fragrant taverns to bustling entertainment venues, all showcasing the city's vitality and diversity.
Dragon Chen and Dugu Bo walked side-by-side on the lively street, feeling the rich atmosphere of daily life around them.
"It's really lively here," Dragon Chen said with a smile, his gaze sweeping around.
Dugu Bo nodded slightly.
"You've been stuck in the mountains for over a year, with no one to talk to except this old man. Feeling suffocated, aren't you?"
"A little, haha~"
"Let's go grab something to eat first, and then we can check out the Great Spirit Arena."
The two found a restaurant on the street.
After dinner, Dragon Chen and Dugu Bo walked through the night towards the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena.
As they approached, a majestic and grand building came into view.
That was the landmark of Soto City—the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena.
The Great Spirit Arena is situated in the heart of the city, occupying a vast area. Its exterior adopted the unique architectural style of the Balak Kingdom, blending sturdiness with magnificence.
The towering structure glowed faintly golden in the night, adding a touch of luxury and solemnity.
The entrance to the Great Spirit Arena was ablaze with lights.
Colorful lights intertwined, creating a dreamy yet enthusiastic atmosphere.
The crowd was bustling and lively.
There were nobles in luxurious attire and commoners in simple clothes, all with faces brimming with anticipation and enthusiasm for the spirit fighting matches.
The Suotuo Great Spirit Arena is considered a relatively large Great Spirit Arena.
Its interior is divided into one main Great Spirit Arena and twenty-four sub-Great Spirit Arenas, capable of accommodating sixty thousand spectators simultaneously.
Dragon Chen knew the rules of the Great Spirit Arena, which were roughly divided into three categories.
One is a contest, where participants spar with each other, strictly prohibiting lethal blows.
One is a deathmatch, where the opponent's life or death is irrelevant.
And one is a betting match, where both betting parties send out the same number of Spirit Masters to compete, and the winning side obtains everything in the wager.
The forms of competition are also three: one-on-one, two-on-two, and team battles.
Dragon Chen and Dugu Bo entered the Great Spirit Arena and went directly to the ticket counter at the service desk.
He wanted to know if the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team members were here.
"Hello, may I ask if the Royal Fight Team has a match tonight?"
A young female staff member at the front desk glanced at Dragon Chen and replied indifferently:
"The Royal Fight Team has a match, but their match is in the main Great Spirit Arena, and there are no more VIP rooms available."
Dugu Bo asked somewhat impatiently:
"Little girl, what do you mean?"
The front desk lady glanced at Dugu Bo, immediately became terrified, and hastily explained:
"Respected guest, I apologize. Our main Great Spirit Arena does not have open-air stands; they are all VIP rooms. There are twelve high-level VIP rooms and three hundred twenty regular VIP rooms, and all of them have been reserved."
"So many VIP rooms, and not a single one is empty?"
"There really aren't any left. The high-level VIP rooms all have their owners, and the regular VIP rooms are also fully booked at the beginning of each year."
Dugu Bo's expression changed.
"Little girl, I don't want to make things difficult for you. Call your Manager Ao over."
"Okay, please wait a moment."
After the girl left, Dragon Chen smiled:
"Bro Bo, are you going to force your way in?"
Dugu Bo also smiled.
"Long Chen, remember this: in this World, ultimately, you still have to speak with strength. With strength, you have everything. Those so-called noble snobs are nothing in my eyes. I, Dugu Bo, have made countless enemies in my life, and I don't care about offending a few more."
"You're still so headstrong."
Dragon Chen gave Dugu Bo a thumbs-up.
No matter what, he had to enter the main Great Spirit Arena and couldn't let that group from Shrek succeed.
A moment later, the girl brought a middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man felt the powerful aura emanating from Dugu Bo the moment he saw him, knowing that the person who had come was not simple.
"Respected guest, hello. I am Manager Ao of this Great Spirit Arena. May I ask, is there anything I can help you with?"
"My request is simple: I want to watch the matches in the main Great Spirit Arena these next few days. A regular VIP room will do. Don't worry, I won't shortchange you a single copper on the price."
Manager Ao smiled:
"Our front desk staff should have already explained to you that all our VIP rooms have long been reserved."
"I don't care about that. You figure out a way to free up a room for me. I'm just here to watch the matches, with no other intentions."
Manager Ao felt a bit angry in his heart; being the Manager Ao of the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena meant he was no ordinary person and had extensive connections.
But Dugu Bo's aura was simply too powerful. He knew very well that this was not someone he could afford to offend.
Therefore, he suppressed the anger in his heart and asked tentatively:
"Respected Mr. Guest, may I ask who you are?"
"This old man's surname is Dugu, and my Titled Douluo: Poison."
Dugu Bo was too lazy to babble with him and directly stated his name.
Upon hearing this, Manager Ao was startled, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
The Titled Douluo of the Heaven Dou Empire were few and far between, and Poison Douluo Dugu Bo was absolutely a terrifying existence.
His personality was eccentric, he preferred to be a lone wolf, had killed countless people, and never put anyone in his eyes.
Manager Ao naturally dared not offend such a ruthless person.
"So it's Senior Poison Douluo Dugu. It is our honor that you would grace the Soto Great Spirit Arena with your presence. We were not hospitable enough just now, please forgive us."
"It's fine now. Are there any VIP rooms available?"
"Yes! Yes! Please wait a moment, I will arrange it for you immediately."
After Manager Ao left, Dragon Chen and Dugu Bo exchanged smiles.
"Bro Bo, you're really something."
"Long Chen, this is the benefit that strength brings. You will understand it later."
Soon, Manager Ao returned.
"Senior Dugu, the VIP room has been arranged for you. Please follow me."
Subsequently, Manager Ao personally led Dugu Bo and Dragon Chen to a VIP room and even politely declined Dugu Bo's ticket payment.
The main Great Spirit Arena was extremely quiet.
There were no open-air stands here; it was entirely composed of enclosed private boxes.
People in the boxes could clearly see everything on the stage through crystal glass.
However, from the outside, it was impossible to see what was happening inside the boxes.
The VIP spectators who came here all had deep backgrounds and often placed heavy bets.
To avoid conflicts arising from gambling, everyone preferred not to reveal their identities here.
What they wanted was a sense of low-key luxury and superiority.