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The audience erupted into enthusiastic discussions about the battle they had just witnessed.
Most of the spectators in the Great Spirit Arena were civilians, many of whom had come specifically to watch Xiang Lei claim his fifth consecutive victory.
However, none of them had expected to witness such an exhilarating match. The intensity of the battle had far exceeded their expectations, making them feel that their entrance fee had been well spent.
And among them, many silently engraved a name into their memory—
One Punch Man.
On the stage, Quan Yi turned toward the host and asked calmly,
"Can you reveal my opponent's spirit power level?"
The host stiffened slightly, feeling a bit nervous under Quan Yi's gaze. With a respectful tone, he replied,
"According to the regulations, after a match, both competitors' spirit power levels can be disclosed. Xiang Lei's spirit power level is 29."
Quan Yi nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Thank you."
With that, he turned and left the Soul Fighting Stage.
Through this battle, Quan Yi had confirmed one thing—
Xiang Lei's spirit power level was higher than his own, though he hadn't known the exact gap during the fight.
A Level 29 strength-type Beast Spirit Master.
Not bad.
It had been a worthwhile battle. More importantly, through this match, Quan Yi had roughly determined his standing in the world of spirit masters.
This alone made the entire trip to the Soul Fighting Arena worthwhile.
As Quan Yi left, the host remained on the stage, watching his retreating figure with growing excitement.
The strength and potential that Quan Yi had just displayed gave him an eerie feeling—as if he had just witnessed the birth of a future powerhouse.
The audience might not have known the details, but as the match official, he had access to both fighters' information.
One Punch Man: 14 years old, Level 25.
Xiang Lei: 43 years old, Level 29.
A four-level difference separated them.
Moreover, One Punch Man was a complete newcomer to the arena. By all logical predictions, Xiang Lei should have won easily.
Yet, the result had been a complete reversal.
With just one punch, One Punch Man had knocked the thick-skinned, battle-hardened Xiang Lei unconscious.
But what was even more shocking—
A Tool Spirit Master had completely overpowered a Beast Spirit Master in raw strength.
This fact alone sent waves through the host's mind.
"Could he be a descendant of a prestigious family?"
It wasn't uncommon for children from powerful clans to hide their identities and come to the Soul Fighting Arena to train.
If that were the case, then this boy…
He was no ordinary talent.
After exiting the waiting area, Quan Yi proceeded to the points registration counter, where he received his victory bonus—ten gold soul coins—from the staff.
Watching the gleaming coins land in his hands, the corners of his lips curled slightly. His mood visibly brightened.
After collecting his gold soul coins and victory badge, Quan Yi made his way to the meeting spot where he had parted with his mother.
A few moments later, he spotted Su Ling'er approaching from the exit of the auditorium.
"Congratulations on your flawless victory in your first Soul Fight," Su Ling'er said, her tone filled with pride. She had never doubted that her son would win, but she hadn't expected such an overwhelming result.
However, after a brief pause, she added with a touch of concern,
"But your fighting style was a bit reckless. Be more careful next time."
It was clear that in this battle, the gap in strength had been obvious.
Quan Yi hadn't even needed to use his first or second spirit skills.
But as a mother, Su Ling'er couldn't help but worry about her son.
When Quan Yi chose to block his opponent's first spirit skill with a single hand, her heart had leaped into her throat.
Although she had full confidence in his abilities, she feared that he might become overconfident. And so, she decided to remind him.
Seeing Su Ling'er's expression turn serious, Quan Yi immediately realized his mistake. He quickly apologized, "I only did that this time because my opponent was a strength-type spirit master. I'll be more cautious next time."
"You…" Su Ling'er sighed helplessly and lightly tapped Quan Yi on the forehead.
She understood.
This had been his first real spirit fight, and he had inevitably been a little excited.
He had also wanted to test his own strength, and since his opponent happened to be a power-type spirit master, he had chosen to confront him directly.
However, as a result, his fighting style had been overly straightforward and aggressive.
Absolute Power
Yet, this wasn't because he had underestimated his opponent or acted recklessly.
Quan Yi knew himself well.
His greatest strength was exactly that—absolute power, far surpassing other spirit masters of the same level.
The super-aged spirit ring he had absorbed, combined with the rigorous training and vast resources spent on building his body, were the foundations of his confidence.
In the world of spirit masters, there was an optimal soul ring age ratio for the early stages of cultivation:
First spirit ring: Over 100 years old Second spirit ring: Over 500 years old
A spirit master who met this criterion was considered extremely talented. However, very few could actually achieve this due to the natural restrictions of spirit ring absorption.
Even the widely recognized maximum limits were difficult to surpass:
First spirit ring limit: 423 years Second spirit ring limit: Around 764 years
But Quan Yi's spirit rings had shattered those limits.
His total spirit ring years exceeded three to four hundred years beyond the established maximums—a feat rarely seen in history.
Furthermore, every spirit ring's attributes varied depending on the hunted spirit beast.
Though Quan Yi hadn't intentionally followed a specific path, his current growth perfectly aligned with the cultivation method of an extreme-attribute spirit master.
Extreme Fire & Strength
Extreme-attribute spirit masters focused solely on developing a single trait to its peak.
For example:
Some would only absorb speed-type spirit rings, becoming unmatched in agility. Others would absorb strength-type spirit rings, maximizing their raw power.
This path had its pros and cons—while it created overwhelming dominance in a chosen attribute, it also introduced glaring weaknesses.
However, the trade-off was worth it—because against opponents of the same level, their advantage would be absolute.
Quan Yi's growth had followed a similar trajectory.
Every spirit ring he had absorbed contained both fire and power attributes.
Thus, he could be considered an extreme fire & strength spirit master.
This meant that he was destined to surpass others of the same level in both raw power and fire-based abilities.
Moreover, after half a year of relentless training, his body had undergone further transformation.
Not only had he fully adapted to his enhanced physique, but thanks to the nutritional benefits of over 600-year-old spirit beast meat, he had reached the level of a Spirit Grand Master while continuing to grow physically stronger at an alarming rate.
With all these factors combined, Quan Yi's strength rivaled that of a Spirit Elder—or even a Spirit Ancestor. (T/N: I think this is against the common ones, who have a white spirit ring as their first ring, and also it means not losing against, not defeating them.)
So naturally—
Against mere Spirit Grand Masters, Quan Yi felt completely confident.
However, he also understood his real purpose here—to gain actual combat experience, not just to overpower opponents.
With that in mind, he resolved to be more restrained in future battles.
"By the way, it's still early. Do you want to check out the Main Spirit Arena?" Su Ling'er suggested.
She knew that the Main Arena was the heart of the Great Spirit Arena, where the strongest battles took place.
Quan Yi's eyes immediately lit up. "Yeah! I heard that sometimes you can even see Spirit Saints fighting there. I've wanted to see that for a long time!"
"Then let's go," Su Ling'er said with a smile, feeling a bit more at ease now that Quan Yi's excitement had shifted toward learning rather than fighting.
Upon arriving at the Main Spirit Arena, Su Ling'er spared no expense—she directly booked a luxurious VIP room.
The interior was exquisitely decorated, exuding an air of nobility and sophistication.
A massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the battle stage, allowing them to watch the matches from a prime vantage point.
Although she felt a little distressed about spending so many gold soul coins, when she thought about the comfort and the ability to observe high-level battles in peace, she decided it was worth it.
Seating himself by the window, Quan Yi admired the grand stage below, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation.
It was then that Su Ling'er casually remarked, "By the way, the Main Spirit Arena allows gambling. Why don't you try placing a bet later?"
"Huh? Gambling?" Quan Yi blinked in surprise.