After getting the answers they wanted, the trio bid farewell to the Jiuxin Haitang family and took up temporary residence in Tian Dou City.
Night had fallen. The city was shrouded in a faint haze, with scattered lights along the streets casting a warm glow.
However, not every area was as peaceful as this. Though Tian Dou City was the imperial capital and better governed, the main city's array of buildings was no less extensive—most notably, the auction house and the Douhun (Spirit Battle) Arena.
Even in this quiet night, the arena buzzed with noise, with never-ending cheers and battle cries filling the air.
Qian Renxue's eyes sparkled slightly:"Xiaofeng, shall we go check out the Douhun Arena?"
Lin Feng nodded. Usually, his sparring with Qian Daoliu and Lingyuan was one-sided instruction. He had never actually participated in a duel against ordinary spirit masters.
Although he figured he'd likely dominate easily, it was still worthwhile to go for the experience.
"Sure. Are we doing a doubles match?"
Qian Renxue glared at him:"What else? Planning to ditch me and run off on your own?"
The two decided to wear masks that covered the upper part of their faces to conceal their identities and avoid unnecessary trouble.
Lin Feng wore a black mask with intricate silver patterns, resembling the face of a fierce beast, radiating intimidation and mystery.
Qian Renxue wore a white fox mask, lined with elegant golden patterns and dotted with a few small, glowing gemstones—beautiful and mysterious.
After putting on the masks, their auras changed dramatically. Lin Feng now appeared more composed and unfathomable, while Qian Renxue exuded a noble and enigmatic air.
Her martial spirit already gave her a divine and holy presence. Though the platinum fox mask wasn't overtly seductive, it still had a trace of charm.
It was as if a celestial fairy, clad in light silk, exposed her smooth white thighs and seductively curled her red lips—a stark contrast that only made her more alluring.
Qian Renxue smiled faintly. Every time Lin Feng looked at her with awe and fascination, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction and pride.
She loved that feeling.
With a slender, fair finger, she gently hooked Lin Feng's chin.
"Aren't we going yet?"
Lin Feng came back to his senses and nodded. He took hold of the soft hand at his chin and led her toward the Tian Dou Douhun Arena.
Lingyuan, being a Spirit Douluo, had no need to join the fight. She simply found a good seat in the audience and quietly observed.
As they approached, they were struck by the arena's grandeur.
An enormous oval building nearly 200 meters tall—far surpassing the Soto City arena, which could only hold 60,000 spectators. The Tian Dou arena could accommodate well over 100,000.
Even just a bit of chatter from such a massive crowd became thunderous when combined.
At the reception desk, the two chose the betting format—two vs. two.
The arena's matching system only considered spirit power level, not age.
Since Qian Renxue was a Soul Sect (level 40+), they would naturally be matched against others in that realm.
"Xiao Xue, age 17, level 43 Assault System Soul Sect, martial spirit: Golden Light."
"Xiao Feng, age 15, level 32 Control System Soul Elder, martial spirit: Lava."
Although they wore masks, the receptionist was still visibly shocked. The system only scanned spirit power levels—other data was just for record-keeping.
The two indeed looked young, yet their levels were so high—especially the girl. Was she really about to break through to Soul King before age 20?
"Is this your first time here? Do you know the rules of our arena?"
The receptionist paused: "If you choose two-on-two, you'll be matched against Soul Sects.And since we match based only on stage boundaries, you might be facing high-level Soul Sects.This young man… even if it's just a spar, I suggest you consider one-on-one."
Lin Feng smiled: "No need. It's not a death match. Don't worry about us too much."
Seeing their insistence, the receptionist stopped advising and sighed:"Alright. Then, have you chosen a team name?"
Qian Renxue blinked and looked at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng chuckled and looked her up and down:"Like the veiled moon behind light clouds, like the drifting wind and returning snow.Let's go with 'Flowing Wind and Returning Snow.'"
"Flowing Wind and Returning Snow—what a beautiful name," the receptionist said, registering it with a sigh of admiration.
Qian Renxue's eyes lit up. She leaned on Lin Feng and smiled:"Sounds lovely. Didn't expect you to be a poet too, Xiaofeng. Is there a full version? Let's hear it."
"Yes, young man. Is there more to that poem? I've never heard such elegant phrasing before. Could you share it?"
Of course there was. Lin Feng felt a little awkward—though not the first time he plagiarized from classical literature, he'd mostly quoted philosophical ideas in the past.
Quoting something as iconic as Ode to the Nymph of the Luo River so directly in front of others felt strangely shameful—like flaunting your parent's treasures in public.
Especially under the excited, admiring stares of the two, Lin Feng felt something stir inside.
His cheeks reddened slightly, and he cleared his throat, thinking he really needed to toughen up.
He wasn't yet shameless enough to quote ancient texts with a straight face like seasoned transmigrators.
"I'll recite it for you later."
"Don't be like that, young man. I want to hear it too."
But Lin Feng threw down ten gold soul coins, grabbed their registered iron Douhun badges, and dragged Qian Renxue straight to the battle zone—leaving behind a somewhat disappointed receptionist.
On the Douhun platform, a middle-aged man in a tuxedo stood and cleared his throat before speaking loudly:
"Next up: the Two Devils of the Huang Family, with two victories under their belts. They are standout talents among the younger generation of the Huang family.Brothers in blood, both possess the Ghostfire martial spirit. At just 25 years old, both have reached level 46. No need to question their talent.Their seamless cooperation has been key to their previous wins. Let's look forward to their next match!
Their opponents are the newly registered team Flowing Wind and Returning Snow. What an evocative name.
Oh? Both surnamed Xiao? Likely siblings.
Xiao Xue: Level 43 Assault System Soul Sect, martial spirit Golden Light.Xiao Feng: Level 32 Control System Soul Elder, martial spirit Lava.
Well now...
The Xiao siblings have chosen a two-on-two battle with spirit power levels clearly inferior to the Huang brothers.Is this supreme confidence—or just the ignorance of newcomers?
Let's wait and see how the battle between the Xiao and Huang families unfolds!"
Lin Feng looked across the arena. The two figures opposite them were covered in black veils, their bodies thin and tall.
Their similar faces were adorned with gold-rimmed glasses, and they looked prim and proper—if not for the dark ghostfire flickering in their hands and the sinister grins on their lips.
Lin Feng twitched his mouth.
Why do these two look so damn familiar…?
T/N: If anyone is curious, Flowing Wind and Returning Snow is a reference to "Ode to the Nymph of the Luo River", a famous Chinese poetic fu[1] written by Cao Zhi of the Three Kingdoms period.
T/N: For up to twelve chapters ahead on this fic and twenty on my other, become a P@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle
[1] A fu is a type of chinese literature best described as a rhapsodic prose-poem