Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

Early the next morning, after breakfast, the Emperor Battle Team members were instructed by Qin Ming to return to their rooms to cultivate their spirit power. Due to the evening spirit battle, in order to maintain their optimal condition, the only training during the day was to cultivate spirit power, awaiting the arrival of nightfall.

As night descended, Suotuo's Great Spirit Arena resumed its usual nightly hustle and bustle. Crowds of people from all directions began to gather here. As the most traditional and popular form of entertainment for the people, the Great Spirit Arena would attract many spectators every night.

The wealthy could indulge in luxury here, and even those with little money could still watch spirit masters' battles.

This was because the arena offered some ticket prices specifically for commoners, which were very affordable. As long as the people could sustain their basic needs, they were willing to spend money to watch spirit master battles here.

After all, in the world of Douluo, just being able to see spirit masters was enough to satisfy the vanity of most ordinary people.

Of course, due to the low ticket prices, these commoners could only watch some ordinary spirit battles.

The truly exciting spirit battles were usually reserved for the rich and the nobles. Additionally, since the Great Spirit Arena allowed betting, it naturally became a place for the wealthy and the nobles to engage in both open and covert competition.

At this moment, the spirit battle's start time was fast approaching, and the audience members began to flow into the Great Spirit Arena, entering in an endless stream. Occasionally, some luxurious carriages, protected by entourages, could be seen entering the arena through the VIP passage.

Only nobles or those with significant backgrounds could enter through the VIP passage. The spirit battles that caught the attention of these people were naturally held in the central arena of the Soto Great Spirit Arena.

Qin Ming led the Emperor Battle Team members smoothly into the Soto Great Spirit Arena. In every city they visited, Qin Ming would always inquire about the location of the local Great Spirit Arena. Coming to the Suotuo Arena felt as familiar as returning to the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena for him.

The members of the Emperor Battle Team were somewhat puzzled but didn't ask any questions. They simply assumed that Qin Ming had done his homework ahead of time, especially since they hadn't seen him at all during the day.

Compared to the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena, the Suotuo Arena was much smaller, shaped like an oval. It seemed that most spirit arenas followed a similar design, with only minor differences in size and rules.

After entering the arena, Qin Ming first explained the training plan for the evening and then arranged the team's order. He then led the Emperor Battle Team to the group spirit battle area to register.

When Qin Ming handed over the team's badge to the staff, the staff member looked surprised, but after carefully inspecting the badge, he sighed helplessly and said with a tone full of apology, "I'm sorry, respected spirit masters, but it seems you won't be able to participate in the group spirit battle tonight."

"Why?" Qin Ming asked, puzzled.

"I'm very sorry, sir, but here in Suotuo City, we don't have a thirty-level Silver Spirit team that can battle against you," the staff member said, spreading his hands helplessly.

"Then find a thirty-level Bronze Spirit team. As long as the spirit power levels are similar, that's fine. Go ask your supervisor if you can arrange that," Qin Ming suggested.

"Alright, sir, please wait a moment." The staff member nodded and quickly ran towards the back, where the supervisor's office was located.

Seeing this, Qin Ming could only shake his head in slight frustration. This was the first time he had encountered a situation where no group spirit battle opponent could be found, but since they were already here, it didn't hurt to wait.

It didn't take long before the staff member returned. "Sir, the supervisor said it can be arranged. We have a few thirty-level Bronze Spirit teams, including one particularly ruthless team. In every spirit battle, they severely injure or cripple their opponents. Because of their brutal fighting style, no one wants to face them, and they've been stuck in the Bronze Spirit team."

"A team that cripples its opponents?" Qin Ming hesitated briefly before saying, "Alright, arrange for us to battle that team. We are the Emperor Battle Team, with seven spirit masters participating, all at the Spirit Elder level."

"Very well, sir. I'll arrange it right away," the staff member nodded and swiftly turned to leave, clearly going to report the situation. After all, a Spirit Elder-level Silver Spirit team was very rare in Soto City.

Soon after, the Emperor Battle Team learned the name of their opponents: the Berserk God Battle Team, with their captain named Kuang Wu. According to the information provided by the staff, this team hadn't participated in a group spirit battle for a long time.

This was because the result of their battles was always either death or injury, causing them to be collectively boycotted by all the thirty-level Bronze Spirit teams. No one wanted to face such a vicious, heavy-handed team.

Since their formation, the Berserk God Battle Team had developed a fighting style centered around ferocity. When they first participated in group spirit battles, they found that merely defeating opponents wasn't enough to attract investments from the wealthy. It wasn't until their captain, Kuang Wu, accidentally killed the captain of another spirit team during a battle that they gained the attention and investment of the rich.

After all, the wealthy had grown bored of ordinary spirit battles. Only this kind of fierce, brutal fighting style could capture their interest. The Berserk God Battle Team, having tasted success, became unstoppable.

To this day, whenever the Berserk God Battle Team participated in group spirit battles, their opponents would be intimidated before the fight even started. And once a team had already lost the mental battle before the fight began, how could they possibly win? This indirectly led to the Berserk God Battle Team remaining undefeated among the Bronze Spirit teams.

However, this vicious fighting style, while gaining attention, also lost them some audience support. When they tried to advance to the Silver Spirit teams, they found themselves in an awkward situation: no one was willing to fight them, simply out of fear for their lives.

Without group spirit battles, they had no income. Although the rich had invested in them, it was contingent on their participation in battles. By now, the Berserk God Battle Team had grown accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle that money brought. So, when they received the sudden invitation to a group spirit battle, they didn't hesitate to accept.

After gathering all the members of the Berserk God Battle Team, their captain Kuang Wu rushed to the Great Spirit Arena as quickly as possible, already imagining the wealthy's renewed interest and investment after their victory.

Perhaps because it was a group battle, the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena was particularly lively tonight. Clearly, the higher-ups of the arena had spread the news that a team was willing to battle the Berserk God Battle Team. After all, the arena made its money by drawing attention.

At this moment, the betting area had opened, and due to the Berserk God Battle Team's reputation, the odds were heavily skewed in their favor. As a result, a long line had already formed at the betting point for the Berserk God Battle Team. The spectators eager to make a profit from their victory were hastily placing their bets, afraid they would miss their chance.

In contrast, the betting point for the Emperor Battle Team was pitifully empty. Aside from a few gamblers who were willing to take a chance, almost no one believed in this unknown team.

However, amidst this lopsided betting, a young man dressed in black with purple-tinted eyes approached the Emperor Battle Team's betting point. His bet drew the surprised gaze of the staff in charge of handling the Emperor Battle Team's wagers.

"On the Emperor Battle Team, I bet fifteen hundred gold spirit coins!"