Chapter 85: Wolf‑Thief Cub

Just a day at the Count's mansion wasn't easy; I don't know if the butler had received Count Daise's orders, but every hour he would come by the excuse of delivering fruit and snacks, just to check whether I was staying in my room.

On the day of the contest, Tie Li still saw a wolf‑thief cub for the first time.

Count Daise locked the wolf‑thief cub in a specially made iron cage; its eyes glowed a dim green, like ghost fire, filled with ferocious, greedy, blood‑thirsty expression, as if even a wolf‑thief cub could look that way.

They are a hybrid of swift‑wind demon wolves and humans, possessing both the beast nature and power of a Soul Beast and some inherited human intelligence.

Roar

The wolf‑thief cub in the cage let out low growls, its fierce gaze sweeping every human Soul Master.

Snap

The mansion's butler immediately cracked his whip against the cage; instinctive fear made the wolf‑thief cub curl up in the corner.

Since receiving the wolf‑thief cub from Count Daise, they have tried to tame it during its juvenile stage, but the results were far from ideal.

So they simply took it out as a wager.

Upon arriving at the Grand Soul Battle arena, dedicated staff took over the wolf‑thief cub, since it was a betting stake that had to be handed over to the Grand Soul Battle arena.

Beside Count Daise were two Soul Kings and four Soul Ancestors, two of whom were among the Soul Masters slated to fight next, followed by Tie Li and two other Soul Masters.

"Let's go first," Count Daise said.

This contest featured a dedicated Soul Battle arena and a specially made public platform for the aristocrats on both sides of the wager.

As for why there weren't two separate stands, the Grand Soul Battle arena's steward had his own ulterior motives!

Count Daise led the group to the public platform and saw that Count Bei Er's side had already arrived.

Count Bei Er was handsome, with flowing golden hair, and his attire was in no way inferior to Count Daise's opulence.

Behind Count Bei Er stood several Soul Masters; when they saw Count Daise arrive with his party at the public platform, their eyes showed a hint of hostility.

"Daise, you still love keeping others waiting," Count Bei Er said with a slight mockery.

"Are you still spouting nonsense? Let's start the Soul Battle already; I'm taking my mermaid home and hope you don't ruin her."

Count Bei Er's expression soured instantly; Count Daise said that on purpose—any noble in Hanhai City knows that Count Bei Er's wife is the daughter of Marquis Fusi Ya; how dare he go out and play recklessly.

Not to mention a mermaid— even a maid, she must be kept at a distance at home!

When Count Bei Er's fleet captured the mermaid, his first thought was to auction her off rather than keep her at the mansion as a personal toy.

There are few aristocratic lords who can resist a mermaid's allure, yet Count Bei Er managed it!

"Shall we stick to the old rule and start with a One Ring Soul Master?" Count Daise said, seeing a fierce glint in Count Bei Er's eyes, his mood instantly lightened.

Count Bei Er waved, and a Soul Master behind him immediately left the group, heading toward the entrance of the Soul Battle pool.

Count Daise likewise signaled his own One Ring Soul Master to fight.

Everyone on the public platform could clearly see the two combatants battling in the Soul Battle pool.

The One Ring Soul Master's Soul Battle had no major highlights and quickly produced a result.

Count Bei Er, as the victor, flashed a mocking smile at Count Daise.

The second Soul Battle featured a Two Ring Great Soul Master, but the winning side still belonged to Count Bei Er.

After losing two rounds in a row, Count Daise's expression grew gloomy!

"It seems I'll take the wolf‑thief cub," Count Bei Er said, deliberately amplifying his voice.

Having secured two points first, if they win one more, the remaining two matches won't need to be played, and they'll claim the wolf‑thief cub.

"Hmph," Count Daise snorted coldly, fixing his gaze on Tie Li.

"You won't disappoint me, will you?"

"I'll do my best."

Tie Li dared not assess the opponent's strength, but for the three‑thousand‑year whale glue, he would certainly try his utmost to defeat them.

At the passage entrance, the two Soul Battle contenders arrived; Tie Li saw his opponent, only one and a half meters tall, yet his muscles were unusually robust, like blocks of hard granite embedded in his body.

"Next is the third wager; if we lose this round, Count Bei Er will become the winner;

"Let's see the upcoming pair; it is said that Count Daise's third entrant is a land Soul Master—can he defeat the Heavy Fish Soul Master who has already achieved four consecutive victories in our Soul Battle pool?" the host's voice echoed through a special amplification system.

At that moment, Count Bei Er let out an unabashed laugh upon hearing that Count Daise had sent a land Soul Master.

"Hahaha, Daise, you're getting more and more ridiculous; don't you know the Soul Battle venue is the Soul Battle pool? Or have you really been drained by a woman to the point you make such a basic mistake…"

Count Bei Er's words abruptly halted, not only because the Soul Battle below had already begun, but also due to the overwhelming power of the erupting purple lightning.

Tie Li immediately unleashed the First Soul Technique and the Third Soul Technique; the opponent, a Strong Attack-type Soul Master, opened an attack the moment they entered the Soul Battle pool.

The raging purple lightning coalesced on the hammer's head; after several rounds of collisions, Tie Li's head‑on clash secured an absolute advantage.

When the opponent tried to evade, six chains instantly bound his limbs and waist; a charged hammer struck his chest like a meteor shot from underwater, nearly hitting the spectator seats.

Fortunately, the referee intervened in time, averting unnecessary casualties.

The victorious Tie Li returned to the public platform.

"Very good," Count Daise said, showing a satisfied expression.

"Hmph, I only gave you one round."

The fourth match was a Soul Ancestor showdown; the two Soul Masters were evenly matched, and both sides sustained considerable injuries.

However, Count Bei Er's Four Ring Soul Ancestor seized an opportunity and eliminated Count Daise's Soul Ancestor from the contest.

"Hahaha, looks like I won," Count Bei Er said, his face bright with joy; having beaten Count Daise, today's profit would be a very substantial figure.

"Wait," Count Daise called out to Count Bei Er.

The opposing Four Ring Soul Ancestor was badly wounded, but Tie Li was in perfect condition; a lower‑rank Soul Master may challenge a higher‑rank one, and a victory still counts as one point—one of the rules—though in recent contests few nobles have done this.

If a lower‑rank Soul Master loses, the opponent can also claim a point.

"If I defeat him, I have a five‑thousand‑year whale glue in my treasury," Count Daise said, looking at Tie Li and raising the stakes.

Tie Li's pupils narrowed as he glanced at the opponent's Four Ring Soul Ancestor; its injuries were severe, and he thought he might still have a chance to beat it.

The five‑thousand‑year whale glue is worth risking a try once.

"Good." Tie Li nodded and agreed.

Tie Li reappeared at the entrance of the Soul Battle pool's passage.

"Looks like Earl Daise doesn't want to admit defeat just yet, having a Three Ring Soul Honorable challenge a Four Ring Soul Ancestor—this is quite a rare Soul Battle." The host's voice appeared above the Soul Battle pool.

(End of chapter)