Leo's words were like a beam of light, cutting straight through the fog in Aria's heart and opening up a brand - new window for her. Aria suddenly realized that there were so many tricks in battles. By using wits, one could cleverly make up for the gap in soul power and turn the tables. It wasn't just a pipe dream!
"If I could have planned ahead, worked out strategies based on the characteristics of my opponent's martial soul, even if their martial soul was powerful, I might have been able to use it to my advantage. I wouldn't have lost that battle so miserably," Aria thought to herself. She looked up at Leo, her eyes filled with admiration.
This young man with only twenty - level soul power had achieved such astonishing feats. It was no accident. He was a real - deal genius, a well - deserved master of tactics!
"Leo, thanks a bunch," Aria said sincerely, gratitude pouring out of her.
Leo grinned, waved his hand casually, "Just keep your eyes peeled, think more often, and sum up your experiences after each battle. Sooner or later, you'll break through your limits."
"Sure thing!" Aria nodded firmly, mentally taking his words to heart.
"Don't just stand there daydreaming about the last match. It's our turn to go on stage," Leo said, reaching out to gently pat Aria on the shoulder, then turning and walking towards the door.
This pat made Aria jump as if she'd been electrocuted. Her body tensed up instantly, and a strange feeling welled up inside her. She'd never been touched like this by a boy before.
Normally, if any guy dared to do this to her, with her fiery temper, he'd be in deep trouble. His hand might not even stay intact, not even Blake would get away with it. But right now, facing Leo, she wasn't angry at all. Instead, she couldn't help but recall the scene of lying in his arms yesterday.
Leo had no idea that this unconscious gesture of his had sent Aria's thoughts flying. He was used to guiding his students like this and had completely forgotten that he was just an ordinary student like Aria at this moment.
"What's up? Still spacing out?" Leo asked, turning his head in confusion when he stepped out of the door and saw Aria wasn't following.
"Ah... Coming right up!" Aria snapped back to reality, her cheeks flushing red in a flash. She quickly scurried after him.
In the Main Soul Battle Arena, the lights suddenly blazed, and colorful fireworks shot up into the sky. The host of this match, Dodo, stepped onto the stage with a big smile, holding a microphone in her hand. Her voice rang out clearly, "Welcome, everyone, to the Soto Grand Soul Battle Arena! I'm stoked to see you all again. I'm Dodo, the host of the last two - on - two soul - fighting match tonight. Now, let's welcome the two teams to enter the arena!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the door of the Main Soul Battle Arena slowly opened. Leo and Aria stepped onto the stage side by side. At the same time, the Snowstorm Duo walked onto the stage from the other side.
"I bet you all know Leo's name. Just now, he achieved an unprecedented fifty - game winning streak in the one - on - one match!" Dodo exclaimed excitedly, highlighting Leo.
"I thought that was it for today, but guess what? Leo, the great soul master, is also participating in the two - on - two team match. You guys who didn't get enough of the action are in for a treat today!"
After introducing Leo, Dodo turned her attention to Aria, "Now, let's take a look at the information about Leo's partner. Aria, twelve years old, a twenty - seventh - level great soul master. She's really something for her age! However, she just registered today, with a win - loss record of 0 - 1. It's quite a shock that Leo's partner is a newbie who just registered and has already lost a match..."
"What the heck! What's the deal with this Grand Soul Battle Arena? They keep dissing like this!" Max exclaimed, his face turning red with anger.
Blake didn't say a word, but his clenched fist slammed hard on the viewing glass. You could feel his anger from a mile away.
Even Xiao Wu was scratching her head in confusion. She really couldn't figure out what the Soto Grand Soul Battle Arena was up to. Who would openly mock the participating players like this?
Only Ryan was deep in thought. He had a hunch that things were not as simple as they seemed. With his experience from two lifetimes, he couldn't believe that the Soto Grand Soul Battle Arena would be stupid enough to offend Leo, one of their own players.
Aria on the stage was completely unaware of what was going on in the viewing area. She didn't pay any attention to the host's words either. She knew very well that Leo had a deal with the Grand Soul Battle Arena.
Not long ago, Leo had bet two hundred thousand gold soul coins on the Civet Duo to win, with an astonishing odds of 1:10. It was easy to imagine how much those gamblers had bet on the Snowstorm Duo.
After introducing Aria, Dodo started to introduce the Snowstorm Duo. In contrast to Aria's introduction, she made it seem like the Snowstorm Duo was a sure - win. She even specifically mentioned that they had a martial soul fusion skill.
"The introduction of the two teams is complete. The match is about to start. You now have one minute to release your martial souls," Dodo announced loudly, hovering in the middle of the two teams with the microphone in her hand.
In an instant, the Snowstorm Duo's soul power surged, and four soul rings rose slowly from their feet, two yellow and two purple, all top - tier configurations.
Looking at Leo and Aria's side, Leo's two White Soul Rings and Aria's two Yellow Soul Rings seemed a bit lackluster in comparison.
But no one dared to look down on them. Especially Leo's two White Soul Rings, combined with his mutated martial soul, had made him a force to be reckoned with in one - on - one silver - ranked soul - fighting battles!
"Leo, we've heard all about you, and we've seen your battles. In a one - on - one, we admit we're no match for you. But this is a two - on - two, and your partner is only a twenty - seventh - level great soul master. Your winning streak ends here today!" Feng Hua of the Snowstorm Duo said, glaring at Leo coldly.
At first, when they learned that their opponent was Leo, Feng Hua and Xue Yue were completely stunned. In the past few days, Leo's name had been all over the Soto Grand Soul Battle Arena.
They were in awe of Leo's methods, strategies, and rich battle experience. But soon, they snapped out of it. This was a two - on - two match, not a one - on - one!
The two - on - two was very different from the one - on - one. The advantage of Leo's mutated martial soul in a one - on - one was not as prominent here. Moreover, they had the trump card of the martial soul fusion skill, which was their source of confidence.
What's more, they found that Leo's partner was a newbie who had just registered and lost a match. The video of that battle was still fresh in their minds. In their eyes, this match was their golden opportunity to become famous overnight!
"Is that so? We'll see about that," Leo replied calmly, his expression unchanged.
Next to him, when Aria heard Feng Hua's words, her nails instantly became sharp as her martial soul, the Nether Spirit Cat, possessed her. She crouched slightly, exuding a bone - chilling coldness as she stared intently at the Snowstorm Duo.
It was normal for the two forty - third - level soul sects to look down on her. But Aria was a tough cookie. She had an extraordinary fighting spirit. She had her own pride and self - respect. Even if she couldn't win, she definitely wouldn't hold Leo back.
She left her family and came to Rekdo Academy to become stronger, to break free from the family rules, and more importantly, for that figure deeply engraved in her heart!
From the moment she first saw Leo, Aria saw a glimmer of hope, a hope that had seemed out of reach before!