Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San -
Chapter 999: Sacrifice
Chapter 999: Sacrifice
Tang San narrowed his eyes when he saw this. Right, so we're going all in now.
Judging from the current state of the battle, the Golden Wolf King held the upper hand. He showed no intention of giving the enemy even the slightest chance; he was aiming to finish the fight decisively while he had the advantage.
The Golden Coin Leopard King, now with one arm disabled, looked somewhat listless and even a little panicked, but not defeated. His gaze carried a flicker of fear, but there was no sign of surrender. Instead, he bared his fangs in a feeble attempt to show ferocity.
The Golden Wolf King had finished charging up. In a flash, his platinum-coated form surged forward. The full moon overhead glowed brilliantly. In an instant, his massive body exploded toward his opponent, and blinding claws tore across the platform, covering all possible escape routes.
But just then, a brilliant beam of sword light fell from the sky—the Sword Saint Demon Emperor acted. A deafening explosion followed, and two figures were blasted apart, each thrown to opposite sides of the platform.
The referee had intervened. The match was over.
The Golden Wolf King, still in peak form, merely tumbled to the edge of the platform and quickly scrambled back to his feet. But his face showed deep confusion and shock.
The Golden Coin Leopard King was in much worse shape. He had been launched faster and harder, crashed into the barrier, then rebounded and slammed into the ground. He didn't get up; his body was limp and seemed almost paralyzed.
"The result is decided. The Golden Coin Leopard King is the winner."
The announcement sent a wave of gasps through the entire crowd.
"What?! The Golden Coin Leopard King won? But didn't he lose?" Jin Miaosen exclaimed in disbelief.
Tang San glanced at her and replied calmly, "Don't just look at the surface. What you saw was an illusion. That leopard was ruthless, not just to his enemy but to himself. In terms of cultivation and gear, he was slightly inferior to the wolf. But at the last moment, he sacrificed his own life force to unleash a devastating final attack."
"Huh?" Jin Miaosen blinked in confusion, echoing the confusion of the crowd.
But the Golden Wolf King offered no objection. Instead, he respectfully bowed to the Sword Saint Demon Emperor and left the platform in silence. Meanwhile, the guards of the Ancestral Court lifted the Golden Coin Leopard King from the platform and carried him away as well.
The Sword Saint's cold voice rang out, echoing through the arena. "In the final clash, the Golden Coin Leopard King sacrificed a hundred years of lifespan to launch a suicidal blow. Had the collision not been stopped, the Golden Wolf King would've died, and the Golden Coin Leopard King would've been mortally wounded. Therefore, the Golden Coin Leopard King is the victor. However, due to his injuries, he is unable to proceed. Both contestants are eliminated. The Golden Coin Leopard King wins this round, but cannot continue."
The noise in the stadium quickly fell into stunned silence, only punctuated here and there by sharp intakes of breath.
Was it worth it?Sacrificing a hundred years of life just to win a single round, knowing you couldn't advance?
This Golden Coin Leopard King was truly terrifying.
The first match of the tournament had already turned out to be so brutal. How could every contestant and spectator not be shaken?
"Was it worth it...?" Jin Miaosen murmured.
Tang San looked around at her and the other elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan, all wearing similarly dazed expressions.
"You want to know why the Blue Gold Tree clan was never strong?" Tang San asked quietly. "It's because you always think like that. These were both second-tier bloodlines. Could either of them really win the Battle for the Throne? No. But they fought anyway, because it wasn't just about them, it was about their whole race. It was about the ancient enmity between leopard demons and wolf demons.
"The leopard was decidedly the loser in terms of strength and equipment, yet he still won. That victory is a source of honor for the entire leopard race. It gives them a psychological edge over the wolf race moving forward. They fought not for themselves, but to uplift their kind. That's the power of will and courage.
"Moreover, both these demons come from races with many mouths to feed and little wealth to speak of. They came here with no weapons save for their claws, and the winner didn't even have armor, yet have you seen their fight? Meanwhile, we built walls of gold only to hide behind them.
"We're weak because we never believed that we could win. But if we don't believe it, how can it ever happen? How could victory come without making a single sacrifice? "
The elders fell silent, faces flushed with shame. Their leader was right... The Blue Gold Tree clan had never dared to dream of strength. They were content to survive under the protection of the Ancestral Tree.
"We're not good at fighting..." Jin Miaosen muttered.
Tang San said plainly, "Remember that Celestial Pillar I bought at the auction? Compared to our natural gifts, what are humans worth? Nothing at all. What, you mean to tell me ordinary humans are good at fighting? Yet these beings have produced an Emperor! We have the vastest life energy on the continent, so why can't we forge a path of our own?"
The elders had no answer. Tang San's words cut deep.
The first match had been intense—cruel, even. Though the Golden Coin Leopard King had technically won, he had paid with a hundred years of life and was now out of the competition.
Two fighters had been eliminated. From eighty-seven male contestants, only eighty-five remained.
Well, I guess I'm at least top eighty-five now, and I haven't even fought yet. Tang San chuckled to himself at the thought.
The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's voice echoed again. "Second match contestants, enter the ring."
Contestants with numbers three and four were next.
Just then, Tang San sensed movement in the neighboring lounge. He probed with his divine sense and immediately detected a powerful figure stepping forward from the VIP pavilion next to Ning Chen'en's.
He hadn't paid attention to who was beside Ning Chen'en until now. But his divine consciousness quickly revealed who it was: a member of the Red-Crowned Crane clan. The strongest of their kind, obviously. Tang San knew the Sword Saint Demon Emperor wouldn't allow multiple members of his clan to enter, so this had to be their sole representative.
Then, on the crystal screen, Tang San saw the face of the Red-Crowned Crane contestant. Save for the white wings on his back, he looked perfectly human, and he was clad in pristine white robes. He looked around thirty, but who knew how old he really was?
He flew like a streak of light and landed gracefully on the platform, folding his wings and standing still.
Meanwhile, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor had withdrawn and had been replaced by the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor. Its entire body glowed with a crystalline sheen that obscured its true appearance.
Evidently, referees would recuse themselves when one of their own was competing. This had never appeared in any rulebook, but it was common sense.
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