Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San
Chapter 1004: Big Cat Enters the Arena

Chapter 1004: Big Cat Enters the Arena

The match Tang San was most concerned about was, without a doubt, Big Cat's. It was the only one that truly made him anxious. Big Cat had only recently advanced to the eleventh order, and much of his cultivation had been forcefully boosted using vast resources provided by the Golden Lion clan. Although Big Cat had an extremely rich battle experience, he was still a newly ascended Great Demon King. Meanwhile, nearly all contestants in this tournament were the cream of the crop among their own clans and they were at the peak of the eleventh order. Could he survive the eliminations?

Big Cat had clearly drawn a late match. The battles had gone on from morning until evening before the tournament finally neared its end, and it wasn't until the fortieth match that Tang San finally saw Big Cat step onto the stage.

Had he not been waiting for Big Cat, he would've already left after his own match. The next round required another drawing of lots anyway, so no one could predict their future opponent.

When Big Cat stepped onto the stage, he was clad in light golden armor. His powerful frame stood nearly three meters tall, and he had the God-Slaying Sword in hand. His entire being radiated explosive force. With each step, his aura shifted and grew, the killing intent around him so sharp it seemed to warp the very air.

Feeling Big Cat's presence, Tang San's gaze eased slightly.

He didn't know what Big Cat had gone through this past year, but compared to the Ancestral Court's Elite Competition one year prior, Big Cat had practically been reborn. In fact, his growth was nearly on par with Mei Gongzi's. The Golden Lion clan had obviously gone all-in, and this explosive growth was no doubt a result of funneling immense resources into him.

As kings of the prairie, the lion race always claimed to be among the strongest. But they had never produced an Emperor and had long been suppressed by the tiger race.

With Tang San's help, Big Cat's bloodline evolved into a first-tier one, giving the lion race hope. Before the tiger race could make a move to recruit him, they pounced on him, and they did so with full dedication. Over the following year, they poured everything into Big Cat; they even went as far as to merge the Lion-Tiger clan into the lion race and bestow upon them an exalted status.

Big Cat did not disappoint. With extraordinary talent and unshakeable willpower, he made even the Golden Lion King acknowledge him as an unprecedented asset for the entire race. For Big Cat, battle was as natural as breathing. His everyday life consisted of fighting, eating, sleeping, and then waking up to fight some more.

Golden Lion powerhouses took turns sparring with him. Even while he was still at the tenth order, he was already challenging eleventh-order opponents. His frenzied fighting style ignited a firestorm within the Golden Lion clan. Nearly every lion who sparred with him felt deeply inspired, and their own combat power and resolve grew exponentially. After a year, Big Cat had gained the informal title of "chief instructor" within the Golden Lion clan.

The Golden Lion King knew this was an unprecedented opportunity for their race. Even though this Battle for the Throne had come too soon and too abruptly, he knew that a chance like this might not appear again for another thousand years. Thus, they poured all their resources into Big Cat without hesitation.

That was why Tang San showed a hint of relief when he saw Big Cat. Among all the powerful competitors he'd seen so far, Big Cat carried the most divine items. Some contestants may have concealed their trump cards, but as soon as Big Cat appeared, Tang San instantly counted at least three divine items.

His God-Slaying Sword was known to be a divine item. The light armor was clearly one as well. Around his neck, a necklace shone with divine light, and Tang San could also see the Heartshield Mirror he'd seen in the auction attached to his chest. He was armed to the teeth.

And Big Cat's opponent? Coincidentally, it turned out to be a powerhouse from the Golden Tiger lineage.

This Golden Tiger Great Demon King had a long, ferocious scar stretching from forehead to chin, his entire body exuding a dangerous aura. His fur shimmered with an unusual hue, hinting at a mutation in his bloodline. He was just as brawny as Big Cat and held a long saber in his right hand. Though also clad in armor, his gear was visibly inferior.

Yet the dead silence in his eyes sent chills down one's spine.

Where Big Cat radiated raw ferocity, this Golden Tiger's aura was cold and oppressive. His saber dragged along the ground as he stared at Big Cat with his dead eyes as if he was looking at a corpse.

At this point, the referee job had rotated back to the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, who let his gaze sweep over the two combatants. He lingered on Big Cat a few moments longer. After all, Big Cat was a sword user too, and he had once received a Sword Saint Token from the Sword Saint Demon Emperor himself. He had even visited the Emperor for guidance after the Elite Competition. Though by far not enough to influence anything in this match, there was still a connection between them.

"Begin!"

With this crisp command of the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, the clash began.

Big Cat didn't hesitate for even an instant. He let out a roar, took a step forward, and the God-Slaying Sword in his hand exploded with blinding light as it slashed down toward his opponent.

Lion-Tiger Golden Force erupted. Platinum light surged from his body like solid metal, dyeing him in radiant glow.

His opponent instantly accelerated, letting out a deafening roar of his own. From his lifeless eyes erupted dark golden light, something Tang San immediately recognized as a divine consciousness pulse used to shock the opponent, much like his own Purple Demon Eyes.

Big Cat paused for a fraction of a second. That momentary delay let the Golden Tiger sidestep his sword. Clearly, his divine consciousness had disrupted Big Cat's lock-on.

Saber light burst out, serrated waves of energy sweeping toward Big Cat. The saber followed, reaching Big Cat in an instant.

Clang!

The clear ring of hard metal striking hard metal echoed across the arena. The saber, which should have cut deep into Big Cat, was bounced back instead, and the energy it radiated dispersed.

A look of disbelief flickered in the Golden Tiger's eyes. Meanwhile, Big Cat's light armor shimmered with intense brilliance.

It had an absolute defense property! So long as the attacker's power didn't exceed three times the user's defense, the blow would be completely nullified and reflected. One-third of the attack's force would even be absorbed by the armor's wearer.

Combined with Big Cat's innate Lion-Tiger Golden Force, already formidable on its own, the resulting defense was virtually impenetrable. Even an Emperor with less offensive prowess would find it nearly impossible to break through it in one strike.

Then, a terrifying killing intent erupted from Big Cat. Platinum-golden aura burst from him like a geyser. His eyes remained somewhat dazed, but the God-Slaying Sword in his hand cleaved through the air again, brimming with chilling force as it slashed toward his opponent.

The Golden Tiger had no choice but to parry. He somehow managed not to get chopped in half, but the strike shook him to the core, and his thoughts were in disarray.

When he became a Great Demon King, he had nearly perished during his tribulation, suffering severe damage from the lightning. Later, by chance, he acquired a strange one-time-use divine item that consumed half his spirit and gave him in return powerful divine consciousness.