Chapter 1053: Tang San Advances
Chapter 1053: Tang San Advances
The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor gave Tang San a long, thoughtful look before smiling and saying, "Clan Leader Jin, you’ve misunderstood me. That wasn’t my intention at all. This holy energy of yours appeared very suddenly, but also very timely. It’s a unique attribute that no known race currently possesses. It has tremendous potential for purifying evil and misfortune. Rather than restricting its use, we should be promoting it. In the future, it will greatly benefit the Ancestral Court and even the entire continent. If you research this holy attribute and produce results, that will be a merit to this generation and a legacy for the future. The Ancestral Court will surely reward you. Brother Sunborne, since Li Zhaopeng has withdrawn from the tournament, I’ll have to trouble you to announce the result of this match."
Barely preventing himself from raising an eyebrow at the ever-smooth Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, the Sunborne Nymph Emperor replied plainly, "Jin Miaolin wins."
The match had ended, but the arena erupted into chatter. Was this unprecedented holy energy yet another case of unfair bias against the Amethystine Warrior?
More importantly, he had actually defeated the fan-favorite Li Zhaopeng, and even caused a backlash from the Misfortune Pearl, which had been acquired at great cost. Most importantly, it turned out that Jin Miaolin actually could harness the power of the Ancestral Tree even here, and he had been able to use it to win without using the Scourge Dragon! Who could still underestimate this clan leader of the Blue Gold Tree clan? Just how many strategies had he revealed in this tournament already?
Practically every item he had purchased in the auction had been used in combat, and apart from the Sword Saint Demon Emperor’s statue, which was a one-of-a-kind treasure, and the Scourge Dragon, which was too dangerous, everything else could just as well appear again. His rich life energy had empowered both the Scourge Dragon and Radiant Dragon Spear to shine in his hands, steadily defeating his opponents through suppression.
Today’s battle had even provoked a clash among Emperors. Everyone could see the Sunborne Nymph Emperor’s displeasure. There were already few nymphs among the male contestants, and the Scorching King had lost twice. While Jin Miaolin seemed to advance by luck alone, he had nevertheless advanced, and when they’d forbid him from using the Scourge Dragon, that was expected to greatly impact his performance in the Battle for the Throne. Now, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor had directly intervened—of course the Nymph Emperors would be outraged. The Sunborne Nymph Emperor had nearly snapped at his demon peer. Though he held back, his position was clear. That made Jin Miaolin’s status in the competition even more sensitive.
The audience also suddenly realized something else: the Blue Gold Tree clan leader, once thought the weakest in the round robin, had become the first to advance to the finals.
Indeed, Tang San had officially advanced.
With six wins and twelve points, he was at least tied for first place among the male competitors, if not the outright winner. Since every other contestant had already suffered at least one defeat, even if Tang San lost all remaining matches, his standing was secure.
Who would’ve imagined, before the semifinals began, that someone supposedly so weak could perform like this? It seemed like luck, like he was taking shortcuts, but the fact remained: He had reached the finals.
And then came a third realization: The Amethystine Warrior was truly in contention for an Emperor’s seat. Being one of six gave him a lot better chances than being one of over a hundred forty; on paper, at least, there was a fifty-fifty chance for him to become one of the final three.
Before the semifinals started, nobody had faith in him. But as matches progressed, so did his reputation, and now, people were beginning to believe he might actually work another miracle! Who could say he couldn’t win again in the finals? And the best part about him was that no one ever knew what trick he might pull next! Despite facing the strongest opponents of his generation, absolute powerhouses beneath the Emperor level, he always seemed to outwit them. Aside from his straightforward battle against Jin Anguo, where he used the Scourge Dragon in a head-on clash, all his other victories had either involved his opponent surrendering or clever tactics. And interestingly enough, even in the matches where his opponent surrendered outright, no two wins looked the same.
For the moment, Tang San’s popularity soared. His influence spread wider, and more and more spectators began to admire his unpredictability. After all, two titanic opponents confronting each other in a brute-force fight was definitely fun to watch, but they’d just discovered something even more exciting: Trying to guess what crazy move this presumably weak Blue Gold Tree would make next. What miracle would he create in the next match?
Tang San was personally escorted out of the arena by the Sunborne Nymph Emperor.
Ning Chen’en was in the common rest area, waiting for Tang San, his expression shifting through a kaleidoscope of emotions.
"I say, Brother Jin, I never want to face you in a match again. I used to think my luck was terrible because I hadn’t drawn you in the previous rounds. But now I realize that not drawing you was the best luck I’ve ever had. You’ve really been hiding your strength!"
Tang San looked at him innocently. "Eh? What are you talking about? What did I hide?"
"You…" Wait… He’s right. What did he hide?
Every artifact Jin Miaolin had used in the tournament had been bought at the mega auction and was public knowledge. Today’s use of the Ancestral Tree’s power? That had been demonstrated before in Adamant City. Not to mention, all the Ancestral Tree did was give him pure life energy; it didn’t directly participate in combat.
Ning Chen’en only had to think for a moment to realize his interlocutor’s words made perfect sense. Everything he’d used was something people should’ve been aware of.
As he looked at Tang San, Ning Chen’en’s gaze grew more complicated. Reviewing Tang San’s performance from the start of the Battle for the Throne, it was clear: this man had steadily risen from being completely underestimated to becoming a true contender. He had nearly sparked a public clash between Emperors. Who dared underestimate him anymore? He had reached first place, and could very well score even more points in the coming matches.
"Brother Ning," Tang San waved a hand in front of him.
Ning Chen’en finally snapped back to reality. "Apologies, Brother Jin. I was lost in thought. Now that I think about your matches, I have to say, your evolution is really awe-inspiring."
Tang San chuckled. "Nothing awe-inspiring, I just made good use of the things I bought these days. But speaking of that, Brother Ning, how about we make a deal?"
Ning Chen’en blinked. "What kind of deal?"
Tang San said with a warm smile, "You help me secure a promise from the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor, and I’ll concede our match. I won’t fight you."
Ning Chen’en was stunned. Barely a week ago, he wouldn’t have cared in the slightest about such a proposal; he had been confident in his victory. But now? Tang San had pulled off too many miracles. Even if Ning still believed in himself, who could say Tang San wouldn’t surprise them again?
Li Zhaopeng’s elimination actually hurt Ning Chen’en’s chances; he had lost to Li Zhaopeng, while the other three in the first bracket—who had yet to fight him—had effectively gained a free win. Making the finals had suddenly become much harder. If he could secure a win against Tang San, his chances would stay alive. Otherwise, his path to the finals would be extremely slim.
"What kind of promise do you want, Brother Jin?" asked Ning Chen’en.
"A simple one. If I ever need support for my ascension to Emperor, I hope that His Majesty can do that for me."
Ning Chen’en’s eyes lit up. "You think you can place in the top three in this Battle for the Throne?"
Tang San shrugged. "I’ll just do my best. And besides, this isn’t my only chance. I’m just preparing ahead of time."
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