Chapter 1061: Before the Finals
Chapter 1061: Before the Finals
This only caused Mei Gongzi's anxiety to deepen. Yet she also understood that, at a time like this, as one of the six finalists, she was under the spotlight. Any suspicious move could easily be noticed by the Emperors.
Thus, she could only force herself to suppress her inner unease and focus on preparing for the match. After all, if she won the championship in the end, this whole matchmaking tournament wouldn't really matter anymore.
For now, she had to clear her mind. Maybe he would show up when the time came, as he always did. She had to believe in him. He had never once let her down.
Mei Gongzi did her best to convince herself. He had been with her through thick and thin; he had sworn a blood oath twice just to earn her trust; he had helped her cultivate to where she was now; he had even given her the incredibly powerful divine item that had brought her two victories against the Behemoth and Scorching Sunflower princesses. What reason had he ever given her not to trust him?
But soon, her emotions became unsettled again. What if he was in danger? What if something had happened during the matches? Quite a few contestants had died during the elimination rounds.
With that thought in mind, Mei Gongzi hurriedly had the phoenix race compile a list of the contestants that had perished in the previous rounds.
Yet after studying the names and races carefully, none of them resembled Tang San!
Then, she gradually calmed down. With Tang San's ability, he could at least protect himself even against an Emperor, so how could he have been killed by a random Great Demon King? No, that was simply not possible. He had to be working on something in secret.
It wasn't until a day before the finals that Mei Gongzi finally managed to fully settle her heart, adjusting her condition through meditation to prepare for the final battle.
All those who had made it into the finals were the absolute cream of the crop, regardless of their ranking. Defeating them would not be easy.
Speculations about the outcome of the finals were now flying everywhere. The other five contestants were all solid and well-known; it wasn't hard to guess their chances.
According to most predictions, Mei Gongzi, Xu An'yu, and Jiang Chenchou were considered the top three favorites—assuming that one particular variable didn't become an issue. That variable, of course, was the Amethystine Warrior.
If he was allowed to use the Scourge Dragon, Jin Miaolin would undoubtedly become a frontrunner for the Emperor's Seat. But if he couldn't use the Scourge Dragon, then what else could he rely on? The holy energy he had just revealed was certainly powerful, and it could compete against any first-tier bloodline power. But could he ever use it proficiently in battle? He was a Blue Gold Tree, after all. And other than holy energy and life energy, what else could he even wield?
The Substitute Lotus Seed? It could only be used once, and against a truly powerful foe, it wouldn't make much difference—if they could kill you once, they could kill you a second time. The Dark Turtle Shield? It was incredibly heavy, and it could only be planted on the ground for defense. This was how he had used it when facing the World-Sundering Sword.
Then there was the Holy Dragon Spear. Without a doubt, it was a powerful divine item, and had it been in Xu An'yu's hands, it would have most certainly put up a stellar performance. But could Jin Miaolin actually use it properly? Did he even know how to wield a spear?
Thus, in all the predictions, Jin Miaolin remained a giant question mark. But the audience was eager to see what other bizarre tactics he might unleash in the finals to fight for the Emperor's Seat.
Amidst all this anticipation, the finals of the Battle for the Throne were finally upon them.
Early that morning, Jin Miaosen was already waiting outside Tang San's room. She hadn't seen her brother for six whole days, and no one knew what he had been doing during his seclusion.
Now, the finals were about to begin, and yet he still hadn't emerged. He hadn't even accepted any meals during those days. No one dared to disturb him.
Back when the tournament started, no one had pinned their hopes on him. But now that he had truly made it to the final six, the elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension. Because they understood clearly: If Tang San really became an Emperor, the benefits to the Blue Gold Tree clan would be immeasurable.
No one knew what card their clan leader might play in the finals. After all the seemingly impossible things he had done, they all truly believed in him. But all his opponents were equally incredible, and they all represented the hopes of their own clans and races, so could he truly pull it off?
Time was running out. Jin Miaosen raised her hand to knock on the door several times but ultimately refrained.
Finally, the door opened, and Tang San showed up.
Today, he had changed into a white ceremonial outfit, a traditional formal garment long prepared by the Blue Gold Tree elders. With his straight posture, blue skin, and the eight spines on his back, he appeared truly dazzling in Jin Miaosen's eyes.
"Big Brother, you look amazing today," Jin Miaosen sincerely praised him.
Tang San chuckled to himself. That's according to Blue Gold Tree standards, right?
"You must've been getting anxious. Don't worry, I'm ready. Let's go."
"Alright!" Jin Miaosen broke into an excited grin. "The finals, here we come!"
The mood within the entire Ancestral Court had shifted due to the battle. There was a new sense of solemnity, but also a mounting fervor.
When Tang San exited the hotel, he saw that a large detachment of the Ancestral Court's guards was already waiting around his carriage to clear the way for him. The streets were packed with onlookers.
As soon as he stepped out, surrounded by the elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan, cheers erupted from both sides of the street.
Tang San smiled slightly and waved to the demons and nymphs cheering for him before boarding the carriage.
These were citizens who couldn't get tickets and would instead watch the match through the crystal screens outside the arena.
Most of Tang San's supporters were ordinary people with limited talent. From him, they saw hope. Even those not born strong could work hard, earn money, and rise up to rival the elite. He inspired them to believe.
As the carriage slowly moved forward, Tang San turned to Jin Miaosen and asked, "Has the Peacock Demon clan's convoy already left?"
Jin Miaosen replied, "They have. Since you came out late, we'll probably be the last ones to arrive."
Tang San nodded with a faint smile.
Jin Miaosen continued, "Big Brother, your opponent today is Lan Moqian. Are you ready? She's not easy to deal with. She might be ranked third among the girls, but she's incredibly strong. How do you plan to handle her?"
"You know what they say, build a dam to block a flood and send an elephant to fight the lions," Tang San replied with a smile.
Jin Miaosen rolled her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean? Hmph, that's so unfair! You always brush me off. I'm your own sister, can't you give me a hint?"
Tang San said, "You'll find out once I get on the platform."
Jin Miaosen pouted, but then she asked meekly, "Big Brother, do you really think you can win?"
Tang San looked at her with amusement. "Would you rather I say yes, or no?"
Jin Miaosen opened her mouth but couldn't answer. Truly, even if he said he was confident, she still wouldn't feel reassured.
"Forget it. Just rest a bit and make sure you're ready for the match," she said.
"No worries. I won't be in the first match. Based on the rankings, I should be second to go up," Tang San said.
Since Mei Gongzi had a flawless string of victories and he didn't, she would be the first one to fight, and her opponent would be Ning Chen'en. The latter was no pushover, and overall, the male contestants were stronger than the female ones. But if Mei Gongzi could defeat him, then Tang San could take care of the rest.
In other words, this battle was the most important in Tang San's mind.
For Ning Chen'en to defeat Jin Anguo, he had relied on true power. He had inherited the two most powerful defensive bloodlines in this world; even though Tang San's Golden Armor Transformation granted him a rather tough skin, so to say, his physique was actually a little inferior to Ning Chen'en's in terms of pure defense. The fact that Ning Chen'en's bloodlines mixed to form something only a hair's breadth away from a transcendent bloodline spoke volumes about his potential.