Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 287: The First Battle

"Maybe you should touch my hand too. It's quite cool. You want to do a comparison?" Du Bai suggested, slipping behind Tang San as he spoke.

The corner of Tang San's mouth twitched. Shouldn't you all be a bit more nervous than this? Really...

He harbored thoughts of kicking Du Bai out of the team.

Whatever, forget it. If we can't foster mental toughness, let's build confidence through battle.

At that moment, the iron door was pushed open. An ape demon walked in, announcing, "Let's go, it’s time for the match."

The next moment, it noticed the smiles still on the faces of Tang San and his four companions, and it couldn't help but be surprised.

Which team wouldn't look gloomy and stressed before their first group battle? Many failed to perform on the battlefield precisely because of this. Some were clearly stronger than their opponents, yet they ended up losing and dying because they got intimidated by their opponent's presence.

Strength wasn't the only factor determining victory in the Great Beast Fighting Arena. Mental fortitude, strength, tactics, skills, and determination were crucial.

Here unfolded the bloodiest, most brutal, and most authentic battles. It was a place even more perilous than a battlefield. There was a chance to flee on a battlefield, but there was no turning back in the Great Beast Fighting Arena.

But can one truly ensure safety through the judgment of fate? It's not entirely the case. After all, Du Bai's Celestial Fox Transformation was only at the fifth order, not powerful enough to stir the heavens and earth.

Fortunately, his judgments based on the Celestial Fox Vision were somewhat accurate, provided that no one interfered with fate itself. Thus, apart from Tang San, the others were quick to place their trust in this judgment at this moment, which immediately caused a shift in their mindset. This trust served as a kind of psychological support for them.

Indeed, the luck brought by the Celestial Fox Transformation was one thing, but the boost in confidence was truly significant.

"Let's go!" Du Bai gestured grandly as if he were the leader and headed out first.

Gu Li quickly grabbed his clothes, pulling him back, while Tang San and Wu Bingji, laughing, walked out ahead.

Wu Bingji led the way, followed by Tang San, Cheng Zicheng, Gu Li, and Du Bai. Guided by the staff, surrounded by the thick scent of blood, they strode toward the battlefield they were about to face. With Tang San’s reminder, they put on masks, a necessary precaution to conceal their identities.

With a squeak and creak, the gate in front of them was slowly raised, and as the dim light became brighter, the five instinctively squinted their eyes.

The slightly chilly air mixed with an even more pungent scent of blood rushed toward them, followed by a deafening noise.

This... This is the Great Beast Fighting Arena!

Wu Bingji was dazed for a moment, but when Tang San nudged him, he came to his senses and strode forward.

Thanks to everyone's cultivation of the Purple Demon Eyes, their vision quickly adjusted.

Tang San had been here before and had even fought in this arena, but his feeling this time was quite different from his last visit.

On the ground were many mottled traces of not-yet-dried blood and scattered chunks of flesh. The stands around were packed to capacity. The Great Beast Fighting Arena was always bustling, no matter when.

Even though it was still morning, the cost of tickets for the Great Beast Fighting Arena varied at different times of the day, with morning being the cheapest and evening the most expensive. Accordingly, the most exciting matches were generally held at night, while for those short of money yet seeking thrills, choosing to watch the beast fights in the morning was more than appropriate.

As newcomers participating in a team battle, the Shrek Squad was scheduled to compete in the morning today. If they won, the subsequent matches would be held in the evening. Such was the prestige of team battles.

"The team battle is about to begin. Let us go and savor the scent of bloodshed. Let's see the lineup of the two rookie teams participating in today's team battle." A massive sound wave swept through the commentator's voice at the Great Beast Fighting Arena.

"Oh, oh, oh, what do we have here? These are humans, actual human vassals! They look so tender and delicious. It's hard to imagine what kind of courage brought them here, I’m wondering if they are about to wet their pants. It’s been a long time since we've seen a human team voluntarily participate in a team battle. It looks like today's match will end quickly! Come on, everyone, place your bets! How long will this match last? I think maybe just one minute will decide the outcome, hahaha."

The betting in the Great Beast Fighting Arena was quite peculiar, but it was all for the sake of fairness and to prevent manipulation. In team battles, bets were not placed on the match's outcome but on how long the match would last. For individual matches, bets were placed on the winner and loser.

In team battles, no team dared throw the match unless they wished for death, making the duration of the match the most interesting factor to bet on. Individual match outcomes were somewhat fairer and less susceptible to manipulation.

The odds varied at different times. Bets were generally placed right before each match began, and for some famous participants, bets could be placed at any time until the moment the match started.

"Let's take a look at the other team now," the host's voice rang out again.

When Tang San and his team entered, their opponents had not yet appeared. In the Great Beast Fighting Arena, it was customary for the stronger team to enter last to create a sense of pressure and visual impact. In other words, Tang San's Shrek Squad was not favored to win.

On the other side, the massive gates slowly rose, and towering figures strode out one after another.

Compared to Tang San and his team's human statures, their opponents were colossi. The ground seemed to quake as they entered the arena.

Leading the way was a demon standing over eight meters tall. It had an incredibly robust physique and a long trunk hanging in front of it like a massive hammer. With every step it took, the earth trembled under its astonishing weight.

Elephant demons!

Similarly, elephant demons followed it, none of them less than five meters tall. Each one was a mighty being.

"Wow, what do I see? This is a team of elephant demons. Could it be that our Great Beast Fighting Arena is about to witness another team aiming for a ten-match winning streak? The leader of this team seems to be a high-ranking member of the elephant demon race. Their height grows with their cultivation, and this one must have already reached the ninth order. The human team probably can't even poke a hole in their hides! I strongly suggest that everyone bet on the next minute! Oh wait, the one-minute pool has already sold out. This match seems just too uneven. The odds for the one-minute pool have reached ten to one. Why do I feel sad for the Great Beast Fighting Arena? It looks like a lot of money will be lost today."

Typically, nobody bet on the one-minute pool, but this time, the difference between the two teams in this match was just too vast. The one-minute, three-minute, and five-minute pools were all full. Bets for more than five minutes were almost non-existent.

However, Tang San and his team felt differently. The opponent was precisely as they had anticipated—a team composed entirely of elephant demons. The very elephant demon that had provoked them the day before was among them. Its face now bore a cruel look as it stared at them.

When strategizing, they had anticipated that if the opponent were to participate, they would surely bring in strong fighters. After all, this was the most brutal kind of battle in the Great Beast Fighting Arena. For the elephant demons to survive three fights, they needed substantial strength, and the elephant demon from the day before was only at the seventh order in terms of cultivation.