Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 291: The Bloodbath Squadron

Without a doubt, all of this was due to Tang San. Since his arrival, everyone's level had improved at breakneck speed thanks to his teachings.

Today's swift victory could largely be credited to Wu Bingji's icicles, but weren't his techniques a product of Tang San’s brain?

Gu Li's mastery over Chrono Croc Transformation was far better than before; he was now able to manipulate time as if it were an extension of his own limb and he was able to use both Time Freeze and Time Acceleration repeatedly. This was also due to the support of his formidable spiritual energy—thanks to the spirit fruit granted to him by Tang San and the Purple Demon Eyes also taught by Tang San.

Therefore, when everyone gathered together, their excited gazes naturally converged on Tang San.

"Today's win was no surprise. The Elephant Demons really shine in mass battles. Going one-on-one isn’t their thing; they’re much too strong to fight directly, but with their straightforward fighting style and their clumsiness, they’re not that hard to deal with. Especially since spiritual power is our strongest point, but their weakest."

At this point, Tang San's expression grew serious. "But we need to be cautious about when and who we'll face next. This time, we have no idea. We must win two more matches to leave this place. The opponents we face next will definitely be tougher, so we must prepare thoroughly.

"In this fight, we revealed our Spirit Elevation Array and the short-range teleportation array disc. We shouldn't waste time wondering if our next opponents will know about them. Let's assume they do. So, we need to prepare accordingly."

Wu Bingji nodded. "Tang San, you take the lead; we'll follow your plan."

Tang San said, "In this last battle, even if our next opponents were watching, it would have been hard for them to discern our true strength. Gu Li didn’t use the Disorder Wind Splitting Hammer, and Cheng Zicheng didn’t use the Golden Wing Slash at full strength either. Eldest brother’s icicles probably left quite the impression, but understanding how that technique works is easier said than done.

"Let's have you lead the attack regardless of who we face next, eldest brother. If the enemy proves too strong, I'll assist with wind blades from the sidelines and keep harassing them. Du Bai, make sure you're ready for multiple teleportations with the array disc; keep your spiritual power high and make sure not to waste it."

"No problem," Du Bai nodded.

Today's victory had undoubtedly boosted their confidence. In their exhilarated state, their prior fears had noticeably diminished. The harshness of the Great Beast Fighting Arena seemed less daunting now. Whatever the opponent, they had much more confidence in themselves.

Although they might be outmatched in terms of cultivation, their advantage lay in the high quality of their bloodlines. The enhanced luck of the Celestial Fox Transformation, the extreme speed of the Golden Roc Transformation, the time control of the Chrono Croc Transformation, and the versatile ice elements of the Ice Spirit Transformation, combined with Tang San, the stabilizing compass of their team, made them formidable. All five possessed spiritual power at least at the eighth order, with three even at the ninth. Overall, their strength was undeniable.

Once they had calmed down, everyone's minds moved much more smoothly. And so, they realized that in today's battle, Tang San had barely made a move, using only his whirlwind to influence the War Stomp and execute the final killer blow.

Yet they all knew that Tang San was the strongest among them!

Even when Tang San first arrived at the academy, he could fight Wu Bingji, the most senior disciple, to a draw. Even back then, his control of the wind element was outstanding.

With Wu Bingji being so proficient in controlling the ice element, Tang San, who had taught him these techniques, could only be better. No one knew the extent of Tang San's strength, but given his composed demeanor and the outcome of today's battle, his power was likely beyond their imagination.

Thus, the members of the Shrek Squad had now settled into a stable mindset.

"For now, let's rest up, adjust our condition, and be ready to fight again at any moment," they decided.

Through meditation and rest, their heightened emotions faded, and the panic before the first group battle silently disappeared. This quick victory had built substantial confidence, and with their minds now clear, they looked forward to the next group battle with anticipation.

The Great Beast Fighting Arena didn't keep them waiting long. The next morning, they received news that their second group battle would occur that evening. This meant that they’d drawn enough attention for their fight to take place during the best time of the day.

Evenings were not like mornings; even though the arena was always crowded, during the day, most spectators were common folk, attracted by the cheaper tickets and less significant matches. However, in the evening, the audience at the Great Beast Fighting Arena changed—the Kali City nobility arrived. Not only were the tickets expensive, but the betting stakes were also much higher, making these hours the arena's most crucial source of income.

The operator behind the Great Beast Fighting Arena was none other than the city lord’s mansion; the arena was an essential source of revenue that any major city needed to control.

Competing in the evening meant that the Shrek Squad had more time to rest, and the food provided by the Great Beast Fighting Arena was quite good. Although the cooking was mediocre, the meals mainly consisted of various demon beast meats, which were abundant here, and they had the best nutritional value.

After an early dinner, the five teammates made sure they were in top shape and quietly awaited their turn to enter the arena.

They could faintly hear the raucous noise from within the Great Beast Fighting Arena as dusk fell. The wait was longer than expected before the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape reappeared before them.

"Let's go. Your match is about to start," said the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape, expressionless.

Tang San stepped forward with a smile, "Can we know who our opponents are tonight?"

The Bloodthirsty Demon Ape glanced at him and said, "You really need to check out the rules here. Don't ask questions you shouldn't. Once you're at the arena, you'll find out right away who your opponent is."

The Great Beast Fighting Arena placed great emphasis on unpredictability, as it was precisely the bets on random opponents that maximized profits for the arena.

Thus, before each match began, all participants were kept unaware of their opponents. The previous match was an exception due to Tang San challenging the elephant demon; with it being their first team battle, things were fairly predictable. However, this second match clearly wouldn't offer them such an opportunity.

Tang San asked no further questions. The five of them simply followed the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape back to the previous waiting room, waiting for the match to begin.

They did not wait for long, however; at the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape's signal, they once again entered the corridor filled with the scent of blood.

The gates opened, and a deafening uproar rushed toward them, many times louder than the first time. They could even feel the surging blood energy from the stands, erupting from the countless demon roars. The fiery energy of the spectators seemed to bring the atmosphere of the Great Beast Fighting Arena to a boiling point!

Wu Bingji led the way, with Tang San close behind, followed by Cheng Zicheng, Gu Li, and Du Bai.

As the five entered the arena, the announcer's high-pitched voice rang out, "Entering now, our human Shrek Squad. Yes, you heard that right! This team is composed of human vassals! Undoubtedly, they're here not just for the money, but more importantly, to achieve noble status by winning ten consecutive battles. Humans with such dreams have appeared before, and you all know very well how they usually end up. Dreams are always there, but how many can fulfill them? So tell me everyone, what do you think? Can they truly become nobles?"