Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 292: Elemental Stripping

Laughter erupted instantly throughout the stands, creating an immense, intangible pressure that caused the Shrek Squad’s expressions to change. A hint of anger appeared on their faces.

"Let's prove it to them with our actions. No need to get angry," Tang San's voice rang out, calming the group.

The host swiftly changed his tone, "Hey, I must inform you that the Shrek Squad has already won a match! Just yesterday, they defeated a team entirely composed of elephant demons, and they immediately annihilated their opponents. Those who watched yesterday's match might remember them. So, let us see if they can create another miracle today. And now, please welcome the Bloodbath Squadron. The familiar Bloodbath is back!"

With the host's high-spirited announcement, the gate on the other side slowly opened. The team that appeared last was generally considered more likely to win, and a team called the Bloodbath Squadron was unlikely to be an easy opponent.

Tang San’s eyes narrowed as he intently watched the opposite side.

"Cyclops!" Wu Bingji took a deep breath, instantly identifying the species of their opponent.

Cyclops were a type of demon, humanoid in appearance but not human. Naturally fierce and solitary, these simple-minded, physically robust creatures mostly lived in the wild, preying on demonic beasts, thus never forming a complete society. They were outside the hierarchy of the Empyrean Dominion but they were known to possess formidable individual combat abilities, capable of tearing apart demonic beasts with their bare hands.

Judging by stature and aura, the Cyclops before them was at least at the eighth order. Simple-minded yet with extraordinary combat talent, an eight-order Cyclops could hold its own even against ninth-order warriors. Additionally, it had a powerful innate ability: spiritual immunity. Spiritual attacks were simply ineffective against them, rendering the Shrek Squad's advantage in spiritual power almost useless against it. It was as if it lacked a sea of consciousness or its sea of consciousness was fossilized.

Following the Cyclops was a fox demon covered in blood-red fur, a species well-known to Tang San—the Crimson Fox.

This young member of the Crimson Fox clan had eyes tinged with red, devoid of its species’ usual charm and instead exuding a cold ferocity. It stood silently behind the Cyclops. In each hand, he held a dagger that gleamed with a chilling light.

Three demons of the same species followed the Crimson Fox, causing Tang San to frown slightly upon seeing them. These three demons were deer, not particularly skilled in combat. Their pristine white antlers identified them as Aetherhorn Deers.

Tang San had once absorbed bloodline power from an Aetherhorn Deer, which then became part of his Discerning Eye. After merging with the Celestial Fox Transformation to produce the Discerning Eye of Heaven, it became an auxiliary ability supporting the Celestial Fox Vision.

He knew well that the Aetherhorn Deer’s Discerning Heart’s Gaze could see through elemental changes. In stark contrast to the Cyclops, this species possessed significant spiritual capabilities and was considered one of the most intelligent races.

The composition of the opposing five was quite interesting. The young Crimson Fox likely served as an assassin. The Cyclops, undoubtedly, was the frontal assault type. And the three Aetherhorn Deers behind him were probably specialists in the spiritual realm.

We're being targeted! Tang San felt this distinctly.

The Great Beast Fighting Arena had specifically chosen this opponent based on their observation of the first match. The Shrek Squad’s strong capabilities in terms of spiritual power had not gone unnoticed by their foes.

Tang San turned to Du Bai behind him and said, "Brother Du Bai, be careful later. They might target you. Those three Aetherhorn Deers probably have great spiritual power and they might use spiritual attacks. I'll protect you during the fight. No matter what happens, don't move without my signal. Just stay put and maintain the Spirit Elevation Array, got it?"

"Okay," Du Bai responded. His pulse rose at the mention of being targeted, but he still felt the match held no real danger. Before the battle, he had already cast a luck-enhancing spell on everyone.

"Eldest brother, the Cyclops' single eye can produce shockwave-like attacks. Be careful. Sister Zicheng, attack those three Aetherhorn Deers from the air. The Cyclops and the Crimson Fox are for me and eldest brother to deal with. Brother Gu Li, stay back and be ready to support us. Let's first observe their tactics."

The opposing team was named the Bloodbath Squadron, so they were clearly no easy opponents. Observing first was crucial given their unfamiliar tactics.

As both teams entered the arena, the host announced, "This is the Bloodbath Squadron's third match. They've overwhelmed their opponents with unstoppable force in the previous two matches. So, let's guess how long this fight will last. In my estimation, the Shrek Squad might not last more than five minutes. Alright, both sides prepare. Our esteemed guests can start placing their bets on today's match duration now."

The five members of the Bloodbath Squadron had already formed their positions across the arena.

The young Crimson Fox leaped up and perched on the Cyclops's shoulder, while the three Aetherhorn Deers stood behind, not in a line but in a triangle. Their antlers faintly shimmered with light.

Tang San narrowed his eyes, sensing the air around him, and murmured softly, "It's either spiritual disruption or a spiritual storm, everyone be cautious."

The betting time was one minute, which quickly passed. With the host's signal, the second battle for the Shrek Squad officially began.

On the side of the enemies, the surrounding light visibly distorted, and the antlers of the three Aetherhorn Deers simultaneously burst with brilliant light. The next moment, Wu Bingji's face changed. "I can't sense the presence of the ice element anymore."

Tang San immediately realized he hadn't fully guessed the opponents' intentions, but he hadn’t been that far off either.

The Aetherhorn Deers utilized the Discerning Eye of Heaven. With their power, roughly at the eighth order, they achieved a temporary stripping of elemental energy. This was a form of disruption. And it was not only Wu Bingji; Tang San also could no longer sense the wind element.

Together, the three Aetherhorn Deers managed to strip all forms of elemental energy from the air. Although it was unclear how long they could sustain this, it was enough to throw off the Shrek Squad. Wu Bingji’s most powerful ice-based attacks were simply unusable without access to his element.

The Cyclops charged forward with mighty strides, swinging its mace. Each step caused the ground beneath to tremble.

The Spirit Elevation Array, activated by Du Bai, sparked to life, but the opponents' unexpected Elemental Stripping caught them off guard.

Gu Li stepped forward and did a pirouette, swinging the tail hammer behind him. Having reached the peak of the sixth order, his tail stretched about two and a half meters long and had a threatening bulge at the end that made it look very much like a club. However, he still looked rather diminutive compared to the towering Cyclops facing him.