Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 343: The Conclusion, Nobility

Tang San grabbed one of the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint's legs, dragging him out of the Great Beast Fighting Arena. The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint was now his prize. Not killing him in the arena meant that, in a sense, the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint was now his slave. This was the right of a free contestant in the Great Beast Fighting Arena. Generally, this right was rarely exercised because the participants usually had a do-or-die belief and were hard to enslave.

This was why Tang San conveyed so many thoughts to the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint through his spiritual power while severely injuring him. Otherwise, if he committed suicide after being defeated, all Tang San’s effort would have been wasted.

The prize for ten consecutive victories, plus the match earnings, was undoubtedly highly generous. More importantly, from this moment on, they would have noble status and no longer be mere human vassals.

While they weren't the only human nobles in this world, they were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.[1]

They didn't rush to leave the Great Beast Fighting Arena. Although Tang San knew that appearing in front of the humans outside the arena now would have a significant unifying effect, he also understood that their ten consecutive victories today would undoubtedly cause the demons to feel threatened. Under the circumstances, a strong reaction from the vassals might well trigger murderous intent among the demons and result in who knew what kinds of problems. Therefore, they couldn't provoke the demon races at this time.

If this weren't Kali City and the city lord wasn't in seclusion, their ten consecutive victories might have put them at significant risk. Why had Tang San handed over the three array discs to the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King and created the impression that there was an array master behind them? It was to make it seem like there was more profit to be extracted, making them less likely to be targeted.

The Bloodthirsty Demon Ape had been waiting in the corridor. When it saw Tang San dragging the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint over, an intense look of fear flashed in its eyes.

The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint was almost universally recognized as the strongest existence in the entire Kali City Great Beast Fighting Arena, hailed as the strongest below the god level. However, he had been ultimately beaten by Tang San in a one-on-one situation. What did this mean? It meant that in a one-on-one battle, below the god level, Tang San was even stronger!

Tang San had been low-key, hiding his strength until this final match, where he showcased massive power. How could this not make others wary? Moreover, they couldn't even discern what abilities he had used to defeat the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint.

"Get him some medical attention. He is my slave now," Tang San said calmly, handing the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint to the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape.

"Alright," the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape quickly took the limp Lion-Tiger Sword Saint.

The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint's body was as hard as steel. Although Tang San had beaten him severely, the injuries weren't too serious. Not many bones were truly broken, and with his strong physical capabilities, he would recover soon with proper treatment.

Tang San continued to the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape, "Please arrange for us to meet the Arena Master."

"Alright," the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape said. It had already received a message from the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King anyway, and the latter was in fact waiting to meet Tang San and his team.

The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint was taken for treatment, while Tang San and his team were led by the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape back to the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King's grand and luxurious room.

The door opened, and as soon as Tang San and his team stepped inside, they were greeted by applause.

The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King smiled and looked at them with admiration. "Congratulations! Congratulations on your ten consecutive victories. The first human team to have ten consecutive victories in the history of the Great Beast Fighting Arena. From this moment on, you are nobles. I have arranged for your noble status registration, which will be completed soon. You will have the right to buy your own land and houses in Kali City and the right to recruit slaves and vassals."

"Thank you, Arena Master," Tang San nodded slightly.

At this moment, Wu Bingji and the other three naturally followed behind him. After today's battle, there was no longer any doubt about who the true captain of the Shrek Squad was, and there was no need to hide it anymore.

The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King said, "Please, I have prepared a banquet to welcome you."

Tang San replied, "Then we shall accept your invitation."

The five followed the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King to the banquet hall, where a table full of sumptuous food awaited them.

Wu Bingji hesitated and glanced at Tang San. After their victory, hearing the overwhelming cheers, especially those from outside the Great Beast Fighting Arena, he felt pride and concern. Their deeds were unprecedented, after all; who knew what means the demons would stoop down to in order to suppress them?

Tang San gave him a reassuring look and led everyone to sit down. He understood that Wu Bingji was worried about the possibility of the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King poisoning the food. However, Wu Bingji didn't know that Tang San was the foremost expert in poison in this world. No poison could be hidden from him. Besides, the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King wouldn't resort to such measures before getting what he wanted.

The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King raised his wine cup and said, "Come, let us toast to you becoming members of the nobility in Kali City."

Tang San and the others raised their cups, and the banquet began.

The table was filled with delicacies, and Tang San and the others didn't hold back. During the banquet, the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King didn't say much, merely praising their performance today. Most of his attention was on Tang San, and he was subtly probing about the young man’s bloodline abilities.

Tang San responded ambiguously, mentioning that his bloodline had undergone some mutations and that his spiritual power was exceptional. He only hinted at the abilities he had displayed on the battlefield.

They didn't drink much but didn't hold back on the nutritious food. After the meal, the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King led them to the reception hall.

Everyone took their seats.

"Now that you are nobles, what are your plans for the future?" the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King asked with a smile.

Tang San replied, "Not much. Just continue to strive to become stronger."

The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King looked at him meaningfully and said, "With your strength, if you continue to improve, you might be on the path to becoming a god. But you should know that reaching the tenth order requires vast resources and sufficient support. It's not easy for humans to get that far!"

Tang San sighed and said, "Yes, indeed! Do you have any suggestions for us, Your Excellency?"

The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King pondered momentarily and said, "There are some suggestions. It is rare for vassals to become nobles, but it's not unheard of. However, even with noble status, it is difficult for non-demons to become gods. It would only be possible if you could rely on the protection of a large family, along with a substantial amount of resources."

Tang San said, "We do have that idea. But we have no way to enter such a social circle!"

The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King smiled slightly and said, "My Aetherhorn Deer Demon clan can accommodate you all. But I wonder..."

Tang San hesitated and said, "Thank you for your kindness. But I'm worried it might bring you unnecessary trouble. We didn't expect so much attention from our kind after our victory today. Will it..."

The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King looked at him with some surprise, "The fact that you can notice this shows I wasn't wrong about you. Indeed, your victory today will bring you great trouble. Just now, an envoy from the Ancestral Court expressed clear dissatisfaction. They even suggested taking you to the Ancestral Court's Great Beast Fighting Arena with the lure of rich resources. But you must understand that the Ancestral Court's Great Beast Fighting Arena differs greatly from ours in Kali City. One misstep and you could die there."

1. This is translated from the original term 凤毛麟角. This phrase describes something extremely rare and valuable, as phoenixes and unicorns are mythical creatures that are practically impossible to find. ☜