Soul Land V: Rebirth of Tang San

Tang San did not pursue further. Instead, his body turned sharply, just as the clone of Xu Anyu that had ambushed him earlier was recovering from the stun caused by the War Stomp.

What greeted it was the sudden vortex suction of the Black Tortoise Shield and the deadly strike of the Holy Dragon Spear, imbued with the spirit of the light element.

"Boom——" The clone shattered and dissolved into countless light particles that dispersed into the air, leaving only a faint golden glow shooting toward Xu Anyu's direction.

Xu Anyu groaned and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. This clone was not something he could casually create. It required a strand of his own divine consciousness to form, amplified by the light element spirit.

When the light element spirit was stripped away from him, it weakened not just Xu Anyu, but also his clone, and even the Holy Radiant Dragon that pursued from behind, which shared a bonded dual-heart connection with his own body. All were gravely affected.

All of this transpired in an incredibly brief span of time, leaving the audience on-site with their mouths gaping in astonishment.

From Xu Anyu's sudden clone attack and Light Solidification, to Tang San's extraordinary countermeasures, the entire sequence left the spectators utterly captivated. This was the true peak of combat! It seemed that these two most cunning contestants were only now unleashing their strongest attacks, finally engaging in a decisive battle of true significance.

When the clone appeared, everyone thought it was over for Tang San. Even the Emperors believed this. But no one could have imagined that Tang San not only blocked it but executed a counter-kill, destroying the clone and even stripping Xu Anyu of his greatest amplification artifact—the light element spirit—which now stood on Tang San's side.

Xu Anyu stood atop the Holy Radiant Dragon, his face a kaleidoscope of emotions, flickering between anger and uncertainty. Never in his wildest imagination did he think that his guaranteed fatal attack would be turned against him by Tang San.

"Were each of your strikes earlier aimed at luring out my light element spirit?" Xu Anyu did not continue attacking but instead questioned Tang San.

Tang San smiled faintly and replied, "Luring sounds unpleasant. Let's call it attracting."

Xu Anyu gave a bitter smile. "I was foolish. I actually thought you were wasting effort, using the amplification of your Holy Dragon Spear to mount a counterattack. I never expected you could even take away my bonded light element spirit."

Tang San said, "It's not really taking it away. I merely used the sacred attribute to put it in a momentary state of fascination. As you know, the sacred attribute is likely your future path of evolution and the higher expression of the light element. With your light element spirit so pure in its light property, how could it not be attracted to my sacred attribute? Relax, I will return it to you after the competition. Having undergone baptism by my sacred attribute, it should even gain some benefits."

Xu Anyu looked at Tang San with a complex expression and asked, "Then how did you discover my clone? Though it's only 70% as strong as I am, I can make it appear freely in any place imbued with light elements. Once it manifests, its power instantly erupts. Weren't your eyes on me at the time? Even when stripping my light element spirit, you should have been fully focused on me. My clone should have been completely concealed."

Tang San looked at him helplessly and said, "Brother Xu, don't be ridiculous. How did you create this clone? It was refined with the help of the Crystal Great Demon Emperor, wasn't it? From replicas to imitations, it originated from her techniques. Do you not see who stands beneath me? Although the Crystal Great Demon Emperor has perished, remnants of her divine consciousness linger in her inheritance. You're using what she taught you against her heir, and you still ask why I was able to detect it?"

Xu Anyu was left speechless, so much so that he almost covered his face with his hands.

A strong feeling of frustration surged within him.

In the sky, whether it was the Tianyang Spirit King or the Undying Great Demon Emperor, their gazes were equally filled with shock at this moment.

As Emperors, they could naturally see that the competition was effectively over the moment Xu Anyu's light element spirit was stripped and his clone destroyed. The scales had tipped so drastically that continuing the fight was meaningless.

However, everything had fallen into place so… seamlessly. It almost seemed as if the opposing parties had pre-arranged this, with Tang San planning from the start how to defeat Xu Anyu and eventually triumph decisively.

Jin Miaolin, this man was unexpectedly formidable. The Crystal Inheritance, exceptional adaptability, and the stripping of the light element spirit—these feats, all achieved by a Great Demon King?

The Tianyang Spirit King was now pondering whether such an existence could be his subordinate. Back when the Crystal Great Demon Emperor was at this level, could she have matched such strength?

And what of the myriad divine tools he carried, coupled with the Ferocious Dragon Overlord? It seemed that no matter what fell into his hands, it turned from ordinary to extraordinary.

"Shall we continue?" Tang San gestured courteously to Xu Anyu.

Xu Anyu shook his head bitterly and said, "Can you leave me a spot? Don't take all of them." He looked at Tang San helplessly.

Tang San smiled. "Rest assured, as a disciple of the Crystal Princess, your place is secure."

Xu Anyu's features relaxed immediately. Even the spectating Emperors' expressions lightened somewhat. Tang San's promise indicated that he was informing Xu Anyu there would still be a place among the Emperors reserved for him.

To the Emperors, this suggested that even if Tang San ascended to Emperor status, he wouldn't be excessively powerful. At least he wouldn't be too monstrous!

"I concede. Return my light element spirit," Xu Anyu sighed and said.

The Tianyang Spirit King announced in a booming voice, "The Blue Golden Tree Clan's Jin Miaolin is victorious."

Tang San smiled faintly and bowed respectfully to the two Emperors, showing absolutely no sign of arrogance despite his victory. He remained as composed as before, appearing unchanged by his triumph.

With a flick of the Holy Dragon Spear in his hand, the light element spirit flew out in confusion, still cloaked in a faint orange-gold radiance.

"Go back; your master is over there," Tang San pointed in Xu Anyu's direction.

The light element spirit's small face immediately displayed a trace of embarrassment, but its gaze carried evident reluctance—and even a hint of grievance—when it turned to look at Tang San.

Tang San smiled faintly and gestured once more toward Xu Anyu. Only then did the light element spirit unwillingly drift toward Xu Anyu, lowering its head as if unable to face him once it arrived by his side.

Xu Anyu glared at it irritably before drawing it back into his body. Yet, his expression immediately flickered with a strange feeling. Just as Tang San had mentioned, traces of sacred breath lingered within the light element spirit, which seemed to have undergone subtle yet miraculous changes under its nurturing. This would undoubtedly aid him greatly in comprehending the sacred attribute.

"Thank you," Xu Anyu said earnestly, bowing slightly to Tang San before descending to the ground.

Tang San followed closely, returning to his position near the throne in the waiting area.

At this moment, the gathered Emperors wore varied expressions.

The Great Demon Emperor Heavenly Fox narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing in Tang San's direction. "Chieftain Jin Miaolin has secured the championship in the losers' bracket. Will you continue challenging City Lord Mei?"

Pretty Girl's gaze also fell upon Tang San at that moment, her expression even more complex. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Jin Miaolin to possess such immense power, even inheriting the Crystal Great Demon Emperor's legacy and defeating the illustrious Light Dragon King Xu Anyu. Now, the final battle for the championship would involve him.

Tang San faced the direction of the Ancestral Hall Mountain and nodded. "I will continue to challenge City Lord Mei."

Pretty Girl's eyes immediately sharpened. In that moment, Tang San could distinctly sense a fierce killing intent radiating from her.