Seeing that Big Cat was now in stable condition, Tang San stood up.

Mei Gongzi came to his side and said, "Big Brother, go and handle your match. I'll watch over him."

The second match of the round of sixteen was underway, and Tang San's match was the third, so he needed to head to the waiting area.

"Okay." Tang San nodded and turned to leave.

Mei Gongzi's voice came from behind, "Good luck… and be careful."

Tang San turned back with a smile, giving her a thumbs-up before heading toward the waiting area. Big Cat had advanced to the quarter-finals; now it was his turn.

He went into the waiting area and silently waited for his turn to compete.

At this moment, the second match was in full swing. From Tang San's position, he couldn’t see what was going on due to the height of the battle stage, but he could see countless flickering lights and feel the surging bloodline power on the stage.

It was clear that the clash between the two contestants had reached a fever pitch. It was only natural; at this stage, the competitors’ fighting spirit was more intense than ever. Making it to the top sixteen was already a significant milestone, but having come this far, who wouldn't want to advance further under the watchful eyes of the Emperors?

The top sixteen and the top eight were entirely different things, as were the top eight and the top four. As for those who reached the finals and the one among them who took the championship, they would undoubtedly draw the attention of all the Emperors, to the point where they might fight for the allegiance of the champion. If not for this, how could a divine weapon like the Eye of the Thunder God appear on stage?

The reason Big Cat could make the Golden Lion King personally come to greet him was that he could defeat an opponent who had a divine weapon without using one himself, which fully demonstrated his immense strength and potential. This gave the Golden Lion King hope—maybe one day an Emperor would rise that would support his clan.

Tang San focused his mind, but it was not in order to actively sense the situation on the stage. Instead, he closed his eyes to rest and focused on himself.

The only item he had that could truly be called a divine item was the Spacetime Beacon. However, he wouldn't use it in front of the Emperors. If they discovered its true function, they might confiscate it. Since he was a human with no backing, any of them could simply act without hesitation.

So, what other weapons could he use? Not many. Even Sky Shatterer was insufficient for this level of competition. Now that he was fighting the top sixteen elites of the continent, he had to assume his opponents would have at least one divine weapon.

Without a divine weapon, he had to rely on his own strength. With the Emperors watching, it was even more challenging to conceal his abilities while still winning the match.

First, he definitely couldn't use the Discerning Eye of Heaven, including the Polar Luck Domain. Under the watchful eye of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, any use of these abilities would be immediately noticed.

He had used the Golden Roc Transformation before. Although it had evolved after absorbing the Wind Dragon's bloodline, it was still fundamentally the same and could be used without much concern. The Lion-Tiger Transformation was the same. These two abilities had been at the core of his tactics in previous battles. Could he reveal a third bloodline now? That would certainly not be optimal.

The yin-yang energy vortex was hidden and extremely hard to detect, but it couldn’t be used directly. But then, if his opponent was too strong and he couldn't win with just the Lion-Tiger and Dragon Roc Transformations, which ability was he supposed to use?

There were only two options left: time and space.

Over this period, Tang San's overall strength had significantly increased. In addition to reaching the ninth order, his bloodline imprints had also made great strides. But he had to figure out the optimal way to use his newfound power in direct combat, and since he was not at that stage just yet, he really might have to reveal a new ability.

Although he didn't particularly value the individual competition, and he was still fully intent on letting either Big Cat or Mei Gongzi win, a favorable draw meant that he could clean up some of their opponents and be more certain that they would advance.

As he gradually came to a decision about his course of action, the intense bloodline fluctuations on the stage gradually subsided. The second match of the round of sixteen had concluded.

Tang San’s eyes narrowed. He had elevated his internal energy, spiritual energy, and physique to their peak. His divine consciousness was retracted, carefully hidden in the depths of his sea of consciousness under a powerful shield of spiritual power.

For today's battle, he would need to display some genuine power, but not that part of his genuine power.

A staff member approached him, signaling him to wait. The contestants from the previous match were exiting from the other side, and the stage needed some cleaning and fixing to ensure it was ready for the next match.

At that moment, Mei Gongzi's voice came through his earpiece.

—Big Brother, good luck!

"Don't worry," Tang San replied softly. Knowing that Mei Gongzi was watching filled him with determination.

After about five minutes, the staff signaled that he could step onto the stage.

The third match of the round of sixteen—Tang San's turn!

With steady steps, maintaining a consistent rhythm, Tang San slowly walked onto the stage.

He immediately became the focus of everyone's attention.

Today, there was only one stage, so all the spectators, including the Emperors, were watching the same match.

Although he didn't know how many Emperors were present in the VIP boxes, he knew that this was the greatest gathering of powerful beings on the entire Daemon Continent.

As he stepped onto the stage, Tang San felt a surge of exhilaration. After more than a decade in this world, he was finally standing on its highest stage, under the gaze of its mightiest beings. At that moment, he stood tall, his bearing elegant yet proud—a pride that belonged to humanity.

Demons and nymphs treat humans as mere pawns. But from today onward, the tide will turn. In the future, I will make all of them witness my strength. One day, I will lead humans to stand at the pinnacle and rival the demon and nymph races."

***

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor sat in his VIP room, calmly observing the matches outside.

As Tang San took the stage, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor’s attention immediately focused on him.

"This is the one favored by the Crystal. Since when did that person favor a human? But I have to admit, the choice is indeed impressive. A human making it to the top sixteen in the individual competition is unprecedented."

He had all of Tang San's past records. Upon discovering Tang San's connection with the Crystal Demon Emperor, he had specifically reviewed them, finding this human quite intriguing.

This human's fortune appeared strange to him, fluctuating between strong and weak, elusive and erratic.

But just as Tang San stepped onto the stage, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor was momentarily dazed. He seemed to glimpse an explosive surge of fortune, but it flickered briefly and then vanished silently as if it had never appeared.

"This human is truly unique," mused the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor.

At his level, with his massive power and centuries of life, very few things could pique his interest. After all, he could be considered the foremost figure in the Ancestral Court. The Crystal Demon Emperor or the Sunborne Nymph Emperor might be more powerful in combat, but in terms of influence, they were leagues behind him. A human capturing his attention would certainly be a point of interest to the other Demon Emperors.

As for what kind of being Tang San was… Some of the audience definitely assumed he was from a powerful demon or nymph clan, but how could an Emperor not know better? For the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, just one glance was enough to tell that Tang San was a true-blue human.

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