Chapter 1038: Unfair

A clear phoenix cry rang out across the sky, and blazing flames descended from above. The crimson light merged into the protective shield, barely managing to halt the spread of the destruction force—but the flames, too, were being rapidly consumed by that devastating power.

Outside the shield, a strange scene unfolded. Vast streams of blue-golden light surged toward the platform. Not only was the life energy in the air being drawn in, but even the spectators felt as though something within themselves was being drained away.

Indeed, while Tang San's life energy could serve as fuel for the annihilation energy, the annihilation energy was in turn strengthening his Life Deprivation Domain! The two forces complemented one another, their interaction so strong that it affected the entire arena!

And yet, at that moment, Tang San felt no joy. The reason was simple: The strength he had revealed was too great. The fusion of life and annihilation had gone beyond what was reasonable for this competition; it was unfair to the spirit of the Battle for the Throne. After this match, there would undoubtedly be trouble if he tried to fight alongside Nihil again.

"This is unfair!" Jin Anguo roared. In the next instant, dark-golden light burst from him, forming a massive vortex. No longer evading, he charged headlong toward Tang San and Nihil.

Under Tang San's direct infusion of energy, the Scourge Dragon now appeared to be encased in a layer of purple crystal. Though still fearsome in appearance, he gleamed with dazzling brilliance. It felt as if he had reached the absolute pinnacle of his existence, and if he took just one more step, one tiny, little step, he could become an Emperor.

Of course, he also understood that taking that step would mean death.

Even so, as Jin Anguo's vortex approached, Nihil showed no fear. He leapt forward, the massive shadow of annihilation colliding head-on with the vortex.

Boom!

Jin Anguo's hulking form was blasted backward, flipping through the air. Nihil could initially match him in sheer strength all by himself; now, with Tang San's support, his power was simply overwhelming.

That single clash left Jin Anguo feeling as if every bone in his body had shattered. And more terrifying still was the annihilation energy invading his body.

Two against one, he simply had no chance.

He took out a Blue Gold Fruit—not the eleventh-order one from the auction, but a tenth-order one—and roared in frustration, "I concede, but this is unfair! Two against one?! How is this the Battle for the Throne?! If I could bring a partner, who the hell could stop us?!"

Nihil halted his pursuit. Atop his, Tang San spread his arms wide and called out, "Perhaps you feel that this is unfair, Lord Jin. But these are the rules set by the Ancestral Court, the will of the Emperors. We merely follow that will. I even checked last time, and everything I've done is within the rules."

From the sky, the Undying Demon Emperor looked down at Tang San, who was standing casually atop the dragon, his face the picture of innocence. The Emperor couldn't help but feel exasperated. The boy had spoken so loudly it seemed like he wanted to be heard from Skytree City. Under so many scrutinizing eyes, it was impossible for the Emperors to go back on their own rules.

Jin Anguo, still in his bloodthirsty state and with a clouded mind, grew even angrier at Tang San's innocent words.

"Even the Emperors can err! And when they do, it must be corrected. What you're doing is unfair to all the contestants! This must change, or we'll all withdraw!"

Tang San chuckled. "Ah, you promise? That would be great! If enough of you drop out, won't I automatically win a seat?"

"YOU PIECE OF—"

"ENOUGH!" The Undying Demon Emperor descended, his expression stern as could be. "Fairness is for the Ancestral Court's Council to decide. In today's match, Jin Miaolin of the Blue Gold Tree clan wins. Now return to your pavilions!"

As he spoke, he swept his hand, and his vast power sent Tang San, the Scourge Dragon, and Jin Anguo all flying back toward the edges of the arena.

The might of an Emperor was undeniable.

In midair, Tang San recalled Nihil into his pocket dimension. He himself landed quietly and made his way toward his VIP pavilion.

Jin Anguo, helpless, shrank back to human form and returned to his own pavilion.

The stands were abuzz with noise.

He won? The Amethystine Warrior just won another match?! Unbelievable!

It was indeed hard to believe, but the fact was, he had won. And compared to the combined might of Jin Miaolin and the Scourge Dragon, even Jin Anguo, the finest Behemoth alive apart from the clan's Emperor, had seemed powerless. It was as if he were facing an Emperor.

And truly, with Tang San and Nihil working together at full strength, even with Tang San drawing solely on his "Jin Miaolin" powers, they could rival an Emperor. The Path of Life and Annihilation was an incredibly potent combination.

With two wins from two matches, Tang San's points now matched those of Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu. And his next opponent would be Xu An'yu himself. As promised, Xu An'yu was to concede, meaning Tang San would then be at the top of the rankings.

"It seems we must discuss this carefully. I don't know about you, but I did not expect such a development."

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's voice sounded in the minds of all the Emperors.

Meanwhile, repairs were underway; the arena had been damaged far too severely and needed time to be restored.

The Sunborne Nymph Emperor, overseeing the Solstice Empire's side, was communicating with Tang San through divine sense.

"Why make such a spectacle? You won, wasn't that enough? You've now disrupted the fairness of the contest; this can't be allowed to continue,

" the Sunborne Nymph Emperor said, clearly annoyed.

Tang San smiled wryly.

"Your Majesty, if I said I didn't know I could do that until today's experiment, would you believe me? I honestly didn't expect this outcome. And I didn't break any rules. The Ancestral Court permitted anything acquired in the auction, didn't they? Surely the Council can't go back on its own rules now? You must help me argue for that! After all, I'm on your team."

His words were half-true. While he had been sure his Path of Life and Annihilation could enhance the Scourge Dragon's power, he hadn't expected that the dragon would in turn amplify his Life Deprivation Domain, creating a mutual cycle of reinforcement. That had pushed their combined power to Emperor level. And by then, it was too late to conceal it.

"I understand,"

the Sunborne Nymph Emperor replied, exasperated. He did believe Tang San; such an outcome was indeed not something that could be predicted just like that.

Ending communication, Tang San returned to his chamber and closed his eyes to rest. The elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan were overjoyed at his string of victories, but they too sensed something amiss. Tang San's pairing with the Scourge Dragon had proven so dominant that even Jin Anguo couldn't stand against them, and had it been only that, then surely an Emperor's position would have been his for the taking. But since that advantage came largely through the Scourge Dragon's power, it was bound to provoke a backlash from the other contestants.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

This was especially so given that the Empyrean Dominion had been counting on strong results from its male contestants. With this "spoiler" in the mix, Tang San was almost certain to claim one of the coveted spots in the finals. And if something went wrong on the female side, the Empyrean Dominion could face a disastrous loss overall. In truth, Jin Anguo's final outcry had been a warning to the Emperors.