Chapter 1049: The Misfortune Pearl

After bidding farewell to Ning Chen'en, who remained outside the rest area to watch the match between Jin Anguo and Lü Fuyao, Tang San quietly left with the elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan, returning to the White Tiger Hotel.

To Tang San, the next match was far more crucial. He would face an opponent from the second bracket, and without the power of the Scourge Dragon to rely upon. To secure advancement, he still needed one more win.

In truth, Tang San wasn't aiming for just advancement; he had decided that he must take first place. He had to rank first in the semifinals.

The rules for the final stage differed from the semifinals. If Mei Gongzi advanced with a lower rank or failed to emerge from the semifinals at all, then Tang San's own ranking wouldn't matter much. But if Mei Gongzi advanced with the top rank, which was now entirely possible, then Tang San too would need to secure the top spot to ensure they wouldn't meet in the first round of the finals.

Of course, they would inevitably meet in the finals as well, but the earlier they met, the more difficult it would be for Tang San to judge whether he should win or lose. After all, the aim was for both of them to be in the final three, and things had to be calculated accordingly.

This resolve to take first place had only just crystallized for Tang San. Mei Gongzi's recent breakthrough meant she would surely deliver excellent performances in the semifinals and the finals.

Tang San already had five wins. To claim first place, he would need at least two more victories, and he had to ensure that no other contestant achieved a perfect seven-win record.

That latter point shouldn't be an issue—Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu had already lost to him once and would surely fight tooth and nail in his remaining matches. Other contestants would find it difficult to defeat Xu An'yu. Thus, Tang San needed to win two more matches without relying on the Scourge Dragon. He would have to reveal some more of his abilities, and that would take some more calculations.

Back at the White Tiger Grand Hotel, he began preparing for the next match. He had to review everything he had going for him and consider the most optimal use of his abilities. Thus, he did not waste even a moment and entered meditation at once.

The third day of the round-robin concluded. One of the key matchups was the clash between Sky-Splitting City Lord Jin Anguo and Lü Fuyao. Both had suffered two defeats before this match and could no longer afford to lose. The battle was fierce, with Jin Anguo displaying unprecedented strength to ultimately overpower Lü Fuyao and earn his first victory. This effectively eliminated Lü Fuyao from the semifinals, reducing the dragons' numbers.

However, the dragon race's strength still showed through in the second bracket. The Misfortune Pearl finally appeared in battle, wielded by the Tenebrous Dragon King. As it turned out, the Misfortune Pearl—auctioned off outside the VIP pavilions—had ended up in the hands of the Tenebrous Dragon lineage. When activated, the Misfortune Pearl devoured the opponent's fortune, enabling the Tenebrous Dragon King to claim victory over a powerful adversary.

The emergence of the Misfortune Pearl drew the attention of nearly everyone. The dragons were formidable to begin with; this heir of the only dragon Emperor, armed with the Tenebrous Dragon clan's legacy divine item and the Misfortune Pearl, instantly became a favorite among the male contestants.

This outcome was clearly anticipated by those with foresight. Thus, in the second bracket, a contestant with three wins from three matches had emerged—the Tenebrous Dragon King. And he would be Tang San's next opponent.

According to the tournament rules, the strongest from the first bracket would face the strongest from the second bracket in the next round. And clearly, this opponent would not surrender like his fellow dragons.

Tang San learned this news that evening.

The Tenebrous Dragon King? The Misfortune Pearl? Hehe... Nice.

The corners of Tang San's lips curved in a sly smile. Now things were getting interesting.

His preparations would need to shift slightly. If his opponent didn't use the Misfortune Pearl, it could be a bit troublesome. But if the opponent did use it... Well, that would be another story entirely.

That night, Tang San went to the dining hall again, hoping to catch sight of Mei Gongzi and gauge how her insights from that day had settled. Unfortunately, Mei Gongzi didn't appear; it seemed she'd chosen to dine in her quarters.

Tang San felt a bit helpless but refrained from contacting Mei Gongzi at this time.

After three rounds of the semifinals, the first stage was essentially complete. The rankings were starting to become clear.

Among the male contestants, Tang San proudly sat atop the leaderboard with five wins and ten points—undisputed first place, even though he had truly fought only one match.

Behind him was Tenebrous Dragon King Li Zhaopeng, the one who had used the Misfortune Pearl the day before. The Tenebrous Dragon lineage had clearly spared no expense for this Battle for the Throne. The Misfortune Pearl's auction price was well-known.

Third place belonged to Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu.

Only the top three in the round-robin could advance to the finals. So for now, the only ones with a shot at advancement were these three.

Ning Chen'en also had two victories, ranking just behind Xu An'yu. The other two contestants from the second bracket were strong, but they had both fallen to these three.

For Tang San, the most crucial task was to secure the next victory. After that, he would face Ning Chen'en. If he could defeat both Tenebrous Dragon King Li Zhaopeng and Ning Chen'en, his top spot in the round-robin would be secure. Even if he skipped the last two matches, it wouldn't matter.

In fact, if he beat Li Zhaopeng today, he'd at least lock in a top-two finish. After all, Li Zhaopeng and Xu An'yu hadn't faced each other yet. Thus, today's battle was of paramount importance.

When Tang San arrived at his pavilion, he immediately saw Ning Chen'en waiting nearby. Their pavilions were adjacent, so that came as no surprise. Seeing Tang San arrive, Ning Chen'en waved and said, "Brother Jin, you're here. You'll need to be careful today!"

Tang San smiled slightly. "Greetings, Brother Ning. Any advice for me?"

Ning Chen'en shrugged and said gravely, "Li Zhaopeng is very difficult to handle. That Misfortune Pearl is extremely troublesome. You must be cautious."

Tang San blinked, suddenly realizing something from the match records, and blurted out, "You lost to him yesterday?"

Ning Chen'en gave a wry smile. "Who else would it be?"

Tang San blinked.

...Right. I don't know what I expected.

Indeed, in the second bracket, only Li Zhaopeng and Ning Chen'en had two wins apiece before. With Li Zhaopeng now at three wins and Ning Chen'en at two wins and one loss, it was obvious who had been struck by misfortune the day before.

Ning Chen'en said, "It took quite a bit of effort from my family to dispel that misfortune after the match. The Celestial Fox clan refuses to intervene during the Battle for the Throne, since they are connected to the Misfortune Pearl and they want to ensure its utility. That pearl's power is truly troublesome. Even now, the misfortune hasn't been entirely removed. I'll have to wait until after the tournament to ask the Celestial Fox clan for help."

Tang San nodded. "It really is troublesome. The misfortune on that pearl is potent. You should definitely have it dispelled as soon as possible; the longer it lingers, the harder it will be to remove."

Ning Chen'en looked at Tang San in surprise. "Brother Jin, are you familiar with the power of fortune?"

Tang San smiled. "Life energy and fortune are naturally connected. The Ancestral Tree commands the source of life on this plane, so naturally it possesses great fortune. Since I inherited its legacy, I understand a bit of such matters, that's all."