Chapter 288: The Battle Begins

A ninth-order elephant demon had one of the strongest defenses below the god level. Its strongest points were its physical strength and tough defense.

The cultivation level and stature of elephant demons were directly proportional. From a simple glance, it was evident that among the five elephant demons opposite them, aside from the ninth-order one, there were also two eighth-order and two seventh-order ones. This was indeed a formidable lineup, especially since elephant demons were inherently a powerful race. At the same cultivation level, the strength of a mighty race was incomparable to that of a weaker one.

On Tang San's side, there was one eighth-order, two seventh-order, one sixth-order, and one fifth-order member. When registering, it was necessary to declare one's order, so the opposition knew their strength. Moreover, they were humans.

"Proceed with the original plan once the battle begins," said Tang San.

The announcer's excited voice rose again from the stands. "I believe everyone can't wait any longer! So, let's get ready for the countdown. Combatant, prepare! The team battle is about to begin!"

The Great Beast Fighting Arena did not have any referees, nor did it need any. The victor lived and the loser died, and anything was allowed.

Wu Bingji took a step forward, and Gu Li followed. The two stood shoulder to shoulder. Tang San was behind them, while Cheng Zicheng unleashed her Golden Roc Transformation, golden wings spreading from her back. With a gentle flap, she was already in the air.

Du Bai stood at the back, a metallic array disc already in his right hand.

In the roar, the forms of the five elephant demons across from them swelled again, their skin turning to an iron-gray color, revealing a thick, calloused layer. Trunks whipping through the air shifted to all fours, taking on the massive form of colossal elephants, ready to charge at any moment.

"The match begins! Aaand... countdown!" With a loud shout from the stands, the brutal team battle of the Great Beast Fighting Arena finally commenced.

Boom!

The five elephant demons launched their attack almost simultaneously; led by the ninth-order elephant demon, they thundered forward in a frenzied stampede.

They had all heard the bell marking the start of the countdown—one minute until the first milestone. Their hatred for the humans before them was almost palpable. Who would willingly participate in a team battle with a high chance of death if not cornered? The ninth-order elephant demon, the uncle of the seventh-order elephant demon, had no choice but to join the fight to save its nephew's life.

All they wanted was to trample these human ants into the ground as quickly as they could!

On the Shrek Squad's side, Cheng Zicheng quickly took to the skies. The others remained where they stood, each unleashing their Demonic God Transformation.

Wu Bingji was surrounded by a frosty blue glow, and his eyes turned a deep ice blue. Tang San was enveloped in a verdant light. Gu Li underwent the most noticeable change, with a long tail dragging behind him and scales emerging to protect his body. Du Bai was the only one without any visible change, but the array disc in his hand had already lit up.

A ring of white light appeared beneath the feet of the four, rising to cloak them in a luminous white sheen. Their auras all slightly increased in intensity, with a noticeable change in their bloodline power. Since Cheng Zicheng had already flown into the sky, she was not within the array and thus did not receive this enhancement.

The appearance of the white array beneath their feet brought a brief stillness to the clamor in the stands.

What is that?

was the thought in the minds of most spectators as they observed the rising white light. Meanwhile, true powerhouses could feel the aura of Tang San and his companions rising.

This was the Spirit Elevation Array! Unlike the Spirit Gathering Array used for cultivation, this was designed to rapidly absorb spiritual energy from the air and supply it to beings within its range, enhancing their overall capabilities, especially energy-related abilities.

The function of this array could increase Tang San and his team's overall bloodline power by ten percent. It might not sound like much, but depending on the base level of the user, it could make quite a significant difference. Moreover, the controller of the array disc was Du Bai, who had a ninth-order spiritual power level and was fully capable of maximizing the Spirit Elevation Array's potential.

To participate in the Great Beast Fighting Arena, one had to declare their level of cultivation and their bloodline tier, or the tier of their Demonic God Transformation. It was not required to say anything about spiritual power, as there was no clear standard for its assessment. However, this was exactly where the Shrek Squad distinguished itself. When it came to spiritual power, Tang San stood at the pinnacle of the ninth order, Du Bai was at the ninth order, and the eldest senior brother, Wu Bingji, had also crossed the threshold of the ninth order. Cheng Zicheng's spiritual power was at the eighth order, and that of Gu Li was in the middle of the eighth order.

This was the true source of their confidence.

The emergence of the Spirit Elevation Array left the five oncoming elephant demons momentarily bewildered, naturally unable to recognize what it was. But in that instant, they and the spectators in the stands felt a strange sensation—these humans that seemed like lambs to the slaughter perhaps had something special about them.

The distance between them rapidly closed, and the leading ninth-order elephant demon raised its trunk, issuing a shrill cry. While running, it suddenly lifted its forelimbs, preparing to stomp on the ground.

The elephant demon's bloodline talent, War Stomp!

This was a terrifying method of attack; the shockwave produced by War Stomp could cause an effect akin to an earthquake, launching a semi-circular shockwave forward. Its range was wide, and its explosive force was immense. On an enormous battlefield, it often had an outstanding effect.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Of course, it was ineffective against opponents in the air.

The War Stomp unleashed by a ninth-order elephant demon was beyond what Tang San and his teammates could withstand. All of them would be sent flying by the force of the impact.

But at that moment, Tang San’s squad made their move.

A swath of icy blue spread out, and simultaneously, two bursts of green light soared upward.

Time seemed to pause for an instant.

All these abilities were directed at the ninth-order elephant demon. Furthermore, a golden light descended from the sky, spinning rapidly as it collided with the elephant demon.

Tang San was naturally aware of the elephant demon race’s best ability, so he naturally incorporated this knowledge into their tactics.

The two bursts of green light were two tornadoes, appearing right beneath the front limbs of the rearing ninth-order elephant demon, pushing upward.

These tornadoes formed purely of wind elemental energy could not have stopped the elephant demon's stomp under normal circumstances. Tang San's cultivation was not quite there yet, and even the wind elemental energy itself was insufficient. However, with the addition of a Time Freeze, it was a different story.

The Time Freeze from the Chrono Croc Transformation caused the elephant demon's massive form to pause. Though it had been charging forward at high speed, its body halted, but its momentum continued. The stomp it was preparing to do at full power was thus disrupted due to its time stagnating. Additionally, the wind element tornado acted like a cushion, causing the fierce and powerful forelimbs of the demon to slow down significantly as they dropped down. With that, War Stomp was rendered completely ineffective.

Simultaneously, a golden light cleaved through the air, and the rampaging elephant demon let out a pain-filled roar. Its trunk had been sliced off!

The sharpness of the Golden Roc Transformation was unquestionable, and the elephant demon had no chance of dodging it while it was under the effect of Time Freeze.

When its forelimbs hit the ground, the intense pain caused it to lose control over itself, and because of its momentum pushing it forward, its balance was compromised.

At that moment, the place where its forelimbs fell just happened to be a patch of solid ice.

Obviously, the ice patch cracked instantly. After all, the ninth-order elephant demon's body was enormous, and its weight was staggering. Yet that one moment touching the ice was enough, and its massive form slid sideways.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Before the other four elephant demons could react, the ninth-order elephant demon had already been sent flying, and the anticipated War Stomp did not occur.

The massive ninth-order elephant demon had acted like a barrier, shielding its companions behind it. When it slid aside, the other four elephant demons were left to face Tang San and his companions by themselves.