Chapter 574: Break Through Sooner

Tang San laughed bitterly and said, "When we get back home? After this competition, you better be sure the Golden Lion King will keep you there until you break through. You are already at that critical point, so you have to stay with the Golden Lion clan and make your breakthrough there. And after you reach the tenth order, how will I be able to fight you?"

Big Cat blinked, realizing it might be true. "Then you should break through sooner too. With your abilities, you should be able to do that easily, no? That threshold should be no problem for you."

In his eyes, Asura was a near-omnipotent being. He had no doubts that his friend would blast through the tribulation.

Tang San harrumphed. "If only it were that easy. It’s going to be insanely difficult for me. You know I have more than one bloodline, plus a few other things I haven’t revealed yet. They are useful in this competition, but when it comes to crossing the tribulation, they aren’t just useless; they’ll actually cause me

more

problems. Oh well, I have to work hard."

What he didn't say was that although becoming a god was extremely difficult, once he did reach that point, it would mark the beginning of a completely different path, and once he embarked on that path, all obstacles in front of him would be swept away. By then, Big Cat would no longer be able to catch up.

The god level was just the

real

first step on his quest to recover his past life abilities.

After sending Big Cat away, Tang San returned to his cultivation room to continue cultivating. The rest he took that day was indeed beneficial. His sea of consciousness, previously disturbed due to calling upon the Asura Sword, had calmed down. Although his divine consciousness and spiritual power seemed weaker, they were more concentrated than before, and his sea of consciousness had expanded again, allowing him to accommodate more spiritual power.

The Ancestral Court Elite Competition was nearing its end. Whether Big Cat or Mei Gongzi won the individual championship, it was a good thing, but it didn't matter much. The doubles competition was where he and Mei Gongzi were determined to win. Even if Mei Gongzi got second place in the individual competition, combined with the doubles championship, it would be enough to catapult her to the pinnacle of fame. The Peacock Demon clan would greatly benefit from it as well.

The rewards would undoubtedly be substantial, and it would also be easier to gain the support of the Emperors.

As for what happened next, that depended on their actions after returning. The Peacock Great Demon King didn't have long to live; otherwise, he wouldn't have explained things so thoroughly that day.

The gains from this trip to the Ancestral Court were simply immense, and they needed to digest everything well after returning. And the one who benefited the most was actually Tang San himself. He had become far stronger, and most importantly, he had clarified his thoughts and knew what steps to take next.

Although things were becoming more urgent, especially helping Mei Gongzi control Kali City, which would be fraught with difficulties, he actually felt more confident than before.

The only thing that was outside of his control was the time they had to put things in order. He hoped that, as the Peacock Great Demon King had promised earlier, they could gain more time to grow. If he could really get a year, he was confident he could prepare everything and help Mei Gongzi reach the god level.

Calming his thoughts, Tang San entered a meditative state.

***

The next day, the doubles competition continued.

It was the semifinals; those who won today would face each other on the stage for the ultimate prize!

Those who made it to the final four were undoubtedly strong. Tang San and Mei Gongzi's opponents were no exception.

Tang San's severe injury in the previous match had drastically decreased their odds of winning the doubles competition. They were no longer the top favorites. After all, the doubles competition was a two-person event; if one was missing, no matter how strong the other one was, it was nearly impossible to achieve a good result in such a match.

However, when the match began, the audience saw Asura appear together with the Peacock Princess on stage, in what seemed to be perfect condition.

As it turned out, he really was in perfect condition.

He still chose to support Mei Gongzi from behind, just as during the previous match, simply channeling his power into her. Meanwhile, Mei Gongzi once more performed the Celestial Dance with the Celestial Plume, demonstrating almost divine mastery over space. From start to finish, she suppressed her opponents completely, even using spatial power to divide the battlefield and prevent them from coordinating.

They won the match without even breaking a sweat and smoothly advanced to the finals.

When the match ended, the audience was in an uproar. The previously underdog Asura Peacock Pair once again demonstrated their strength. Although Asura had been eliminated from the individual competition, stopping at the semifinals, Mei Gongzi was still running strong. Many in the audience believed Asura's presence behind Mei Gongzi was of little consequence and she had won the match primarily by her own strength. But in any case, they had advanced to the finals. As the biggest dark horse of the competition and the most dazzling star, Mei Gongzi had reached the finals in both the individual and doubles competitions!

Even the Peacock Great Demon King hadn't anticipated such an outcome when he brought his daughter to the Ancestral Court. Yet the fact was undeniable—Mei Gongzi was in the run for a twofold championship, and she was getting closer and closer to the threshold of the tenth order.

After the doubles semifinals, Tang San sent Mei Gongzi back to rest. He had no concerns about the upcoming final between her and Big Cat—his comrade knew how important she was to him and would not truly harm her even if he won. Mei Gongzi also understood Tang San’s relationship with Big Cat, and she was well aware that Big Cat and the Lion-Tiger clan would be staunch supporters when time came for her to rule Kali City. Naturally, she would restrain herself as well.

They both knew that this was practically a spar among friends, and it didn't matter who won the championship—the title would stay in the family.

As for the doubles competition, Tang San and Mei Gongzi's opponents in the finals were strong, but clearly not as formidable as Meng Dede and his sister. By this point, nothing could stop them from winning the championship.

Everything was moving in a positive direction. Tang San had already planned that right after the competition ended and they received their awards, he and Mei Gongzi would immediately return to Kali City with the Peacock Great Demon King.

He had also discussed with the Shrek Squad they would stay here a while longer to continue climbing the Sacred Mountains and enhance their strength. They would return once they felt they had accumulated enough. Zhang Haoxuan would also stay here temporarily, making array discs and maintaining contact with the Aetherhorn Merchant Association to accumulate wealth and exchange for the materials they needed, while also looking after and guiding the Redemption Academy students.

Cultivation was significantly faster here in the Ancestral Court. This was especially the case for someone like Du Bai—if he returned to Kali City, his improvement would end up completely dependent on Tang San. Here, he could climb the Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain to properly experience fortune and misfortune and improve on his own.

The greatest advantage humans had over other races was their wisdom. Du Bai might be a goof, but he was not an idiot and he had truly good comprehension. What he needed more were opportunities. The fortune power Tang San had given him earlier had allowed him to break through, and for the time being, staying here to cultivate was better.

***

The highly anticipated finals of the Ancestral Court Elite Competition were finally about to begin.

Tang San arrived early at the Ancestral Court Plaza. Although he was no longer a competitor in the individual competition, he had a seat in the VIP section, just like the other top sixteen contestants.

The Peacock Great Demon King had arrived even earlier, and when he saw Tang San, he approached right away.

Tang San nodded in greeting. "Nice to see you."