Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 199: Beast Fight

"Welcome, everyone, to the grand arena for today's auction," the voice of Yu Xi boomed through the venue, calming the waves of cheers.

"Since we are in the grand arena, we must have an appetizer before the auction. Today's experience will certainly be worth your while. Next, we will have three beast battles. There will be no betting on today's fights, so feel free to cheer to your heart's content," Yu Xi said with a boisterous laugh.

Three beast battles?

Tang San looked towards Zhang Haoxuan, who shook his head. It seemed that he was unaware of such arrangements.

"The first fight will be between demonic beasts. Let's release the most ferocious, brutal Bloodthirsty War Bear and the most terrifying Giant Ao Demon Scorpion lurking in the shadows!"[1]

All lights in the grand arena converged inward, focusing on the battlefield.

Two intense beams of light fell on either side of the arena. Tang San then noticed the giant gates on both sides. And as the massive metal gates slowly rose, deep, terrifying roars emanated from within.

A colossal figure burst out from one side in the next moment, even before the gates fully opened.

A giant bear, over seven meters tall and with dark red fur, charged out. It stood on its hind legs, fiercely beating its chest. It sounded like a giant war drum. Its eyes turned completely blood-red, and a ferocious aura, filled with the scent of blood, erupted.

The Bloodthirsty War Bear!

On the other side, a giant scorpion with a deep purple carapace crawled out as the gate opened.

It was also over five meters long, with a long stinger curling up from its tail. Its giant claws, spanning over two meters in length and one meter in width, emitted a chilling gleam. Anything caught between them seemed destined for death.

Both creatures were demonic beasts, and from their aura, they appeared to be at the eighth order.

After entering, the two beasts immediately noticed Yu Xi in the center of the arena. Barely pausing, they both charged toward him, filled with a wild frenzy.

Yu Xi laughed heartily, spreading out his four robust arms. As the two giant beasts approached, he clenched his fists and struck out.

The air burst with a deep booming sound, and the Bloodthirsty War Bear and the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion were simultaneously sent flying, tumbling chaotically.

Yu Xi snorted disdainfully. "Put on a good show. Only the winner can live."

With these words, he then strode away. Only when he reached the arena's edge did the two beasts climb back up, growling at each other but not daring to look in Yu Xi's direction again.

At the eighth order, these beasts were not truly intelligent, but they had an inkling about what Yu Xi meant, and they understood perfectly that they stood absolutely no chance against it.

The Bloodthirsty War Bear was the first to move, charging toward the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion with heavy steps that thundered across the arena floor. Its eyes glowed a bloody red, and its already formidable body swelled even more, muscles bulging in a frenzy of bloodlust.

In its bloodthirsty state, the Bloodthirsty War Bear's defense, attack, and speed greatly increased, although its already lacking intelligence significantly decreased. Its dark red fur bristled, carrying a terrifyingly fierce gust as it charged.

Tang San silently assessed that the Bloodthirsty War Bear's direct combat strength was superior to a Winged Tiger of the same order.

For a Winged Tiger to defeat it, it would first need to maintain the distance and use the Wind Astral for long-range attacks.

At that moment, the Bloodthirsty War Bear let out a mad roar. A dark red halo surged outward from its body.

The Giant Ao Demon Scorpion was immediately enveloped in the dark red light, gaining a layer of the same hue. Initially moving calmly and sidestepping to find an opportunity, it suddenly accelerated and charged directly at the Bloodthirsty War Bear.

Huh? Its bloodthirsty ability can also affect the opponent, thought Tang San.

The Giant Ao Demon Scorpion was clearly influenced, its combat desire surging.

The Bloodthirsty War Bear's innate bloodthirsty ability was not as straightforward as it seemed at first glance. It not only increased its strength but could also induce bloodlust in its opponent. The Demon Scorpion had not gone berserk, but pure bloodlust, while enhancing its combat intent, also greatly affected its intelligence!

The abilities of demonic beasts are so bizarre and varied!

Almost instantly, the two collided. The Bloodthirsty War Bear lunged forward and its right front paw swelled up to double its size in mid-air, swiping directly toward the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion.

The Giant Ao Demon Scorpion swung one of its giant claws to meet the bear's paw while the other claw opened wide, aiming for the Bloodthirsty War Bear's neck.

The Bloodthirsty War Bear was clearly superior in strength, and it smashed the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion's claw to the ground. At the same time, it leaned forward, striking the other claw to the ground before it could clasp its neck. Then, lowering its head, the bear rammed viciously into the head of the Demon Scorpion.

In terms of strength, the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion was clearly at a disadvantage, overwhelmed by the Bloodthirsty War Bear's fierce fighting style.

But at that moment, something unexpected happened.

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion. Its short legs suddenly exerted force, and the two claws pinned down by the bear's paws suddenly detached from its body. The force of the pull also propelled the scorpion backward.

The Bloodthirsty War Bear's lunge hit nothing but air.

What just happened? Did the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion intentionally break off its claws?

As all the spectators watched in shock, a cold light flickered in the eyes of the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion, and its long tail whipped down fiercely.

The timing was perfect—just as the Bloodthirsty War Bear missed its target and slammed hard into the ground, unable to stop its momentum.

With sickening squelch, the stinger of the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion viciously pierced one eye of the Bloodthirsty War Bear.

The intense pain made the Bloodthirsty War Bear roar madly. One of its paws swiftly grabbed the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion's tail. But at that moment, another strange scene unfolded. The two claws lying on the ground suddenly sprang up; one fiercely clamped onto the bear's neck, while the other severed the scorpion's tail.

A halo flickered in Tang San's eyes. With the help of the Discerning Eye of Heaven, he barely saw that the severed pair of claws were connected by two tendon-like strands. They were not fully detached from the scorpion, and they were clearly still under its control.

It was clear that the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion was not significantly affected by the bloodlust from the beginning but instead had set this trap for the Bloodthirsty War Bear in an instant.

Having severed its tail, the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion used the claw clamped on the Bloodthirsty War Bear's neck to pull itself onto the bear's back. The other claw was also retracted and smashed viciously onto the bear's head, right at the eye that the stinger had pierced.

With a bang, the mighty body of the Bloodthirsty War Bear stumbled, and as it tried to struggle, its body began to convulse violently.

Scorpions were notoriously venomous, and that obviously held true for the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion. Moreover, having entered through the eye, this incredibly toxic venom was in the perfect place to do massive damage.

Tang San also noticed a detail: the Giant Ao Demon Scorpion's claw strength was considerable, but it couldn't sever the Bloodthirsty War Bear's neck; it simply clamped on without breaking the skin. This showed the bear's defense was solid. However, even the most muscular physique could not protect the eyes, and ultimately, it fell victim to the scorpion's strategy.

1. The Ao is a mythological sea turtle. It is said that once, the goddess Nüwa, the creator of mankind, was fixing a tear in the sky. She chopped off Ao’s legs and used them as props for the sky. ☜