Gu Lan sat on the ground, stunned, not even picking up his Eye of the Lightning God. His face disyed a myriad of expressions. This battle was a loss not just of thepetition, but even the belief inpetition itself. Looking at his blood-covered opponent, he felt genuine fear from the bottom of his heart. At that moment, he didn''t even feel humiliation—just pure fear.


    Big Cat won, securing victory in this critical match and bing the first to make it into the top eight of the sixteen-strong contest. Although it had paid a heavy price, it had suffered a serious setback in the group stage as well, yet in the next match, it feigned weakness to defeat its opponent once more. So who could say it would not appear in the quarterfinals? Who could say it wouldn''t be even more powerful?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Roar—" Big Cat roared up to the sky, directing its roar towards the VIP section where the Lion Demon n and Tiger Demon n were seated. Despite the roar causing its wounds to burst and bleed even more, it didn''t care in the least. In that moment, it felt as if years of pent-up frustration were being released, the exhration making it feelpletely rejuvenated. The injuries on its body seemed insignificant in light of this rity, which clearly took it to another level.


    The first match of the top sixteen was incredibly intense, with both sides suffering great injuries. The victor, to everyone''s surprise, was a yer from the Lion Tiger Tribe, who had no backing. This was certainly an unexpected oue, but undoubtedly, from this moment on, Big Cat had truly put the Lion Tiger Tribe on the historical stage of the Monster and Fairy ns, as the match was witnessed by an Emperor himself.


    The arena was cleared, and the yers exited the stage.


    As Big Cat walked off the stage with the assistance of staff, the effects of the Killing God Field began to fade, and a profound sense of weakness engulfed it, apanied by intense pain.


    Tang San was already waiting for it at the exit, but there was not only Tang San waiting there. There was also a burly man with long golden hair.


    As Big Cat was helped off the stage by the staff, Tang San turned to the golden-haired burly man beside him and said, "Patriarch, are you satisfied with the choice made by your noble n?"


    The man beside him was none other than the current patriarch of the Lion Demon n, of the Golden Species, the leader of the Golden Lion n.


    The Golden Lion King had arrived here just as the match wasing to an end, apanied by the same person who had auctioned the God-killing Sword at the Ancestral Court''s grand auction.


    When the Golden Lion who had conducted the auction saw the Asura waiting there, his suspicions were immediately confirmed.


    In fact, after returning to the Ancestral Court, Tang San had already contacted him. He had promised during the auction to bring a strong contender capable of inheriting the God-killing Sword to the Golden Lion n within seven days. However, he told the Golden Lion that his partner, who could wield the God-killing Sword, would participate in the Ancestral Court''s elitepetition. What better way to prove his worthiness to inherit the God-killing Sword than the Ancestral Court''s elitepetition?


    As such, the Golden Lion n had actually been observing Big Cat''s matches all along, their interest piqued as they watched Big Cat defeat one strong opponent after another and advance step by step. They moved from initial rejection of Big Cat because of its Lion Tiger Tribe origin to eptance as it continued to win match after match.


    After Big Cat sessfully advanced to the top sixteen, the Golden Lion King had already decided on Big Cat''s inheritance of the God-killing Sword.


    Nheless, Big Cat''s Lion Tiger Tribe identity still caused some apprehension within the Golden Lion n, as this involved the Tiger Demon n. If they decided to fully support Big Cat, it meant acknowledging the Lion Tiger Tribe, and even helping them, allowing their inclusion.


    The Lion Demon n was different from the Tiger Demon n, which had the all-powerful White Tiger Great Demon Emperor. They could not afford another failure, or else the Lion Demon n would truly decline.


    However, after today''s battle, where Big Cat, dressed as a beggar, defeated Gu Lan with his own strength andbat experience, the Golden Lion King did not hesitate any longer and finally arrived at the exit. Having chosen to acknowledge, he was ready to show his sincerity.


    The Golden Lion King nodded at Tang San, "My n will be very grateful. Big Cat, I am Gong Wudi, the patriarch of the Golden Lion Demon n."


    Thetter sentence, of course, was directed at Big Cat, with the patriarch''s face showing a solemn expression tinged withplexity.


    At this moment, Big Cat was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. It had personally experienced the indifference from the Lion Demon n and Tiger Demon n toward the Lion Tiger Tribe, watching as they were treated as cursed beings and overlooked while their tribe inched towards annihtion—with not even a trace of sympathy or pity.


    Now, it also felt an immense pride. With its own strength, it had made the first among the Lion Demon n stand before it to express their acknowledgment.


    Amid the flood of feelings, Big Cat found itself unable to utter a word.


    It was Tang San who stepped in to smooth things over. "Big Cat is seriously injured. We should treat its wounds first to avoid dying theter matches," he suggested.


    "Hmm." Gong Wudi nodded and gestured to a Golden Lion beside him.


    The auctioneer from the Golden Lion n handed a porcin bottle to Big Cat. "This is our n''s sacred healing elixir, the Golden Pill. Consuming it will quickly heal your injuries," he said.


    Big Cat looked at it, but did not reach out to take it. Its eyes held a rebellious glint, and under that pervasive stench of blood, even the Demon King, clearly superior in cultivation, couldn''t help but feel a shiver from the depths of their soul.


    Tang San stepped forward to take the medicine and said apologetically to Gong Wudi, "Patriarch, I will take it back to the rest area and start healing immediately to prevent the injury from worsening."


    He was scheduled to enter the fray in the third match of the day, and there was still time. The sixteen-to-eightpetition was bound not to end quickly.


    "Hmm." Gong Wudi nodded again.


    Only then did Tang San support Big Cat as they headed towards the rest area. He had more matches toe and couldn''t take Big Cat away now. Moreover, its injuries needed immediate attention, especially considering Gu Lan''s powerful equipment had been difficult to handle, leaving numerous wounds on Big Cat.


    Back in the rest area, Tang San helped the nearly fainting Big Cat to sit down. First, he used the Mysterious Heaven Method to seal the bloodlines at the location of its more severe wounds, to prevent too much blood loss, and then he took out the medicine bottle.


    As he opened the bottle, there was but a single pill inside. Yet Tang San''s face lit up with joy—a single pill indicated the preciousness of the medicine.


    The pill looked splendidly golden, and its appearance alone was quite remarkable. Tang San took it out and ced it in Big Cat''s mouth.


    Big Cat did not refuse the pill. Though it harbored deep hostility towards the Lion Demon n and Tiger Demon n, it knew that to truly elevate the Lion Tiger Tribe, they would need this powerful boost.


    "Thank you." After consuming the pill, the blood qi in Big Cat''s body visibly became denser, and its breath also recovered slightly.


    "What are you thanking me for?" Tang San smiled and said, "Just rest up. In the next match, I reckon you won''t be stepping onto the stage empty-handed."


    Now that Gong Wudi, the patriarch of the Golden Lion n, had personally acknowledged Big Cat''s abilities, it meant that Big Cat would be eligible to inherit the God-killing Sword. With that divine tool in hand, Big Cat would surely receive a significant boost to its power.


    Big Cat weakly raised its right hand, gently thumped its left chest, conveying the sentiment that there was no need for words—all was understood and taken to heart. Then it closed its eyes and began to heal its wounds by stimting the medicinal potency with its bloodline aura.