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Chapter 35: Tang San Enters The Battle!
The porcupine was confident in its frontal charge's power to crush the Flash Leopard. However, it feared the Flash Leopard's speed. If the Flash Leopard managed to dodge its head-on charge, the porcupine, at full speed, would undoubtedly rush too far, losing the match.
If the porcupine and the Berserk Bear represented the power factions in the collision tournament, then the Flash Leopard represented the speed faction.
When power met speed, the natural strategy was first to limit the opponent's speed.
According to the rules, a collision had to occur within three seconds of entering the inner circle, after which the winner would be determined. The porcupine's charge was not at full speed because its thick skin and large body mass were enough to win a frontal collision, even at a reduced speed. The only concern was the opponent's evasion, but the porcupine had already taken measures by deploying its spikes.
The fourth-order Flash Leopard didn't panic facing the eight spikes; its forward charge remained incredibly fast. It sprinted straight ahead as if completely unaware of the spikes. It had no reason for concern, either—as long as it didn't dodge sideways, the spikes wouldn't hit it.
Both competitors quickly approached the collision circle.
Tang San's eyes shimmered with a purple hue, and the world in his sight slowed down.
The porcupine's tusks were raised, and the Flash Leopard, charging straight ahead, glowed with a yellow light. It had just activated its Leopard Flash ability.
Their figures crossed each other in an instant.
With a loud bang, the porcupine charged out of the collision circle while the Flash Leopard leaped straight up, somersaulted in mid-air, and landed firmly in the circle’s center.
Without a doubt, the fourth-order Flash Leopard had won the match.
Most demons couldn't see what happened in the collision because the Flash Leopard's speed was too great. When it won, a chorus of surprised voices erupted.
But Tang San had seen everything clearly. Just as they were about to collide, the Flash Leopard had leapt up in the nick of time, almost grazing the porcupine's tusks. Then, it had fiercely kicked the porcupine's back with its hind legs.
Although the porcupine hadn’t charged at the leopard full speed, it had activated its charging ability. It had expected to be able to hit the Flash Leopard head-on by blocking its evasion path with the back spikes. Yet, the Flash Leopard had still flown over its head, and the force of the leopard’s hind legs, combined with the porcupine’s momentum, inevitably pushed the latter out of the collision circle.
With that kick, the Flash Leopard had transformed its forward momentum into upward force, landing in the circle's center thanks to its incredible body control. The outcome was clear.
The porcupine had ultimately lost to speed and technique. Tang San thought that if he were to advise the porcupine, he certainly wouldn't have let it release its back spikes so early. Instead, it should have released them at the moment of collision.
The Flash Leopard, though swift, would have faced great danger at close range against the sudden spray of back spikes, especially when it could not predict their direction. Being pierced once could be fatal.
In other words, the porcupine had yet to fully realize the advantages of its two innate abilities. Meanwhile, the Flash Leopard excelled in speed, and it had skillful tactics and a calm resolve. It was clear why it had the upper hand.
The following battles confirmed Tang San's assessment of the Flash Leopard.
Consecutive victories ensued, with three fourth-order opponents successively defeated by their speed and skills.
"It's my turn. I will kill you!!" A brawny Rhino Demon with a singular horn on its nose roared at the arena's edge, in the waiting area for competitors. Its forte was its formidable defense as well as its charging ability, just like the porcupine’s.
Against the astonishingly swift Leopard Demon, it planned to stay within the collision ring and not leave. No technique would work against it. It was confident that it would defeat its opponent.
However, just as it was about to enter, a voice suddenly stopped it from nearby. "Wait, it's not your turn yet."
The three-meter-tall fourth-order Rhino Demon paused and looked down. Only then did it see a slender figure in front of itself, one it had utterly failed to notice.
This slender figure's face was covered with a cloth, concealing its features. But from the stature and size, it was clear this was a human. This minuscule thing was going to compete?
"Stop causing trouble, get out of the way," the Rhino Demon said, waving its large hand to shoo the figure away. But the slender figure had already dashed into the competition field, holding up a number plate.
Fourth-order, Contestant Six!
Indeed, this was Tang San's number. He had registered at the earliest opportunity, so among the fourth-order competitors, his registration number was six.
The Leopard Demon had won four times, so it was finally Tang San's turn. The Rhino Demon had been behind Tang San all this while, and its prominent figure had been focused on the arena, so it had simply not noticed Tang San's presence.
When Tang San entered the field, a wave of astonished murmurs arose. For the demons, the appearance of a human vassal in the collision tournament was not out of the ordinary, but such a tiny figure in the fourth-order competition was not something they’d seen before!
How did this seemingly frail human muster the courage to enter the arena? And with his face covered at that?
Covering the face wasn't unusual. Vassals, unlike slaves, didn't constantly face the risk of being killed, but offending a powerful demon could still lead to death. Still, how did he get the courage to come to this arena?
The fourth-order Flash Leopard, victorious in four consecutive matches, had a fierce glint in its eyes and was licking its sharp fangs.
Seeing Tang San's appearance, the Flash Leopard was excited. Having defeated four opponents in a row had taken its toll. Regarding talent, the Flash Leopard clan wasn't top-order, and it knew that it was challenging to sustain four rounds. But each additional victory increased its chances of ultimately winning the championship. After all, not every level of competition saw ten consecutive wins. The higher the order, the lower the likelihood, as everyone's strength was considerable and the potential for exhaustion or injury during collisions was significant.
The arrival of this little human seemed to it not only a way to conserve its strength but also a chance to claim another victory—a most favorable situation. The rhino it had spotted as the opponent for the next match was a formidable demon, and its abilities were a natural counter to the leopard’s.
The seventh-order Berserk Bear glanced at the Flash Leopard, then at Tang San, its eyes glittering with a savage light. "Tear him apart. Begin!"
"ROARRR! Tear him apart!"
"Tear him apart!"
After a moment of surprise, the surrounding demons erupted into ear-splitting roars. In their eyes, a mere vassal daring to enter a fourth-order arena was an insult.
The Flash Leopard moved, relying not on its abilities but on its sheer speed as it charged straight toward Tang San. f(r)ee
Though it was a collision contest, using its claws to shred its opponent at the moment of impact seemed a trivially easy task.
Tang San also moved, a green light flowing from his exposed eyes. His body showed little change, but the wind element condensing in the air created a faint green glow around him.
Wind? Green light? Is that the Wind Wolf transformation?
The fourth-order Flash Leopard's eyes had shown disdain in the beginning, but now, they showed fury. The Wind Wolves and the Flash Leopards had always been mortal enemies! Even if the opponent was just a vassal, he was a vassal of the Wind Wolf clan, so there was only one way to deal with him.
Among the watching demons, there were also naturally members of the Wind Wolf clan. Seeing that the vassal was one of their own, their first reaction was shame. This was sure to be a loss to the leopard demons—a disgrace to the Wind Wolf Clan!