Chapter 537: Chapter 536: The Start of the Round of 16
Fortunately, the Great Demon Emperor Heavenly Fox did not seem to pay too much attention to him. In fact, Tang San himself had already received the recognition of Heavenly Fox Holy Mountain; it was just that it did not come directly from the Great Demon Emperor Heavenly Fox.
With the drawing of lots complete, he had finally gotten through this ordeal. Next, it was time for the pairing comparisons.
Tang San no longer had any particular opinions about this. After encountering the Great Demon Emperor Heavenly Fox, he knew that he could only rely on pure luck for the drawing lot competition. Whomever he faced did not matter anymore. If he encountered Pretty Girl, he would simply concede, sending her into the top eight was also fine. He could use the excuse that he needed to continue participating in the doubles competition with her.
However, Tang San was somewhat surprised when the results of the drawing of lots were announced.
Had fortune finally turned in his favor?
Ultimately, the results of the individual competition for the top sixteen showed that he, Pretty Girl, and Big Cat would each face different opponents. Not one of the three would meet in the first round.
Specifically, Tang San and Big Cat were placed in the upper half of the draw, and, fortunately, they would only face each other if they both made it into the top four — to compete for a spot in the finals.
Pretty Girl, on the other hand, was on her own in the lower half. If Tang San and Big Cat wanted to encounter her, they would need to reach the finals where they might possibly meet in the ultimate showdown.
Without a doubt, this was an exceptionally favorable draw for the three of them.
After facing many strong adversaries in the group stage and making it through by the skin of their teeth, luck had finally arrived.
Indeed, luck and misfortune are relative; where there is much misfortune, luck will always follow.
Confronted with such results from the drawing of lots, all three were naturally overjoyed.
And next, the competition would begin immediately.
Today, the first to compete out of the three of them would be none other than Big Cat.
Big Cat would take to the stage for the first matchup, and of course, its opponent was formidable – otherwise, they would not have been standing there.
Tang San and Pretty Girl returned to the rest area to relax. Their rest areas this time were arranged next to the VIP seats, from where they could clearly see what was happening on the competition stage while they rested and watched the fight.
Meanwhile, Big Cat went straight to the waiting area, preparing for the first matchup.
The Great Demon Emperor Heavenly Fox returned to its own box, which was the seventh from the left, not one of the two central ones.
The most central two boxes were probably reserved for the Crystal Great Demon Emperor and the Tianyang Spirit King, the two strongest among the Monster Clan and Spirit Clan.
"Brother, we\'re really lucky today, we got a good draw! If we can meet in the finals, that would be perfect," Pretty Girl said, clearly excited.
They were in different rest rooms, but they could contact each other through a communicator.
Tang San said, "Be cautious and prudent. Emperors are watching. Prepare well for the competition."
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The upper and lower brackets each had four matches today for the round of sixteen, with Tang San in the third match of the upper bracket and Pretty Girl in the second match of the lower bracket.
If Big Cat wins today, it will face the winner of today\'s second match in the quarterfinals, while if Tang San wins, he will face the winner of the fourth match.
Therefore, they would not encounter each other before the semi-finals.
It was unclear how many emperors were watching the battles today, and Tang San didn\'t dare to use his divine consciousness to probe, but it was likely that there were more than just the Great Demon Emperor Heavenly Fox. After all, aside from the three of them, the rest were descendants of contemporary emperors.
"The first match of the final stage is about to begin; please welcome the contestants to the platform."
On the battle platform, a referee of the Great Demon King Level was already standing. From this individual\'s features, it appeared to be a Great Demon King from the Golden Mammoth Tribe.
During the final stage, there will be a referee present on the battle platform, ready to stop the match at any moment. This is because those who make it to the final stage are the pride of their respective tribes and absolutely cannot afford any loss. Hence, there are never any deaths among the contestants in the Ancestral Court\'s elite finals.
Big Cat mounted the platform from one side, its appearance no different from that during the group stage. However, when its opponent entered the battle platform, Big Cat immediately seemed somewhat shabby by comparison.
There was no helping it, the Lion Tiger Tribe was simply too poor! Forget about divine tools, they lacked even subpar weapons. In contrast, their opponent could be described as armed to the teeth.
Even when the opponent first appeared, Big Cat hadn\'t been able to recognize their race.
It was a figure about three meters tall with a robust build, enshrouded in thick armor. This suit of armor was embedded with multiple gemstones that shone with a dazzling luster, and the weapon was a long spear over five meters in length, radiating a cold aura and clearly no ordinary item.
During the drawing of lots, this individual had not worn this equipment. Only after careful recognition, considering the opponent\'s physique, did Big Cat realize who it was.
This was a strong contender from the Richen Empire Spirit Clan, also a descendant of an existing emperor who cultivated into divinity through Liuli Stone, ultimately achieving the throne. Known as the Liuli Heavenly Spirit Emperor, renowned for his countless ingenious and variable combat methods.
Liuli Stone is a very peculiar gemstone, possessing a crystalline, translucent luster. Cultivating into a spirit through Liuli Stone, one\'s innate ability is to reflect. It can reflect a variety of ability attacks and is extremely peculiar. Although not all abilities can be reflected, it\'s already incredibly powerful. Coupled with a fighting style full of tricks and unpredictability, it makes for a very challenging opponent.
Among the various Heavenly Spirit Emperors, the Liuli Heavenly Spirit Emperor is ranked fifth.
The contender before them had made it to the finals, clearly not an easy adversary. Moreover, among the Spirit Clan of the Richen Empire, the wealthiest tribe was that of the Liuli Stone. This tribe also possessed a powerful innate ability to discover various gemstone mines. The largest coin-making factory in Demon Monster Land belonged to the Liuli Stone tribe. Therefore, it was not surprising for this tribe to have substantial resource capabilities, and the origins of this contestant\'s "finery" were naturally constructed from wealth.
The Skyreach Business Association of the Rihchen Empire, where Fat Compiler from the association Tang San had seen operated, is backed by the Liuli Stone tribe.
Facing such a wealthy opponent, even Big Cat\'s pupils contracted as it became extremely cautious. Aside from the opponent\'s innate abilities, the equipment alone was formidable, possibly attached with unknown capabilities. Facing such an opponent would undoubtedly be very tricky.
"From Jiali City\'s Lion Tiger Tribe, Big Cat faces off against Gu Lan from Liuli City\'s Liuli Tribe, the match begins!"
In the final stage, at last, they could be announced by name, a much better treatment than during the group stage.
After the Great Demon King referee announced the start of the match, he retreated to the edge of the platform, releasing a bloodline protective shield around himself and closely watching the contestants.
The platform for the finals was much larger than before, a massive five hundred meters in diameter, making the contestants appear as little more than specks to each other that could only be seen clearly with focused eyesight. However, the spacious platform provided both sides with ample room to battle.
Big Cat took a deep breath and roared toward the sky. Its body surged, and in an instant, it transformed into a giant warrior over five meters tall, striding aggressively toward its opponent.
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