Chapter 278: Chapter 277: The Brutal Team Battle

For a human vassal to enter the Ancestral Court is no easy feat, let alone seeking any opportunities.Tang San nodded, "I plan to go over there and have a look."

"Take me with you!" Du Bai did not hesitate to wrap his arm around Tang San's, attempting to lean his head against his shoulder.

Tang San pushed his head away, "Get lost. What do you want to go for?"

"Cough cough!" Wu Bingji coughed and said, "If possible, could you mention it to the town mayor and take me along as well?"

"Big brother, you want to go too?" Tang San looked at him in surprise.

Du Bai said irritably, "Who doesn't want to have a look at the Ancestral Court! We've all dreamt of that place since we were children. It's said to be home to countless powerful beings and numerous heaven-sent treasures. Legends say that members of both the Monster Clan and the Spirit Clan can elevate their bloodline ranks just by entering the Ancestral Court."

Tang San said, "Legends are just legends after all. Plus, the Great Demon Emperor Heavenly Fox is likely to be within the Ancestral Court, aren't you afraid of being discovered?"

Du Bai shrugged his shoulders, "What would someone like me matter to them? They won't discover me, don't worry. Just take me with you, you have to!"

Tang San helplessly said, "It's not up to me to decide. Moreover, even with the status of human vassals, it's not easy to enter the Ancestral Court."

"Then we'll join you in the Grand Animal Fighting Arena!" Du Bai said with excitement.

"Scram!" Tang San and Wu Bingji almost said in unison.

The Heavenly Fox Transformation of Du Bai simply couldn't be exposed, yet he wanted to participate in the Grand Animal Fighting Arena? If his Heavenly Fox Bloodline was discovered, it would spell big trouble.

However, Wu Bingji was tempted, "I might give it a try."

Tang San was starting to regret bringing the two of them along; he really hadn't anticipated the allure of the Ancestral Court to be so great. Searᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Let's go check out the rules at the Grand Animal Fighting Arena first. Even I am not sure of breaking through," Tang San could only try to steady them for now.

Jiali City had regained its former prosperity, and the traces left by the battle a year ago had already vanished.

As they passed by the Pretty Girl Milk Tea Shop in the center of Jiali City, Tang San saw that the shop was open, and Pretty Girl's mother was still selling milk tea.

"Wait for me a moment," Tang San called out to Wu Bingji and Du Bai, then quickly walked towards the milk tea shop.

There weren't many people in line, so it didn't take long before it was his turn, "Auntie, three cups of milk tea, please," Tang San said to Su Qin.

When Su Qin saw him, she was slightly stunned, "You are..."

With a slight smile, Tang San said, "It's me, Auntie. My name is Tang San, and I'm Little Beauty's friend."

Su Qin suddenly realized, "Ah, it's you! You've grown up quite a bit." She was inwardly astonished as she recalled Tang San being just a child in her memory, but now, he seemed to be a sunny adolescent, around sixteen or seventeen years old, tall and straight, handsome in appearance, and exuding a kind of extraordinary aura, striking a bright impression on her.

Tang San said, "Must be my growth spurt. Auntie, Little Beauty hasn't been to school for a year, when will she be back?"

Su Qin shook her head and said, "I don't know either. She went on a study tour."

"Oh. Auntie, here's the money." Tang San was about to pay when Su Qin stopped him.

"A few cups of milk tea, why would you need to pay for that? Take them and enjoy," Su Qin said as she packed the milk tea and handed it to him.

Tang San hesitated for a moment but still took the milk tea, "Then thank you very much." There was no reason to be polite with his future mother-in-law. What disappointed him a little was that he still hadn't obtained any news about Pretty Girl.

With the milk tea in hand, Tang San rejoined Wu Bingji and Du Bai and continued toward the Grand Animal Fighting Arena.

Watching their departing figures, a glint flashed in Su Qin's eyes, "This child is growing up fast indeed! He's the town head's disciple, so he should be quite young. Younger than Little Beauty, even. He's developing quite swiftly."

Tang San distributed the milk tea to Wu Bingji and Du Bai, who were no strangers to Pretty Girl Milk Tea Shop's milk tea. Savoring the familiar taste, Du Bai exclaimed, "It's really good. It's a pity we can't come to the city often, otherwise, I would really like to drink this every day."

As Tang San silently drank his milk tea, feeling the faint taste of tea mixed with the fragrance of milk, he couldn't help but be enveloped in thoughts of that beautiful silhouette. He missed her so much! Hurry back.

Eventually, they arrived at the Grand Animal Fighting Arena, a grandiose building sprawling in the city like a colossal beast. Even from a distance, they could feel a killing aura emanating from within it.

Many creatures had died here, and the lingering malice of their deaths showed no sign of fading away over time.

The trio reached the vicinity of the Grand Animal Fighting Arena and quickly found the registration area, not within the arena itself, but in a neighboring building.

Entering the building, they saw many people lining up to register; humans were few in number, and most were from the Monster Clan.

Their entrance as three humans didn't draw any attention from the Monster Clan members present.

Tang San asked Wu Bingji and Du Bai to wait for him as he queued up, and while waiting, he listened to the discussions among the monsters and the conversations with the Animal Fighting Arena's staff.

Soon, he understood why so many from Various Monster Clans joined the Beast Fight—money was a simple reason.

The Grand Animal Fighting Arena made money from ticket sales and gambling; to earn profits, they needed exciting fights. This arena wasn't limited to slaves, vassals, Various Monster Clans, and Demon Beasts. Anyone capable of fighting could participate, provided they had a draw.

Ordinary citizens came here to watch the fights and gamble, this being one of the most common forms of entertainment. Nobles, in particular, liked coming here in search of excitement.

Where did the participants in Beast Fights come from? There were Demon Beasts from hunting, slaves, but even more were those who volunteered. Yes, they volunteered.

The Monster Clan was always combative, with strength being the most important standard of status—that was one reason. The other, and most significant reason, was money. The rules of the Grand Animal Fighting Arena were straightforward: if you could defeat your opponent, you would gain a monetary reward. The more consecutive victories you had, the more money you earned. Likewise, the more consecutive wins your opponent had, the greater the monetary reward, although with greater risk. Many monsters who deemed themselves strong enough regarded the Grand Animal Fighting Arena as an ATM. It wasn't too difficult for the truly powerful to earn money here. Yet, the chances of encountering powerful opponents were not low. The few who managed to ascend to nobility by continuously defeating their opponents here were exceedingly rare. Once you amassed enough consecutive wins, you would inevitably face formidable enemies, a hidden rule of the Grand Animal Fighting Arena.

Then Tang San discovered that the Grand Animal Fighting Arena didn't only offer one-on-one duels; there were team battles as well.

Compared to single combats, team battles were even more brutal. In a single combat, if one side surrendered, the match could end. In other words, as long as your opponent hadn't killed you, or the Grand Animal Fighting Arena's staff arrived in time to save you, you had a chance to surrender and leave alive. But in team battles, it was exceedingly cruel—one side had to be completely killed for the match to end. Hence, team battles were more popular with the audience, absolutely bloody.

Because of such rules, there were relatively fewer Monster Clan members signing up for team battles. Therefore, the number of team battles was not as high as single combats.

Then there were the showcase battles, all arranged by the Grand Animal Fighting Arena officials, generally featuring strong Demon Beasts against slaves or vassals to stimulate the audience with bloody scenes. The vast majority of slaves and vassals had no chance of survival. Slaves were the primary participants. If a slave survived in such a fight three times, they could be turned into a vassal, the most direct way for a slave to escape slavery. As such, all slaves sent into battle fought desperately, pitying that they faced powerful Demon Beasts.