Chapter 289: Chapter 288 The Battle Begins

```The Ninth Stage Elephant Demons, hailed as one of the strongest defenses below the God Rank. Great strength and defense are their forte.

The cultivation base of the Elephant Demons is directly proportional to their height; from a visual assessment, it was clear that among the five Elephant Demons opposite them, in addition to one at the Ninth Stage, there were also two at the Eighth Stage and two at the Seventh Stage. This was indeed quite an impressive lineup, particularly since the Elephant Demons are a strong race. At the same stage, the power of strong races simply cannot be compared to that of weaker ones.

On Tang San's side, there was one at the Eighth Stage, two at the Seventh Stage, one at the Sixth Stage, and one at the Fifth Stage. During registration, one had to clearly indicate their stage level, so the opponents obviously knew the strength of Tang San's side. Moreover, they were humans.

"Once the fight begins, proceed according to the original plan,"

On the stands, the announcer's voice, filled with excitement, rang out once again, "I believe everyone is already eager! So, let's get our countdown ready, combatants prepare, the group battle is about to begin!"

The Grand Animal Fighting Arena had no need for referees, nor did it have any. The victor lived, the loser died, that was all there was to it.

Wu Bingji took a step forward, with Gu Li following him, the two standing side by side. Tang San was behind them, and Cheng Zicheng unleashed his Golden Peng Transformation, spreading a pair of golden wings on his back, gently flapping them and already taking to the sky.

Du Bai stood at the very back, a metallic array plate already in his right hand.

On the other side, the five Elephant Demons roared, their bodies swelling again, their skin turning to an iron-grey color, revealing thick keratin layers on the surface. Their trunks waved as they went down on all fours, transforming into gigantic elephants, ready to charge at any moment.

"The match begins! Countdown!" Accompanied by a loud shout from the stands, the brutal group battle of the Grand Animal Fighting Arena finally lifted its curtain.

"Boom!" The five Elephant Demons charged almost simultaneously, with the Ninth Stage Elephant Demon leading the frenzied stampede.

They had certainly heard the one-minute timer, and they absolutely detested the humans before them. If they hadn't been backed into a corner, who would willingly take part in a group battle where death was a very real possibility? The Ninth Stage Elephant Demon was the uncle of that Seventh Stage Elephant Demon; he had to join the battle to spare his nephew's life.

All they wanted was to quickly crush these human ants before them into mush!

Meanwhile, on the side of the Shrek squad, except for Cheng Zicheng who swiftly flew high into the sky, the others remained in their original spots, each releasing their Demon God Transformation.

Surrounded by an icy blue light, Wu Bingji's eyes turned completely ice blue. Green light twined around Tang San. Gu Li underwent the most noticeable transformation, dragging a long tail behind him with scales emerging for body protection. Only Du Bai seemed unchanged, but the array plate in his hand had already lit up.

A ring of white light appeared under the feet of the four, rising upward and coating them with a layer of white radiance. Their aura increased correspondingly, with their bloodline power clearly undergoing some changes.

When that white light array appeared at their feet, the noise from the stands underwent a brief stillness.

What was that? This was the thought in the minds of most spectators. Then they saw the rising white radiance. The true experts could feel the enhancement of the aura on Tang San and the others.

Since Cheng Zicheng had already flown into the air, he was not within the magic array and did not receive the boost.

Ascending Spirit Formation! Unlike the Spirit Gathering Array used for cultivation, this was an array designed to quickly absorb the Aura in the air and provide it to the beings within the array's range, enhancing their overall abilities, particularly energy-related ones.

The effect of this formation could enhance the overall bloodline power of Tang San and his companions by ten percent. Ten percent might not sound like much, but when applied to a significant base, the impact was different. And the one controlling the array plate was Du Bai, who had reached the level of Ninth Stage Spiritual Power; he was fully capable of bringing out the maximum potential of the Ascending Spirit Formation.

When participating in the battles of the Grand Animal Fighting Arena, one needed to register their bloodline power and Demon God Transformation cultivation base. Spiritual Power was not required for registration since there was no clear standard for assessment. In fact, in terms of Spiritual Power levels, Tang San was at the peak of the Ninth Stage, Du Bai was at the Ninth Stage, Senior Brother Wu Bingji had already touched the threshold of the Ninth Stage. Cheng Zicheng's Spiritual Power was also at the Eighth Stage, and Gu Li was in the middle of the Eighth Stage. This was where their true confidence lay.

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The appearance of the Ascending Spirit Formation momentarily baffled the five Elephant Demons charging towards them; naturally, they couldn't recognize what it was. But whether it was them or the audience in the stands, at that instant, everyone felt an odd sensation contort their hearts. These humans, who seemed no more threatening than lambs to the slaughter, apparently weren't so simple after all.

The distance between them closed rapidly, and leading the charge, the Ninth Stage Elephant Demon lifted its trunk, letting out a shrieking bellow. As it ran, its front limbs powerfully lifted, preparing to stomp down on the ground.

Demonic Bloodline Talent Skill, War Stomp!

This was an extremely frightening method of attack. The shockwave produced by the War Stomp could create an earthquake effect and would spread outwards in a semi-circular arc, possessing a wide attack range and explosive force. It could produce miraculous results on large-scale battlefields.

Of course, it was useless against opponents in the air.

A War Stomp from a Ninth Stage Elephant Demon would undoubtedly be too much for Tang San and his group to withstand. They would be sent flying by the force.

But in that very moment, Tang San and his team acted.

A swath of ice-blue light cascaded out, while at the same time, two bursts of azure light soared abruptly. Time, too, seemingly froze for a moment.

All these abilities targeted the Ninth Stage Elephant Demon. Furthermore, a mass of gold descended from the sky, spiraling rapidly as it collided with the Elephant Demon. Sёarᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Tang San was well aware that the Elephant Demon Clan excelled in the War Stomp, so when devising his tactics, he naturally included countermeasures.

The two bursts of azure light were twin tornadoes that appeared right beneath the limbs the Ninth Stage Elephant Demon sought to raise, providing an upward thrust.

A mere whirlwind condensed from the wind element, no matter what, wouldn't stop a stomp from a Ninth Stage Elephant Demon. Tang San's current cultivation base wasn't enough; even concentrating the wind element wouldn't suffice. But with the addition of Time Coagulation, things were different.

The Time Variation Seal's Time Coagulation caused the Elephant Demon's body to pause for a split second. However, its momentum from its previous high-speed charge still propelled it forward. Simultaneously, the force of its most powerful stomp was greatly disturbed by the time stasis, drastically reducing its strength. Under these conditions, the support of the wind element served like a cushion, slowing the vicious force of the creature's limbs as they came down and preventing the full effect of the War Stomp.

Simultaneously, the golden light fell from nowhere. Amidst pained roars, the Elephant Demon's raised trunk was slashed off by a chunk.

The sharpness of the Golden Wing Cloak Slash was undeniable, and the speed granted by the Golden Peng Transformation was not something it could dodge under the influence of the Time Variation Seal.

When its front limbs hit the ground, the intense pain had already caused it to lose control over its body. Coupled with its forward momentum, its entire balance was disrupted.

And at that moment, the spot where its front limbs were about to land turned out to be a patch of solid ice.

Almost instantly, a "slish" sound echoed as cracks formed on the ice's surface. After all, the body of a Ninth Stage Elephant Demon was incredibly large, and its weight equally astonishing. Yet its massive body slid sideways, flying away.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Before the other four Elephant Demons could react, the Ninth Stage one had already been sent flying, and the anticipated War Stomp failed to materialize.

Meanwhile, eight gleams of cold light appeared almost instantaneously. Like a barrier, the huge Ninth Stage Elephant Demon had been blocking its comrades behind it. When it was knocked aside, the remaining four Elephant Demons were left to face Tang San and his three companions.