Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 484: Repulsion Domain?

Asura didn't explain further and changed the topic. "I feel like your Lion-Tiger Golden Force has improved again. I sensed it in the last match."

Big Cat nodded and said, "During my training in Golden Valley, I gradually felt a sense of integration. Our Lion-Tiger clan has characteristics of both the lion and tiger races. So my fused Lion-Tiger Golden Force should possess the abilities of both races, which I see it does. But this fusion isn’t so simple; I feel that it can offer some evolved abilities, so I've put a lot of effort into this area. The deeper I understand the Lion-Tiger Golden Force, the more I can sense some of its unique features."

"Oh? Tell me more." Tang San also had the Lion-Tiger Golden Force, but his bloodline was acquired from Big Cat. When it came to understanding and using this bloodline, he certainly wasn't as proficient as Big Cat. It was like how Tang San's understanding of space far surpassed Mei Gongzi's, but this had nothing to do with his bloodline and everything to do with his knowledge as a God King. When it came to manipulating space and playing with spatial rifts, he couldn't do it the way she could, even though he also had the Peacock Demon bloodline.

This was a difference in fundamental aptitude.

Simply put, Tang San possessed various bloodlines absorbed through the Mysterious Heaven Technique, but the ability he could wield from these fused bloodlines was about seventy to eighty percent of the original. He could achieve around eighty percent for those he deeply understood, while it might be closer to seventy percent for others. His advantage lay in the diversity of his bloodlines, allowing them to complement and support each other. Now, he could even fuse and apply them to some extent. However, when it came to using a single bloodline, there was a gap compared to the original of the same level.

Big Cat held nothing back from Asura and said, "The very birth of my clan was an absolutely minuscule probability. Their bloodline compatibility is not perfect, so among a hundred lion-tiger couples, there can hardly be a few cubs. Our existence itself is a low-probability event. Moreover, something like the Lion-Tiger Golden Force appearing is even more unlikely. So I thought... Since these unlikely events actually occurred, then could they have resulted in a mutation of the Lion-Tiger Golden Force?

"And this mutation is precisely my ticket to ascension. See, I have come to understand what the Lion-Tiger Golden Force has that the lion and tiger races did not. It has an additional powerful ability generated due to the bloodline fusion, an ability that is the opposite of devouring and was the source of our previous bloodline conflicts. That ability is repulsion."

Big Cat extended his right hand as he spoke, and a faint white light appeared. "Touch it and see."

Asura raised his hand to touch it. Instantly, as his hand made contact with the white light of the Lion-Tiger Golden Force that looked exactly like his own, a powerful rebound force emerged. This rebound force combined the Lion-Tiger Golden Force and Asura's strength. He hadn’t exerted much power, but his spiritual power was strong enough to tell what was going on.

I see... the opposite of devouring is repulsion, and the Lion-Tiger Golden Force has both properties! How peculiar!

Asura asked in surprise, "How did you do this?"

Big Cat said, "It’s simply reversing the devouring process. I kept experimenting until it worked. I never expected that the bloodline conflict issue that troubled us could result in such an effect after the bloodlines fused. The repulsion ability can absorb the opponent's power and add it to my own to create a strong rebound. It's not just using their own strength against them, but combining it with mine and then bouncing it back. The devouring effect is of course more useful when the opponent uses some kind of energy I want to absorb. But if I can’t or I don't want to do that, I can use repulsion to reflect it back and let them suffer the consequences of their own attacks.

"Devouring is better for enhancing attacks, while repulsion is suited for defense. When the Lion-Tiger Golden Force is used for repelling things, the energy consumption is lower than when it’s used for devouring, and there's no concern about indigestion, like I might get from devouring a kind of energy I can’t properly absorb. Also, I can restrict the repelling effect to a certain area. I suspect that once I reach the tenth order, I should have a domain ability related to repulsion. By then, even if my opponent is stronger, they might not be able to defeat me."

Hearing this, Asura's eyes lit up, and he suggested a possibility, "I see, so a repulsion domain. That must be very powerful, but have you considered combining devouring and repulsion? Devour one, repel the next one. Wouldn't that make an attack three times as powerful as the opponent's? I mean, twice the opponent's power plus your power combined."

Now, it was Big Cat's turn for his eyes to light up. "Yeah! Why didn't I think of that?" He clapped his hands, his excitement rising.

Right, who says I can’t use the two abilities in combination? I can devour the opponent's first attack, then use repulsion on their next attack and incorporate the devoured power into the repulsion. This will make the attack far more powerful than just my own power.

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

"Practice it when you go back, but don't try to use it today! Save it as a trump card," Asura said with a chuckle.

"Got it! Haha, you're smart as always." Big Cat rubbed his hands eagerly. If it weren't for the upcoming match, he would have wanted to find a place to try it immediately.

"Big Brother Asura, are you there?" At that moment, a pleasant voice came through Asura's communicator.

That "Big Brother" made his knees a little weak. Although Mei Gongzi's tone felt somewhat awkward and unnatural, and she was clearly not used to such a form of address, he was delighted to hear it.

"I'm almost there with Big Cat. How about you?" Asura replied softly.

Big Cat rubbed his own arms and said, "Brother, you're giving me goosebumps! Are you possessed? Did a split personality take over?"

Asura glared at him, while Mei Gongzi's voice came through the communicator.

"Yes, I'm almost there, too. After returning yesterday, I practiced for half the night, and I feel that I understand space better. It's better to focus on protection rather than destruction. This way, it fights back a lot less when I try to control it. This change in mindset is really important to me. Thank you."

Tang San chuckled, "No thanks needed. That's because you're smart. Others might not understand, no matter how much I explain. Our Little Mei is truly a combination of beauty and wisdom."

"Mm-hmm, right... See you later." Mei Gongzi's face reddened slightly from his praise, and she felt that Asura's mood seemed quite different today.

Big Cat quickened his pace, trying to distance himself from the dumbass causing him goosebumps.

After ending the call, Tang San's face broke into a silly grin. It was truly wonderful to see Mei Gongzi every day.

Catching up with Big Cat, he noticed the Lion-Tiger’s odd expression and tried to explain. "Please try to understand. Uh... I mean, this is all new to me."

"Alright, whatever you say," Big Cat responded with a teasing look, a far cry from the decisive Lion-Tiger Sword Saint on the battlefield.

They arrived at the Ancestral Court Plaza and found that not only had people not gotten bored, but the sea of spectators seemed even denser.

Everyone knew that the later matches would be more exciting and intense, since the remaining contestants were the absolute cream of the crop. Naturally, they were even more eager to see who would come out on top and how.

Asura and Big Cat entered the waiting area, awaiting the start of the matches.

Asura stood in the corner, behind Big Cat. With Big Cat's imposing figure and the fearsome reputation from the first round, attention on him was minimal, just as he preferred.

Soon, Mei Gongzi arrived as well. She joined Asura and Big Cat in their waiting area this time. Since it didn't matter where she waited for the match to start, she chose to be with them. She was in the ninth group, so her match would be later.