Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 427: Two Agreements

The Golden Tigers’ Golden Blaze was explosive, while the Golden Lion clan's Golden Holy Fire was assimilative. Yet although the two were different, they had some things in common—the bloodlines were somewhat compatible, after all.

In the platinum flames just now, the assimilation aura was unmistakable. This meant that what number 336 said was true; otherwise, how could feel his own bloodline power react to it? Number 336 was at most at the ninth order, definitely not a Demon King, yet his bloodline was not inferior to the Golden Lion Demon King’s own.

"Where did the mutation come from?" the Golden Lion Demon King asked via divine consciousness.

Tang San hesitated slightly before replying through his spiritual power, "A Lion-Tiger."

The Golden Lion Demon King's expression changed instantly. "A Lion-Tiger? How... how can it be them? Don’t tell me, did they solve the..."

Tang San said calmly, "Please keep this secret. It’s something only the Golden Lion Clan should know."

The look in the Golden Lion Demon King's eyes became extremely complex. "Alright, I'll take the Sword Saint Token and await your arrival," he said, taking the Sword Saint Token from number 336’s hand.

His mind was in turmoil.

The Lion-Tiger lineage had solved the bloodline curse and produced a successful mutation, resulting in a stronger bloodline?

The Golden Lion Demon King was well aware of the relationship between the Lion-Tigers and the lion and tiger races. This long-exiled lineage was considered an ominous hybrid, and as far as he knew, the Lion-Tiger lineage was on the verge of extinction. He hadn't expected such a shocking revelation.

The Golden Lion Demon King understood the implication of his interlocutor’s words: only the Golden Lion clan should know, meaning specifically not the Golden Tigers. The lion race had no emperor as a backer, so the existence of a first-tier bloodline was undoubtedly more significant for them than it was for the tiger demons. However, the relationship between them and the Lion-Tiger lineage was equally hostile.

Tang San naturally didn't care about his thoughts. For him, time was tight and the task urgent. He retrieved the Crystal Mirror and turned to leave.

The Golden Lion Demon King raised his hand, wanting to call out to number 336 for more questions, but ultimately decided against it. This was an earth-shattering piece of news for the whole lion race. It needed to return quickly to discuss it with the Golden Lion clan's higher-ups.

He had never expected that putting the God-Slaying Sword up for auction would attract a mutated and evolved Lion-Tiger demon.

Tang San quickly walked out of the waiting area and headed outside. After passing through several guards, he finally exited the Great Beast Fighting Arena.

Freed from the atmosphere of doom and slaughter, the air seemed to become sweet, with a hint of... coldness?

A figure like an ice sculpture silently appeared in front of Tang San, causing the air temperature to drop naturally.

"Hello, Clan Leader." Tang San showed no surprise. In fact, he had arranged for the Ice Maiden Clan leader to wait for him outside.

"Mm." The Ice Maiden Clan leader nodded at him, her gaze intense.

Tang San said, "Give me a storage artifact."

The Ice Maiden Clan leader complied, taking off an ice-blue bracelet from her wrist and handing it to Tang San.

The bracelet was icy to the touch. Tang San couldn't help but marvel—it looked exactly as one would expect from an item of the Ice Maiden Clan.

Without hesitation, he began transferring naturae coins from his storage ring into the bracelet.

The process was slow due to the influence of the Temporal Beacon, and the Ice Maiden Clan leader watched him in slight surprise. With the support of the Throne of Frost, she could even reach the level of a Great Nymph King. She could clearly sense what Tang San was doing.

"What are you doing?"

The Ice Maiden Clan leader didn't even know who this young man in front of her was, yet he was indeed giving her money. The reason she had chosen to trust him earlier was not only the Crystal Demon Emperor's token, but also her own inner conflict and reluctance. Taking out the Throne of Frost was very much against her will and had only been done because of a decision of the clan elders. Taking advantage of this opportunity, she was able to keep the Throne of Frost.

If it had been auctioned, the value of the Throne of Frost would have definitely exceeded fifty thousand naturae coins. It was a true divine artifact. However, only a strong ice-attribute individual could fully unleash its power.

He looked at her calmly and said, "Clan Leader, my name is Asura. You should be able to tell that I am human, but I am no longer a vassal; I am now a noble. Today, when I saw your reluctance to part with the Throne of Frost, I could clearly feel its importance to you and the Ice Maiden clan. As the saying goes, 'A gentleman does not take away what others cherish.[1]' I believe the Throne of Frost should not fall into others' hands; only in the hands of the Ice Maiden clan is it truly the Throne of Frost. Therefore, I hope to help you, or rather, help the Ice Maiden clan through this crisis.

"I've heard a bit about the situation of the Ice Maiden Clan, particularly that you have issues with inheritance and difficulty in producing offspring. I'll give you five thousand naturae coins first, which should help with the immediate crisis. Also, I have an idea that might solve the inheritance difficulties for the Ice Maiden clan."

The Ice Maiden clan leader stared intently at him and asked, "Why do you want to help us?" She naturally didn't believe a human would be so kind as to help them without expecting anything in return.

Tang San replied, "I don't want to see the decline of the Ice Maiden clan. Also, as you know, it's difficult for humans to survive by themselves. For one, I hope to gain the friendship of the Ice Maiden clan. Helping your clan with its inheritance will be beneficial for us humans."

He didn't bid for the Throne of Frost primarily due to a lack of funds. Additionally, as a human, obtaining this former emperor's throne could lead to trouble, and even with the Crystal Demon Emperor's token, he might not be able to keep it for himself. The third reason was figuring out how to help the Ice Maiden clan with their inheritance issue was indeed within the realm of possibility, and it could result in some great opportunities.

"This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere else," the Ice Maiden clan leader said, taking the storage bracelet Tang San handed over. She confirmed it contained five thousand naturae coins, and her expression softened slightly.

"Clan Leader, I have urgent matters to attend to and must go immediately. Could you wait a few days? I will return to the Ancestral Court to discuss the details with you."

The Ice Maiden Clan leader was momentarily stunned, but then she nodded. "Of course. But aren't you afraid I'll take the money and disappear? You have no evidence to prove you gave me anything."

Tang San smiled and shook his head, "You are the master of the ice element. As the saying goes, 'If the heart is as pure as ice, one remains unshaken even if the sky collapses.[2]' If you didn't have a pure heart, you wouldn't be leading the Ice Maiden clan. Given the clan's foundation, if you were unscrupulous, you wouldn't be so strapped for resources as to auction the Throne of Frost. I mean no offense; I just want to tell you that I trust you. Since we are considering cooperation, I believe trust is fundamental. Can you please tell me where I can find you?"

"I don't have an address in Ancestral Court. I was planning to return to the clan directly after the auction," the Ice Maiden clan leader said, frowning slightly.

"How about this: I have a room at the White Tiger Hotel, and it's already paid for. You can wait for me there. I should be back to discuss things with you in two to five days. What do you think?"

The Ice Maiden clan leader nodded slightly. "That works."

Tang San handed her the room key card, bid her farewell, and quickly left.

Was it important to discuss cooperation with the Ice Maiden Clan leader? Of course it was.

Was obtaining the God-Slaying Sword important? Naturally, it was very important as well.

However, compared to meeting with Mei Gongzi, these things paled in comparison. In Tang San's heart, Mei Gongzi was always the top priority.

1. This is translated from the saying 君子不夺人所爱. In Chinese culture, this phrase embodies the moral principle that a virtuous person, often referred to as a "gentleman" (君子 junzi), should not take away something that someone else deeply cherishes, whether it be a possession, a person, or even an opportunity. ☜

2. This is translated from the saying 心若冰清、天塌不惊. It means that if you maintain inner peace and clarity, you can stay strong and unshaken no matter how chaotic things get around you. It highlights the power of staying cool and collected, no matter what life throws your way. ☜