Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 566: Three Gifts (Part 2)

The Peacock Great Demon King continued, "Out of the nine, two are out of the question. There are seven left, and among these seven, you must gain the support of five. This is very difficult, very difficult indeed.

"The attitude of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor is crucial. He is the true ruler of the Ancestral Court and the master of fate. To successfully inherit the position of city lord, you must obtain his support. If he decides to oppose you, then most of the other Demon Emperors are likely to follow suit. Conversely, if he supports you, the more neutral Demon Emperors are also likely to do the same.

"With that in mind, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor is the one you must actively seek in the future. As for how to establish a good relationship with him, that entirely depends on yourselves. But I can tell you that the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor loves talent. If you can win at least one championship this time, the likelihood of gaining his support will greatly increase. He has always considered the development of the demons and nymphs alike as his responsibility, and he will support anything that benefits both.

"The Celestial Foxes themselves aren’t anything special in terms of direct combat. So how could they become a top clan? It is because they have always made the right investments in various powerful beings. All the Demon Emperors, and even the Nymph Emperors, have benefited in one way or another from the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor. The Celestial Fox clan will naturally continue to do so in their legacy.

"In any case, as long as you can win the championship, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's support for you will not be criticized. You will have earned this through your own strength.

"If you can secure the support of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, along with the White Tiger Demon Emperor, you'll have the foundation you need to go through the evaluation of the Council. The support of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor can offset the influence of the Crystal Demon Emperor, and although the White Tiger Demon Emperor is not very well-liked, his actual combat power might be even stronger than his ranking suggests. It is said that he once fought the Undying Demon Emperor to a draw. With the support of these two, your chances of gaining the support of the other Demon Emperors will be higher.

"The one who will definitely oppose you without a second thought is the Undying Demon Emperor. In ancient times, the clans of the phoenix race and our Peacock Demon clan have always competed for the title of King of All Birds. When our Peacock Demon clan had an Emperor that held the secrets of heaven, we fully suppressed them. Obviously, the Undying Demon Emperor has little wish for those times to return. In other words, with things as they are, at least three Demon Emperors will oppose you."

A wry smile appeared on Tang San's face. Who knew what the other Emperors would say? As for the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor that the Peacock Great Demon King mentioned, it was the one Tang San least wanted to face.

Before he regained his God King powers, the less he dealt with this one, the better. Otherwise, it would mean significant trouble if his secrets were discovered.

Helping Mei Gongzi inherit the position of lord of Kali City seemed more difficult than he had initially imagined.

The Peacock Great Demon King paused for a moment, then continued, "I am actually quite confident about getting the Celestial Fox's support. The main reason is that Mei Gongzi has truly mastered the Celestial Plume and obtained the clan’s heritage.

"There is an old saying in the Ancestral Court: 'The Celestial Fox controls fate, while the Peacock peers into the secrets of the heavens.' These two things work perfectly in conjunction. Fate connects the present to the future, while knowing the so-called secrets of heaven is knowing the future. They naturally complement each other.

"The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor actually truly began to rule the Ancestral Court during the time of my ancestor, the Peacock Demon Emperor. When fate and destiny combine, they can control the future of the demon and nymph races. Little Mei can now glimpse the secrets of the heavens, and the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor understands better than anyone the benefits of having such an ally for the Celestial Fox clan. It would also allow him to have a much better grasp on the Ancestral Court."

Tang San’s eyes narrowed. "Can the Celestial Plume really see the future?"

The Peacock Great Demon King nodded and said, "Yes, but it requires the user to become a god first. It needs divine consciousness and also... life force. Excessive use can damage one's essence. This is why my ancestor, the Peacock Demon Emperor, had a short lifespan; she peered too much into destiny."

Hearing this, Tang San immediately frowned. Peering into the secrets of heaven inevitably led to the backlash from said heaven. This was an extremely troublesome matter. The heavenly ways were complex, elusive, and mysterious—they were, after all, the fundamental power that organized the universe. Even when he was a God King and seemingly in control of everything, he couldn't save Xiao Wu's life because her condition was precisely a result of such a backlash. She used her body to take on that backlash while helping him.

Therefore, anything involving this aspect triggered a strong reaction in Tang San. Perhaps in the eyes of the Peacock Great Demon King, the ability of the Celestial Plume to peer into destiny was a divine technique, but to Tang San, it was no different from unleashing a terrifying savage beast to defend you from a much weaker savage beast. He would never let Mei Gongzi use it to peer into the secrets of heaven. No, this wasn't safe; he had to find a way to destroy the Celestial Plume. He could not allow it to exist.

Of course, if the Peacock Great Demon King knew what Tang San was thinking, he would be furious. The Celestial Plume was the supreme divine artifact of his clan, and the way their legacy was passed on.

The Peacock Great Demon King continued, "Once you have the support of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, the chances of success are quite high. Now, with that said... I mentioned earlier that I have prepared three gifts for you, but I only told you about two. As for the third gift, do not tell Mei Gongzi, or at least not now. Wait until she has firmly secured the position of city lord, and then consult her mother first."

Tang San was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

The Peacock Great Demon King's eyes narrowed slightly. The next moment, he began to communicate with Tang San through voice transmission.

Tang San had been perfectly calm up until now, even as he heard about the secrets of heaven and whatnot. As the Peacock Great Demon King spoke inside his head, though, his eyes widened, and his expression immediately betrayed the immense shock he was feeling.

Seeing his expression, the Peacock Great Demon King's lips curled up slightly. Clearly, he was rather pleased to see the unperturbable Asura lose composure. "Now you understand why I chose Little Mei as my successor, right? There is absolutely no way anybody expects this, and this is my real trump card. You made that blood oath and you've shown enough strength, so you are qualified to know this secret. You're also smart, so you should know how to use it. Before I die, I will reveal this trump card and lay the groundwork for you."

At this moment, Tang San was indeed exactly as shocked as he appeared. In his mind, the majestic and dignified person in front of him had completely transformed into what humans usually called a "scheming bastard." It was painfully clear that despite approaching death, this peerless Great Demon King could still play everyone around him like a fiddle.

"Since you have this trump card, why didn't you reveal it earlier?" Tang San couldn't help but ask.

The Peacock Great Demon King replied calmly, "I have my pride. For the sake of my clan, I can certainly do things I dislike, but from my own perspective, I don't want to use such means. Life and death are trivial; we just do what we must. In truth, there are no winners among us."

Tang San looked at his interlocutor with a complex expression, not knowing what to say for a moment. However, he couldn't help but gain more respect for him. This Peacock Great Demon King truly was a legendary figure! The third gift surprised even a seasoned strategist like Tang San—he had devised quite a few successful schemes himself, yet this approach still gave him a sense of amazement. No wonder the old peacock could remain calm when faced with life and death and the immense turmoil in Kali City. This trump card was truly formidable!

"Remember everything I've told you today. In the upcoming competitions, keep working hard and give it your all. You must win a championship. Your path should be clear after defeating the Meng Dede duo in the doubles competition, and you’re most definitely in the top four in the individual competition. Mei Gongzi should have no problem entering the top four, either. Then, it will depend on the subsequent matches. Currently, your situation looks perfectly favorable, but you must remain cautious. Because you defeated Meng Dede, your next opponents might receive more support from their races. Can you use that power again?"