Tang San conveyed all of this to the Sunborne Nymph Emperor via divine consciousness, so the Scourge Dragon couldn't hear any of it. After listening to his explanation, the Sunborne Nymph Emperor couldn't help but say, "I have to reevaluate you... again. Your perception, insight, and execution far exceed my original expectations. If you can fully subdue this Scourge Dragon, then I really have to start considering that you might have what it takes to win the Battle for the Throne." Tang San grinned. "It was only possible thanks to your help. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to suppress it. I would've had to rely on the collar to slowly work on it, and even assuming I succeeded, I wouldn't have made it in time for it to play any role in the tournament. This was all thanks to you. That's why I am saying I'm a member of the Sunborne team." The Sunborne Nymph Emperor gave him a long, deep look and suddenly said, "You know, my rational side tells me there's a lot more to you than meets the eye. In fact, I feel like I'm bargaining with the devil . But my instincts tell me you're not a threat, or at least, I don't sense any malice from you. Jin Miaolin, remember this: No matter what happens in the future, whether or not you become an Emperor, you are part of the Solstice Empire. Even if you someday choose neutrality. Also, remember what you said today and the promise you made to me. Whatever I've given you, I can take back just as easily." "Yes, Your Majesty," Tang San replied with a respectful bow. Of course, what he thought to himself was entirely different. Once I become an Emperor... you can try to take away my things. Let's see how that works for you. "Well then, I've done all I can for you. Head back on your own now," said the Sunborne Nymph Emperor, giving Tang San one last look before disappearing in a flash of golden-red light. Watching him vanish into the distant sky, Tang San gently patted the Scourge Dragon's horn. "This plane really is blessed. To think there's even pure annihilation power here! Though it's not quite as high-level or refined as the one you can see in a divine realm, if it's cultivated properly, it could definitely become a cornerstone of a future divine realm on this plane. By the way, Brother Dragon, do you have a name?" The massive head shook slightly, then let out a low growl. Tang San could sense the Scourge Dragon's thoughts. He hadn't had an easy life; quite on the contrary.[1] The Scourge Dragon let out a low growl, clearly in agreement. With this, the frenzied beast was gone, and Scourge Dragon Nihil was born! The second round of the men's bracket had concluded. Only eighteen contenders remained, meaning that the next round would determine the top nine. The Ancestral Court announced a new decision: the upcoming round would be the final elimination round for the men's bracket. The nine remaining would enter a round-robin stage to ensure that everyone's abilities were showcased to the greatest extent possible. This raised the stakes for the third round. Those who passed would have room for error and tactical flexibility in the round-robin. Points would matter there, but until then, it was all or nothing. Thus, discussions around the third round were even more intense than they'd been during the first two. It was even possible that fewer than nine contestants would advance. On the fourth day, the women's bracket wrapped up with eight remaining contestants. Adding in the automatically-qualified Mei Gongzi and there were a clean nine contestants, which was just fine. Thus, the female semifinal lineup was now set. As the fifth day dawned, the entire Ancestral Court was abuzz with excitement. Today would determine the nine strongest eleventh-order males on the continent! Among the remaining eighteen, the dragon race still held the numbers advantage, with four contestants. The most favored, of course, was Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu. World-Sundering Sword Qiu Zixuan also made it to round three. His opponent in round two had tried everything, but even a powerful defensive divine item had been unable to withstand that one decisive sword strike. Three seeded players had been eliminated so far, all by other seeds. This confirmed that the seed selection had been fair, but at the same time, also unfortunate for those three. The Blue Gold Tree clan's carriage moved smoothly through the Ancestral Court. Jin Miaosen sat beside Tang San, whispering, "Big Brother, you've got to give it your all. If you win today, you'll enter the semifinals!" "Mhm." Tang San nodded. After hesitating a moment, Jin Miaosen added, "But if you really can't win, don't force it. Safety is more important. At least being a Blue Gold Tree comes with benefits: Even if you lose a limb, it'll just grow back." Tang San's mouth twitched. "Little twig, are you trying to encourage me? I haven't even fought yet and you're already cursing me to break my arms and legs!" Jin Miaosen giggled. "I just wanted to lighten the mood, in case you're nervous. But seriously speaking, do you have confidence in today's match? It's a shame about the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's statue. If you had more items like that, maybe you could keep going." Tang San threw her a side glance. "And who says I can't keep going?" Jin Miaosen's eyes lit up. "You've got a plan?" "You'll see for yourself." Jin Miaosen beamed. "If you make it to the semifinals, I'll... I don't even know what I'll do, but I'll be so, so happy! Big Brother, winning two matches already made history. Don't listen to those people calling you an amethystine warrior or saying you're shameless. A win is a win." Tang San sighed. "You know, if you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known people were saying that. Can you just... keep quiet for a bit?" "Uh... sorry, Big Brother. I'll be quiet." "...Wait, Big Brother! Can you tell me how you're planning to win today? Do you have a secret weapon? Come on, tell me?" By morning, the stadium was already packed. In the waiting area, the number of contestants had significantly decreased. Including those with private lounges, the holding zone felt almost empty. Big Cat sat silently among them, his expression heavy. He had survived round two—barely. His divine armor was ruined, and even with a day of rest and healing treasures, he wasn't fully recovered. He had yet to face the opponent he most wanted to fight. He didn't know if round three would bring that chance. But with his current strength, advancing again seemed unlikely. If he didn't draw that person now... he might never get the chance. Before the tournament, he had been confident. With a few divine items, rich combat experience, and a first-tier bloodline, he thought he could at least make it to the semifinals. But once the Battle for the Throne began, he realized just how formidable the opponents were. He'd had luck in the first two rounds; his first opponent hadn't quite been on par with him, and his second opponent was still recovering from injuries. Even so, the second fight had been brutal. Every contestant in the tournament was a true powerhouse. Now in round three, the odds of drawing a seeded player were much higher. Seven seeds remained among the eighteen. He might be one of the weakest two left, perhaps alongside that Blue Gold Tree clan leader. Had he failed the Golden Lion clan's hopes? No, not yet. What he needed now... was luck. He touched his storage ring. A few days before, he had come. He had given Big Cat some items and said things would go the way Big Cat wanted. Hopefully, he was right. But... where was he? Why hadn't he appeared in the matchmaking tournament? Surely he would have joined, considering that his own girlfriend was the big prize. Yet Big Cat hadn't seen his name among the contestants. He had no way of knowing that the very person he was fretting about was calmly drinking tea in his VIP pavilion. The Blue Gold Tree clan elders sat behind him, sweating. Without the Sword Saint Statue, how could their leader win the third match? Powerful auras bloomed across the mountain. The Emperors had arrived. "Prepare for the draw," came the familiar voice of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor. Tang San set down his teacup and stepped outside. Ning Chen'en also emerged from his own VIP pavilion. He grinned. "Clan Leader Jin, if I draw you today, that'll be lucky." Tang San smiled. "Odds are pretty high. You might just get your wish." Ning Chen'en laughed. "I look forward to it." All the contestants gathered in the open air. A white light sphere descended from the sky, but no one rushed forward this time. This draw was critical. Luck would determine who had a shot at the semifinals. No one wanted to draw a seed, and the seeds themselves were especially wary of other seeds. Tang San didn't care. He stepped up first and reached into the void. A ball of white light landed in his hand. Ning Chen'en showed no intention of following suit. "What number did you get, Clan Leader Jin?" Tang San held up his light orb. "Number one." "The first one? That's unlucky. First to be eliminated, how unfortunate..." Ning Chen'en looked at Tang San with mock regret, but was met with Tang San's calm smile. 1. In case you wonder why we're switching the pronouns, it's because the dragon now has a proper personality and a name, and Tang San calls it "brother." We can assume Tang San knows how to tell if a lizard is male or female. Probably.[ref] At first, he was hailed as a prodigy for awakening an unprecedented bloodline power, and he had even been considered another potential Crystal Demon Emperor. But as he grew stronger, the destructive intent began to invade his mind, making him periodically go berserk. Eventually, he lost all control of himself, and as a result, he ended up having to be locked in a cage. He was then subjected to all kinds of abuse, becoming nothing more than an experiment and finally being shackled with the collar—the only thing that could still keep him under control. How could he not harbor resentment? Though he was a dragon, he loathed the dragon race deeply. Even recalling his past experiences caused his emotions to stir, and Tang San had to once again use life energy to suppress the thirst for destruction that threatened to reemerge. "Brother Dragon, how about I give you a name? You can't yet fully control your power, but once you do, you'll become a real powerhouse. The annihilation attribute of your bloodline power is something this world has never seen. So, how about this... Let's call you Nihil. What do you think?"[ref]The name in the raws literally means "hegemon of destruction," "extermination tyrant," and other such, and... it happens to be the Chinese name of Thanos. Yes, that Thanos. Since we absolutely refuse to use that name (for what we hope are understandable reasons), we picked a name that is somewhat related to the original and makes sense relative to the dragon's abilities. "Nihil" means "nothing" in Latin and is the origin of the word "annihilation," as well as "nil" and "nihilism" in English. The original pronunciation in Classical Latin is something like "nee-heel," with a hard "h" that has since disappeared from the English pronunciation. ☜