<h4>Chapter 345: Arrival of the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint</h4>


    The ten group battles had been a transformative experience for the entire Shrek Squad.


    Facing the genuine pressure of life and death threats, their actualbat experience, coordination, and personal strength had all advanced significantly.


    This brought Tang San a sense of relief.


    The potential for growth in his fourpanions was immense, and they could all look forward to a bright future.


    Everyone was exhausted and returned to their rooms to rest.


    Tang San walked to the bed as well; this time, from the room he had been assigned, he could see outside the Great Beast Fighting Arena.


    He opened the window, and he could faintly hear asional cheers from the city—clearly human voices.


    Their victory today had a significant impact on the humans in Kali City.


    But the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King was right; it would attract apprehension precisely because of the impact.


    For the demons, eliminating potential problems was as simple as killing them.


    The Ancestral Court was a ce they had to visit.


    If they didn''t go to the Ancestral Court, all their previous efforts would be in vain.


    Tang San needed to find opportunities for hispanions and himself.


    His path to godhood was destined to be incredibly challenging. The Ancestral Court would be his chance to test himself and understand the highest power levels in this world.


    The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King was very efficient. The next day, someone came to handle the registration for their noble status.


    Both demon and nymph nobles needed to register at the Noble Court to confirm their identities.


    Each major city had its own Noble Court, and Kali City was no exception. The Peacock Demon n managed this branch, of course.


    Once their noble status was registered, their residences were arranged.


    As nobles, they now had the right to ownnd, and naturally the right to build a residence on it.


    The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King was very generous. As the wealthiest being in all of Kali City and one of the wealthiest merchants even among all demon races, he gave five houses to Tang San and hispanions in a prosperous area.


    Each house covered an area of about 300 square meters and had its own courtyard. The five houses were next to each other and not too far from the central square of Kali City, on a street on the east side of the city lord''s mansion.


    They had the right to recruit vassals to serve them, and they could also recruit ves, but ves were not allowed to enter the city itself and could only work for them outside the city.


    They didn''t see the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King again; his subordinates arranged everything properly. By the third day after thepetition ended, they had already moved into their houses.


    The houses were fully furnished; theycked luxurious decorations, but they were still better than their quarters at Redemption Academy. They were clean and tidy, with nts adorning the courtyards. Each house had five rooms, enough to amodate more than a dozen people.


    In the following days, Tang San and hispanions stayed mostly indoors. On the tenth day after thepetition ended, someone Tang San had been waiting for finally arrived.


    Tang San came out when he heard a knock on the door. These past few days, he had stayed here, except for a secret trip back to Redemption Academy tomunicate with his master.


    Their residences were monitored. The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King''s men subtly expressed that this surveince was not from the Great Beast Fighting Arena but to ensure their future participation in the Ancestral Courtpetition.


    Opening the courtyard door, he first saw a tall and burly man.


    His injuries seemed almost healed, but his expression was grim. Behind him stood four sturdy demons from the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape n. Each one exuded a powerful aura.


    The leading Bloodthirsty Demon Ape was the one who was always present before their battles. Upon seeing Tang San, it immediately smiled and said, "Brother Asura, I’ve brought you your spoils. How you handle him is up to you. We''ve sealed his cultivation, so you can do as you please. The arena master asked us to bring him to you. His injuries are mostly healed, but you should still be careful."


    "Thank you," Tang San said. The Bloodthirsty Demon Ape didn''t linger; it waved its hand and left with its subordinates.


    Tang San nced at the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint and turned to walk inside. "Come in."


    The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint remained silent, quietly following him into the courtyard.


    "Close the door," Tang San said calmly.


    The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint hesitated momentarily, letting out a dissatisfied grunt, but still closed the door.


    Tang San led him into the main house, where he sat down in the main seat in the living room and pointed to a chair beside him.


    The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint didn''t sit down; he looked at Tang San coldly and said, "Does what you said that day still count?"


    Tang San calmly retorted, "Do you have the right to negotiate terms with me?"


    The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint''s alreadyrge eyes widened even more. "What do you mean? You tricked me?"


    "What good would it do me to trick you? But you need to understand your current status. Right now, you''re nothing but my spoil of war. In other words, you''re my ve. Do you not understand what a ve is?"


    "You..." The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint let out a roar. Despite his sealed cultivation, he still exuded a ferocious aura.


    Tang San looked at him and shook his head.


    Then, he slowly stood up and walked over to the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint.


    As he saw Tang San approaching, for some unknown reason, the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint''s previously strong momentum waned, and he subconsciously reined it in a bit.


    Facing the much taller Lion-Tiger Sword Saint, Tang San asked calmly, "What is your goal for cultivation?"


    The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint unhesitantly replied, "Of course, to be powerful."


    "How powerful?"


    "Naturally, to be a Demon Emperor. That''s the ultimate goal of every demon," the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint said proudly.


    Tang San asked, "A Lion-Tiger Demon Emperor? Has there ever been one?"


    The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint was at a loss for words. Indeed, there had never been a Lion-Tiger Demon Emperor in the history of demons.


    "You should be well aware of your problems. The bloodlines of the Golden Lion and the Golden Tiger make you strong, but the conflict between these two bloodlines also troubles you greatly. You''ll never break through to the tenth tier if you can''t unite the two, and even being the strongest below the god level is worth exactly zero if you can’t be a god. Not to mention..."


    He paused for a moment, then said mockingly, "...you''re not even the strongest below the god level."


    The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint''s breathing became heavy instantly, and he seemed to be on the verge of exploding.


    But Tang San continued leisurely, as if he hadn''t noticed, "To truly be stronger, you must solve the problem with your bloodline. Sadly, you can’t solve it, and neither can the Demon Emperors. You are not the only one of the Lion-Tiger lineage. There aren’t many, but they exist. You must be considered lucky. Whether it’s the first generation born from the Lion and Tiger ns or the offspring of Lion-Tiger demons themselves, not many survive, right? Most die young, am I correct?"


    The Lion-Tiger Sword Saint trembled, and he blurted out, "How do you know this?"


    This was no secret for the Lion and Tiger ns, but it was not something a human should know.


    Tang San replied calmly, "I inferred it from your bloodline. Your Lion-Tiger Golden Astral is extremely violent but full of contradictions. The two stimte each other, and your blood is always boiling during battles. Not just anyone can endure such a domineering bloodline. You are very lucky, born with a strong innate constitution thanks to the Golden Lion and Golden Tiger bloodlines. This is why you survived and became powerful. But most Lion-Tiger demons are not so fortunate."