Chapter 306: Claws of the White Tiger

Chapter 306: Chapter 306: Claws of the White Tiger

The projection array spun above the arena, its runes flashing through a dozen names before settling on two.

White Tiger Sect vs. Thunderclap Sect.

The crowd roared again, the energy in the coliseum shifting from celebration to anticipation.

Damon sat up straighter on the bench, his arm still wrapped around Ariel’s shoulders. She was awake now, watching the stage with renewed focus.

"White Tiger," Mio said from his left. "They’re one of the four guardian sects. They don’t lose often."

Damon nodded. He had read about them in the sect library.

The White Tiger Sect specialized in beast bloodline cultivation, their disciples training in the Savage Wildlands to awaken their inner beast.

They were known for brutality, not technique.

The Thunderclap Sect was the opposite. Speed and precision. Lightning cultivators who struck fast and struck hard.

Both teams entered the arena floor.

The Thunderclap Sect sent three spear cultivators forward, their weapons crackling with yellow lightning.

The spears hummed with stored energy, the tips glowing bright as they took formation.

The White Tiger vanguard stepped up to meet them.

A tall, broad-shouldered youth with silver-streaked hair led the charge.

His name was Tora, but the crowd called him Captain Tora. Damon had seen his name in the registration records.

The Thunderclap trio didn’t wait for an introduction.

They moved as one, their spears lashing out in a coordinated strike that blurred with speed.

Yellow lightning arced between the three weapons, forming a net of crackling energy that swept toward the White Tiger line.

The first White Tiger disciple tried to block.

The spear slipped past his guard and caught him in the shoulder, drawing blood. He stumbled back, clutching the wound.

The crowd gasped.

In seconds, the White Tiger vanguard was on the defensive, their raw strength no match for the Thunderclap trio’s coordinated speed.

Damon watched with narrowed eyes.

’They’re fast. But they’re not using their full power yet.’

He was right.

Captain Tora stepped forward. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

He grabbed the shoulder of his bleeding teammate and pulled him back. Then he turned to face the Thunderclap trio.

His muscles swelled.

White-and-silver fur sprouted across his arms, thick and bristling.

His hands cracked and reshaped themselves, the fingers thickening into massive claws that gleamed like adamantine blades.

His eyes shifted, the pupils becoming vertical slits, the irises turning a feral gold.

The transformation rippled through his entire body, his robes tearing at the seams as his chest broadened and his spine elongated.

He was no longer a man.

He was a beast.

The Thunderclap trio didn’t hesitate. They launched their attack, three spears converging on his chest, lightning blazing along the shafts.

Tora didn’t dodge.

The lightning struck him square in the chest, scorching his robes and blackening the fur beneath. The smell of burnt flesh filled the arena.

But Tora didn’t flinch.

He grabbed the first spear with his bare hand and crushed it.

The sound of splintering metal echoed through the coliseum.

The Thunderclap disciple’s eyes went wide. He tried to retreat, but Tora was faster.

The tiger claw punched through his spiritual defenses and caught him in the ribs. Bone cracked. The disciple flew backward, crashing into the barrier and sliding down limp.

Tora turned to the second spear.

The disciple thrust forward, aiming for Tora’s throat. Tora caught the blade between his palm and his chest, the tip stopping an inch from his skin.

He squeezed. The metal crumpled like paper.

Then he ripped the spear from the disciple’s hands and drove the broken end through the disciple’s thigh.

The scream was cut short when Tora’s fist connected with his jaw.

Bone shattered.

The disciple dropped.

Tora faced the third Thunderclap fighter.

The man was already backing away, his spear trembling in his hands. He threw it like a javelin, lightning arcing along its path.

Tora caught it mid-air and snapped it over his knee.

Then he lunged.

The third disciple didn’t have time to scream.

Tora’s claw caught him across the chest, shredding his robes and the flesh beneath.

He flew backward, blood spraying across the arena floor.

The crowd went silent.

Then they erupted.

Damon watched from the dugout, his golden eyes tracking every movement.

’He’s fast. Strong. His beast bloodline is at least Heaven Grade. And he’s not even using his full power yet.’

Tora stood in the center of the arena, his chest heaving, blood dripping from his claws. He turned to face the Thunderclap dugout.

The remaining Thunderclap disciples hesitated.

Their captain, a wiry man with a lightning-forged spear, stepped forward.

He was fast. His spear was a blur of yellow energy as he launched a dozen thrusts in the span of a breath.

Tora didn’t block.

He let the lightning strike him. Let the spear tips dig into his flesh. Then he grabbed the spear and pulled.

The Thunderclap captain stumbled forward, and Tora’s claw caught him across the throat.

Not deep enough to kill. But enough to send a message.

The captain collapsed, clutching his neck, blood seeping through his fingers.

Tora stood over him, his tiger eyes glowing.

"Next."

The Thunderclap Sect sent their remaining fighters one by one.

Tora tore through them all.

He broke arms. Shattered ribs. Ripped through spiritual defenses like they were paper.

The arena floor was slick with blood, the white stone stained crimson.

By the time the fifth Thunderclap disciple fell, the White Tiger Sect had secured their victory.

Grand Marshal Vane’s voice cut through the roar.

"White Tiger Sect advances to the Top 16!"

Tora stood in the center of the carnage, his fur matted with blood, his claws still dripping. He turned and looked directly at the Azure Dragon dugout.

At Damon.

Their eyes met.

Tora smiled.

It was not a friendly smile.

It was the smile of a predator who had found worthy prey.

Damon met his gaze without flinching, his golden eyes steady and calm.

He turned back to his women, his voice low and steady.

"Looks like we have real competition."