The fifth match, starting at 9 AM the following morning, was between the Vatican Special Zone team and the African Special Zone team.
The Vatican team fielded their Holy Son, a remarkably refined individual clad in a white clerical robe. He strode onto the stage, his golden hair and delicate features radiating an aura of divinity.
"This kid doesn't seem entirely human," Zhang Haoran, a legitimate descendant of the Celestial Masters sect, commented. "He's likely not a pure human bloodline, similar to Adam Sol. Humans don't possess such a sacred aura. It seems Marshal Jiang's prediction was correct." Zhang Haoran was highly sensitive to the spiritual energies of other religions.
"Are you sure?" Jiang Zheng asked, leaning forward. "Can you tell if he's possessed as a vessel or if he's a hybrid, born of an angel and a human?"
"Definitely a hybrid," Zhang Haoran affirmed, his gaze shifting to the other two members of the Vatican team. "He still carries human bloodline traces, merely masked by his overwhelming sacred aura. But those two teammates are quite peculiar."
"The Divine Trickster is very sensitive to different religious energies, being a direct inheritor of the Daoist tradition," Ying Xuan added in support. "Their cultivation principle is to follow nature and achieve tranquility. The Divine Trickster wouldn't be mistaken about this."
"Those two teammates possess two distinct energies," Zhang Haoran continued after a careful assessment. "One is a sacred aura carrying immense pressure, and the other is the aura of a human bloodline. Old Jiang, your suspicion about them being vessels for possession is likely correct."
Jiang Zheng fell silent after Zhang Haoran's explanation, seemingly lost in thought.
The attention of everyone shifted back to the arena.
From the African Special Zone, the Lion Warrior inheritor, Babulu, took the stage, accompanied by his grassland lion. This lion was at the peak of the Silver tier, a step above its previous rank.
Babulu was equipped with an oval shield on one arm, from which hung two javelins, while he held another javelin in his free hand. A Bozand short sword was sheathed at his waist, completing his traditional African warrior attire.
He struck his javelin against his shield, causing a red light to envelop both weapons.
"Ha!" Babulu hurled his javelin at the Holy Son as his grassland lion lunged forward with a roar.
The Holy Son remained unfazed. He raised his hands and chanted, "God said: Light is indestructible." A wall of light materialized, intercepting Babulu's javelin.
"God said: Restrain." With these words, the grassland lion was suspended in mid-air.
Seeing his combat companion immobilized, Babulu spread his arms and cried out, "Great ancestors, bestow your power upon Babulu!"
A red light flashed across Babulu's body. He snatched a javelin from his shield and unleashed a volley of projectiles at the Holy Son.
Shielding himself with his left arm, he gripped his Bozand short sword and charged at the Holy Son.
"Bang!" Two javelins shattered the light shield, and at that precise moment, Babulu closed the distance, engaging the Holy Son in close combat.
"God said: Your body shall lose its strength."
"God said: Light shall become an obstruction to your path."
Babulu instantly felt his body weaken. A wall of light reappeared before the Holy Son, blocking his advance.
"Great ancestors, banish this curse from Babulu's body and restore my strength!"
Having invoked the Ancestral Blessing, Babulu dispelled the negative status effects. Now imbued with power again, he raised his shield high and slammed it against the light wall before the Holy Son.
"I truly underestimated you. But this is the end," the Holy Son declared as he ascended, retreating backward.
"God said: The world needed light, and so there was light."
"God said: All evil powers shall be purified by light."
"God said: All enemies of light shall fall."
Babulu was disoriented by the sudden brilliance, and his Ancestral Blessing began to wane. His vision darkened, and he collapsed onto the stage without warning. Throughout the exchange, the grassland lion had been utterly ineffective.
The Chinese contingent watched the match with grim expressions.
"The Great Prophecy, a unique divine ability of the Angelic race," Jiang Zheng stated, recalling information from his grandfather.
"As he employed the Great Prophecy, his sacred aura continuously suppressed and eroded the human bloodline," Zhang Haoran relayed his findings. "This race is terrifying, capable of diluting human bloodlines and transforming humans into angels."
"It seems the Vatican is our greatest enemy in this secret realm," Lin Zhan turned to Jiang Zheng. "As a vessel for the descent of angelic souls, how strong can such individuals become? And how prevalent are they within the Vatican?"
"According to my grandfather's research, humans must possess a specific bloodline to serve as vessels for angelic souls," Jiang Zheng explained. "These are descendants from very early unions between angels and humans."
"Over time, their angelic bloodline has become diluted, but it retains angelic traits. Such humans cannot be converted, making them ideal soul vessels."
"These humans, upon whom souls descend, can fight at a level one tier above their own," Jiang Zheng continued. "Furthermore, due to the strength of the angelic soul, when not in combat, humans of the same tier cannot ascertain their true power. But once a fight begins, they discover their opponent possesses superior combat prowess. Ordinary human warriors would be instantly annihilated."
"So, the two members of the Vatican team, though at the peak of the Silver tier, can unleash the combat power of the peak Gold tier," Lin Zhan mused. "Coupled with the more formidable Holy Son, this presents a difficult situation."
"Don't forget Adam Sol and India's Buddhist Prince, Old Lin," Ying Xuan reminded him. "That brings the number of Gold tier and above combatants to five. Who knows if the American or Indian teams have any hidden strength as well."
Lin Zhan pondered silently. *My Golden and Blackie are both peak Gold tier. I myself am at the high Gold tier. With Origin Sharing and Rune Armaments activated, Golden and Blackie can reach early Platinum tier. At that level, peak Gold tier opponents can't break their defenses. If necessary, I can deploy the Black Tortoise Cannon. As long as their defense doesn't exceed mid-Platinum tier, they should be killable. We're still quite safe.*
"Old Lin has gone silent. It seems things are indeed not straightforward," Ying Xuan remarked to Zhang Haoran.
"Prepare for a desperate fight," Zhang Haoran said gravely. "Your Chinese Dragon Soul and my 'Summoning God' technique should be able to hold off four opponents at or above the high Gold tier. If these guys have more hidden strength, our other team members will be in dire straits. Aside from Xiao Hanyi and a few others, the rest might suffer casualties."
"It won't come to that," Lin Zhan declared. "We absolutely cannot let any team members get injured. The loss of even one of them would be a significant blow to China."