Chapter 56

In the early morning, the weather was clear, and the royal city was as bustling as usual. However, many people had received news that the final round of the royal city martial arts competition would involve a match against a disciple from a martial arts sect. Only by defeating this disciple could one win the ultimate victory.

Upon hearing this news, Shen Xiang inwardly cursed, guessing that this must have been arranged by Shen Furong during his recent absence from the royal city, all to prevent him from winning the championship of the royal city martial arts competition.

"Rest assured, it can't be an inner sect disciple. They don't have the time for such trivial matters. I think it's likely a more powerful outer sect disciple, probably at the Eighth Level of the Mortal Martial Realm," Su Meiyao said. She and Bai Youyou were very well-informed about matters within the sect.

"That's fine, just don't let me down," a surge of intense fighting spirit rose in Shen Xiang's heart.

On the square in front of the Yao family's main gate, tens of thousands of people had already gathered. This was the final match, and both participants were young disciples renowned for their strength.

Among the crowd, Shen Tianhu, Shen Yihan, Shen Haohai, and others were hidden, each leading fifty elite disciples of the Shen family. They were ready to act at the slightest sign of trouble.

Shen Xiang walked onto the central arena, causing a stir in the crowd.

"He actually still dares to come. I heard that the Yao family might take him down after the final match," one person said in surprise.

"It's said that the disappearance of the Yao family's genius and elders is related to him. It seems he killed them, and the Yao family will use this as an excuse to deal with him," a middle-aged man said.

"Despite his young age, he has such courage. A few days ago, he even killed Yao Cong in front of the Yao family's elders. Having strength is truly great; it allows you to be fearless in the face of threats," a young man said, his face full of envy.

"Of course, in this world, strength is paramount. With strength, you have everything."

"..."

Listening to the various discussions below, Shen Xiang knew that the Yao family had already spread the word that they were preparing to confront the Shen family. This was a common tactic in conflicts, where factions would spread rumors to warn or threaten others.

Not far from the arena, there was a tower. Inside, many people dressed in luxurious clothing were seated, surrounded by maids and guards, clearly indicating their high status.

"The emperor of the Southern Martial Kingdom has also come to watch the battle, to cheer on his son. It's said that many palace experts and concubines have also come."

Shen Xiang's eyes were incredibly sharp; he could see the people inside the tower, including a middle-aged man in a dragon robe, with a dignified and imposing presence. That was the emperor.

Imperial power was only supreme over the common people, but to powerful families, it was insignificant. In the eyes of these families, the emperor was merely a manager of the country, ensuring its orderly development and preventing chaos, allowing these families to profit from the stable populace.

The crown prince arrived, flying from a distant tower. He was dressed in a splendid, fiery red outfit, performing graceful lightness techniques as he landed on the arena, causing many women to scream in excitement.

Shen Xiang inwardly sneered, thinking, "Let you have your moment of glory. I'll make sure your imperial father won't recognize you after I'm done."

Song Nanming looked at Shen Xiang with a contemptuous gaze and said coldly, "If you don't want to suffer, you still have time to back down."

Song Nanming, of course, knew that Shen Xiang was no ordinary opponent, but he was confident in his victory.

Shen Xiang looked at Song Nanming's arrogant and sinister face, suspecting that Song Nanming had other despicable tricks up his sleeve. He needed to be more cautious to avoid being ambushed.

"Don't worry, my skin is thick. I'm just afraid your hands will hurt when you hit me," Shen Xiang replied, speaking the truth.

"Hmph, you don't know your place," Song Nanming coldly snorted, deliberately raising his voice so that the people in the square could hear.

Seeing Song Nanming putting on a show, Shen Xiang inwardly laughed. Without real strength, such displays were meaningless.

"Let's begin. If anyone violates the rules, you'll deal with the consequences," said an old man in gray clothing. He was not from the Yao family but a senior martial artist, supposedly a descendant of the founder of the martial arts competition.

Song Nanming had already violated the rules, but without evidence, Shen Xiang couldn't do anything about it.

At the start, Song Nanming took off his wide, golden-red outer garment, revealing a tight-fitting golden outfit and golden boots, looking extremely regal.

"Today, I'll show you the martial arts of the Southern Martial Kingdom's royal family, the power of Dragon Martial Arts!" Song Nanming said, suddenly emitting a peculiar aura from his body. This aura was similar to Shen Xiang's Azure Dragon True Qi, but lacked the ancient and majestic presence.

"Dragon Martial Arts" is an ancient martial technique, said to have been passed down by a divine dragon when it transformed into a human and roamed the mortal world. When performed, it grants the user the same aura and power as a dragon.

That was just a legend, but it was certainly powerful. However, the idea that it could be as powerful as a dragon was hard to believe.

Seeing the golden liquid flowing through the veins in Song Nanming's fists, the crowd couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. They never thought they would witness "Dragon Martial Arts" with their own eyes.

Shen Xiang narrowed his eyes, releasing his powerful and无形的神识, enveloping Song Nanming. He could clearly sense the flow of Song Nanming's true qi and secretly memorized it, then made his own true qi flow in the same manner.

"Didn't expect 'Dragon Martial Arts' to appear in this secular world. Pay attention and learn," Su Meiyao transmitted to Shen Xiang.

Shen Xiang was already learning. At this moment, Song Nanming was using a profound method to alter the flow of his true qi, enhancing its power.

"Dragon罡拳!"

Song Nanming suddenly leaped, like a golden beam shooting toward Shen Xiang. His hands transformed rapidly, like eagle claws, continuously striking out. Golden qi blasts shot through the air, causing shockwaves and sonic booms as they collided with Shen Xiang's chest.

As the golden qi blasts struck, Song Nanming appeared in front of Shen Xiang, his fists striking rapidly, one after another, at an incredibly fast speed. From a distance, it looked as if he had thousands of arms, delivering hundreds of punches in the blink of an eye.

Each of Song Nanming's punches was accompanied by a qi blast, causing the arena to tremble and the terrifying sonic booms to make people shudder.

What left the crowd speechless was not Song Nanming's Dragon Martial Arts, but the fact that Shen Xiang was countering his rapid punches with his own fists, looking completely relaxed.