Chapter 55: Dragon Martial
n, and the elder accompanying him did not return.Out of approximately eighty people who entered, only forty were able to come out. Shen Xiang killed thirty or so, and a few others couldn't make it bac...The dawn was clear, and the princely city was as bustling as usual. However, many people had received news that there would be one more round left in the martial arts competition. The final winner would only emerge after defeating a disciple from another martial arts faction. Achieving victory over the latter was deemed necessary to win the overall competition.
When he heard the news, Shen Xiang cursed inwardly. He surmised that this must have been arranged by Shen Furuong, who had gone out of the princely city in recent days. This was to ensure that he would not win the crown for the martial arts competition.
"Don't worry. It won’t be an inner sect disciple competing against you, as they have no time for such matters. I believe it will be a stronger outer sect disciple, perhaps around the Eighth Firmament of the Profane martial realm," Su Meiyao said. She and Bai Youyou were well informed about the matters within their sect.
"It's all good. Just don't let me down," Shen Xiang's spirits rose as he harbored a lofty spirit of battle.
In the square in front of the Medicine Family's mansion, several ten thousand people had gathered. This was the final round, and it would be a duel between young disciples who were well-known in their areas. Both competitors were powerful youths.
In the crowd, Shen Tianhu, Shen Yihan, Shen Haohai, and others had hidden among the people. Each of them led fifty elite sons from their family to keep an eye on any potential movements.
Shen Xiang walked onto the martial arena in the middle, causing a commotion among the crowd.
"He dares come here despite the rumors that Medicine Family might take him down after his final round," someone exclaimed in surprise.
"They say that this incident involving Medicine Family's prodigy and the disappearance of their elder, where it’s rumored that he was killed by this person, might be the reason for Medicine Family's revenge," a middle-aged man said.
"At such a young age, he has the courage to take on such challenges. Two days ago, in front of Medicine Family's elder, he even killed Zhong. Having strength is an advantage as it allows you to be fearless against threats from others," a young man said with envy written all over his face.
"Of course, in this world, strength is the king. Having strength means having everything,"
"…".
As Shen Xiang listened to the crowd's discussions, he knew that Medicine Family had announced its intentions to prepare for a grand opening against the Shen Family. This was a signal commonly used during conflicts, where smaller factions would send out rumors to warn or threaten larger ones.
Near the martial arena, there was a tower where many people dressed in fine clothes sat. They were accompanied by maids and guards, indicating their status was not to be underestimated.
"The emperor of South Military State has come to watch the fight, probably to boost his son's morale. It’s said that many top experts from the imperial palace are also present, including all of the concubines,"
Shen Xiang's eyesight was extraordinary, and he could see inside the tower. He saw a man in dragon armor, with an imposing appearance and extraordinary demeanor. That was the emperor.
Royal power might be superior to common people, but for powerful families, it was nothing. In their eyes, the emperor merely managed a country and ensured its orderly development while preventing chaos. These families could leverage peace among the common people for their benefits.
The crown prince arrived, soaring towards the tower from a distance. He wore flamboyant red clothing, and with his graceful movement skills, he landed on the arena. This caused many women to scream in excitement.
Shen Xiang secretly mocked him, thinking, "Let you show off a bit now. I’ll make sure that your emperor father won’t recognize you when the dust settles."
Song Nanning looked at Shen Xiang with disdain and said coolly, "If you want to avoid some pain, you can leave now." Song Nanning was well aware of Shen Xiang's capability but had great confidence in his victory.
Shen Xiang looked at Song Nanning's arrogant and sinister face, guessing that he must have other underhanded tactics. He needed to be more cautious now; otherwise, he would become the target of an ambush.
"Don't worry, my skin is thick. I'm only afraid that you’ll hurt your hands while hitting me," Shen Xiang replied truthfully. He said this because he was actually telling the truth.
"Snort, you don’t know the sky or the mountains' height," Song Nanning said coldly, deliberately raising his voice to be heard by everyone in the square.
Seeing Song Nanning put on an act, Shen Xiang secretly chuckled inwardly. Without a certain level of strength, there was no point in trying to look impressive.
"Let’s begin. If anyone breaks the rules, decide your own consequences," said an old man wearing gray clothing. He wasn’t from Medicine Family but an elder martial artist, who was said to be a descendant of the founder of the martial arts competition.
Song Nanning had already broken the rules, but only because there was no concrete evidence. Shen Xiang couldn’t do anything to him for now.
At the beginning, Song Nanning quickly took off his wide golden-red clothes. He wore a golden緊身衣underneath, along with golden boots, making him look rich and powerful.
"Today, I’ll show you the martial arts of our South Military State royal family. Let me showcase how powerful ‘Dragon Strength’ truly is!" Song Nanning said, followed by a burst of strange energy. This was similar to Shen Xiang’s Dragon True Qi but lacked the ancient and imposing aura.
"Dragon Strength" was an ancient martial arts technique. It’s said that it was passed down by a divine dragon who once turned into a human and traveled among the people. After performing it, one could possess the same aura and strength as a dragon.
It was merely a legend, and its strength could be certain. However, it was hard to believe that anyone would have the same level of strength as a dragon.
Seeing the golden light radiating from Song Nanning's fists, the crowd couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. They didn't think they would get to see 'Dragon Strength' with their own eyes.
Shen Xiang narrowed his eyes, releasing his powerful and invisible divine sense, covering Song Nanning's body. He could clearly feel the flow of true Qi within him and silently memorized it in his mind, then made his own true Qi flow in the same way.
"I didn’t expect 'Dragon Martial Arts' to appear in the mundane world. Learn from this," Su Meiyao transmitted her voice to Shen Xiang.
Shen Xiang was already learning it. At this moment, Song Nanning was using a mysterious way of channeling Qi, altering his inner true Qi to generate even more powerful strength.
"Dragon Gale Fist!"
Song Nanning leaped and shot like a golden beam towards Shen Xiang. He used his hands as claws, rapidly changing into fists, hitting out repeatedly, sending golden energy gusts across the air towards Shen Xiang. These gusts shook the air and produced a series of sonic booms, crashing violently into Shen Xiang's chest.
As the golden energy gusts hit him, Song Nanning appeared in front of Shen Xiang. His double fists rapidly struck out, each fist after another with incredible speed. Seeming like he had hundreds of arms, he rapidly struck out dozens of fists within an eyeblink.
Every punch Song Nanning threw was a gust of energy, accompanied by sonic booms that shook the massive martial arena. The terrifying sonic booms were enough to make people tremble.
What shocked the crowd wasn’t Song Nanning's 'Dragon Strength,' but how Shen Xiang was actually countering his rapid punches with his own fists, showing off a calm expression.an’s appearance was very threatening."Young Master Shen, your talents truly amuse me." This woman’s eyes were like water, her cheeks held a smile as she looked at Shen Xiang.Shen Xiang was turned into...