Shen Xiang initially found himself at a disadvantage against Yao Cong, who unexpectedly revealed his true strength as a level seven fighter. The crowd watched in shock, realizing why the Yao family had set up this match.
"Shen Xiang, is this all you've got? I'm so disappointed!" Leng Youlan stood nearby, arms crossed, her icy gaze filled with disappointment. Shen Xiang was being forced toward the edge of the platform, and it seemed he was about to be knocked down.
The Yao family's tactics were cunning, leaving Shen Xiang with little room to defend himself. However, what they didn't anticipate was the invisible ring on his finger, which contained two extraordinary beauties, one of whom was a master alchemist.
"This is a potent paralyzing poison. But your meridians are strong, and your body has been tempered by the Immortal Demon Pond. Just circulate your Tai Chi technique to refine the poison in your dantian," Su Meiyao advised.
As Shen Xiang activated the Tai Chi technique, the surrounding spiritual energy surged into his body, washing through his meridians and into his dantian, where it mixed with the paralyzing poison. The poison was quickly refined away.
Just as Yao Cong was about to land a fatal blow with a gleaming dagger aimed at Shen Xiang's chest, Shen Xiang suddenly moved. With a crack, his bones resounded, and he swiftly reached out, grasping the dagger's blade with his left hand and crushing it to dust.
"You bastard! First, you use poison to paralyze me, and now you want to kill me without a care? How ruthless your Yao family is!" Shen Xiang shouted angrily, blue energy surging violently around him, crackling like lightning.
"Die!" he roared, his fists raining down on Yao Cong like a torrential storm, landing over a hundred strikes filled with thunderous energy in an instant.
Yao Cong screamed in agony as the elders from the Yao family rushed onto the stage. Shen Xiang, seeing them approach, transformed his hands into enormous azure dragon claws, energy swirling at their tips, and pierced Yao Cong's body. Blood gushed from multiple wounds as the dragon claws struck home.
With Yao Cong left severely injured, he collapsed to the ground but did not die immediately.
"Stop, Shen Xiang!" an elder from the Yao family shouted as he hurled a punch at Shen Xiang. In response, Shen Xiang dodged swiftly, his leg crackling with lightning energy as he unleashed a devastating kick that cleaved Yao Cong in half at the waist.
"Stop—"
The elder yelled again, but it was too late; Yao Cong was dead on the stage, the scene grotesquely bloody and chilling.
Silence enveloped the arena, punctuated only by the sounds of people swallowing hard. Shen Xiang's actions were unfathomable, especially in front of the Yao family's elders—he had just slaughtered one of their prized disciples in such a gruesome manner.
"When he tried to kill me, why didn't you intervene? It's okay for him to kill me, but not for me to retaliate? Besides, I used proper methods!" Shen Xiang's voice was icy and filled with rage. If he hadn't been able to dispel the poison in time, he would have been killed.
Everyone had seen Yao Cong stab Shen Xiang with a dagger, which was a clear violation of the rules. Therefore, Shen Xiang's actions in killing Yao Cong were justified.
"Do you want to fight me?" Shen Xiang coldly asked the elder, his aura of bloodlust intensifying.
The elder glared at the severed body on the ground, his face a mask of fury and murderous intent, as other Yao elders arrived on the scene.
"Ha! How amusing. The Yao family's little brat tried to break the rules and kill someone, but instead got himself slaughtered. Are the Yao family going to take revenge now?" someone in the crowd boldly laughed.
Laughter erupted among the spectators, mocking the Yao family, which only deepened the elders' expressions of rage. They had underestimated Shen Xiang's strength; Yao Cong couldn't inflict serious harm on him. In desperation, Yao Cong had resorted to using the dagger to stab Shen Xiang, thinking the Yao family's power in the Southern Martial Kingdom would protect him.
"Shen Xiang, we won't let you off for this!" one elder spat, his voice dripping with resentment.
Shen Xiang chuckled coldly, "A mighty Yao family has fallen so low. I won't let you off either."
He stepped down from the stage, and the Yao family elders did not stop him, knowing that to do so would invite ridicule from the entire Southern Martial Kingdom. While the Martial Arts Conference was organized by the Yao family, they were bound by the rules. Yao Cong's violation justified Shen Xiang's deadly response.
The Yao family elders refrained from attacking Shen Xiang, wary of the backlash, as they recognized his remarkable strength, which likely approached that of a level eight fighter.
"Don't get too cocky, Shen Xiang. Yao Cong's master will definitely seek revenge," one elder sneered as he ordered the removal of Yao Cong's body from the stage.
Though they were both level seven fighters, Yao Cong was no match for Shen Xiang, who had easily dispatched him. The elder's words were laced with a hint of desperation. The many forces that had ties to the Yao family now felt conflicted, as the implications of this match were dire. If the Yao family fell, they would be at the mercy of Shen Xiang and his rising power, which could lead to their own downfall.