Shen Xiang focused inwardly on the five beast figures formed by the massive amount of true qi compressed within him, feeling a surge of emotion. These were indeed formidable true qi. A typical martial artist at the tenth level of the Mortal Martial Realm would be easily defeated by him, but he had yet to encounter any martial artists from the True Martial Realm, so he couldn't make a conclusive judgment.
"Good little brother, you have more presence than I did back in my day!" Su Mei Yao nodded in satisfaction, her face adorned with a sweet smile.
Shen Xiang smiled proudly, "Sisters, can I go to Taiwu Gate now? I can buy you new clothes!"
"You little rascal, just know how to curry favor with us." Su Mei Yao huffed playfully.
"Alright, but you still need to be careful. The martial arts sects are full of hidden dangers; your current strength is still akin to an ant in their eyes," Bai Youyou reminded him. Although she and Su Mei Yao had been confined to this medicinal garden for several days, they were quite happy.
Su Mei Yao and Bai Youyou entered the ring, while Shen Xiang walked out of the medicinal garden and into the valley. With a tremor of his body, a pair of fiery wings appeared on his back. He leapt high into the air and flapped his Zhuque fire wings, soaring towards the sky and entering the clouds.
The further he flew, the denser the spiritual energy became, which astonished Shen Xiang. He had long known that the martial arts sects were situated in places rich in spiritual energy, but experiencing it firsthand gave him a clearer understanding of why so many people yearned to join these sects.
"This place is like a fairyland," Shen Xiang marveled, gazing down at the towering mountains and flowing rivers, listening to the vibrant bird songs, and observing the lush greenery and rich spiritual energy below.
"In this world, the martial arts sects are the strongest forces. Of course, there are also families and empires beneath them, and there are many ordinary people who cannot cultivate martial arts; they make up the largest group," Su Mei Yao explained.
Shen Xiang had heard Su Mei Yao and Bai Youyou speak of this larger world before, where there were more people, more powerful figures, and a vibrant array of life.
The martial arts sects had a long lineage, founded by early martial artists who came together as a group, and over time they grew larger, with more people and richer resources, leading to an abundance of strong practitioners within.
While flying, Shen Xiang suddenly heard a commotion below. He looked down to see a person battling a massive bull engulfed in flames.
That was a demon beast, a creature that could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and was born with a spiritual vein; their strength varied, and every part of them was a treasure.
Shen Xiang dove down and landed beside the fierce battleground. To his surprise, the one fighting the fire bull was a chubby boy who looked around ten or twelve years old, with a friendly face that made him seem easy to bully.
The chubby boy furrowed his brow, seriously dealing with the fire bull. His strength was considerable, cultivating metal-type true qi, and his martial skills looked impressive as he unleashed punches that showcased his true qi to the fullest.
"Hey, do you need help?" Shen Xiang asked, observing that the chubby boy was not weak; he guessed the boy was at least at the ninth level of the Mortal Martial Realm.
"Old brother, I was almost done before you showed up. If you help now, I'll have to give you a cut, and that doesn't seem worth it!" The chubby boy's response left Shen Xiang speechless; the boy was actually calculating this.
"I don't need a reward; I just want to see how powerful this demon beast is," Shen Xiang said with a smile.
"That won't do. How about this—I'll give you a bull leg!" the chubby boy said, surprisingly principled.
"Deal!" As he spoke, Shen Xiang stepped forward and instantly appeared behind the fire bull, his fist glowing with golden light and a murderous intent surging forth, forming a golden-white tiger head.
Shen Xiang unleashed the "White Tiger Violent Killing Fist," using the gold attribute true qi. His punch landed on the fire bull's thick body with an explosive sound, and golden light erupted, creating a bloody hole in the bull's tough hide, which shocked the chubby boy.
The fire bull kicked back fiercely, moving so quickly that Shen Xiang nearly got kicked by its hoof. Although he managed to dodge, he was still scorched by the scorching air waves erupting from the bull's leg, burning a spot on his clothes. Shen Xiang was astonished by the fire bull's formidable energy waves; it was his first battle with a demon beast.
"Old brother, what kind of fist technique is this? It's so overpowering!" The chubby boy exclaimed in surprise as he punched the bull's head, unleashing a violent shockwave that shook the air. The fire bull let out a deep roar.
Taking advantage of the fire bull's fury directed at the chubby boy, Shen Xiang launched a series of rapid punches, delivering dozens of powerful blows from the Heavenly Tiger Violent Killing Fist. The intense energy waves penetrated the bull's thick hide, shaking its vital organs, causing the enraged fire bull to spit out blood and lose its strength.
At that moment, the chubby boy clasped his fists tightly, raising them high like a giant hammer and bringing them down onto the bull's head. The solid metal attribute true qi transformed into energy waves that surrounded his fists like a giant hammer. With a loud explosion that sent shockwaves in all directions, the bull instantly fell dead to the ground.
"Your fist technique is impressive!" Shen Xiang praised, having witnessed the boy's formidable strength at such a young age.
The chubby boy grinned, "I'm Zhu Rong. What's your name, old brother?"
"Shen Xiang! I'm only seventeen this year, Zhu brother calling me old brother makes me feel aged," Shen Xiang replied with a slight smile, cupping his hands in salute. However, he indeed looked quite mature with his sturdy physique, giving a sense of stability.
Zhu Rong laughed, "Looks like I really did call you old! Hehe, but I've suffered a loss, so we're even. Speaking of which, old brother, you're two years younger than me yet so capable; you must come from a prestigious family. May I ask which family?"
Shen Xiang suspected that Zhu Rong's family must be in business; otherwise, he wouldn't be so focused on accounting.
"I'm from the secular world," Shen Xiang replied honestly. At that moment, Zhu Rong began processing the fire bull's carcass, slicing off a leg for Shen Xiang, deliberately cutting it smaller, which made Shen Xiang laugh helplessly.
"So you're planning to join Taiwu Gate?" Zhu Rong asked as he stored the fire bull's remains in his storage bag.
"Yeah! Are you a disciple of Taiwu Gate?" Shen Xiang asked, following Zhu Rong.
"By luck, I became a disciple of Taiwu Gate. Although your strength is comparable to mine, you won't be able to join Taiwu Gate," Zhu Rong said proudly.
"Why?" Shen Xiang asked curiously.
"Because you have no family backing. You have to understand that Taiwu Gate is different from other sects. Other sects offer their disciples the best benefits, while Taiwu Gate charges fees for its disciples," Zhu Rong said with disdain on his face, clearly valuing wealth.
Shen Xiang had heard about this before, which was why Su Mei Yao had him give a Golden Spirit Fruit to Leng Youlan.
"Are you saying I can't afford the fees to join Taiwu Gate?" Shen Xiang asked.