"I heard that Your Highness, the Prince of Xiang, not only cultivated the Imperial Realm Worldly Skill, which is reputed as one of the top ten divine skills in the world, but also mastered the Emperor Dragon Fist to near perfection," Pei Xuanjing's calm voice resonated, reaching the ears of everyone and penetrating their hearts.
Merely by the tone of his voice, one could sense his awe-inspiring aura of looking down upon the world with disdain.
While speaking, he slowly raised his clean and slender hands. His True Qi circulated, causing his muscles, bones, and skin to pulse. His internal organs and blood marrow began vibrating in a mysterious rhythm, resulting in an outpour of Blood Qi like a long river flowing behind him.
He then steps forward, his body surrounded by surging Qi waves. A raging wind howls, and his five fingers form a palm. Purple and blue thunder light converges in his palm, and with the sound of thunder, what appears to be a Thunder God forms in the palm of his hand.
Boom!
It was as if thunder was striking from the ground, Pei Xuanjing stepped out, carrying infinite Gang wind, transforming the boiling Blood Qi around him into a solid entity, unleashing a wild wind and thunderstorm.
Pei Xuanjing's Shenxiao Thunder Palm this time was not a casual strike like before but contained the massive strength of his own physical body.
The power in that palm was terrifyingly potent.
Zhu Yousong, the one directly facing this strike, understood more than anyone the terror of this attack, as well as why Pei Xuanjing has such confidence.
Facing this single strike, an ordinary first-grade martial artist would be left with no room to counter, and could only wait for death.
"However, this strike, although powerful, is far from enough for me," Zhu Yousong silently vowed to himself.
In an instant, his Blood Qi surged, and a rolling hot aura filled around him. Stamping his feet, he punched out – the air echoed with continuous booms, as if the air itself was being blasted.
As the fist was unleashed, the fierce and overbearing fist power seemed to transform into a roaring Golden Dragon, embodying the aura of a sovereign that could suppress everything.
Emperor Dragon Fist!
This is one of the unique martial arts of the Great Ming royal family, an unmatched offensive tactic. Even royal experts only have a chance to learn this secret if they are exceptional talents.
"I did not expect that Prince of Xiang even cultivated the Emperor Dragon Fist. No wonder he could compete against Zhao Baiyang and the Diamond Sect's Master two against one. The Imperial Realm Worldly Skill and the Emperor Dragon Fist, Zhu Yousong who carries these two unique skills, if I had made the move, it is unclear who would have emerged victorious," Baiyun Temple's Master Guan slightly raises his eyebrows, quietly speculating in his heart.
Each unique martial art represents a singular, unparalleled skill in the world.
Just because Pei Xuanjing has encountered many opponents with unique martial arts, does not mean these techniques are as common as cabbage by the roadside.
In actuality, that is a fallacy. Since Pei Xuanjing advanced to the First-grade Realm, all the opponents and enemies he faced, each of these powerful beings that possessed unique martial arts, either hailed from prominent families with profound backgrounds or creatures of exceptional luck.
Let'S be clear, even when he was in Northwest Dao dominating one side, the Diamond Gate, their cultivation of Dragon Elephant Art was only a semi-unique skill, not quite top-tier.
One could say, in this world, to get a chance to obtain a unique martial art, is already an immense fortune, equivalent to obtaining a ticket to the highest tier.
Only such forces like the Royal Family, the True Martial Sect, and the Dragon Tiger Mountain have a number of unique martial arts in their possession. Even then, the chances for their disciples to cultivate these unique martial arts is extremely faint, let alone cultivating two unique martial arts simultaneously.
You could say, when Prince Xiang, Zhu Yousong, revealed his two unique martial arts, he had already made countless people extremely envious, even to the point of dying of jealousy.
Even though, at present, those influential figures who came here hold high positions in their respective organizations, among them, those who are eligible to access their exclusive martial arts probably do not exceed half.
Even those who have the chance to come in contact with these martial arts, likely had to provide countless contributions, make countless sacrifices to their Heart Teachings, and still wouldn't necessarily receive complete instruction.
That's why, at this moment, the thoughts of these people subtly began to change again.
Your Great Ming Royal Family dominates the world, yet you are unwilling to return what belongs to us, truly outrageous!
It would be best for Pei Xuanjing to strike dead this Zhu Yousong and then we can equally divide the world of Great Ming!
Some people were ruthlessly thinking in their hearts.
Everyone had different thoughts, eagerly waiting for the result of the first confrontation between the two.
Boom!
The contact of two palms brackets echoed with the sound of thunder.
The surging Qi, the overwhelming True Qi, burning Blood Qi, and the immensely formidable thunder and Dragon that seeks to suppress everything clashed violently, like a world -ending thunderbolt clashing with an enraged sky dragon.
In a radius of several dozen feet, the already uneven ground suddenly sank and formed a giant pit, countless fragments of stone pavement shot out with a gust of wind.
wow!
The place was not short of experts; they gently waved their sleeves, deflecting the flying fragments of stone, then setting their burning gaze upon the two in the center, eager to know the outcome of this encounter.
As the dust settled, the figures of the two reemerged again.
Pei Xuanjing still stood quietly on the spot, his face serene, not a speck of dust on him.
Contrarily, the Prince of Xiang, Zhu Yousong, looked pale, his eyes filled with unrestrained shock. His arms hanging at his sides were shaking slightly, fresh blood trickling down his back.
Seeing the situation, it was clear who was the victor and who was the loser in the last exchange.
"The Emperor Dragon Fist combined with the Imperial Realm Worldly Skill is indeed extraordinary," Pei Xuanjing complimented with a smile.
This compliment was not the least bit insincere; in front of him, the seemingly ordinary Zhu Yousong is indeed worthy of being a royal family's elite.
In the last exchange, Pei Xuanjing had completely figured out all the details of his opponent and understood how he could independently fight Zhao Baiyang and the Diamond Sect's Master, all the while letting the fully developed Diamond Sect's Master suffer a significant injury.
Who would have thought that Zhu Yousong beside him not only cultivated his True Qi to the pinnacle realm but also achieved remarkable recognition on the physical martial path. If he were to measure just based on his body, he could almost equal a Second-Class martial artist, just a slight opportunity short of stepping into the First-Grade Realm?
This couldn't help but bring about plenty of surprises for Pei Xuanjing.
'Would Your Highness like to know how much effort I used in this exchange?" Zhu Yousong, after quelling the surging True Qi in his body, asked in confusion.
The confrontation just now made him realize how formidable Pei Xuanjing was indeed. It was only after truly facing that palm strike could he clearly feel how horrifying it was..
Hiss!
Upon hearing Zhu Yousong•s words, many people couldn't help but take a sharp intake of breath. They quietly wondered if such a terrifying technique was not yet the opponent's full strength.
Just how strong was Pei Xuanjing? Many people were secretly guessing in their hearts.
"Hehe." Pei Xuanjing chuckled lightly without answering. He said to him, "So, you've taken my first move. Can you take the second one?"
"Make your move!" Zhu Yousong's face became solemn.
The opponent's first move was already terrifying, making it nearly impossible for him to parry.
Moreover, he just tentatively asked the opponent how much effort he had used, although Pei
Xuanjing did not answer, it undoubtedly verified his guess, Pei Xuanjing had not really given his all. Therefore, it could be imagined that the opponent's second move that was to follow would be stronger and even more terrifying.
However, even so, Zhu Yousong did not hesitate in the slightest and decisively accepted. At this moment, he absolutely won't give ground, even if it costs him his life, it doesn't matter.
"I can give you time to recover."
"No need!"
"Very well." Pei Xuanjing nodded, stopped talking, and prepared for the second move.
Pei Xuanjing's innate thunder gang qi was operating within his body, the boiling blood qi around him seemed to substantiate, causing wild winds to roll around, stirring the momentum of wind and thunder.
After consolidating his Divine Soul, the sword intent he manifested seemed to have undergone a fundamental transformation.
At this moment, even before he had made his move, the sword intent released by his Divine Soul's might was incomparably terrifying, carrying a sharpness capable of breaking everything.
In an instant, all the swords and blades on the square, upon feeling Pei Xuanjing's terrifying Divine Soul sword intent, emitted a slight hum, quivering.
All the swords and blades resonated and trembled together. This spectacle left everyone shocked.
Pei Xuanjing's faint voice spread in all directions, falling into everyone's ears:
"This move was created by me, originally called Shenxiao heavenly thunder gang qi, created by blending my own martial arts sword intent with the martial studies of Shenxiao Sect. Once, before my martial studies were perfected, I used it against an extraordinary powerhouse, but I never thought that the move which I took pride in, would be judged by someone as overly flamboyant."
"Later, I delved into research, finally perfected this move again, but unfortunately, I have never sparred with anyone. Today, I ask Your Highness to critique."
This was the Shenxiao thunder gang qi which Pei Xuanjing had used against the Great Yuan's mentor Bahe Siba during the illusionary realm trial.
Unexpectedly, the move he took pride in, was broken by Bahe Siba, who broke all laws with force. Just a punch of extreme yang strength was enough to counter it.
However, Pei Xuanjing had not given up on this move. He had been researching and calculating it intensively, later he transformed Shenxiao thunder gang qi into an innate thunder gang qi which was more powerful.
Now, as Pei Xuanjing had consolidated his Divine Soul and combined the Divine Soul sword intent with the Innate Thunder gang qi, the power of this move reached a terrifying realm.
He was confident that if the roles were reversed, even Bahe Siba wouldn't be able to break it easily.
Of course, now he had a new name for this move, he called it: Innate Thunder Gang Sword Qi.
Countless sword gang qi appeared around Pei Xuanjing. Then, like a sword rain, they rushed towards Zhu Yousong. Each sword gang qi was peerlessly sharp, carrying the fierce sword qi and violent thunder power.
Zhu Yousong's pupils contracted slightly. Even though he had anticipated that Pei Xuanjing's next move would be stronger than before, when he saw countless sword gang qi emitting a chilling aura stabbing towards him, he couldn't help but feel terrified.
This move was almost several times more powerful than the previous one. At this moment, he almost smelled the scent of death.
Could anyone break such a terrifying move simply relying on strength?
As a member of the royal family, he could say that he knew countless strong people in the world, but in his impression, perhaps no one could do it.
At least, he couldn't do it.
In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts were born and died in his mind.
Of course, the thoughts in his mind did not affect his actions.
When faced with such a terrifying move, he did not dare to show any negligibility. His internal qi once again erupted, his boiling blood and qi seemed like a rolling river.
Blood qi, true qi, and martial arts willpower enveloped him, infinite power gathered on his fists. He stepped forward, and with his body's qi rolling violently, a wild wind blew around him, turning the floor into dust.
As he stood in the storm, a terrible aura spread from him. He seemed like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment, capable of wreaking havoc.
He unleashed two streams of fist energy with his fists full of endless power, air waves rolled unstably, a dominating momentum appeared, as if it wanted to suppress everything.
A vast surge of golden true qi rose into the sky, coloring the sky, even changing the sky phenomenon.
At this moment, Zhu Yousong exuded an unprecedented sense of dignity and authority, his majestic figure stood as if all heaven and earth were under his feet.
Could the Emperor Dragon Fist of the unparalleled martial studies block Pei Xuanjing's Innate Thunder Gang Sword Qi?
No one knew.
Boom!
In an instant, two world-destroying powers collided. The earth shook and the mountains swayed, as if even the heavens and earth would shatter because of this.
Endless thunderous explosions resounded, the air was blasted into a vacuum, it swept around like a raging tidal wave.
Boom!
Zhu Yousong was seen spitting out a large mouthful of blood, his robe burst into countless fragments. He seemed to have taken a severe blow, then was suddenly sent flying by the tremendous force, crashing down more than ten yards away.
Countless thunder gang sword qi hit his body. Even with his physical body cultivated to the second-class realm, countless wounds were left, blood seeped out from these wounds, soaking his clothes in blood.
There was an undying look of shock in Zhu Yousong's eyes. Indeed, the gap in strength between him and the opponent was too wide, he hadn't completely taken the opponent's move.
He struggled to get up, his face pale, his breath disordered, his injuries were not light, and it seemed he was no longer capable of fighting.
Victory or defeat in this round was plainly in sight.
Pei Xuanjing stood with his hands behind his back, and loudly asked, "Does Prince of Xiang still want to take my third move?"
The whole audience was in an uproar. At this moment, when everyone looked at this upright young man, they were at a loss for words.
"Cough, cough, cough…"Zhu Yousong coughed a few times, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said in a hoarse voice, "Come again!"
The faces of the royal family members were all filled with horror.
"Your Highness!" "Prince!" "Royal uncle!"
Someone couldn't help but exclaim. They never expected that the Prince of Xiang, regarded as the pillar of Great Ming, would be severely injured after just taking two moves from Pei Xuanjing.
Zhu Yousong right now was clearly at his last gasp, not to mention that Pei Xuanjing's final move would certainly be stronger than the previous two, even a casual strike from the opponent might be too much for the current Zhu Yousong to handle..
Pei Xuanjing turned his attention to Taoist Qingxu, his meaning was clear, it was now his turn to speak
Taoist Qingxu also understood that it was time for him to intervene and speak, after all, in their plan, they did not intend to kill Zhu Yousong, a strong member of the Great Ming imperial family.
For them, the value of keeping Zhu Yousong alive far outweighed the ease of killing him.
Not to mention, as far as Pei Xuanjing and others were concerned, as long as they wished, they could easily strike down Zhu Yousong at any time.
However, killing Zhu Yousong would mean weakening the power of the Great Ming imperial family.
Indeed, they aimed to control the Great Ming imperial family, but that did not mean they want the Great Ming imperial family to lose all their power, as then it would become pointless.
According to their schemes, in the Future, they all planned to control the Heaven and Earth of the Great Ming, but they did not want to share this gain with many other forces.
As the saying goes, if you take one step, I'll take two.
Pei Xuanjing could take advantage of his overpowering strength to seize the interests of the Ming imperial family for his own use, the other big forces could also do the same.
However, this is a situation that Pei Xuanjing and others did not want to see.
Therefore, keeping Zhu Yousong alive means preserving the power of the Ming imperial family. This would give them enough strength to deal with other forces, serving as a counterbalance, which would reduce their face- to-face pressure from those forces and eliminate many troubles.
After all, for the Ming imperial family, the forces represented by Pei Xuanjing have already occupied many of the interests owned by the imperial family, they certainly would not want more people to encroach on their interests.
They would definitely do their utmost to stop those people in order to protect their existing benefits, which would indirectly protect the interests of Pei Xuanjing and others.
Of course, there is also a very bad possibility.
That is, the Great Ming imperial family could go all out, flip the table, introduce those forces, and then join together to deal with Pei Xuanjing and others.
However, this would inevitably lead to both sides incurring losses. They need an extraordinarily strong resolve to cut off one's arm to save oneself, which they will not do unless it is absolutely necessary.
And even if it comes to that point, and this scenario arises, Pei Xuanjing and others have enough ways to solve it.
In conclusion, preserving the power of the Great Ming imperial family currently has more benefits than detriments for them.
'Your Highness, please wait." Taoist Qingxu stepped forward to stand beside the two men.
Pei Xuanjing smiled and said nothing, but Prince Zhu Yousong of Xiang guessed the intention of Taoist Qingxu, understanding that the latter might want to persuade him. He shook his head and said, "Taoist Priest, if you're here to persuade me, let's forget about it. I'd rather die than live in disgrace."
At this moment, he was prepared for death, preferring honourable death to disgraced life.
Taoist Qingxu raised his hand to stop him from speaking, then turned to Pei Xuanjing and said, "Can
Taoist Friend allow me to have a talk with Your Highness?"
Pei Xuanjing responded indifferently, "Taoist Priest, please."
Taoist Qingxu nodded and then said to Zhu Yousong, "Your Highness fears not death, surely you aren't afraid of hearing me babble for a while?"
Zhu Yousong sighed lightly, "Although I know your intention is to goad me on, I can't bring myself not to give face to Taoist Priest."
Taoist Qingxu smiled faintly, and instead of speaking directly, he chose to use the Sound Transmission into Secrecy method.
"May I ask your highness, if you have resigned yourself to death, determined to die for a noble cause?
Even if it means dying at the hands of Pei Xuanjing, you would not back down?"
"Indeed, the blood of the Zhu family cannot be tainted." He was somewhat puzzled as to why Taoist Qingxu suddenly used Sound Transmission into Secrecy, but he complied and replied to him using Sound Transmission.
"Your Highness, do you think it is easier to live or to die?"
"Taoist Priest, are you trying to persuade me to live in disgrace?"
"I only want to ask one thing from your highness," Taoist Qingxu said, "Even if you die at the hands of Pei Xuanjing to mark your protest, what if Pei Xuanjing dies after that, what will happen to the Ming imperial family? Will they also follow you to death?"
"This…"
"Also, once you're dead, that's the end. However, Pei Xuanjing will not give up his goal because of your death. And without a master like you, the rest would not have any chance to resist at all and could only succumb to their whims."
"And one more thing, since Pei Xuanjing can do this, without your deterrence, won't other forces also follow suit and want to take back what belongs to them? Have you ever considered such a situation, Your Highness?"
"…" Zhu Yousong fell silent, having no words to refute.
Because the words of Qingxu were irrefutable, he could imagine that if he were to die, the royal family that remained would not have the ability to resist Pei Xuanjing in any way, and in the end, Pei Xuanjing would still be able to achieve his objectives.
Moreover, once Pei Xuanjing achieved his objectives, those with ulterior motives would absolutely not miss this opportunity, they would swarm in like a pack of wolves, tearing into their interests.
"Whether it's your personal honor or the six-hundred-year-old tradition of the Great Ming dynasty that's more important, it all depends on how Your Highness chooses. Whether to endure tremendous humiliation to preserve the Ming Dynasty's inheritance, or to satisfy momentary pleasure and ignore the Great Ming Dynasty's interests, I am not in a position to help Your Highness to make the decision."
With a sigh, Zhu Yousong responded with a bitter smile, "I never thought that Taoist Priest was also a good persuader."
He had to admit, he was moved by Taoist Qingxu's words.
Taoist Qingxu spoke correctly, his death would indeed be quick, but this would inevitably lead to the demise of the six-hundred-year-old dynasty of the Great Ming, and he would become the eternal sinner of the Great Ming imperia family.
Taoist Qingxu didn't take any credit, he said indifferently, "Your Highness, Qingxu admires your decisive and steadfast character. However, considering your position and the heavy responsibilities you bear, one should not pay too much attention to one's personal honor and shame."
"Ha-ha. You don't have to console me anymore." Zhu Yousong shook his head. Having made a decision, he was not concerned about saving face: "Whatever I decide after listening to your words, will be my own decision, Taoist Priest, you do not have to interfere."
"Ha-ha, if that's the case. I have another piece of information for Your Highness," said Taoist Qingxu. Zhu Yousong inquired with curiosity, "Taoist Priest, please tell me."
"Heaven and Earth are about to rejuvenate, and the shackles to the Spirit Realm will no longer exist! "
Hiss!
Zhu Yousong gasped, unable to help but ask, "Is this true?"
"No exaggeration at all!" Taoist Qingxu affirmed.
He disclosed this confidential information to the other party, wanting to continuously increase the benefits that the other party can see in the upcoming events.
The more benefits that might be gained in the upcoming events, the harder it will be for Zhu Yousong to let go.
Indeed, as Taoist Qingxu had expected, as soon as Zhu Yousong learned this news, he was even more reluctant to give up easily.
Zhu Yousong's face slightly changed, he said in a deep voice, "This Prince knows what to do now.."