My Ares Son-in-Law

Situ Xiong was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, his laughter full of mockery: "Good! What an arrogant brat! Lin Zhenghao, you've seen it too, it's not that I'm disrespecting the Qingyang Sword Sect, it's that this brat is courting death!"

The crowd below the stage erupted in discussion, with murmurs rising and falling:

"Has he gone mad? He even refused the invitation from the Qingyang Sword Sect?"

"That was a personal invitation from Elder Lin Zhenghao! An opportunity that countless people would kill for!"

"It's over, no one can save him now. Chairman Situ is definitely going to kill him."

Lin Zhenghao sighed deeply, looked at Xiao Chen intently, and said with a hint of regret, "Young man, do you know what this choice means? Rejecting the Qingyang Sword Sect is equivalent to losing the only backer that can rival the New Martial Arts Association. You will face the entire New Martial Arts Association's pursuit!"

“It couldn’t be clearer.” Xiao Chen’s lips curled into an arrogant smile, and the golden light around him suddenly intensified. A sharp sword intent soared into the sky, rivaling Situ Xiong’s imposing aura. The rubble on the martial arts platform even began to float slightly. “But I, Xiao Chen, never rely on any sect in my actions. Now that I stand on this martial arts platform, I should settle this grudge in the manner of a martial artist. President Situ, let’s make our move.”

Seeing the determination in Xiao Chen's eyes, Lin Zhenghao knew that further persuasion would be useless. He finally shook his head, slowly stepped aside, and whispered, "Take care of yourself."

The refined demeanor on Situ Xiong's face vanished instantly, replaced by a ferocious expression that spread rapidly like ink dripping into water. His eyes widened, and his tone was icy: "Since you, a junior, are so determined to die, I will grant your wish today!"

As he finished speaking, he slowly raised both palms, and the blood-red light in his palms surged like a living thing, with a faint "hissing" sound of wind and thunder swirling in his palms.

That wasn't ordinary condensation of true qi; it was a phenomenon that only occurred when internal energy was compressed to its extreme. At that moment, the air in the entire martial arts arena seemed to freeze. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the martial arts stage, and even their heartbeats slowed down.

A storm far exceeding any previous one is about to erupt on this bluestone platform.

Xiao Chen stood in the center of the stage, the bloodstains on his dark robes still wet. He raised his hand and slowly wiped away the bloodstains remaining on the corner of his lips, his movements so calm as if he were not in a life-or-death situation. His sharp, lightning-like eyes shot straight at Situ Xiong, who was hailed as the Taishan Beidou of the Western Martial Arts World, without the slightest fear.

"Since the old man insists on fighting, why don't we add some prizes?"

This sudden suggestion made Lin Zhenghao, who was about to turn and retreat to a safe area, freeze in his tracks. He turned around sharply, staring incredulously at the young man covered in blood on the stage, his eyes filled with astonishment and doubt—Situ Xiong had already revealed his killing move, yet this kid not only didn't back down, but instead offered to raise the stakes? Could it be that he really had some hidden trump card?

The crowd erupted instantly, a clamor of voices washing over them. Di Tianyan snapped his folding fan shut, his knuckles unconsciously tightening their grip on the handle. Wang Li leaned forward, sweat beading on his forehead, and couldn't help but shout, "Mr. Xiao! Know when to quit! You're lucky to have survived today under Chairman Situ's watchful eye; why gamble any further!"

Xiao Chen seemed not to hear, his ears twitching slightly as he shut out all dissuasion. He stared intently at Situ Xiong, his tone laced with provocation: "Old man, you don't dare to answer?"

Situ Xiong was taken aback at first, as if he hadn't expected this junior to have such audacity. Then, stroking his long beard, he burst into laughter, his laughter full of mockery and disdain: "Interesting! It's been a long time since I've seen such an arrogant junior!" Lightning flashed faintly in his sleeves, and the muscles beneath his blue robes bulged slightly, clearly indicating that he had raised his internal energy to its peak: "Since you want to add a wager, I'll wager four moves with you! If I can't defeat you within four moves, I will immediately resign from my position as vice president of the New Martial Arts Association, retire from the martial world, and never set foot in the martial arts world again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he took a step forward, causing the entire martial arts platform to tremble, and loose stones tumbled down from the cracks in the bluestone: "But if you lose..."

"Do as you please." Xiao Chen interrupted before he could finish, his tone suddenly turning stern. "However, your withdrawal from the martial world isn't enough. If you can't win today, you'll die!"

"Insanity!"

Situ Xiong roared, and a powerful aura erupted like a long-awaited tsunami, crushing towards Xiao Chen. The weaker martial artists below the stage circulated their inner energy to resist, their protective true energy shimmering with a faint halo on their bodies; even the spectators in the back rows of the stands felt a tremor in their hearts, as if a huge rock was pressing on their chests.

Xiao Chen felt his aura completely locked, the air thick with a suffocating aura of destruction; each breath felt like swallowing tiny shards of ice. But he merely sneered, his body remaining motionless—he couldn't unleash his full power in front of so many people, as he still had to guard against the potential presence of the Prison Clan forces lurking in the shadows. However, his current strength was more than enough to deal with Situ Xiong, though it would be slightly more troublesome.

"First move! Seven Stars Chasing Souls!"

Without moving, Situ Xiong suddenly flicked his left sleeve, and seven cold stars shot towards Xiao Chen like meteors, their speed leaving only afterimages. The cold stars suddenly expanded in the air, transforming into seven half-foot-long sword beams, each carrying a sharp whistling sound that tore through the void, attacking from seven extremely tricky angles.

Throat, heart, lower abdomen, and joints of the limbs—all are vital points!

If this move hits, even if Xiao Chen has an indestructible body, he will be riddled with holes!

Xiao Chen dared not be negligent. His internal energy flowed like a surging river, and his palms traced mysterious trajectories in front of his chest. The palm wind was gentle but contained a skillful force to deflect the opponent's force: "Flowing Cloud Hand!"

With a flick of his wrists, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, he deflected all seven sharp sword beams. With a few soft "swoosh" sounds, the sword beams grazed his clothes and pierced the bluestone platform, instantly leaving seven bottomless holes, with wisps of white smoke still rising from the dark openings.

A hint of surprise flashed in Situ Xiong's eyes, clearly not expecting Xiao Chen's palm technique to be so exquisite. Then, a cold smile appeared on his lips: "You've got some skill! Second move! Vajra Suppressing the Mountain!"

This time, he clasped his hands together, and a dazzling golden light suddenly burst forth from his body. The golden light, like the Buddha's light in a temple dispelling darkness, instantly enveloped half of the martial arts stage.

Golden light rapidly condensed in the air, transforming into a giant golden hand over ten feet wide. The lines on the palm were clearly visible, and even faint Sanskrit characters could be seen flowing within. With the power to suppress all things, it slowly pressed down on Xiao Chen!
Before the giant hand even touched the ground, the bluestone slab beneath Xiao Chen's feet cracked and shattered inch by inch. The fragments were lifted up by an invisible force and suspended in mid-air.

Lin Zhenghao, in the distance, suddenly narrowed his eyes and exclaimed in shock, "This is the Vajra Palm, a lost art of Buddhism! Situ Xiong actually knows such a unique skill!" (End of Chapter)