My Ares Son-in-Law

He Haiyue's face was pale, her lips trembled slightly, and she murmured, "Father, this is not within the scope of ancient martial arts at all. He seems to be... truly a legendary immortal."

A startling glint flashed in Wang Kun's cloudy eyes, and he exclaimed "Good!" three times in a row, his beard trembling with excitement: "Good! Good! Good! My Wang family certainly didn't bet on the wrong person!"

Wang Li, standing to the side, looked worried and whispered, "Father, Xiao Chen was clearly injured just now, how come he has such strength in the blink of an eye? This power doesn't seem to be his own at all."

In the distance, Huang Tian clenched his fists, his blood boiling. Although he couldn't see through the mystery, he knew clearly that after today, the landscape of the Western martial arts world would be completely rewritten, and a new era might be dawning.

Lin Zhenghao and the other referees exchanged glances, all seeing undisguised shock in each other's eyes. Lin Zhenghao's voice was hoarse, and his fingertips trembled slightly: "This is not ancient martial arts, nor is it an ordinary internal energy technique. This is the method of a legendary immortal."

Wang Zhenhai gasped, instinctively wiping the cold sweat from his forehead: "Immortals? Aren't they beings that only exist in ancient books and legends? How could they appear in the present world?"

“It seems that the legends in the ancient books are not unfounded.” Lin Zhenghao’s expression was solemn, his gaze fixed on Xiao Chen. “The strength that this boy has displayed today is too astonishing. I’m afraid it will attract the covetousness of the entire martial arts world, and may even bring about his death.”

Just then, a sharp, long howl suddenly rang out from the crowd a kilometer away: "Xiao Chen! How dare you kill the vice president of the New Martial Arts Association in public! Once I spread this news throughout the martial arts world of the Dragon Kingdom, let's see how you deal with it!"

Before he could finish speaking, a dark figure darted out of the crowd like a ghost, its toes barely touching the ground before disappearing into the distance. Its speed was so great that it left only a blurry afterimage, and even the energy around Xiao Chen could not stop it.

"Oh no! It's a spy planted by the New Martial Arts Association!" Wang Zhenhai exclaimed in shock, his face instantly turning grim. "This person must be going to inform on us. If he escapes, Xiao Chen will become the public enemy of the entire martial arts world in China!"

Lin Zhenghao hurriedly said, "We must stop him! Once the news gets out, not only the New Martial Arts Association, but also martial arts forces from other regions will come looking for trouble with Xiao Chen!"

Everyone subconsciously looked up at Xiao Chen on the ruins, only to see him still standing calmly in the same spot, his gaze fixed on the direction the dark figure had fled, his face showing no sign of panic, as if he were completely unaware that a huge crisis was quietly approaching.

Huang Tian strode forward, saying, "Boss, I'll intercept them!"

"No need."

Xiao Chen slowly raised his palm, palm facing upwards as if supporting the heavens. In the instant the surrounding temperature plummeted, the moisture in the air condensed into prisms, and hexagonal ice flowers swirled three inches from his fingertips. Even more chilling was that crimson flames rose from his sleeves like living things, the tongues of fire licking the ice crystals without melting them, the ice prisms encasing the flames yet remaining undisturbed, the red and blue hues dancing in his palm like symbiotic spirits.

"This...this is impossible!" The white-haired old man staggered backward, his goatee trembling violently. "The principle of the mutual restraint of ice and fire is a fundamental law of nature, how could it be present in one person..."

Xiao Chen's gaze, like that of a hawk, locked onto the fading black dot in the distance, and he parted his lips slightly: "Ice Flame Breaks Through the Sky."

A beam of light, interwoven with blue and red, suddenly erupted, rippling the air like water wherever it passed, and spiderweb-like cracks spread behind it. The streak of light was so fast it defied the limits of vision; before anyone could even blink, a piercing scream echoed from afar. Blood mist exploded in the setting sun, scattering into countless crimson fragments that landed on the broken stone steps of the martial arts platform, creating glaring red spots.

The whole place was dead silent.

Some people instinctively covered their mouths, their knuckles turning white from the force; others froze in place, their chests aching from holding their breath. Even the wind seemed to be stunned, the dust it stirred up remaining motionless at Xiao Chen's feet.

Amidst the shattered bricks of the ruins, a soft sigh echoed in Xiao Chen's mind. Mo Lishou's voice, tinged with the vicissitudes of time, said, "Boy, this avatar of mine has reached its end. Before dissipating, I'll bestow upon you one last opportunity." A cool sensation seeped from between his brows into his limbs, like sweet spring water flowing through a dried-up riverbed. Mo Lishou's telepathic message reverberated in his mind: "Today, this Prison Clan warrior has reached the pinnacle of the mortal realm. Fortunately, such figures are few and far between. After I depart, the Martial Soul Thorns will remain in your soul sea to help you hone your cultivation."

Martial Soul Thorns!

The dark green vine that entwined the Soul Tower when it first appeared was originally Mo Lishou's companion.

It can be used for attacking, killing, and even nourishing the body!

He stood amidst the ruins, feeling the surging power within him gradually recede like a receding tide. Mo Lishou's aura had dissipated, but the lingering divine power in his meridians still trembled gently. The setting sun cast a long, slanted shadow of him, overlapping with the shadows of the broken martial arts platform pillars. The blood mist on the distant horizon had not yet dissipated, blurring into an eerie crimson hue in the twilight.

From this day forward, Xiao Chen's name will resound like thunder throughout the western region.

Just like the God of War who suddenly appeared back then.

Meanwhile, an invisible undercurrent has been quietly surging between heaven and earth.

Atop a distant mountain peak, a white Taoist robe fluttered gently in the evening breeze. The old man stroked his beard, his gaze piercing through layers of mist to fall upon the martial arts arena. The prayer beads he was twirling between his fingers suddenly stopped: "After ten thousand years of reincarnation, someone has finally set foot on this path again. But... fortune and misfortune are unpredictable." As his words fell, his figure transformed into specks of light, merging into the twilight, as if he had never existed.

Further north, in the vast and desolate land, candlelight flickered in a magnificent hall. A middle-aged man who had been resting with his eyes closed suddenly opened them, a glint of light flashing in his dark eyes: "There's unusual activity in the south. Send the Shadow Guards to investigate."

"Yes."

The response from the shadows was as faint as a ghost, then fell silent. The candlelight in the entire hall seemed frozen, and even the sound of the falling wicks could be clearly heard.

Atop the ruins, Xiao Chen slowly descended the broken platform, his gaze sweeping over the still dazed crowd before finally settling on Lin Zhenghao.

Lin Zhenghao's back was soaked with cold sweat. He had previously heard that Xiao Chen had only learned three or two moves from the East Sea Sword Saint, but he had dismissed it as mere boasting. Now, having witnessed the miracle of ice and fire burning together, that initial contempt had turned into a bone-chilling cold.

He had previously dared to try to recruit such a person into the Qingyang Sword Sect, which was like an ant trying to invite a tiger into its nest—absurd to the point of being laughable.

"Who...who exactly are you?" Lin Zhenghao turned around abruptly, his pupils contracting in fear, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

"Does identity matter?" Xiao Chen's gaze was like a cold blade, piercing straight to the heart. "What matters is, which path will you choose? Will you ride in my boat, or will you help the New Martial Arts Association to become my enemy?"

Lin Zhenghao's expression changed several times.

He knew that Xiao Chen had only spoken up because of the small kindness he had shown him earlier. If he missed such an opportunity, he would likely never encounter it again in his life. Moreover, the yearning for the strong burning deep within his heart was intense; to be able to follow such a figure might be the most precious fortune on the path of martial arts. (End of Chapter)