"There's no need to be so tense just to deal with a frog in a well."
Yang Cheng spoke lightly, calm as a breeze and clear as a cloud.
At the same time, a system prompt flashed before his eyes.
[Host not only blocked Tuoba Xiao's two attacks but even wounded him—an incredible feat of battle.]
[Achievement Value: Glorious. Reward unlocked: Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist—Major Achievement level.]
[Would the host like to accept the reward or continue the mission?]
'Continue.'
Yang Cheng responded silently in his heart.
"Yes, Your Highness."
For some reason, Shen Muxue felt reassured. Her whole expression eased.
Tuoba Xiao's face twisted. His expression couldn't be uglier.
"Crown Prince of Great Zhou, I do have to look at you differently now."
His eyes were icy and sinister. "But if you think that's all I've got, you're dead wrong."
"I hope you don't disappoint me," Yang Cheng replied flatly.
That tone cut deep. Tuoba Xiao could feel the contempt in it.
"If I don't defeat you today, then I'm not worthy of being a man of Great Yan!"
Tuoba Xiao's eyes burned with fire.
In the next moment, a terrifying aura burst from his body and spread outward.
Flames surged up, forming into a blazing flood dragon, with Tuoba Xiao at its head.
"Crown Prince Yang Cheng, the royal clan of Great Yan possesses a fist technique—'Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist,'" Tuoba Xiao's voice boomed like a bell. "Now, allow me to demonstrate."
"Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist?"
"That's a divine-grade fist technique!"
"No way! Tuoba Xiao actually mastered it?"
The surrounding crowd erupted into chaos.
Boom!
Tuoba Xiao struck with full force.
As he moved, he was like a flood dragon lunging at Yang Cheng, shaking the air for several miles with buzzing tremors.
In that moment, everyone could feel a crushing pressure, like a tsunami crashing down.
"So this is a divine-grade fist art?"
"Absolutely terrifying."
Countless people were shaken, their gazes filled with awe.
Even Great Zhou's martial artists, though hostile to Tuoba Xiao, couldn't deny how terrifying he was.
"This is it?"
Yang Cheng remained expressionless.
It seemed it was time for him to use real techniques too.
If Tuoba Xiao wanted to act wild, then today he'd make sure Tuoba Xiao stayed down.
The future Emperor of Northern Yan?
Today, he'd trample him!
Then—
Buzz!
The wooden sword in Yang Cheng's hand hummed softly.
"Northern Sea Sword Codex—Third Form: Kun Swims the Sea."
An unimaginable sword aura burst out.
Mighty sword energy took the form of a massive, imposing kunpeng beast.
"What kind of sword technique is this?"
"It follows the same path as that earlier form. It's terrifying."
"How have we never heard of such a sword art?"
All along the street, countless people felt their hearts pounding wildly, as if they were staring down a real kunpeng.
Of course, they didn't know—in his past life, Yang Cheng had stood before the vast Northern Sea and seen a true kunpeng. That was the inspiration for the Northern Sea Sword Codex.
In this life, relying on the comprehension gained through the Xuan Bird Domain, he refined that inspiration into a true technique—creating the Northern Sea Sword Codex from scratch.
Once Kun Swims the Sea was unleashed, the true might of the sword codex began to reveal itself.
The sword rose like a cry through the clouds.
A moment ago, people still felt the Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist was terrifying.
But now, compared to the pressure from Yang Cheng's sword, it immediately lost its luster.
In a flash of lightning and fire, Yang Cheng and Tuoba Xiao closed in on each other.
Boom!
They collided.
The impact felt like two ancient beasts crashing together.
The shockwaves of destruction rippled out in all directions.
Powerful martial artists quickly intervened to seal the battlefield—otherwise, the whole street would've been reduced to rubble.
Then—
A figure shot back like a cannonball.
Bang!
The figure smashed into the street.
All around, people collectively held their breath.
That figure… was Tuoba Xiao.
He was a total wreck—his clothes shredded, blood everywhere.
He couldn't look more pathetic.
Even his right arm hung limp—it was clearly broken.
Across from him, Yang Cheng still stood quietly as the dust settled.
His small figure radiated an otherworldly aura.
"The Crown Prince really is like an immortal child descended to the mortal world."
"If I could kiss him once, I could die happy."
Countless girls had stars in their eyes at that moment.
[Unbelievable—host actually heavily injured Tuoba Xiao. This is beyond reason.]
[Congratulations, host has achieved a Legendary-level feat. Reward unlocked: Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist—Perfected Level.]
[Would the host like to receive the reward?]
"Accept."
Yang Cheng was still quite interested in this divine-grade fist art from Great Yan.
Elsewhere—
Tuoba Xiao looked like a beaten rooster, his arrogance completely shattered.
His face was extremely dark.
Before coming to the imperial capital, he hadn't thought much of Yang Cheng.
His plan was to sweep through all the famed talents of the Great Zhou Dao Academy.
Yang Cheng was just someone he figured he'd deal with along the way.
Who could've imagined that this little kid would become his nightmare?
"I can't lose! I won't accept this!"
Tuoba Xiao's expression turned crazed.
If word got out that he'd been defeated by a toddler, he'd become the laughingstock of the world.
That would sever his chances at the Great Yan throne for good.
That was something he could never accept.
Buzz!
Suddenly, a terrifying aura burst from Tuoba Xiao's body.
Crack—like a chain breaking.
Tuoba Xiao was forcefully burning his own blood essence, converting it into true qi to push his cultivation to the peak of Martial Master.
For any martial artist, this was dangerous—it would damage their foundation and drain their potential.
But Tuoba Xiao couldn't care less.
He could patch his foundation later.
If he couldn't turn the tide today, he was done for.
This was a last resort, a desperate gamble.
"Yang Cheng, I originally planned to hold back and make my breakthrough in six more months. But you forced me into this!"
The hatred in Tuoba Xiao's eyes ran bone-deep.
At the same time, the burning of blood essence sharpened his perception, letting him push his entry-level Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist to Minor Achievement.
"Minor Achievement-level Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist… Yang Cheng, the heavens are clearly set on ending you!"
Tuoba Xiao's confidence surged.
If before he had an eighty percent chance of beating Yang Cheng, now he was one hundred percent certain.
"This isn't good."
"Tuoba Xiao's gone all in. He's burning his blood essence to raise his cultivation, and heaven even helped him comprehend the fist art to Minor Achievement."
"His Highness the Crown Prince is in real danger."
Many of the Great Zhou martial artists present felt things were turning dire.
"Should we step in and stop this?"
Some experts spoke up.
"No. Tuoba Xiao and His Highness agreed to a fair duel. If we interfere, it would break the martial world's rules."
"Besides, Great Zhou and Great Yan are currently negotiating peace. If we get involved and offend Great Yan, it'll complicate everything."
"Even the royal family's experts are staying out of this. No need for us to panic."
Their mental energies quietly transmitted back and forth.
Roar!
On the street, waves of pressure rolled out.
The flood dragon shadow surrounding Tuoba Xiao was far more solid now, its power clearly more brutal.
"Yang Cheng, kneel before me!"
His momentum surged as he punched at Yang Cheng.
Boom!
It exploded like a cannon blast. The air cracked with ear-splitting sonic booms.
Before the fist even landed, a fierce windstorm swept across the street, whipping Yang Cheng's robe violently.
Yang Cheng kept his left hand behind his back. "Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist? As the national fist art of Great Yan, the way you use it is just disgraceful."
Everyone around was briefly stunned—they didn't get what Yang Cheng meant.
He had time to mock Tuoba Xiao right now?
Then they saw it—raging flames suddenly surged from Yang Cheng's body too.
And more than that, a massive figure slowly appeared behind him.
It was a crimson flood dragon.
Unlike Tuoba Xiao's illusion, Yang Cheng's flood dragon was nearly solid.
If you didn't look closely, you'd think it was real.
"That… that's the Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist?"
"His Highness knows it too?!"
"And… it feels like His Highness's version is even scarier than Tuoba Xiao's."
Martial artists nearby were all stunned.
At that moment, Tuoba Xiao had already rushed in front of Yang Cheng.
When he saw the dragon behind him, his eyes widened. "No… that's impossible."
"Nothing's impossible. If you think it is, then you're just a frog in a well."
Yang Cheng was about to show him what a real surprise looked like.
Boom!
He struck with a punch.
To Yang Cheng, Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist was just another technique—it didn't involve any of his real secrets.
So he didn't even bother holding back. He unleashed it at full power.
The perfected-level Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist erupted instantly.
Its might was terrifying.
Compared to Yang Cheng's, Tuoba Xiao's punch was just child's play.
"Perfected-level Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist?!"
One expert gasped.
"His Highness not only knows it, but has already mastered it?!"
Others felt like their entire worldview was collapsing.
"I've got a terrifying theory—what if His Highness just watched Tuoba Xiao use the technique once and instantly learned it… and even comprehended it all the way to Perfection?"
Someone made a wild guess.
The rest all inhaled sharply.
That was an absurd claim—but when you really thought about it, it sounded plausible.
After all, the Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist was one of Great Yan's most tightly guarded secrets. There was no way Great Zhou's Crown Prince could've learned it beforehand.
The only possible path was through Tuoba Xiao himself.
But if that were true, then how terrifying was the Crown Prince's martial comprehension?
While everyone stood in shock, Yang Cheng's nearly solid crimson flood dragon slammed into Tuoba Xiao's illusory one.
The result was obvious.
The illusionary dragon was torn apart instantly.
Yang Cheng's technique crushed Tuoba Xiao's completely.
The solid dragon smashed straight into Tuoba Xiao.
Bang!
He was blasted back down half the street.
He hit the ground hard, his right arm—the one that had punched—shattered to the bone. Several ribs had snapped as well.
He tried to get up, but a wave of searing pain tore through his body and forced him back down.
The entire street fell into dead silence.
Everyone stared at the scene in disbelief.
"His Highness the Crown Prince… truly a divine being…"
Zheng Guanshui was stunned, blurting out the words without thinking.
Beside him, Zheng Guanbao was practically glowing with pride. "Big Brother, I'm one of His Highness's tiger generals!"
All eyes were on Yang Cheng as he slowly walked toward Tuoba Xiao.
"You… how do you know the Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist at Perfection level?"
Tuoba Xiao looked at him in fear.
"Isn't it something anyone with hands can learn?"
Yang Cheng replied coolly.
Tuoba Xiao looked like he'd been struck by lightning. "Impossible. I don't believe it!"
"Believe it or not, who cares?"
Yang Cheng said, "The thoughts of the dead don't matter."
"You want to kill me?"
Tuoba Xiao actually laughed. "Even if you had ten times the guts, you wouldn't dare. Great Zhou is begging Great Yan for peace right now."
"If you ruin the talks, even as Crown Prince, you won't be able to walk away from it."