Starforce Warriors-Chapter 537: The Performance Has Started (2)

"We will conduct a comprehensive and scientific reassessment of the Sanshang Group's participation qualifications, including that of its leader, Tsukiha Yaiba, at the consortium's annual meeting."

The Imperial Royal Family made a public announcement. As soon as it was released, everyone understood that Sanshang Group was finished. The once-radiant national idol, Tsukiha Yaiba, was also finished. It was clear she had no means of countering this devastating situation.

But everyone was baffled that this downfall had been triggered by nothing more than the cowardice of an opportunistic pretty boy in a single confrontation. Shinzu Genshi! The most destructive pretty boy in Jiepeng's history! It was a well-deserved title.

Finally, the consortium’s annual meeting reached its penultimate day. By this point, under the leadership of the Imperial Royal Family, the various consortiums had nearly concluded negotiations regarding economic collaborations, interest divisions, territorial allocations, and super-project partnerships.

The event was reaching its conclusion. However, several disputes remained unresolved as neither side was willing to back down at the negotiation table. When such deadlocks occurred, there was only one solution: combat!

The Martial Arts Arena battles would determine the winners of these disputes. This was a time honored tradition of a climactic finale of the consortium’s annual meeting.

In Jiepeng, a nation obsessed with strength, the battles on the Martial Arts Arena far eclipsed the verbal skirmishes at the negotiation table in both excitement and significance. They were also far riskier.

Many consortiums and superpowers that found themselves at a disadvantage in negotiations often viewed the Martial Arts Arena battles as a last-ditch opportunity to turn the tide. They would risk everything for a dramatic reversal of fortunes. This, too, was a tradition of the consortium’s annual meeting.

As expected, the Sanshang Group, along with the ever-polarizing Tsukiha Yaiba, placed their final bet on the Martial Arts Arena. Rumors quickly spread that Tsukiha Yaiba had gone mad.

Ignoring the vehement objections of the family’s elders and financial advisors, she wagered everything the Sanshang Group owned, including their industries, mines, bank deposits, current resources, the family’s martial arts manuals, and even their stronghold, Urawa Base City.

Madness! She was clearly desperate and driven to the brink. This foolish woman, blinded by her obsession with Shinzu Genshi, had finally lost all reason. She seemed like a reckless gambler, staking everything on a single, desperate roll of the dice.

This development left the upper echelons of rival consortiums grinning ear to ear. Such moments were always a chance to reap immense profits. The birth of many new superfamilies often came at the expense of the demise of old ones.

This time, the Sanshang Group was offering an unprecedented opportunity to the nine great families and the ambitious top-tier powers vying to join the elite ranks. What was there to wait for? They had to follow through! Relentlessly and without hesitation!

Numerous superpowers began placing their own wagers to match the stakes set by Tsukiha Yaiba. There were many ways to bet in this scenario.

The fundamental principle was simple; anyone wishing to claim a portion of the Sanshang Group's assets from the Tsukiha Family had to offer at least 80 percent of the value in their own assets as a wager for the Martial Arts Arena battle. Winner takes all!

The Tsukiha Family, which had just undergone a brutal internal upheaval, leaving its core members severely wounded or dead and seemingly only one remaining hidden Saint, were undoubtedly seen as an easy target by all the superpowers.

The Red Shirt Group and the other major players among the top ten families could focus their efforts on dealing with the last hidden Saint. Meanwhile, others only needed to swoop in and grab a small piece of flesh to feast.

Some of the more ambitious top-tier powers who were just a step away from breaking into the ranks of the top ten families schemed in secret. They pooled resources to hire Martial Saints in hopes of eliminating the Tsukiha Family’s hidden Saint in a high-stakes gamble. If they were successful, they could annex the Tsukiha Family’s assets, achieve a monumental leap for their family, and secure a place among the elite.

In essence, Tsukiha Yaiba's desperate gamble and the enticing stakes she offered drew countless contenders into the fray.

One day later, the Martial Arts Arena battles finally began. In its latest public announcement, the Imperial Royal Family declared that this series of battles would serve as the final assessment of the Sanshang Group’s and Tsukiha Yaiba’s qualifications. The Tsukiha Family’s performance in the Martial Arts Arena would ultimately determine their fate.

The day began at 7:30 a.m. The sky was overcast as cold winds swept through the air. Early winter had arrived.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire nation, the Tsukiha Family announced its representative for the Martial Arts Arena battles. The moment the name was revealed, the country erupted in uproar.

Shock! Disbelief! Many initially thought there had been a mistake on the Imperial website. The chosen representative was none other than Shinzu Genshi, the most infamous freeloader in Jiepeng’s history. The constipated bodyguard!

The same man who had fled in disgrace and hid in a restroom for six hours when challenged by the legendary bodyguard Youki Kaiichi! He had now been named as the sole martial representative of the Sanshang Group and the Tsukiha Family.

Is Tsukiha Yaiba finally coming to her senses and offering up her kept man as a sacrificial lamb to atone for her failures? Or could Shinzu Genshi secretly be a powerful martial artist?

Has he been playing a long game, acting weak all this time? Unlikely. Shinzu Genshi is simply too young.

His past, a collection of absurdities and squandered opportunities, had long since been thoroughly exposed by Jiepeng’s relentless media. There wasn’t a shred of brilliance in his history.

Even the minor displays of competence he had shown after returning to Urawa Base City, such as intimidating the Yamai Gang, were limited to small, localized incidents. Those exploits were far from sufficient to justify his presence on a national-level stage like the Martial Arts Arena.

Hidden strength? Perhaps he has some. But so what? Can he truly be a Martial Saint?

After a brief moment of doubt, the major powers dismissed the notion and focused on their own performance.

At 8:30 in the morning, the Martial Arts Arena battles officially began. Much to everyone's anticipation, the very first match of the competition pitted the Tsukiha Family against the Naami Family.

When Li Xiaofei stepped onto the arena, he drew the jeers and boos of the crowd. These Martial Arts Arena battles were held in real life, in a specially constructed martial venue with a custom-built arena.

The arena was designed to withstand even battles between Martial Saints. Participants would not only vie for supremacy but also for their lives on this stage. Victory or defeat was ultimately decided by life and death.

Li Xiaofei exhaled deeply, steadying himself. Over the past ten days, thanks to Tsukiha Yaiba's relentless sparring, an abundance of resources, and the unique time-flow mechanism of the Secret Time Pavilion, he had finally mastered the third layer of the Innate Art.

He had finished refining the third spirit of the Five Spirit, the spleen, and harnessed its innate energy. The Five Spirits Realm, Third Spirit Stage. Li Xiaofei's overall combat strength had finally surpassed the quasi-Saint level. He could now contend with Saints. At last, he had acquired the strength to slay Saints without external aid.

It’s time to wipe out Jiepeng’s martial elites. This Martial Arts Arena battle is the perfect opportunity.

A surge of battle intent filled Li Xiaofei’s heart. He resolved to use this chance to eliminate Jiepeng’s strongest experts one by one, paving the way for what was to come.

"Hah! Hahaha! I can’t believe the Tsukiha Family actually sent a worthless clown like you to fight!"

The Naami Family’s champion was a Divine Realm martial artist who appeared to be in his forties named Harano Koji. He burst into laughter from across the arena.

"What a pity. To face someone like you, the constipated bodyguard, on such a prestigious stage is the greatest shame of my life!"

But before the words finished leaving his mouth, a streak of light flashed. Harano Koji’s laughter was choked off as he looked down in utter disbelief. A spear tip had pierced through his heart.

The long spear was held firmly in Li Xiaofei’s hand. Harano Koji, a high-stage Divine Realm martial artist, hadn’t even realized what had happened. He hadn’t even seen Li Xiaofei move.

“You’re just so-so,” Li Xiaofei murmured indifferently.

He pulled the spear out with a swift motion and flicked the blood from its blade. He didn’t give his opponent a second glance as he turned and walked away, spear in hand.

Thud!

Harano Koji’s body collapsed heavily to the ground. His eyes remained wide open in death, filled with disbelief.

In that instant, the jeers in the arena came to an abrupt halt. The approximately ten thousand professional judges from across the nation fell silent as their collective breath was stolen away.

In the VIP lounge, the head of the Naami Family, Naami Kanichi, looked as though he had just swallowed filth. His expression was utterly grim.

How could this happen? That constipated bodyguard actually possessed such strength?

A single spear strike had killed Harano Koji in an instant. This was clearly the power of the Divine Realm. It might even be quasi-Saint level!

Who the hell said this man was a useless nobody?!

When Naami Kanichi thought about the resources his family had wagered on this fight, his heart bled. Those resources represented three years of painstaking accumulation by his family. But now, they all belonged to the Tsukiha Family.

Meanwhile, in the same VIP lounge, Tsukiha Yaiba rose slowly to her feet, a faint smile playing across her lips. The tiger had finally left its cage.

The truly terrifying performance was only just beginning.