A nationwide celebration

As the match officially began, Zhang Hongxing once again had both feet and one hand bound.

Even so, the twelve champions still dared not underestimate him, all because of the video released by the Xia Kingdom government—the one showing a man sending someone flying over ten meters with a single punch.

If Zhang Hongxing really was that soldier from the Xia Kingdom, none of them wanted to test his fists.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare forever?"

The standoff lasted nearly a minute, yet not one of the twelve champions attacked. Before Zhang Hongxing spoke, the spectators had assumed the champions were too proud to strike first.

Only now did they realize that the twelve champions were actually afraid.

"Come on! Get him!"

"Zhang Hongxing, you're fucking awesome!"

"Zhang Hongxing, take them all down!"

"Red Star! Red Star! Always number one!"

Wave after wave of cheers rose from the audience. The twelve champions exchanged glances, then quickly spread out, surrounding Zhang Hongxing on the small ring.

A Gui, the Thai champion, charged first, opening with his strongest combination of flying kicks. When it came to speed, none of the other eleven champions could match him.

Against a champion who relied on speed to win, Zhang Hongxing answered with even greater speed.

Before A Gui could deliver his first flying kick, Zhang Hongxing sprang toward him like a kangaroo, leaping two meters into the air and planting his feet on the knee A Gui had thrust out.

The force of that stomp was tremendous. A Gui immediately went tumbling away, clutching his knee.

The other champions were shocked by the sight, and quite a few immediately wanted to back out. They made their living fighting. A match where one careless move could end their entire careers simply wasn't worth continuing.

If only the Xia Kingdom government had released that video sooner.

If only the UFC had suggested sooner that Zhang Hongxing was that soldier from the Xia Kingdom.

Most of them would never have accepted this challenge.

Not even if refusing meant offending the UFC president.

But now, it was too late for any of that.

"Badov, let's work together."

"All right."

The giant champion Badov and Kevin attacked together. They knew each other well, and with one specializing in kicks and the other in punches, their combined strength was greater than the sum of its parts.

But Zhang Hongxing didn't wait for them to reach him. In a one-against-twelve fight, the most impressive victory would be to take everyone down quickly and directly.

As he stomped A Gui down, he used the recoil to launch into a backflip, then shot feetfirst toward one of the particularly muscular champions.

The attack came so suddenly that the muscular champion had no chance to dodge.

Still, he kept both arms firmly raised to guard himself and planted his feet securely, one ahead of the other. At that very moment, Badov and Kevin charged in.

Bam!

With a thunderous impact, the muscular champion flew backward. He slammed into the elastic ropes at the edge of the ring, then rebounded violently and landed facedown.

The force of that kick was already beyond anything people considered humanly possible.

At the same instant he sent the muscular champion flying, Zhang Hongxing used the recoil to leap high again, neatly avoiding the punches and kicks Badov and Kevin launched from either side.

As he descended, Zhang Hongxing suddenly let out a fierce shout.

Then, upside down, he opened his free hand and slammed his palm into the ring.

Boom!

The entire ring shook. It wasn't an illusion—it really was shaking.

The camera immediately followed the action, and everyone sucked in a sharp breath.

The fighters still standing in the ring immediately retreated to the corners, all shouting their surrender.

They now placed Zhang Hongxing in the same category as Superman.

How was this possible!

How could a human being cause this much destruction!

His hand wasn't even injured!

He was too—too strong!

Could Xia Kung Fu really achieve something like this!

The palm print left in the ring stunned everyone, especially the twelve champions and the organizers of the match.

Only they truly knew that this wasn't some prearranged performance.

This was Zhang Hongxing's actual strength.

"Zhang Hongxing! Zhang Hongxing! Zhang Hongxing..."

"Xia Kung Fu! Xia Kung Fu! Xia Kung Fu..."

Two waves of chanting suddenly engulfed the entire venue. At that moment, Zhang Hongxing and Xia Kung Fu shocked the whole world.

At that moment, the people of the Xia Kingdom felt unbelievably blessed.

And the true modern-day inheritors of Xia Kung Fu had tears brimming in their eyes.

Today, someone had finally stepped forward to prove the worth of Xia Kung Fu.

Martial arts schools began setting off fireworks in celebration, and the public soon joined in.

That night, almost everyone was talking about Zhang Hongxing and Xia Kung Fu.

Even the customary greeting of "Have you eaten?" was briefly replaced with "Have you heard of Zhang Hongxing?"

That night, countless people across the Xia Kingdom were too excited to sleep.

Even wives who normally forbade their husbands from drinking took the initiative to bring alcohol home.

That night belonged to the people of the Xia Kingdom.

Early the next morning.

The people of Magic City, who had likewise celebrated wildly all night, still hadn't gone to bed. Today, international talks led by the Xia Kingdom would begin to address the Buddha Country–India conflict.

They had to do their jobs properly.

Roads, traffic, services, food...

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. Even as the foreign delegates criticized the Xia Kingdom, they couldn't help feeling astonished by everything it had shown them.

Some who hadn't visited the Xia Kingdom in over a decade stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

They kept questioning the companions beside them.

They asked whether everything in the Xia Kingdom was just a cosmetic project put on for their arrival.

They would rather believe it was all fake.

But reality was reality. No matter how much they refused to believe it, they couldn't change it.

At precisely ten in the morning.

The first round of talks officially began. Although the subject was the conflict involving Buddha Country, the first person to speak was the delegate from America.

The delegates from the various countries were long accustomed to this.

"Regarding the Xia Kingdom's coercion and violation of Buddha Country's borders, we hope the Xia Kingdom will abide by international rules. We have also received complaints against the Xia Kingdom from Cherry Blossom Country, Korea, Kangaroo Country, Malaysia, and other nations. We hope the Xia Kingdom will cease its acts of aggression against these countries..."

The American delegate opened with a barrage of attacks against the Xia Kingdom, his tone utterly arrogant.

As soon as he spoke, several other countries immediately chimed in.

The delegates from the countries on the list of complainants were especially enthusiastic in their clamoring.

They seemed to have forgotten where they were standing.

They had also chosen to forget everything they had seen and learned over the past few days.

Faced with their clamor, the Xia Kingdom delegates sat calmly, their expressions unchanged. Only after everyone had finished speaking and fallen silent did Minister Wang Desheng leisurely take a sip of hot tea.

"Before formally presenting our position, there is something I must say."

"This is the Xia Kingdom. You have no right to speak to us like that on our soil."

"We will place every one of your slanders and accusations on record."