Today I Truly See the Real Tiger

Everyone with eyes could see that Great Village Fist had no chance of a comeback.

Two consecutive defeats had already drained their meager morale.

The few disciples who had followed Zhuang Daqiang had taken advantage of the chaos to sneak away, disappearing without a trace.

Fearing repercussions from the Martial Arts School, they had quickly severed ties with Zhuang Daqiang and gone their separate ways to make a living.

Now, only Zhang Shiyu, still unconscious, and Zhuang Tie, severely injured, remained.

Zhuang Daqiang shouted, "Wang Laohu, you and I both know that the children fighting amongst themselves is unimportant."

"The outcome between you and me is what matters for the future."

His pride and joy, Zhang Shiyu, had been defeated, and Zhuang Tie, whom he considered like a son, had an arm crippled. Now, only he was left.

However, Zhuang Daqiang had not yet given up hope.

"You speak sense. If you kill me, these youngsters won't be able to hold onto the foundation, and you'll surely seize it."

Wang Jianxiong nodded. "As for your disciples who fled, they are insignificant. People generally follow the strong and abandon the weak; as long as there's territory and prestige, any number of apprentices will flock to you."

"In the third match, if you kill me, you'll gain both territory and prestige."

If he could defeat Wang Laohu head-on, Gongliang City would surely have a place for him.

Zhuang Daqiang told Zhuang Tie to wrap his wounds and then carry the unconscious Zhang Shiyu to the side.

"I want to have a word with Wang Laohu."

"The Sitting Tiger of Gongliang City, his tiger cubs and grandsons compete fiercely."

Although this was a slogan heavily promoted within the martial arts circles, it held genuine credibility.

Seeing is believing. He had already witnessed the ferocity of the cubs and grandsons; now he was going to face the tiger patriarch himself.

Great Village Fist, which originated in Sucheng City, had been passed down for three generations to him. It absolutely could not fade into obscurity and perish.

In this battle, he would burn his old bones to make a name for himself.

The martial artist world was inherently a place where the strong preyed on the weak, carving out a path through countless fights.

Outsiders only knew of Wang Jianxiong, the Sitting Tiger's, fame, but they didn't know the mountains of white bones piled beneath that reputation.

The question was, could he successfully defeat the tiger today?

Wang Jianxiong rose and entered the arena, taking off his outer coat and tossing it back. Several of his trusted disciples scrambled to catch it.

He walked a few steps, appearing like an ordinary old man, but Zhou You noticed his steps were exceptionally steady.

How steady were they?

Not a single grain of sand-sized gravel was disturbed beneath Wang Jianxiong's feet; the soil lay undisturbed.

While he moved as if strolling through a garden, Zhuang Daqiang faced him as if confronting a great enemy, having already assumed a fighting stance.

"Your Great Village Fist, at its core, is just farmer's technique, with a low ceiling."

"It's an honor for me to kill you with Jade Tiger Skill."

"Zhuang Daqiang, it's hard to leave one's homeland, and fallen leaves return to their roots. Your life is destined to never be buried in the soil of Sucheng City."

Two beams of silver light shot from Wang Jianxiong's eyes, and where they landed, the ground erupted in a pattern of honeycomb-like holes, as if pricked by needles.

"Today, I will turn you, this Sitting Tiger, into a dead tiger."

Zhuang Daqiang's major sinews bulged like coiled dragons, his gaunt frame unleashing astonishing power.

As he threw a punch, the building, including the Martial Arts School, seemed to jump twice in the onlookers' vision.

Some apprentices couldn't help but clutch their chests, fearing their hearts would beat so hard they'd leap out of their mouths.

This earth-shattering, terrifying might was a level above the earlier exchanges between Qi and Blood disciples.

Wang Jianxiong made his move. He raised his right hand, his skin flashing with silver light, instantly transforming into a tiger's claw.

"A mere trick, and you dare to show off."

The silver tiger claw flashed out like lightning. Zhuang Daqiang's pupils contracted sharply, and he hastily twisted his body and swung his arm to dodge.

His Mud-Treading Steps were more practiced, utterly devoid of any flourish. A slight shift sent him dozens of meters away.

Wang Jianxiong's tiger claw pursued him relentlessly.

Others only saw the Martial Arts School Head leap from the ground, crossing a vast distance to attack.

Like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, it possessed both speed and power, shattering the common perception of massive creatures being clumsy.

"Clang, clang."

Zhou You's ears twitched. When the two Martial Masters clashed, the collision of flesh and blood produced sounds like metal striking metal.

At their level, their defensive capabilities had reached the point where it was as if they were clad in a layer of iron armor, impervious to blades and swords.

After a dozen exchanges, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out.

"Zhuang Daqiang, is that all you've got?"

Wang Jianxiong threw his head back and laughed, then suddenly stopped.

He turned back and spoke to a few of his trusted disciples, "Watch closely, this is how the Wang Tiger Skill's boxing style is executed."

Lu Qiang and several trusted disciples stood respectfully, listening to their master's teachings.

"Mountain Lord Welcomes Guests, Open One's Heart!"

Silver light erupted, golden patterns emerged, and his palms expanded into tiger claws.

Wang Jianxiong's figure instantly transformed into a robust fierce tiger, stirring up a gust of foul wind from the ground.

Zhou You rubbed his eyes. It wasn't an illusion, but a truly vivid silhouette of a fierce tiger, its fur, claws, and teeth lifelike.

Could martial arts reach this level?

Flesh and blood transforming into the form of a fierce tiger was truly divine.

Then, Zhuang Daqiang, unwilling to be outdone, unleashed an equally powerful ultimate move.

His arms were shaped like scythes, and the cold light bursting from his pores condensed into sharp edges, like two crossed fine steel sickles.

A gentle breeze brushed the surface of the sickles, and they were instantly cut in half, leaving no trace.

The ultimate moves of the two Martial Masters were about to clash in a grand confrontation between heaven and earth.

"Wang Laohu, die!"

Zhuang Daqiang struck first, crossing his two sickles and slashing towards Wang Jianxiong's head.

Cutting grass like cutting heads, now it was time for the real test!

Wang Jianxiong didn't say much, raising his two tiger claws and lunging forward, silver and gold light churning like boiling water.

The sickles broke, and the sound of shattering immediately followed!

A torrent of violent power slammed into Zhuang Daqiang's chest, piercing his body and emerging directly from his back.

His chest bones snapped cleanly, piercing his internal organs, and even penetrating his back. His flesh peeled open, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

Zhuang Daqiang's body, like a kite with a broken string, flew through the air and crashed to the ground, creating a crater.

Thump! The sound of his landing clearly reached everyone's ears.

With three wins in a row, Jianxiong Martial Arts School achieved an overwhelming victory, winning from start to finish.

Moreover, each victory was faster and easier than the last.

When the Martial Arts School Head, Wang Jianxiong, personally entered the fray, he won in less than twenty rounds, leaving Zhuang Daqiang's life or death uncertain.

"Master!"

Zhuang Tie stumbled forward, supporting the barely conscious Zhuang Daqiang.

"He's not dead, just clinging to life. Take him away!"

Wang Jianxiong put on his outer coat, shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, "I'm old, and my heart has softened."

In the past, he wouldn't have minded adding another kick to crush Zhuang Daqiang to death.

The challenge match thus concluded.

Jianxiong Martial Arts School defended its reputation and dealt a near-fatal blow to the Great Village Fist lineage, leaving only three old, weak, and disabled individuals.

Martial combat is this cruel; the victor is glorious, the loser is annihilated.

If Jianxiong Martial Arts School had lost, the outcome for both sides would have been reversed, a fact that was not in dispute.

However, this was not an isolated incident.

In the following days, news spread from martial arts schools throughout the city, indicating that challenges were being issued to various schools within Sucheng City's martial arts circles.

Although most of them failed, a select few were successful.

The defeated martial arts schools had to take down their signs and cede their territory to the winning side, their apprentices and disciples scattering like leaves in the wind.

The impact of these turbulent times began to descend upon the martial arts circles.