Contest of Fists and Kicks

The sun hung high in the sky, still scorching the Great Earth with blazing heat.

The air was thick with the dry scent of dust. Even the occasional gust of wind carried searing waves of heat.

At the center of the martial arts ground, bluestone lines clearly marked out a huge square area three zhang to a side.

At this moment, the area was crowded with people, and the atmosphere was grave.

The several dozen Martial Disciples from Wanping Martial Academy and Golden Thunder Martial Academy stood distinctly divided into two groups.

Each occupied a semicircle, forming a large ring around the arena.

The Wanping Martial Disciples wore azure training uniforms, their faces filled with tension and anticipation as their eyes remained fixed on the arena.

The disciples of Golden Thunder Martial Academy, meanwhile, all wore black martial uniforms embroidered with golden thunder patterns. Every one of them looked arrogant, with entertained smiles playing at the corners of their mouths.

The leader of Golden Thunder was still He Chong from yesterday, broad and burly, his face piled with flesh to the point that his neck was nearly invisible.

Behind him, the three disciples chosen to compete stood straight as javelins, their presence imposing.

At their head was Qin Wu. Though only fifteen, he already possessed the sturdy build of a fully grown man.

Yet his face constantly bore a trace of gloominess, and when he swept his gaze across the people of Wanping Martial Academy, his contempt was undisguised.

To Qin Wu's right stood Jin Yuqi, the beloved daughter of Jin Sanqiu, the headmaster of Golden Thunder Martial Academy.

She had a lovely face and long legs. Her black attire outlined her graceful lines, drawing frequent sidelong glances from the Golden Thunder disciples.

The last was Li Rongxi, a solidly built man.

On Wanping Martial Academy's side, Zhao Guangyi stood at the forefront, with Jiang Qinghe, Gong Jie, and Wang Er behind him.

Overseeing the match was the very man Jiang Qinghe had seen at the apothecary a few days ago.

Old Man Zheng, the small, thin old man surnamed Zheng who wore reading glasses.

At that moment, Old Man Zheng stood in the middle of the arena, his reading glasses slipping down his nose. He peered over the lenses with smiling eyes as he sized up the disciples from both academies.

"Cough, cough. This old man spends all day amid the medicine jars in the apothecary, breathing in medicinal fumes. These old bones of mine are practically rusting from being cooped up!"

He twisted his waist and stretched his limbs.

"Now I've finally caught an opportunity to come out for some air and loosen these old bones while you youngsters compete."

"And while I'm at it, I can witness the bearing of Lin'an County's outstanding younger generation and broaden this old man's horizons!"

Old Man Zheng cleared his throat.

"The rules are simple. Only fists and kicks are allowed. Any weapons, hidden weapons, or poison are forbidden. Violators will be declared defeated on the spot!"

He paused and pointed at the clearly marked bluestone lines enclosing the three-zhang square.

"Whichever side has any part of their body touch or cross beyond this line first loses! If you fall and cannot rise for more than five breaths, that also counts as a loss. Do you all understand?"

"Understood!"

The disciples from both sides answered in unison.

Old Man Zheng nodded in satisfaction, then slowly pulled a small bamboo tube from his voluminous sleeve. Several numbered bamboo slips were inserted inside.

"Good! Best two out of three. You six, come draw lots to determine your opponents and the order of appearance."

After both sides had drawn, Old Man Zheng collected the bamboo slips and announced loudly.

"The lots are decided. First match: Wang Er versus Li Rongxi."

Hearing this, Wang Er took a deep breath and tried hard to suppress the tension in his heart as he stepped stiffly into the center of the arena.

Li Rongxi, across from him, appeared far more relaxed.

He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. With the teasing smile of a cat toying with a mouse, he rolled his thick neck, producing a series of cracking sounds.

"Begin!"

Old Man Zheng gave the command.

Wang Er let out a low shout and attempted to seize the initiative.

He drove forward with force beneath his feet, thrusting a palm straight at Li Rongxi's centerline—a clear attempt to strike first and gain the upper hand.

A sharp gleam flashed through Li Rongxi's eyes. Neither Dodging Nor Evading, he swung his left arm outward like an iron gate bar.

Bang!

Wang Er's fist seemed to strike solid rock, numbing his arm with the impact. His body swayed involuntarily as he retreated.

He immediately stopped confronting his opponent head-on and instead relied on his agile movements to circle around the arena.

But the space was limited, and he kept retreating and dodging.

Before he could last ten exchanges, his footwork had already become disordered.

Li Rongxi seized that fleeting opening. His right foot stepped fiercely forward, and a heavy straight punch blasted toward Wang Er's chest.

Wang Er's pupils shrank abruptly. Unable to retreat in time, he could only hastily cross his arms before his chest to block.

Thud!

With a muffled sound, tremendous force slammed viciously into Wang Er's arms.

He staggered back several steps uncontrollably, then crashed heavily onto the ground beyond the bluestone line.

The Golden Thunder disciples at the edge of the arena instantly burst into undisguised laughter and cheers.

Wanping Martial Academy, by contrast, fell silent.

The Martial Disciples looked grim, but since their skills were inferior, there was nothing they could do.

Old Man Zheng narrowed his eyes and stepped forward to inspect Wang Er's injuries. He felt his pulse, then waved toward the sidelines.

"Both arms are bruised, and his internal organs have suffered a slight shock. It isn't serious. Help him down. With careful recuperation for a few days, he should recover."

After seeing Wang Er supported away, the flesh on He Chong's face trembled as he deliberately said, "Brother Guangyi, what do you think? I told you long ago—this match was completely unnecessary."

Zhao Guangyi snorted coldly without responding. As he watched the second match about to begin, he could not help but worry, his heart tightening.

Jin Yuqi and Gong Jie walked to the center of the arena and took their positions. As Old Man Zheng's words fell—

Gong Jie sprang forward, his right hand's five fingers pressed together as he struck directly for Jin Yuqi's left shoulder.

Jin Yuqi reacted even faster. She twisted at the waist, advancing rather than retreating. Like a willow swaying In The Wind, she evaded the fierce palm strike.

At the same time, her left leg snapped up like a spring, toes taut as it lashed toward the opening beneath Gong Jie's ribs with a fierce whistle of wind.

Gong Jie's heart tightened, and he hurriedly dropped his elbow to block.

Smack!

A crisp explosive crack rang out, and Gong Jie felt his elbow go numb and sore.

The force in her leg was astonishingly condensed, making his arm tremble from the impact.

Jin Yuqi's strike missed, but the instant she landed, she shifted her center of gravity as smoothly as flowing clouds and running water, without the slightest pause.

Then her legs spun in rapid succession. Her right leg swept out like a whip toward Gong Jie's lower body, followed closely by her left leg driving straight at his chest and abdomen.

For a moment, overlapping leg shadows and fierce gusts of wind assailed him, engulfing Gong Jie in a storm of sharp attacks.

Gong Jie's palm techniques were steady and weighty, broad and powerful. Every strike carried a heavy howl of wind and considerable force.

Yet what alarmed him was that every time leg and palm collided, the force transmitted to him was exceptionally solid.

Clearly, though both had reached Major Accomplishment in Body Tempering—

Jin Yuqi had advanced further than he had. Her muscular explosiveness, flexibility, and control over power were all superior.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Leg shadows and palm winds collided and intertwined in the arena, muffled thuds and crisp cracks ringing out without end.

Their bodies crossed rapidly, separated, then collided again.

After several dozen exchanges, Gong Jie was already beginning to find himself stretched thin as he parried.

Wherever Jin Yuqi's leg wind passed, he was forced back step by step, circling near the edge of the arena.

On the platform, Zhao Guangyi watched with tightly furrowed brows.

If they lost this match as well, there would be no need to fight the third. Wanping Martial Academy would be completely unable to hold its head up.

Beside him, He Chong narrowed his already tiny eyes as he watched Gong Jie steadily retreat, then glanced at Zhao Guangyi's somewhat ashen face.

Though he said nothing more, he could not conceal the smug look on his face.

Another quarter of an hour passed. Gong Jie's breathing grew increasingly ragged, and his feet nearly stepped beyond the arena.

Seeing this, Jin Yuqi exerted force through her left leg and swept it out like a steel whip toward his waist, determined to fling him out.

At that critical moment, a sudden change occurred!

Gong Jie's body abruptly lowered, and like a swimming fish, he slid along the path of her leg wind to one side, dodging Jin Yuqi's attack.

His movement was smooth and strange, full of deception, as though his earlier disadvantage had been a carefully Schemed lure all along.

The abrupt change caught Jin Yuqi completely off guard.

Her all-out strike missed. With nowhere for its force to go, her body inevitably lurched forward from momentum, leaving her center wide open.

Gong Jie, having slid aside, did not pause in the slightest. His right palm had long been poised to strike, and it landed on Jin Yuqi's back.

"Ah!"

She cried out as her body completely lost its balance.

She then staggered forward three or four steps in a rush, already beyond the bluestone line.

"You... you tricked me!"

Seeing victory nearly within reach only for it to be reversed like this, Jin Yuqi suddenly understood. Gong Jie had feigned defeat at the final moment before taking the opportunity to counterattack.

She was ashamed and enraged, yet helpless. She could only return bitterly to the Golden Thunder Martial Academy camp.

After a brief silence—

"Brother Gong! Well done!"

"Brother Gong is mighty! Incredible!"

"Beautifully done!"

The Wanping Martial Disciples, who had been feeling stifled, saw Gong Jie pull back a round. Their pent-up emotions abruptly eased, and they immediately erupted into thunderous cheers.

Zhao Guangyi finally let out a breath, and his expression softened somewhat.

This way, even if they lost in the end, it would not be too humiliating.

He Chong's expression darkened slightly. He was somewhat surprised; clearly, this outcome had been beyond his expectations.

But when he glanced at Qin Wu, his expression returned to one of calm composure.