All Out

The courtyard was secluded and elegant.

A layer of fine white sand covered the ground, with several craggy rockeries placed around it.

The two men entered one after the other, each doing Warm-up Exercises to loosen their muscles and bones.

The surroundings were utterly bare, devoid of any unnecessary decorations.

Only a single Red Plum tree stood in bloom, with many petals scattered beneath it.

Located in the villa's backyard, the place had been remodeled into a distinctly Eastern Island style.

Fang Cheng took off his shoes and completed a set of squats.

Then, with whooshing sounds, he repeatedly stepped and punched, throwing a few kicks as well.

Afterward, he stood quietly in the center of the courtyard, his gaze fixed on Majima Goro, who stood several meters away in a gray gi.

Half an hour earlier.

In the living room, Majima Goro had invited Fang Cheng to a challenge.

After careful consideration, Fang Cheng had ultimately accepted.

The generous reward of one hundred thousand yuan was hard to resist.

If he could get that money, his maternal grandfather's surgical fee would immediately be covered, and his mother would no longer have to worry herself sick.

Besides.

Since the man had challenged him so openly.

As a martial artist, how could he fear an enemy and shrink from battle?

Having thought it through, Fang Cheng faced it calmly and no longer acted so restrained.

He simply treated this match as a more intense session with a Sparring Partner.

It was also the best opportunity for real combat practice with the various fighting techniques he had recently mastered.

Previously, Fang Cheng and Majima Goro had exchanged blows several times unofficially.

He could tell that the other man's physical strength was indeed formidable, and that his attack power far surpassed that of an ordinary professional fighter.

However, Fang Cheng's Strength Attribute had now reached as high as 18 points, putting him in no way beneath his opponent.

Combined with the advantage of his Spirit Attribute, even if the other side had some hidden trump card, Fang Cheng believed he could still control the battle.

On the verge of battle, Fang Cheng silently analyzed his opponent's specific strength and habitual moves.

Majima Goro had also finished his Warm-up Exercise and assumed a Goju-ryu fighting stance.

He slowly raised his arms and crossed them into an X, then drew one hand back, clenched his fist, and gathered strength.

Fang Cheng's gaze sharpened.

After studying instructional videos for many days, he knew that karate experts generally used a drawing-hand posture before beginning a fight.

The principle was equivalent to sinking one's qi into the Dantian in traditional martial arts—channeling strength through the entire body to make it easier to exert force.

Majima Goro doing this clearly meant that, just as he had said, he was truly prepared to go all out.

Fang Cheng immediately stepped one foot forward and one back, bent his knees slightly, and raised his arms across his chest.

He also assumed the classic boxing guard he was best at.

In the courtyard, which served as a martial arts arena beneath the afternoon sun.

The two figures stood facing each other, with no spectators present.

A faint breeze swept past. Petals drifted down slowly, and strands of hair brushed across their brows.

"Ha!"

Majima Goro suddenly exhaled with a shout. He pushed off with his feet, his body swaying as he charged forward at high speed.

At the same time, his fist changed into a Pushing Palm as he assumed a Forward Stance and raised a Spear Hand.

A Knife Hand carrying a sharp Sound of Breaking Air slashed toward Fang Cheng's neck in an instant.

Fang Cheng sidestepped with a hopping step, then swung a Whip Punch backward with his hand.

Majima Goro raised his palm to block it.

Fang Cheng feinted with a Jab from his lead hand, then immediately drove a Heavy Fist from his rear hand at Majima Goro's face.

Smack!

Majima Goro's reaction was a fraction too slow. Caught off guard, he could only raise both arms to block and protect his head.

Fang Cheng followed with a Whip Kick, swinging it heavily toward the left side of his abdomen.

In less than two seconds.

Majima Goro, who had seemed so composed moments earlier, had been forced from offense to defense and was beginning to struggle.

Yet Fang Cheng gave him no chance to catch his breath, unleashing a flurry of combinations as fast as Afterimages.

A Hook struck the ribs, a Jab harassed him, supplemented by Leg Techniques that came without warning.

There were feints and sudden assaults, suppressing his opponent until he retreated step by step.

Majima Goro, who had been taking hits all along, seemed to have been provoked into anger.

He immediately gritted his teeth and glared, relying on his thick skin and sturdy flesh to forcibly endure Fang Cheng's relentless Whip Kick.

He then seized an opening, caught and locked the leg with his left hand, and took the opportunity to counterattack Fang Cheng with his right fist.

Smack!

The two instantly met fist against fist, exchanging a move.

Fang Cheng's body swayed as he swiftly withdrew his leg and stepped back, continuously adjusting his center of gravity.

Majima Goro did not retreat, but pain twisted his facial features as he bared his teeth.

His right Fist Peak was visibly red and swollen.

Clearly, he had suffered from the effects of Iron Fist without understanding what was happening.

Fang Cheng's expression remained unchanged as he took a light breath.

Since his opponent had asked him to use his full strength, he naturally would not hold back any longer.

So from the very start, he fought with exceptional aggression. There was no so-called probing stage at all.

It was respect for his own character, and also respect for his opponent's strength.

Majima Goro had not expected Fang Cheng's offensive ability to be no weaker than his durability.

Fang Cheng's reckless fighting style seemed to have stirred his anger.

His eyes were red now, filled with Fierce Light, showing signs of returning to his former madness.

After taking a deep breath, he immediately lunged forward and launched another offensive.

This time, however, Majima Goro was Very Clearly aware that Fang Cheng's Fist Technique was stronger than his own.

He simply stopped using Karate hand techniques and instead competed with him in Leg Techniques and Throwing Techniques.

Fang Cheng countered every move, defending and attacking in equal measure.

He could clearly feel that Majima Goro's strength had increased by several degrees.

Fang Cheng guessed that perhaps his opponent had entered that frenzied Mental State.

For a while, neither held a clear advantage.

Fang Cheng was tall with long legs and faster reactions, capable of unleashing several Moves in an instant.

He clearly held the upper hand.

Majima Goro had more combat experience and, even while on the defensive, could still uncover opportunities to counterattack.

Using the advantage of his short, stocky build and low center of gravity, he periodically employed Leg Catch Takedowns to force Fang Cheng to change his Moves.

Suddenly, he used a leg clamp again, turning with a rear-foot sweep before following up with Minor Inner Reap.

The string of attacks flowed with extreme smoothness, and the movements were exceptionally well concealed.

But Fang Cheng had already seen through it and figured out the Moves.

A week of Jiu-Jitsu training had taught him all kinds of ways to fall, as well as many anti-throw techniques.

He immediately intercepted with his left leg and grabbed Majima Goro's wrist with his right hand, yanking it hard.

While disrupting his balance, Fang Cheng also used the momentum to break free from the grapple.

Then came a succession of Whip Kicks, lashing out without pause like a whip.

By this point, Fang Cheng had completely seized control of the rhythm and was crushing his opponent.

Bang!

Another Side Kick struck the chest.

Under the enormous impact, Majima Goro slammed into the rockery behind him and let out a muffled groan.

A faint cracking sound rang out, and it seemed that two of his ribs had broken.

This showed just how great 18 points of strength truly were.

Even Majima Goro, with his thick skin and sturdy flesh, had suffered severe injuries.

Fang Cheng's heart skipped a beat. It seemed he had taken things too seriously and actually injured his employer.

Then he shook his head slightly, looking somewhat disappointed.

"Is it over just like that?"

The light screen flickered, and two Prompt Information messages emerged before his eyes.

You experienced a thoroughly satisfying battle. Boxing Experience +30

You experienced a thoroughly satisfying battle. Sanda Experience +35

Fang Cheng had originally held some expectations for the true power Majima Goro spoke of.

He had not expected that, as his physical attributes increased and his skills continued to advance...

The powerful fighter who had once given every coach in the Club a headache could no longer withstand his full-force attacks.

Just Then, a low chuckle suddenly rang out.

"Heh heh..."

Majima Goro slowly climbed to his feet, crisp crackling sounds continuously coming from every joint in his body.

The moment he raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed directly on Fang Cheng, his gaze as sharp as an awl.

He licked the Blood Foam spilling from the corner of his mouth, as though savoring the thrill brought by pain.

It seemed their earlier clash had merely been a warm-up, nothing more than a test for Fang Cheng.

"You really are strong enough."

Majima Goro twisted his neck, then gave Fang Cheng a thumbs-up, revealing a satisfied yet strange smile.

"So, from here on, you'd better give it one hundred percent and don't let your guard down!"

Fang Cheng could not understand what he was saying.

But he could clearly see the changes in Majima Goro's condition.

His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing heavy, and Veins Emerged across his face.

He seemed to be holding back some ultimate move, though his charging time was a little long.

Fang Cheng had no intention of relaxing. He reset his stance and Stared at his opponent.

Suddenly, his pupils constricted.

Majima Goro's entire body seemed to inflate, abruptly swelling by a full size.

Bang—

Immediately afterward, all his clothes burst apart, turning into countless fluttering gray scraps of fabric.