Hidden Gate

Winter afternoon.

Sunlight filtered through the clouds, spilling into the courtyard, where pure white fine sand had been laid, only for the place to be reduced to a chaotic scene.

Two figures, one lean and one burly, stood facing each other in stark contrast.

Whoosh~~

A fierce gust of wind came howling in, brushing black strands of hair across his forehead and whipping them wildly in the air.

Fang Cheng lowered his head, then his eyes suddenly opened, a sharp glint flashing through them.

He watched the berserk figure, like a behemoth, pounce right up to him.

Quick as lightning, he shot out his wrists and clamped onto the man's neck and left wrist respectively.

At the same time, he exerted force through his waist and back, twisting his body ninety degrees. His right leg hooked along with the motion, pulling his opponent's center of gravity off to the left.

Next came the projection technique, to throw him flying.

But Majima Goro's strength was astonishing.

Even as he lost his center of gravity, he could still forcefully brake himself to a stop and yank back hard with his other hand.

Fang Cheng had been carefully sensing the minute changes in his opponent's muscles all along.

Seeing this, he immediately changed from a wrist-grabbing pull into a Corner Drop.

As he fell backward, his right foot flicked upward.

Using the forward-leaning momentum his opponent had created himself, he easily threw him backward.

The behemoth-like figure drew an arc through the air and slammed heavily into the rockery stones.

Fang Cheng immediately swung both legs downward.

Borrowing the force of kicking off the ground, he arched his waist and lifted his hips, then stood up again in an instant.

After days of physical flexibility training, plus Back Bridge practice, he had naturally mastered the classic move from traditional martial arts, "Carp Leaping Up."

In truth, the martial concepts of all combat schools were interconnected.

They were nothing more than destroying the opponent's momentum and controlling the opponent's momentum.

In the end, it was integrated into one's own momentum, to amplify the maximum power one could unleash.

If one move failed, one had to change moves in time, rather than getting trapped in a deadlock of wrestling strength against strength.

That was the kind of combat performance Free Combat and mixed martial arts ought to have.

Otherwise, how would it be any different from street thugs swinging wild punches at each other?

Facing an opponent like Majima Goro, who had brute force but lacked technique, Fang Cheng had gone from being somewhat unaccustomed at the start to gradually comprehending the martial essence of "using force against force."

Then he began fully bringing out his own advantages and achieved effective counterattacks.

At this moment, his whole person was spinning and rolling rapidly like a spiral.

As long as he caught one opening, he used the kinetic energy of his opponent's own charge, guided it just slightly, and sent him flying to cause even greater damage.

The various wrestling and throwing skills he used were not limited to the scope of Jiu-Jitsu.

Gradually, he also integrated the joint locks and wrestling techniques from Sanda.

Waist Rub Chest Press, Hook Leg Embrace Shoulder, Reverse Arm Dislocation, Pull Elbow Break Wrist...

His body moved lightly and nimbly, appearing at ease amid the storm of attacks.

He even began taking the risk of close entanglement to use the fist techniques and leg techniques that had previously lost their place.

Once again, he tried out various Boxing and Sanda Combination Techniques.

In this round, his performance was clearly even more smooth and practiced, with a faint sense that he was merging the three skills into one.

Even if his opponent occasionally flung him away with brute force, he could kick off, roll, and flip in time to dissolve the danger.

Besides, Fang Cheng possessed 20 points of Constitution, so his resistance to blows was likewise not poor.

The sun gradually slanted westward, and the light turned somewhat cold and lonely, yet also seemed even more blazing.

The two people on the field had astonishingly already fought fiercely for an hour, yet they were still tirelessly chasing and throwing each other around.

However, one had his entire body tensed to the limit, breathing like an ox.

The other had his entire body relaxed to the limit, his breathing still long and steady.

If one did not look at the miserable scene of destruction suffered by the surrounding rockery, trees, and paving, it truly seemed as if they were only carrying out a very ordinary sparring match.

Congratulations. Through unremitting effort, your Agility has increased.

A piece of prompt information suddenly emerged before his eyes.

Fang Cheng paid it no mind at all.

He leaned back and stepped away, dodging his opponent's grappling slam, then turned into a spinning heel kick.

At the same time as he counterattacked, he quickly pulled back to open up the distance.

The battle continued.

A short while later.

Several new pieces of prompt information emerged one after another.

Facing an unimaginably powerful enemy, you have comprehended the principles of combat and applied what you learned. Your skill has reached Expert Level.

Jujutsu Lv1 (0/250)

Congratulations, you have obtained a Skill Enhancement Reward. Please choose between two enhancement directions.

Fang Cheng still remained unmoved.

He was not using the Focus Skill at this moment, yet the whole person was completely immersed in battle.

The blood in his body boiled, as if it had turned into an endless fighting spirit, surging higher and higher.

Some people chased fame; some people chased profit.

Some people simply wanted to keep challenging themselves.

To challenge the terrifying dangers and formidable enemies that made others shrink back at the sight of them.

To enjoy the thrill of adrenaline pumping through their veins.

To enjoy the pleasure of climbing step by step to the summit!

Sand and dust sprayed up as the figures collided.

Bang!

Clang—

A relatively thin figure ducked low to avoid the sweeping kick.

Then, with a quick step, he drove his shoulder forward and slammed the muscle-swollen monster into the doors and windows of the house.

Glass shards shattered all over the ground, stained with a few bright red traces of blood.

Seeing Majima Goro's swaying figure and the signs that his stamina was giving out, Fang Cheng's gaze sharpened.

"This time, I'll finish you!"

The thought flashed through his mind in an instant, and his body moved just as quickly.

He kicked off the wall for momentum and slammed back in close.

His whole person spun through the air, his two legs clamping around the target's neck like scissors.

The tremendous impact dragged Majima Goro straight down to the ground.

Fang Cheng used a sacrifice technique again, trying to choke him unconscious with the strength of his legs.

Creak—creak—

Under the crushing pressure of his leg muscles, the neck gave off faint, tooth-aching sounds.

Majima Goro had clearly realized the danger to his life as well. His eyes bulged, and he desperately used both hands to pry at Fang Cheng's legs.

For a moment, they actually loosened slightly.

Fang Cheng's original strength was indeed far inferior.

But at this moment, he clearly had more stamina left than his opponent.

In truth, in this contest of strength, he had already firmly gained the upper hand.

Slowly, Majima Goro's struggling strength indeed began to weaken.

His face twisted, more air leaving than entering, the bloodshot veins in his eyes gradually fading, while his swollen muscles seemed to shrink as well, his body slowly returning to normal.

In the end, even his breathing was almost inaudible.

Fang Cheng's chest rose and fell as he took deep breaths, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

He savored the pleasure brought by victory.

All of a sudden, a bad thought flashed through his mind.

"Damn it! I didn't really beat him to death, did I?"

At this thought, Fang Cheng immediately broke free from his almost fanatical battle state.

He loosened his legs and stood up, just about to check Majima Goro's specific situation.

A crisp, sharp voice suddenly rang out from inside the house.

"Stop!"

Then, a young woman in a bathrobe quickly ran into the courtyard.

It was the White-Dress Lady he had seen at the entrance earlier.

Clearly, she was Majima Goro's wife or girlfriend.

Faced with her furious, questioning stare, Fang Cheng's gaze couldn't help drifting away.

He spread both hands, indicating that he was actually innocent.

The reason he had beaten Mr. Majima so hard had been entirely at the man's own request.

He just didn't know whether she would be willing to believe that.

Beep-boo—beep-boo—

The ambulance, its warning lights flickering, carried the unconscious Majima Goro toward a nearby hospital.

Fang Cheng stood in the street under the slanting sunset, looking somewhat speechless.

The Club had sent him to win over a major client, yet he had beaten the man into the hospital.

What kind of mess was this?

Fortunately, before the match, both parties had signed a Letter of Understanding explaining the relevant circumstances.

Otherwise, he would probably have had to make a trip to the police station by now.

As for... how Majima Goro had turned into that monster-like form?

Fang Cheng didn't ask too much.

Under these circumstances, not getting torn into by the man's family already counted as lucky.

He secretly guessed at all sorts of possibilities.

The only thing he could confirm was one point.

"This world definitely isn't simple!"

An indescribable light flickered in Fang Cheng's eyes as he stared at the panel emerging before his eyes.

It was as if a gate hidden within the mist was slowly opening toward him.