Tai Chi Brings Down a Bear

Thud, thud.

Dull sounds came from above the waterfall.

Li Changqing raised an eyebrow. From the footsteps, he could tell this was a big one.

Majestic brown fur shook amid the mountains. A robust figure slowly emerged from the forest and stood atop the waterfall, its enormous shadow cast down, nearly blocking out the sunlight.

Standing in the giant creature's shadow, Li Changqing looked up, his calm eyes meeting a pair of ferocious pupils.

"Roar—"

The full-throated roar shook the soul, proclaiming to the surrounding forests that it alone was the master here.

Boom!

A drop of three meters was nothing to this colossal beast.

Its powerful yet utterly unburdened body crashed heavily beside the pool, its sharp claws and fangs capable of tearing apart any creature that dared stand in its way.

This was a male brown bear in its prime. Li Changqing was no biologist and could not determine its species, but by his estimation—

This brown bear weighed at least five hundred kilograms.

More than half a ton.

Five hundred kilograms was nearly twice the weight of an ordinary adult male Siberian tiger.

A brown bear of this size was a formidable foe even for a Siberian tiger, which likewise stood at the top of the food chain.

In the animal world, greater mass brought an all-around increase in combat strength.

Li Changqing was certain that this brown bear was targeting him.

He flexed his limbs and watched the giant beast circle him, probing for an opening.

"What, did you think the commotion from my training just now was a challenge?"

In nature, two giant beasts could not coexist peacefully. Li Changqing's breakthrough had drawn this brown bear here, and in its eyes, he was no weakling.

The surging vitality radiating from Li Changqing gave the brown bear a sense of intimidation no less terrifying than that of its fearsome father.

In the brown bear's eyes, Li Changqing was a predator occupying the same ecological niche as itself.

And its hunting grounds permitted no other predators.

"Roar!"

The brown bear's massive body moved. The oppressive force of its five hundred kilograms felt like a dump truck roaring straight at him.

"Good!"

Li Changqing stood where he was, lowering into a horse stance. He spread his hands to either side, assuming an exceedingly arrogant combat posture.

After accelerating for more than ten meters, that mountain of flesh barreled toward Li Changqing at over fifty kilometers per hour.

Bang!

It was as if Mars had collided with Earth.

The brown bear and Li Changqing slammed into each other beside the pool.

The enormous crash sent ripples across the water.

Even the brown bear, famed for its sheer bulk, could not withstand the violent impact. Its body crashed hard against the mountain wall beside it, shaking loose fragments of stone.

As for Li Changqing, he remained standing in place, both legs visibly sunk into the muddy ground by the pool.

In a contest of pure strength, the brown bear had actually come out worse.

"Roar—"

The brown bear violently shook its head. Cushioned by its fat, this kind of collision was little more than routine to it.

"Haha, again!"

Vast vitality coursed freely through his body, heavy as lead and mercury, making Li Changqing's body equally weighty, like a thousand-pound anchor.

"Roar—"

The brown bear would not admit defeat. This time, it dropped onto all fours and charged Li Changqing again.

Animals had no flashy movements in their fights. Charging, swiping, and biting were their strongest killing moves.

"Hmph!"

The five-hundred-kilogram mountain of flesh rushed in. Li Changqing bent at the waist and hunched his back, wrapping both arms around the brown bear's barrel-thick waist.

The brown bear roared and exerted force with all four limbs, intending to send Li Changqing flying.

As they wrestled, the brown bear pushed Li Changqing across the ground.

Sensing that its efforts were working, the brown bear let out an excited roar and suddenly exerted force, about to hurl Li Changqing high into the air.

The immense strength granted by its five hundred kilograms erupted from the ground. A sharp glint flashed through Li Changqing's eyes.

His masterful Listening to Strength let him understand the precise moment the bear exerted force even more clearly than the bear itself.

One push, one press.

Vitality flowed. Li Changqing exerted force through both hands, and his exquisite strength wrapped around the brown bear like threads of silk.

Following the bear's exertion of force—

The one sent flying was not Li Changqing, but the brown bear that had exerted itself.

Its center of gravity was effortlessly seized by Li Changqing.

Li Changqing's legs rooted like ancient trees. The muscles all over his body bulged as his arms gripped the brown bear's fur.

"Up!"

Like an overlord lifting a cauldron, Li Changqing raised both arms high, flinging the five-hundred-kilogram brown bear over his head.

Tai Chi Throwing Style, core principle.

Stick to the target and destroy its center of gravity.

Then...

Use the planet beneath your feet to smash it viciously into the target.

Bang!

In an instant, heaven and earth spun.

The brown bear's prized five hundred kilograms became Li Changqing's weapon.

The heavier the body, the greater the damage it suffered under the planet's gravity.

Throwing techniques were the absolute nemesis of these large animals.

"Awoo—"

The brown bear had been thrown senseless. It could take several of Li Changqing's punches and kicks while standing and still act as though nothing had happened.

But throws were different. Even taking one could be fatal.

Drool streamed from its huge maw. The brown bear was dazed, and that single throw had left it utterly disoriented.

But Li Changqing would not give the brown bear any chance to catch its breath.

"Get up."

He grabbed the brown bear's fur, his tremendous strength not inferior to the beast's in the slightest.

He directly hauled the sprawled brown bear upright again.

Where else could he find such a fine sparring partner?

"Keep going!"

Li Changqing sent a huge slap whipping across its face.

The brown bear froze for a moment, then fury ignited like tangible flames.

The bloodthirsty brown bear was enraged. It wanted to tear this little runt apart!

The next second, the brown bear charged forward.

Then it discovered that it had left the ground again.

Finally...

Bang!

Using the rotation of his body, Li Changqing directly flung the brown bear onto the muddy bank at the side.

He patted his hands and continued forward.

Tai Chi Throwing Style, proficiency: 85%

Actual combat truly was the best way to improve combat techniques. The way Li Changqing looked at the brown bear grew increasingly fervent.

This time, he was the one who could not wait to charge straight at it.

Close in, use Listening to Strength to judge its center of gravity, destroy that center.

Then throw it hard!

Bang!

The tremendous shock slammed into its internal organs, leaving the brown bear in unbearable misery.

That throw completely knocked the anger out of it, and the instinctive fear of an animal gained the upper hand.

The monster before it, like some kind of monkey, was too terrifying.

Run!

But how could Li Changqing let it have its way?

Like a phantom, Li Changqing moved after it yet arrived first, directly blocking the brown bear's path.

Facing the colossal creature as it reached top speed—

Li Changqing extended his left arm.

In his mind, trickling water flowed through his heart.

Yin and yang complemented each other; dragon and tiger, water and fire.

He closed his eyes. His left hand touched the brown bear's body, his five fingers clenching its fur.

Unable to brake against its own momentum, the brown bear charged straight toward Li Changqing's face.

The next instant, powerful centrifugal force forcibly destroyed the brown bear's center. Its body instantly lost balance and veered aside.

Then Li Changqing stepped forward. His right hand drew an arc, and the Flowing Water True Meaning surged into his heart.

"Invert Yin, Overturn Yang—transform motion into stillness."

The unstoppable brown bear was about to crash into a tree, but an unfathomable force suddenly shed every bit of speed from its body.

Like a sheet of paper, it came to a light, fluttering stop where it stood.

Its kinetic energy was completely dissipated.

And before it, that terrifying man actually radiated the same natural aura as a river.

What had just happened was already beyond the brown bear's tiny brain to comprehend.

It only knew that it had to run now!

The mountain of flesh fled in wild abandon. Li Changqing did not hurry to chase it. He stood where he was and examined himself inwardly.

Tai Chi Throwing Style had disappeared. After Li Changqing used the Flowing Water True Meaning through that seemingly similar Tai Chi Throwing Style, directly reversing the brown bear's state of motion and turning its charge into stillness—

A brand-new Old Technique appeared after the Breathing Technique and Old Technique Tai Chi.

Tai Chi Soft Strength, proficiency: 25%

Another self-created Old Technique!

After incorporating the Flowing Water True Meaning Li Changqing had comprehended before, Tai Chi Throwing Style had officially shed its old form and been reborn.

It had become an Old Technique with a vast road ahead.

This meant that this Combat Technique could gradually grow stronger alongside Li Changqing's continual improvement, becoming one of the martial arts techniques best suited to him.

A vast amount of knowledge related to Tai Chi Soft Strength flooded into Li Changqing's mind. He rapidly absorbed it, thoroughly merging it with the Flowing Water True Meaning he had comprehended.

Hm?

The sounds by his ear dragged Li Changqing out of his joy.

He turned to look in the direction the brown bear had fled, his brows tightly furrowed.

"Why is that beast running over there?"

Through the dense forest, Li Changqing could clearly see rows of exquisite wooden buildings.

That was the nature reserve, where the tourists were.