Tai Chi and Xing Yi

Jiangxin Park.

This is the favorite spot for square-dancing aunties in the evening, but during the day, hardly anyone comes here.

Located in the middle of the river, with no tall buildings blocking the view, the scorching sun directly beats down on the park. Coupled with its position in the middle of the Tuo River, surrounded by lush aquatic plants, the mosquitoes here are not only numerous but also fat and big-headed, covered in dark stripes. A bite from one feels like a pagoda being built on you.

"Are you sure it's here?"

Li Changqing and Sun Sheng stood facing each other in the central plaza of the park. Li Changqing looked around.

"The greenery here is quite rich."

Sun Sheng glanced at him. "I'm already a registered martial artist with exclusive insurance. You don't have to worry about not being able to pay if we damage anything."

"That's not what I meant..."

"Let's begin."

Sun Sheng spread his legs apart, his left hand leading the way, his shoulders and hips aligned, his elbows and knees aligned, his hands and feet aligned.

This was the signature stance of Jixing Martial Hall's Xing Yi Quan.

Qi and Blood began to flow. In Li Changqing's eyes, it transformed into a fierce, colorful tiger, neither lying down nor standing.

"Xing Yi Quan, I see." Li Changqing also adopted a boxing stance.

His palms were Yin and Yang, his feet trod upon heaven and earth.

Sun Sheng's brow furrowed. He had never seen Li Changqing's stance before. Although it bore some resemblance to Chengtian Martial Arts School's Tai Chi, it was also subtly different.

"Get ready, I'm coming at you."

Without overthinking it, he stepped forward.

His right fist ignited the fuse.

Cannon fire erupted.

Xing Yi, Cannon Fist!

Visualizing a gunpowder explosion with Qi and Blood, he used his fist as a cannon, delivering a powerful, explosive punch.

Cannons are far fiercer than tigers!

Sun Sheng's right fist was like a cannon, tearing through the air. His feet dug into the ground, cracking the plaza. The powerful recoil propelled his body forward like a cannonball.

Li Changqing's right hand formed an arc, unleashing the Flowing Water True Meaning. Heaven-Man Resonance instantly connected him with the Tuo River, drawing upon the might of the surging Yangtze River, embracing all rivers.

No matter how fierce the cannon fire, could it open up rivers and seas?

The cannon fist sank into the sea like a mud ox, its force neutralized.

Li Changqing's right hand firmly grasped Sun Sheng's right fist. The latter's brow twitched slightly.

"Impressive. You managed to block three-tenths of my strength."

"Again!"

Sun Sheng's Qi and Blood surged within him. He broke free from Li Changqing's grip and leaped backward.

His heels embedded themselves into the plaza's ground.

He placed his hands at his waist, his chest expanding forcefully.

A massive amount of air was drawn into Sun Sheng's lungs.

He raised his head and chest, like an iron tower standing on a battlefield.

"Next, I'll be using five-tenths of my strength. Don't fall over."

As soon as he finished speaking, both his fists shot out.

Xing Yi, Machine Gun Fist!

His fists rained down like bullets, his Qi and Blood erupting like a roaring machine gun, the explosive force propelling his jabs.

Gales of wind swirled around.

Li Changqing remained in his original position, his hands clasped in front of his chest like holding a ball.

He unleashed Tai Chi Force, transforming between hardness and softness.

He absorbed the entire barrage of the Machine Gun Fist.

Tai Chi, transforming motion into stillness!

Calmly and effortlessly, Sun Sheng's second wave of attack was dissolved into nothingness.

"You..." Sun Sheng's lips parted slightly. He had used five-tenths of his strength!

Even a Lower-Rank Six-Star martial artist wouldn't be able to retreat unscathed.

The plaza ground beneath his feet shattered, while the area where Li Changqing stood remained pristine, without a single crack.

Li Changqing's left and right hands evolved Yin and Yang, his palms facing each other, inverting Yin and overturning Yang.

The Machine Gun Fist, which he had neutralized, suddenly reappeared.

Tai Chi, transforming stillness into motion!

"Give and take is courtesy. Sun Sheng, it's your turn!" Li Changqing chuckled aloud.

Sun Sheng's pupils constricted. He watched as Li Changqing pushed his palms forward, a dense surge of Qi and Blood emanating from his body.

Bang bang bang!

The Machine Gun Fist roared, countless invisible forces propelled forward by Li Changqing's two palms.

If Sun Sheng's boxing simulated a machine gun, then Li Changqing was using his Qi and Blood to directly unleash a barrage of machine gun fire capable of tearing through steel barriers.

Sun Sheng no longer dared to stand his ground. He saw it very clearly.

This was the Ten-Step Divine Fist!

The mark of a Lower-Rank Nine-Star.

His fist force pierced through the body, striking from a distance.

Within ten steps, it could pierce stone and cut metal.

"Hah!"

He gathered his Dan Tian's Qi and Blood, unleashing it with the "Gathering Dan Returning Force" technique. For the first time, he unleashed the Qi and Blood from his Dan Tian.

He clenched his fists and brought them to his chest.

Utilizing the surge of full-body force from the "Gathering Dan Returning Force" explosion.

Xing Yi, Cloud Burst Fist!

"Break!"

Boom!

A torrent of Qi and Blood instantly heated the surrounding air, causing the temperature to soar.

The moisture in the air boiled, transforming into surging steam.

Under the expansion and contraction caused by heat, combined with the explosive force of Qi and Blood piercing the body, a 360° spherical shockwave was formed.

The intense thermal radiation made Sun Sheng appear to glow from afar.

It was a fist strike simulating a no-dead-angle explosion, embodying the concept of a cloud burst bomb.

The Machine Gun Fist's projectiles were melted by the force.

Sun Sheng's white training uniform showed signs of scorching. He took two deep breaths, then looked at Li Changqing, who stood before him, calm and composed, not pressing his advantage.

"Your rate of improvement is truly..."

For a moment, Sun Sheng couldn't find the words to express his shock.

The last time they met, Li Changqing was only at the Lower-Rank Two-Star or Three-Star level.

In just over ten days, he had actually suffered a disadvantage in this exchange.

Li Changqing crossed his hands, his Tai Chi Momentum shifting.

"It looks like you won't be able to return on time for today's training match."

Sun Sheng shook his head.

"Even without me, it would be a success if your Chengtian Martial Arts School won a single match."

"No." Li Changqing extended his left index and middle fingers.

"It's possible to win two matches. At least we've already won one."

Sun Sheng's gaze flickered, and he smiled.

"You've got quite the mouth. Since that's the case, let me see just how much you've improved in these past ten-plus days."

Boom!

Sun Sheng no longer dared to hold back. The Qi and Blood in his Dan Tian surged, pushing his entire aura to its limit.

"I won't be holding back anymore."

"That's precisely what I intend." Li Changqing nodded, his eyes opening and closing.

Heaven-Man Resonance.

"Who!" Sun Sheng's hair stood on end. In that instant, he felt countless malicious gazes fixed upon him.

Above, below.

Everywhere.

It was like a nightmare, as if the entire world was rejecting him.

Hm?

Li Changqing raised an eyebrow. Never mind.

He withdrew from the Heaven-Man Resonance state. He had entered it in the middle of the Tuojiang River.

This was too much of an advantage.

"What was that just now?"

That feeling lasted only a second, but it elevated Sun Sheng's vigilance to its peak.

Was it him?

Gazing at the increasingly mysterious Li Changqing, he suppressed the stray thoughts in his heart with his powerful will.

Whether it was him or not, the only option was to fight.

To fight and win – that was Sun Sheng's lifelong creed.

"Watch my fist!"

He shouted, his boxing style grand and upright, an external manifestation of the invincible will in his heart.

The Xing Yi Quan of Jixing Martial Hall was used by him with consummate skill.

Sun Sheng's fists were like cannons, his feet finding the opportune moment, visualizing himself as a giant robot as he delivered a heavy blow.

Bang!

Ten meters from Li Changqing, Sun Sheng unleashed his punch.

Ten-Step Divine Fist!

He knew it too!

Xing Yi, Missile Fist!

Boom—

The air rippled. Li Changqing caught the force with one hand, his left foot pressing lightly into the ground, directly channeling all the force into the Tuojiang River below.

The plaza ground remained unharmed.

Using the Ten-Step Divine Fist as cover, Sun Sheng seized the opportunity to charge to Li Changqing's front.

He crossed his arms, gathering power.

Xing Yi, Cluster Cannon Fist!

This was an advanced form of Xing Yi Quan, a step above Machine Gun Fist, transforming each machine gun bullet into artillery fire.

While his Qi and Blood consumption surged, the power of his boxing technique reached a new level.

Li Changqing performed Yin and Yang with his hands. Within his dantian, Qi and Blood coiled into a dan, and the power unleashed by his solidifying Qi and Blood reached the critical point for a Lower-Rank Martial Artist.

Tai Chi, Invert Yin Overturn Yang.

It was still the same move.

Sun Sheng saw it clearly, but he despaired to find that the attack, with its doubled power, forcing him to unleash his full might, was still easily neutralized by Li Changqing with the same technique.

The force dissipated.

Li Changqing seized the opportunity, grabbing Sun Sheng's wrist. His mastery of Listening to Strength, combined with natural rhythm, allowed him to effortlessly grasp the latter's Qi and Blood flow, which had no time to change.

This is bad!

Sun Sheng's pupils contracted. He knew very well what it meant to be grabbed by a Tai Chi practitioner.

I can't let him grasp my center of gravity!

With no time to think, unable to release his force, there was only one option.

Coil Qi and Blood into Dan!

Sun Sheng's entire body's Qi and Blood instantly contracted into his dantian, condensing into a round, seemingly perfect dan.

Then, within his limbs, there was still a subtle flow of Qi and Blood.

Nine-tenths of the coiled Qi and Blood into Dan was still a sliver short.

Li Changqing held Sun Sheng's wrist. After coiling his Qi and Blood into Dan, his center of gravity was undoubtedly in his dantian.

This is an open ploy.

Sun Sheng was confident. With his Qi and Blood coiled into Dan, he also curled his body.

In this state, I am as unmoving as a mountain, possessing the strength of an elephant.

An open ploy?

Li Changqing's lips curved upwards. He also coiled his Qi and Blood into Dan, his physique and Qi and Blood, surpassing Sun Sheng's, erupting forth.

The next moment.

The smile on Sun Sheng's face froze. His body was actually lifted violently by Li Changqing.

Not good!

Giving Sun Sheng no chance, the instant his Qi and Blood erupted, Li Changqing lifted him overhead.

Unmoving as a mountain, possessing the strength of an elephant?

Within his dantian, Qi and Blood transformed into Yin and Yang. Li Changqing touched the heavens and stood firm on the earth, his radiant divine light illuminating himself.

The Qi and Blood in his arms surged, and he tossed Sun Sheng, who possessed the strength of an elephant and was unmoving as a mountain, high into the air.

You are the divine elephant, I am the Buddha.

Tai Chi Throwing Style, Sakyamuni Throwing Elephant!

Boom!

A powerful force, combining hardness and softness, instantly invaded Sun Sheng's body, disrupting his balance and making it impossible for him to adjust his center of gravity.

Earth's gravity, combined with Li Changqing's Tai Chi Force, sent Sun Sheng, whose balance was in disarray, crashing hard into the ground.

Boom!

Smoke and dust billowed in the center of the park.

A large pit was created by Sun Sheng's impact.

His Dan-condensed Qi and Blood was instantly scattered, and his tensed muscles were of no use.

His mind went blank for a moment.

Guh—

He spat out a mouthful of blood, severely injured by a single blow.

His boxing skills were no match.

His Qi and Blood were inferior.

Even in the final close-quarters struggle, he was slammed to the ground.

From any angle, he couldn't find Li Changqing's weakness.

"Cough, cough."

Sun Sheng regained consciousness and got up from the ground, blood flowing from his ears and nose.

His training uniform was torn to shreds, while Li Changqing stood five meters away, his clothes clean, not even a speck of dust on the ground beneath his feet.

"You are very strong, not just in talent, but your actual strength surpasses mine."

Sun Sheng gasped and raised his hands.

"But it's a shame your martial arts hall can't provide you with matching opportunities."

"With your talent, you should be on a better platform."

Li Changqing smiled and shook his head, "I think Chengtian Martial Arts School is pretty good, and Coach Kang is also good."

"What can they give you?"

"The Tai Chi cultivation methods were taught to me by them."

"That's all?" Sun Sheng's breathing stabilized, and he shook his head.

"Today, I lost to you. I, Sun Sheng, admit that you are the strongest."

"But if this were the Youth Cup, you wouldn't be able to defeat me."

"Oh?" Li Changqing raised an eyebrow slightly, and Sun Sheng's Qi and Blood began to flow again.

"Do you know the difference between a Mid-Rank Martial Artist and a Lower-Rank Martial Artist?" Sun Sheng looked at Li Changqing.

"It's the Artistic Conception."

"But actually, it's not only by becoming a Mid-Rank Martial Artist that one can access the Artistic Conception."

Sun Sheng's aura began to change, and he looked at Li Changqing, saying calmly:

"This is the help your martial arts hall cannot provide you."