"Do you require weapons?"
"No."
The two shook their heads simultaneously, and the referee raised his left hand.
"Match, begin!"
In an instant, he flashed to the edge of the arena, yielding the entire ring to Li Changqing and Jiang He.
"Junior Li, I'll call you that." Jiang He raised both hands, his vitality embracing the core and returning strength as force flowed through him.
"Don't stand on ceremony."
As he spoke, Jiang He assumed a fighting stance. His body bounced slightly with his steps, one fist held before his head while the other hand reached downward.
Li Changqing assumed a stance as well, but it was no longer the Tai Chi holding posture he used most often, one that had reached the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man.
His legs stood one before the other, his lower body rooted in a horse stance. His waist and abdomen borrowed force as though he stood atop a galloping steed, while his hands traced arcs. His movements were standard, yet somewhat lacking in natural variation.
This was the most basic Chengtian Tai Chi Fist that Kang Tianchen had taught him.
At the same time, he completely embraced the vitality within his body into the core, not using even a trace of it, relying entirely on his muscles and fascia to control his force.
For a Lower-Rank Martial Artist whose body was still flesh and blood, not using vitality was like driving without fuel or rowing without oars.
"Junior, be careful!"
Jiang He called out a warning. The next moment, his left foot took a slight advancing step, his rear foot following the momentum. As his waist and hips exerted force, his left leg shot upward at high speed, while his right foot stepped precisely where his left foot had just been.
Force rose from the ground—a highly standard kinetic chain.
Advancing side kick!
A deadly killing move hid within that utterly ordinary motion.
Li Changqing crossed his hands, the left and right becoming yin and yang to one another. The vitality in his dantian embraced the core, without leaking a single thread.
Bang!
The yin and yang forces switched, easily dissolving Jiang He's attack.
At this moment.
Li Changqing had not only forcibly withdrawn himself from the Heaven-Man Resonance state he had always maintained, but he had also not used the Flowing Water True Meaning or his hard and soft forces.
What he displayed was pure Chengtian Tai Chi Fist, taught to him by Kang Tianchen.
He had learned from Huang Xuan that this Chengtian Tai Chi Fist had been compiled and simplified with Kang Tianchen's participation. It was his coach's proudest labor of love.
Since that was the case, he would cast aside everything he possessed and defeat his opponent with pure Tai Chi, telling everyone—
This was Kang Tianchen's Tai Chi.
All of Li Changqing's kung fu came from the Old Technique Tai Chi that Kang Tianchen had broken the rules to selflessly teach him. Without Tai Chi at the very beginning, Li Changqing's strength could not have soared so quickly. Simply searching for Old Techniques alone could have delayed him by several months.
A teacher's grace was hard to repay; all he could do was give his all.
Jiang He's movements were not over yet. His martial path was completely different from those of Li Changqing and Sun Sheng.
"Ha!"
Exhaling with a shout, Jiang He borrowed the remaining momentum from his advancing step and pressed forward again, instantly closing in on Li Changqing.
His bent right arm drew back to his waist, and in that instant, his muscles and fascia twisted into a single rope.
Inch Force, short strike!
Li Changqing stood immovable as a mountain. He completely refused to use vitality to drive his force.
He relied purely on his intent to direct the movement paths of the muscles and fascia throughout his body, thereby regulating his force.
The fierce Inch Force was difficult to evade.
He had no intention of evading it either.
His waist and abdomen drove his whole body, his horse stance rooted tight, endless power surging up from the earth.
Turning aside, parry-and-block punch!
Hard against hard!
Their fists collided. The fierce recoil was enough to snap their own wrists, and Li Changqing and Jiang He each staggered back two steps in succession.
"What incredibly skilled Tai Chi." At the commentator's desk, Tang Cheng began his professional analysis.
"I never expected it. We still underestimated contestant Li Changqing. Speaking purely of technique, this Tai Chi skill of his surpasses even many Martial Artists who have immersed themselves in Old Technique Tai Chi for years.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Tai Chi Fist of Chengtian Martial Arts School."
Tang Cheng's expression grew several degrees more serious. "I need to apologize for what I said earlier. Contestant Li Changqing's coach is an exceptionally powerful Tai Chi master."
"Mr. Tang Cheng, does that mean your prediction has changed?"
"No, I'm merely somewhat moved." Tang Cheng shook his head.
"Jiang He remains an invincible genius."
The cheers in the audience were remarkably synchronized.
"Jiang He! Go! Jiang He, victory!"
If it had been an ordinary Martial Artist facing such a uniform tide of momentum, their strength would have been weakened by at least ten percent. But to Li Changqing, these words were not even as loud as mosquitoes.
Jiang He's martial path was a typical Academy Faction style.
Kicks at range, fists up close, throws at grappling distance.
It was called Jeet Kune Do.
Seeing that both his Leg Techniques and fist techniques had been handled by Li Changqing, Jiang He's gaze sharpened.
He suddenly closed in again, taking the chance to seize Li Changqing's arms with both hands.
Got him!
He spun and pulled, intending to destroy Li Changqing's balance, then braced his waist and back against the latter's abdomen.
"It's over." At the commentator's desk, Tang Cheng watched as the director replayed the footage in slow motion. Jiang He's movements were extremely complete.
"This is a killing move combining classical throwing techniques, the Great Monument Throwing Hand. Li Changqing's vitality and body are definitely inferior to Jiang He's. With both arms seized like this, he has no hope of turning the tables."
In the stands, Kang Tianchen clenched his hands tightly.
"Oh no, I haven't taught Changqing the Tai Chi Throwing Style yet. He hasn't learned Listening to Strength. He never should have let Jiang He seize him like this!"
Thinking of that, Kang Tianchen viciously punched his own chest.
"Throwing techniques should have been Tai Chi's strength. It's all my fault!"
Jiang He's lips curved upward. He had him.
The next instant.
His waist and back exerted force.
Great Stone Throwing Hand!
Force circulated. Li Changqing offered no resistance at all, allowing Jiang He to fling him into the air.
Li Changqing's expression turned strange. Playing with balance in front of me?
As he was flung into the air, the cheers from the audience nearly blew off the stadium roof.
"It's over." Tang Cheng also gave his verdict from the commentator's desk.
"One throw outweighs ten punches. Contestant Li Changqing has no room left to turn things around. We can prepare our cheers for contestant Jiang He."
In the stands, Kang Tianchen stared fixedly at Li Changqing, who had been hurled into the air.
In midair, listening to the cheers all around him.
Li Changqing shook the force through his entire body. His hands clung like long snakes, and with a light tremor—
Bang!
He actually landed steadily on the arena after a single flip.
And Jiang He, who had originally been the one exerting force, suddenly realized that his balance was gone.
Tai Chi Throwing Style, tremor!
Bang!
Li Changqing shook his force, and Jiang He's feet left the ground as he was violently flung up. Before he could react, he crashed fiercely onto the arena.
The audience instantly fell silent as cicadas in winter.
His force transformed into softness, yet its point of application went outward rather than downward.
It made Jiang He's body scrape wildly across the arena as he slid toward the boundary.
"How is that possible?!" Tang Cheng cried out from the commentator's desk.
"Contestant Li Changqing actually mastered the Listening to Strength method of Tai Chi Throwing Style!"
"This is the most profound and difficult technique of Tai Chi Fist to master!"
Tang Cheng's expression changed drastically. Looking at Jiang He being thrown across the arena, his face was grave.
"We all underestimated contestant Li Changqing, as well as his teacher."
"To teach a contestant Tai Chi Listening to Strength in just over a month, Li Changqing's teacher is absolutely no weaker than an academy coach!"
The host asked question after question. "Mr. Tang Cheng, contestant Jiang He should still have room to turn things around, right?"
Tang Cheng did not answer, merely staring fixedly at the big screen.
All around them, there was utter silence. Li Changqing stood in the center of the arena, listening to the audience seats that had once again been beaten into a library.
Just then.
"Li Changqing, victory! Li Changqing, victory!"
A monotonous cheer suddenly rang out from one corner of the stands, but resonating through vitality, it somehow spread throughout the entire stadium.
Li Changqing paused in surprise. Focusing his gaze, he was immediately torn between laughter and tears.
Huang Xuan stood on the railing of the stands, waving two glow sticks of different colors with all his might.
"Cough, cough."
Jiang He, who had been lying prone on the arena, slowly rose to his feet. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
This was still the result of Li Changqing holding back, transforming his force from a downward smash into a sideways push.
Even so, Jiang He was severely injured.
At the commentator's desk, Tang Cheng's expression brightened again!
"Excellent! We can see contestant Jiang He has stood back up. Contestant Li Changqing made a major mistake! He actually held back in an arena match. That was far too inappropriate."
"Now that contestant Li Changqing's trump card has been exposed, as long as contestant Jiang He does not close in and continuously uses fist and foot techniques to wear down contestant Li Changqing's vitality, there is still no suspense in this match."
As Jiang He rose again, thunderous cheers immediately erupted from the audience.
Huang Xuan's faint cheering was swiftly drowned out.
Jiang He looked at Li Changqing and nodded.
"Junior, thank you for holding back. I, Jiang He, am inferior to you." He looked around.
"But this is the arena. You should not have held back."
Jiang He mobilized the vitality throughout his body, and a faint rumbling sound could be heard.
At that moment, Li Changqing seemed to see Sun Sheng's shadow in him.
"Junior, be careful from here on." Jiang He took a deep breath, his gaze resolute.
"Actually, I have a feeling that you seem not to have used all your strength."
"But if this is my final match in the Youth Cup, I hope you will give it everything you have."
After half a second of silence, Li Changqing nodded.
"As you wish."
"So I was right." Jiang He smiled, then bent his body slightly.
"This is an explosive vitality technique passed down to me by an academy teacher. It can allow my strength to break through its limits in an instant."
"Here I come!"
Whoosh—
Jiang He stomped a small crater into the arena and charged straight at Li Changqing.
"Look! Contestant Jiang He should have used some sort of vitality technique. The power of this strike will soar dramatically, perhaps even reaching the peak of 2-star!"
Tang Cheng spoke at a rapid pace, his commentary brimming with passion.
"But contestant Li Changqing seems limited by his circumstances and does not possess such a secret technique. What a pity..."
On the arena, Jiang He suddenly rushed to within two meters of Li Changqing. At that moment, he discovered—
Li Changqing was gone!
How could that be?!
At that instant, Jiang He's eyes widened. Li Changqing clearly stood right where he was, yet his aura had completely vanished.
Unity of Heaven and Man.
The vitality embracing the core rolled slowly, tiger roars and thunderous sounds.
The Universe Breathing Technique circulated.
At this moment, Jiang He felt as if he had been enveloped by vast azure waves, with enemies in all directions.
His vitality had already reached its limit. He could not control it and could only throw a punch on instinct.
"Let's watch! Contestant Jiang He moved! He charged straight at contestant Li Changqing!"
"Look! Contestant Jiang He has attacked."
"Oh, what a beautiful straight punch."
"Contestant Jiang He..."
Tiger roars and thunderous sounds surged within Li Changqing.
In the Unity of Heaven and Man state, all things obeyed his command.
Yet he still curved his hands into arcs and used the most standard, most dignified Chengtian Tai Chi Fist.
Ten-Step Divine Fist!
Vitality surged forth, striking the ox beyond the mountain.
Amid that towering blaze of force, Jiang He was like a lone boat upon the sea.
His pupils contracted.
Such power!
The next instant, the Hundred-Step Divine Fist struck Jiang He.
The violent thunderous shaking force shattered the vitality throughout his body.
Bang!
The referee flashed to the front of the ring and caught Jiang He in one swift motion. His bright eyes stared at the calm, unruffled Li Changqing.
At the commentator's table, Tang Cheng trembled all over. What had he just seen?
The audience fell completely silent.
Jiang He had been defeated in an instant?
"Vitality projected beyond the body, the Five-Step Divine Fist?" Tang Cheng's voice trembled.
"Contestant Li Changqing is actually a Lower-Rank Six-Star!!!"
Boom—
One stone stirred up a thousand waves!
In the stands, Kang Tianchen shot to his feet, the chair beneath him blasted to pieces by his vitality.
"Lower-Rank Six-Star!" He was so excited he could barely contain himself.
Liu Yi, the oldest and most talented person in the martial arts school, was only a Lower-Rank Six-Star!
"My student is a genius!"
"No, no, no!" Kang Tianchen immediately shook his head again. How could "genius" possibly describe his student?
"He should be called a heaven-blessed prodigy!"
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