Xinyi Liuhe Fist

"Break his legs...

And then throw him out of Xianyang?"

Li Yan instantly understood why his father had a connection with this Old Man Zhang, and why the man was willing to scheme for him.

Perhaps only his father's straightforward personality could tolerate this foul-mouthed old man.

Though he grumbled inwardly, he couldn't be bothered to speak at the moment.

Ignoring Zhang ShiTong opposite him, Li Yan turned and walked to a chair on the side. First, he unbuckled the Guan Shan Saber at his waist, then slowly unbuttoned his shirt and removed the Sleeve Blade from his left wrist.

His movements were unhurried, carrying a certain sense of ritual.

"He learned the Tiger's Sleeve Blade too?"

Zhang YuanShang above saw the short blade, and it seemed to stir a memory, but he quickly noticed Li Yan's expression. The corners of his mouth curled into a playful smile, "Interesting..."

In this world, martial artists practiced martial arts to kill.

Most of the time, their bodies were relaxed, not walking around like idiots, attracting attention. A sudden burst of power was like Thunder Strike.

But Li Yan was in a spar, and neither side had room for sneak attacks. Therefore, he used the few movements of undressing to adjust his state in a short time.

Turning back, his eyes now glinted with sharp light, like ice.

On the other side, Zhang ShiTong had also lost his flippant demeanor. He didn't say a word, his hands shifting into palms, his body slightly bent, and his legs in a half-crouch, front and back, resembling a proud rooster.

Chicken legs?

Li Yan's brows furrowed. He also shifted his body sideways and got into his stance.

These chicken legs were not pleasant for the enemy at all.

Xinyi Liuhe Fist emphasized Tiger Pounce in its movements, Eagle Capture at the start, chicken legs, Dragon Body, Bear Waist, and Tiger Head Hold. Its ability to spread far and wide was no mere saying.

The chicken leg was the key to Xinyi Liuhe Fist. The speed and power of its movements were all related to it. As the saying goes, "The intention to leave is like a gust of wind sweeping the ground, all power comes from the push of the rear leg, and every step is inseparable from the chicken leg."

The most intuitive example was a cockfight.

Soaring, pouncing, attacking, and defending, everything was done in a single burst.

Therefore, there was an old saying among those who practiced Xinyi Liuhe Fist: "If you don't practice the legs, you'll be a reckless fool in old age."

His father, Li Hu, had rich experience traveling the Jianghu. During his lifetime, he had explained many widely circulated boxing techniques to Li Yan.

Li Yan was still young then, and any ordinary boy would have forgotten by now, but he had a mature soul. All the crucial points were memorized by heart.

Xinyi Liuhe Fist also had many schools, each with its own characteristics.

For example, the style from Cang Prefecture was unrestrained and generous, the style from Jin Prefecture was petty and cunning, and the traditions from the Central Plains were often fierce and domineering.

As soon as Li Yan saw Zhang ShiTong's starting stance, he knew his lineage was related to Jin Prefecture.

In Jin Prefecture, there were many wealthy merchants in the banks, so various escort agencies gathered, and the martial world was also extremely prosperous.

When Zhang ShiTong had invited him earlier, he had said, "Bring three parts of a smile, yield three parts of reason, and drink three parts of wine." Li Yan had already made a guess because these were the catchphrases of the Escort Guards.

Escort Guards protected escorts. They only resorted to force when persuasion failed, but their fighting style was extremely secretive and cunning, and they had to adapt to various environments. Therefore, their boxing techniques also had similar characteristics.

It seemed he had to be wary of the opponent's hidden moves...

Just as Li Yan's thoughts turned, Zhang ShiTong moved. His front and rear legs crossed, and with a step forward, he closed the distance.

Li Yan's brows furrowed, and he stepped back sideways.

He had heard that Xinyi Liuhe Fist's shoulders did not move when striking. In actual combat, he truly felt the trouble. He couldn't tell what the opponent was doing.

Zhang ShiTong had already exerted his strength. This distance was nothing. He flicked his right hand, directly swiping at Li Yan's eyes.

The palm wind whistled, causing Li Yan's eyes to sting, and he couldn't help but lean back.

But this was just a feint. Zhang ShiTong's left hand clamped down like a hammer and stabbed towards his lower abdomen. If it had hit, Li Yan would likely have been unable to breathe, just like Meng HaiCheng.

But how could Li Yan dare to spar if he was just for show?

He used his right hand to parry, blocking Zhang ShiTong's punch while simultaneously turning his wrist into a claw and grabbing the opponent's wrist.

This was the essence of Red Fist, a cunning strike!

Red Fist was never a defensive art. Its movements were agile, and whether advancing or retreating, attacking or defending, everything was preparation for an attack.

Even a counter-attack had to be cunning.

As long as this grip was secured, the next move could make the enemy bleed!

Who knew that Zhang ShiTong's move was still a feint.

His left hand flicked and slipped out of Li Yan's grasp like an eel. Like a Tiger Pounce, he accelerated again and rammed his shoulder into Li Yan's chest.

The movements of both sides were as fast as light and shadow, happening in the blink of an eye.

Li Yan felt a dull ache in his chest, as if he had been hit by a wild bull, and was sent flying backward.

Behind him were the chairs.

Seeing that he was about to hit them, Li Yan pushed off with his right foot, using the force to do a backflip. He landed steadily on the chair as if it were nothing.

He crossed his fists and braced himself, appearing as if he hadn't been attacked at all.

"Oh, you can take a hit..."

Zhang ShiTong chuckled and immediately threw a whip kick.

"Brat, don't break my chair!"

Old Man Zhang on the armchair immediately complained.

However, Zhang ShiTong's kick was also a feint.

He swept towards the chair to force Li Yan to jump down.

As expected, Li Yan had already jumped up, sweeping his right leg towards Zhang ShiTong's head.

The little brat fell for it!

Zhang ShiTong chuckled inwardly, retracting his right leg and executing a Heaven Facing Kick.

Maintaining a stable lower body is crucial in combat. Few people attempt aerial attacks because it's difficult to generate power in the air, and getting hit would be disastrous.

But the moment he unleashed the Heaven Facing Kick, he sensed something was wrong.

He saw Li Yan twist his body in mid-air, scoop with his left hand, and grab his leg. Simultaneously, he used a scissor kick, trapping Zhang ShiTong's neck.

Then, Li Yan flipped over, using his entire body's strength. Zhang ShiTong was lifted off the ground like a pulled radish, flying backward and crashing directly into the main beam of the hall.

This move incorporated attack concepts from his previous life, combined with the grappling techniques of Red Fist and the Nine Rolls Eighteen Falls.

Zhang ShiTong took the full impact. As he landed, he immediately adopted a stance, his smile gone. "What kind of Red Fist is that?"

"The kind that can take down an opponent!"

Li Yan coldly snorted and charged forward.

He had sensed something was wrong with that last exchange.

His father, Li Hu's, past admonishments surfaced in his mind:

Xinyi Liuhe Fist's attacks don't move the shoulder; you strike forward from the intent, the intent becomes the fist, making it incredibly unpredictable.

More importantly, its attack characteristic: like waves rolling!

Once an opponent gains the upper hand, they face a continuous, wave-like assault that is impossible to defend against and difficult to recover from.

Therefore, he chose to seize the initiative.

"Good, come on!"

Zhang ShiTong was delighted rather than alarmed. He sprang forward with a chicken step and raised his hand for a Heart Punch.

But this punch was just a feint.

As Li Yan flicked his right hand, parrying the punch, Zhang ShiTong retracted both hands, palms facing inward, and pushed out forcefully.

Xinyi Liuhe Fist, Double Hand Strike!

The forward strike is called Tiger Pounce; striking diagonally upwards at the opponent's chin is called Old Ape Hanging Seal or White Ape Offering Peach.

Zhang ShiTong aimed for Li Yan's chin.

If this hit, Li Yan would be knocked out instantly.

But at that moment, Li Yan's neck suddenly snapped back, and he simultaneously shifted his stance, sliding his left foot forward to close the distance.

Distance is key in combat.

This small step was enough for Li Yan to raise his hand and push, exposing an opening in Zhang ShiTong's guard. At the same time, he shook his shoulder and struck out with his right palm.

Zhang ShiTong's vision was blocked, and he couldn't see the palm strike below.

Red Fist Thirty-Six Hand Techniques: Flower Hidden Beneath the Leaves!

Zhang ShiTong initially didn't pay it much mind.

He just needed to retract his wrist to prevent Li Yan from trapping him.

He could afford to take a palm strike.

If he were trapped, whether it was Red Fist's Harrier Class Shoulder or Sword-Hanging Leg, taking one of those would end the match.

To his surprise, the moment Li Yan's palm landed, Zhang ShiTong's expression changed drastically.

He had no time to react as a powerful force sent him flying again, crashing into a pillar with a bang before sliding down.

"Hidden Strength?!"

Upon seeing this, Zhang YuanShang, who was observing from above, also stood up.

He was clearly somewhat surprised, but not worried.

Striking someone like hanging a painting; it looked fierce but was controlled.

If Hidden Strength were used as Yin Power to strike the heart directly, that would be a killing blow.

As expected, Zhang ShiTong immediately stood up, his expression grim. "Good kid, looks like I can't hold back anymore!"

He had also entered the realm of Hidden Strength. Although he was similar to Li Yan, he had only just mastered it, unable to achieve the effortless control of manipulating power through countless twists and turns.

However, the difference between using it and not using it was significant.

"Stop!"

Zhang YuanShang, seated in his grand tutor chair, leaned back and waved his hand. "There's no deep-seated hatred here. Save your strength for the arena; go fight to the death there."

"Kid, don't worry about anything else. I'll make the arrangements. They won't interfere with the match, but whether you win or not depends on you!"

Zhang ShiTong patted the dust off his clothes and said, "That Zhou Bai isn't old, but he's stronger than me. If you can't break through his Monkey Fist's 'roundness,' then you're done for."

"Thank you!"

Li Yan cupped his fists and grabbed his clothes, then left.

His purpose for coming here had been achieved.

First, Zhang YuanShang had promised to arrange the arena, ensuring no accidents.

Second, the old man had indirectly reminded him of something.

That Zhou Bai should have a similar level of martial arts as Zhang ShiTong.

But one was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, while the other was only seventeen. Their potential was vastly different.

This Life and Death Arena might not require the use of the Great Luo Dharma Body.

Watching him leave the martial hall, Zhang ShiTong lost his earlier impetuousness. He frowned, his dead fish eyes glaring as he spoke, "He's got a bit of Li Hu's spirit. To grasp Hidden Strength at such a young age, no wonder he's so arrogant..."

"But Father, Zhou Bai might have a slight edge. You're gambling!"

"Of course, I'm gambling!"

Zhang YuanShang took a few puffs from his water pipe and said calmly:

"In this life, who doesn't gamble a few times? Zhou Pan has already connected with Chang'an. If I don't gamble now, I won't even have the chance to gamble later..."

"What if you lose the gamble?"

"I've lost once before. At most, I'll lose face and keep cursing. This time, it's on you. If you lose, you'll honestly go to Cang Prefecture..."

"This... this isn't fair!"

"My son talks about fairness with his father? You're asking for a beating!"

"How is it? How is it?"

Sha LiFei and Wang Dao Xuan were waiting at the street corner.

Seeing Li Yan emerge, they hurried forward to ask.

"It's all arranged."

Li Yan pondered for a moment. "Gentlemen, although Old Man Zhang gave his guarantee, those fellows from the Iron Saber Gang are scum. The incident with the beggars at the Mass Burial Grounds was likely their doing. They might even resort to dirty tricks. Stay close these past two days and don't wander off."

"Also, I need something."

"What is it?"

"The Qin Han War Drums!"