Zhou Family Child Monkey Fist

After being humiliated, Zhou Bai was filled with rage.

However, he became calmer because of it.

The Jianghu in Xianyang City wasn't that big, Zhou Bai had known that for a long time. So even though he was praised by everyone since childhood and his elders spoke highly of him, he still longed to go out and forge his own path.

He never expected a guy like Li Yan to suddenly appear.

A country bumpkin, two years younger than him!

He was considered a genius, so what did that make this guy?

Along with the humiliation came a surge of resentment.

Although Zhou Bai didn't want to admit it, he knew he was starting to feel jealous.

The grand pronouncements he'd made earlier were completely forgotten. Zhou Bai now used his signature Monkey Fist, wanting nothing more than to kill the young man before him and vent his hatred.

Zhou Bai lunged like an ape, claws extended in mid-air, aiming for Li Yan's head.

Li Yan used the wooden plank to brace himself and launched a Heaven Facing Kick.

But Zhou Bai seemed to have anticipated this. He flipped in the air, gaining a superior position, and swung his right leg in a wide arc, smashing down like a hammer.

Bang!

Their legs met with a dull thud.

Zhou Bai's footwork was superior, and he clearly had the advantage on the straight wooden wall. Using the momentum, he spun around and firmly gripped the wooden plank again with both claws.

Li Yan, suspended in mid-air, had only the broken section of the wooden plank as a point of leverage.

After taking that blow, his arm could still hold, but the wooden plank in his hand snapped with a crack. It fell two meters before he punched into another plank to stop his descent.

"Get down!"

As soon as he stabilized himself, Zhou Bai attacked again from above.

This time, he didn't use his leg. Instead, he clenched his right fist, the wind whistling around it.

This guy's using Hidden Strength!

Li Yan's heart leaped, and he quickly changed his move.

He knew that if he got hit, falling off the stage would be the least of his worries. He'd likely suffer internal injuries and would have to rely on his Great Luo Dharma Body for recovery.

With his opponent above him, Li Yan could only evade.

He twisted his body, pushed off with his feet, and simultaneously punched hard, creating a series of craters in the wooden wall. He flipped to the other side, scrambling up the opposite wooden wall, intending to jump back onto the stage.

However, Zhou Bai was faster.

Seeing Li Yan evade, he also retracted his attack. His legs churned, and his claws gripped the wooden wall. He moved like an ape traversing a steep cliff, reaching the other side of the wooden wall a step ahead.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Just as he was about to pounce, he saw Li Yan suddenly lift his leg and shatter the wooden wall in front of him, revealing the stage frame behind it. Li Yan then disappeared inside.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Zhou Bai snorted coldly and prepared to follow him in.

Unexpectedly, before he could move, he felt a shock and quickly retreated.

Crack!

The wooden wall in his area exploded.

Li Yan had climbed up inside along the wooden frame and, from within, unleashed a Hidden Strength strike through the wooden wall, a "bull striking through the mountain."

The attack was astonishingly powerful.

Because he used Hidden Strength, and specifically Yang Power, the entire section of the wooden wall exploded like a buried mine, shattering and sending large pieces of wood crashing down.

When Hidden Strength is used, not only does the impact force increase dramatically, but it also allows for various changes.

Yang Power has explosive force, Yin Power can reach the internal organs, and there are also spiraling and silk-like forces, making it incredibly versatile and complex.

But both of them had only just entered this realm, and their power wasn't deep yet. Using it a few times would drain them, so they could only use it at critical moments.

If Hidden Strength were cultivated to a profound level, it would be incorporated into both offense and defense, allowing one to wield great power with ease, without such concerns.

Li Yan's sneak attack with Hidden Strength had almost succeeded.

Although Zhou Bai dodged in time, he lost his footing. He could only pull with both hands and do a backflip, returning to the stage.

On the other side, Li Yan also broke through the wooden planks and emerged from the opposite wooden wall, flipping back onto the stage.

Below the stage were neatly arranged thick logs. While Hidden Strength could break them, there was no need to go to such lengths.

The two faced each other on the stage once more.

This series of exchanges was like a violent storm, incredibly perilous.

Not to mention the ordinary spectators, even many Jianghu figures held their breath, their eyes wide, watching without daring to breathe.

Sha LiFei and Wang Dao Xuan were both terrified, sweat beading on their foreheads.

They finally breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Li Yan escape the danger.

"Good!"

At the same time, cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd.

It hadn't been long since they stepped onto the stage, and the moves, fighting style, and quick reactions displayed by the two men had left the spectators dazzled.

Some of the younger men frowned deeply.

They had initially felt a sense of discontent. After all, they had all endured hardship and practiced diligently from a young age. Who among them didn't have a bit of pride, believing they were simply born at the wrong time or lacked proper recognition?

But now, they clearly understood that if they were to step onto the stage, facing either of the combatants, they would likely have already been defeated.

On the stage, the atmosphere grew even more intense.

After a round of fighting, Zhou Bai no longer dared to underestimate his opponent. He half-crouched, chest sunken and back hunched, first striking a pose like "Reversing Hand Gazing at the Moon." Then, he scratched his neck, alternating his claws forward and backward, and looked at Li Yan.

Zhou Family's Child Monkey Fist!

He stared at Li Yan, a fierce glint rising in his eyes. He clenched his claws, producing crisp cracking sounds.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, shifting his body and raising his guard.

The claws of Monkey Fist had to be hardened.

Zhou Bai had clearly put in a great deal of effort; each of his fingers was like a steel needle.

Red Fist emphasized agile footwork and the unity of striking and defending. The Zhou Family's Monkey Fist, which integrated White Ape's Tongbei Fist, further stressed striking within defense and defense within striking.

One could change moves based on sound upon contact.

Coupled with the opponent's familiarity with Red Fist's move variations, a moment's carelessness could lead to defeat.

"Hmph, scared?"

Seeing Li Yan retreat, a fierce light flashed in Zhou Bai's eyes. He launched himself forward with a Monkey Leap, arms bent, mimicking a ferocious monkey pouncing and clawing.

However, while in mid-air, he suddenly changed his move. He twisted his body, pushing off the ground with his right palm like a slide tackle, and kicked towards Li Yan's lower abdomen.

This move was called Ape Lying on Lotus.

Monkey Fist was tricky and agile. Many of its moves were like this, appearing comical but often targeting the lower body, eyes, or throat.

Li Yan reacted faster. He dodged the vital strike with a sideways movement and then whipped out his right leg, executing a Horse Blocking Leg Sweep.

In the art of combat, power originates from the ground.

Although Zhou Bai's move was fierce, it left him lying on his side, making it difficult to exert force and exposing his face.

If Li Yan's kick landed, it could shatter his head.

However, Zhou Bai's reaction was equally swift. Failing to land the Ape Lying on Lotus, he immediately twisted his legs, using the rotational force to spring up. Simultaneously, he performed a sideways roll, moving to Li Yan's weaker side.

At this moment, Li Yan's whip kick had not yet retracted.

Zhou Bai reached out and grabbed Li Yan's right leg with a Mischievous Monkey Pulling Snake.

This move was a grappling technique. A simple twist of the joint could send someone tumbling, exposing their lower abdomen, which could then be kicked with devastating force.

However, Zhou Bai abandoned his follow-up.

His eyes blazed with ferocity, Hidden Strength surging. His steel-needle-like claws exerted sudden force, intending to cripple Li Yan's right leg directly.

Feeling an intense pain in his leg, Li Yan also became ruthless. He bent his body, Hidden Strength surging, and struck towards Zhou Bai's forehead with his palm.

It was fine if his leg was injured; he could repair it with the Great Luo Dharma Body. As long as his palm strike landed, he could immediately shatter Zhou Bai's head.

Crazy!

Zhou Bai was startled and quickly dodged.

But even so, his shoulder took the palm strike, sending him flying sideways. In mid-air, he twisted his body, forcefully stopping his momentum, and glared fiercely at Li Yan.

His left arm hung limply, dislocated.

Furthermore, the Hidden Strength in the palm strike was fierce, causing severe damage to his muscles and fascia, which visibly swelled and bruised.

On the other side, Li Yan was also in a bad way.

Although he maintained his stance, his right leg bore five bloody holes, and blood continuously seeped out, staining his leg wraps.

The onlookers below watched, their hearts pounding.

They hadn't expected that in just a few swift exchanges, both combatants would be injured.

If this continued, it was likely that a life-or-death outcome would be decided before long!

"Heh heh!"

Zhou Bai let out a cold laugh and slowly stood up. Grasping his left arm with his right hand, he gave it a sharp twist, resetting the joint, and then shook his shoulder.

"Kid, your leg is crippled, how are you going to fight me?"

The Zhou Family's Monkey Fist was already known for its agile footwork, and with Li Yan's injured right leg, he now held a complete advantage.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Bai lunged forward.

He moved on hands and feet, darting with the speed of a nimble monkey, and in an instant, he was in front of Li Yan. He seemed about to attack, but then he twisted his body and circled behind Li Yan.

Li Yan quickly shifted his stance, preparing to counter.

But Zhou Bai's movements were extremely agile, his chest sunken and back hunched, circling him like a spinning top, feints and real moves indistinguishable.

Li Yan finally remembered Zhang ShiTong's words.

When he was about to leave the Martial Hall, Zhang ShiTong had said: If you can't break through Zhou Bai's "circle," victory is hopeless.

The so-called "circle" was the essence of Monkey Fist: The whole body is a ball, twisting without stopping, the entire body is a circle, without a circle, it's not Monkey Fist.

At this moment, Zhou Bai's movement technique was perfectly rounded and fluid, his actions swift and fierce, and his moves, both real and fake, made it difficult for Li Yan to discern.

Chii!

Caught off guard, Li Yan was hit by Zhou Bai again.

Although no Hidden Strength was used, the opponent's grabbing technique was astonishing, directly tearing five bloody gashes on his back.

Li Yan reacted extremely quickly, immediately delivering a low groin kick.

Unfortunately, Zhou Bai rolled on the ground, easily dodging it. After getting up, he chattered like a monkey, seemingly very excited.

His eyes were lively, ferocious, and full of wildness.

Every move, every leap, was no different from a monkey's