Clashing with a Martial Master

Chen Long watched Li Xiao stand his ground without retreating. The anger at having his face slighted mingled with Astonishment and Doubt in his heart, eventually hardening into a trace of ruthlessness.

If he let himself be scared off by some Martial Arts Hall brat today, would he not become a laughingstock once word got out?

A Martial Master being frightened away by an ordinary person—he could not afford to lose that kind of face.

How would he keep his footing in the gang afterward? How would he keep his subordinates in line?

A false smile piled back onto his face, though his tone carried a bone-piercing chill. "Brother Li Xiao, what spirit you have!

"Worthy indeed of being a top disciple of the Martial Arts Hall.

"But I wonder just how much of the true inheritance you have learned in your Iron Wire Fist?

"How about... we exchange a few moves and let me broaden my horizons?"

He deliberately stressed the words "exchange a few moves," his gaze fixed tightly on Li Xiao as he tried to find even a flicker of panic on his face.

As long as Li Xiao showed weakness, he could seize the chance to suppress him, recover his face, and perhaps even force him to submit.

Yet Li Xiao's reaction disappointed him.

At the words "exchange a few moves," Li Xiao not only showed no fear, but a faintly sharp gleam flashed through his eyes.

He had been worrying about his lack of real combat experience. Chen Long had come knocking on his own door; though it was a threat, it was also an opportunity to temper himself!

"Since Brother Chen is interested, Li will accompany you."

Li Xiao's tone was calm, even carrying a hint of eagerness.

He had yet to break through to Martial Master. The thread of airflow within him was far less condensed than the other man's Internal Force, but his Iron Wire Fist had already reached Entry Level.

It was not as if he had no chance of fighting.

"Good! You've got guts!"

Cold Light flashed in Chen Long's eyes as he sneered inwardly.

Ignorant brat. Today, I'll let you see the difference between Martial Masters forged through fighting and killing and greenhouse flowers like you!

The two came to an open patch in the courtyard, while Li Youde stood tensely by the doorway.

Chen Hu retreated to one side, his expression complicated.

He both hoped his brother would teach Li Xiao a lesson and felt a trace of unease at the composure Li Xiao was displaying.

Li Xiao assumed the opening stance of Iron Wire Fist, sinking his shoulders and dropping his elbows, his breathing steady.

"Take this!" Chen Long barked. He wasted no more words, stomping off the ground as his body shot toward Li Xiao like a vicious wolf pouncing on prey.

He had no fixed routine. One punch drove straight toward Li Xiao's face, its wind howling with the viciousness and tricky angles of someone who had spent years brawling in the streets.

All his skill had been figured out through fighting and killing; he had no set routine.

That was also why Li Xiao dared accept his challenge. A Martial Master from an unorthodox background was weaker than an ordinary Martial Master.

Still, he did not dare let down his guard.

Li Xiao's pupils contracted. He did not dare take the blow head-on. With a shift of his feet, he slid nimbly aside, while his left arm barred across like an iron chain, knocking toward Chen Long's wrist.

"Bang!"

Their arms collided with a muffled thud.

Li Xiao felt a force far stronger than Wang Hai's surge through him, numbing his arm and sending his Qi and Blood churning.

His feet involuntarily stumbled back several steps before he managed to steady himself.

So this is a Martial Master's Internal Force? It truly is overpowering! Li Xiao's heart went cold.

Chen Long pressed his advantage without mercy, following like a shadow as both fists rained down.

Smashing, hammering, gouging, sweeping—his attacks were savage, all killing moves honed through real combat and aimed directly at vital points.

Li Xiao was somewhat flustered at first. Although his fist techniques were refined, he lacked experience in fighting to the death.

Faced with Chen Long's lawless yet brutally vicious style,

he could only rely on the solid foundation of Iron Wire Fist and his increasingly keen reactions to block and evade.

"Firm as a Rock!"

With a low shout, he settled into a stable horse stance and took Chen Long's side kick head-on. Though it once again jolted his Qi and Blood, he remained rooted firmly in place.

"Iron Chain Crossing the River!"

Spotting an opening, Li Xiao threw a punch, its force steady as it struck straight at Chen Long's ribs.

Chen Long was experienced. He twisted aside to evade it, then chopped the edge of his hand toward Li Xiao's neck, the forceful wind razor-sharp.

Li Xiao hurriedly tucked in his neck and hid his head, while using "Viper Strikes from its Hole" to jab at Chen Long's armpit, forcing him to defend.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than ten moves.

Li Xiao was at a disadvantage everywhere. Several times, he had nearly been struck in a vital spot, looking quite bedraggled.

He had taken several hits as well, waves of pain spreading through his body, yet at critical moments he could always rely on the exquisite techniques of Iron Wire Fist to turn danger into safety.

Like a small boat amid Turbulent Waves, seeming to rock and teeter on the verge of capsizing, yet never once swallowed beneath them.

This was also one of Iron Wire Fist's traits: resilience and flexibility.

The longer Chen Long fought, the more alarmed he became.

This brat's fist techniques were meticulous and his foundation solid. His strength, speed, and experience were clearly inferior, yet he clung like sticky cowhide candy, impossible to put down.

When Chen Long's Internal Force struck him, it seemed to be dissolved by an invisible resilience, more than half of it neutralized.

Moreover, he could feel Li Xiao rapidly adapting to his rhythm.

From his initial panic to his later ability to defend and counterattack, his improvement was visible to the naked eye!

I can't drag this out any longer! A vicious glint flashed through Chen Long's Eyes. His prolonged failure to win was making him lose face.

He drew a deep breath, and the Internal Force within him surged into his right fist. His knuckles gave a faint crack.

He threw a punch, mighty and heavy, straight at Li Xiao's chest, intending to settle the battle in one stroke!

Feeling the might of that punch, Li Xiao knew he could not take it head-on.

His gaze sharpened, every muscle in his body instantly tightening. Instead of retreating, he advanced, unleashing "Spirit Monkey Climbs the Branch." His body cut in at a bizarre angle, dodging the fist's edge as the fingers of his right hand came together like a sword and stabbed like lightning toward the joint of Chen Long's punching arm!

This was a move within Iron Wire Fist that contained grappling techniques, meant to break an opponent's move!

"Hiss!"

His fingertips brushed past. Chen Long felt his arm go numb, and his Internal Force actually stalled slightly. The strength behind that killing punch immediately weakened by thirty percent.

"Thud!"

Even so, the remaining force of the punch still grazed Li Xiao's shoulder.

It sent him staggering backward, a burning pain flaring across his shoulder.

But Chen Long was also forced to withdraw his fist. Feeling the faint pain in his joint, his expression became extraordinarily ugly.

He was a First-Turn Martial Master of the Skin Refining Realm, his skin tough and resilient, yet he had been forced into such a sorry state by a brat who had not even entered the Martial Master realm!

Li Xiao steadied himself, drew a deep breath, and suppressed his churning Qi and Blood. The pain in his shoulder made him even more clear-headed.

He took up a defensive stance and looked calmly at Chen Long. Though at a disadvantage, he showed not the slightest fear.

Chen Long stared fixedly at Li Xiao, his chest rising and falling.

Of course, he could continue fighting. He was even confident that he could eventually defeat or kill Li Xiao. But the other man's cockroach-like tenacity and rapid ability to learn and grow made him wary.

More importantly, he could not gauge just how much backing Li Xiao had in the Martial Arts Hall.

If he truly pushed matters to the bitter end, the consequences would be difficult to predict.

"Hmph!" Chen Long finally snorted, lowering his stance as he said coldly, "Iron Wire Fist truly lives up to its reputation.

"Li Xiao, consider yourself lucky today! Let's go!"

With that, he no longer looked at Li Xiao. He grabbed the dumbfounded Chen Hu and strode out of the Li Family courtyard without looking back.

Only after watching the two disappear beyond the gate did Li Xiao's taut nerves finally relax, and he immediately felt aching pain all over his body.

His shoulder in particular was likely already covered in bruises.

Yet excitement gleamed in his Eyes.

Though he had been at a disadvantage in this battle, he had successfully withstood more than ten moves from a genuine Martial Master and personally experienced both the terror of Internal Force and the exquisite nature of his own techniques.

More importantly, this had been his first real battle.