Fighting the Thunder Hand

The moon was already high, but the sounds of continuous practice still echoed from the martial arts room, footsteps and the sound of air being broken blending into one, shouts erupting like thunder.

It was clear that late into the night, someone was still diligently practicing the Liu family's ancestral martial art, Thunder Hand.

And this person's identity was also very obvious—only Liu Zhengde.

"Is it my nephew, Liu Tian?" Since Liu Tian hadn't deliberately suppressed his footsteps, Liu Zhengde easily heard the approaching person, "Still not resting this late?"

"Martial artists have abundant energy; it's not yet my bedtime." Liu Tian pushed open the door and walked in, seeing Liu Zhengde dressed in a blue training uniform, sweat soaking through his clothes, revealing well-defined muscles underneath. He looked like he had been practicing for quite some time.

"Oh, I forgot, nephew, you want to be the number one under heaven?" Liu Zhengde said with a smile, "That is indeed a grand goal."

"Not number one under heaven," Liu Tian waved his hand and closed the door, walking in as he spoke, "I hope to be number one in the heavens as well."

"Give me a hand?" Seeing Liu Tian close the door, Liu Zhengde, whose heart was still young despite his age, invited, "I haven't sparred with anyone in a long time."

"Second Uncle, you are not my opponent; you will definitely lose if we fight." Liu Tian calmly assessed, not holding back just because it was his Second Uncle.

In the way of martial arts, Liu Tian had learned the Heavenly Dao; one was one, and two was two. If someone wasn't an opponent, they weren't an opponent.

After all, if politeness led to his Second Uncle misjudging his own strength, the potential losses might be even greater.

"Such confidence. Then let Second Uncle see if you truly have such strength, nephew?"

Before his voice even fell, Liu Zhengde didn't wait for Liu Tian's consent. He stepped forward and threw a punch, his momentum like thunder, his speed like lightning, three points faster than Liu Tian's move.

But faster attack speed doesn't mean anything!

Facing this probing attack, Liu Tian seemed to have expected it. He took a small step back, raised his palm, and although his speed was much slower than Liu Zhengde's, it perfectly deflected the tip of his fist. He then bent his knees and raised his leg, precisely intercepting Liu Zhengde's side kick.

Bang!!!

Before Liu Zhengde could react, Liu Tian, whose reflexes had been honed by the Heavenly Dao, instinctively seized the opportunity. Using his hands and feet, he instantly disrupted Liu Zhengde's balance, who had stumbled again, and executed a perfect over-the-shoulder throw.

"I told you, Second Uncle, you would lose," Liu Tian said, shrugging as he looked at Liu Zhengde, who had been 'gently' thrown down.

Defeated in a single exchange due to underestimating his opponent, Liu Tian, whom he had just met, had instantly K.O.'d him. Although Liu Zhengde wasn't seriously injured because Liu Tian had held back at the last moment, his pride couldn't quite handle it.

It was precisely because of this that Liu Zhengde became serious. He took a deep breath, and his entire body trembled. The sweat that had covered his skin was instantly shaken off, shooting towards the floor like arrows. A small, lightning-like pattern appeared on his forehead—the unmistakable mark of a Fighter.

A Battle Mark!

"I didn't expect you to have some real skill, nephew. You've become a martial artist, haven't you? But Second Uncle is a Fighter." As he spoke, Liu Zhengde's expression turned serious, and he assumed a stance. "That last exchange doesn't count. Let's go again."

"The result will be the same even if we go again," Liu Tian shrugged. Thanks to the teachings of his father, Liu Yun, and his master, the Heavenly Dao, he had already understood the essence of Thunder Hand during their brief exchange. "Thunder Hand isn't a top-tier Secret Martial Art anyway; it's too far behind the martial arts I practice. Although you, Second Uncle, as a Fighter, have faster and heavier attacks than me, you're too slow in other aspects. Plus, you haven't sparred with anyone in a long time, so your moves are too predictable."

"Although I haven't practiced Thunder Hand, my father taught me, so I knew what you were going to do before you even moved, Second Uncle."

"Just like before, the moment you were about to lift your leg, I knew you were going to throw a left punch and a right kick. In that situation, Second Uncle, you couldn't possibly defeat me."

"Stop with the nonsense. Second Uncle just wasn't paying attention just now," Liu Zhengde said, his old face flushing. "How could I, a dignified Fighter, possibly lose to you, a kid? Again!"

"Alright." Although he said that, Liu Zhengde was still a realm higher than him, so Liu Tian became vigilant—what if Second Uncle had some trump card?

Moreover, demonstrating his own strength would make his subsequent persuasion more impactful.

The roars of the weak only evoke sighs about the difficulty of mutual understanding between people, while the quiet words of the strong are enough to make countless people ponder and shake the world.

"Thunder Hand, Liu Zhengde!" Since they were formally preparing to fight, Liu Zhengde, who still retained some of the purity of a martial artist, no longer saw Liu Tian as his nephew but as an opponent. He seriously began to introduce himself, "Fighter."

"Heavenly Martial Killing Dao, Liu Tian," Liu Tian also assumed a stance, not calling himself Liu Wentian as his father intended. "The 'Tian' from 'Number One Under Heaven,' a quasi-Fighter."

Without pondering why Liu Tian didn't name himself according to the family genealogy, Liu Zhengde's mind was now solely focused on one thought—to defeat Liu Tian and re-establish his dignity as an uncle! Everything else could wait until after the fight!

But would things go as he wished?

Liu Zhengde didn't consider the possibility of failure. In an instant, he seized what he perceived as the opportune moment and shouted, attacking!

Thunder Hand, although rated as third-rate by the Heavenly Dao, had its reasons for entering the Heavenly Dao's view and serving as the Liu family's ancestral Secret Martial Art.

This move showed a difference from before. Under an already superior speed, it was three points faster, and Liu Zhengde's shout was like thunder, preempting his opponent.

As Liu Zhengde, who had cultivated Thunder Hand to become a Fighter, he perfectly embodied its essence—momentum like thunder, speed like lightning, sound and fist erupting together, the faster the movement, the louder the shout, exuding an imposing divine might.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Liu Zhengde's fist reached Liu Tian's face. The power of his punch and its speed were truly worthy of the sound of thunder.

But as Liu Tian had said, Liu Zhengde's moves were too predictable. Before he even raised his hand, Liu Tian already knew Liu Zhengde's intentions.

Although the serious Liu Zhengde did display a punching speed far exceeding Liu Tian's, it wasn't yet beyond Liu Tian's reaction time.

Facing the onslaught, Liu Tian simply dodged sideways at the perfect moment, the tip of the fist grazing his cheek. Suppressing the urge to immediately use the Heart Severing Path to take down Liu Zhengde, Liu Tian used his shoulder to lift Liu Zhengde's fist and then threw a punch.

Heavenly Martial Killing Dao · Twin Dragon Strike.

He didn't need a faster punch than Liu Zhengde, only a faster retreat. Liu Tian, who had been accumulating power, struck true with one move, directly blasting Liu Zhengde away.

"See, Second Uncle? I told you it was useless," Liu Tian even had the energy to speak during the fight.

"Hmph!" But Liu Zhengde had no interest in replying. Not having his breath interrupted by the Heart Severing Path, he let out another shout and attacked again.

Unable to provoke Liu Zhengde into a conversation, Liu Tian wasn't discouraged. Relying on his faster overall speed, better coordination, and familiarity with Thunder Hand, he intercepted Liu Zhengde's punch midway again.

But this time, it was different. Liu Zhengde, by taking a direct hit, managed to exchange a punch with Liu Tian. Then, before he could even adjust his stance, he attacked again with a shout.

Fighting speed with speed, they exchanged over ten blows in a short period, their punching speeds constantly increasing, their fists colliding repeatedly.

After only two exchanges, Liu Zhengde understood that Liu Tian's words were not empty boasts. If they were to fight at a distance, in a head-on battle, he was definitely not his nephew's opponent. But since they were fighting, Liu Zhengde, who sought victory, wanted to win!

And how to win? Besides the Revolver Style and Iaido, Liu Zhengde could only think of one method—using his advantage of higher realm, faster punching speed, and heavier punches to inflict damage on himself, forcing Liu Tian, who couldn't easily use heavy attacks, to engage in a head-on confrontation, accumulate advantages, break through defenses, and secure victory.

Liu Zhengde didn't believe he was bullying others with his status; he was merely making reasonable use of his advantages. After all, Thunder Hand required the use of firearms and items. If he had suitable items, his combat power would at least triple.

If he had used his familiar revolver quick-draw technique, Liu Zhengde was confident he could empty the magazine in 0.1 seconds and leave Liu Tian lying on the ground.

Not using firearms was already him going easy on Liu Tian. Since that was the case, it wasn't impossible to leverage his advantage as an elder a little.

However, if a punch is heavy and fast, does that guarantee victory in a direct confrontation? Where did such a notion come from?

Boom, boom, boom! Bang, bang, bang!

The sounds of fists and palms clashing echoed through the training grounds. As time passed, Liu Zhengde discovered his fists were gradually going numb, and he had unknowingly fallen into a disadvantage.

This fight wasn't unfolding according to his plan at all.

Although he hadn't broken through to Fighter, Liu Tian, who had cultivated the Heavenly Martial Killing Dao for comprehensive growth, had harder punches, faster recovery, and always managed to strike first, intercepting Liu Zhengde's attacks mid-way. He wasn't afraid of trading blows with Liu Zhengde at all.

Before Liu Zhengde could devise a plan, after nearly a hundred rounds of combat, Liu Tian seized an opportunity. He unleashed "If I Were Emperor," blocking the oncoming punch, which had slowed due to numbness, with his left hand. His right hand transformed from a palm into a fist and struck Liu Zhengde's vital point directly.

"Defeat!"

"Waa!" A surprised shout was choked off by the punch, and with a cry, Liu Zhengde was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground.

Liu Tian stood still, a wondrous inspiration surfacing in his mind, as if he had drawn closer to some unknown boundary.

By defeating Liu Zhengde using Heavenly Martial Fist, rather than Heart Severing Path or even Heavenly Martial Killing Dao, he had instead gained an epiphany, bringing him a step closer to the Fighter realm.

Liu Tian understood that with two or three hundred more matches like this sparring session, he might be able to break through without excessive effort, naturally.

Damn it.

He shook his head, casting the absurd thought out of his mind. Time waits for no one. Two or three hundred matches would take at least two years. In that time, he could have already broken through through his own efforts.

Combat... the speed of progress was too slow