Ma Jun could barely make out the two men's general movements and changes in position. Of Chen Yue's exquisitely varied fist techniques and Zhou Jingfeng's effortless responses, he could see at most two or three parts in ten. Many crucial details were like flowers seen through mist, there one moment and gone the next.
Even so, the fierce gusts of fists rushing toward him and footwork so fast it dazzled his eyes had already left him feeling waves of suffocating pressure.
Yu Kan, whose skill was greater, could see the fight unfolding in the training yard much more clearly.
And precisely because he could see it clearly, the shock in his heart surged like a raging sea, each wave rising higher than the last, nearly drowning him.
He could clearly distinguish the way Chen Yue generated force with every punch and how his footwork complemented it. He could also see the martial principles contained in his master's seemingly casual movements.
Yu Kan was "pleasantly surprised" to realize that if he were the one facing Chen Yue right now, he would already have lost.
This answer sent a faint chill down Yu Kan's back.
He considered himself quite proficient in Iron Mountain Fist and Roaming Mountains and Rivers, and a capable fighter even among those in the Skin Refining Realm. But what Chen Yue had demonstrated went far beyond mere proficiency!
It was a profound understanding of the essence of fist techniques and footwork, a consummate mastery that had turned them completely into instinct in battle!
How had Chen Yue trained over these past twenty-odd days? Did he have twenty-four hours in a day, and spend every one of them practicing and studying martial arts without eating, drinking, or sleeping?
But even so, without a renowned master's guidance, without sparring with fellow disciples, and without sufficient resources to temper his body, how had he avoided every wrong turn and reached such an unfathomable level?
Watching that figure in the training yard grow fiercer with every exchange, his fists surging like a dragon, the last trace of superiority Yu Kan had felt because of his age and experience vanished completely. All that remained was boundless shock and a heartfelt admiration for his master's judgment.
His master hadn't merely taken on a disciple. He'd stumbled upon a priceless gem!
Thump!
Another muffled impact rang out. It wasn't a clash of fists and palms. In the brief opening between Chen Yue's flurry of attacks, Zhou Jingfeng's hands swept through the layers of fist shadows like flowers parting willow branches. One hand on each side, he lightly placed his palms over the pulse points on Chen Yue's wrists.
The movement was gentle, yet carried an irresistible sticking force that instantly locked down every follow-up Chen Yue might have made.
Chen Yue felt both wrists go numb. His surging fist force struck an invisible dam and abruptly stalled, leaving him unable to unleash another move. Knowing that his master had already figured him out, he immediately reined in his energy and stopped attacking.
Zhou Jingfeng let go, his undisguised, delighted smile practically overflowing.
He looked at Chen Yue, who was breathing slightly hard, and spoke with unstinting praise and a hint of incredulous admiration. "Chen Yue, you're good. Very good! In such a short time, you've cultivated Iron Mountain Fist and Roaming Mountains and Rivers to this level!
"Your force flows smoothly and naturally, and you bring out variations in your moves with ease. More impressive still is your ability to adapt in battle, that intuitive flair of yours that keeps you from being confined by set forms! In your mastery of these two basic martial arts alone, you've already grasped their very essence!"
"Thank you for your praise, Master. I'll keep training diligently." Chen Yue took a step back, calmed his churning blood and qi, then clasped his hands in a modest salute.
Zhou Jingfeng's eyes shone as he looked at Chen Yue with ever-growing satisfaction. His enthusiasm rose, and he continued, "I've seen your fist techniques and footwork. You mentioned Iron Mountain Saber just now. How is your saber technique coming along? Do you have any questions?"
"Master, I've had a few rudimentary insights. I hope you'll correct me where I'm wrong."
Chen Yue didn't decline. He went to the weapon rack and took down a practice saber made of hardwood. The wooden saber had no edge, but it was hefty and solid in his hand.
As soon as he gripped the handle and turned toward the open space in the training yard, his entire bearing changed!
The agility and ferocity from his earlier demonstration hadn't quite faded, yet a grave, murderous air had appeared out of nowhere, along with an aura of relentless advance!
There was no opening stance, no gathering of strength or regulating of breath. Chen Yue's gaze sharpened like a blade. He stamped a foot, twisted his waist, drove his shoulder forward, and swung his arm. The motion was simple to the extreme—and fast to the extreme.
The wooden saber blurred into a gray streak and came slashing down from above!
Whoosh!
The wooden saber cleaved through the air with a deep, heavy rumble like muffled thunder. The air before its edge seemed to split apart as it whipped up a fierce gust, sending dust several feet away billowing outward.
At a distance, the instant Ma Jun saw the saber come down, a layer of cold sweat sprang across his back. Almost instinctively, he imagined himself as the target of that strike. Then, to his horror, he realized that no matter how he tried to dodge, he couldn't escape it.
"Excellent!"
The praise burst from Zhou Jingfeng almost before he could stop himself, his voice loud and brimming with admiration.
He had no idea how many times he'd praised Chen Yue today, but the thrill and joy of discovering a priceless gem made it impossible for him to hold back.
When teaching an ordinary disciple, a master might need to blunt the disciple's edge and warn him against arrogance and impatience, for fear that exceptional talent might make him conceited.
But facing a disciple like Chen Yue, Zhou Jingfeng felt that with talent, character, and progress like his, Chen Yue had every right to be proud!
Suppress him? No. His task was to guide him, to set him alight, to let this uncut jade shine in the most dazzling way!
A moment later, Chen Yue lowered the saber and stood still, his breathing steady again. He respectfully returned the wooden saber to the weapon rack.
He had finished demonstrating a basic set of Iron Mountain Saber. There had been no thrilling fight to the death, but the heavy, powerful force behind his saber and the subtle way his steps echoed the footwork of Roaming Mountains and Rivers had already drawn repeated nods from Zhou Jingfeng.
Yu Kan now understood completely why He Chong, despite his strength in the Skin Refining Realm and having five men at his side, had suffered such a crushing defeat at Chen Yue's hands, nearly having his belly split open by a single saber strike.
Chen Yue's mastery of Iron Mountain Saber was no less than his mastery of fist techniques. With his whole body's strength concentrated into a single strike, paired with the lightning-fast footwork of Roaming Mountains and Rivers, Yu Kan reckoned that if he were in He Chong's position, he wouldn't fare much better against Chen Yue's saber.
Meanwhile, at the Sea Shark Gang's main hall in the western part of Hepu County.
The atmosphere was as heavy as the skies before a downpour. He Chong stood with difficulty, supported by two of his men, his chest wrapped in thick bandages and his face deathly pale.
Zhou Qi's right shoulder was swaddled like a rice dumpling and slung in front of his chest. A faint, pungent smell of blood and medicinal herbs hung in the hall.
After listening to He Chong's halting report, Tang Qizheng, the Sea Shark Gang's leader, sat in his tiger-skin chair as his face darkened visibly.
He was around forty, with a dark complexion. Now a cold glint flickered in his eyes as his fingers lightly tapped the hard huanghuali armrest, each soft knock landing like a hammer on the hearts of everyone below.
"Pearl Diver? Chen Yue?"
Tang Qizheng's voice was quiet, yet had a chilling edge. "Zhou Jingfeng sent someone to negotiate, and the moment his messenger left, one of my Sea Shark Gang brothers was beaten half to death by that Pearl Diver? Some negotiation! This is nothing but trampling the Sea Shark Gang's dignity underfoot!"
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