Strangling Technique

Chen Chong and Pei Li stood facing each other once again in the center of the Exclusive Training Room.

The Exclusive Training Room was not particularly large, just enough for one person to practice, so the two of them were in much the same position as they would be on a fighting ring.

Chen Chong noticed that both Pei Li's temperament and posture had changed.

She was now hunched low, her hands reaching out tentatively, her center of gravity lower than Chen Chong's despite her height of over 1.8 meters, ready to explode with power at any moment.

The posture was somewhat similar to the one Peng Wei had used before, but the difference was that while it appeared more casual, it gave Chen Chong—even the now-stronger Chen Chong—a much more intense sense of danger.

Chen Chong was full of interest in being able to encounter advanced grappling techniques. A significant number of fighters placed great importance on grappling; these ground-based strangulation and submission techniques were practical and dangerous, often serving as finishing moves in the ring.

However, the combat techniques Yu Feng taught did not cover much in this area, offering only a few defensive measures and counters; this style of combat leaned more toward a set of fierce and highly lethal strikes.

This happened to be more to Chen Chong's taste.

It was just that, to him, grappling could to some extent restrain his abilities, so he was all the more eager to accumulate experience in dealing with it.

Thus, his eyes were full of interest as he looked at Pei Li, yet Pei Li clearly misunderstood something, merely saying coldly:

"I thought a fighter of your caliber would value more meaningful things and have a sharper mind."

"I think this is quite meaningful."

Chen Chong clapped his hands, eager to try, and then assumed a standard guard:

"Come on."

Pei Li's eyes were icy, and she began to close the distance without hesitation, her long arms constantly probing in front of Chen Chong, trying to grab his arms.

Chen Chong naturally moved with agile steps, carefully maintaining his distance from her.

The first rule of fighting an opponent skilled in grappling is not to be dragged to the ground to wrestle, and the second is not to be fully locked down even if the fight reaches the ground.

Once a lethal ground-fighting move is fully formed, unless there is a massive disparity in strength—the kind that represents a difference in realms—it is impossible to break free.

Although Chen Chong intended to experience it, that was a matter for the second half of the match; for now, he would start with defense.

His footwork was light and nimble, his movements extremely swift.

This was the footwork technique involved in his combat style.

Although Pei Li's arms often lunged forward suddenly and her footwork was more deceptive, possessing far more dangerous trapping techniques than Peng Wei's "three-axe" routine, she was always a hair's breadth away from Chen Chong.

Her mindset began to fluctuate.

It wasn't just that she felt Chen Chong was as slippery as a rat, but also that seeing him only dodge and not attack made it seem as if he were playing some sort of dirty foreplay with her... A surge of anger rose in Pei Li's heart.

She stared fixedly at Chen Chong, lunging forward again with a fierce stomp, closing the distance in an instant while her hands shot forward to grab him; yet even facing such an unavoidable capture, Chen Chong still shifted away with a small, quick step.

The combat techniques Yu Feng taught were outstanding in terms of footwork and striking; with powerful punches and kicks, the standing grappling and leg techniques were not bad either, only lacking a bit in joint locks and chokes—it was truly a very practical and formidable set of martial arts.

At this moment, having dodged the opponent's aggression, Chen Chong had a calm opportunity to counterattack with heavy punches or whip kicks.

But he did not do so, merely tapping Pei Li's shoulder lightly with a jab before pulling away again.

Pei Li was pushed back two steps by the jab, and suddenly she straightened her waist, no longer assuming a posture of trying to capture him.

Such a change naturally left Chen Chong slightly puzzled, and then those long legs kicked out with unparalleled ferocity!

A whip kick attack just like the beginning, but hadn't it already been proven meaningless?

Chen Chong, puzzled as he was, shifted his feet to dodge, yet he discovered that Pei Li's other leg was moving even faster—it was the other leg!

Chen Chong finally understood what his initial premonition had been.

Pei Li's kicking leg was fierce and fast, and her remaining supporting leg had long been ready, kicking off the ground so that her entire body soared into the air! She spun, her long legs covering nearly half the room.

Bang!

Those long legs transitioned from hard to soft, wrapping around Chen Chong's neck like a snake. Chen Chong tried his best to dodge, but Pei Li's legs were simply too long, their range far exceeding her arms, and they wrapped directly around his waist and abdomen, bringing him down to the ground together.

This was Pei Li's finishing move, fully utilizing her own advantages: an aerial leg capture that no one had ever been able to escape.

The two immediately entered a stalemate on the ground, and with Pei Li's legs already wrapped around Chen Chong, it was a near-perfect ground-fighting opening.

Chen Chong felt as if two giant pythons had climbed onto his upper body, rapidly tightening, trying to crush his bones.

The outcome would be decided in an instant.

Chen Chong understood that if Pei Li locked her legs tight and wrapped her arms around him, successfully executing a complete lock, he would be unable to break free given their similar strength; he had to break it during this gap.

He straightened his back, twisting his waist and shoulders in unison, and his entire spine moved like a great dragon, shaking backward.

This was the "Dragon Spine Style" from his combat techniques, a method to break free from locks applied from behind.

Pei Li felt a great force coming from her legs, threatening to shake her off. However, she merely sneered silently, bending her upper body and reaching forward with both hands to clamp onto Chen Chong's neck. Chen Chong keenly sensed the movement behind him and threw a backhand punch toward his head. This was entirely within Pei Li's expectations; her arms suddenly became supple, instantly wrapping around Chen Chong's arm and pinning it tightly against her chest.

At this moment, Pei Li's legs were wrapped around Chen Chong from back to front, locking him at his lower abdomen; Chen Chong's head lay against Pei Li's lower abdomen, his arm held over his head by Pei Li's hands, locked tight against her chest.

Chen Chong felt his left hand completely twisted behind him, while Pei Li's legs tried to pull upward to press down on his chest and abdomen, rendering him completely unable to move. He immediately used his right palm downward, coordinating with his waist and abdomen to brace against Pei Li's legs, while his left hand struggled to avoid being completely bent by Pei Li.

He was now in a very dangerous position; although Pei Li hadn't fully locked him down yet, one of his hands was effectively neutralized, and he had to keep exerting force to avoid falling into a state of total helplessness.

Thus, the two began to grapple on the ground; it looked far less intense than the striking exchanges at the start, but every rise and fall, every suppression, roll, and tightening was extremely perilous. After less than a minute of stalemate, both were already drenched in sweat, but one of Chen Chong's arms was still in Pei Li's grip, and their positions had not changed much from before.

Pei Li gritted her teeth:

"Give up."

"No."

Sweat beaded on Chen Chong's forehead, yet his gaze remained incredibly firm. His upper body still had room to struggle, but he needed to exert his strength with extreme caution to avoid disrupting the balance he maintained by resisting Pei Li's four limbs simultaneously.

A flicker of annoyance appeared in Pei Li's eyes, mixed with something more complex.

She had to admit that Chen Chong was a rare opponent; not only had he managed to stalemate her for so long after hitting the ground, but he also persisted despite being at such a disadvantage.

Yet, such persistence was entirely meaningless.

The initiative was completely in her hands. She only needed to increase the pressure with either her hands or feet, and Chen Chong's fragile balance would inevitably collapse.

Recalling the look in Chen Chong's eyes earlier, Pei Li's expression turned cold. She decided to end this tedious resistance and, while she was at it, teach Chen Chong a painful lesson.

Her hands suddenly erupted with full force, and her lower abdomen thrust upward with immense power, bending Chen Chong's left arm into a visible arc!

Chen Chong had two choices at this moment.

Either he could put all his strength into his left arm to prevent the joint from snapping, but then his right arm would inevitably lose its strength, and as soon as Pei Li pressed her legs against his chest to obstruct his breathing, he would be guaranteed to lose;

Or he could continue to allocate enough strength to his right arm to resist Pei Li's legs, but then his left arm would certainly be broken, leading to the same result.

Pei Li felt that Chen Chong would choose the first option.

But Chen Chong chose the second—or perhaps, a third.

He simply abandoned his left arm's resistance, and then, transforming his right hand into a blade, he struck with full force at Pei Li's left ankle.

Pei Li never expected Chen Chong to make such a choice, but at this point, she did not hesitate; her eyes narrowed as she prepared to trade her ankle for Chen Chong's entire arm.

She coordinated her hands with her lower abdomen and gave a violent twist—

Only to find that it wouldn't budge.

With a crisp crack, a sharp pain surged from her ankle; her left foot had been dislocated.

This forced her to uncontrollably release the lock of her legs. Chen Chong immediately spun his body, ending up face-to-face with Pei Li, his right hand seizing her throat in one fluid motion.

The situation reversed in an instant.

Looking down at the prone Pei Li, Chen Chong said indifferently:

"You lost."