The Heart of a Child

Yang Chen was now utterly different from the Yang Chen he had been moments ago.

Yang Chen had witnessed far too many battles before, yet he lacked actual combat experience. It was like a sealed treasure vault that lacked only a key. His clash with Xu Hu had given him that key. Once the seal was opened, Yang Chen's understanding of battle instantly ascended to a new height.

This was the best time for him to strike back.

With combat experience, Yang Chen immediately analyzed the coming exchange.

When was the best time to attack, when was the best time to defend, when was the best time to press forward...

A virtual image had already formed within his mind.

"Take this." Yang Chen unleashed the Ba Yun Fist.

"Hm?" Xu Hu's heart abruptly skipped when he saw Yang Chen's movements.

Yang Chen, who had defended from beginning to end, had actually chosen to attack him at this very moment.

Xu Hu suddenly revealed a cold smile. "Yang Chen, I don't know what martial skill you've trained in. If you had truly focused on defense, perhaps I really wouldn't have been able to do anything to you. But now you actually dare to attack me? Hahaha, Yang Chen, your death day has come."

Yang Chen's defense at the beginning had made Xu Hu believe that Yang Chen had no means of dealing with him.

Yet he had no idea just how terribly wrong that thought was.

The Ba Yun Fist was a supreme martial skill. Since it was called supreme, it was naturally not something a place like the Great Wilderness could thoroughly comprehend.

Yang Chen had lacked combat experience before, but now that he had gained real battle experience, his use of the Ba Yun Fist immediately improved by another level. In the blink of lightning, Yang Chen's fist wind howled as he launched a fierce assault at Xu Hu.

"Xu Hu, be careful!" Third Master was experienced, after all. When he saw the fist technique Yang Chen had unleashed, he frowned, already sensing how unfathomably profound this martial skill was.

He had noticed in time, but by the time he warned Xu Hu, it was already too late.

Xu Hu had just tried to steel himself when Yang Chen's fist wind arrived.

"What kind of fist technique is this?" Xu Hu suddenly tried to defend, but Yang Chen's fists came one after another, battering him until his scalp went numb and his vision swam. He simply could not discern the patterns of Yang Chen's technique.

"Break!"

With an angry roar, Xu Hu suddenly gathered his strength into a punch, intending to break Yang Chen's relentless barrage.

Yet he soon discovered that when his thousand-jin force struck Yang Chen, it was as though it had landed on cotton. It caused not the slightest ripple and did not slow Yang Chen's offensive by even half a fraction.

"Not good." Only then did Xu Hu realize that he had already fallen into Yang Chen's rhythm.

The twists and turns of Yang Chen and Xu Hu's battle were clearly witnessed by everyone watching from the side.

Everyone's mouths now hung wide open.

For Yang Chen, who had been on the back foot just moments ago, had actually turned defense into offense, fighting with the bearing of a true man and seizing the upper hand.

"Yang Chen actually has the upper hand."

"This... this is unbelievable. Xu Hu is someone who crawled out of piles of corpses, with an incomparably rich experience in killing. He follows Third Master, too. His martial skills are equally formidable. How could Yang Chen suppress him?"

It was not just the outsiders and the bandits; even the Yang Family members themselves were astonished and delighted by this outcome.

Yang Jinhe was the same.

"What martial skill is Yang Chen cultivating?" Yang Jinhe asked in surprise. "Fourth Elder, does our Yang Family possess such a martial skill?"

Even with his experience, he could not tell what martial skill Yang Chen was using. He could only ask Fourth Elder, who was specifically responsible for guarding the Limitless Pavilion. When it came to knowledge of martial skills, Fourth Elder naturally surpassed him.

After all, Yang Chen and Xu Hu were at the same martial cultivation level. In terms of martial skills, the Yang Family should have been inferior to the Bandit Gang.

Fourth Master Yang stroked his beard, then withdrew his surprise and said, "What Yang Chen is using is the Ba Kong Fist from our Yang Family's Limitless Pavilion."

"Ba Kong Fist? That's impossible. I know the Ba Kong Fist quite well. Its patterns are completely different from what Yang Chen is using. Yang Chen's fist technique is far more exquisite than the Ba Kong Fist." Yang Jinhe hurriedly shook his head.

Fourth Master Yang said with a wry smile, "That is precisely what I wished to say. When I first observed Yang Chen's martial skill, I could not recognize it either. Only after thinking it over carefully just now did I identify the martial skill he is using."

"What exactly is going on?" Yang Jinhe was completely baffled.

Fourth Master Yang took a deep breath and said with some tension, "I think that both the Clan Chief and I may have underestimated Yang Chen's talent."

"What do you mean by that, Fourth Elder?" Yang Jinhe narrowed his eyes.

Fourth Master Yang frowned. "It happened like this. Some days ago, Yang Chen visited the Limitless Pavilion. There, he selected the Ba Kong Fist. Does the Clan Chief know that Yang Chen returned to the Limitless Pavilion after merely four days?"

"Four days... Could it be that this boy learned the Ba Kong Fist in four days?" Yang Jinhe's heart shook.

"More than that. Yang Chen not only fully mastered the Ba Kong Fist in four days, but from the intent within his fist technique, I could even see his own understanding of the Ba Kong Fist mixed into it. While cultivating the Ba Kong Fist, he created several mysteries of his own. Yet the mysteries he displayed then were still far inferior to the fist technique Yang Chen is using now."

At this point, even Fourth Master Yang could not suppress the shock in his heart. "Clearly, during the time afterward, his understanding of the Ba Kong Fist rose another floor. The fist technique he is using is no longer something as simple as the Ba Kong Fist."

"Fourth Master, are you saying that this child possesses the ability to create martial skills?" Yang Jinhe's expression could no longer remain calm.

If that were truly the case...

This...

Fourth Master Yang also looked toward the battle and muttered, "Yes. At first, I did not realize it either, but now that I watch Yang Chen fight, I believe his ability is exactly as I thought. The essence of the Ba Kong Fist lies in hardness and softness. But this boy has already comprehended a level deeper than hardness and softness—the Yin-Yang Intent!"

"Clan Chief, no matter how great a price we pay today, we absolutely cannot let these bandits harm Yang Chen. He is the blessing of our Yang Family."

"Is Fourth Elder joking with me? A genius with the heart of a child—though I must stake this old life of mine, I cannot allow him to be harmed by these bandits." Yang Jinhe clenched his fists, his resolve already set.

"Yes, the heart of a child! Otherwise, how could this boy, who had never fought anyone before, have gone from that to battling Xu Hu on equal footing, even gaining the upper hand, in so little time?"

What was the heart of a child?

Yang Jinhe had once read of it in ancient texts. It was said that some geniuses in this world possessed the ability to create martial skills. This ability had nothing to do with talent or natural aptitude; it depended entirely on comprehension and one's state of heart. Those with such comprehension were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

And Yang Chen not only possessed exceptional talent, but also the heart of a child, this thing that allowed him to create martial skills. It was simply a miracle.

Yang Jinhe stared unblinkingly at the battle, terrified that Yang Chen might suffer any harm. Yang Chen was the Yang Family's treasure.