Sparring

Lin Zheng's words were the final word on the matter.

None of them had any objections.

To sit in this seat, one naturally had to bring real ability to the table.

It was a three-way game.

And in the end, there could only be one winner.

In the courtyard, Lin Zheng sat on a grand armchair while Xu Zhengxiong and the others stood behind him.

"There are three of you; who wants to go first?" Lin Zheng scanned Fang Xing and the other two.

"Sir, as the newcomer, let me have a go first." Fang Xing stepped forward and bowed.

They were going to fight anyway, and these two would inevitably cross paths.

It made no difference to him.

"Then let me try first." Ji Bochang also stepped out.

Seeing this, Yang Xin retreated to the side.

Lin Zheng nodded and said, "Then begin."

Ji Bochang looked at Fang Xing, and Fang Xing's gaze settled on him as well.

Their eyes met, and in an instant, both men entered their state of focus.

Spirit and energy coalesced, and an invisible aura permeated the air.

"Whoosh!"

With a sudden sprint, Ji Bochang made the first move, his hand darting out as fast as lightning.

His speed was immense.

"Bang!"

Fang Xing's reaction was equally swift; in a split second, he raised his hand to meet the attack.

Fists collided and two types of Internal Force vibrated, sending both men stumbling back a step.

Following this, Fang Xing moved quickly, closing the distance to unleash the ninth form of the Capture Hand.

He stepped in rapidly, his five fingers instantly locking onto Ji Bochang's shoulder.

Like an eagle's claw, he held on with a death grip.

Ji Bochang's response was just as rapid; he swept out with a whip kick while simultaneously thrusting his other hand forward.

But with his shoulder held fast, Fang Xing simply flipped over and landed behind him, perfectly evading the strike.

"Thud!"

Internal Force surged, and a light palm strike landed on Ji Bochang's back.

Though the strike looked effortless, the force contained within was formidable.

This single blow sent Ji Bochang reeling more than a yard away.

Before Ji Bochang could even catch his breath, Fang Xing closed in again.

His punches were like lightning.

His strikes were fierce!

The air seemed to have been torn asunder.

Forced to unleash three forms of the Capture Hand in one breath, Ji Bochang's expression shifted as he immediately channeled his force to defend.

But he had clearly fallen into a disadvantage.

One step back, then every step back!

In Fang Xing's hands, the Capture Hand erupted with astonishing combat power, creating an almost absolute suppression.

The martial arts mastery achieved through top-tier comprehension was enough to make others cast sidelong glances.

"Old Xu, this little brother of yours is hiding his true depth." Off to the side, Chen Shan watched their exchange and sighed with emotion.

With his discerning eye, it was obvious that Fang Xing held the absolute upper hand.

To have cultivated the Capture Hand to this level was truly stunning.

Xu Zhengxiong smiled. "It is nothing but diligent practice, you flatter me."

Though he said this, the smile on Xu Zhengxiong's face was brilliant, making the watching Chen Shan's heart twitch.

Diligent practice, my foot.

With this level of mastery, could it be achieved through diligent practice alone?

Who was he trying to fool?

Chen Shan remained silent, watching the battle quietly.

On the other side, Yang Bo's brow furrowed.

"To have cultivated the Capture Hand to this extent... is that old dog Xu Zhengxiong hiding this on purpose?"

Yang Bo's brows were locked tight.

He felt as though something was wrong.

Did this look like someone who had just stepped into the Bright Force?

It was too astonishing.

Could he actually be a genius?

But why hadn't he heard of such talent under Xu Zhengxiong before?

Was this intentional, a play to show off in front of Lin Zheng?

This old dog... his schemes ran too deep!

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Yang Bo's expression grew increasingly ugly. Watching the fight, his gaze drifted toward Yang Xin not far away.

"It's a good thing this kid has cultivated the Iron Stone Fist. Yes, that should be no problem."

The thought flashed by, and upon considering this, Yang Bo's expression eased slightly.

Yang Xin hadn't just cultivated the Capture Hand; he had also cultivated the Iron Stone Fist.

That was not something a foundational martial art like the Capture Hand could compare to.

In sparring, only success or failure mattered.

If he won with the Iron Stone Fist, it would still be a victory.

Winning was all that mattered; the rest was unimportant!

As long as they secured this seat, they would be able to control a portion of the northern district in the future.

"Thud!"

A dull, heavy sound rang out, and a figure stumbled backward, not stopping until he reached the corner of the courtyard wall.

Ji Bochang's face was pale; he clutched his chest with one hand, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

This time, Fang Xing did not press his advantage and came to a halt.

Taking a deep look at Fang Xing, Ji Bochang exhaled. "I have lost."

Hearing this, Fang Xing bowed slightly. "You were too kind, Brother Ji."

Ji Bochang looked at him and said, "When there is time, I hope to ask Brother Fang for some pointers."

Fang Xing nodded slightly, not refusing.

"Hmm, this young man is not bad." On the grand armchair, Lin Zheng nodded and gave his assessment.

Hearing this, the smile on Xu Zhengxiong's face became even brighter.

Conversely, Yang Bo's expression sank, though he said nothing.

He had to admit that Fang Xing's performance in this fight was outstanding.

"Sir, there is no time like the present, let us continue." Yang Bo spoke up.

Lin Zheng nodded, and Yang Xin, who had been waiting, immediately stepped forward.

"You're not bad, you've got some tricks," Yang Xin said.

Fang Xing looked at the Yang Xin before him without speaking, merely gathering his Internal Force in secret.

Seeing Fang Xing remain silent, Yang Xin's face darkened, and he immediately attacked.

He charged forward with a strike of the Capture Hand.

"Snap!"

Fang Xing firmly grasped his fist, while his other hand darted out, landing a palm strike on his chest.

As his figure was forced back, Yang Xin felt his blood and qi churn. Looking at Fang Xing, he saw a faint black sheen emerge on his own fists.

With a sudden sprint, his fists shrouded in gale-force winds smashed fiercely toward Fang Xing.

Fang Xing clearly felt something different about this punch.

A sense of danger welled up.

He sidestepped, barely dodging the blow, but the next moment, Yang Xin closed in, his shoulder shuddering as he slammed directly into his body.

Iron Mountain Lean!

The impact sent Fang Xing staggering back.

His blood and qi roiled within his body, and his internal organs suffered a slight tremor.

It's not the Capture Hand; it's another martial art. In that moment of contact, Fang Xing understood instantly.

At this moment, a ferocious grin appeared on Yang Xin's face; not giving him a chance to catch his breath, he moved in rapidly.

The Iron Stone Fist erupted, the force of the punch tearing through the air as it smashed toward him with blinding speed.

Fang Xing immediately countered with Capture Hand.

Dodging the direct strike of the fist, he curled his five fingers and swiftly seized his opponent's wrist.

"Thud!!"

He raised his leg and delivered a fierce kick.

"Bang--!"

This kick sent Yang Xin flying instantly.

"Whoosh--"

Following up, Fang Xing immediately closed the distance and attacked again.

He reached out a hand, transforming his palm into a fist.

Sensing the signal of danger, the veins on Yang Xin's forehead bulged as he lay on the ground, his fist vibrating with a dark light as he met the attack head-on.

"Clack clack clack!!!"

In this collision, Fang Xing not only failed to achieve his goal, but was instead forced to retreat repeatedly by the immense power.

In a clash of brute strength, he was at a disadvantage.

At the same time, Yang Xin flipped over and immediately stood up.

"Hoo--!"

With a whistling gust of wind, he launched the Iron Stone Fist and charged forward once more.

I cannot meet this head-on; I must use finesse to break it.

Fang Xing's gaze sharpened. He did not know what kind of martial arts Yang Xin had cultivated, but it certainly surpassed Capture Hand.

Meeting force with force was definitely not a wise move.

Swish--!

With a flicker, he dodged the sharp edge of the attack while simultaneously launching the sixth form of Capture Hand, locking onto Yang Xin's shoulder.

But the moment he grabbed hold, a surge of immense power shook his hand loose. Simultaneously, Yang Xin threw another punch, dark light coalescing on his fist as he smashed it toward him.

His palm was jarred free and the web between his thumb and index finger went numb; looking at the incoming fist, he could only dodge once again.

In the courtyard, the figures of the two men darted and shifted.

Sweat appeared on Fang Xing's forehead.

High-intensity dodging was a great drain on his stamina.

However, while dodging, he also discovered flaws.

Top-tier comprehension was also helpful in combat.

It was an exchange between two different martial arts.

He was very unfamiliar with Yang Xin's martial arts, but through multiple exchanges, he quickly discovered the patterns.

"Thud!!!"

A punch like lightning; the moment Fang Xing seized the gap, he landed a perfect strike on his chest.

A muffled sound rang out, and the power contained in this punch sent Yang Xin vomiting blood.

His body was sent flying.

Seizing the opportunity, Fang Xing pressed his advantage, sweeping out with a whip kick that sent Yang Xin crashing into the courtyard wall.

Cracks appeared on the wall, enough to demonstrate the terrifying force behind the blow.

Under the weight of two heavy strikes, he had caused massive damage.

"Bang!!"

With one final palm strike, he completely stripped Yang Xin of his ability to fight.