Tai Chi Fist vs. Gentle Fist!

In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the battle between Chen Feng and Gaara within the crystal ball and could not help falling into deep thought.

With a faint sigh in his heart, he mused, "Young people these days are truly incredible. That Sand Ninja's Jinchuriki is already stronger than many Chunin, and now a Dao School disciple has suddenly appeared too. Tsk, tsk.

"Still, this man's taijutsu looks somewhat like the Hyuga Clan's secret art."

However, when he saw Chen Feng use Hidden Strength to send Gaara flying back, his expression shifted as he secretly thought, No. It would be more accurate to say that the Hyuga Gentle Fist resembles the method he uses.

As Konoha's foremost clan in taijutsu, the Hyuga Clan had always possessed extraordinarily refined methods of chakra control.

Yet even so, they could not directly injure an opponent through the barrier of sand.

This showed that this so-called Dao School was exceptionally skilled in this area and surely possessed a formidable inheritance.

After all, specific cultivation methods like these could not be created in a short time like certain ninjutsu.

As he pondered quietly, he took a puff from the pipe hanging from his lips and softly muttered, "Interesting. Then let's arrange the next match like this..."

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and the second round of the examination soon came to an end.

After the fierce battle for scrolls, of the nearly eighty participating ninja, only a little over forty were still alive to walk out of the Forest of Death.

Of those, only twenty Genin had completed the mission and could advance to the following matches. Including Chen Feng, there were merely twenty-one people.

Through this trial, everyone had truly experienced the cruelty of the ninja world...

What followed was the third round of matches, but before it began, a preliminary round had to be held.

The rules of the preliminaries were simple: one-on-one battles in a designated arena. The winners would advance to the next round of official matches.

There were still twenty-one participants. According to the rules, one person should have received a bye, but a certain medic voluntarily withdrew in order to conceal his strength.

That left exactly twenty people, enough to form ten full groups.

Because time was tight, there was no time set aside for rest after this round. The moment everyone emerged from the Forest of Death, they were brought to a spacious, level indoor area.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was already waiting there once more. After a few formal remarks, the preliminary round officially began.

The first to fight was Sasuke Uchiha. His opponent was a man from Otogakure. The two entered the arena below, while everyone else was arranged to watch from above.

Chen Feng glanced down and saw Sasuke clutching his shoulder in pain. He immediately knew that Orochimaru had likely already placed a Cursed Mark on him.

Although Sasuke's strength would improve noticeably after adapting to the Cursed Mark, it would cause a strong reaction while merging with his body, affecting his condition.

Even so, dealing with a fodder ninja was no problem. After a brief struggle, Sasuke ultimately claimed victory.

Soon, three rounds of battle had passed. Then the display lit up again, and Chen Feng's name appeared prominently.

His opponent was the seeded contender of these exams, Neji Hyuga!

Neji Hyuga was a genius of the Hyuga Clan. Not only could he skillfully use the Byakugan bloodline limit, but he was also proficient in the powerful techniques of the Gentle Fist.

Even among all the examinees, he could steadily rank among the top three.

Seeing that the main event had begun, everyone focused their attention. They all wanted to see what methods the Hyuga Clan's genius possessed, and they also wondered how this Dao School disciple would respond.

Meanwhile, the two had already entered the arena. Chen Feng sized up his opponent, feeling some curiosity toward this so-called Gentle Fist.

At this moment, the reputation points on the system panel had recovered to more than five hundred. It seemed Sarutobi Hiruzen truly had been watching before; otherwise, the number would not have increased so quickly.

Reputation points came from the influence one exerted on the outside world, and the degree of influence was closely tied to both the number and status of those affected.

As the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally possessed immense prestige. When his heart was affected, the resulting points would naturally be considerable.

Thinking of this, Chen Feng smiled faintly. Participating in these Chunin Exams had indeed been the right choice.

At this rate, after a few more matches, it would be about time to unlock Feng Hou Qi Men.

In the arena, the two exchanged a glance. Neji Hyuga spread his hands and assumed a Gentle Fist stance.

At the same time, veins like tendons instantly bulged at the corners of his eyes and along both sides of his cheeks. This was the sign of the Byakugan being activated.

"Hyuga Clan, Neji Hyuga. Please advise!"

Chen Feng raised one hand, smiling as he said, "Dao School, Chen Feng."

Neji's expression was extremely solemn. Though they had never fought before, the instant he saw Chen Feng, he knew this would be an exceptionally troublesome opponent.

For some reason, an inexplicable sense of wariness kept rising in his heart.

Then, he decided to make the first move. He stomped the ground, his body shooting forward as he struck at Chen Feng with his palm.

Chen Feng raised a hand and used Wild Horse Parting Mane to deflect the palm strike. Then he followed with White Crane Spreads Wings, forcing Neji back a step.

The next instant, both attacked simultaneously. Neji still used the Gentle Fist, while Chen Feng shifted from defense to offense, launching Vajra Pestle straight at him.

Fist and palm collided, sending a fierce gust surging outward.

In an instant, Chen Feng changed his fist into a palm, and Hidden Strength burst from his palm.

Neji grunted, feeling a stream of inner force invade his body, bypassing his chakra defenses and injuring his meridians.

Chen Feng's body then swayed as he launched another move, Azure Dragon Surfacing. His right fist spiraled inward and struck upward from below.

Neji hurriedly defended, but the Hidden Strength contained within Chen Feng's fists and palms made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

In the past, it was always those who fought the Hyuga Clan who had to tread carefully, afraid of being grazed or struck by the Gentle Fist. But now it was the other way around. Even when he blocked the attack, he was still injured.

This feeling was like an upgraded version of the Gentle Fist, while what he himself used seemed like a cheap imitation.

The moment that thought surfaced, he immediately drove it away. The Hyuga Clan was Konoha's foremost noble clan—how could its inheritance possibly be flawed?

Then the attacks from his hands accelerated, every strike carrying his full strength.

Yet no matter how much force he exerted, he remained suppressed by the Tai Chi Fist, as if he had encountered his natural nemesis...