The square buzzed with excitement for a long time.
Dugu Xuan was unconscious and was quickly carried away.
Emperor of Yan stood Diligent Governance Tower, his expression quite complex.
After all, he had personally planned with his father-in-law Cao Xiong for a long time last night, thinking about how to arrange the opponent in order to fully understand this man's true nature.
The nephew nearly died from the attack, which must have greatly pleased the Emperor of Yan.
Seeing that the boy's eyes had been sobered up by the beating, and that he was peeking to check on Dugu Xuan's life or death, the Emperor of Yan, worried that he might hesitate and be restrained, spoke up:
"On the arena, life and death are one's own responsibility. Even if something goes wrong, it's due to the negligence of the elders like Duke Cao and Duke Zhang, and has nothing to do with the juniors who are on the stage. There's no need to worry too much."
After speaking, he looked towards one side of the square:
" Cao Ba, go and give it a try."
Imperial Uncle Cao, who came to the palace to offer birthday greetings, sat in the chief seat on the east side, with Cao Ba, the grandson of Cao Xiong, riding a 'medium-sized horse' behind him.
This person is in his early twenties, ranking 57th in the Third Rank. As for his upbringing, it can be explained in one sentence:
My First Rank demon grandfather!
Cao Ba had some objections last night when he heard about the old man's arrangements.
No matter how Ye Xingge is, he is still a commoner and a martial artist. His status and ranking are what they are. If he ends up being a bit unethical, he will be laughed at by the other martial artists in the circle.
But when he discovered that his old acquaintance, Dugu Xuan, could be killed in a single move in a one-on-one fight with someone of equal skill, his eyes clearly cleared.
Imperial Uncle Cao, being the biological father, was clearly flustered upon seeing this situation and turned his head to say:
"Ba'er, did you bring your breastplate?"
As a martial artist, Cao Ba would rather be beaten to death on the stage than go find a breastplate to wear now.
Moreover, as the grandson of the First Rank, he knew Ye Xingge was a tough opponent, but he didn't think he would lose.
Upon hearing the Emperor of Yan's voice, Cao Ba, despite the countless gazes upon him, rose and went to the center of the square, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture.
"Lord Ye, your kung fu is truly impressive."
Ye Xingge punched himself, and ended up cowering in fear.
If Cao Xiong's grandson is injured again, it will be really difficult for him to ask the court for resources in the future. He might as well just give them away.
"I've long admired Duke Cao's name. It's a pleasure to meet you. Um... my punches are quite powerful, and my techniques are unpredictable, so please don't underestimate me, Duke Cao."
Cao Ba had already figured it out, so he wasn't careless. He raised his hands and waist, swayed his shoulders and elbows, and assumed a fighting stance.
"Please enlighten me, Lord Ye."
After briefly observing the figure, Ye Xingge glided away, spreading his arms wide like long whips, ready to strike.
Whew~
The evening breeze swept across the square, and the square returned to silence.
This time, everyone under the corridor became completely focused, and Cao Xiong even went to the edge of the inner city wall to observe carefully.
Cao Ba noticed that Ye Xingge had changed his starting stance. Unable to figure out his technique, he didn't choose to launch a main attack, but instead hooked his left hand forward.
Thud--
Ye Xingge moved like a cheetah poised for action, springing out from the spot almost without warning, seemingly Stomp Foot and Charge Step.
Seeing this, Cao Ba immediately pressed down with both arms, trying to defend against the advance and drill. However, he did not expect Ye Xingge's move to be so unpredictable. He stepped forward and pressed down, but instead of falling down, he bent his knees and leaped up more than two meters into the air, delivering a flying knee strike!
Faced with such an overconfident move, Cao Ba reacted with lightning speed, raising his arm and simultaneously ramming forward, attempting to knock Ye Xingge, who was leaping into the air, overturning him.
But at the same time as Ye Xingge's flying knee, his right hand rose, and his twelve-point elbow slammed down from the sky like a tyrant beating a drum.
"Drink!"
Since their skills were exactly the same, Cao Ba couldn't use his head to forcefully block the flow of Yang energy. Under the pressure of attacking where the opponent had to defend, he could only protect his head with his arms, and his forward charge was forcibly stopped.
Thump--
With a muffled thud, the flying knee and heavy elbow struck Cao Ba's head-protecting arms simultaneously. The point of impact was too high, and Cao Ba was blasted backward.
Ye Xingge landed, stepping forward with his right foot. He gathered power around his waist and spine, and his energy spread from his waist and back, gradually extending to his arms.
Then, he struck Cao Ba in the waist and abdomen with both palms as Cao Ba leaned back!
The martial artists present were horrified when they saw this move.
After all, Cao Ba's position was not yet secure. This whole affair wasn't a question of losing, but rather whether he would die.
The gentlemen in the corridor frowned, realizing that Ye Xingge had held back this time.
If it were an ordinary person, they would be sent flying by such a blow and wouldn't be able to climb back up for a long time.
But Cao Ba was, after all, Cao Xiong's grandson, Ye Xingge's leniency was clearly an overestimation of his abilities.
Cao Ba, seeing that he had lost his footing and was about to be sent flying no matter how he parried, forcibly stepped back and braced himself with his right foot. His whole body jolted violently.
"Drink~"
With a low growl, Cao Ba's body suddenly sank, as if a mountain of immense weight had crashed onto the arena.
Then, leaning back, although the posture was not correct, it instantly became as stable as a rock, as if solid foundations had been driven into the ground!
Thud--
Ye Xingge unleashed a full-force palm strike on Cao Ba's waist and abdomen, causing his robes to ripple. The powerful palm strike created ripples on Cao Ba's broad abdominal muscles, but the sensation was as if he were hitting ironwood.
Cao Ba leaned back, but did not sway despite the heavy blow. Instead, the white stone floor tiles beneath his feet were torn open, leaving small grooves in the broken stones.
Splash...
From a distance, it looks as if the feet are nailed into the bricks and stones, and then the nails are driven off course by a third.
After a crisp crack, the square fell silent.
Ye Xingge extended his palms forward and saw that Cao Ba's robes were torn to shreds around his waist and abdomen, but his body remained upright. He stood up and withdrew his stance, his eyes filled with surprise.
" Earthbound Heavenly Communion?!"
The Earthbound Heavenly Communion was Wu Chenglie's signature skill.
Its general approach is to use one's own energy to firmly plant oneself in the ground, like vines and roots stabilizing the lower body. This allows one to walk on sheer cliffs as if on flat ground. Those who have mastered this skill can even "move mountains and seas," which transcends the realm of worldly martial arts and approaches the realm of immortal arts.
Cao Ba was blasted back more than three steps by a single palm strike, leaving a groove of broken stones in the ground between them, but his body remained completely unmoved, demonstrating his domineering nature.
But this is Wu Chenglie's domineering behavior, not Cao Ba's.
After Cao Ba stopped, he glanced at his tattered robes, and a hint of horror appeared in his eyes.
Emperor of Yan and the others also stepped forward to examine the two closely, and felt that the situation was indeed a bit excessive.
When Ye Xingge defeated Dugu Xuan, Ye Xingge went all out, so his moves were unpredictable and he almost killed him in one move.
When facing Cao Ba, who was of medium strength, Ye Xingge rashly. His flying knee was a self-sacrificing move, and once he was airborne, he had no room to change his tactics. This was to reduce the pressure on Cao Ba to make judgments.
Even so, the flying knee followed by the heavy elbow forced Cao Ba into a defensive position. Upon landing, Cao Xiong landed a Golden Dragon Closes Its Mouth Strike, and if it weren't for the immortal techniques that the First Rank Demon Yi Jia had studied for half his life, he would have been sent flying.
However, Cao Ba was designated as a 'medium-level horse' precisely because he knew Wu Chenglie's magic, in order to exploit Ye Xingge's potential.
Although his skills were indeed inferior, as long as he possessed these qualities, Cao Ba was able to rise again and again and remain standing!
Ye Xingge was eliminated in one move, and Cao Ba the advantage.
The gentlemen in the corridor remained silent, watching to see how Ye Xingge would break the deadlock.
Cao Ba clearly sensed the pressure. He even pulled out his Earthbound Heavenly Communion," which was equivalent to bringing a famous weapon into the arena. If he still couldn't win, he would become a laughing stock in the martial arts world.
Therefore, Cao Ba took a breath and then resumed his fighting stance, raising both arms:
"I, Cao, came out on the better side in this battle."
Ye Xingge carefully observed Cao Ba's movements and demeanor. After a moment of contemplation, he took a step forward, extended his hands, and beckoned slightly.
Seeing this, Cao Ba gritted his teeth and immediately stepped straight into the center, throwing a right straight punch into the center while keeping a close eye on Ye Xingge's entire body.
Ye Xingge shifted his body to the side to avoid the punch, blocking it with his right hand and sweeping his left arm across his waist and abdomen.
Cao Ba focused intently, and as the punch grazed past his robe, his fist suddenly straightened, striking Ye Xingge's chest with a short, sharp force!
This movement was small and didn't seem very powerful, but it was another secret move that Cao Xiong had stolen from Wu Chenglie — the Immortal's Knock!
This move involves concealing one's pure Yang internal energy within the body and then unleashing it from the fingertips in an extremely concealed manner. The attack is as casual as knocking on a door, but when it is unleashed, it can shatter monuments and split rocks.
Moreover, this move is outwardly tough but inwardly soft, and there is no distinction between feints and real attacks. When it is impossible to hit with a punch, elbow strike, or knee strike, it will be transformed into a short-range killing move such as a finger snap, arm Chuojiao.
If Ye Xingge were hit by this blow, even if his left arm wasn't broken, he would be unable to move it for half a day and would almost lose his ability to fight.
Those skilled fighters of the Second Rank and above present all narrowed their eyes upon seeing this scene, knowing that the outcome hinged on this one move.
And as expected, things turned out differently.
As Ye Xingge did not dodge significantly; he simply tucked his chest and slightly pulled back.
Cao Ba unleashed a powerful strike, which adhered to his robes, but his fingertips never actually landed.
Ye Xingge swept his left arm to the side, but Cao Ba blocked it with his left hand, and the tentacle still couldn't get any force.
As he bent his arm and swayed his shoulder, his elbow exploded with a burst of power, striking the Jingmen acupoint on his ribs!
Bang!
Ye Xingge weren't some kind of magical technique, but they were equally seamless; it looked as if his left arm was simply blocked, causing him to brush against Cao Ba's body slightly.
However, when the inch-force bursts forth, the yang energy penetrates the body through the elbow tip, instantly blocking the flow of qi.
Cao Ba sensed something was wrong and tried to stabilize himself with the " Earthbound Heavenly Communion " technique, but before he could gather his energy, he was interrupted at the waist. A sharp pain shot through his side, and he staggered.
Thump~
Losing his balance, Cao Ba fell onto the White Stone Square.
Although there are many details between the two sides, to outsiders it just looks like Cao Ba punched and pressed down on Ye Xingge, who then squeezed him to the side, and Cao Ba was sent flying by inertia.
Most of the guests weren't very skilled in martial arts; they just thought Cao Ba was a good cook.
The men in the corridor, including Cao Xiong and others, all looked on in disbelief.
After all, Ye Xingge's method seemed simple, but its intricacies were completely different from the previous one.
In terms of practical combat skills, the worst is brute force, relying on sheer courage and strength to fight; the next best is having a special skill or expertise.
Furthermore, they strictly adhere to their teacher's methods, are proficient in all routines, and have no weaknesses in offense or defense—this is already the limit that a normal person can reach.
What Ye Xingge just demonstrated at the beginning was the ever-changing nature of the "All Techniques Compete for the First" skill. No matter how the opponent makes a move, he can change and counter it, making him basically invincible among his peers.
Now, in dealing with Earthbound Heavenly Communion and Immortal's Knock, I've clearly grasped the essence of ' Penetrating the Subtle,' which means observing the overall situation. Before making a move, I assess all the conditions of both sides through the overall details. If I can kill, there won't be any surprises; if I can't kill, I've blocked all of the opponent's trump cards, almost putting me in an invincible position.
Otherwise, Ye Xingge wouldn't have defended against ' Immortal's Knock ', and even if he was on guard, he wouldn't have acted simultaneously, leaving Cao Ba just a hair's breadth away from landing the attack, causing him to lose his balance.
As for an even more advanced realm, it is to defeat opponents with no moves. I am powerless, my form depends on the enemy, like ripples on water, formless and traceless.
As First Rank veteran, Cao Xiong found it hard to believe that Ye Xingge, at less than twenty years old, could have honed his combat skills to such an unbelievable level.
Logically speaking, with such skill, this kid could kill anyone with a single blow. From Yang Tuyan to now, he would never even get a touch on the hem of his clothes.
However, this boy was frequently injured the other day and wasn't as terrifying as he is now on the stage. Cao Xiong could guess the reason:
This young man used to focus on honing his basic martial arts skills, so he didn't have many opportunities for actual combat. Moreover, coming from a humble background, he lacked experience and was unable to accurately assess his opponent's strengths and weaknesses when facing unfamiliar fighters or styles.
As long as one is well-versed in all schools of thought and fills in all the knowledge gaps, this young man can grasp the opponent's style, the effectiveness of their famous weapons, etc. with just a glance, and the effect in battle will be no different from now.
Practical skills cannot be faked because insight, judgment, and a wealth of experience cannot be acquired quickly; they can only be learned through hard work.
But Ye Xingge is only so young; he can't possibly start seriously studying these things from the age of three, then train himself to the point of exhaustion with extreme self-discipline, without taking any wrong turns along the way...
Even with an old master, a three- or four-year-old child's mind is immature. If he's playful and lazy and doesn't practice enough, there's nothing the master can do.
To have clear goals and initiative at the age of three—is this either a naturally gifted prodigy or someone possessed by an evil spirit?
It's not impossible that Ruan Jinyu's prediction came true...