Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Sparring
Lin Zheng’s words settled the matter.
No one had any objections.
To win this position, one would have to show their true strength.
A three-way contest.
And in the end, only one would emerge victorious.
...
In the large courtyard, Lin Zheng sat on a Grandmaster’s Chair, with Xu Zhengxiong and the other two men standing behind him.
"Three of you. Who’s first?" Lin Zheng’s gaze swept over Fang Xing and the other two.
"Sir, as a latecomer, allow me to go first," Fang Xing said, stepping forward and bowing.
’He’d have to face these two eventually anyway.’
’It made no difference to him.’
"Then I will test you," Ji Bochang said, also stepping forward.
Seeing this, Yang Xin stepped aside.
Lin Zheng nodded. "Then begin."
Ji Bochang looked at Fang Xing, whose gaze met his.
Their eyes locked, and in an instant, both men entered a state of focus.
Their Essence, Qi, and Spirit coalesced, filling the air with an invisible pressure.
SWOOSH—!
In a forward rush, Ji Bochang struck first, his hand lashing out like lightning.
He was incredibly fast.
BAM!!
Fang Xing’s reaction was just as swift. In a flash, he raised his hand to block.
Fist met fist. The two kinds of Power clashed, and both men stumbled back a step.
Then, Fang Xing attacked. He surged forward, executing the ninth form of the Grapple Hand.
He closed the distance in a flash, his fingers instantly clamping down on Ji Bochang’s shoulder.
He gripped it tightly, like an eagle’s talon.
Ji Bochang reacted with equal speed, sweeping out a whip kick while simultaneously shoving a hand forward.
But Fang Xing, using his grip on the shoulder, flipped over Ji Bochang and landed behind him, perfectly dodging the attack.
THUMP!!
Channeling his Inner Strength, he landed a seemingly light palm on Ji Bochang’s back.
The strike looked effortless, but the Power it contained was immense.
The blow sent Ji Bochang flying over ten feet away.
Before Ji Bochang could even catch his breath, Fang Xing was on him again.
His fists were like lightning.
His techniques were vicious!
It was as if he was tearing through the air itself.
As Fang Xing unleashed three forms of the Grapple Hand in quick succession, Ji Bochang’s expression changed. He immediately circulated his Power to defend.
But he was clearly at a disadvantage.
One step back led to another, and another!
The Grapple Hand, in Fang Xing’s hands, erupted with astonishing power, utterly overwhelming his opponent.
The Martial Arts Mastery he displayed, a product of cultivation with top-tier Comprehension, was truly a sight to behold.
"Old Xu, your boy is full of surprises," Chen Shan remarked from the side, watching the fight with a sigh of admiration.
With his keen eye, he could clearly see that Fang Xing had the absolute upper hand.
To have cultivated the Grapple Hand to such a level was truly astounding.
Xu Zhengxiong smiled. "Just a bit of hard work and diligent practice. You’re too kind."
Despite his words, the brilliant smile on Xu Zhengxiong’s face made Chen Shan’s eye twitch.
’Hard work and diligent practice? Bullshit.’
’As if hard work alone could achieve this level of mastery.’
’Who does he think he’s fooling?’
Chen Shan said nothing more, quietly watching the fight.
Meanwhile, Yang Bo’s brow was deeply furrowed.
’The Grapple Hand, cultivated to this degree... Was that old bastard Xu Zhengxiong hiding him on purpose?’
Yang Bo’s brow furrowed even tighter.
’Something feels off.’
’Does this really look like someone who just entered the Bright Force realm?’
’To be this astonishing.’
’Don’t tell me he’s a genius?’
’But why have I never heard of Xu Zhengxiong having such a talent under his command?’
’Is he doing this on purpose? Trying to seize the chance to impress Lin Zheng?’
’That old dog... He’s too cunning!’
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Yang Bo’s expression grew uglier. He watched the fight, then glanced over at Yang Xin.
’Good thing the boy has cultivated the Iron Stone Fist. Yes, there shouldn’t be a problem.’
The thought flashed through his mind, and his expression relaxed slightly.
Yang Xin hadn’t just cultivated the Grapple Hand; he had also mastered the Iron Stone Fist.
That was no Basic Martial Arts like the Grapple Hand.
’In a spar, only victory and defeat matter.’
’Winning with the Iron Stone Fist is still winning.’
’As long as he wins, nothing else is important!’
’Once they secure this position, he’ll be able to exert some control over the Northern City Area.’
...
THOOM!!!
With a dull thud, a figure staggered backward, not stopping until his back hit the corner of the courtyard wall.
Ji Bochang’s face was pale. He clutched his chest, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
This time, Fang Xing did not press his advantage. He stopped.
After a long look at Fang Xing, Ji Bochang sighed. "I’ve lost."
Hearing this, Fang Xing gave a slight bow with clasped hands. "Brother Ji, you let me win."
Ji Bochang looked at him and said, "When you have time, I hope I can ask Brother Fang for some pointers."
Fang Xing nodded slightly, not refusing.
"Mm, this young man is quite good," Lin Zheng commented from the Grandmaster’s Chair, nodding in approval.
At these words, the smile on Xu Zhengxiong’s face grew even wider.
In contrast, Yang Bo’s expression darkened, but he said nothing.
He had to admit, Fang Xing’s performance in that fight was outstanding.
"Sir, there’s no time to waste. Let’s continue," Yang Bo said.
Lin Zheng nodded. Yang Xin, who had been waiting, immediately stepped forward.
"You’re not bad. Got a few tricks up your sleeve," Yang Xin said.
Fang Xing looked at Yang Xin without a word, secretly gathering his Inner Strength.
Seeing Fang Xing’s silence, Yang Xin’s face darkened, and he immediately made his move.
He lunged forward with a Grapple Hand technique.
CRACK!!
Fang Xing caught his fist firmly. At the same time, his other hand shot out, landing a palm strike on Yang Xin’s chest.
Sent stumbling back, Yang Xin felt the qi and blood roil in his chest. As he looked at Fang Xing, a faint black light began to shimmer on his fist.
With a sudden lunge, his fist, now wreathed in a fierce wind, smashed violently toward Fang Xing.
Fang Xing could clearly feel this punch was different.
A sense of danger washed over him.
He sidestepped, barely dodging the fist. But in the next instant, Yang Xin closed the distance, twitched his shoulder, and slammed into his body.
Iron Mountain Lean!
The impact sent Fang Xing stumbling backward.
The qi and blood churned inside him, and a tremor ran through his internal organs.
’This isn’t Grapple Hand. It’s a different Martial Art,’ Fang Xing realized the instant they made contact.
At that moment, a savage grin spread across Yang Xin’s face. He gave Fang Xing no chance to recover and rushed forward again.
The Iron Stone Fist erupted. The wind from his punches seemed to tear through the air as they flew at incredible speed.
Fang Xing immediately countered with the Grapple Hand.
He dodged the direct blow, and his fingers curved, swiftly grabbing hold of Yang Xin’s wrist.
THUD!!
He lifted a leg and delivered a savage kick.
POW—!
The kick sent Yang Xin flying.
SWOOSH—
Fang Xing immediately closed the distance to attack again.
He thrust out a hand, his palm shifting into a fist mid-strike.
Sensing the danger, the veins on Yang Xin’s forehead bulged as he lay on the ground. The black light on his fist pulsed, and he met the attack head-on.
The force of the collision not only stopped his attack but sent him stumbling backward several steps.
In a head-on clash, he was at a disadvantage.
At the same time, Yang Xin flipped to his feet.
WHOOSH—!
With a howl of rushing wind, he unleashed the Iron Stone Fist and charged forward once more.
’I can’t meet this head-on. I have to break it with skill.’
Fang Xing’s gaze sharpened. He didn’t know what kind of Martial Arts Yang Xin practiced, but it was clearly superior to the Grapple Hand.
Clashing head-on was not a wise move.
SWISH—!
In a flash, he dodged the main force of the attack and executed the sixth form of the Grapple Hand, locking onto Yang Xin’s shoulder.
But as soon as he got a grip, a powerful surge of Power shook his hand loose. At the same time, Yang Xin punched again, the black light on his fist coalescing as it flew toward him.
His hand was thrown off, the web of his thumb numb. Seeing the incoming fist, he had no choice but to dodge again.
In the courtyard, the two figures dodged and weaved.
Beads of sweat appeared on Fang Xing’s forehead.
The high-intensity evasion was rapidly draining his stamina.
But as he dodged, he also spotted an opening.
His top-tier Comprehension was proving useful in battle as well.
It was a clash of two different Martial Arts.
He was unfamiliar with Yang Xin’s Martial Arts, but after several exchanges, he quickly identified a pattern.
THUMP!!!
With a fist as fast as lightning, Fang Xing seized a momentary opening and landed a perfect punch on his opponent’s chest.
A dull thud echoed out. The Power contained within the punch made Yang Xin spit up blood.
His body was sent flying.
Seizing the opportunity, Fang Xing pressed his advantage, lashing out with a whip kick that sent Yang Xin crashing into the courtyard wall.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the wall, a testament to the terrifying force of the blow.
The two heavy blows had inflicted devastating damage.
BANG!!
The final palm strike landed, completely robbing Yang Xin of his ability to fight.
