Chapter 132: Analysis
The battle had ended very abruptly. Just a moment ago, the two of them had seemed evenly matched. Ironically, Jiang Longyu's saber techniques were his trump card, but it was those very same saber techniques that had brought about his downfall.
Not only had Jiang Longyu been knocked off the platform, the platform had collapsed entirely. Not a single person had anticipated this outcome.
"He lost? Jiang Longyu lost?" Tao Zhiyue murmured to himself with a dazed expression. "What did Chu Qiguang do? How did he withstand that attack?"
"He used Jiang Longyu's power against him," Chen Yuebai analyzed. "The instant Jiang Longyu's attack struck his finger, he used some type of extremely advanced technique to redirect Jiang Longyu's power back at him and send him flying off the platform."
"How is that possible? What kind of technique is that?" Tao Zhiyue exclaimed.
Chen Yuebai shook his head, indicating that he didn't know the answer.
However, he then continued, "If that had been a real saber, then there's no way Chu Qiguang would've been able to withstand that attack with his bare hand. At the very least, he would've lost that hand, if not worse."
On the raised stage, Xue Chengdao sighed, "How impressive... Never did I think that Jiang Longyu would lose this battle. Even though he wasn't wielding a saber, there are very few third-state martial artists in this world who can beat him in hand-to-hand combat. The Wu Clan has unearthed a freakish prodigy."
Shang Ziyan sighed with a forlorn shake of his head. "If only Jiang Longyu had a saber. Chu Qiguang would've been split into two right there and then."
"You're both underestimating the brilliance of Chu Qiguang's force redirection technique," Wu Liangxu disagreed.
The more he reflected on what he had just witnessed, the more astonished he became.
"The fact that Chu Qiguang was able to withstand Jiang Longyu's all-out attack with his bare hand means that his skin and flesh are already akin to armor," he analyzed. "I can't think of any third-state martial artist that can match his physical constitution."
"From there, he used his body to absorb the force of Jiang Longyu's attack and transmit it to his opposite hand. That means the force passed through the bones and tendons of his right hand and shoulder, then through his chest, left arm, and finally, his left hand.
"The fact that he remained unscathed while doing this shows that his bones and tendons are also incredibly tough and resilient. This is the first time I've ever seen a fifteen-year-old with such a freakish physical constitution. In the end, he was able to condense the force of Jiang Longyu's attack to the tip of his finger while simultaneously redirecting the force back at Jiang Longyu, and that's even more extraordinary.
"It means that he was able to draw upon the power of his qi and blood while simultaneously redirecting the force of Jiang Longyu's attack, and he was able to do that without the two bursts of power interfering with each other. This shows an incredible level of understanding of force mitigation and force redirection. I'd say this force redirection technique is not inferior to the Void Slayer Fist Techniques of the Turtle Mountain Faction."
The two dominant martial arts factions of the northern martial arts world were the Vast Heavens Faction and the Seven Kill Faction, while their southern counterparts were the Turtle Mountain Faction and the East Sea Faction.
Among the two, the Turtle Mountain Faction was most renowned for its fist techniques, and martial artists of this faction were particularly skilled at coupling strength with a delicate touch in their fist techniques.
Finally, Wu Liangxu concluded, "Given his physical constitution and force redirection technique, if Jiang Longyu had been wielding an actual saber just now, perhaps he would be able to chop off Chu Qiguang's arm. However, he would most likely have been killed by the redirected force of his own attack."
Xue Chengdao and Shang Ziyan were forced to completely reconsider their evaluation of Chu Qiguang after hearing Wu Liangxu's analysis. Wu Liangxu was a much more accomplished and experienced martial artist than them, so they didn't doubt his judgment and analysis.
All of a sudden, a thought occurred to Shang Ziyan. "Hold on, if Jiang Longyu is one of the Eight Han Resurgence Generals chosen by His Majesty, and Chu Qiguang is a martial artist on at least the same level, then could he also be—"
"Don't make a fuss," Xue Chengdao immediately interjected. "Send someone to check his eight characters first. If his eight characters don't match, then we can rule him out."
Hao Xiangtong had been watching intently from the restaurant booth this entire time, and she involuntarily sprang to her feet in celebration as she witnessed Jiang Longyu fall from the platform.
"That was amazing!" she praised.
Am I imagining it, or has he also become more handsome than before?
The intrusive thought instantly made her blush furiously.
In contrast to Hao Xiangtong's exultant expression, Hao Yongtai looked as if he had just swallowed a fly.
The spectators were stunned into silence, but as soon as Chu Qiguang's victory was officially announced, a loud chorus of boos and enraged voices rang out.
"How did he win?"
"Are the examiners blind? Clearly, the platform collapsed!"
"I think you're the one who's blind! Did you not see that Chu Qiguang had already sent Jiang Longyu flying before the platform collapsed?"
"I gotta admit, Chu Qiguang is a really impressive guy..."
While most of the spectators were still firmly against Chu Qiguang, some had begun to admire him for his martial arts ability.
Inside the venue, Jiang Longyu glowered up at Chu Qiguang with his fists tightly clenched and an indignant look on his face. However, he knew that he had lost. If he tried to continue the battle, he would be breaking the rules of the martial examination, and he would only make a fool out of himself.
"I won't lose to you next time, Chu Qiguang!" he declared in a resolute voice, then turned and left.
This was the first time that he had ever lost to someone of the same cultivation base as himself, and it would remain a sore spot for him for many years to come.
***
Did you see me out there? Qiao Zhi gloated. That'll teach all of them to talk trash! Jiang Longyu thought he could beat us? That's the funniest thing I've ever heard! Can you hear what the spectators are saying about us? Get a little closer so I can hear them praise us.
As the symptoms of his condition faded once again, Chu Qiguang's mental state was further elevated. Over the course of these battles, he felt like he had progressed roughly twenty to thirty percent of the way toward the fifth state.
This is a good way to progress as a Dao artist, but constantly fighting is too dangerous. I need to find another way to gather an audience. Maybe I should try giving public speeches...
Why did you show off so much at the end? Chu Qiguang complained. Didn't I tell you to keep a low profile?
Qiao Zhi rolled his eyes and promised Chu Qiguang that he would be more careful next time, but he had no intention of following through on that promise.
Once we're strong enough, I'll beat up the examiners as well! That'll teach them to look down on us!
