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The humiliation he had just suffered sent Zhou Bai’s anger soaring. And yet, that very anger forced him into clarity. He had always known that the jianghu of Xianyang wasn’t large. Even though he had been praised and admired since he was a child, he had long dreamed of going out to explore the vast world out there.
Who would have thought that Li Yan would appear out of nowhere? This fellow was nothing more than a country bumpkin, and he was a full two years younger!
If Zhou Bai was addressed as a genius all along, what did that make Li Yan?
Resentment quickly followed the humiliation. Though Zhou Bai didn’t want to admit it, he knew he was feeling jealous of the youngster. All his earlier arrogance had vanished. Finally, he unleashed his Monkey Fist, wanting nothing more than to kill the brat and vent his fury.
Zhou Bai sprang forward like an ape, claws raking through the air at Li Yan’s head. Li Yan braced against the wooden wall and kicked upward in response. However, Zhou Bai had anticipated it. He flipped in midair, descending from above, his leg swinging down like a hammer.
Their legs collided with a dull thud. Zhou Bai’s movement skills were superior, and he held the advantage while fighting on the wall. Twisting, he latched onto the wood again with both claws.
Li Yan, however, was still midair; his only support was the plank he had punched through. The impact didn’t break his arm, but the wood gave way with a crack. He dropped a few chi before punching into the wall again, stopping his fall.
“Get down there!” Zhou Bai attacked from above again. This time, not with a kick, but with a half-clenched fist, wind howling behind it.
Hidden force!
Li Yan’s heart jolted and he changed tactics immediately. If that strike landed, falling off the stage would be the least of his worries. His organs could be shattered.
Zhou Bai had the high ground and Li Yan could only retreat. Corkscrewing his body, Li Yan kicked off the wall and hammered his fists into the wood, creating a series of footholds as he climbed to the opposite side, trying to climb up on stage.
But Zhou Bai was faster. Seeing Li Yan evade, he withdrew smoothly. He moved like an ape across a cliff face, and reached the other side first.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Just as he was about to strike, Li Yan suddenly threw a kick, smashing through the wooden wall and exposing the framework beneath before slipping inside.
“Where do you think you’re going?!” Zhou Bai snorted coldly and moved to follow. But suddenly, he froze before throwing himself back.
Crack!
The wall where he had been exploded. Li Yan had climbed up along the wooden frame and unleashed a Through Mountain Strike with hidden force.
The power behind his move was terrifying.
The yang force he had used caused the entire wall to detonate like he had set off buried explosives, sending planks flying. Hidden force didn’t just amplify power, it allowed variations. Yang force was used for explosive impact, while yin force was for internal damage. One could also use spiral and coiling forces for endless transitions.
However, both of them were still beginners who had barely stepped into the Dark Jin Realm. A few uses would exhaust them, so it could only be used at key moments. Had they mastered it fully, every move would effortlessly carry hidden force.
Li Yan’s ambush had nearly succeeded. Though Zhou Bai had dodged in time, he lost his footing and had to flip back onto the stage.
On the other side, Li Yan burst out through broken planks and landed on the platform. The stage was built from thick logs. He could have smashed through them, but it would have been a waste of energy.
Once again, they stood facing each other. That last exchange had been like a storm. It had been fast, deadly, and breathtaking. Even seasoned jianghu observers had held their breath.
Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan were drenched in sweat. Only when Li Yan escaped danger did they relax.
“Good!”
Cheers erupted again.
In such a short time, both fighters had displayed astonishing skill and adaptability. Even young martial artists in the crowd frowned. They had once thought themselves talented, but now they knew.
If they had faced either combatant on the platform, they would already be defeated.
On the stage, the atmosphere turned heavy.
After that exchange, Zhou Bai no longer dared underestimate his opponent. He crouched low, shoulders hunched, first dropping into a reverse moon-gazing pose, then scratching his neck, claws shifting forward and back.
Zhou Family Monkey Fist.
His eyes gleamed with ferocity, while his fingers clenched and crackled like snapping twigs.
Li Yan narrowed his eyes, shifting his stance. Monkey Fist demanded hardened claws, and Zhou Bai’s fingers were like steel.
The Red Fist emphasized agility and trapping strikes, but the style adapted by the Zhou Family, fused with the Monkey Boxing Zhou Pan practiced, emphasized breaking through defense while attacking. Once the battle started, the fighter would adapt instantly. Moreover, Zhou Bai knew the Red Fist well. One mistake and Li Yan would lose.
Seeing Li Yan step back, Zhou Bai sneered. “Hmph. Are you scared?”
He lunged forward like a monkey with his claws outstretched. But midair, he changed tactics. He bent, planting one hand on the ground, and slid forward, sending a kick toward Li Yan’s groin.
Ape Reclines on Lotus.
Monkey Fist was tricky. Each move looked awkward, but it always targeted vital areas. Li Yan reacted instantly, dodging the strike and countering with a sweeping leg.
Power came from the ground as he pushed off, and Zhou Bai’s position left him exposed. If Li Yan could land a solid kick, Zhou Bai’s head would be crushed. But Zhou Bai reacted just as fast. As his leg lashed through the air, he twisted, rolling to Li Yan’s weak side.
Li Yan’s right leg hadn’t yet retracted when Zhou Bai reached up to hook it.
Stubborn Monkey Grabs Snake!
This was a type of grappling technique. Controlling the joint could topple an opponent, but also expose the groin for a finishing kick capable of crippling a man on the spot.
Yet Zhou Bai abandoned the follow-up attack. Savage light burst from his eyes as hidden force exploded through his arm. His steel-like claws suddenly tightened, intending to cripple Li Yan’s right leg.
Li Yan reacted instinctively when he felt sharp pain shooting up his leg. Bending his body sharply, hidden force erupted through him as he threw a palm at Zhou Bai’s forehead.
So what if his leg was ruined? At worst, he could repair it later with the Great Luo Dharma Body. But if this palm strike landed, Zhou Bai’s skull would shatter instantly.
Madman!
Alarm flashed through Zhou Bai’s heart as he hurriedly wrenched to the side. Even so, his shoulder still took the blow, sending him flying sideways. He forcibly rotated in midair and skidded to a halt, glaring viciously at Li Yan. His left arm now hung limp at his side, dislocated at the shoulder.
Moreover, the hidden force within that palm strike had been fierce and overbearing. His muscles and fascia had suffered heavy damage, swelling visibly as dark bruises spread across his flesh.
On the other side of the platform, Li Yan was not faring much better. Though he still maintained his stance, five bloody holes had appeared in his right leg. Blood continued to seep out, staining his leg wraps crimson.
The spectators below watched with pounding hearts. None of them had expected the two fighters to suffer such serious injuries after only a few moves. At this rate, it would not take long before the outcome was decided!
“Heh heh!” Zhou Bai let out a cold laugh as he slowly rose to his feet. Grabbing his left arm with his right hand, he yanked the dislocated joint sharply into place with a crack before rolling his shoulder. “Your leg’s crippled now, kid. How are you still going to fight me?”
The Zhou family’s Monkey Fist was specialized in agile movement. Now that Li Yan’s right leg was injured, Zhou Bai had completely seized the advantage.
The moment the words left his lips, Zhou Bai burst forward. His hands had fallen to touch the ground as he pushed off on all fours, moving like a nimble ape. He darted rapidly about as he closed in on Li Yan in the blink of an eye. It looked as though he was about to strike, but he suddenly wheeled to the side and circled behind him instead.
Li Yan immediately turned, shifting his guard to prepare a counterattack.
But Zhou Bai’s movements were astonishingly nimble. Hunching his back, he spun around Li Yan like a top, weaving endlessly around him. Every movement was filled with feints and false attacks until it was impossible to distinguish reality from fantasy.
At that moment, Li Yan finally recalled Zhang Shitong’s words. When he had been preparing to leave the martial hall, Zhang Shitong had mentioned, “If you can’t break the circle he creates, you stand no chance.”
This circle was the essence of the Monkey Fist. The fighter would form a circle around the enemy, coiling and turning without pause. Without completing the circle, there was no fist.
The moment he started the maneuver, Zhou Bai’s movement technique had become perfectly fluid. His motions were swift and vicious, while his attacks shifted endlessly between feints and strikes, making them impossible to predict.
Li Yan failed to guard against a blow and was hit again. Though Zhou Bai did not use hidden force this time, his claw techniques were terrifyingly powerful. Five bloody gashes were ripped straight across Li Yan’s back.
Li Yan reacted instantly with a vicious upward kick aimed at the groin. Unfortunately, Zhou Bai simply rolled across the ground and dodged it with ease. After springing back up, he screeched and chattered like a monkey, seeming extraordinarily excited.
His eyes were lively, savage, and filled with untamed wildness. Every movement, every leap, every gesture… There was almost no difference between him and an actual monkey.
