Gao Mingchang’s face darkened—Chen Yuan’s strength was truly not to be underestimated! Defeating Cao Yan so effortlessly, even with an advantage in raw strength, was enough to showcase Chen Yuan’s true capabilities.
It would have taken Gao Mingchang considerable effort to defeat Cao Yan; he could never do it as easily as Chen Yuan just did. No wonder Chen Yuan dared to defy Yu Yan. It seemed he had nothing to fear and already considered the first-place position in the bag. What frustrated Gao Mingchang even more was that the sparring match between those two had lasted less than a minute. His plan to sit back and reap the spoils of their exhausting battle had completely fallen through.
"Next match, Xue Anping versus He Qing," Gu Ye’s voice rang out at the perfect moment.
The two groups alternated their sparring matches, allowing the competitors just enough time to rest.
Sun Chengjie approached Chen Yuan, his face full of admiration. "Brother Chen, you are truly our pride. Overcoming a Low-Bing tier opponent with your High-Ding aptitude and winning so effortlessly... You completely displayed the demeanor of a gentleman. Just look at Cao Yan—the way she looks at you has completely changed."
Chen Yuan looked over, just in time to see Cao Yan avert her gaze. He chuckled and scolded playfully, "Don’t talk nonsense. I was just following the rules."
Sun Chengjie chuckled. "Brother Chen, you don’t understand. Rules are rigid, and fists have no eyes. How can anyone hold back so easily? If that punch had landed, Cao Yan wouldn’t have been able to continue competing. She is definitely grateful to you. If you don’t believe me, try asking to borrow some silver from her later."
He could tell that those two bastards, Yu Yan and Gao Mingchang, both had it out for Chen Yuan. Cao Yan was the only one he could still build a good relationship with. Otherwise, Brother Chen would have a hard time surviving in the Gu Family in the future.
Chen Yuan smiled and shook his head. "Whether she’s grateful to me is none of my business. Watch their match closely. Don’t tell me you want to end up in last place?"
The two men said no more and turned their attention to the two fighters sparring in the courtyard.
Although Xue Anping’s strength was a notch higher, He Qing didn’t dare to slack off, nor did he dare hold back any strength for the subsequent matches. He had to show his full strength in front of the Gu Family. Even if he lost, he had to lose beautifully so he wouldn’t be eliminated!
This match dragged on for a grueling seven or eight minutes. Finally, Xue Anping seized a momentary opening when He Qing’s stamina faltered and he reacted a beat too late, landing a decisive blow to end the fight.
Seeing this, Sun Chengjie breathed a sigh of relief. With He Qing’s stamina so thoroughly drained, his own chances of winning their upcoming match were very high. Although it felt a bit like an unfair advantage, luck was also a part of true strength, and someone always had to be the unlucky one. That is, unless your strength could completely overwhelm any disadvantage brought by bad luck—just like Chen Yuan in the other group.
A few minutes later, it was time for the third match.
"Brother Chen, good luck," Sun Chengjie said, clenching his fist encouragingly.
Chen Yuan nodded and walked into the center of the courtyard.
Gao Mingchang stood opposite him, his gaze having already calmed down. He had used the brief intermission to adjust his mindset. Chen Yuan was unfazed by Yu Yan’s coercion and possessed formidable strength. Now that the arrow was notched on the bow, it had to be fired; there was no room for any petty tricks. Therefore, his only option was a head-on battle! If necessary, he would strike ruthlessly and catch him off guard.
"Xin Yi Liu He Fist, Chen Yuan." Chen Yuan cupped his fist in a salute before dropping into an Eagle Catch stance.
"Long Arm Fist, Gao Mingchang." Gao Mingchang returned the salute and assumed the starting posture of the Long Arm Fist.
The moment he spoke, his expression darkened, and he immediately launched the first attack. The Long Arm Fist emphasized "extending one’s reach to strike from afar." Power was generated from the waist and back, turning the arms into whips that snapped with sudden, crisp, and lightning-fast strikes.
Stomping his right foot fiercely onto the ground, he lunged forward like an ape extending its arm. With the five fingers of his right hand pressed tightly together into a pointed spear-hand, he stretched his arm to its absolute limit, thrusting straight at Chen Yuan’s face with a whistling gust of wind. This move was called "Piercing Palm Pathfinding," a technique that used length to suppress proximity, aiming to seize the initiative.
WHOOSH!
Before the strike even landed, a sharp gust of wind battered Chen Yuan’s face.
Chen Yuan’s gaze focused. He didn’t retreat. Xin Yi Liu He Fist emphasized stepping straight down the center line to seize the dominant position. Taking a half-step forward with his left foot, he angled his body slightly and swung his left arm horizontally across his chest—Cross Fist! Belonging to the Earth element in the Five Elements, this move specialized in neutralizing aggressive, linear attacks.
SMACK!
His forearm collided with Gao Mingchang’s wrist, producing a crisp smack.
Gao Mingchang felt as if his strike had hit a taut steel cable. His force was deflected at an angle, and his entire arm involuntarily slid outward. He thought, "What a solid deflecting force!" Gao Mingchang’s heart skipped a beat, but he didn’t panic. Using the momentum to pivot his body, he whipped out his left arm like the tip of a lash. His five fingers bunched together into the Bone-Piercing Fist, thrusting directly toward Chen Yuan’s ribs.
This move, "Flinging the Shoulder and Shaking the Wrist," was the signature technique of the Long Arm Fist. It was sudden, crisp, and struck from a brutally tricky angle.
Chen Yuan brought his right arm chopping down from his chest—Chopping Fist! It was like an axe splitting wood, rising like a drill and falling with an overturning force.
THUD!
The fist and arm collided with a muffled sound like a beating drum. Gao Mingchang’s Bone-Piercing Fist was forcefully chopped aside, grazing harmlessly past Chen Yuan’s lapel. Chen Yuan took advantage of the opening to advance, his right fist exploding straight down the center line—Half-Step Shattering Fist!
Gao Mingchang’s pupils contracted. He hurriedly stepped back to defend, crossing his arms and pressing them down to block the incoming Beng Fist.
As they collided, a spiraling, twisting burst of explosive inch-force drilled straight through his forearms. It shocked the webbing between his thumbs and forefingers until they went numb, sending him staggering back three steps. THUD, THUD, THUD.
"What an overbearing Beng Fist!" he thought.
Gao Mingchang gritted his teeth to steady himself, his heart filled with a mixture of shock and anger. He had launched several consecutive attacks, yet every single move was completely suppressed. Chen Yuan’s defense was like a solid rock, and his counterattacks were like explosive thunderclaps. There was simply no opening to exploit. What made him even more anxious was the fact that he still had to conserve his stamina for his next match. He absolutely could not afford to fight a war of attrition with Chen Yuan.
Realizing this, Gao Mingchang decided to stop holding back.
He took a deep breath, channeled power through his waist and back, and sent his arms spinning like windmills. A flurry of palms descended—Throwing Palm, Clapping Palm, Slicing Palm, and Piercing Palm. The four major hand techniques of the Long Arm Fist were deployed in rapid succession. His palms generated a howling wind, the attacks flowing seamlessly into one another like a torrential storm.
Yet, Chen Yuan advanced and retreated calmly amidst the flurry of palm strikes. His footwork wasn’t vast; his heels practically plowed the ground as he shifted inch by inch. Every single step landed perfectly in the gaps between Gao Mingchang’s attacks—right as the old force faded and before the new force could be generated.
Chopping Fist broke the Slicing Palm; Drilling Fist countered the Piercing Palm; Cross Fist blocked the Throwing Palm; and Beng Fist met the Clapping Palm. The Five Elements Fist flowed effortlessly through his hands, mutually generating and countering each other in a flawless response to every strike.
The longer Gao Mingchang fought, the more alarmed he became. He had already launched twenty or thirty strikes, but Chen Yuan’s breathing remained as steady as ever. He hadn’t even broken a sweat. That expressionless face seemed to be asking, "Is that it?"
He thought furiously, "Impossible! He’s just a High-Ding aptitude. Why is he completely suppressing me?"
A flash of malice glinted in Gao Mingchang’s eyes. He suddenly feinted a chop toward Chen Yuan’s face with his right palm. The instant Chen Yuan raised his arm to block, Gao Mingchang’s left arm viciously shot forward. The "extend reach to strike from afar" property of the Long Arm Fist was pushed to its absolute limit as his five fingers curled into hooks, jabbing straight for Chen Yuan’s eyes!
SWISH!
This strike was incredibly vicious and unexpected. It was completely beyond the boundaries of a simple sparring match—it was a venomous attack meant to blind his opponent.
Outside the ring, Gu Ye and Huang Yan frowned as they watched. If that strike landed, Chen Yuan would be crippled. The attack was far too ruthless. Sun Chengjie’s heart clenched as well, breaking into a cold sweat for Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan’s gaze, however, turned instantly freezing.
He finally retreated, but only by half a step. His Rocky Pile Skill held steady as Mount Tai, his nose, fingertips, and toes perfectly aligned to guard his center line. Then, raising his right arm, his five fingers snapped up from below like iron pincers—Eagle Catch!
CRACK!
Gao Mingchang’s wrist was caught perfectly, stopping a mere three inches from Chen Yuan’s eyes. His expression changed drastically. He tried to yank his hand back, but Chen Yuan’s fingers held him in a vice-like, immovable grip.
"You—"
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yuan’s left fist, which had been guarding his chest, shot forward. Drilling Fist of the Xin Yi Liu He Fist! Belonging to the Water element, it struck like waves crashing against the shore, drilling upward in a spiral.
Driving his left foot into the ground, the force surged from his heel. He twisted his waist and spine to channel the power as his left fist rotated inward, advancing like a spinning drill bit with the palm facing upward, exploding outward from the bottom up!
WHOOSH!
The fist tore through the air, emitting a deep, heavy whistle. The air was ripped apart by the spiraling force, letting out a sharp HISS.
Gao Mingchang tried to dodge, but with his right hand firmly locked, his center line was left completely exposed. Chen Yuan’s fist had completely locked onto him—there was no escape.
THUD!
With a muffled thud, the Drilling Fist buried itself solidly into Gao Mingchang’s lower abdomen.
For this strike, Chen Yuan used the explosive force of "Close-Quarters Rolling Advance." The instant his fist made contact, the spiraling force didn’t blast Gao Mingchang backward. Instead, it penetrated layer by layer like a crashing wave, drilling straight into his internal organs.
Gao Mingchang’s eyes bulged and his mouth opened wide, but he couldn’t even let out a scream. He felt a twisting, spinning force bore through his stomach like an electric drill, detonating deep within his lower abdomen. His intestines felt as if an invisible hand were viciously wringing them out. The stomach acid rushed up his throat as he wretched uncontrollably.
GAHK—
The sheer force of the punch sent him flying three feet into the air. He bowed like a shrimp mid-flight before crashing heavily onto the bluestone floor, kicking up a cloud of dust. He curled up on the ground, clutching his stomach with both hands, his face as pale as a sheet.
A distinct fist print was left on his clothes over his lower abdomen. It resembled a spiral twisted by a drill bit, the fabric permanently warped and wrinkled by the sheer twisting force.
He wanted to scream but couldn’t make a sound, only able to leave his mouth hanging open as he twitched silently. Every breath felt like a small knife twisting in his gut. Beads of cold sweat the size of soybeans rolled down his forehead.
The courtyard fell dead silent.
Sun Chengjie let out a long breath. Looking at Gao Mingchang lying on the ground with a twisted expression, he felt nothing but immense satisfaction. He thought, "That’s what you get for trying to blind someone. Serves you right!"
Huang Yan quickly stepped forward and bent down to check Gao Mingchang’s injuries. His expression turned serious—there were no obvious external injuries, but his internal organs had suffered immense shock. It would take at least ten days to half a month to fully recover.
He looked up, gave Chen Yuan a deep look, and slowly announced, "This match, Chen Yuan wins."