Immediately, the students of the martial arts school frantically fled outside. A minute later, the surroundings became quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Only Yan Qing stood not far away, so shocked she almost forgot to breathe. After a long while, she gasped for breath, her heart churning with turbulent emotions.
"What kind of kung fu is this? How old is he to have such strength? If he grows up in a few years, who will be his match! Duan Guochao and Jiang Hai are nothing compared to him! There are always people more capable than you, and mountains beyond mountains. We are all just a bunch of frogs in a well!"
Three to five minutes later, several more people hurried over and saw Jiang Liu sitting cross-legged in the center of the dojo. They looked at the ground, which looked like it had been run over by a road roller, and their eyes showed horror.
At this moment, Yan Qing whispered behind Jiang Liu, "The one with short hair is Dai Jun, one of the Three Tigers of Guangdong. He practices Xin Yi Liu He Quan... The largest casino in Macau, the Lisboa Casino, is under his name!"
Jiang Liu looked up and saw that Dai Jun had thick eyebrows, short hair, and a sharp, muscular appearance. He seemed to have boundless strength and was clearly skilled in martial arts.
"The other one is Liao Junhua, a princeling from Shandong who controls the power, gas, and other energy systems on the Shandong Peninsula. I heard he is a disciple of Zhu Hongzhi of the Hongmen. Although he is a princeling, his strength is by no means weak."
"Oh, so this is Liao Junhua!" Jiang Liu looked over with some curiosity, thinking to himself, "This guy is quite loyal. He got along well with Wang Chao and they even became political allies. He's much better at interpersonal relationships than Wu Wenhui, who only knows how to use people! I can make friends with him. Unfortunately, I can only stay in this world for a while. Improving my strength quickly is the right thing to do."
Liao Junhua was around thirty-one or thirty-two years old. He wore a loose white silk robe, had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a full forehead, and well-proportioned features; he could be described as extremely handsome. He completely lacked the frivolous, sinister, and extravagant air of those stereotypical young masters.
To someone unaware of his background, Liao Junhua seemed like a self-disciplined ascetic, completely unrelated to the legendary princelings and high-ranking officials' children.
"Brother, my name is Dai Jun, and this is my junior brother Liao Junhua. Brother, with your actions, you've come to challenge us!"
Jiang Liu didn't even look at him, his gaze fixed on what was behind him, and said, "I'm not here to challenge the dojo, but to challenge him!"
Behind Dai Jun stood a nearly two-meter-tall white man with a shaved head and six ordination scars on his scalp, clearly a Shaolin monk. Jiang Liu had seen his photo before and immediately recognized him as Yong Xiaohu, one of Shaolin's great martial monks!
With broad shoulders and a powerful build, his feet firmly planted on the ground, he moved with the aura of a tiger descending a mountain, and his eyes exuded the imposing presence of a king of beasts.
"Your skill has reached a high level... I heard that a young Tai Chi master has recently emerged in the capital, possessing the strength of the peak of internal energy. It seems the rumors are unreliable... Jiang Liu!" This white monk actually spoke fluent Chinese, with clear and distinct pronunciation.
"What? He's Jiang Liu?" Dai Jun and Liao Junhua looked incredulous, clearly having heard of Jiang Liu as well.
"Oh! Looks like I'm quite famous!" Jiang Liu stood up, stretched his limbs, and with a burst of energy, his body emitted a dense and rhythmic series of booming sounds. Starting from his neck, his spine vibrated, followed by his hip bones, thighs, knees, shins, toes, arms, and fingers—every muscle and bone in his body throbbed and pulsated with a thunderous roar.
If it were an ordinary person, they would think that such a sound was firecrackers being set off.
An invisible gust of wind swept through the martial arts hall following the explosive sound emanating from Jiang Liu's body. Those present were all highly skilled martial artists, possessing considerable knowledge; even a glimpse of this power was enough to reveal its extent. Such imposing force, combined with the power that had just shaken the building, caused everyone present to pale in shock.
Dai Jun, a master of martial arts, possessed exceptional knowledge and experience. He frowned in astonishment and exclaimed, "His entire body's muscles and bones are resonating? Thunderous energy?"
"Jiang Liu, you're so arrogant. If you want to challenge me, be prepared to be beaten to death."
Yong Xiaohu walked over slowly, like a tiger pacing. His eyes were narrowed to slits, seemingly half-open, but they shot out a sharp light like a knife, as if he was about to pounce and hurt someone at any moment, but it also seemed like he was thinking about something.
Jiang Liu was also observing Yong Xiaohu's every move, thinking to himself, "Tiger Steps! His Shaolin Tiger Form Fist has reached a very high level; every movement he makes already embodies the spirit of a fierce tiger. Truly worthy of being a martial monk elder of Shaolin Temple!"
Neither of them made a move easily; instead, they stared at each other intently…
Liao Junhua felt a powerful aura pressing down on him, like the calm before a storm. He whispered to Dai Jun beside him, "Senior brother, where did Jiang Liu come from? Wasn't it rumored that he was only at the peak of Dark Force? How come he has reached the Transformation Force in just a few days?"
"The younger generation is truly surpassing the older! Junior brother, that Wang Chao is only twenty, but his strength is already approaching that of the older generation of boxers. I heard that he fought to a draw with Cheng Shanming, the successor of Cheng-style Bagua, the other day. I suppose his strength is no less than that of Jiang Liu..."
Liao Junhua nodded and said, "Wang Chao! This man is not to be underestimated. His reputation is earned with his own hands... Alas! It's just a pity for Master Zhang Wei... Jiang Liu doesn't have any real fighting record yet, only rumors. I don't think he'll do well in this fight! Master Yong Xiaohu is a top Shaolin master who carries the torch in America. The situation abroad is different from that in China. If you want to open a martial arts school abroad, you'll inevitably have to fight frequently, even life-or-death battles. It's commonplace for him. His practical combat experience is incomparable to that in China..."
"This battle seems to have some kind of conspiracy involved. Although we have some shares in this martial arts school, we should not get involved, Shaolin..."
"Senior brother, I understand the ins and outs of this better than you do... Let's just watch and see!"
Chapter Twenty-Six: Killing the Tiger (Part Two)
Yong Xiaohu's aura continued to rise. He let out a snort from his nose, like a thunderclap, and his whole being resembled an angry Vajra, raising his aura to its extreme. His exposed skin was also a bluish-black, as if he were wearing an iron armor, clearly indicating that he had honed his external martial arts to the extreme.
With a single step and a pounce, it was upon them in an instant, like a bloodthirsty tiger charging in, its stench filling the air.
Legend has it that Guo Yunshen fought in the form of a tiger, and in one go he went 39 meters away.
Yong Xiaohu's pounce also demonstrated his mastery of the tiger's movements.
Jiang Liu dared not be distracted by secretly learning kung fu at this moment. His entire mind was focused, and his eyes saw nothing but the white monk. Seeing the monk pounce on him, he immediately stepped into the Seven Stars formation, followed by the Dipper and the Qi, and then raised his hand to unleash a Tai Chi whip strike towards Yong Xiaohu. The fierce wind howled, shattering stones and breaking iron, and nothing could stand in its way.
Superior martial arts are all about unifying the principles.
Yong Xiaohu's Shaolin Tiger-Style Chopping Fist, with his palms slashing repeatedly, resembled both a tiger and a whip, colliding with Jiang Liu's hands.
Jiang Liu's fingers were ashen; he had mastered the "hum and ha" sounds so well that they were ingrained in his knuckles, and his five fingers spread apart like a giant steel claw. With a press, a flick, and a split of his hands, the fine strength in his fingers exploded, seemingly about to tear Yong Xiaohu's tendons apart in an instant.
This is a Tai Chi technique called "Dislocating Tendons and Bones," known as "Playing the Lute with Hands." Its power can only be revealed when one's strength and listening skills reach a certain level. Similar to this technique, it's one of the most insidious fighting methods, yet it has such an elegant name.
The two were terrified when they first clashed; every touch filled them with deep fear!
Yong Xiaohu had a white mark on his dark blue wrist. If he hadn't mastered the art of external martial arts, Jiang Liu could have severed his tendons with a mere flick of his wrist. The Tai Chi Chuan technique of "playing the pipa" involves separating tendons and snapping joints, using the fingers to press and distribute force, like snapping a pipa string.
Yong Xiaohu's Tiger-Style Chopping Force is also a life-or-death move, a unique technique. When a tiger pounces, it pounces, slashes, and cuts. The hardest thing to escape is that pounce. It will be repeated again and again until it is exhausted. After three moves, the tiger's energy and momentum will be depleted, and it will no longer be able to kill.
Seeing Jiang Liu's fierce whip strike, Yong Xiaohu's pupils shrank to pinpoints. This move, "Hungry Tiger Pouncing on Its Prey," was something no ordinary person could withstand. But Jiang Liu easily caught it with a "Playing the Lute" move and immediately counterattacked, making Yong Xiaohu dare not underestimate him.
The two arms collided with a dull thud, like a car tire exploding, and the resulting shockwave and gust of wind even lifted the clothes of the onlookers.
Both were powerful and vigorous, truly invincible.
Tai Chi is the softest to practice, but the most powerful and fierce in combat.
The more you cultivate gentleness, the more powerful you can unleash your strength.
Shaolin Five Elements Fist: Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, Crane, and Snake. Dragon Fist trains the spirit, Tiger Fist trains the bones, Snake Fist trains the qi, Crane Fist trains the essence, and Leopard Fist trains the strength.
Once Tiger Fist is mastered, the bones in one's entire body become as if cast in steel. Combined with Yong Xiaohu's Caucasian physique, he is almost like a Vajra in Buddhism, and with a simple gesture, he can subdue dragons and tigers.
Everyone was terrified, with no doubt that even a solid wall made of reinforced concrete would be shattered by their powerful blow.
Seeing Jiang Liu's strange gait, Yong Xiaohu took a deep breath, stomped his feet, and thunderous sounds erupted from his body. He unleashed a punch with a force no less powerful than Jiang Liu's. He was over two meters tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. The momentum he carried was so strong that his feet created whirlwinds that sucked up the ground and made the entire building seem to tremble with each step he took.
The technique he used was authentic Shaolin Tiger Fist, specifically the Bengquan stance, with the left Bengquan strike in the Black Tiger Shaking Claw posture. Back then, Guo Yunshen was known for his "half-step Bengquan" prowess, having defeated all opponents in thirteen provinces north of the Yellow River, demonstrating the power of Bengquan.
The tiger form in Shaolin Five Elements Fist is not the same as the tiger form in Xingyi Quan. It takes the tiger's imposing momentum, immense power, and claw-like shape to store strength.
Yong Xiaohu spread his arms, covered his head, kicked his legs, and swung his waist, his spine rising and falling like a mountain range. He unleashed a powerful punch, slamming his fist through the air and striking Jiang Liu squarely in the throat.
"Master Yong Xiaohu's fighting style is indeed superb. Jiang Liu is in danger! That Crushing Strike..."
Before Dai Jun finished speaking, Jiang Liu's face was ashen. He naturally twisted his waist, took a bow stance, and with a single movement, he turned his hands into a closed and sealed stance. When the hammer blow hit his throat, he opened and closed his hands, then pushed it out. The combination of strength and gentleness was the authentic "closed and sealed stance".
This Tai Chi move uses the opponent's force against them, flowing smoothly like water.
Yong Xiaohu, however, was relentless in his pursuit of power. His Beng Chui (a type of punch) was aimed at Jiang Liu's vital points, and his hands and feet were weapons, each move deadly!
Faced with this ferocious attack, Jiang Liu could only rely on the Yu Step to dodge and defend. However, his Tai Chi Five Punches technique was not to be underestimated by Yong Xiaohu.
Yong Xiaohu had been supporting the Shaolin martial arts school in the United States for several years, and his combat skills were indeed superb. However, Jiang Liu had also honed his skills through three days of exchange and sparring with the young martial arts master Zhou Binglin.
After another exchange, Jiang Liu raised both hands, plowed the ground with his heels, and arched his spine and body forward with the gesture, striking with both fists.
This burst of force was like drawing a bow, pulling back two strings, and shooting out fiercely, hitting Yong Xiaohu's White Tiger Gazing at the Moon stance with a double punch.
This move is Zhou Binglin's signature move, called "Bending Bow to Shoot Tiger with Double Wind Cannons," a killing move he unleashed in his battle against Wang Chao. It combines the "Bending Bow to Shoot Tiger" and "Continuous Cannons" techniques from Tai Chi, unleashing explosive power in a single strike. It integrates the five forces of springing, swinging, booming, collapsing, and exploding, making it the most valiant and invincible move in the art of boxing.
This punch cannot be used unless one has trained their entire spine to the pinnacle of combining strength and flexibility. Forcing it will only strain the spine and result in disability or paralysis.
Jiang Liu unleashed his power instantly, having fully mastered Zhou Binglin's teachings, making it incredibly potent.
Moreover, there is a trace of the Tai Chi's round and round power in the fist! The Tai Chi fighting style is based on the cannon punch. When the cannon punch is released, the mind and skin explode, which can blast a person away. But the real trump card is the punching intention that follows. The punching intention uses the explosive force to shake and can really shatter a person's muscles, bones and blood.
The practice of Tai Chi is for health preservation, and it follows the principle of softness and roundness. The fighting method is for killing, and it requires hardness and roundness. By understanding the power of hardness and roundness, one can abandon all means of change, dodging, and attacking vital points. When fighting an opponent, no matter which part of the opponent is touched, one can defeat the opponent completely.
This embodies the Taoist concept of the tortoise and snake's movement and stillness; mastering it grants the power to subdue demons and monsters, like that of the True Martial Emperor of the North. Li Yuanba's strikes are always deadly, regardless of where they land. Although a fictional character, this illustrates the principle of balance and wholeness. Sun Lutang first studied Xingyi and Bagua, achieving profound martial arts skills, and finally grasped the essence of balanced and wholeness in generating power, thus understanding the true meaning of Tai Chi. Therefore, he named his style of boxing Sun-style Tai Chi Chuan.
Jiang Liu first learned Chunyang Gong, then received the true teachings of Sun-style Tai Chi from Zhou Binglin, and secretly learned various styles of boxing, thus comprehending the principle of generating powerful and rounded force.
Bang!
With four fists and two hands clashing, the two masters unleashed their hidden strength, each aiming to cripple the other in one strike.
Yong Xiaohu staggered back five steps with a series of thuds, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating that his internal organs had been injured by the shock.
Jiang Liu also felt a sweet taste in his throat, but he had successfully cleansed his marrow and cultivated a pure yang energy, making his internal organs stronger than anyone below the Core Formation stage. Even so, he felt as if the blood in his veins had been violently shaken, his heart was racing, his qi and blood were surging, and his internal organs felt like they were about to jump out.
In martial arts competitions, victory or defeat can be decided in the blink of an eye.
Unlike Yong Xiaohu, who retreated to dissipate the force, Jiang Liu shuddered and actually dissipated the force from his feet. Then, suppressing his surging blood energy, he took a step forward and shot towards Yong Xiaohu.
"Oh no, Yong Xiaohu is going to lose!"
No sooner had Dai Jun finished speaking than a boxer stepped forward and swung his fist straight at Jiang Liu's back. The punch was clearly intended to force Jiang Liu to dodge, not only to rescue Yong Xiaohu but also to join forces with him in a pincer attack.
Hearing the noise behind him, Jiang Liu knew someone was attacking. He glanced at the person out of the corner of his eye and then ignored him. This person was the head of the Shandong National Martial Arts Academy, a lay disciple of Shaolin. Jiang Liu didn't know his name, but he was certain that he had the strength of the early stage of Dark Force.
Upon seeing this, Yan Qing immediately shouted and stepped forward, using Wing Chun short-range fighting techniques against Shaolin long fist. However, her practical combat experience was too poor, and she was on the verge of collapse within a few breaths, but she still gritted her teeth and persevered.
Yong Xiaohu was severely injured in the internal organs by a "Double Wind Cannon" attack. When he saw Jiang Liu's sudden attack, his eyes were about to burst, but he couldn't muster any strength. He watched helplessly as a "Progressive Blocking Fist" hit his chest, sending him flying three zhang away. His chest collapsed, and his heart was turned into a lump of flesh. Even a god descending to earth couldn't save him!
Jiang Liu didn't stop at all. He turned around and stepped into the fight between Yan Qing and the man. Just like a cheetah pouncing on an antelope, a whip-like hand landed on his head, his skull shattered instantly, and he fell to the ground bleeding from all seven orifices.
Jiang Liu killed the two men, then glanced at Dai Jun and Liao Junhua, his murderous aura filling them and making them gasp for breath!
Guan Yu never opens his eyes; if he does, he kills!
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Practicing Boxing Underwater
After killing Yong Xiaohu, Jiang Liu took a few breaths and then, when no one was looking, stuffed a pill into his mouth.
Under the effects of the "Blood Qi Pill," the injuries to his internal organs gradually healed, and he slowly recalled the course of the battle.
The battle with Yong Xiaohu was Jiang Liu's first real battle, a life-or-death struggle.
The harvest was naturally enormous!
However, Jiang Liu was not happy. He had achieved great success in marrow cleansing and his body was strong enough to form a core at any time, but he still had to risk injury to win. This could only mean that he had too little experience in life-and-death battles.
Life and death are decided in an instant. With strong practical experience, one can overcome hidden strength with obvious strength, and hidden strength with hidden strength, and it is not impossible to fight against opponents of higher levels.
While sparring between boxers can improve skills, the art of killing can only be learned in life-or-death battles. Only by experiencing life and death can one progress. The "stealing the secrets of heaven" technique Wang Chao used to train Cao Jingjing involved using the immense terror of life-or-death situations to enhance skills. Although dangerous, it was the most effective way to achieve significant improvement in a short period!
"So this is the benefit of fighting to the death! Ten or a hundred sparring matches can't compare to one escape from death. Although this battle only lasted a few minutes, I was in dire straits several times. One wrong move and I would have been killed. The Tiger Pounce at the beginning, the Tiger Collapse afterward, every move was meant to kill... Truly worthy of being called a great Shaolin monk!"
There is great terror between life and death. Only by experiencing the fear of life and death can one truly unleash one's spiritual potential, bring out the power of the mind and will, and stimulate all one's spirit and courage.
The reason Wang Chao was able to continuously challenge opponents of higher levels is because his actual combat skills were simply too strong! He was strong enough to defeat Cheng Shanming, who was at the Transformation Realm, at the Dark Force Realm, and to defeat Tang Lianxi, who was at the Embracing Core Realm, at the Transformation Realm.
His strength comes from constantly fighting on the brink of life and death. "Dragons fight in the wild, their blood is black and yellow." It would be strange if he didn't grow rapidly.
This is true strength; this is the martial arts path that Jiang Liu has always pursued.