The spectators couldn’t help but sigh. Since they all did it at once, it rged into a single, collective sigh in the arena.
But there was nothing to be done. The situation was crystal clear. His hand was on a vital spot like the neck; if Chen Chuan used a heavy hand, he could snap Renqiao’s spine in an instant.
It was a decisive loss.
They were all frustrated by his poor performance. The first two rounds had at least been real exchanges, but what had just happened? The two of them hadn’t even made contact, had they?
His fundantals were so solid, and they always praised him for being a steady person. How could he make such a basic mistake?
Besides, didn’t that student Chen use Capturing Force at the end? If you said he knew Wrestling Takedowns and Saber Techniques, that would be understandable—unard and ard combat are both trained. But how did he also know Capture?
They were baffled.
Chen Chuan had refused the information Cheng Shang offered about the other fighters, so naturally, his own information wasn’t revealed to them either. Both sides were shrouded in a fog of ignorance about each other.
However, a Force Technique like Circulation Technique wasn’t widely known. Only those who had truly practiced it knew how to utilize it. Outsiders were a step removed and wouldn’t necessarily understand even if it were explained.
Chen Chuan watched Renqiao’s dejected figure leave the stage. What he had just used was actually the thod Teacher Zheng had demonstrated to him not long ago: using a Guiding Technique to lead the opponent astray.
If Renqiao hadn’t been so inexperienced in combat and so wary of him, carrying a heavy psychological burden, the technique definitely wouldn’t have had such a dramatic effect.
’In fact, if he had just relaxed and fought normally, I might not have been able to take him down in one move.’
The short-haired woman was exasperated. Her Realm Token flashed as she transferred two hundred yuan to Ni Qianqian’s account, then she tossed the silver coins she had just received back. "Looks like I’ll have to be frugal again this month," she said helplessly.
Ni Qianqian rolled her eyes. "Oh, co on, Sister Bai. Couldn’t you just take on one more student and make it all back?"
Sister Bai shook her head. "I don’t just teach any student."
With Renqiao’s defeat, most of the crowd realized Chen Chuan was no simple opponent. Dealing with soone like him required a strategy, not just rushing up impulsively on a whim. In a chance encounter, you might have no choice, but now that they had ti to think, they would naturally use it. So for the mont, no one else was in a hurry to step up.
At this very mont, people were steadily filing into the fighting arena from outside.
Because this was just an internal exchange without a fixed schedule, and to save face for everyone, no outsiders were invited. Everyone who ca today was an acquaintance from the heritage Schools.
These people were not bound by blood, but by the thod of their inheritance. Thus, even a father and son could part ways if their philosophies clashed or if one was deed untalented. The opportunity would be directly passed on to others—to disciples who were a better fit for the philosophy and possessed greater talent.
A car pulled up in the plaza outside. The brother and sister duo Chen Chuan had run into at the Sea Realm Arena got out. The man glanced at his watch, then looked inside.
"Xiaojing, looks like we’re a little late. The exchange matches inside have already started. Co on, let’s go in."
"Okay!"
The man led the young girl inside and happened to see Renqiao sitting dejectedly to one side, surrounded by a few acquaintances. Nearby, two others were sitting and just catching their breath; they clearly looked like they had lost.
He checked his watch again. ’No, I rember the ti correctly. I’m only a few minutes late. You guys have already fought several matches?’
"Brother, that..."
Xiaojing tugged on the man’s arm and pointed at Chen Chuan standing in the middle of the arena. "That young man, he’s the one we t at the Sea Realm Arena the other day."
The man nodded. He had recognized him when he walked in too. "Central City is so big," he remarked. "To run into him twice in a row... it’s quite a coincidence."
But...
He looked at Chen Chuan, dressed in his Wuyi uniform. ’So he’s the winner. Is this young man really that strong? It looks like he’s defeated several people in a row all by himself?’
Just then, Ni Qianqian said, "Brother Chen, it seems you don’t need a break after all?"
’It would probably be even more out of line for to say I’m tired and need a rest now, wouldn’t it?’ Chen Chuan thought. So he nodded and said, "I think I can keep going."
But even though he put it mildly, the young people around him still felt slighted, looking at him with a mixture of helplessness and irritation.
Ni Qianqian looked to the side. "Who’s next?"
Liu Yin thought for a mont, then stood up. "I’ll go," he said, striding into the competition area. As he walked out, the noise in the arena died down.
Xiaojing’s eyes lit up. "It’s Brother Liu Yin."
The man said, "Oh? Liu Yin is going up already? It seems this young man is putting a lot of pressure on them."
Liu Yin was undoubtedly the most outstanding of his generation. At Liu Yin’s current age, the man himself hadn’t been a match for him. Even now, it was hard to say who would win in a real fight.
"Brother Liu Yin will definitely win, right?" Xiaojing said, looking up at Liu Yin with adoration.
The man mulled it over. "There are no certainties in a duel. Fundantals, ntality, and on-the-spot performance are all indispensable. Soone who wins today might not necessarily win tomorrow."
He looked ahead. "For Fighters like them, the gap between their skills is actually minuscule. Victory and defeat are hard to predict. Sotis, it might even co down to a bit of luck."
"Luck?"
"Yes, like positioning." The man smiled. "There’s a superstition that says the person standing on the west side—that is, on our left—is more likely to lose."
"But Brother Liu Yin is standing on the west side right now."
"That’s why it’s just a superstition, heh."
After stopping in front of Chen Chuan, Liu Yin said, "Chen, by coming up now, I’m actually taking advantage of you. I hope you don’t mind."
It didn’t matter how quickly Chen Chuan had ended the previous fights; Liu Yin had been watching the whole ti and now had so understanding of his opponent. This was a clear advantage for him, and strictly speaking, it was indeed unfair.
He preferred a fair fight; otherwise, a victory would be aningless. So he said, "In unard combat, my specialty is the Scattering Hand. My sense for danger has always been keen, and I can always find my opponent’s openings. I hope you’ll be careful."
The short-haired woman said, "Besides his excellent fundantals, Liu Yin can always spot the right opportunity to strike. That’s sothing the others can’t compare to."
Ni Qianqian joked, "Sister Bai, you’d better not say any more. Careful you don’t jinx Liu Yin."
The short-haired woman shot her an annoyed look but then shut her mouth.
Just then, Ni Qianqian suddenly frowned and walked to the side, seemingly having received a ssage.
Chen Chuan noticed that when this man stepped forward, everyone else fell silent. He must be the most prominent among these legacy disciples.
He studied Liu Yin carefully. The man’s willpower and mindset were excellent, and his rhythm and movents were coordinated. He had almost no obvious flaws or weaknesses. He wasn’t soone who could be taken down in one move like the previous opponents.
After they saluted each other with cupped fists, they both stepped back a bit. Liu Yin, however, stood still. This wasn’t out of fear or hesitation; it was a clear sign that he didn’t want to take advantage of Chen Chuan.
Since Liu Yin was being deferential, Chen Chuan didn’t stand on ceremony. He first approached slowly, and once he was within a certain distance, he imdiately accelerated, throwing a punch at his face.
Liu Yin didn’t choose to block. Instead, he shifted his feet, leaned his upper body back slightly, and dodged to the side. His movents were swift, and his center of gravity adjustnt was perfect. Although he didn’t actually advance, he had already positioned his hands for an ideal counterattack.
The crowd breathed a sigh of relief, and soone shouted in approval. Liu Yin, at last, hadn’t been felled by a single blow. They were starting to develop a complex about it.
Chen Chuan glanced at him. ’His movents are natural yet cautious. If I want to win while conserving energy, I’ll have to find an opening while we’re in motion. Looks like I’ll have to feel him out first.’
Just as he was thinking this, a ssage from Ni Qianqian ca through his Realm Token. "Brother Chen, sothing’s co up at the Bureau. If you can wrap this up, do it as soon as possible."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. ’In that case, I’ll have to change my strategy.’ He instantly released the restraints on his Mutated Organization. His forward-stepping figure abruptly accelerated.
An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to adapt to such a sudden change in tempo; they would likely be thrown into a panic. But Liu Yin was not an ordinary person. He was perfectly calm. He didn’t choose to dodge. Instead, he raised his arms, arched his body forward, and proactively closed the distance.
Watching from the side, Sister Bai couldn’t help but praise the move. It was the absolute correct choice. Dodging was useless—could you possibly be faster than soone charging at you? In such a situation, trying to evade would make it easier to be knocked down.
But by advancing, he could use the head-on collision to suppress Chen Chuan’s speed. Chen Chuan’s sudden acceleration must have co at a cost—he must have engaged most of his Mutated Organization. This ant Liu Yin didn’t need to fear a Wrestling Takedown or a Capture. Being wary of an opponent and constantly trying to create distance was pointless. When you needed to get in close, you got in close. Sotis, crashing into their personal space to strike was more effective.
Just as expected, Chen Chuan didn’t change his attack. In an instant, their arms and shoulders collided. Since both were surging forward with all their might, the impact let out a loud THUD that made the chests of the onlookers tighten.
In Liu Yin’s judgnt, the force of this collision would cause a montary pause for both of them. However, the Power he practiced was the Binding Force Technique, which allowed him to adjust and coordinate faster than a normal person. He could recover first and use this slight advantage to seize control of the situation.
But he never expected that after the impact sent him stumbling back two steps, Chen Chuan would be standing in the exact sa spot, completely unmoved. Then, as if completely unaffected, Chen Chuan stepped forward and, with a sharp SMACK, grabbed his wrist.
His eyes narrowed. He knew full well his opponent was skilled in Wrestling Takedowns and Captures. If that Power seeped in, it would be over. With no other choice, he could only guide his own Power and, following the opponent’s likely pull, charge in close again.
However, Chen Chuan didn’t use the anticipated technique. Instead, he also surged forward with Power. The two collided a second ti, and another dull thud echoed through the arena.
Yet Chen Chuan was like a boulder, standing his ground without moving an inch. Liu Yin, on the other hand, felt a stifling sensation in his chest. His hands and feet trembled, and his footing beca unsteady.
Before he could recover, Chen Chuan’s figure suddenly lood large before him. With a loud BANG, a shoulder slamd into his chest. This ti, his entire body was sent flying backward. He hit the floor and slid for so distance, plowing into the crowd until he was caught and steadied amidst gasps of alarm.
Chen Chuan slowly straightened up, stood in the center of the arena, and looked ahead. He offered a cupped-fist salute in the direction where Liu Yin had fallen and said, "Thank you for the match."
The arena was dead silent.
After a few breaths, Ni Qianqian stepped out and clapped her hands. "Alright, let’s call it a day. Brother Chen has sothing to attend to and needs to leave. We’ll find another chance next ti." She gestured to Chen Chuan and started walking out first.
Everyone present was silent. Liu Yin was acknowledged as the strongest among them, but even he had lost. It seed there was no need to continue competing today.
Chen Chuan straightened his clothes, gave a nod to the crowd, and walked to the doorway. He picked up his Snow Monarch Blade. Just as he was about to leave, a voice ca from behind him. "Young man, who taught you your Fighting Skill?"
Chen Chuan stopped and turned his head. He saw that the person asking was the man he had t once before. He then glanced back at everyone inside and said slowly, "It was Cheng Zitong of Yangzhi Wuyi, Teacher Cheng."
After speaking, he turned and strode out the door. A mont later, the sound of a sports car speeding away could be heard from outside.
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