Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
In the studio of the Xing province TV station, the host asked his final question in a hurry.
“Teacher Yu Hong, you seemed to have missed an important point. You failed to mention Lou Cheng’s gift in strength The Youth Tournament lasts too long and each match exhausts the fighters, except for Lou Cheng. Now it’s the semi-finals. I think he has infinite strength as his advantage, so why didn’t you mention this in your analysis?”
Yu Hong smiled.
“Because I’m only analyzing this match. Zhang Zhutong won’t have any problems with his strength because Shenhuo Club has just introduced a new cryogenic system for cold therapy right before the New Year. I guess you’re all unaware of it. The system stimulates the body through extremely low temperature, ranging from minus 110 degrees to 150 degrees. It helps in recovering from fatigue or injuries. As for its result, let me put it in this way: this system costs Shenhuo Club a fortune, but they get what they pay for.”
“This system is already popular in foreign top professional events. Fighters with physical invulnerability benefit from this system as well, but they have to further lower the temperature for it to work.”
“Zhang Zhutong is arrogant, but not thoughtless. He definitely used the system last night. With the addition of acupuncture and medicine, any fatigue leftover is at its minimum. That man standing there is at his best. If Lou Cheng’s strength is at 100%, then Zhang Zhutong’s strength won’t be lower than 90%... ”
“Technology has changed martial arts remarkably. No wonder you think Zhang Zhutong’s winning rate is above 70%. What an interesting match! Based on your words, if he consolidates his foundation, he will have high hopes of obtaining his qualification as a Professional Seventh Pin in only a year or a half. By then, he’d only be 20. Zhang Zhutong became a Professional Seventh Pin when he was 22. We can completely regard them both as heirs to our martial arts circle,” the host said.
“Will the back wave push the front wave away? Or will it be the other way around? Let’s wait and see.”
Some were delighted while others were dismayed as they listened to the analysis. In the arena, Lou Cheng was neither angered nor saddened by Zhang Zhutong’s provocations. He was prepared after Yan Zheke’s warning last night. He said calmly, “I don’t need anyone to judge my qualification. One or two or even three years later, I hope you still have the nerve and confidence to say something like this.”
He hid his tough personality behind a gentle appearance. On one hand, he wanted to show that his confidence in martial arts would not be compromised by one or two losses. On the other, he implicitly compared the speed of their growth. “Last year I was just an ordinary guy with no knowledge of any kungfu. In January, I became a good Amateur First Pin. In April, I defeated all my opponents and became a Professional Ninth Pin. Beginning this August, I stepped into the Dan stage and became a Professional Eighth Pin. I’m likely to earn my qualification as a Seventh Pin April next year. Give me another year or two and I might become a Sixth Pin. I might even have the chance to enter the inhuman stage.”
“What about you? With your current potential, will your rank be the same as me or will there be a disparity between us in a couple of years?”
“When that times comes, do you think you will still have this courage and confidence to judge my qualification?”
He was not at all exaggerating. What he said just now was a sensible and objective analysis of their current situations. But the truth hurt the most. Zhuang Zhutong was an experienced fighter who had participated in numerous tournaments and had these conversations for hundreds of times. Yet upon hearing Lou Cheng speak, his breath became haggard and his expression changed. His response was stiff.
“Who knows the future? At least for now, I’m stronger than you and strong enough to hamper your growth.”
Lou Cheng shook his hand with a smile, but did not talk again. He was aloof, as if nothing mattered to him. That upset Zhang Zhutong even more.
After so many tournaments, Lou Cheng was no longer that awkward guy who wasted valuable talk time... He looked down and his heart lake was so cold it could freeze water. Countless thoughts flashed in his mind.
The talk Zhang Zhutong had with Lou Cheng was like using a “clenched fist” hit the cotton. His strength was wasted for nothing and he was even stung by its thorn. Worse yet, he had no idea how to retort. His vigor at that moment was somehow weakened.
This guy was so young, but why did he have such a good attitude?
Just as he was about to recapture his momentum and influence Lou Cheng’s mind and spirit again, the referee Yin Huaming lifted and waved his right arm downwards.
“Start!”
The first semi-final of the 3rd Youth Tournament in Xing Province had begun.
Without any hesitation or thought, Zhang Zhutong straightened his back and stepped towards his opponent. Like a rolling heavy tank, he gradually increased his speed and brought a strong wind to the ground, which made Lou Cheng squint.
“Wind Flame Disaster”, Wind Flame Step!
In his last step, Zhang Zhutong contracted his body muscles and rushed forward. A loud burst echoed in the air, he charged at Lou Cheng as if the ground had shrunk. With his left hand in front of his chest and his right arm working like an iron rod, he condensed all his explosive power and let it lash out at Lou Cheng’s chest and abdomen!
Zhang Zhutong took his time building his momentum, leaving Lou Cheng too much time to prepare his Severe Warning, and still had the nerve to do a frontal attack. Lou Cheng could sense something was not right.
Lou Cheng could afford the risk in this issue, but not Zhang Zhutong. He may be a Professional Seventh Pin in the Dan Stage, but he could also become stiff when Severe Warning hit him. Stiffness meant a lot when strengths of two fighters were the same. In other words, that stiffness almost equaled victory!
Instead of competing in moves and Wind and Flame Step, Lou Cheng pushed his feet inward and expanded the muscles of his thighs. He twisted his waist and lowered his shoulder to launch a blast punch that tore the wind apart, successfully blocking the enemy’s attack.
When they almost collided, Zhang Zhutong flicked his wrist and flung a bullet. The fist became like a cloud among the wind, gently floating to the side. Opening his palm, he ferociously held onto Lou Cheng’s forearm.
“Wind Flame Disaster”, Wing Swaying Clouds!
So what if Lou Cheng knew simplified moves of physical invulnerability? As long as he avoided any collisions and only hit Lou Cheng’s weak points, everything would be fine!
Lou Cheng had long prepared for this. He successfully blocked the incoming force with his shoulder. Softening his arm muscles, he wielded his hand like a long whip and avoided Zhang Zhutong’s grasp, before turning away from him. As his center of balance shifted forward, he tightened his arm and aimed directly at his opponent’s wrist with might.
At this time, Zhang Zhutong pushed down his qi and blood and formed a human body big Dan. He lifted his left leg and stamped the ground powerfully.
Bang! He pointed all the force from the Dan stage explosion onto the arena, shaking the entire place. A visible crack appeared under his feet, rapidly expanding all around. The cracks were deep and large, making the audience tingle with fear.
Stamping Earthquake!
That was the power of a Professional Seventh Pin in the Dan stage!
Zhang Zhutong’s timing was excellent! His stamping happened exactly when Lou Cheng was shifting the center of his weight forward, making him feel like the ground beneath him was rising and falling. He was about to topple over.
Crap! Lou Cheng adjusted the muscles and forcibly pulled himself back to the balance in mercurial form.
Thanks to the rebound force of his stamping, Zhang Zhutong’s body was hurled forward like a whirlwind. He entered Lou Cheng’s defensive circle and stopped by his side. He thrust the left arm on his chest was akin to a big gun, aiming at Lou Cheng’s throat. This move was so quick and ferocious that it looked like a prairie fire blazing.
“Wind Flame Disaster”, the wind fueling the flame. A one-hit killer move!
Zhang Zhutong’s plan was out of everyone’s expectations. He did prolong the match to make the most of his Furnace Force. Instead, he actively created opportunities to launch killing moves from the very beginning.
This series of attacks, demonstrated vividly his experience, techniques, and ability to grasp opportunities as a Professional Seventh Pin in the Dan stage.
In such a short distance, in face of such flame, one might not have time for Force Concentration, let alone avoiding the attacks. If Lou Cheng had been affected by their talk, he might have lost his vigor, resulting in him making slightly off judgments. With the slightest hint of hesitation, Lou Cheng would have lost this match immediately.
Luckily his heart lake was so frozen that he was able to make his judgment in a split second. By sinking his lower half and shrinking his neck, he barely managed to avoid the attack that went straight to his throat in a semi-fowler position.
However, Zhang Zhutong’s killing move would not be that simple. When his left arm punch failed, muscles around his belly bulged and tugged at the surrounding tendons. He drew his vertebra and shoulder, allowing his body to collapse to the side and forcibly dragging his arms to change his direction. He then smashed his fist downwards.
From the way he retracted his body and punched, it showed his masterful and exquisite control of Zhang Zhutong over his force.
The strong wind was assaulting Lou Cheng’s face, its crisp sound ringing in his ears. It gave him a terrible headache. There was no time for him to think too much. He could only rely on his experience and consciousness. He abruptly leaned backward to do the good Iron Bridge Move. Yet something was different this time. His leg caved in, forcibly sticking his right foot into the cracks on the arena. That allowed him to keep his balance. He thrust his tightened left thigh out and kicked between Zhang Zhutong’s legs at a close range.
Zhang Zhutong did not panic. He squatted down and grabbed Lou Cheng’s leg with his right hand. Strange noises came from the joint tendon of his left arm. Depending on his short changes, he made a second successive burst, one after another, aiming at Lou Cheng’s chest.
Lou’s right foot sank deeper and he managed to lift both hands to block the punch.
Bang!
When he defended himself, his enemy’s right hand reached for his leg.
But Zhang Zhutong could not feel the sensation of flesh where he had caught Lou Cheng’s leg. The movements in Lou Cheng’s muscles, paired with Force Concentration, successfully borrowed strength from Zhang Zhutong. Now Lou Cheng’s qi, blood, strength, and spirit were condensed into one single point.
Borrowed?
Qiu Lin’s technique “Wisdom King Guards Temple”?
As the thought occurred to him, Zhang Zhutong noticed the explosion in his opponent’s Dantian. Lou Cheng’s legs became swollen and ended up abruptly throwing off his hand.
“That lad is pretty creative.” The guest commentator could not help praising Lou Cheng upon seeing this scene. “Through perfect meditation, he imitated all the techniques of Qiu Lin’s ‘Wisdom King Guards Temple’.”
Most Professional Eighth Pin in the Dan stage could not accomplish perfect meditation. Neither could Professional Seventh Pin in the Dan stage.
Lou Cheng retracted his leg and stood upright with a flip. He resumed his position. As he blocked his opponent’s arm, he turned sideways using the Dan stage outbreaks and struck ferociously with his elbow.
This was the product of Lou Cheng’s difficult few days of training. Referencing Qiu Lin’s Wisdom King Guards Temple, he developed it using Listening Skill in Perfect Meditation as the foundation. He also fused it with the borrowing strength of 24 Blizzard Strikes and Force Concentration, pushing the method to the Dan stage.
Come on! He will show him what the real blowing Blizzard Strikes looked like!
The blizzard grew larger and faster as their battle grew more and more violent!