Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 221 Spear Sparring, Exquisitely Perfect!
Chen Zhan pulled out a white ash wood staff and said with a smile, "I have long heard that your Eight Extremes Spear has three unique skills. It just so happens that Xingyi is also good at spear skills. Why don't we test our spear techniques?"

Li Shuwen's eyes lit up, as if they were shooting out light. When he talked about the big gun, he became even more excited, and his aura changed.

Even from ten meters away, Chen Zhan could feel the biting sharpness within.

"I haven't played with the Eight Extremes Spear in a long time. If the Alliance Leader wants to try it, then let's give it a shot." Li Shuwen walked to the other side and picked up a jujube wood staff.

Neither of their poles were very long, only a little over two meters, while regular rifles are often over three meters long.

Li Shuwen had them in his courtyard, but neither of them took them by mutual agreement. They were using the guns that apprentices used for practicing with, and since it wasn't a life-or-death battle, there was no need for them.

The two are battling it out.

Sunlight slanted across the eaves of the green tiles and fell on the muddy ground of the old courtyard, casting long shadows of the two large spears.

Chen Zhan gripped the spear shaft, its body gleaming a warm, off-white hue. He stepped forward with his left foot into a three-body stance, the spear tip pointing diagonally at the ground. He unleashed his Xingyi spear technique, his muscles and bones stretching out in a wide, expansive motion.

Li Shuwen's dark brown staff exuded a tough aura. He wore blue cloth leg wraps and stood firmly in a Dingba stance, as solid as rammed earth. His right hand gripped the end of the staff, while his left hand rested loosely on the middle of the staff. The "spear-raising stance" of the Baji spear seemed casual, but Chen Zhan could see that the muscles in his forearms were taut, ready to pounce like a tiger.

"Xingyi Spear emphasizes 'beng, zhuan, chai, pao, heng'. I sparred with Li Cunyi a lot when I was young, so I know him well. Leader, please exert all your strength."

Li Shuwen considered himself older and more senior, and also had a thorough understanding of Xingyi spear techniques, so he didn't want to make the first move.

Chen Zhan stood on the spear post, holding the spear handle horizontally with one hand, and thrust it forward with great speed. Moreover, Chen Zhan added another layer of force to the spear shaft, but it was not immediately apparent.

Xingyi "Bengqiang"!
The clubhead shot out like an arrow, aiming straight for Li Shuwen's chest. The force originated from the soles of his feet, traveled through his waist and hips to his arms, and the club itself did not sway at all.

A glint flashed in Li Shuwen's eyes, and he suddenly blocked with the jujube wood pole. With a crisp "crack", the two poles collided. At the moment, Chen Zhan felt a powerful force travel up the white ash wood pole, making his hands go numb. The Bajiquan "Sealing the Door Spear" was actually blocked with the whole force!
However, Chen Zhan increased the force in his hand, unleashing the power he had previously concealed.
The off-white gun barrel trembled violently, and the black cloth wrapped around the gun tip also shook. The next moment, the gun barrel swung around the "door-sealing gun" and bounced, striking Li Shuwen's gun barrel.

"Clang~ Clang~"

With two soft clicks, the ash wood pole moved like a snake tumbling through waves.

He deflected Li Shuwen's blocking spear and went straight for his chest. This move, "Crushing Spear," transformed into "Snake Turning Waves," a masterpiece of exquisite skill!

The two-meter-long pole must be held in place beforehand, and then the tension is released only when it is aligned with the gun barrel; otherwise, there simply isn't enough time.

Therefore, Chen Zhan had already planned ahead before making his move.

"What a plan!"

When the attack was about to strike, there was no time to change course. Li Shuwen actually took a deep breath and braced himself against the gun!
But his breath was like a whale sucking in water, one gulp! It sucked the entire ocean into his chest cavity, and the old man's chest suddenly swelled up like a large lead ball.

"Boom~"

Chen Zhan's shot was primarily a deflection, lacking the force of a volley. When it struck the large ball in Chen Zhan's chest, it bounced back with a "pop."

"Impressive qigong!" Chen Zhan couldn't help but exclaim.

This move was truly unconventional; he never imagined there was such a method.

As Chen Zhan withdrew his spear, before Chen Zhan could withdraw his force, Li Shuwen's jujube wood staff suddenly sank, the tip of the staff wrapping around the white ash wood staff – it was the Bajiquan "Silk-Wrapping Spear"!
This technique is the most intimate, with the shaft twisting around the opponent's gun shaft, which can deflect force and lock the throat.

Chen Zhan felt a chill run down his spine, quickly took a half step back, and at the same time exerted force from his waist and abdomen, flicking the white ash wood pole upwards in a Xingyi "Drill Spear" motion!
The clubhead shot upwards like a drill, hitting the curve of the jujube wood shaft perfectly. The two clubs collided again, the shafts humming, "click-click-click!"

The two large gun barrels were pressed together, and the force of the two men was so great that the gun barrels made a cracking sound, and countless fragments broke apart.

The three people watching the duel were so shocked that their eyes widened.

"Your dedication is top-notch, and your adaptability is also excellent. Even Li Cunyi's Xingyi spear technique is only this good. Even if he doesn't die, he'll have to give way to you!"

Li Shuwen sighed, then suddenly released the tension of the jujube wood pole, and thrust it forward, the pole head sweeping towards Chen Zhan's face with a whoosh.

The two exchanged blows, and the only sound in the courtyard was the clinking of gun barrels.

Moreover, the two of them controlled their strength very well, using skill to counter each other; otherwise, if they squeezed with all their might, the gun barrel would have exploded.

Chen Zhan's Xingyi spear always moves in a straight line. Every move, such as the 'Beng', 'Zuan', and 'Heng', is powerful enough to penetrate to the tip of the spear. The white ash wood spear seems to have a spirit, following his movements.

Li Shuwen's Eight Extremes Spear technique focuses on close-quarters combat. His Ding-Ba Step is both fast and steady, and his jujube wood staff sometimes blocks the door and sometimes wraps around the waist, combining fierce power with skillful technique.

For a time, they fought to a standstill, with each blow resounding.

The three were dumbfounded. Spear fighting is the easiest way to determine a winner, because spear fighting was created by generals on horseback since ancient times. There are no fancy moves, just the spear chopping, smashing, thrusting and picking.

Intimidate others with power, and kill them with force.

No one expected that Chen Zhan and Li Shuwen would actually make their spear skills look so impressive.

Every move was swift and skillful, like weaving through flowers and shadows.

After thirty moves.

Li Shuwen suddenly twisted his waist, turned around, and slashed with his spear.

Bajiquan "Spear Chopping"!
The "spear-splitting" technique exists in various schools and sects, and is sometimes called "Mount Tai pressing down" or "a blow to the head" in staff fighting!
It was a very simple move, nothing strange in itself, but when Li Shuwen used it, Chen Zhan felt it couldn't be that simple.

He blocked with his spear, but the downward slash was not his full strength.

If Li Shuwen violated their tacit agreement, he would not be a Grandmaster. Chen Zhan was not worried at all. Although the force of this spear was not strong, the force of hitting the shaft did not stop.

Li Shuwen pulled the shaft of his spear, and the shaft rubbed against Chen Zhan's spear.

A surge of energy immediately transferred to the gun!
It happened so suddenly! His hands lost control of the gun; just as it was about to spin, Chen Zhan squeezed it tightly—"Click!"

The white waxwood spear shaft in Chen Zhan's hand broke.
It was torn in two by his force, and the splinters in the middle splintered up, scattering splinters all over the ground.

Li Shuwen seemed to know the outcome, so he stepped back and looked at him with a smile.

Chen Zhan paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "I've lost. A sharpshooter is a sharpshooter!"

"The title of 'Invincible Marksman' is no joke. His control over the marksmanship is so precise that he can calculate exactly how much force the shaft of his spear can withstand."

"You just said that the boy is good at scheming, but I should be saying that to you."

Chen Zhan couldn't help but marvel. Li Shuwen's last move, "splitting the spear," wasn't the goal, nor was "rubbing the spear" a follow-up move. The real brilliance lay in making Chen Zhan's hands involuntarily exert force. Once the force exceeded 20%, the spear shafts that the two had just exchanged blows couldn't withstand it.

By deliberately smashing the gun barrel, Chen Zhan naturally broke their unspoken agreement.

Li Shuwen burst into laughter.

"That was exhilarating! It's been a long time since I've fought someone with a spear. Your kung fu is too high. If it were a contest of strength, I wouldn't be your match. It's only through your exquisite spear technique that I could barely defeat you by one move."

Chen Zhan shook his head and laughed, "Hahaha, losing is losing, there's no prize involved, it's not like I can't accept defeat."

Li Shuwen laughed even harder: "You're refusing to pay the price just because there's a prize?"

"If there's a prize, I'll have another match. After all, you're a sharpshooter, and I'd be at a huge disadvantage in a shootout!"

"Good lad, your personality suits my taste very well. It's a pity that you have already achieved great success and your kung fu is even better than mine, so I can't mention taking you as a disciple."

Li Shuwen is a straightforward person who doesn't hide anything; otherwise, who would dare to say they want to take him as their apprentice?

Chen Zhan didn't mind and said with a smile, "You are an elder, and you are like brothers with my master. I won't say more. If you need anything in the future, you can ask Jianwu to come to Foshan to find me."

Chen Zhan said to Li Jianwu.

Li Shuwen nodded and smiled, "Your words are enough."

Li Jianwu's honest face froze for a moment, "Huh?"

He didn't understand why it had to be him.

In terms of age, Liu Xiaochen is younger; in terms of relationship, Huo Diange and Chen Zhan have been through life and death together; and in terms of martial arts skills, he is even less qualified.

Not only did he not understand, but everyone else present, including Li Shuwen, also didn't understand.

Li Jianwu's apprentice was unremarkable; he became an apprentice late, his skills were mediocre, and he wasn't particularly clever.

The only commendable quality is his calm and steady personality and his meticulous approach to everything he does.

I don't know why Chen Zhan specifically chose him.
However, Li Shuwen couldn't ask. He couldn't very well ask in front of his disciples why he looked down on Liu Xiaochen, could he?
No matter what Chen Zhan says, it will hurt someone's pride.

it's actually really easy.

Li Jianwu will be one of our own from now on, and Liu Xiaochen will, barring any unforeseen circumstances, become the Nationalist government's "Number One" assassin.

Both of them joined the army during the War of Resistance against Japan, and initially they were both doing things to resist Japan and save the country. However, fate caused the two brothers to drift apart and embark on completely different paths.

Chen Zhan said nothing, sat for a while and then left. He did not go to find Wang Ziping and Ma Yingtu, but returned to the capital on his own.

This line of work has already done enough.

Everything in the north was basically arranged. After a final private talk with Li Shuwen, he agreed to the arrangement.

Next year, Li Shuwen will accept Li Jinglin's invitation to serve as the head instructor at the Shandong National Martial Arts Academy. Liu Xiaochen will accompany him. He made a name for himself in Shandong and entered the National Government as a servant.

Li Jianwu, on the other hand, would not join our party for several more years.

Chen Zhan has never met the Sword Immortal Li Jinglin before, but he should have a chance to meet him someday.

It was only afternoon when I left Tianjin, but I walked briskly and returned to the capital in just one hour, before it even got dark.

Chen Zhan thought that he had agreed to be a guest lecturer for Zhang Boling once a month. However, the distance from Foshan to Tianjin was not just a few hundred miles, but three or four thousand miles. Even if he was faster than Shenxing Taibao, it would still take him two days to travel that distance on foot.

We have reached the Chinese Alliance.

Seeing that the streets on both sides had been completely cleaned up and the garbage cleared away, and that some useless items had been taken away by poor families, this was also at Chen Zhan's behest.

Many children from poor families, who have no school to attend and nowhere to play, come here to watch the competition, and afterwards they don't forget to collect some wood to take home for firewood.

These children are already used to it.

Chen Zhan was happy to do this for them, and after the arena was dismantled, he gave it to the teenagers.

Upon entering the Chinese Alliance, there were far fewer people; Xiong Hanshan and the two women, Ruan Zhi and Li Qingsu, had already left ahead of time.

He also brought many disciples with him.

They've already been notified by phone from Foshan, and they're going ahead to make preparations.

Chen Zhan and Ye Ningzhen will also set off tomorrow, first making a detour to Longquan to modify the two Japanese demon swords.

P.S.: (Liu Xiaochen is Liu Yunqiao, the real-life inspiration for Yixiantian in The Grandmaster. He was the top assassin of the Blue Shirts Society, but in the movie he left the Blue Shirts Society. In reality, he did not. He served as a colonel in the Nationalist government and died in Taiwan in 92.)
(Li Jianwu is even more impressive; he served as a bodyguard. I dare not mention it; you can look it up yourselves.)
(End of this chapter)