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

Chapter 248 Without effort, it's like emptiness!
The next day, early in the morning.

The training ground was crowded with people. Many martial arts students hadn't left at all. Anyway, Foshan was neither too hot nor too cold this season, so one night wouldn't be a big deal.

Because those who know martial arts know that today is the main event.

Chen Zhan and the others arrived at the training ground early. The bluestone on the arena was not repaired in time, so they only swept away the small pieces of broken stone to prevent the onlookers from being injured in the fight.

Chen Zhan and Wan Laisheng discussed having the onlookers stand further away, as today's fight was different from yesterday's.

Wan Laisheng also understood that yesterday's fight was not truly intense; only the first encounter between Ma Yingtu and Yao was a life-or-death struggle.

Today's competition is bound to be even more intense.

The boxers from both the North and South pulled out a cordon and asked everyone to step back behind it. The seven-foot-high ring wasn't very high; you could see it just by looking up.

After that, there wasn't much more to say. Chen Zhan took the stage. As the current leader of the martial arts alliance, although he was appointed by the national government, his title speaks for itself, and the level of anticipation for him is self-evident.

People in Foshan have always been fond of martial arts. After Chen Zhan arrived in Foshan, he opened a martial arts school and set up a martial arts tournament, which made him known to the whole city.

However, the vast majority of the voices were skeptical, partly because he was too young, and partly because he was not a renowned expert.

If it were a famous martial arts master from the south like Wan Laisheng, Gu Ruzhang, or even Li Guangpu, suddenly taking the position of leader of the martial arts alliance, the public would be more likely to accept it.

But Chen Zhan was previously unknown.

The news from Tianjin and Fengtian had not reached Foshan before.

As his story was reported, he became well-known in Guangdong and Guangxi, but most people scoffed at it. The reports were vague, only mentioning the general events of Chen Zhan's life. People generally felt that the Nationalist government's appointment of him was bound to be a way of glorifying him.

As Chen Zhan stood on the stage, dressed in a blue robe and short jacket, he moved with ease and composure, his inner sharpness concealed and his inner brilliance hidden.

Foshan has a strong tradition of martial arts, and its people are well-versed in this culture. They are also discerning individuals, and judging from Chen Zhan's appearance and demeanor, he doesn't seem like a mere imposter or a show-off.

Chen Zhan had just steadied himself when Gao Zhendong moved onto the stage.

Few people present knew about the feud between the two, and some found it strange that Chen Zhan, a fellow Northern boxer, had his lineage listed in the newspapers, and that he was a disciple of Liu Lanqi of the Xingyi School.

Gao Zhendong is also a Xingyi master. Foshan locals may not know this, but Southern boxing masters have investigated and know that Gao Zhendong is a disciple of Ma Yutang, who is a disciple of Liu Lanqi. Logically speaking, Chen Zhan and Gao Zhendong are from the same school and of the same generation, and are brothers.

Why did they start fighting amongst themselves right from the beginning?
"Sect Leader, it's been a long time," Gao Zhendong said, his tone indifferent.

"Senior Brother Gao."

Chen Zhan didn't say anything. He believed that the real skill would be revealed through his actions. If Gao Zhendong was not convinced, he would be beaten into submission.

Gao Zhendong planted his feet firmly in front of him, adopting the Xingyi San Ti stance, with his left fist protecting his ribs and his right fist protruding forward, the fist tip slightly sinking.

Chen Zhan's gaze sharpened; this Three-Body Stance seemed so familiar.

The disciples of Sun-style Tai Chi in later generations all recognized this, but few people know it now. This three-body stance, the "sinking fist stance" passed down by Sun Lutang, is where the power originates from the soles of the feet, twists through the knees and hips, and gathers entirely on the right fist, ready to unleash its force.

The Three-Body Stance was originally a standing posture, but over the past century, it has evolved into various starting stances for different martial arts styles.

Although Gao Zhendong was a disciple of Ma Yutang, he spent a long time with Sun Lutang over the years. Ma Yutang, Shang Yunxiang, and Sun Lutang were sworn brothers. Sun Lutang did not hold sectarian views, so it was normal for Gao Zhendong to have received his true teachings.

Gao Zhendong stared at Chen Zhan, his breathing becoming heavier. His foundation in Xingyi Quan, which had honed his strength, was evident. His shoulder and back muscles were taut, like a fully drawn bow.

"excuse me!"

As Gao Zhendong shouted, he took two steps and his right fist suddenly shot out—a Xingyi Bengquan!
The force of the punch, accompanied by the sound of wind, was aimed directly at Chen Zhan's chest. Chen Zhan stood still, not even raising his arm to block. He only slightly tucked his chest in just as the punch was about to land.

Gao Zhendong's fierce punch was already pressed against Chen Zhan's chest.

The Wudang disciples brought by Gao Zhendong stood up abruptly, as did the martial arts practitioners from the south, including Ip Man, Ruan Qishan, and Huang Xiaoxia.

Huang Xiaoxia's eyes widened in disbelief.

Chen Zhan didn't behave like this when he fought him.
"So arrogant?"

"Is he just a pretty face???"

"Even a master of external martial arts would have their tendons and bones broken by this punch, right?"

Wang Ziping and Ye Ningzhen remained calm and composed, while Wan Laisheng and Gu Ruzhang showed no excitement. Wan Laisheng said, "We missed."

"Missed?"

"How is that possible? It was clearly already..."

Upon closer inspection, everyone saw that Gao Zhendong's punch did indeed touch Chen Zhan's chest, but it was a "false touch"—the fist only lightly touched the clothes on Chen Zhan's chest.

Gao Zhendong naturally sensed the difference; his punch landed on Chen Zhan's chest as if hitting empty air, finding no point of contact.
Beneath Chen Zhan's loose clothes, there was surprisingly no flesh or bones!
Gao Zhendong was somewhat surprised, but at the same time, his hands were not idle. He had just punched Chen Zhan in the chest, and his strength was already exhausted. His arm and fist were stretched to their limit, so he could only step forward with his foot. He unleashed a series of Beng Quan (crushing fist) strikes!

Chen Zhan smiled and stepped back, his whole body like a willow catkin floating in the air, following Gao Zhendong's momentum.
He threw a punch, and Chen Zhan took a step back!
Each punch landed precisely on his chest, yet felt unreal, as if striking empty air or floating dust.

Gao Zhendong could even feel the fabric of Chen Zhan's blue robe, but he couldn't touch the flesh!
The Bengquan (崩拳) strikes repeatedly, with both fists coming out in a cycle, one punch after another, with fierce force, but the positions are not the same.

And no matter where he hits—chest, abdomen—it's the same!
Without effort, it is like empty space!
"you???"

"How can it be!"

If it were a monkey-shaped collarbone, it wouldn't happen without warning, and the upper body would have shrunk away.
To everyone's surprise, Chen Zhan had already retreated to the edge of the arena. Gao Zhendong roared, unleashing a double dragon attack, his arms bulging with muscles, and his fists blasted out, causing the air to explode.

"Let's see how you back down now!"

Chen Zhan smiled and said, "Then I won't return it."

With both fists striking like dragons, Chen Zhan lightly raised his right hand, placing his palm on the back of Gao Zhendong's fist.

No one saw how he moved; all that was heard was a soft "poof" sound. Gao Zhendong's powerful punch sounded like it had hit cotton.

This sound is completely illogical.

Even when fists are locked in combat, regardless of who is stronger or weaker, such sounds should not be made.

But Gao Zhendong didn't have time to think much. He was shocked and wanted to push forward with more force, but he felt a faint suction force coming from Chen Zhan's palm, which pulled his force to the side.

A forceful "sticking" motion, neither resisting nor opposing, forcefully diverted his punching power, and the two passed each other sideways.

Chen Zhan said, "Senior Brother Gao's Bengquan (a type of fist technique) only reaches the arm, but penetrates into the bone marrow."

Chen Zhan's voice was steady. With a gentle push of his right hand, Gao Zhendong felt a soft yet irresistible force coming from the back of his fist. He involuntarily staggered back three steps before barely managing to regain his footing in the Three-Body Stance.

He looked down at his fist and found that his knuckles were numb. It wasn't from being hit by a hidden force, but from the stagnation of blood and qi caused by the force being forcibly cut off.

Chen Zhan's current internal strength is not much different from that of a steel needle. If you really fight him, there's no need to continue the competition.

In fact, Gao Zhendong's martial arts skills were already very high. If he were to fight Li Guangpu, he could easily win because he was more than ten years younger.

He's more than capable of leading an ordinary martial arts sect, but he's not quite up to the task of leading the Wudang branch of the Central Martial Arts Academy.

Let alone suppressing Wang Ziping of the Shaolin School, he might not even be able to suppress several section chiefs of the Wudang School.

Gao Zhendong's expression changed. He refused to believe it and stomped forward with his left foot. His left fist turned into a drilling punch, pointing upwards, aiming straight for Chen Zhan's chin.

"Drilling Fist Like an Arrow" is a move that is faster and more unpredictable than Beng Quan (Crushing Fist).

But Chen Zhan still didn't dodge. He formed his left palm and gently pressed down when his fist was still three inches away from his chin.

This seemingly slow press was like striking a snake at its vital point, instantly cutting off the force of the punch. Gao Zhendong felt as if his left arm was filled with lead, and he could no longer lift it.

"Xingyi says 'Collapse, drill, split, cannon, horizontal,' meaning the power must be connected in a continuous flow. If the drilling fist is blocked, then what?"

"With a single horizontal punch, one can break free from restraints, and then switch to a chopping punch or a cannon punch, which are all follow-up moves."

Chen Zhan didn't loosen his grip on his left hand; his fingertips slightly sank, and Gao Zhendong suddenly felt his knees buckle, almost kneeling down.

Chen Zhan used the force of the punch to transfer the force to his leg. It was the skillful force of "twisting and dislocating the root" in Baguazhang, but he used it with ease and without any deliberate effort.

Gao Zhendong was both shocked and furious. He suddenly stepped back, put his hands into a "chopping fist" stance, and twisted his waist and hips dramatically, trying to use all his strength to chop at Chen Zhan's shoulder.

This was his trump card; the power originated from the soles of his feet, passed through his waist, hips, shoulders, and arms, and was all concentrated at the edge of his fist. The sharp sound of the fist could even be heard on the stage.

Chen Zhan merely took a half-step to the side, using the "cloud step" of Tai Chi, so light it felt like stepping on cotton. He just barely avoided the chopping punch while his right fingertip lightly touched Gao Zhendong's waist.

"Crack~"

Gao Zhendong felt a warm energy penetrate his waist, instantly dissipating all his strength. He felt like a deflated balloon, swaying and unable to stand.

Chen Zhan reached out to help him regain his balance, and he finally stabilized.

"you win"

Gao Zhendong's voice was somewhat hoarse. This defeat was devastating because it wasn't a slip-up or a miscalculation, but a complete crushing defeat, a world of difference in their levels of skill.

The crowd below the arena fell silent. The Foshan residents who had just been questioning Chen Zhan were now stunned.

Is it really that easy?
No one expected that the fight between the two fellow disciples of Xingyi School would be so one-sided. Chen Zhan didn't even use his full strength; it was like an adult teasing a child, and he won easily.

(End of this chapter)