Chinese martial arts: From human punching bags to martial arts mastery

"boom--!"

On the dueling platform, a powerful gust of wind roared and waves of air surged!

A ten-zhang-high platform stands in the middle of the Suzhou River. The river wind carries a damp and cold mist that hits you in the face. The people on both banks are densely packed together, making it impossible to move. The gangsters clench their fists and hold their breath, while the police officers of the foreign concession stand guard in the distance with solemn expressions. The whole world is shrouded in a suffocating atmosphere of killing intent.

Chen Feng stood in the center of the platform. His late-stage Ming Jin Qi and blood surged wildly through his meridians like thunder. His body, which had achieved great success in hard Qigong, swelled up like iron. Every muscle was taut like steel. His bronze skin gleamed with a cold, hard luster, and his joints crackled softly.

With his arms outstretched, his stance of Tongbei Quan (a style of Chinese martial arts) was as stable as an old pine tree. His shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, and hips were connected in one breath. His arms were like iron whips hidden at his sides, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. His whole body was poised to strike like a coiled dragon.

Qian Hu, who was opposite him, exuded a deep and abyss-like aura. His cultivation at the half-step Dark Force level had already touched the true threshold of internal martial arts. Before he even moved his fist, his Yin-Yang energy coiled around Chen Feng like a venomous snake. Although they were both practicing Tongbei Fist, his fist techniques had already been refined to perfection. His shoulder propelled his elbow, and his elbow propelled his hand. His strength flowed along the long bridge of his body, and his power was concentrated in both arms. His iron fists were wrapped in Yin-Yang energy, and their power far exceeded that of Chen Feng.

The hidden force enters the body and shatters the internal organs—this is the most terrifying killing move of a half-step hidden force!

The hearts of viewers on both sides of the strait tightened. Everyone knew that using overt force against covert force was like throwing an egg against a rock!

Everyone in the Yan family was on tenterhooks!

The eldest brother clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, his eyes fixed on Chen Feng, and he dared not breathe too heavily.

The junior sister covered her mouth with both hands, her big eyes filled with tension, afraid that she would see Chen Feng injured and fall to the ground in the next second.

The surrounding fellow disciples all had tense faces, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

They all understood that this battle would be extremely difficult!

"die--!"

Qian Hu took the initiative, his foot stomping on the ground with a muffled thud, his body like a tiger pouncing on its prey, unleashing the Tongbei Fist [Mountain Splitting Style] with a thunderous roar!

His entire right arm swept across the air like an iron whip, his shoulder and back exerting force, the power penetrating his fist, with hidden strength concealed in his fist. The moment he struck, it was a killing move, aimed straight at Chen Feng's crown!

"call----!!"

The wind from the punch howled, and the air itself seemed to whistle as it was cleaved. The crowd below the stage saw a blur before their eyes, and the icy pressure of the punch enveloped the entire platform!

"Hey--!"

Chen Feng's pupils contracted sharply. Without dodging or avoiding, he twisted his waist and abdomen, his body shifting half an inch to the side. At the same time, he raised his left arm horizontally, using the Tongbei Fist [Lanjiang Style] to block!

"clang--!"

With a deafening clang like metal clashing, fists and arms collided, and the obvious and hidden forces clashed violently!

Qian Hu's hidden force was as fine as a needle, instantly piercing through the transparent force defense and stabbing hard into Chen Feng's arm muscles!

"uh-huh--!"

Chen Feng felt a numbness in his arm bones, and a soft, yin-like force penetrated his arm. His internal organs trembled slightly, and a trickle of blood immediately spilled from the corner of his mouth. He was shaken back three steps, and three deep footprints were left on the high platform beneath his feet.

When masters clash, the difference in skill is revealed in a single move—defeat is already evident!

"suck--!"

Audiences on both sides of the strait gasped in astonishment!

"Hidden power... truly terrifying!"

The faces of everyone in the Yan Clan turned deathly pale instantly. The eldest brother's heart sank, the junior sister's eyes turned red, and several senior brothers couldn't help but gasp. Their hearts sank to the bottom.

"Completely vulnerable!"

Qian Hu grinned arrogantly, his feet stomping as he unleashed a furious Tongbei Fist [Chain Crushing Fist]!

Left punch, right punch, up punch, down punch—his fists rained down like a storm, layer upon layer of hidden force. Each punch aimed at Chen Feng's chest, ribs, and lower abdomen—the speed of his punches was so fast that afterimages appeared. With his long bridge of his arm extended like an ape, he sealed off all of Chen Feng's escape routes!

"Sizzle—!"

The hidden force grazed Chen Feng's skin, and the force ripped his clothes at the chest, revealing his bronze chest covered with taut muscles.

"Bang--!"

Chen Feng groaned as the fist struck his ribs, but he managed to withstand the impact with his body, which was at the peak of his hard qigong. His muscles were like steel plates, tightly locking in the hidden force and preventing it from penetrating his internal organs.

Even so, with each collision, his blood and qi churned violently.

Using visible force against hidden force... is like throwing an egg against a rock!

"Hey--!"

Chen Feng's arms flew up and down, his Tongbei Fist [Silk Reeling Style] tightly binding Qian Hu's fist stance. He tensed his shoulders and back, using the skillful force of a minor Tongbei Fist to deflect the force. However, the crushing force of the half-step hidden force was too terrifying. His fist stance was broken several times, and his chest and arms were hit one after another. Each collision made his blood surge, but he gritted his teeth and refused to back down.

Audiences on both sides of the strait held their breath; the entire venue was deathly silent.

The faces of the Yan family members grew increasingly grim, their hearts pounding in their chests, so tense they could hardly breathe.

The junior sister's eyes were red-rimmed, and she gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, afraid that she would see Chen Feng fall down at any moment.

"Hmph—Ming Jin (manifest strength) dares to compete with An Jin (hidden strength)?"

Qian Hu's face was full of contempt and arrogance, his eyes fixed on a dead man, his attack extremely ferocious: "You brat, you're like an ant before me... Today I'll shatter your internal organs!"

"Whoosh—!"

He leaped into the air, unleashing the Tongbei Fist [Exploring the Sea Stance] from the sky. He brought his fists together, channeling his inner strength to its peak, and smashed them down on Chen Feng's head like a thousand-pound boulder, determined to kill him in one blow!

This attack was unavoidable!

"ah--!"

Gasps of surprise erupted from the audience!

Everyone thought Chen Feng was doomed!

The members of the Yan Clan turned pale instantly. The eldest brother's heart stopped, and the junior sister cried out and covered her eyes, unable to look any longer. Yan Tieqiao's body trembled slightly, and a trace of undisguised worry flashed in his eyes.

"It's over... we can't hold them off this time!"

Tangtang gasped in shock, startling Xiao Aqiao and Hu Tao, who turned pale.

At this critical moment.

"rise--!"

Chen Feng suddenly roared, his voice booming like thunder!

The mastery of hard qigong was fully unleashed, the muscles in his body suddenly tensed, his skin turned a faint iron-blue color, and his blood and qi flowed in reverse, forcibly expelling the remaining internal energy from his body!

He neither dodged nor evaded, his feet firmly planted on the high platform. He exerted force from his waist and abdomen, straightened his shoulders and back, and unleashed the Tongbei Fist [Iron Mountain Lean] with a fierce impact!

Using his shoulder as a fist and his back as a shield, he braced himself against Qian Hu's deadly attack that descended from the sky!

"Bang--!"

The loud noise made our eardrums ring, and the platform shook violently!

Qian Hu felt as if he had punched the ancient black iron, and the hidden force exploded, but it couldn't even break the opponent's skin and flesh!

Instead, the force of Chen Feng's hard qigong caused his arms to go numb, his tiger's mouth to split open, and his body to be thrown back three steps in the air.

The contempt on his face froze instantly!

Instead, there was—unbelievable horror!

He stared intently at Chen Feng, his mind reeling.

"A mere youth in the late stage of Ming Jin... his hard qigong has reached the point where he is impervious to swords and spears, and difficult to be harmed by internal force?"

"This is completely illogical! Unless he's been practicing boxing since he was in the womb!"

At that very moment.

"boom!"

Audiences on both sides of the Taiwan Strait erupted in excitement!

Everyone's eyes widened in shock, their hearts, which had been in their throats, instantly dropped to a great depth!

The Yan family members were struck dumb, frozen in place!

For a moment just now, they even thought Chen Feng was about to perish, but the next second, the plot took a complete turn!

The eldest brother opened his mouth wide, speechless for a long time; the youngest sister slowly lowered her hand, her big eyes filled with disbelief; the brothers looked at each other, each seeing a hint of ecstasy in the other's eyes!

They survived!

Not only did he survive, he also repelled Qian Hu, who was at the half-step Dark Force level!

"A mere half-step into the Dark Force realm! Nothing special!"

Chen Feng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his fighting spirit soaring to the sky!

"My turn!"

He roared and stomped his feet, unleashing the Tongbei Fist [Earth-Splitting Cannon Fist] with a thunderous roar!

The left fist feinted, the right fist struck hard, the force from the shoulder and back penetrated the fist, the obvious force was weak, but every punch hit the flaw in Qian Hu's fist!

"Bang--!"

Qian Hu hastily returned to defense, using the Tongbei Fist [Horizontal Blocking Style] to block, unleashing hidden force, intending to once again force Chen Feng back.

However, Chen Feng's hard qigong protected his body, allowing him to withstand the impact of the hidden force. His punches continued unabated, and he unleashed a second and third punch in quick succession!

At this moment, Chen Feng unleashed the full power of Tongbei Quan, the true essence of his closed-door disciple's teachings!

The intent of the fist permeated every part of his body, without any stagnation. He was no longer passively defending, but instead used the Great Perfection Hard Qigong as his armor and the Tongbei Fist as his spear. His shoulders propelled his elbows, his elbows propelled his hands, and his waist and hips moved in unison. His whole body was like a fully drawn longbow, and his arms stretched out like iron whips across the sky.

With a casual flourish, he wielded the five Tongbei techniques: chopping, collapsing, drilling, cannoning, and horizontal. Although he was only at the minor mastery level, he displayed a back-to-basics, unparalleled, and fierce momentum!

He strode across the long bridge with force, his fists penetrating the very edge. Though his internal energy was shallow, it was as powerful as a thunderclap, each punch carrying the might to shake mountains and shatter rocks!

"Bang bang bang—!"

Every punch landed with a visceral impact, the force exploding!

The two exchanged Tongbei Fist with Tongbei Fist, Long Bridge with Long Bridge, Iron Arm with Iron Arm, shoulder strikes and elbow blocks, their fists clashing. Each collision caused cracks to spread across the platform, and a powerful wind swept in all directions!

Qian Hu's half-step internal force was fierce and ruthless, penetrating muscles and cracking bones. However, Chen Feng's hard qigong was like a black armor covering his body. No matter how fiercely the internal force surged, he remained unmoved and withstood all the damage. His Tongbei Fist counterattack became even more fierce, his arm whipping like a whip and his fists pounding like a hammer, each move aimed directly at Qian Hu's vital points!

The situation has completely reversed!

Audiences on both sides of the strait were so excited that they were speechless and even forgot to breathe!

From a seemingly hopeless situation to a steady and methodical approach, and then to a powerful counterattack... the late-stage Ming Jin actually managed to suppress the half-step An Jin!

"hateful!"

Qian Hu's face turned completely gloomy.

From initial contempt, to shock, and now to humiliation, anger, and murderous intent!

As a half-step master of Dark Force, he was forced to retreat step by step by a mere youth in the late stage of Bright Force. The martial arts practitioners on both sides of the strait witnessed this. If word got out, how could he save face?

"You brat!"

"He must die today!"

He roared and unleashed the full power of his Tongbei Fist's killing move, the Nine-Link Cannon Fist. Nine fist shadows shot out like cannons, their hidden force like waves, determined to blast Chen Feng into a pulp!

"Hey--!"

Chen Feng's fighting spirit reached its peak. Instead of retreating, he advanced, pushing his hard qigong to its limit. His bones crackled and popped like popping beans!

"Bang bang bang—!"

He opened his arms wide and swept out the Tongbei Fist [Mad Python Tail Whip], using a whip to counter a cannon, using hardness to break hardness, the Ming Jin fist wind howled like thunder, and collided fiercely with Qian Hu's An Jin fist shadow!

Two figures leaped and darted across the dueling platform, as fast as ghosts. The fierce, ruthless, and domineering Tongbei Fist was brought to its extreme by the two. The splitting fist cleaved the air, the collapsing fist shattered the stone, the drilling fist pierced through the gap, the cannon fist blasted away, and the horizontal fist locked the enemy. Every move was full of violent aesthetics, and the camera was explosive!

A deathly silence fell over both sides of the strait.

The next second—a thunderous roar of cheers erupted!

"Good! Well done!"

"Chen Feng is mighty! He uses his obvious strength to defeat his hidden strength!"

"A clash of Tongbei Fist techniques—so exhilarating!"

Cheers and applause rose to the sky, shaking the river and causing the buildings on both banks to tremble slightly!

Standing at the edge of the stage, Teng Heijiu, who was presiding over the duel, suddenly brightened his previously indifferent eyes, a series of strange lights flashing across them. He stared intently at Chen Feng, who was fighting a bloody battle in the center of the stage, and his heart was filled with shock and awe. "Explicit strength against implicit strength, hard qigong defying the heavens, Tongbei Fist used so nimbly... This boy is a martial arts prodigy who appears once in a thousand years!"

On both sides of the Huangpu River, Du Yuesheng sat upright in his armchair, his folding fan falling silently to the ground, his eyes filled with shock; Zhang Xiaolin slammed his hand on the armrest, his tiger eyes wide open, and he cried out in shock!

Master Gu and Master Wang stood up at the same time, their hands stroking their beards frozen in mid-air, their faces no longer showing any leisure, both of them completely stunned by this heaven-defying battle!

The most excited were none other than Yan Men and his group!

From initial worry, tension, suffocation, and despair to the current ecstasy, exhilaration, and pride!

All the pent-up emotions exploded instantly, their faces flushed red, and they trembled with excitement!

The eldest disciple clenched his fists, his voice trembling with excitement, and shouted, "With my current strength, I probably wouldn't last ten rounds against the ninth junior brother!"

The junior sister beside her blushed, her eyes sparkling, tilted her head in disbelief, and exclaimed in a clear, surprised voice, "You can last ten rounds?"

One sentence instantly made me laugh!

The Yan family members burst into laughter, their laughter hearty and unrestrained, sweeping away all the previous tension and worry, and filled with pride and joy!

The fellow disciples patted their eldest brother on the shoulder and teased him, while the junior sister covered her mouth and giggled. The atmosphere was extremely lively!

"Brother Yan!"

Xiang Gongpi pointed at Chen Feng on the stage, then laughed loudly at Yan Tieqiao beside him, his voice carrying far and wide: "You little uncle, you've taken on an exceptional disciple! This boy is destined to become a top-tier martial arts master in Shanghai!"

Yan Tieqiao let out a long breath, a relieved smile finally appearing on his face, his eyes filled with pride.

Just as the entire stadium erupted in cheers and deafening applause...

A slender figure silently darted to Du Yuesheng's side; it was none other than Ma Pi, who had disappeared long ago.

He bent down, his lips barely moving, and whispered a few words in Du Yuesheng's ear, his voice barely audible.

Du Yuesheng's smile vanished instantly, his eyes turning icy cold.

As Ma Pi straightened up, a cold and ruthless killing intent flashed in his eyes, like a venomous snake lurking. His sinister gaze swept lightly over Chen Feng, who was engaged in fierce fighting in Taichung, hiding an undisguised murderous intent!

The wind howled over the Suzhou River.

On the high platform, the fist shadows continued to explode.

The bloody battle between Chen Feng and Qian Hu has only just entered its most brutal and thrilling climax!