Gou Zai Wudao Shi Lian Shen

Chapter 86 Skill and Courage

The next day.

As dawn broke, the area outside the drill ground in Chixia County was already bustling with activity.

Compared to the lively atmosphere when the exam started yesterday, the atmosphere today was even more restless. Many people had already secured their spots early, and even the nearby teahouses and wine stalls were packed with people.

Yesterday, Li Yong only watched as he drew his bow.

While it was still impressive, it ultimately couldn't compare to the exhilaration of real combat where every punch lands.

Today marks the second skill and courage competition at the Martial Arts Academy.

What they're testing is their actual ability to fight and battle.

In the center of the training ground, the spot where the powerful bow was placed yesterday has been removed, replaced by several temporary arenas.

Many candidates who did not achieve good results in the competition are now eager to give it their all in this competition and fight for a bright future.

For these martial arts practitioners from humble backgrounds, martial arts training is a chance to rise to the top in one step.

Even if one fails to pass the martial arts examination, as long as one performs well in the arena, one may be noticed by a security escort agency, merchant guild, or powerful family, thus securing a respectable future.

On the platform, County Lieutenant Zhou Lingfeng slowly rose, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of examinees below.

The drums sounded.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

After the third drumbeat, the commotion gradually subsided.

Zhou Lingfeng said in a deep voice: "The second round of the martial arts competition, skill and courage."

"To test martial arts skills by having them fight in the ring."

"The victor advances, the loser retreats."

He paused, his voice turning colder.

"In the arena, let's stop when we've reached a point."

"Anyone who harbors malicious intent and deliberately seeks to take a life will not be spared by this official."

That being said, there are always deaths and injuries at the martial arts examinations every year.

After all, fists and feet have no eyes, and when it's time to fight for one's future, no one will hold back.

The registrar unfolded the roster and announced loudly, "The first round of skill and courage will begin with a draw!"

"Each candidate, please come forward and draw a contestant's lot according to yesterday's number!"

Lu Chen drew number 17, number A.

He had been calm.

It was only the first round; hundreds of candidates were drawn by lot, and they could face anyone. But when the military officer began calling out the numbers, and a loud shout came from the Jia-class arena, Lu Chen realized that things weren't so simple.

"Number 17, Lu Chen!"

"Number 17, A, Fang Henian!"

The surroundings fell silent instantly.

Immediately afterwards, a gasp of surprise rang out from the crowd.

"Lu Chen versus Fang Henian?"

"They ran into each other in the very first round?"

"These two were the favorites to win, but it seems one of them will be eliminated in the first round!"

Lu Chen looked up.

On the other side of the Jiazi arena, a tall and slender young man was slowly walking onto the stage.

Fang Henian.

Yesterday, Li Yong reached level 45, achieving a full moon of skill, and was ranked sixth in the Jia class. He is a true disciple of the Qianhe Martial Arts School, at the peak of the Blood-Moving Realm, and is proficient in Crane-Form Strength.

When Shi Hao heard his name called from below the stage, he was first taken aback, then a hint of secret joy appeared in his eyes.

He looked at the two people on the stage: "This Lu Chen is really unlucky, running into Fang Henian in the first round."

"Let's fight."

"It's best to fight fiercely."

Regardless of who wins or loses in the end, Shi Hao will have one less formidable opponent on his path to martial arts.

On the arena.

Lu Chen and Fang Henian stood facing each other.

Fang Henian looked at the young man in front of him with a solemn expression.

He personally witnessed Lu Chen drawing a 50-stone bow yesterday.

It is clear that Lu Chen's strength should not be underestimated.

Fang Henian took the initiative to cup his hands and said, "I never expected that we would meet in the first round."

There was a hint of helplessness in his tone.

If he could, he wouldn't want to meet Lu Chen so soon.

Lu Chen returned the greeting, his expression calm: "No one can change the arrangements of fate."

Fang Henian's eyes narrowed slightly: "It seems that one of us is destined to fail the imperial examination for martial arts scholars."

He slowly exhaled, the helplessness in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by seriousness and fighting spirit.

Then, he lowered his hands slightly, his steps one in front of the other, his figure resembling a white crane about to spread its wings.

"Since we've run into each other, we can only rely on our own abilities."

Lu Chen also slowly assumed a fighting stance.

As the Azure Dragon Tongbei Fist begins, qi and blood flow along the spine, making the whole person resemble an azure dragon coiled and ready to pounce.

The audience held their breath.

One is Lu Chen, who is exceptionally strong and brave, and has made a name for himself.

One is Fang Henian, a true disciple of the Qianhe Martial Arts School and a master of the Blood Transformation Peak.

The first round is a clash of titans.

Fang Henian made the first move. With a light step, he moved like a white crane skimming the water, his body lightly approaching Lu Chen.

Then, he spread his arms wide, his sleeves fluttering, and his palm strikes suddenly transformed into several streaks of light, shooting towards Lu Chen's shoulders, ribs, and throat from different angles.

Wrist tap.

His technique was extremely fast, yet it did not appear chaotic.

Each palm strike is like a crane's beak pecking, light and cunning, specifically targeting the vital joints and joints that affect the flow of qi and blood.

A low gasp immediately rose from the audience.

"This is the Thousand Cranes Piercing Clouds Hand, the signature martial art of the Thousand Cranes Martial Arts School, which Fang Henian has mastered to an unparalleled level!"

"So fast!"

"As expected of a true disciple of the Thousand Crane Martial Arts School, the movement and hand techniques are so seamlessly integrated that ordinary people simply cannot see them!"

The palm strike arrived in the blink of an eye.

Lu Chen slightly lowered his feet, pulled his arms back, and used the stance of the Azure Dragon Tongbei Fist to guard his position.

Bang bang bang!

Fang Henian tapped Lu Chen's arm and shoulder with his fingers. Lu Chen felt that the opponent's strength was like needles, thin and fast. Although it was not heavy, it was very good at finding gaps.

If it were an ordinary blood-circulating martial artist, being struck like this several times would inevitably obstruct the flow of their qi and blood.

However, Lu Chen's coiled dragon body only trembled slightly before dissipating those strands of crane-shaped energy.

Fang Henian's expression changed.

He suddenly took a half step back, then circled around to Lu Chen's right side, his palm slashing horizontally like a crane's wing, aiming for Lu Chen's ribs.

Although it hit the mark, it felt like cutting into a thick piece of cowhide.

Lu Chen's figure only swayed slightly.

At the same time, he suddenly raised his right palm.

Mighty Vajra Palm!

As soon as the palm strike began, the wind suddenly subsided.

Unlike Fang Henian's light and agile movements, Lu Chen's palm strike was devoid of any fancy tricks; it was heavy, powerful, and fierce, like a Vajra glaring angrily, suppressing evil spirits with a single blow.

Fang Henian's expression changed slightly, and he immediately withdrew.

But Lu Chen didn't give him a chance to escape, and suddenly exerted force with his Golden Ape Leg.

boom!

The wooden planks of the arena trembled slightly.

He lunged forward like a ferocious beast, his palm pressing down, aiming straight for Fang Henian's chest.

Fang Henian crossed his arms, his Crane Form Force suddenly condensing, attempting to withstand the palm strike.

But the moment the palm strike made contact, his heart sank.

Lu Chen's palm strike was a perfect combination of qi and blood, and palm power, as heavy as a mountain and as fierce as iron.

boom!

Fang Henian felt a tremendous force penetrate his arm, and his Crane Form Force was directly shattered.

He stumbled back three steps, his chest heaving with blood and qi.

The crowd below the stage erupted in uproar.

"Lu Chen's palm technique is so domineering!"

"Is that the Vajra Palm? When did he master it?"

Fang Henian forcibly steadied himself, shifting his feet at the edge of the arena to avoid being knocked off the stage by Lu Chen's palm strike.

An unprecedented solemnity appeared in his eyes.

This Lu Chen is far more powerful than he imagined.

Yesterday, at the Fifty Stone Armor event, he only thought Lu Chen was incredibly strong. But after actually exchanging blows, he realized that Lu Chen was not only strong, but his palm techniques were also extremely solid.

Fang Henian took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his surging blood and qi.

Then, with a tap of his toes, his body unfolded once more.

This time, he no longer launched a close-range attack, but instead circled around Lu Chen, his footsteps shifting left and right, his palm strikes sometimes real and sometimes illusory.

A thousand cranes circle the forest!

Several palm shadows swept past Lu Chen's side, indistinguishable from the real ones, as if several white cranes were circling and pecking.

The audience was dazzled by what they saw.

But Lu Chen didn't respond to this feint at all.

Let the little bird peck at you; it won't hurt you at all.

Therefore, Lu Chen didn't care how many feints Fang Henian had, nor did he bother to distinguish which palm strike was real and which was fake.

He only recognizes one person.

He kept striking Fang Henian's face with one palm after another.

Fang Henian's eyelids twitched, and he quickly dodged to the side.

But just as he circled to the other side, Lu Chen's second palm strike came right after him.

Fang Henian knew that Lu Chen's palm strike was domineering, so he could only avoid its sharp edge.

Then, a very strange scene unfolded on the arena.

Fang Henian moved nimbly, circling around Lu Chen, his palms flashing and seemingly exquisite.

But Lu Chen didn't respond at all.

He was like an angry Vajra charging forward, relentlessly slapping Fang Henian with his palm.

Fang Henian moved to the left, and Lu Chen then took a picture to the left.

Fang Henian moved to the right, and Lu Chen pressed down to the right as well.

Fang Henian tried to get behind him, but Lu Chen stepped forward and unleashed a powerful palm strike.

boom! boom! boom!

The applause on the stage was muffled, and the wooden boards trembled.

Fang Henian was forced to dodge around the arena repeatedly.

The audience was stunned.

"This, this, this————"

"Fang Henian is making a complete fool of himself! A true disciple of the Thousand Crane Martial Arts School, getting chased and beaten up?"

"Why don't we just admit defeat?"

The disciples of Qianhe Martial Arts School looked grim upon hearing this.

Someone gritted their teeth and stubbornly argued, "What do you know? This is the fighting technique of Crane Form!"

Someone nearby immediately scoffed, "Playing the field? I think it's about running for its life."

Several disciples of the Thousand Crane Martial Arts School couldn't help but turn their heads away.

My senior brother was being chased and beaten on the stage; he looked really pathetic.

At this moment, Fang Henian, who had been retreating on the stage, suddenly stopped and advanced instead of retreating.

A thousand cranes pierce through the clouds!

He suddenly rose half an inch, his palms striking like crane beaks, forcefully penetrating through the gaps in Lu Chen's palm strikes, aiming straight for Lu Chen's chest.

This move was both fast and ruthless.

Someone in the audience gasped in surprise.

"They've retaliated!"

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, but he was pleased rather than surprised.

If Fang Henian continues to wander, it will take him even longer.

But if he dares to retaliate, it will play right into Lu Chen's hands.

Lu Chen did not dodge, but took Fang Henian's two palms head-on with his chest.

Boom!

The Crane-shaped Force exploded, shattering the protective qi and blood defenses on Lu Chen's chest.

But that's about it.

The next moment, Lu Chen's Vajra Palm struck down.

Fang Henian's expression changed drastically.

It's too late to back down.

boom!

The moment the palm struck, Fang Henian felt as if he had caught not a hand, but a collapsing mountain in his chest.

He was knocked off the stage by the blow and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Number 17, Lu Chen, wins!" the clerk announced loudly.

Lu Chen stood on the arena and slowly withdrew his palm.

His breathing remained steady, only his sleeves swayed slightly in the wind.

In this battle, he didn't use many of his trump cards; he only relied on the Vajra Palm technique to completely overwhelm Fang Henian.

As Lu Chen left the field, he brushed past Li Huchen, who was coming on.

Their eyes met, and a faint smile played on Li Huchen's lips.

"Number 18, Jia, Li Huchen!"

"Number 18, A-level, Shi Hao!"

The shouts and chants of a minor official could be heard.

Lu Chen's brows twitched slightly.

"The next match will feature the two of them."

He glanced at Shi Hao, who was still in the audience. Shi Hao was clearly surprised to be facing Li Huchen in the first round and was still a little dazed.

It wasn't until the clerk announced the news a second time that Shi Hao reluctantly went on stage.

Just as Lu Chen stepped off the field, he heard a "bang".

Shi Hao flew off the stage like a broken sack, crashing heavily at Lu Chen's feet.

His eyes were wide open, and his chest was sunken.

died.