Chapter 56: Fierce Combat |
Tian Yaozong's spine suddenly compressed like a taut bow, his right knee almost touching the ground.
His left palm pressed downward against the ground with fingers inverted, his right fist drawn back to his ear. Blue veins coiled around his knuckles like earthworms, and the friction of his joints produced crisp "crack crack" sounds.
He resembled a falcon swooping down for a frontal attack, one hand seemingly ready to lock onto Chen Qing's throat, while the other guarded his chest, serving both as defense and preparation to strike when the opportunity arose.
This was precisely the opening stance of Mountain Breaking Fist, "Falcon's Beak Sinking into the Abyss."
Chen Qing retreated half a step with his right foot, his heel grinding three inches into the mud. His knees bent slightly like a drawn bow, but his spine hung like a lazy python, his shoulder blades slowly spreading to both sides.
The two men faced off for several breaths while the surrounding crowd watched with focused attention.
The next moment, Tian Yaozong stomped hard with his left foot, mud exploding as his form shot out like a compressed spring suddenly released.
His right palm formed blade-fingers, stabbing straight at Chen Qing's throat. Before the fingertips arrived, the sharp wind already caused Chen Qing's skin to break out in fine bumps.
Chen Qing reacted swiftly, his left arm suddenly flicking out. His five fingers pressed together like a venomous snake raising its head, using the move "Spiritual Snake Exploring the Path" to strike rapidly at his opponent's Quchi acupoint on the wrist.
His fingertip breaking through the air actually produced a sharp whistling sound, the cold hidden strength penetrating three inches before touching flesh.
Tian Yaozong felt his entire right arm as if pierced by ice needles, his qi and blood suddenly stagnating.
Murderous intent surged in his eyes as his throat-stabbing blade-hand transformed into a claw, gripping hard. His five finger joints exploded with popping sounds like frying beans, his fingernails actually taking on an iron-gray hue.
This was precisely the killing move of Mountain Breaking Fist, "Steel Hook Tearing Silk." This technique was similar to Bone-Separating and Muscle-Splitting Hand. Once it took hold, it would break tendons and fracture bones, if not killing then certainly crippling.
Tian Yaozong had succeeded repeatedly with this move. Previously, the Cheng family's Pang Shuhua had been defeated by this very technique.
Chen Qing had studied Mountain Breaking Fist and was already prepared for this move. His arm seemed oiled as his forearm sank and rotated. The soft strength of "Monkey Circling Branch" made the steel claw slide off his flesh, only tearing five gashes in his coarse cloth sleeve.
Borrowing the momentum from this turning and force-dissipating motion, Chen Qing kicked hard with his right foot, his entire body spinning like a top. Then his right arm used centrifugal force to sweep upward, fingers pressed together like a sword stabbing straight at Tian Yaozong's Shanzhong acupoint at the heart.
This move was precisely "Reverse Arm Whip Hand." Before the finger arrived, the sharp qi extending an inch had already numbed Tian Yaozong's chest.
One sought to determine life and death in an instant, the other wanted to transform thunder with softness.
Tian Yaozong hastily avoided this strike, his steps hurriedly retreating backward. Chen Qing naturally wouldn't let this good opportunity pass. Chen Qing followed like a shadow, sweeping close to the ground, his arms swinging open like steel whips, carrying the sound of muffled thunder as they pressed down fiercely.
"Bang!"
Tian Yaozong crossed his arms like iron door bars to block hard. When their arms collided, it produced a harsh explosive sound.
Blue veins at his temples bulged like earthworms, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
In that critical moment, Tian Yaozong's crossed arms opened like a venomous snake's mouth. His sleeves exploded into fragments with a "rip," his forearm muscles knotted like iron, hidden strength suddenly erupting. His palms formed finger-blades like awls, stabbing straight at the Zhangmen death points on Chen Qing's ribs.
This strike was vicious and cunning, the hidden strength contained but not revealed. If it hit a vital point, death would be certain.
Chen Qing's body flashed, forcibly twisting away from the vital death points, while simultaneously circulating his Toad Fishing Force.
When Tian Yaozong's Mountain Breaking Fist twin awls struck, it was like hitting a hide-covered war drum.
"Hmm!?"
Tian Yaozong's heart shook violently.
But there was no time for him to think further. Chen Qing didn't retreat but advanced instead, borrowing the force of the palm strikes to his ribs to throw his whole body into the middle gate, his right fist rising from below like heavy artillery bombarding the heavens.
This "Spiritual Ape Offering Longevity" strike went straight for Tian Yaozong's jaw, the wind from the punch producing "crackling" sounds wherever it passed.
Not only did Chen Qing resolve the killing move, he even turned defense into offense! His cunning and ruthlessness made all observers gasp.
"This Chen Qing's strength is definitely not just third-list level!" Wu Manqing's eyes showed surprise.
Tian Yaozong leaned back like a bridge, narrowly avoiding the jaw-smashing heavy punch.
But his throat to jaw was completely exposed. Chen Qing changed his fist to a peck, his right wrist rotating like a spiritual snake raising its head, five fingers pressed together like an iron awl, bringing sharp whistling sounds as it pecked toward the Yifeng acupoint behind Tian Yaozong's left ear.
This peck was faster than lightning, the finger wind cutting through air and actually creating several twisted air currents.
Tian Yaozong had nowhere left to dodge, his left arm instinctively lifting his elbow to block.
Pa pa pa pa!
In an instant, the two had exchanged dozens of punches, their foot strength also breaking through the arena floor, causing collapse.
Such fierce combat made many present feel their spines go cold.
Clearly, this was different from ordinary sparring matches. From the beginning, both men threw themselves wholeheartedly into it, every move and technique containing killing intent. The slightest carelessness would result in death on the spot.
Chen Qing had done his homework thoroughly, and Tian Yaozong was the same.
What the watching crowd had expected to be a one-sided battle had now become intensely contested.
"Bang!"
After another exchange of blows, both men simultaneously retreated seven or eight steps, then breathed heavily while circulating their internal strength to clear the muscle numbness and blockages caused by the collisions.
Life-and-death combat consumed tremendous physical strength.
Tian Yaozong roared and charged forward like an arrow from a bowstring.
Fast!
Too fast!
Tian Yaozong's instantly explosive speed created a gust of wind, and in the blink of an eye he rushed to Chen Qing's front, his five fingers formed into claws striking at Chen Qing's face.
If this claw struck true, even eyeballs would be gouged out!
At the same time, his other hand waited in reserve, ready to deliver a killing follow-up the moment Chen Qing changed moves!
This was precisely Mountain Breaking Fist's "Twin Dragons Emerging from the Sea."
Killing moves in succession, swift and fierce attacks, endless and unceasing.
Chen Qing's waist and stance suddenly dropped, narrowly avoiding the sharp claw wind. Tian Yaozong's left palm formed a fist, his elbow driving viciously toward Chen Qing's chest.
This elbow strike came with tendons and bones singing together, producing "crackling" sounds, its power extremely alarming.
Tian Yaozong unleashed several consecutive moves, fierce and dominating, pushing his strength to its peak.
Chen Qing was forced to retreat repeatedly by the continuous offensive, his momentum broken! Seeing Tian Yaozong's next round of attacks about to crash down like raging waves, he seemed to have fallen into a desperate situation with no way to retreat!
"This is bad!"
Cheng Huan's heart jumped to her throat.
Among the Cheng family members, some closed their eyes tight, unable to bear watching anymore.
The entire venue held its breath, gazes locked dead on that broken arena!
Chen Qing's body incredibly contracted into a ball like a spiritual ape diving underground, narrowly and dangerously drilling through from under that deadly elbow.
"Trying to escape!?"
Tian Yaozong's eyes shot out cold light, his five fingers suddenly gripping tight, his internal qi and blood boiling. One fist carried tremendous force, breaking through air in pursuit.
Facing this deadly pursuing punch, Chen Qing showed no intention of dodging whatsoever, only subtly shifting his torso slightly to one side.
The angle was cunning, the timing precise!
Tian Yaozong's scalp instantly went numb, a chill rushing straight to the crown of his head.
Not good! He instinctively wanted to withdraw his punch and retreat, but the punch momentum was like an arrow from the string, impossible to recall!
Bang!
The heavy punch carrying tremendous force slammed hard into Chen Qing's shoulder blade. Fortunately, that sideways shift dissipated most of the force, and no bone-cracking sound rang out.
"Crack!"
Just as fist met flesh, Chen Qing's left hand shot up like an iron hook, his five fingers like steel claws, gripping tightly onto the reverse joint of Tian Yaozong's right elbow!
Twist waist! Stomp ground! Sink hips!
The brute force of Through-arm Boxing's muscle-splitting and bone-separating technique exploded forth!
Tian Yaozong's entire right arm was twisted like a pretzel, the great tendon snapping like a bowstring with a muffled sound, white bone fragments piercing through flesh!
"Ahhh!"
The scream that rushed from his throat was immediately cut short.
Chen Qing's "White Ape Breaking Throat" right claw had already moved like a venomous snake, viciously gripping his throat at the Tiantu acupoint.
His five fingers closed like red-hot iron pincers, hidden strength penetrating through the gaps in the throat bone.