Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Li Chang’an stood his ground, a faint, calm smile still on his face. ”Young Master Qin, the match has begun. Isn’t it time to stop with the trash talk?”

As soon as the starting whistle blew, Qin Hai charged forward. He was incredibly fast, his qi and blood circulating smoothly—the clear mark of a meticulously trained scion from a prominent family.

Li Chang’an, however, remained completely unfazed. He simply stood his ground, waiting for Qin Hai’s attack.

Just as Qin Hai’s fist was about to smash into his face, Li Chang’an suddenly sidestepped, evading the attack. He then casually struck out, landing a palm on Qin Hai’s shoulder.

Qin Hai felt a tremendous force wash over him, sending him staggering back several steps. The color instantly drained from his face.

He gritted his teeth and said coldly, ”You think you can beat me with just that? Dream on!”

This time, Qin Hai was clearly determined to win. He suddenly mobilized all the qi and blood in his body and exploded toward Li Chang’an like a tempest, his eyes flashing with a vicious light.

Each of his punches carried immense power, whistling through the air as they flew straight for Li Chang’an’s face.

”Li Chang’an, you actually dare to defy me? I’ll teach you your place today!” A cold sneer played on Qin Hai’s lips, his voice laced with a hint of madness.

Li Chang’an merely smiled faintly and said nothing more.

He just stood there quietly, making no superfluous movements, as if completely unconcerned by Qin Hai’s assault.

The spectators held their breath, their eyes glued to what appeared to be an evenly matched duel.

Just as Qin Hai’s fist was inches away, Li Chang’an suddenly moved.

His movements seemed slow but were incredibly precise. With a slight turn of his body, he effortlessly dodged Qin Hai’s fist.

Then, in a blur of motion, he shot his hand out, seizing Qin Hai’s wrist. With a sharp tug, he pulled him off-balance and followed through with a palm strike to his chest.

BOOM!

Qin Hai felt a violent jolt in his chest. The qi and blood inside him churned, and he stumbled back several steps involuntarily.

His face paled instantly, and his breathing grew ragged.

He had never expected Li Chang’an’s movements to be so swift, nor had he imagined that he would fail to gain the upper hand in even a single exchange.

”How is this possible... You!” Qin Hai’s eyes were filled with disbelief.

Li Chang’an’s expression remained calm, his tone even. ”Young Master Qin, it seems you have yet to learn the true Martial Dao.

Brute force alone won’t get you anywhere!”

Qin Hai’s face turned ashen. He had been the pride of the Qin Family since childhood, his strength ranking among the very best of his peers. He had never experienced such a humiliating defeat.

He gritted his teeth, pushing his qi and blood to their limit as he tried to launch another counterattack.

But in the instant he prepared to strike, Li Chang’an moved again. This time, his actions were so fast they were impossible to follow.

Li Chang’an executed a leg sweep, striking directly at Qin Hai’s stance.

Qin Hai felt his legs buckle. He instantly lost his balance and crashed heavily to the ground.

Before he could even react, Li Chang’an was standing over him, looking down.

”A skill level like yours is hardly worth mentioning.” Li Chang’an’s tone was still level, but it carried an intense, oppressive weight.

The audience below erupted into an uproar, everyone stunned by Li Chang’an’s speed and power.

Those who had favored Qin Hai, in particular, wore looks of utter disbelief.

The Qin Family’s influence on Lion’s Fang Star was immense, and many had assumed Qin Hai would win with ease. Who could have imagined he would be so effortlessly dominated by Li Chang’an?

”This... this can’t be happening! Qin Hai is one of the strongest from the Qin Family’s younger generation!”

”How is Li Chang’an so strong? Where on earth did he come from?”

The surrounding chatter grew louder, and even the members of the Qin Family had risen to their feet, their faces masks of shock and fury.

At that moment, Qin Hai was sprawled on the ground, struggling to stand. But his body refused to obey him; Li Chang’an’s every blow had precisely struck his vital points, leaving him utterly incapable of fighting back.

He gritted his teeth, unwilling to accept defeat, his eyes burning with rage and humiliation.

”Li Chang’an, you dare... How dare you humiliate me like this?” Qin Hai gritted out, his voice raspy with pain.

Li Chang’an gave him an indifferent glance. ”This is just a match. No one is humiliating you.

You’re simply not good enough, and that’s that. You can’t blame anyone else for it!”

Qin Hai’s eyes filled with venom, but he was powerless to continue the fight. In the end, the referee declared him the loser, and he retreated from the stage in disgrace.

Li Chang’an didn’t spare him another glance. He turned and walked off the stage, his expression as placid as ever.

In the rest area, Li Chang’an had just returned to his seat when Wu Yong rushed over, his face beaming with excitement. ”Chang’an, that was brilliant! You’re a real credit to our school. I can’t believe you’ve made it to the semifinals so quickly! The finals are just around the corner now! Stay focused, keep it up!”

Li Chang’an smiled faintly. ”Patience, Teacher Wu. The best part is yet to come!”

Wu Yong nodded, clearly in high spirits. ”You’ve already done exceptionally well. That punk from the Qin Family is usually so arrogant. After the way you dominated him, I doubt he’ll have the nerve to show his face again!”

Li Chang’an just smiled, saying nothing more.

’The real challenge is still ahead,’ he thought. ’Qin Hai was just an appetizer. The upcoming final matches will be the true test.’

As he closed his eyes to meditate, the *Martial Scripture* within him began to circulate with increasing smoothness, and the handful of techniques he had just grasped flowed continuously through his system.