High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Power of the Silk Binding Force

Xu Wuyi and Zhao Ding stood firm in the center of the ring and exchanged a Martial Arts salute.

In two corners of the ring stood two proctoring teachers, and Zhou Yun was one of them.

If a candidate was in danger of serious injury or even death, the teachers would intervene to end the match. This was an inherent rule of the combat exam.

”Begin!”

The moment the Intelligent Brain System’s voice sounded, Zhao Ding let out a low roar and launched the first attack.

He charged forward, his steps heavy, stirring up a gust of wind. He threw a straight punch at Xu Wuyi’s face, his presence overwhelming.

Xu Wuyi’s gaze hardened. He rooted his feet to the ground, neither dodging nor evading, and raised his left arm to block.

”THUD!”

The fist and arm collided with a muffled sound.

Xu Wuyi’s body swayed slightly as he dispersed the force. A clear tremor traveled up his arm. His opponent’s strength wasn’t bad, but it was nothing compared to a monster like Li Mo.

Almost at the same time as he blocked, Xu Wuyi’s right fist shot out in a swift jab, precisely striking Zhao Ding’s abdomen.

Zhao Ding’s body merely paused for a moment. He tensed his abs and took the hit head-on, his expression barely changing, as if he’d just been bitten by a mosquito.

’Just as I thought...’ Xu Wuyi realized.

Zhao Ding’s defensive power was astounding. With his Iron Wall Technique active, his skin, muscles, and bones seemed to merge into one, and his Qi and Blood were like an iron plate.

Unless one attacked absolute vital points like his eyes, throat, or groin, ordinary strikes had little to no effect.

”Have you not eaten?”

Zhao Ding grinned mockingly. His fists, like heavy hammers, rained down again in a ferocious storm.

His fighting style was simple: rely on his superior defense to constantly pressure his opponent, forcing them into a direct confrontation to drain their Qi and Blood and stamina.

This was somewhat similar to Li Mo’s fighting style, but Li Mo relied on his Life Energy Level for an all-around advantage, whereas Zhao Ding only excelled in defense.

Xu Wuyi calmed himself and pushed the defensive stance of his Basic Body Refining Technique to its limits.

He moved with nimble footwork, his arms parrying, blocking, guiding, and redirecting, neutralizing Zhao Ding’s powerful, heavy attacks one by one.

A strange scene unfolded in the ring.

Zhao Ding was the absolute aggressor, his fists whistling through the air with wide, sweeping movements. Xu Wuyi, on the other hand, focused solely on defense. His occasional counterattacks landed on Zhao Ding but seemed to vanish without a trace, posing no real threat.

”Xu Wuyi is in trouble.”

In the stands, a man from the Martial Arts Association frowned slightly and said to the person beside him, ”Zhao Ding’s Iron Wall Technique lives up to its reputation. Xu Wuyi’s strength can’t break through his defense.”

”A long defense is bound to fail. The moment he reveals an opening, he’ll lose.”

The person next to him stared intently at the ring and nodded. ”Yes, Zhao Ding’s style is clumsy, but it’s very effective. It all depends on whether Xu Wuyi has any other tricks up his sleeve.”

Meanwhile, the lead teacher from United Middle School wore a relaxed smile. He said to the person beside him, ”That kid, Zhao Ding, doesn’t have many strengths, but man, can he take a hit.”

”This Xu Wuyi from Red River doesn’t have enough explosive power to break his defense. No matter how refined his techniques are, they’re useless.”

In the audience, many students also began to discuss the fight.

”Xu Wuyi is being forced to do nothing but parry!”

”Zhao Ding’s defense is insane! He’s completely impenetrable!”

”Yeah, you couldn’t really tell when he was fighting the instructors, but against another student, Zhao Ding’s advantage is huge.”

”If you ask me, only someone like Li Mo could handle him. His Life Energy Level is high enough.”

”I think Hu Haobo could do it too. He has the Stone Splitting Palm at the Minor Achievement Level!”

”...”

Zeng Bonan, Hu Haobo, and the others also looked on with grave expressions. They could see that Xu Wuyi’s defense was still solid, but he had no way to break the stalemate. His defeat seemed to be only a matter of time.

In the ring, Zhao Ding grew more confident with every strike. His attacks became fiercer as he taunted, ”Is blocking all you can do? You’re like a turtle in its shell!”

Xu Wuyi turned a deaf ear to his words, his eyes remaining calm.

Trash talk was a tactic, and it wasn’t forbidden in the ring. If taunts could throw off your mental state, you’d be even more useless on a real battlefield.

Besides, Xu Wuyi had already anticipated this situation and had a plan to deal with it.

To outsiders, it looked like he was defending in vain. But only he knew that with every point of contact, he was sending a strand of Silk Binding Force into Zhao Ding’s body.

Like invisible mercury, it silently seeped through Zhao Ding’s surface defenses and slowly permeated his meridians and internal organs.

The Iron Wall Technique primarily trained External Skills, concentrating Qi and Blood at the body’s surface to form a sturdy barrier, but its protection of the internal organs was relatively weak.

The unique property of the Silk Binding Force was its ability to bypass this external defense and strike directly at the interior.

Zhao Ding’s Martial Arts proficiency was around 50% of the Entry Level. While not bad for an ordinary high school student, it was completely inadequate against Xu Wuyi.

This meant Xu Wuyi could easily exploit his openings and frequently attack with Hidden Force.

And Zhao Ding was completely unaware. He only felt that Xu Wuyi’s attacks posed no threat, and he was certain that victory was within his grasp.

Time passed, second by second. The intense exchange of offense and defense continued for nearly three minutes.

Zhao Ding threw another heavy punch, but his movement was inexplicably sluggish, and the speed of his fist had slowed.

He didn’t notice it himself at first, thinking it was just normal fatigue from his relentless assault.

But Xu Wuyi saw it clearly, and a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes.

He knew the accumulation was starting to take effect.

The Silk Binding Force, like countless tiny chains, began to wrap around Zhao Ding’s internal organs before spreading to his meridians, disrupting the flow of his Qi and Blood.

Qi and Blood are the source of power. Once its circulation was impeded, the chain reaction was immense.

The force behind Zhao Ding’s next few attacks was noticeably weaker, and his footwork was no longer as steady and powerful as before.

Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead, his breathing grew slightly ragged, and an unprecedented feeling of weakness started to spread from deep within his body.

’What’s going on?’ A sense of unease rose in Zhao Ding’s heart. ’My Qi and Blood...’

Just then, Xu Wuyi made his move!

He was no longer on the defensive. Stomping his foot, his body shot forward like a cheetah that had been lying in wait. The arm he had been using to block deftly pushed aside Zhao Ding’s now-feeble straight punch.

His center was wide open!

A sharp glint flashed in Xu Wuyi’s eyes. His right fist shot out like a cannonball, aimed straight for the center of Zhao Ding’s chest!

This time, Qi and Blood condensed at the point of his fist. It was no longer the ”weak” feeling from before, but carried an incomparably sharp, piercing Intention.

He applied the Cloud-Breaking Stab, enhanced by the Cloud-Pushing Force, to his fist. The tip of his fist felt like the point of a spear, making Zhao Ding feel as if sharp thorns were pricking his back.

Zhao Ding’s expression changed drastically. In his haste, he could only manage to gather his remaining Qi and Blood in front of his chest and cross his arms to block.

”BAM! BAM! BAM!”

Triple Power erupted at the point of contact like a tidal wave!

Zhao Ding felt an indescribable, sharp power penetrate his body. It felt as if his internal organs were instantly displaced. The intense pain made his vision go black and his Qi and Blood completely scattered. He couldn’t even let out a scream as his body was sent flying backward uncontrollably.

Xu Wuyi’s expression was cold. Pressing his advantage, he unhesitatingly followed up, unleashing another explosive punch with Triple Power.

He knew the first punch had, at most, injured Zhao Ding; it was far from enough to seriously wound his opponent, let alone kill him.

The match wasn’t over. His goal was, at the very least, to beat his opponent until he could no longer fight back!

”Stop!”