High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Wang Hanshan struck for the third time.

This time, his speed more than doubled!

He lunged forward, shooting forth like a cannonball. His fists crossed in front of him, transforming into dozens of fist shadows. Each fist shadow carried the crushing Momentum of a collapsing mountain. The fist wind swept up all the fallen leaves and dust on the ground, forming a muddy tornado.

Xu Wuyi’s eyes turned solemn. He could tell that Wang Hanshan was finally using his real strength. It wasn’t a lethal move, but it was absolutely a serious attack. He couldn’t take this head-on.

Pushing his Quicksand Step to the limit, Xu Wuyi glided backward. At the same time, he traced circles with his hands, executing the Impenetrable Seal—a technique from the Basic Body Refining Technique meant to deflect force.

The fist shadows rained down.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!

A dense barrage of collisions exploded across the clearing, each impact echoing like a Heavy Hammer striking a drum. Xu Wuyi swung his arms, blocking, deflecting, or redirecting the fist shadows one after another. His movements were flawlessly precise. He intercepted each strike at its weakest point, neutralizing the maximum impact at the minimum cost.

But even so, he was still being pushed back. One step, two steps, three steps... Every step he retreated left a deep footprint in the ground.

Wang Hanshan’s fists were far too heavy. Even after skillfully deflecting the vast majority of the Fist Power, the residual force was still almost unbearable. More importantly, Wang Hanshan’s fists were not only heavy but also fast. Dozens of fist shadows sealed off nearly all room for evasion. Xu Wuyi could only choose to endure them forcefully or retreat. If he took them head-on, the result would likely be two broken arms.

This couldn’t go on. Xu Wuyi’s mind raced. Wang Hanshan’s strength was simply too overwhelming; by completely withdrawing and applying the Power of Heart Image to his own body, he made every punch as heavy as a mountain. This fighting style was simple and brutal, yet extremely effective. If he continued to defend passively, he would sooner or later be forced into a corner. He had to change his strategy.

Xu Wuyi’s gaze hardened as he recalled his battle with Ye Yixin in the True Dragon Star Realm.

Ye Yixin’s sword had been as fast as lightning, and his countermeasure then had been to set up a formation. Not a literal array formation, but rather a series of ”traps” laid out across the battlefield through precise control. He had guided his opponent into them before securing victory with a single strike.

Against Wang Hanshan, perhaps he could use the same approach.

With this in mind, Xu Wuyi no longer solely defended. As he retreated, his hands traced patterns around his body. The movements were subtle, resembling a variation of Techniques from the Basic Body Refining Technique, yet also looking as though he were carving something into the air.

Wang Hanshan keenly sensed the anomaly. He felt the surrounding air grow viscous, making the advancement of his fists less smooth than before. Although the effect was slight, it was undeniably there.

He guessed he was in a Gravity Domain, but his offensive momentum did not diminish in the slightest. He believed in his own strength.

In the face of absolute power, any trickery was futile. This was the core essence of the Mountain-Smashing Fist, and it was also the Martial Arts philosophy he had devoted his life to.

His twin fists attacked even more fiercely. The fist shadows practically blurred into a continuous sheet, completely enveloping Xu Wuyi.

Xu Wuyi was still retreating, but his steps were no longer flustered. He was laying traps.

Through subtle Gravity Manipulation, he placed points of anomalous Gravity in the space around him. At some points, the Gravity was twice the normal amount, at others it was three times, and some were even five times. These points seemed to be distributed in Chaos, but they actually aligned with certain Rules. This was a distribution pattern he had deduced through countless battles—the most suitable method to guide an opponent’s Step Technique.

Wang Hanshan didn’t notice. Or rather, he noticed the anomaly but didn’t care. In his eyes, although Xu Wuyi’s Gravity Manipulation was exquisite, its intensity was limited and could not truly affect his onslaught. He continued to press forward, his fists raining down like a torrential storm.

Xu Wuyi had already retreated to the edge of the clearing. Behind him was a dense forest; there was nowhere left to run.

A sharp glint flashed through Wang Hanshan’s eyes. Now was the time!

He pulled back his right fist and gathered Momentum in his left. At this moment, all the power in his body condensed to the absolute limit. The Power of Heart Image was completely drawn inward, fortifying his left fist. The fist even visually distorted—an anomaly in light refraction caused by its excessive mass.

With this punch, he would end the battle.

Xu Wuyi looked at the punch that had gathered its Momentum and was ready to launch, his eyes calm. He had been waiting for exactly this moment.

Wang Hanshan stepped forward and blasted out his left fist.

The instant the fist shot out, Xu Wuyi’s mind surged into action.

Gravity Manipulation, activated at full power!

At the exact spot where Wang Hanshan’s foot landed, the ground’s Gravity suddenly increased tenfold! Not just for a split second, but sustained for exactly zero point three seconds.

These zero point three seconds were enough to cause a trace of disruption in Wang Hanshan’s previously perfect rhythm of power exertion. His body pitched forward slightly due to the sudden shift in Gravity, and his left fist, flush with Momentum, deviated from its intended trajectory.

Although the angle of deviation was tiny—less than five degrees—it was more than enough for Xu Wuyi.

He didn’t dodge; instead, he met the attack head-on. Stomping his right foot and twisting his waist, he launched an uppercut with his right fist. It was the most fundamental punching Technique from the Basic Body Refining Technique—the Bow Step Punch.

He had been brewing this punch for a long time.

Deep within his sea of consciousness, the dark gold marsh churned, and the speck of golden-red light at its center abruptly flared up.

Golden Crow Heart Image, empower!

He didn’t unleash external Flames; instead, he fused the Golden Crow’s Rule of ”Incineration” into his Fist Force. A faint golden-red halo surfaced over Xu Wuyi’s fist as the temperature rose sharply, distorting the surrounding air.

The two fists collided.

Time seemed to freeze in this instant. There was no sound. Or rather, the sound was subjected to such extreme Compression that it ironically formed an eerie silence.

And then—

BOOM!!!

Centered on the two men, a visible shockwave rippled outward in all directions. The dirt covering the clearing was ripped up in a massive sheet, like a carpet overturned by a giant, invisible hand. The surrounding trees shook violently, shedding their leaves like rain.

The stone table and stools were knocked out of place, and the spear bag of the Liaoyuan Long Spear was blown away.

Wang Hanshan’s body shuddered as he staggered back seven steps. Every step left a deep footprint in the ground. On the seventh step, he slammed his right foot down hard, barely managing to stabilize his footing.

Xu Wuyi was also forced back three steps. The sleeve on his right arm shattered completely, revealing slightly reddened skin. The golden-red halo on his fist slowly faded, and the temperature returned to normal.

The two men stared at each other across a distance of fifteen meters.

Wang Hanshan looked down at his left fist. The knuckles were slightly red, and there were even a few scorch marks on the surface of his skin—traces left behind by high-temperature burns.

Although it was just superficial skin damage that couldn’t even be considered a minor injury, it was already shocking enough for Wang Hanshan.

He slowly raised his head and looked at Xu Wuyi.

”Good punch,” he said. His tone was calm, betraying neither joy nor anger.

Xu Wuyi stretched his right arm. As his Qi and Blood circulated, the scorching sensation rapidly subsided.

”Thank you for yielding, Senior.”

Wang Hanshan shook his head. ”I didn’t yield. If you hadn’t pulled your punch just now, my left hand would be crippled.”

He was stating a fact.