Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

Chapter 62 Sparring

As the afternoon sun slanted in, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

Shen Qing stood outside the door. "Senior Brother Jiang, Master has summoned you to the martial arts school. Master Chen Zhenggang of Yixingquan is bringing his disciples over for a sparring match."

Jiang Lan was assuming her boxing stance when she finished, her aura dissipating. "Coming right away."

The courtyard of the martial arts school was already packed with people.

The venue was completely silent. On the stage, there were two armchairs, with Liu Changqing sitting upright on the left, his face solemn.

On the right, Chen Zhenggang, the master of Yixingquan, had a somewhat nonchalant expression.

Standing beside him was a young man with broad, rock-solid shoulders and a downcast gaze that revealed an undeniable sharpness.

"Chen Zhenggang, the master of Yixingquan, is standing next to his son, Chen Nian," Shen Qing said, standing beside Jiang Lan. "Rumor has it that Chen Nian has just opened up seven acupoints."

Jiang Lan nodded, silently retreating to the back of the crowd, her gaze fixed on the center of the venue.

Sun Gengsan stood there, his face calm, but his forehead was covered in a fine sweat.

On stage, Liu Changqing spoke, his voice echoing throughout the hall: "When fellow disciples exchange ideas, let's stop here and not hurt feelings."

These words sound polite, but in reality, they are meant to save face for both sides—Yi Xing Quan took the initiative to come to our door with the intention of challenging us and testing our strength. The so-called exchange is nothing more than a contest behind the scenes.

Chen Nian slowly walked off the stage.

He walks extremely lightly, his toes landing first, his center of gravity sinking into his dantian, his aura contained and not released, just like a cheetah lurking in the grass, each step precise and without the slightest unnecessary movement.

Yixingquan (意形拳) draws inspiration from the agility of birds and beasts, embodying the ferocity of a tiger, the swiftness of a monkey, and the venom of a snake. It combines form and intent, with each move targeting the enemy's vital points.

Sun Gengsan took two steps forward, and the two men stood five feet apart, clasping their hands in a fist salute.

Sun Gengsan made the first move.

He feinted with his left arm to lure the enemy, while his right arm sank to his waist, and his feet were firmly planted on the ground, as stable as an old pine tree.

Chen Nian's standing posture was completely opposite.

He crouched slightly, his left hand forming a claw to protect his chest, his right hand with fingers pointing like a snake's head, resting on his left wrist, his body leaning slightly forward, exuding a fierce and ready-to-strike aura.

Sun Gengsan knew his weaknesses—insufficient speed and slow reaction time—so he could only rely on the powerful and direct force of the Mountain-Crushing Fist to break through the situation.

He suddenly exerted force with his right arm, unleashing a whip-mountain strike that pierced the air, the wind howling as it aimed straight at Chen Nian's face.

Chen Nian suddenly veered to the left, using his waist and abdomen to twist his body like a serpent, barely dodging the punch. The force of the punch grazed his clothes, creating a gust of wind.

Before Sun Gengsan could change his move, his right hand shot out like a venomous snake, his fingertips precisely aimed at Sun Gengsan's elbow joint.

It can be withdrawn at a moment's notice.

Sun Gengsan felt a sudden numbness in his arm, and most of his strength was released. His punch instantly lost its power.

He quickly retracted his arm, his left hand darting out from under his ribs with a cunning move, aiming straight for Chen Nian's heart—it was the Tiger's Might Fist of Mountain Collapse.

Instead of retreating, Chen Nian advanced, crouching down and slipping under his arm. Her movements were so fast that she was just a blur, and her attack completely missed.

Sun Gengsan's heart sank.

A chill suddenly rose.

Chen Nian's left hand was already on his kidney acupoint on his waist. Although she didn't exert any force with her fingertips, the acupoint was locked, and Sun Gengsan's blood and qi seemed to be blocked, making him unable to move.

If that claw strikes, half of the body will be paralyzed.

He pushed off the ground and retreated hastily, creating some distance. Looking down at his side, he saw a faint claw mark clearly visible on his coarse cloth clothes.

Chen Nian stood still, not giving chase, but waiting quietly, her eyes indifferent, as if watching a helpless prey.

The audience held their breath, and then hushed whispers arose.

"Such fast movement."

"Yi Xing Quan is indeed tricky; its form and intent are constantly changing, making it impossible to understand its moves."

Sun Gengsan took a deep breath, his chest heaving, to suppress the panic in his heart.

He adopted a fighting stance again, changing his move to "Double Whip Mountain Shake," his arms swirling like the wind, his fists flashing, sealing off all his weaknesses and forcing Chen Nian to stay away.

A powerful gust of wind swept across the entire arena, and the double whips were incredibly fierce and powerful, each move requiring the full strength of the body.

Chen Nian was forced to take two steps back, but she remained calm, her eyes fixed on Sun Gengsan's movements, waiting for an opening.

The Mountain-Shattering Fist is fierce and consumes energy very quickly, and the Double Whip Mountain-Shaking Fist is even more so.

After fifteen moves, Sun Gengsan was breathing rapidly, sweat dripped down his face and onto the bluestone ground, his movements were visibly slower by half a beat, and the strength of his arms in rotation was also somewhat weaker.

This is the moment!

Chen Nian suddenly moved.

Like a venomous snake darting out, its body twisted to avoid the force of the punch, sliding straight into the arc of Sun Gengsan's punch, instantly closing in on him.

With a light tap of his left shoulder against Sun Gengsan's chest, the force was so great that Sun Gengsan's body suddenly stiffened, and his blood and qi stagnated.

At the same time, Chen Nian's right hand, fingers together, moved with lightning speed, stopping just half an inch away from his throat's Tian Tu acupoint!

Biting cold.

Sun Gengsan's raised fist froze in mid-air, unable to move an inch.

The entire room was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Chen Nian slowly withdrew her move, took two steps back, clasped her hands in a salute, and said calmly, "Thank you for your concession."

Sun Gengsan stood there stunned for a long time before slowly lowering his arm, his face pale. He had trained hard for many years, yet he couldn't last more than twenty rounds against his opponent, suffering a clean and decisive defeat without any chance to fight back.

"Impressive skills." His voice was hoarse.

Chen Nian nodded slightly, turned around and walked back onto the stage, standing next to Chen Zhenggang.

Chen Zhenggang picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, a smile playing on his lips, and turned to look at Liu Changqing.

"Master Liu, your disciple has a decent foundation, but lacks experience. My son only won by luck and is not worth mentioning."

These words, ostensibly praising, were actually meant to belittle the martial arts school and highlight the strength of Yi Xing Quan, clearly indicating that today's sparring was intended to overpower the school.

Liu Changqing's expression remained unchanged. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest of his chair, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He did not reply, but his gaze slowly swept across the audience and finally landed on Jiang Lan at the end of the crowd.

Chen Zhenggang followed his gaze, his eyes landing on Jiang Lan. He looked her up and down, his tone casual: "This must be Jiang Lan, who passed the martial arts exam?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all eyes in the room focused on Jiang Lan.

Jiang Lan looked up.

His gaze was cold and unwavering, meeting Chen Zhenggang's eyes directly.

Chen Zhenggang put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and said in a provocative tone, "Since we're at the martial arts school, why don't you let my son give you a couple of pointers?"