"Let's begin then!
Flaming Metal Fists!!
Die!!"
His fists began to glow red, as if a hot furnace was being refined in his core. He took a step forward and leapt into the skies before he descended with a punch that soared with incredible destructive power.
"What?! Mu Jiangbo's practiced the Flaming Metal Fists to Greater Mastery at such a young age. That's a genuine Grade 1 technique?"
"What a peerless genius!" Another screamed.
Qingxuan's perception sped up many times. He watched Mu Jiangbo's Flaming Metal Fists in microscopic detail with his right eye. He could see the inconsistencies in the internal force that powered up the technique, and almost instantly, he could deduce its weak points, and even form a better pathway to channel the internal force to use the technique to mastery. He chuckled coldly and then he moved.
BANG!
A small explosion rocked the ring, sending pieces of rock and debris flying.
"Hahaha! Qingxuan is dead by now! No one can survive that.." The arrogant youth in the crowd laughed hysterically.
However, the dust settled, to reveal one of the most comical scenes ever witnessed by these youths.
Mu Jiangbo was stuck in a bent punching pose, his fists having cracked the ground which it struck, and Qingxuan, the one whom they thought had been obliterated by the punch was sitting with swagger on Mu Jiangbo's back with his legs crossed, and a small smirk on his face.
"What?!!" Numerous figures within the crowd stood up. Just how was this possible?!
"You call this Greater mastery? I could do better than this with my eyes closed.." Qingxuan sneered in a low voice. He wasn't one to taunt his opponent but Mu Jiangbo had been an eyesore for a long time. This was really satisfying.
"Courting Death?!!" Mu Jiangbo finally snapped out of his reverie and attacked. With a quick spun, he lounged forward with a thrust and incredible footwork. His fists were still glowing red and even generated smoke. He punched out with incredible might.
The air whooshed, as his flaming fists blasted towards Qingxuan with unreasonable force.
"Mu Jiangbo has broken through to the 5th layer of Body Tempering!! This power he's really done it!!" Someone screamed within the crowd and the other focused their attention. The incredible power that he was generating seemed to cause ripples within the air itself. That was the greatest indication.
Meanwhile, Qingxuan was far from bothered. He had detected Mu Jiangbo's cultivation level with a simple glance at the beginning of the battle. Instead, he unleashed his near divine footwork, flipping into a handstand and then unleashing a windmill, as he dodged Mu Jiangbo's assault effortlessly.
Allowing himself to get hit by Mu Jiangbo's fists was suicidal, no matter how amateurish his technique was.
He landed on his feet and the Wind Like Foot showed its brilliance. With incredible movement, Mu Jiangbo's flaming fists never even got close to touch him. Spinning, flipping and incredible acrobatic movement made him untouchable even agasint Mu Jiangbo's endless assault.
Qingxuan corkscrewed into his Bai Jong stance, skipping and bouncing on his toes while he held up his fists before him, moving them in alignment with his bouncy movement.
"What sort of movement technique is that, and that skippy stance?! I've never seen or heard of anything like that in the Martial Arts Pavilion.." Someone questioned within the crowd.
"No matter how close Mu Jiangbo gets, Qingxuan seems to escape even in the tightest space. Isn't that the core of the Wind Like Foot technique?" One youth with keen eyes observed.
"What? Isn't the Wind Like Foot is a Grade two Technique? Does what Qingxuan is using feel like a grade two technique?" Someone argued.
"No, but that is unmistakably the essence of the Wind like Foot. This can only be unless….Qingxuan has cultivated it to perfection and elevated the technique itself.."
The youth cleared his throat and paused, allowing his words to ring in the heads of everyone present.
"What?! How is that possible?! That's something only those born with God like comprehension can achieve?! How could a blind kid achieve something like that?!"
The crowd went nuts instantly.
Meanwhile, an elderly figure sat calmly several meters away from the arena with a smile on his face, as if his gaze could peer through all the way to that distance.
Mu Jiangbo was completely enraged. He just didn't understand how Qingxuan was doing all this. His henchmen stood outside the ring with dim expressions as if unable to comprehend what exactly was happening.
Qingxuan on the other hand chuckled. "Oi Mu Jiangbo. You're getting yourself out manoeuvred by a blind kid. Aren't you supposed to be some peerless talent?" His voice raised heads within the crowd.
Almost everyone present had never heard him speak before.
"You bastard!! Stop the tricks and face me head on!!!" Mu Jiangbo roared in fury.
"You want a blind kid to handicap himself and restrict his movements to fight in close combat with you. You're really shameless for a peerless genius.."Qingxuan's voice was kept to a low. He wasn't even smiling, but everyone could hear him because of the sudden silence that had befallen the place.
Mu Rong roared out angrily from outside the arena. "You bastard, that's not what he meant!!"
The youth who had betted on Mu Jiangbo covered his face. "This is embarrassing.."
Qingxuan chuckled and stopped skipping then walked to Mu Jiangbo.
"I'll humor you.." He raised his chin, touched his nose with swagger, pulled on his pants and lowered into a horse stance as he held up his fists, then gestured mockingly to Mu Jiangbo to come on with his palm.
"Is Qingxuan mad?! He wants to fight Mu Jiangbo in close quarters?" Someone blurted out in confusion.
"Seems like it.." Another confirmed.
Mu Jiangbo raged. No matter how this battle would end, he had already lost all face.
His fists widened into claws and then he rushed towards Qingxuan with a loud cry.
"I'll kill you!!
Thunder seemed to boom around his claws as they ripped towards Qingxuan with incredible ferocity.
"That's the Lightning Eagle claw. Mu Jiangbo is going all out! That's a Grade 2 technique!"
"Qingxuan is surely dead this time!" The crowd recognized the technique instantly, and those who had lost hope in Mu Jiangbo laughed.
Mu Rong's eyes blurred with murderousness as he laughed.
But….
The next turn of events would forever be engraved in their minds.
Qingxuan, whose feet were rooted in one spot executed brillant footwork again. His palms parried Mu Jiangbo's full powered claws. Not blocking them completely, but hitting them with an enough force to knock them off trajectory. Soft overcoming hard.
This was the essence of the Jeet Kune Do technique. "Be like water.." Bruce Lee Famously said..
Those he did not parry, he shifted, spun or weaved his head and body away from the danger.
"You guys! Isn't that the footwork for the Sky Trace Phantom Steps?!" Another keen observer roared out from within the crowd and stood up.
"By the Heavens! It's at Greater mastery!"
"This Qingxuan, his comprehension and perception seems a little too Heaven Defying doesn't it?" The crowd were beyond amazed.
Normally, movement techniques were far more intricate and required much attention to study or learn compared to battle techniques. But here was a youth who seemed to have learnt two intricate ones and comprehended them to greater mastery.
"Bastard!!!"
Mu Jiangbo used all the strength he could master. His fists and claws smashed and ripped towards Qingxuan's eyes and throat, wanting to maim or kill him.
But Qingxuan chuckled coldly. He parried the first punch, sidestepped the second claw and then attacked.
CRACK!
Faster than Mu Jiangbo could react, his leg whipped out before his last claw could connect and crashed into his jaw, sending rows of teeth and blood flying. Mu Jiangbo nearly collapsed to the ground.
"By the Heavens!" The crowd arose to their feet. Mu Jiangbo was down. Most of them hadn't even seen how Qingxuan had attacked due to how fast he moved.
"Y..you.. " Qingxuan skipped into the Bai Jong stance and then paused, walking to Mu Jiangbo who tried to climb to his feet with a shattered jaw, staring him down from above with nothing but apathy and nonchalance.
But Mu Jiangbo was relentless. His arm whipped out into a claw, that tore at Qingxuan's face.
But, Qingxuan didn't even bother to dodge. The world shifted into slow motion and then he moved.
A front kick morphed into a roundhouse with his other leg that cracked into Mu Jiangbo's neck, a quick two piece combo that sent blood spurting from his nose, before he spun around, and whipped out his heel, like the tail of a divine dragon and let it crash into the side of Mu Jiangbo's head.
Qingxuan didn't hold back. The combo was executed at incredible speed with almost no time between the intervals and incredible strength.
The hook kick whipped Mu Jiangbo into a mid air spin and by the time he crashed into the ground, he was already unconscious.
The arena went silent. Qingxuan backflipped nonchalantly into his skipping stance and calmed himself.
"Are my eyes deceiving me?! Isn't that the Shadow Severing Kick technique? Is it meant to be that fast?!" Someone asked within the crowd.
"That's the sign of perfect mastery you idiot! Another Grade 2 technique at perfect mastery. This Qingxuan is a freak!" Another responded.
"I saw him take out these techniques nearlyIsnt three weeks ago from the pavilion! Is it possible to comprehend two movement techniques and one grade 2 battle technique to perfect mastery in just three months?.."
The crowd asked. Most of them knew deep down. Qingxuan had done the impossible.
A/N: 5 reviews for extra chapter. Who's up?