Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 166 The Real Five-Star Cone
"Hold the bird's tail!"

The sound came from the location where Taiji Men was standing.

Although the double-edged dart deflected, it was still very fast. If he had dodged it, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But Chen Zhan reached out and grabbed it, neither retreating nor dodging, and actually controlled it in his palm, spinning it around without getting hurt!

This Tai Chi move, "Grasping the Sparrow's Tail," is already an extremely profound skill.

The "Grasp the Sparrow's Tail" technique utilizes four of the eight principles of Tai Chi: Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, and Zhongqian.

Shed, straighten, squeeze, press.

Feel the direction of the force. "Peng" is the starting movement of "Grasp the Sparrow's Tail". When your own "force" touches the incoming "force", there is no resistance, but rather a guiding force.

"Lu" is the connecting action after the "peng" force, which follows the opponent's inertia of exertion and amplifies its tendency to lose balance by pulling.

Once the force is unbalanced, a squeeze or press will grab you, and you will be unable to move.

It sounds complicated, but the difficulty of "Grasping the Sparrow's Tail" lies precisely in this: the transformation of four types of energy is completed almost instantly upon the release of force, requiring precise and exquisite control.

A hundred years ago, Yang Luchan also performed the "sparrow does not fly" trick by grabbing the sparrow's tail with one hand.

The birds were unharmed, but once they landed on him, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't take off.

The high-ranking officials and nobles who shocked the entire capital city.

But now, Chen Zhan's casual action is even more astonishing than "Sparrow Doesn't Fly," for the force of a bird's foot is nowhere near as powerful as that of a dart.

"Yang Yuanting! You've broken the rules!" Zhao Hongbao roared.

This sound pulled Yang Yuanting out of his thoughts.

His gaze shifted, reluctantly leaving Chen Zhan, and met the furious Zhao Hongbao's eyes. "That's right, I broke the rules. I was too eager to save my disciple. We've lost this round."

"What do you mean by 'calculate'? You lost this round from the start. You made the wrong move first, and then you broke the rules."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

“Apologize and vacate three streets in Dongzhimen.”

Yang Yuanting's throwing of the dart missed the blade, which was already a taboo. The two were supposed to fight with weapons, so injuries were inevitable. If he had to use hidden weapons to protect his own disciple if he was in danger, what kind of martial arts competition would that be?

Let's just start a full-blown battle.

He was in the wrong, but he couldn't possibly agree. Today's challenge was to resolve this matter. He won two matches and lost one, so there was no reason for him to give up so easily.

As the two were talking, Chen Zhan had already led his men to Ye Ningzhen's side and quietly inquired about the situation.

Ye Ningzhen gave a brief explanation.

Chen Zhan understood.

These kinds of challenges to martial arts schools have been happening continuously for the past two years, with more and more martial arts schools and gangs emerging, but Beiping is only so big, and the population is only so many.

The distribution of profits then became a major issue.

The martial arts school actually has a lot of profits to share. In this day and age, people value martial arts and want to learn a skill to protect themselves. If all else fails, they can go out and perform martial arts to make a living.

Middle and senior leaders also hold martial arts in high esteem because many of them have witnessed real kung fu.

The previous two generations of grandmasters had established their reputations. Li Jinglin himself was a warlord leader in the Beiyang Army, while Li Shuwen moved among multiple warlord armies, skillfully protecting himself. Even the President praised him, saying, "His divine fist can only strike twice!"

Even now, there are still many masters from various schools and sects who serve in the military. Do you think they don't know whether someone can fight or which school has real skills?

This was the most prosperous era of the integration of military and civilian forces.

Therefore, the thirteen martial arts schools held a relatively high status in Beiping, and were very different from the other classes. Many of them were able to speak with the upper echelons of the current Beiping Nationalist government.

Police officers, students, professors, and children of high-ranking military officials in Beiping all treated those with genuine martial arts skills with respect.

Many people even spent some time learning martial arts at a martial arts school.

Under this situation, the conflicts of interest between martial arts schools became increasingly serious. Territory divisions were established, with one in Dongsi and the other in Xisi, and neither side was allowed to cross the line. The gang that one supported was absolutely not allowed to collect protection money from the other.

They also cannot recruit disciples on the other party's territory.

Otherwise, it would be considered a provocation and would have to be resolved according to the rules of the martial arts world.

In martial arts competitions, the prize is the territory.

Two martial arts schools that are far apart are fine, but if their territories are adjacent, it becomes very troublesome, because martial arts schools are divided according to the rules, but ordinary people and the powerful don't care how they are divided.

They only look at reputation and choose martial arts schools and masters that they approve of.

This is how the conflict between Yang-style Tai Chi and Cheng-style Bagua arose.

Cheng-style Bagua has two disciples who, after completing their apprenticeship, became police officers. Their formidable martial arts skills were witnessed by others, who naturally boasted about the prestige of Cheng-style Bagua.

This attracted many people from the Dongzhimen area to come and become his disciples.

The Yang-style Tai Chi school was displeased and wanted to prove its reputation. So they went to challenge the school.

This kind of thing happens almost every now and then in the thirteen martial arts schools.

Many outsiders take it for granted; winning or losing is temporary, and after a while, no one will remember it.

But it's different internally. If a challenger loses and loses, their momentum is completely shattered, and it's normal for a newly arrived apprentice to turn around and leave.

I'm paying to learn martial arts, why wouldn't I choose a strong one?
Chen Zhan and Ye Ningzhen spoke in hushed tones, while Yang Yuanting and Zhao Hongbao grew increasingly agitated, neither side willing to back down.

"Hehe, let's settle this with our hands. Let's have another fight, life or death, do you dare?" Yang Yuanting was a few years younger than Zhao Hongbao, but his aura was even stronger, clearly showing great confidence in his Tai Chi skills.

"Damn it, go ahead and fight, I'm not afraid of you!"

A group of disciples watched; no martial artist could resist such provocation. "Let's spar; it's no fun for the disciples to fight to the death," Yang Yuanting said, trying to provoke them again.

"Hmph, you may be a few years younger, but you're of a high generation. We can have a match, but don't deny it if you lose!"

"You can say that to your disciples. Whether they acknowledge it or not, everyone is watching. It's not like this is a closed-door martial arts competition."

Yang Yuanting is absolutely right. In the past, many boxing masters would hold their matches behind closed doors to save face for their opponents, and they wouldn't let their disciples watch.

Only the two of them know the outcome.

Although it's not a public arena, disciples from both factions are watching, so the outcome can't be faked.

The two turned around and took two quick steps into the martial arts arena.

Zhao Hongbao was only in his forties, but he was considered a senior disciple. He was one of Cheng Tinghua's three youngest disciples. Cheng Tinghua had only been with him for two years before passing away, so many of his skills were taught by his other senior brothers.

However, he is very talented. He entered the Transformation Realm ten years ago. At over thirty years old, he is definitely a big name in the martial arts world.

Therefore, he was in charge of the overall situation in Beiping, and the Cheng School of Baguazhang was under his command in the north.

Needless to say, Yang-style Tai Chi is a local power in Beijing. It has been a giant for a hundred years since Yang Luchan entered the capital. If it hadn't been for the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of Beijing, which burned, killed, and looted, severing its foundation, other schools would never have had a chance to establish their own sects.

They were both masters of internal energy transformation, in their prime, and neither was willing to concede to the other.

Without further ado, the two launched into battle.

By the end of February, the capital city was no longer as cold as before. Although it had just snowed, it was no longer the dead of winter.

The cold wind at the turn of winter and spring, carrying remnants of snow, swept across the blue brick ground of the martial arts school.

Zhao Hongbao's left toe sank through the half-melted snow, leaving a shallow mark on the brick surface. This was the starting step of the Cheng-style Baguazhang "Kan Palace Circle Walking" movement, the Youlong Bagua Step. After two consecutive steps, several shallow marks appeared on the ground.

The man was already in front of Yang Yuanting, his right hand guarding his ribs and his left palm thrusting forward in a "single palm change" stance. Yang Yuanting was already prepared when he made his move, and he couldn't be careless in a neutralizing attack.

Standing with feet apart, each foot planted on the edge of two blue bricks, the soles of their shoes covered in snowflakes.

He placed his hands in front of his chest in the "Grasp the Sparrow's Tail" posture of Yang-style Tai Chi, with his palms slightly concave, and then blocked and countered with a single palm exchange.

The two exchanged subtle blows, both experiencing a slight stinging sensation in their hands, yet neither could gain the upper hand.

Once you reach the level of "Transformation Force," it's difficult to injure your opponent with hidden force, because both sides have major acupoints throughout their bodies, allowing them to freely absorb and release hidden force. Moreover, hidden force is not internal energy or true qi, so its power cannot shatter gold or split rocks.

Suddenly, Yang Yuanting lowered his shoulders and elbows, and his left palm lightly pushed forward with a "squeezing force." Just as it was half an inch forward, Zhao Hongbao used the shield of the martial arts stance to spin around. The moment his left palm retracted, his right palm formed a "horizontal cutting palm" and slashed towards his ribs.

The palm strike, carrying the remaining snow on the ground, was melted by the surging blood and qi, splashing water all over Yang Yuanting's clothes.

Yang Yuanting quickly stepped back and pressed his right hand on Zhao Hongbao's palm, applying a "lu jin" (a type of force) to try and flip him over. However, he did not expect that Zhao Hongbao's palm would suddenly sink and rotate half a circle in the opposite direction of the lu jin. His right palm changed from "liao" (a type of upward thrust) to "pi" (a type of downward thrust), and the palm blade was aimed directly at his shoulder and neck. Even the single sword hanging on the weapon rack was shaken by the palm wind!
This palm strike perfectly highlights the essence of Baguazhang. The word "thief" runs throughout Baguazhang, but "thief" is not a derogatory term, nor is it about sneak attacks or hidden weapons.

Instead, their power is cunning, concealed, and sudden, without warning.

Even the Great Slamming Hand of Baguazhang, which has transformed from yin and soft to yang and fierce, still retains the word "thief." The three-fold power is all generated during the duel, without the need for preparation or the stomping and exhaling movements that are required in Bajiquan.

All the power exerted in Baguazhang comes suddenly, making it difficult for the opponent to react.

Zhao Hongbao seized the opportunity, his palm wind shifting from his ribs to his neck, the force emanating from his fingertips, and he struck his neck with a palm strike!
"Turning Over and Splitting Mountain Palm!"

Yang Yuanting grunted, raised his left arm horizontally to block his neck, and a muffled "thump" was heard.

Zhao Hongbao's palm strike landed on his forearm, causing his blood to surge and his arm to go numb. His right foot slid more than ten feet across the wet bricks where the snow had melted before his heel hit the stone railing at the edge of the training ground and he regained his footing.

Before he could catch his breath, Zhao Hongbao had already stepped into the "Xun" position and circled behind him. His left hand formed a "wrist-entangling palm" and grabbed his right wrist. This was the Cheng School's "Great Stele-Smashing Hand, Five Fingers Through" killing move. The knuckles gripped his wrist so hard that it hurt.

Yang Yuanting's back was pressed against the weapon rack, the cold, hard iron sheaths making his spine stiff. He had been forced into a corner, and Zhao Hongbao was not going to let him catch his breath. The Great Stele-Smashing Hand swept across with a fierce, cold wind.

The force in his hands was like a giant millstone, covering and crushing down.

Life and death crisis!

Yang Yuanting suddenly relaxed his shoulders and turned his waist, pressing his right hand backward in the same direction. Using the Tai Chi "pressing force," he borrowed some strength from the weapon rack behind him and forcefully twisted his body to one side, dodging the violent palm strike.

“Pah~!!”

The weapon rack was made of old locust wood, and it couldn't withstand this blow. It shattered into pieces. The locust wood rack was alright, but there were still knives, spears, swords, and halberds on the weapon rack.

The force of the palm strike sent the blades and swords flying in all directions, but after being weakened several times, their power was greatly diminished. He reached out and grabbed them.

These are all ordinary swords, standard-issue, with the edge sharpened, but made of ordinary materials.

He also carried two demon swords on his back, completely covered by black cloth, concealing his true appearance.

The two players on the field didn't care about any of that.
Yang Yuanting forcefully broke through the move, used the force to turn to the side, and used the "scooping the moon from the sea" technique to deliver a side punch!
Tai Chi Five-Star Pyramid!
Head upright, shoulders relaxed, elbows drooping, hands natural, hips drawn up, knees loose, feet flat and relaxed.

With his fists loosely clenched, he suddenly transformed from a light, deflecting strike into a fierce and unstoppable attack, as if he had picked up a massive hammer from the ground and was striking his chest from below.

This is about meeting force with force, like Tai Chi Five Star Cone against Bagua Stone-Smashing Hand!
Chen Zhan had used this move a long time ago, when he was facing Gao Zhen's Bajiquan open stance. In the ensuing head-on confrontation, he shattered Gao Zhen's Bajiquan stance.

However, neither of them was skilled enough in martial arts at the time. Chen Zhan's Tai Chi Five Star Pyramid technique was far inferior to Yang Yuanting's.

But now, things are different.

Embracing the Elixir means integrating everything into one, forming a perfectly round elixir. Martial arts skills that were previously immature will be completely different when tested again.

If Chen Zhan were to face Gao Zhenbei now, he could easily break Gao Zhenbei's Eight Extremes Mountain Collapse Force with a single punch.

Of course, that would be too much of a bully.

Huo Diange is not even qualified to fight him now.

(End of this chapter)