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

Chapter 199 The Second Core Formation! (End of month, please vote with double monthly tickets)
“Establishing the Chinese Alliance is just a name. It’s no different from when my senior uncle Li Cunyi established the Chinese Martial Arts Association. What we are building is an alliance to unite against external forces, not to dismantle other sects and add them to our own.”

Upon hearing Chen Zhan's words, those who had just heard Zhao Yishan say that only those who wanted to dismantle their own sect could join felt a huge weight lifted off their shoulders.

Although Chen Zhan's offer was very tempting, few people would be willing to sever ties with their sect.

If it's just an alliance, then there's nothing more to say.

"Alliance Leader Chen, can we join without going to the arena?"

"Yeah, do you have to have a martial arts competition to join?"

"In a martial arts contest, we admit we are no match for Brother Zhao, then..."

At this time, it had only been a little over an hour since the information was made public and the newspapers were published. There weren't many martial arts practitioners gathered around; they were mostly from small sects in the vicinity who already held the Bagua Sect in high esteem.

They would say that being able to advance and retreat together with the Chinese Alliance, sharing both glory and disgrace, is something they would naturally be eager to do.

"Of course you can, but let's get this straight: once you're in my class, I won't hold back. You can learn as much as you can, but when it comes to killing the Japanese, contributing manpower and effort, and fighting to the death, anyone who dares to back down will face more than just a simple punishment."

"The Chinese Alliance has only one order: those who retreat in the face of battle shall die!"

"If you can't comply with this death order, you might as well go home now."

He had to use both kindness and severity; there was no other way. If a bunch of thugs and hooligans infiltrated, he would kill them, because when it came to a life-or-death battle with the Japanese, they would become a hindrance or even betray them, and this had to be prevented.

However, there were no thugs or hooligans present, so they probably hadn't received the news yet.

They all echoed in agreement:
"That's for sure. If the Eight-Nation Alliance enters the city again, we'll have to fight to the death."

Chen Zhan nodded with a smile, while Ye Ningzhen said, "Those who wish to join the Chinese Alliance can register their names, sect, and name."

Zhao Yishan led the way, being the first to register his information at the entrance of the China Alliance, followed by many others who walked from the alleyway inwards.

Just as we were talking, people started entering from all directions. Fortunately, the street was quite wide, and the neighbors didn't seem to mind.

Perhaps there is, but I dare not say.

Where were the kind souls present?

It didn't take long.

"Alliance Leader, trouble is brewing," Wang Xiangzhai said with a smile.

From the north side of the alley, a group of people filed in, all wearing the same clothes: long robes, mainly white and gray, with the words "Wu Style Tai Chi" embroidered on them.

The leader was even more imposing, with a refined and cultured demeanor. He walked with a relaxed gait and seemed somewhat dazed, as if he didn't care about the arena in front of him.

He was a few years younger than Wang Xiangzhai.

He doesn't look like a martial arts practitioner; he looks more like a schoolteacher or a bookworm.

Chen Zhan watched as the other person approached, his gaze sharpening. Others might not be able to discern anything, but he could sense it from their gait and aura.

The Realm of Embracing the Elixir!
"Is he Li Chunran?" Chen Zhan asked Wang Xiangzhai.

“That’s right, Li Chunran, the fourth-generation successor of Wu-style Tai Chi. He’s seven years younger than me, not even forty yet, and he’s already in charge of the Wu-style Tai Chi Academy.”

"Isn't he a member of the Wu family? Did he marry into the family?" Chen Zhan asked, puzzled.

"No, he's an exception. He belongs to the White-Eyed lineage, but his talent is too high, and no one can control him."

A northern dialect, commonly spoken in the Beijing-Tianjin area.

"White eyes" refers to the children born to a daughter, including grandchildren, who are related by blood through collateral channels.

"Red-eyed children" refers to children born to a son, including grandchildren, reflecting direct blood relations.

The story goes that in the late Qing Dynasty, when an old man fell into the water, his grandson cried so hard that his eyes turned red, while his grandson watched indifferently and gave him the cold shoulder.

In the old lineage, a 'white-eyed boy' cannot inherit the mantle, and a daughter is like water spilled from a cup.

Moreover, the Tai Chi school places great emphasis on strict lineage transmission, with Chen-style Tai Chi and Wu-style Tai Chi being secret traditions.

In his early years, Sun Lutang learned the essence of Wu-style Tai Chi from Hao Weizhen, a third-generation successor of Wu-style Tai Chi, through a combination of coaxing and deception.

This incident enraged the Wu family.

But by then Sun Lutang had already achieved great success and become a grandmaster, and the Xingyi school was flourishing.

It's impossible to get my martial arts skills back.

Hao Weizhen was getting on in years and held a high position within the sect, so he couldn't be punished.

The matter could only be dropped, and the rules within the sect were tightened.

So when Chen Zhan saw that he didn't have the surname Wu, he assumed that he had married into the family.

"I see, he is indeed very talented," Chen Zhan exclaimed.

He was the second and youngest master of the Core Formation realm that Chen Zhan had ever seen, and the only one besides the old eunuch. Mitsui Hayato's 'fake Core Formation' was simply not up to par.

In the past six months, Chen Zhan has almost fought his way across the north, and has only met two Grandmasters of the Core Formation stage.

This shows how difficult it is to attain the elixir of immortality.

Wang Xiangzhai hadn't realized it yet, and Chen Zhan hadn't discouraged him. Ma Fengtu, whose skills were even more profound, had also reached the edge of achieving the Daoist alchemy realm and could only retreat into seclusion in the Northwest.

He noticed something amiss.

"Alliance Leader, this Li Chunran seems to be different from what we expected."

He knew of the reputation of the two pillars of the capital, and this was a subtle reminder to Wang Xiangzhai.

Upon closer inspection, Wang Xiangzhai also felt something was amiss. The two were equally renowned, and their two martial arts schools were fierce rivals, evenly matched. Therefore, he had met Li Chunran many times, but this time it had been more than half a year since their last meeting.

Their temperaments are very different.

"He has successfully achieved the Dantian (elixir) formation. It seems that the Taiji School's Dantian formation is indeed easier."

This is no secret. Tai Chi is a profound skill that requires years of dedicated practice. Progress is extremely slow in the early stages. A Tai Chi student who has practiced for four or five years cannot beat someone who has practiced Baguazhang for a year.

They can't even beat someone who has practiced external martial arts for three months.

However, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. While it may be an exaggeration to say that Tai Chi skills can progress by leaps and bounds in a single day when mastered to a high level, it is certainly faster than any other internal or external martial art. This is why there are many famous Tai Chi masters, most of whom remain out of the public eye for a long time before becoming world-renowned overnight.

Yang Luchan and Wu Yuxiang were both like this.

Wang Xiangzhai's expression changed. Chen Zhan said that Li Chunran had already achieved the elixir of immortality, so it must be true. In that case, the title of "Twin Jewels of the Capital" would be undeserved.

Tai Chi Master Li Chunran has already gone far ahead of him.

If Chen Zhan hadn't appeared, the martial arts world in the capital would probably have been dominated by the Wu family's Tai Chi.

"Embrace the elixir!"

Wang Xiangzhai was unwilling but helpless. Li Chunran was indeed a genius, having achieved the elixir of immortality before the age of forty, but Chen Zhan in front of him was even more monstrous.

Not yet thirty years old.
At that age, he hadn't yet reached the level of mastery.

He was already one of the most talented geniuses in the martial arts world, with exceptionally high talent, but in many ways, people cannot be compared.
The three exchanged a few words when the Wu family Tai Chi group arrived.

Those present recognized the Wu-style Tai Chi's standard long gown and made way for them.

Li Chunran walked closer and saw Chen Zhan and the other two. He was not surprised to see Wang Xiangzhai, and he also knew Ma Fengtu, knowing that the latter had recently returned to the capital.

There was another person between the two, younger than him, but with a calm and composed demeanor like an ancient well.

I've never seen him, but there's a picture of him in the newspaper.

Li Chunran stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Brother Wang and Brother Fengtu are both here. This must be Alliance Leader Chen. Congratulations! After many years, our martial arts world has produced another master like Li Cunyi. It is truly a blessing for the martial arts world."

He spoke without any arrogance, but rather with great sincerity.

It seemed like a heartfelt congratulation to Chen Zhan.

Wang Xiangzhai glanced sideways. He had dealt with Li Chunran quite often, but this was unlike him. He wasn't a polite or humble person. Had his personality changed after he achieved the Golden Elixir?
"I have long admired Brother Li. You are one of the two great talents of the capital. Meeting you today is a pleasant surprise. The Chinese martial arts world has gained another grandmaster. This is a double celebration for the martial arts world."

Chen Zhan also cupped his hands in response, and said at the same time.

“That’s right. For the Chinese martial arts world, the more masters the better. Alliance Leader Chen has the approval of the National Government, so his position is legitimate.”

"But I only read in the newspaper that the Alliance Master will dominate the world with his martial arts, and all rivers will flow into the sea. I don't know what that means?"

Wang Xiangzhai paused, thinking to himself, "The real show is about to begin."

Chen Zhan smiled and said, "Literally, now that I've become the leader of the martial arts alliance, I naturally can't let the martial arts world fall apart. We must unite them, have them join the Chinese Alliance, and fight the Japanese invaders together."

Li Chunran nodded: "That's the logic. To put it bluntly, it means that all the major sects are under the command of the alliance leader, right?"

As they spoke, Li Chunran took another step forward, her gaze fixed on Chen Zhan.

"That's right, I said go east, not west."

Chen Zhan stared intently at him, meeting his gaze head-on, his imposing manner even stronger.

"But what if we martial artists use our martial arts to break the rules and can't stand being restrained?"

“Then beat them, break their bones, beat them into submission and they will be under your control.”

"Does the alliance leader's word truly carry weight?"

"A promise is a promise."

Li Chunran turned around and took two steps back. His disciples were extremely quiet, showing that they were very disciplined. No one dared to interrupt him.

He stepped back to his disciples and then turned around.

"The Alliance Leader's words are thought-provoking and I have learned a lot. In the martial arts world, might makes right, and empty words are useless."

“Let’s have a fight. If the leader wins, the Wu Clan Tai Chi will obey orders and have no second word.”

"But if Chunran wins, what will the alliance leader say?"

Chen Zhan smiled and said, "Brother Li has won. I'll give you the position of leader. It will be published in the newspaper that as long as I live, the Xingyi School and the Bagua School will be at your command, and you will have no say in anything I say."

"However, I can master Xingyi and Bagua, but can you master Wu-style Tai Chi?"

Li Chunran was taken aback; Chen Zhan clearly knew his identity.

He was a collateral descendant of the Wu family, and his status was so low that he was even worse off than a son-in-law who had married into the family.

Those who marry into the family are all family members; strictly speaking, he is an outsider.

"You don't need to worry about this. Three months ago, I successfully formed the Golden Core. The first thing I did was go back to my hometown in Wen County, deal with all the old bastards in the clan, and kill a few old dogs. Let's see who dares to oppose me then."

Li Chunran spoke openly and without any attempt to conceal his true intentions, making his words sound casual, but those who heard him were terrified.

People of the same clan and lineage can be killed without hesitation, showing no regard for kinship or kinship.

Chen Zhan nodded. He didn't care how ruthless Li Chunran was to his clan. From their conversation and demeanor, he could tell that Li Chunran was a very pure person.

"Please!" Chen Zhan said.

Without saying much, Li Chunran lifted his knee and leaped onto the stage, his long robe remaining perfectly still, as if he were a floating bird.

This lightness skill is far superior to that of Xiong Hanshan and Zhao Yishan.

Chen Zhan also leaped, just like Li Chunran, and floated in the air before landing on the stage.

Li Chunran used the Tai Chi move "White Crane Soaring in the Sky," which is a variation of the "White Crane Spreads Wings" jump.

The traditional "White Crane Spreads Wings" is a fixed posture, while "Light-bodied White Crane Soars into the Air" involves slightly pushing off the ground backward, with the front legs bending slightly before pushing off again, causing the body to briefly take off.

The 'force' is released slowly, which can create a brief floating effect.

However, he didn't expect Chen Zhan to do it too.

In truth, both of them share the same lineage and origin in Tai Chi, belonging to the Wu family Tai Chi lineage.

Li Chunran didn't hold back any longer. He assumed the stance of the Tai Chi Golden Toad Fishing Technique, unleashing his inner energy throughout his body, and launched a powerful attack with his Five-Star Hammer.

(End of this chapter)