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

Chapter 245 Another One Reaching the Core Formation

When the Boxers were dispersed by the foreigners, the northerners who went south were not only not ostracized, but were also well received, settled down, and able to regroup.

With external enemies at hand, internal strife only makes us bandits.

"We really shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves."

"That's right. If what Mr. Chen said is true, let alone internal strife, we should organize people to go north, kill the Japanese devils, and thwart their plans!"

The group discussed it in private, and after a while, they all made a decision.

Gu Ruzhang's suggestion was the best: North-South exchanges should continue, but territory should not be determined by the outcome, and there should be no best-of-five format.

Anyone who wants to exchange skills can have a match. Those who come can enjoy the spectacle, and those who compete can learn from each other.

This is indeed the best outcome.

Moreover, no one wants to fight to the death; these people all have families and careers, wives and children.

Chen Zhan laughed and said, "In that case, it doesn't matter whether we win or lose today. I, Chen, am willing to hand over the position of leader to a capable person."

"Of course, the leader must fulfill his responsibilities. If there is a national crisis, he cannot escape the task of saving the country and ensuring its survival. Anyone who is greedy for life and afraid of death will be punished by everyone."

Everyone realized this as well.
The North-South conflict is no longer important, but if, as Chen Zhan said, the Japanese invaded China, the position of martial arts alliance leader would be extremely important.

"It's natural!"

"of course?"

"Mr. Chen, you are overthinking it. No martial artist is afraid of death. I only regret that I was born a few decades too late to fight alongside Wang Wu, the Great Swordsman!"

These people get very excited when talking about the Japanese and the Eight-Nation Alliance.

But Chen Zhan didn't say anything. Martial arts practitioners lack organization and discipline. On the battlefield, apart from top masters, they might not be stronger than soldiers.

The sight of mountains of corpses and seas of blood was too much for many to bear.

Chen Zhan and Wan Laisheng stepped down, handing the stage over to Gu Ruzhang and Liu Yinhu. The nature of the competition had changed, but it still had to continue.

No one who comes here comes for nothing.

Moreover, as everyone knows, after the clash between the Northern and Southern boxing masters, the competition for the title of martial arts alliance leader begins.

On the blue stone platform.

Liu Yinhu knew that his opponent had a great reputation, but since they were both Grandmasters of Internal Energy, he did not think he was bound to lose. Often, a reputation is one thing, but actual strength may not match.

His gray cloth jacket fluttered even without wind, and his Yang-style Tai Chi "Grasp the Sparrow's Tail" starting posture was as supple as a vine, his feet firmly planted on the ground, and the fine sand between the blue bricks vibrated as he performed the movements.

"I've long heard that Mr. Gu's Iron Palm is invincible. Even if we're not fighting over the North and South, we should still have a friendly exchange to see what he has to offer."

Gu Ruzhang, with the hem of his long gown tucked into his waist, stood as steady as a rock, his arms dark and iron-colored, and resolutely accepted the challenge: "Section Chief Liu, please!"

please."

As soon as Liu Yinhu finished speaking, he lightly stepped his left foot out and suddenly thrust out his right palm. The sticky force of the Tai Chi "Grasp the Sparrow's Tail" wrapped in the wind, trying to grab Gu Ruzhang's wrist.

Gu Ruzhang neither dodged nor avoided, but directly met the attack with his left palm. The moment the two palms touched, Liu Yinhu felt as if his palm had hit a block of iron, and a strong force drilled into his fingers.

He hurriedly tried to use the "lu jin" technique of Tai Chi to deflect the force, but just as his wrist was about to twist, Gu Ruzhang's right palm struck out, the force of the palm striking straight at his chest.

Gu Ruzhang's Luohan Fist technique, "Single Palm Pushing the Mountain," generates power from his waist and hips, so fast that Gu Ruzhang didn't have time to withdraw his force. Liu Yinhu quickly raised his left elbow to block, and with a "bang," the tip of his elbow struck the base of Gu Ruzhang's palm. He staggered back two steps, and his forearm felt a little numb.

He was the one who lost when his elbow struck his palm!

With a shudder, Liu Yinhu regained his footing and suddenly changed his move. He unleashed a Xingyi "Crushing Fist," the force of which, accompanied by a crisp sound, hurtled towards Gu Ruzhang's face, penetrating the surface of his fist.

Gu Ruzhang's eyes remained unchanged, his head tilted slightly, and at the same time, his right palm slashed horizontally, striking Liu Yinhu's fist on the back.

"Oh!"

With another muffled thud, Liu Yinhu's Bengquan (a type of fist strike) was deflected, its force dissipating. He felt a burning pain on the back of his hand, as if it had been scalded by a red-hot iron plate.

Gu Ruzhang's Iron Sand Palm technique has a penetrating force that shakes the muscles and bones.

Liu Yinhu grew anxious and adopted a Tai Chi stance, his left palm feinting while his right palm wrapped around Gu Ruzhang's arm, attempting to use the "silk-reeling force" to lock his joints. However, Gu Ruzhang suddenly lowered his waist, his legs as if nailed to the bluestone of the arena, his left palm pressing down on Liu Yinhu's wrist as he wrapped it around, while his right palm pressed down in a seemingly slow motion, yet carrying the force of a thousand pounds.

Liu Yinhu felt his wrist being clamped by iron clamps, and the downward force almost made his knees bend. He tried to pull his hand away, but Gu Ruzhang's palm force locked him tightly, and he couldn't even use the "relaxing the shoulder and deflecting the force" technique of Tai Chi.

Gu Ruzhang's sleeve slipped down, revealing his forearm muscles twisted like steel wire, and he threw a punch.

The "Gongzi Fuhuquan" strikes straight at the center!
Liu Yinhu's pupils contracted slightly, not expecting Gu Ruzhang to be standing on an iron bridge and to use Hung Kuen.
He immediately lowered his waist and hips, his Tai Chi defensive stance, "as if sealing and closing," was perfectly natural. His right palm drew an arc and stuck towards Gu Ruzhang's wrist pulse, and the Yang-style Tai Chi "silk-reeling energy" was like spring vines winding around a tree.

"Clang clang~!"

The arm bone struck the soft force of Tai Chi, producing a snapping sound like a bowstring breaking!
Liu Yinhu immediately retreated. The Tai Chi silk-reeling force is the softest, while the Hong Quan is fierce. The collision produced a clanging sound, which meant that he had lost a point!
I can't uninstall it!
No martial art can transcend the realm of physics. Liu Yinhu's strength was insufficient, and his silk-reeling softness could not neutralize Hongquan's Tiger-Taming Fist.

Again!
Using four ounces to move a thousand pounds may seem like it only takes four ounces, but the person who uses the soft force must have at least a thousand pounds of strength.

Liu Yinhu took three steps back, and the bluestone platform cracked open with a "crack," his gaze becoming even more serious. A metallic taste filled his throat; his internal organs had been injured by the impact of a punch.

He thought to himself, 'We're both at the Transformation Realm, yet the difference is so vast?'

He didn't understand it at all.

Logically speaking, I have been at the level of Huajin for quite some time, and I have digested the Huajin skills of Tai Chi and Xingyi over the past few years. I believe that I am not weak among the masters.

But when it comes to Gu Ruzhang
"Let's not compete anymore?" Gu Ruzhang's voice was steady.

Liu Yinhu looked up at him and saw that Gu Ruzhang's breathing was not disordered, but he himself was sweating and forcibly swallowed the mouthful of blood in his throat.

"I lost."

Liu Yinhu lowered his hand, looked at his reddened wrist, and said with a hint of admiration.

He had practiced Tai Chi and Xingyi for half his life and had never seen anyone withstand such force and break through so easily, not even with Iron Palm.
Everyone knows that Iron Palm is an extremely powerful external martial art.

But Gu Ruzhang had already mastered the art of combining strength and gentleness!

Those below also witnessed this scene and thought Liu Yinhu would lose, but they didn't expect him to lose so decisively. Gu Ruzhang didn't even move.

Wang Ziping nodded: "This person is also a Grandmaster of the Dan Qi realm, but he must have only recently broken through, as his Dan Qi is not yet fully developed."

Chen Zhan could tell from Gu Ruzhang's actions that day that he was also a Grandmaster of the Core Formation stage, but he never said so.

When Wang Ziping mentioned it, everyone was surprised.

Chen Zhancai said, "Yes, but he practices the Wudang internal martial art of Baodan, which is different from Mr. Wang's."

Wang Ziping nodded in agreement. Gu Ruzhang had not yet reached the level of a grandmaster who had mastered both internal and external martial arts. For external martial arts to achieve the "Dan" (a specific martial art technique) was extremely difficult!

Throughout history, only Wang Ziping has been recorded as such.

When Liu Yinhu stepped down, his internal organs were damaged, but the injuries were minor and he didn't even need medical treatment.

Just as Gu Ruzhang was about to leave, he heard a voice say, "Please give me some pointers, Mr. Gu."

He looked up and saw a burly man walking onto the stage; it was Xiong Hanshan.

Gu Ruzhang did not practice Xingyi Quan, but Shaolin Quan also has the Bear Form martial art. Moreover, a grandmaster understands everything. He overheard Chen Zhan and Wang Ziping's conversation, and after Chen Zhan spoke to him a few more times, he went up on stage to ask for guidance.

Originally it was a one-on-one interaction, but now it has become a conversation, so there's no need to follow the original rules anymore.

Gu Ruzhang has hundreds of disciples and has never been stingy with his true teachings. Moreover, he could see that Xiong Hanshan's bear form had already grasped the true meaning and was only a little short of reaching the level of mastery.

"The Xingyi Bear Form is quite impressive. Let's try it out. I wouldn't presume to offer guidance, but let's exchange ideas." Gu Ruzhang didn't refuse.

Xiong Hanshan was very polite, knowing that the other party was a master of the Dan realm, and naturally felt awe.

With fists clasped in a salute, begin in a bear-like stance, lowering the body and wrapping the arms!
Xiong Hanshan slowly shifted his center of gravity forward, his left foot firmly planted, his right foot pushed off the ground, his knees slightly bent to increase the range of motion, and his body sank down an inch or two, like a bear sitting on the ground.

As your weight sinks, both hands "wrap" towards the center, while the right hand rises upward, palm facing inward and fingertips pointing to the left, forming a "ball-hugging" shape with the left hand.

On stage, he truly seemed like a sleeping old bear that had just awakened, spotted its prey, and charged forward in a frenzy.

(End of this chapter)