Wuxia Across the Heavens: I Collect Side Effects

Chapter 94 The Battle with Zhang Sanfeng (1)

A few days later, in the square in front of Zixiao Palace.

The square was already bustling with noise. The Seven Heroes of Wudang, dressed in blue Taoist robes, stood on both sides, their expressions respectful and solemn. Behind them stood hundreds of Wudang disciples, each with a calm demeanor, their eyes fixed intently on the center of the square.

Besides the Wudang disciples, Emei disciples also stood on one side of the square. Leading them was Ji Xiaofu, dressed in Emei attire, with a slender figure. However, her gaze involuntarily fell on Su Xin, with a hint of barely perceptible curiosity and inquiry hidden in her eyes.

She eventually found an excuse to come and see Su Xin.

In the center of the square, two figures stood facing each other.

On the left is Zhang Sanfeng, with a full head of snow-white hair and a long beard reaching his chest. He wears a plain Taoist robe. Although he looks old, his back is straight, and his aura is warm and powerful, like an unfathomable river or sea. He is vigorous and his eyes are clear. He shows no signs of aging and instead exudes an otherworldly and ethereal aura. Clearly, during his seclusion, he not only perfected the Tai Chi Sword but also improved his own cultivation.

Su Xin on the right is tall and handsome, with a refined and sharp aura that contrasts sharply with Zhang Sanfeng's gentle demeanor.

In the past few days, he had already adjusted himself to his peak condition. His use of the inch force had become more and more skillful, and his internal energy flowed smoothly without any stagnation. His eyes were full of fighting spirit and anticipation. Looking at Zhang Sanfeng in front of him, he felt no fear, only a strong desire for exhilaration.

He longed to spar with this world's number one master, to test the power of his inch punch, and to see the gap between himself and the peak realm.

Yin Li stood not far behind Su Xin, her eyes filled with admiration and nervousness. She clenched her hands tightly together and whispered encouragement to Su Xin.

She knew the significance of this duel and was also aware of Zhang Sanfeng's strength. She both hoped that Su Xin would win and worried that he would get hurt. Her heart was in her throat, and Zi Guang never left Su Xin's sight.

Zhang Wuji and Song Qingshu also stood in the crowd, temporarily setting aside their entanglement with Yin Li and focusing their attention on the duel in the center of the square.

Zhang Wuji's eyes were full of admiration. He had heard of Zhang Sanfeng's reputation since he was a child, and now he was able to see Zhang Sanfeng in action. He was very excited.

Song Qingshu's feelings were more complex, encompassing both reverence for Zhang Sanfeng and jealousy of Su Xin.

He never understood how Su Xin, at such a young age, could possess such formidable strength and stand on the same stage as Zhang Sanfeng to spar.

Su Xin slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his aura slightly solidified, and a calm smile appeared on his face. He cupped his hands to Zhang Sanfeng and said, "Master Zhang, I've kept you waiting. I'll be the first to arrive! This punch is what I've gained over this period of time. I humbly request your guidance, Master."

Before he finished speaking, Su Xin's body remained still as he slowly threw out his right fist.

This punch seemed ordinary, lacking the fierce and domineering power of the previous Vajra Fist, the earth-shattering shockwave, and not even a wisp of wind. It was like a punch thrown casually by an ordinary person, so bland that it was somewhat unexpected.

The Wudang and Emei disciples watching were all stunned, a hint of doubt flashing in their eyes, wondering if Su Xin was deliberately holding back his punch.

But Zhang Sanfeng's originally gentle expression instantly turned serious. His eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze fixed on Su Xin's fist, and his aura tightened.

With his level of cultivation, he had already seen through the strangeness of this punch.

Beneath the seemingly ordinary fist technique lies an extremely refined internal force. This force is stagnant and does not erupt, like a lurking beast. It appears docile, but in reality, it contains a devastating explosive power. This is the inch force that Su Xin has comprehended!

"What a brilliant concealment of internal strength!" Zhang Sanfeng thought to himself, not daring to slack off in the slightest. With a slight movement of his body, he slowly raised his hands, his fingertips swirling with faint true energy, and directly performed Tai Chi.

He moved his hands in circles, his movements slow and gentle, like flowing water, without the slightest hesitation. Each movement seemed slow, yet contained infinite variations, which was the essence of Tai Chi Chuan: "using softness to overcome hardness and borrowing force to strike."

Unlike before, Zhang Sanfeng's Tai Chi Chuan, though seemingly gentle, possessed an exceptionally sharp and powerful force. The air around him was stirred by this gentle force, creating subtle ripples.

He knew that the power of Su Xin's punch was far beyond ordinary force. If he was not careful, the inch force would break through his defense and injure him. He could only go all out and try to counteract this extremely refined inch force with the soft force of Tai Chi.

With a soft "hum," Su Xin's fist collided with Zhang Sanfeng's gentle force.

There was no earth-shattering roar, only an invisible wave of energy quietly spreading out, causing the robes of the surrounding disciples to flutter slightly.

Zhang Sanfeng smoothly drew two rounded arcs with both hands, wrapping around Su Xin's fist force like flowing water, trying to guide and neutralize this short-range force. However, he soon discovered that this short-range force was far more stubborn than he had imagined.

A smile flashed in Su Xin's eyes. Without pausing, he took advantage of the moment when Zhang Sanfeng neutralized the first punch's inch force. His internal energy surged instantly, and his left fist quietly accumulated an even stronger inch force. Then, he threw a punch with a bang. This punch was faster than the previous one, and the energy was more condensed. It seemed calm, but it carried an irresistible and powerful force.

Zhang Sanfeng's expression grew increasingly solemn. His hands stopped moving and began to draw smooth arcs like a peacock spreading its tail. His fist techniques became increasingly gentle yet dense. Each arc contained profound true energy, wrapping and guiding the inch-force that Su Xin had unleashed, attempting to deflect the violent force to the side and neutralize it.

His Tai Chi emphasizes "using stillness to control movement and striking after the opponent has moved first," but at this moment, facing Su Xin's continuous short-range attacks, he could only passively defend, parrying and striking at the same time, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

The onlookers around them gradually began to see what was going on.

What appeared to be a mundane duel was actually fraught with danger. Every punch Su Xin threw seemed ordinary, yet it forced Zhang Sanfeng to go all out. The seemingly gentle Tai Chi was actually bearing immense pressure.

The Seven Heroes of Wudang grew even more respectful. They knew their master's strength well; there were very few opponents in the entire martial arts world who could make their master so serious.

Ji Xiaofu felt even more proud!

This seemingly strange and ordinary fist technique contains such formidable power.

Seeing that Zhang Sanfeng had gradually adapted to his inch-force rhythm, Su Xin's lips curled into an arrogant smile. His fighting spirit exploded completely, and he no longer held back, directly entering berserk mode.

In a flash, his hands came crashing down on Zhang Sanfeng like a storm, each punch faster and stronger than the last, each containing a pinpoint force condensed to its fullest extent. His fists were violent and fierce, like a raging storm sweeping across the land, giving Zhang Sanfeng no chance to catch his breath.

For a moment, a stark contrast seemed to emerge in the center of the square: