After taking his stance opposite Chen Chuan once more, Senior Brother Yan didn't become hesitant or timid because of his earlier misstep; instead, he pressed forward again.
After testing the waters with a few probing moves, he suddenly pivoted sideways and lashed out with a kick aimed straight at the liver. The moment Chen Chuan blocked it in time, Yan immediately followed through with a spinning back kick sweeping toward his neck.
These two strikes appeared identical to their previous exchange, but while the last attempt had been a feint followed by a real strike, both strikes were full and real this time. Furthermore, the combination linked together seamlessly, leaving virtually no opening.
This time, Chen Chuan met them first with a wing-arm block and brought his other hand up in a quick slap, deflecting both kicks in rapid succession. Guided by his inner breath, his upper body barely swayed. He didn't use his Second Self at all, relying entirely on his own strength.
Someone in the crowd saw through the technique and whispered, "A breathing technique!"
If a fighter attempted to practice a breathing technique without a solid foundation, they would only overdraw their vitality and potential—something an ordinary person couldn't bear. Even those with a foundation waited until they were a bit older to begin.
Across the local boxing clubs, a fighter typically had to be around twenty years old to use it with true proficiency.
Yet to their eyes, Chen Chuan, tall as he was, couldn't be more than sixteen or seventeen. Mastering a breathing technique at such an age—could he be a prized disciple meticulously groomed by some boxing club?
Having thrown those two kicks, Senior Brother Yan grasped the general picture. Chen Chuan had quick reflexes, seized opportunities well, and had mastered a breathing technique to boot. That made him a difficult customer. But sometimes, victory and defeat didn't depend solely on raw skill.
He glanced discreetly at Chen Chuan's footing. Over the last two attacks, he had noticed something: Chen Chuan hadn't dodged at all. The first time was an interception, and this time a direct block—and neither was followed by a counterattack.
This confirmed that his opponent hadn't gotten used to the ring yet; the canvas's elasticity was interfering with his center of gravity and force delivery.
It seemed like a minor distinction, but in real combat, the slightest deviation in power could compromise one's entire performance. Exploiting this weakness would allow him to keep Chen Chuan on the outside and dictate the pace of the fight.
And if an opponent remained stuck in defense without being able to attack, impatience would inevitably set in. Striking then would offer a far greater chance of victory.
Over the next half minute, Senior Brother Yan kept up a relentless assault, while Chen Chuan did nothing but parry and block, barely returning a blow, as though trapped in a corner.
In truth, Chen Chuan wasn't aiming to knock his opponent down at this moment. He was observing and pinpointing the man's breathing rhythm. He remembered Yu Gang's words: as long as you disrupt your opponent's breathing rhythm, neither their breathing technique nor their jin can be exerted smoothly.
Though he didn't know whether this Senior Brother Yan possessed jin, that didn't stop him from using the man as a sparring partner to grope his way toward understanding.
While Chen Chuan and Senior Brother Yan sparred in the ring, Coach Gu walked in from outside alongside two young men.
Had Chen Chuan glanced over, he would have recognized them as Sheng Hai and Liang Tong, whom he had met at the graduation banquet.
Coach Gu said as they walked, "You two can look around and explore our branch. There are plenty of young folks here too—not much different from your place."
Sheng Hai hurried to say, "Thank you, Coach Gu."
Coach Gu smiled and replied, "Think nothing of it. Even if we belong to different branches, we're all part of the Xiujiang Boxing Club. In the old days, that would make us martial brothers from the same sect. Going forward, the club will depend on young people like you to hold things up... Hmm, quite lively today. I haven't seen the fellow sparring with Xiao Yan before, though."
Liang Tong suddenly let out a gasp.
Coach Gu glanced at him, saw where his gaze was fixed, and gestured toward the ring with his chin. "What is it? You know that young fellow?"
Liang Tong said, "He looks like a classmate who graduated with me from First Middle School. I even handed him a flyer for our club once."
"Is that so? No wonder he came to our club."
Liang Tong flushed with embarrassment and stammered, "No, Coach Gu, I..."
Coach Gu waved a hand with a smile. "No need to explain. We're in business. As long as someone isn't here looking for trouble, every guest who comes through the door is welcome."
Xiao Liang spotted Coach Gu at that moment and hurried over, heaving a sigh of relief. "Coach Gu, you're finally here."
"What is it?" Coach Gu asked.
Xiao Liang pointed toward the ring. "That guy... he's the one you told me to let you know about last time, Coach."
"Last time?"
Coach Gu searched his memory, and the incident with the split sandbag suddenly came back to him. His expression grew more serious as he looked toward the ring. "You mean this fellow is the one who split that sandbag last time?"
"I think so. There wasn't anyone else." Xiao Liang sounded a little uncertain himself.
Coach Gu left the group and strode toward the ring, stopping right beneath it. When the crowd saw him, they greeted him one after another and parted to make room.
Coach Gu returned each greeting, then settled in and observed for a moment.
He noticed Chen Chuan was strictly on the defensive, failing to counterattack even when clear openings presented themselves. At first glance, one might take it for a lack of skill, but he soon realized that wasn't the case.
Judging purely by Chen Chuan's defense, it was airtight. His feet barely moved from his stance, showing he had plenty left in reserve. And defense was actually far more difficult than offense.
Why fight so passively, then?
Was he showing respect? Waiting for his opponent to concede? A boxing club was no place for polite deference; you only earned respect by defeating your opponent.
Yet after watching a while longer, tracing Chen Chuan's subtle movements and gaze, an inkling of a guess formed in his mind. *Could that be it...?*
By now, Chen Chuan had gradually figured out Senior Brother Yan's attacking rhythm, which was tied inextricably to his breathing technique. When Yan threw another kick, Chen Chuan didn't remain rooted in place. Instead, he took an abrupt sidestep to the right, sweeping his left hand across the man's flank.
Though Senior Brother Yan was somewhat on guard, the momentum of his movement left him unable to react in time, and he failed to block it.
Chen Chuan's strike was swift, but he hadn't fully unleashed his strength; it amounted to little more than a brush. Yet from that seemingly featherlight touch, the unified power Yan had maintained suddenly developed a breach. His breathing rhythm fractured instantly, throwing off his movement. His technique broke down midway, and his motion hitched.
Chen Chuan didn't pause. Seizing the opening, he followed the motion with a spinning elbow that crashed into the side of Senior Brother Yan's neck. Without letting out a sound, Yan pitched forward and slammed onto the canvas with a dull thud.
"Old Yan's down! Quick, help Old Yan down!"
"Splash some water on him, splash water... What do you mean there's no need? He splashed me last time!"
Coach Gu stepped forward from the crowd. The commotion died down immediately. Looking up at Chen Chuan in the ring, he asked, "Young man, which boxing club are you with?"
Chen Chuan shook his head. "I don't belong to any boxing club. I just train casually on my own. I came here to spar and exchange pointers."
Seeing that he didn't reveal a background, Coach Gu's expression relaxed slightly. That indicated Chen Chuan wasn't here to make trouble; otherwise, he would have made a show of trumpeting his school's name.
He said, "So it's just an exchange of pointers. How about this, young man—I'll spar with you. What do you say?"
Chen Chuan figured this must be the Coach Gu that Xiao Liang had mentioned. Growing more earnest, he replied, "I'd like nothing more!"
"Coach Gu's stepping in himself? That's quite an honor."
"Be careful, kid, or you'll have water splashed on you too!"
Coach Gu stepped aside, took off his jacket, changed into the training uniform of the Xiujiang Boxing Club, and began warming up below the ring.
Beneath the ring, Sheng Hai whispered to Liang Tong, "He's your classmate? Even Senior Brother Yan couldn't beat him. No wonder I thought he was something special last time."
Liang Tong was somewhat dazed as well. Senior Brother Yan was a seasoned fighter they had heard plenty about, yet he had gone down just like that. He remembered Chen Chuan saying he had "a bit of a foundation." Was *this* what he called a bit of a foundation?
And now he was about to spar with Coach Gu.
It was hard to wrap his head around how someone he used to see all the time, someone he thought he knew, was suddenly sharing the ring with someone far beyond his own reach. It gave him an unreal feeling.
He thought about it some more, and his eyes lit up. He said with a trace of excitement, "Wait! I heard someone from Class Four got into Wuyi College—maybe it's him!"
"Wuyi College? No wonder, no wonder." Sheng Hai immediately understood.
Liang Tong said, "You wouldn't believe it, but back in school, nobody ever heard about him being any good."
Sheng Hai remarked with admiration, "He was just keeping a low profile, obviously."
He couldn't help admiring Chen Chuan. To bring down Senior Brother Yan was a level of skill that couldn't be forged in a day or two.
At their age, who could resist showing off after learning martial arts? He had been the exact same way, desperate to show off in front of the girls. But to develop such formidable ability without any of his classmates knowing—that took extraordinary self-restraint.
By then, Coach Gu had finished limbering up. Ducking through the ropes, he stepped into the ring and, after a few strides, came to a halt opposite Chen Chuan.
Chapter 26