Victory

Before coming, Tian Er had studied the Flipping Sand Palm and knew how potent it became once mastered to minor success. The Night Heron style excelled in agility and versatility; in sheer head-on force, it was inferior to the Flipping Sand Palm. Though Li Xiuwen had only just stepped into minor success with this palm strike, it still carried the force to topple mountains and overturn seas. The flesh on Tian Er's chest rippled like waves, sinking in deeply. He stumbled backward, unable to halt his momentum, his eyes bulging wide. In the end, he could no longer hold back the surging force—*pfft*, a mouthful of blood sprayed out. A yielding palm packed immense penetrating power; his internal organs had been jolted out of place, trembling like struck bells, leaving him in agonizing misery. *Bang!* Li Xiuwen followed up with a third palm strike. Tian Er flew through the air and collapsed into Gaojiao Qi's arms, his face flushed as red as a monkey's rump. "You..." The blood rushed to Tian Er's head, and he wanted to scramble back onto the stage, but Gaojiao Qi held him back. "You've already lost. Do you want to go up there and make an even bigger fool of yourself?" "Eldest Senior Brother, he... he must have peeked at our martial arts lessons!" Tian Er protested. Standing on the stage, Li Xiuwen bowed to Huang Sihai and Master Ye, then turned and walked down. "Well done!" Ah Zhen clapped and cheered. "Ah Wen, you're awesome! You actually beat Tian Er!" Cheng Kuiqiang was overjoyed. Watching from afar, Old Chen smiled with gratification. "This Li brother of mine is indeed no ordinary fellow." Though Huang Sihai had lost three matches in a row, a pleased expression surfaced on his face as he smiled and said, "Master Ye, I heard this Tian Er's fighting techniques were close to major success?" Master Ye's expression darkened uncertainly, and he offered no reply. Huang Sihai pressed on. "My disciple Ah Wen only reached minor success in the Flipping Sand Palm not long ago, yet Tian Er actually lost... He wasn't practicing Water Bird Fist, was he? It looked more like Field Frog Fist." Huang Sihai's words were venomous. Field Frog Fist was a rather well-known wild boxing style from the south, while Water Bird Fist was an orthodox style that originated from the renowned White Crane style. The implication was crystal clear: my disciple's newly attained minor success in Flipping Sand Palm beat your disciple's near-major-success Water Bird Fist, which naturally meant the Sea Sand style was superior. Faced with such an analogy, the old man opposite was naturally displeased. Master Ye gave a cold sneer. "Master Huang, getting this excited after losing three and winning one? You're far too easily satisfied." Huang Sihai was unfazed. He chuckled and said, "Heh, my disciple Ah Wen has only ordinary aptitude. If he can defeat one of your Four Talents of Pine Hall, doesn't that prove my Sea Sand style is formidable?" Master Ye countered sharply, "Hah, he's merely a caged chicken fattened up on fish balls." Huang Sihai chuckled. "Can fish balls allow someone of ordinary aptitude to reach minor success in Flipping Sand Palm in just over a month? If so, wouldn't my Four Seas Martial Arts Hall be crawling with geniuses?" The two old men traded jabs, disparaging each other openly and subtly. With that, the sparring between the Four Talents of Pine Hall from Night Heron Martial Arts Hall and the first-floor disciples of Four Seas Martial Arts Hall came to an end. Next were the matches between the second-floor disciples. Li Xiuwen took the opportunity to linger and watch. The second-floor disciples were indeed fierce. When they clashed, their punches whipped up howling wind, their figures flickered, and the floorboards vibrated. Their momentum far surpassed that of those at the Skin and Membranes stage. Ultimately, while the Skin and Membranes stage was powerful, that was mainly in comparison to ordinary people; in a chaotic brawl, one could still easily be surrounded and beaten to death by blade-wielding commoners. Upon reaching the second stage, however, one's vital blood surged. Every gesture and movement possessed the power to shatter monuments and split boulders; against ordinary people, it was practically a dimensional beatdown. Today's challenge visit had broadened Li Xiuwen's horizons, leaving him no longer satisfied with merely reaching the Black Membrane stage. *The second stage... in a major gang, that's already a Straw Sandal, a core member, a formidable hand. Even in the Walled City, that's considered making a name for oneself.* Compared to the ragtag bunch on the first floor, the second-floor disciples of Four Seas Martial Arts Hall performed quite well. A burly man with an afro named Ao Jiu left a particularly deep impression on Li Xiuwen. With every move the man made, it was as if a giant whale were cruising around him, overturning mountains and seas. He cleanly and decisively defeated the "Big Guy," reputed to be the top fighter of Night Heron Martial Arts Hall's Heron Hall, clinching their sole victory. A fair-faced, pretty senior sister with long legs named Lu Yu was also very formidable. Proving that women were in no way inferior to men, though she lost to a male martial artist from Heron Hall, her performance drew constant applause from the spectators. There was also a well-endowed girl named Long'er whose showing was commendable, though she was ultimately defeated. Lastly, there was someone named Chen Jia who also practiced Iron Cloth Shirt hard qigong. His posture was solid and authentic, exceptionally fierce and unyielding. Unfortunately, his opponent surpassed him by far too much in realm and fighting technique. No matter how tough his defenses were, he was merely a punching bag with slightly more health; after holding out for a hundred exchanges, he went down in defeat. Although the contest between the second floor and Heron Hall still ended in three losses and one win, the Night Heron side had won only by a narrow margin. It was nothing like the first floor, where everyone aside from Li Xiuwen had suffered a one-sided slaughter. Liu Chun in particular, the face of the first floor, had been routed within a few moves by Gaojiao Qi, cutting a truly pathetic figure. *Ao Jiu, Lu Yu, Long'er, Chen Jia... these will be my senior brothers and sisters in the future.* *Every one of them has talent equal to or greater than Liu Chun's. Once I get up there, it's going to be another fierce battle between dragons and tigers,* Li Xiuwen thought to himself, completely confident about the upcoming competition on the second floor. Around noon, the grand challenge visit drew to a close. Master Ye glanced toward the *Ming Pao* reporter. His objective for this trip had been accomplished. He smiled and said, "Master Huang, thank you for holding back. We'll pay another visit in the future!" Master Huang beamed as well. "Don't rush off. I'll have someone prepare a good spread of food." "No need. I'll save you some money." Master Ye turned around and strode away with his disciples and the tall foreign woman. The reporters and spectators dispersed. Once the clamor faded, the martial arts hall fell silent. Huang Sihai sat in his seat, sipping tea alone, saying nothing. Liu Chun broke the silence, kneeling on the ground. "Master, this disciple was useless..." Huang Sihai waved his hand. "Get up. Gaojiao Qi is a prized treasure Old Ye managed to find after all these years, and he poured everything into training him. It's normal that you couldn't beat him." "I... I messed up," Cheng Kuiqiang said, hanging his head. Huang Sihai glanced at him and said coldly, "You did mess up. You actually had a shot at winning!" Ah Zhen pouted. "Master, you won't blame me, will you? I'm just a frail woman..." Huang Sihai sighed, looking thoroughly exhausted. What kind of disciples were these? Perhaps he really needed to raise his admission standards. He turned his gaze toward Li Xiuwen in the corner and said calmly, "Ah Wen, have you practiced Water Bird Fist before?" Li Xiuwen shook his head. "No. I've just been going to the great ring to watch matches whenever I was free lately, and I felt like I caught onto some of the tricks." Huang Sihai was astonished. He realized he had still underestimated Li Xiuwen. To grasp the practical attack and defense techniques of an unfamiliar style so quickly just by watching matches... This kind of combat talent was truly rare. In some respects, it was even scarcer than having the makings of a superior. No wonder the lad hadn't wanted to show off at the great ring a few days back—turns out he truly could give him a surprise. "Ah Wen, I didn't misjudge you. Stay a little late today, and I'll teach you movement techniques." Having said that, Huang Sihai clasped his hands behind his back and walked away, his retreating figure looking somewhat lonely. Cheng Kuiqiang said, "Congratulations, Ah Wen! You get to learn movement techniques. That's good stuff only second-floor disciples are qualified to learn." Ah Zhen also came over to congratulate him. Liu Chun, his eyes red, departed alone. Li Xiuwen truly bore no malice toward Liu Chun; he merely viewed him as a rival. Having lived two lives, he took things in stride. Liu Chun was only a sixteen-year-old youth in the prime of his youthful arrogance. Li Xiuwen could understand his behavior and words. Earlier today, when Liu Chun said, "Master, let me push myself this once," Li Xiuwen had even felt a bit moved. ... At the Night Heron Martial Arts Hall. Master Ye heard from Gaojiao Qi about Li Xiuwen coming to learn martial arts in the past. Gaojiao Qi lowered his head and said, "Master, could we have been mistaken when we turned him away back then?" Master Ye smiled. "Do you regret it?" Gaojiao Qi shook his head. "Not really. I just worry that I caused Master to miss out on talent." Master Ye said, "It doesn't matter. The boy's cultivation was most likely crammed full of fish balls—nothing remarkable about that. What stands out is his comprehension, his grasp of fighting techniques. "Yet no matter how good one's comprehension is, what ultimately governs a martial artist's cultivation is innate physique. Without a good innate physique, comprehension is like duckweed without water, lacking any ground to leverage. It is beneath notice." Hearing this, Gaojiao Qi felt completely relieved of his burden. He smiled and said, "I understand." Master Ye said with earnest gravity, "Ah Qi, don't grow arrogant over our victory in this challenge visit. With your aptitude, this is merely the beginning. "Those people at the Four Seas Martial Arts Hall aren't even qualified to serve as stepping stones for you. Your goals are the crossing-river meet and the Academy!"