Chapter 218: Unsheathed Sword Disrupts Water
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
On the viewing platform, Li Liantong originally was able to contain herself, but when she saw Lou Cheng, Lin Que, and other hangers-on come out from inside the locker room, and heard the eruption of screams of the vuvuzelas all around, it ignited her hidden pa.s.sion deep inside. Along with the spectators nearby, she raised both hands and waved them frantically, yelling in rhythm.
“Songcheng University! Songcheng University!”
“Let’s go, Songcheng University!”
Seeing their roommate losing herself like this, Zong Yanru and s.h.i.+ Xiangyang were momentarily dumbstruck. It was unbelievable that this was Dirty Tong, who usually was in such control of herself. It didn’t matter if she was outwardly quiet, on the inside she was quite filthy. It was nothing like how she was behaving now.
When the broadcaster started to announce the names of Songcheng University’s leading players and subst.i.tutes, Li Liantong and the crowd would subsequently follow with a chant. They felt that something had roused their hearts, and they were eager to let it out. They all felt like they’d a.s.similated into a kind of craziness that made everyone around feel a strange kind of intoxication.
Even though every person had their personality and different habits as they yelled out, none of them had the fervor of Li Liantong. There were some last remaining remnants of aloofness, but their voices became like beads of water forming tidal waves.
“Lin Que!”
“Lou Cheng!”
Following Cai Zongming and the others, Wu Qian and Zhang Jingye shouted. Fan Yanxi blew her vuvuzela to her heart’s content. Her quiet exterior was betrayed by her blus.h.i.+ng face and the zeal in her eyes.
Amidst the clamor, the referee ascended onto the ring and looked at both sides, conducting a final confirmation.
He breathed in and without the aid of a megaphone allowed his words to penetrate through the clamor loud and clear to every nook and cranny of the arena.
“Quarterfinal of Songcheng Division Knockout. Songcheng University Martial Arts Club versus Donglin Squad.”
“Round one, Lin Que versus Zhuo Yanjun!”
Lin Que stood up quickly. Instead of walking directly to the ring, he stepped over Li Mao and Yan Zheke, came in front of Lou Cheng, and extended his right hand.
At first, Lou Cheng stared blankly, but then proceeded to reveal a smile and extended his hand to shake with Lin Que.
“You can do it!”
Lin Que nodded, turned around, and taking a few paces, ascended onto the ring.
Zhou Yanjun was already standing there, straight as an arrow.
She closed her eyes. Still happily in her martial arts world, she ascended onto the ring.
Her enemy across from her was not easy to deal with. Last time, even with his strength exhausted, he was still capable of causing fear. Meeting again now, she believed that everyone was certain he would win. All they could see was how large the concrete dissipation was.
However, I still believe that, step by step, I’m becoming a strong Professional Ninth Pin. True, I’m not quite at the Dan Stage, and won’t be able to make up for this large deficiency in level. However, just because hope seems far away doesn’t mean that it’s not there!
This wasn’t blind arrogance on Zhou Yanjun’s part. Rather, it was that she believed when coming up against a powerful enemy, she held onto the belief that going into the fight with an “attack” state of mind would greatly increase the odds of succeeding as opposed to a “slow and steady” approach.
If you were going to settle for second best, you’d better have room to retreat as well! And if you didn’t move as if you intended to win, then how could expect to ask for “exhausting opponents”?
As Zhuo Yanjun clarified her ideas, the referee raised his right hand and opened his mouth with utter seriousness.
“Three minutes of talk time.”
Zhou Yanjun knew that speaking with Lin Que was like trying to draw blood from a stone. She also didn’t want to waste words, so she shut her eyes and went over her state of mind and corresponding moves one last time.
Inside the broadcasting room of Songcheng TV station, Fang Juexiao chuckled.
“If Lin Que is any indication, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club really seems like they don’t have any fighters skilled in the gift of gab. During a broadcast, it’s hard to decipher any trash talk during the match.”
He could bit by bit become Songcheng TV Station’s resident presenter for Martial Arts Compet.i.tion for his gifts in many ways, and he even understood lip language!
Gan Le shook his head in laughter. “Aren’t you taking into account their background? If they’re too good at insulting people, they’ll be taken care of by their school. Of course, college students character will be a bit higher.”
“Gan, you’ve been separated from regular society for too long. Spend a little more time on the internet; most college students are better than you at insulting others. Also, I’m merely referring to being witty. Aren’t you talking about something else entirely?” Fang Juexiao tried his best to keep the atmosphere lively as Lin Que and Zhuo Yanjun stood silently.
As for the a.n.a.lysis of the outcome of this match, they had discussed it earlier. They all agreed more or less that both sides had a chance. It all depended on their display here.
While Fang Juexiao and Gan Le were talking about fighters with the gift of gab, Cai Zongming looked towards the ring at Lin Que. Feeling the pa.s.sion all around, it once again made his heart ache to go up there.
If it was me standing there, I’d be as handsome as he was. I also wouldn’t waste these three minutes!
Atop the ring, the judge looked at his electronic watch, silently counting. Once again he raised his right hand, and shouted,
“Begin!”
With the lingering sound of the announcement still echoing, Lin Que’s inner body transmitted a repeating sound, like a sonorous thunderclap. It was like the roar of a motorcycle pa.s.sing by, or the burgeoning exhaust of a pa.s.sing car. It made Zhuo Yanjun suddenly remember a line written about the “Fly Fall Punch” in ancient texts; coming events cast their shadow before them.
Just like the wind blowing when it was about to rain on the mountainside!
This was a display of Lin Que’s muscle, bone, sinew and internal organs storage of energy. It signified that his body refining had broken the limits, and showed that he was only 20 or 30 days away from reaching the Dan Stage!
In the midst of the reverberating sound, Lin Que had abruptly thrown himself forward with the speed of a meteor. In a split second, he erased the more than six-meter gap between the two of them. It was an astonis.h.i.+ng display of power, enough to astonish.
Although Zhuo Yanjun was in “attack” mode and had wanted to come out swinging from the very beginning, she’d attached too much importance to herself. Her opponent had claimed the high ground in an instant. She wouldn’t dare go with him toe to toe in this standoff.
However, she couldn’t retreat. In the face of this kind of confrontation, if you couldn’t get out of the way, your opponents strength was like a rainbow ever advancing. It put her at a thorough disadvantage, and made her want to withdraw from the situation completely. Her previous “attack mode” was double the effort for half the reward.
While this thought swirled about, the part of her that was rich with experience in the ring did a sliding step to the left. It looked as if she was keeping away from the frontal “point” and leaning to hit her opponent.
She moved and Lin Que’s balance faltered, but his bodies seemed to turn inwards at high speed, not in the least bit blocked up.
Seeing that her opponent’s right arm muscle had already tightened, Zhuo Yanjun straightened her spine, tensed her back muscles, and again forced her body to pull back.
She wasn’t avoiding him, but rather was using this as a pretext to wear down Lin Que’s energy!
Regaining her balance, she violently used the crowns of her feet. Pressing on the left side of her waist in a straight incline, there was an accompanying sound of green bricks bursting. It was like a sword rus.h.i.+ng out of a small box, or a white mist illuminating the entire room, the point sharp enough to kill.
“Unsheathed Sword Disrupts Water” of Black Water Swordplay!
This was something from the Water Sect, obtained through meditation by the founder of the Wensheng school. It began a long time ago, near the East Ocean, after he had challenged a grand and powerful Kendo master. He took the master’s technique of drawing his sword along with his own swordplay and proceeded to mix them, extracting the strength of both sides and casting out both of their weaknesses.
Zhuo Yanjun had twisted her waist to execute the special technique and threw out her right arm, quickly and fiercely moving the palm of her hand up from the bottom to chop Lin Que’s side. It felt like a breakthrough moment.
What I’m doing now isn’t to wear you down but to win!
I’ll piece together all of my strength, and I’m not going to hold back!
Lin Que’s body suddenly stopped, holding back the energy. He made a fist with his left hand and exploded down like a hammer, and with its small scope ruthlessly beat down on Zhuo Yanjun’s “long sword.”
Bang!
Lin Que’s arm involuntarily flew back as it was dissipated by the “Unsheathed Sword Disrupts Water”. Zhuo Yanjun’s body shook, and her right hand reverberated.
In that moment, her foot drew back one step. It wasn’t that she was making her own path, rather she depended on her opponent. Amidst a snapping sound she pounced, her back straight and her left fist raised high in the “Single-handedly splitting a mountain”!
She knew Lin Que’s Tremor Punch wasn’t the same as Lou Cheng’s. It was more powerful and faster. She couldn’t give him the slightest gap.
A moment ago while fighting hand to hand, Lin Que had gotten quite a bit of strength from the Yin-yang Twist. Along with outstretching his left arm, he’d turned his entire body. At that moment his right hand went up in a stance to resist the oncoming blow.
Bang!
As Zhuo Yanjun’s palm slammed into Lin Que’s arm, her arm muscles bulged and distorted, bursting through her martial arts suit. She succeeded in storing up double the force a while ago.
In the face of this kind of strength, her left palm was like a knife. She would scratch downwards, and using a “Yin attack”, do serious damage to the muscle, tendons, and blood vessels underneath Lin Que’s skin. If she pulled it off, he would need at least a month to heal.
Black Water Swordplay’s Killer Move, “Yin & Yang Double Wave”!
Chopping at the yang and scratching at the yin. With the yang, she could damage bone, and with the yin she could attack fles.h.!.+
At this critical moment, Lin Que’s face turned red. His temples pulsated and his right arm muscles proceeded to swell up. With an abrupt strength, he counteracted Zhou Yanjun’s “Yin Attack”.
The veins on the back of his hand bulged out like giant cables.
After swelling up, Lin Que first pulled his arm back and then sprang outwards. Zhou Yanjun’s palm shakily went out and her waist extended out. Her entire body bent forwards, turning into a defensive posture.
Zhuo Yanjun didn’t have time to adjust herself and had to retreat continuously. Right away, Lin Que was getting closer and closer, his temples bulging, and his left arm on the verge of delivering a ferocious blow.
She gritted her teeth and, imitating Hou Yue, crouched down while Lin Que waved his fist, and wrapped her left hand behind her body.
Just then, Lin Que’s body trembled. His fist suddenly drew back and, using his waist as a fulcrum, his right leg shot out.
“Bam!”
His right foot was stretched taut, splitting the air with a kick.
Zhou Yanjun lifted up her left hand frantically, placing it on her side. This way, under the circ.u.mstances, with her balance not being steady, she could just block Lin Que’s leg.
Bang! Her body shook, but she couldn’t control it. In an attempt to turn the tables, she leaned to the right.
Lin Que suddenly withdrew all of his strength, as well as his qi and blood. He momentarily held onto the sphere and then let it overflow.
Boom!
His power rus.h.i.+ng forth, Lin Que stamped down and crushed the green bricks. He launched himself forward, scrambling towards Zhou Yanjun and arriving beside her before she could recover her balance and take advantage of the situation.
Once again, Zhou Yanjun did not have time to dodge. She fleetingly took a breath and reluctantly braced her arms together, putting them forward to block.
Bang!
All she felt was the explosion. Her bones rattled, and even her muscles and tendons appeared to shake. Adding to the fact that her balance was not steady, she fell directly on her back, facing upwards. Landing with a grunt, she simply didn’t have the ability or the time to s.h.i.+ft her abdomen muscles to come back with a counterattack.
Lin Que stretched out his right hand, the one that he had not attacked with. Grabbing her arm, he stood her up.
At this moment, the referee loudly declared,
“Round one, Lin Que wins!”